OR A

PHILOSOPHICAL INQUIRY

INTO THE

PRINCIPLES OF RELIGION.

BY THE

REV. HENRY TRURO BRAY, M. A., B. D., LL. D.,
Rector of Christ Church, Boonville, Mo.

ST. LOUIS:
NIXON-JONES PRINTING CO.

Entered According to Act of Congress, in the year 1888, by

HENRY TRURO BRAY,

In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.

BL
51

B65 1888

CONTENTS:

BOOK FIRST.

THE KNOWABILITY OF GOD.

A: Science and Simple Theism.

B: Science and Natural Religion.

C: Science and Revealed Religion.

(A): Revelation in General.

a: The Fact of a Revelation.

(B): The Christian Revelation.

a: Its Nature and Claims.

(a): Origin and Growth of the New Testament

Scriptures.

I: Of the Gospels.

II: Of the Acts, Epistles, and Apocalypse.

b: Its Settlement and Character.

(a): Its Settlement.

(b): Its Character.

c: Christianity compared with Other Religions.

(a): Its Exclusive Claim not admitted.

(b): In Doctrinal Essentials it is One with

Other Religions.

I: Immortality.

II: God is the First Principle and Intelligent.

III: God the Origin and Ruler of All.

(I): Necessary for Creation.

(II): Necessary for Government.

IV: God is the Father of All.

V: Rewards and Punishments come from God.

VI: God looks to the Heart.

VII: Liberality and Forgiveness must be practiced.

VIII: Purity above All Things.

IX: God is Good.

X: God is Immutable.

XI: The Young should be educated with Great Care.

D: The General Evolution of the Conception of God.

a: All Religions express an Eternal Truth.

b: All Religions the Work of Evolution.

c: All Religions Good for the Time and Place.

d: Religions being Universal and in Essence One,,

must be True.

BOOK THE SECOND.

THE IMMORTALITY OF THE SOUL.

A: Some Reasons in Disproof of the Immortality of the Soul.

a: Facts in Disproof of the Soul's Immortality.

(a): Death.

The Continuation of Life after Death, in No Case

satisfactorily and conclusively proved.

(I): Resurrections.

(II): Ghosts.

(III): Spirit-Revelations.

(b) The Nature of Man essentially the Same

I: Physiological.

II: Psychological.

(I): Reason.

(II): Speech.

as That of the Animal World in General.

b: Presumptions in Disproof of the Soul's Im-

mortality

(a): It is Possible that Mind is but a Mode of

Material Action.

(b): It is Possible that the Individual Mind

is but a Mode of Action of the Uni-

versal and Infinite Mind.

B: Some Reasons in Proof of the Immortality of the Soul.
a: The Fact that Humanity as a Whole believes in It.
b: The Fact that Belief in Immortality seems Con-
sonant with the Teachings of Philosophy.

c: The Presumption that Mind is not a Mere Mode

nor Result of Material Action.

d: The Fact of Religion and Human Confidence in It.
(a): Man naturally Religious.

(b): Hard to believe that What is Natural and

apparently Necessary to True Develop-

ment, can be False.