ART. X.-Faith in God and Modern Atheism Compared, in their Essential Nature, Theoretic Grounds, and Practical Influence. By JAMES BUCHANAN, D.D., LL.D., Divinity Professor in the New College, and Author of "Comfort in Affliction," &c. 2 vols. 8vo. Edinburgh: James Buchanan, Junr. 1855.

IT is certainly strange, and in some respects not a little humbling, that in the nineteenth century of the Christian æra, men of the highest talents and learning, in the most enlightened countries of the world, should be occupied with an elaborate investigation into the most elementary and fundamental principles of all religion, -the existence, character, and providence of God. These topics have from the earliest period occupied the thoughts and tasked the powers of the highest minds of our race, and it might be supposed that by this time all that could be learned regarding them, from Reason or Revelation, would be ascertained, and that the minds of men would be made up, both as to what should be believed concerning them, and as to the grounds on which the truth believed should be defended. And yet it can scarcely be disputed, that in the present day a larger number of educated men profess, more or less openly, Atheism and Pantheism, in some of their forms, than at any former period; and that views and discussions of an anti-theistic tendency, fitted to shake men's faith in the doctrines which have generally prevailed in Christian countries concerning God, are more widely diffused than ever before, in the current literature of the day. We are thus driven back upon an investigation of the most elementary and fundamental principles of all religion, and we are warned of the necessity of being well acquainted with the grounds on which our convictions upon these momentous subjects are based. This necessity now attaches not only to those who are called upon to study religious subjects professionally, but to educated men in general,-a description which includes a very considerable portion of the community. We suspect that many of the pastors of our churches, especially among those who have been ordained for twenty or thirty years, have given but little attention to the study of Natural Theology with its proofs and evidences. To those who began to be students of theology above a quarter of a century ago, there was little or nothing to suggest the importance and propriety of giving much time or labour to the investigation of this department of theological literature. The study of Natural Theology was, we fear, too much neglected by those who now form the senior portion of the ministry amongst us; and this arose not from any im

pression that such subjects as the existence, character, and government of God, had ceased, or could cease, to be topics of the highest intrinsic value and importance, as objects of contemplation and study, but solely from the idea that the generally received doctrines concerning them were so thoroughly established, that it was not to be expected that they would ever again be seriously questioned, or become topics of controversial discussion.

This was in the circumstances a natural and not an unreasonable impression. In a preceding generation, the ingenuity of Hume had been brought to bear upon some of the leading departments of Natural Theology, without doing much to shake the established belief, or to diffuse any serious doubts in men's minds. Kant's elaborate attempt to show that the ordinary arguments for the existence of God did not thoroughly approve themselves to the Speculative Reason, was commonly looked upon merely as an ingenious piece of unsubstantial special pleading; while his profession of founding the belief in this great truth upon what he called the Practical Reason, was generally regarded as an admission of the validity of the argument which preceding writers upon Natural Theology were accustomed to deduce from the conscience or moral nature of man. The Atheistic and Pantheistic speculations of Fichte, Schelling, and Hegel, were not, thirty years ago, much known in this country, and had not found their way, as they have now done, into our current literature. In these circumstances, it is not strange that Natural Theology did not in general occupy a very prominent place in the prelections of theological professors, or the reading of theological students. Except in cases where there happened to be a special predilection for this branch of study, even the most diligent and intelligent of our divinity students were contented with a careful perusal of a very few of the old standard books upon the subject. Of those who, like ourselves, attended the Divinity Hall during the third decade of this century, few probably did more in this department of study than peruse Cudworth's Intellectual System, some of the principal Boyle Lectures, such as those of Bentley and Clarke, perhaps Buddaus de Atheismo, and the chapter de Deo in two or three of the leading systems of theology. Such works as these, with perhaps Leibnitz and Archbishop King on Theodicy, with Butler's Analogy to furnish the substance of an answer to all objections, and Paley to supply the illustrations of the argument from design, used to form the subjects of study under the head of Natural Theology. Those who had perused these books with some care were in general thoroughly satisfied, that the commonly received doctrines concerning the existence, character,

and government of God, had been conclusively established, had been proved to be true by evidence the validity of which, while it might be cavilled at, could not be successfully assailed. The general tendency of this state of mind was to disincline men to give time and attention afterwards to the study of Natural Theology. It was looked upon as a topic settled and set by, one the grounds of which were too firmly established to afford matter for serious doubt, and one of too solemn a character to be taken up and dealt with as a mere matter of speculation, as a mere subject for intellectual exercise. For ourselves, we confess that, after having examined this subject in the way and to the extent above stated, about the beginning of our theological studies, we have never since felt much interest in it, as a topic of speculation, and have never again. returned to the investigation of it, further than to take a glimpse occasionally of the recent speculations of philosophers, in order to satisfy ourselves that nothing has yet been discovered and established, in the world either of matter or of mind, at all adequate to shake our old convictions, or to overturn any of the leading arguments on which they were based.

But though, in common with many of our brethren in the ministry, we have never felt called upon to give much time or attention to the study of Natural Theology, and have never become much interested in mere speculative discussions on the subjects which it includes, yet our judgment is thoroughly satisfied that it ought now to occupy a more prominent place in the course of a theological education, and ought to be more minutely and familiarly known by ministers and candidates for the ministry. The ground of this conviction is the fact, that unsound and dangerous views upon subjects comprehended under the head of Natural Theology, now prevail to a considerable extent among educated men, have attained considerable prominence in our general literature, and are extensively brought to bear upon the whole circle of theological questions, upon the evidences and the contents of the Christian revelation. Not only are more zealous and plausible attempts made now than ever before to undermine the authority of what has been most surely believed amongst us, but positively erroneous views upon many important topics connected with the divine character and government have been advocated, and have been urged as precluding the possibility of the authority of the Christian revelation being established, and of some of its fundamental doctrines being received as true. Such views are not now confined, as used to be the case in former generations, to books which formally discussed these subjects, whether on philosophical or theological grounds, but they pervade widely our general literature, and come more or

less under the cognisance of almost all reading and reflecting men. It is scarcely possible now-a-days for young men of intelligence and mental activity, to have gone through a literary or philosophical course at any of our colleges, without having come into contact with views about God, plausibly urged, and sanctioned by men whom they have learned to respect as high authorities, which are fitted to shake their faith, both in the validity of the proofs, and in the authority of the contents, of the Christian revelation. This consideration is quite sufficient to establish the propriety and necessity of Natural Theology occupying a somewhat prominent place, a more prominent place than used formerly to be assigned to it, in the beginning of a course of theological study; and of its being treated with a full knowledge of, and a constant reference to, the mode in which it is discussed in the present day. It is true, indeed, that the whole substance of what can be said upon the subject, both in the way of directly establishing the truth, and of answering the objections that have been adduced against it, has been said frequently, and long ago, and is to be found in the writings of famous authors who flourished in old times. And this is a position which it is of great importance to bring out and illustrate, not only in regard to this, but to several other departments of theological literature, as an excellent antidote against being led away by what is supposed to be original and new. But this affords no reason why the subject, if discussed at all, should not be treated in the way best adapted to tell upon the minds of the present generation, and of course with a special reference to the most improved and plausible forms in which error may have been put forth. If real talent and ingenuity have been brought to bear upon the subject in the recent discussion of it, something will have been done to change the aspect of the case, and to present error in a dress that is partially new, and perhaps in some respects more plausible than it ever wore before. This is undoubtedly realised in the actual state of things amongst us; and it is amply sufficient to require a careful study of the most recent forms of the discussion, on the part, especially, of those who are engaged in superintending the studies of candidates for the ministry. Young men who are just entering upon the regular study of divinity have of course read few or none of the old standard books on Natural Theology, which used to be regarded as having settled satisfactorily its leading doctrines, while they can scarcely fail to have been brought into contact with discussions fitted to shake their faith in these doctrines. It is of great importance to show them that these questions have been satisfactorily and conclusively settled long ago; and that the philosophy

and the ingenuity of the present day have not materially affected the substance of the argument in its fundamental principles, and have not produced any new thing of a really formidable description against the cause of sound Theism. But this can be done adequately, effectively, and to good purpose, only by one who has mastered the newest and most improved methods of adversaries, the most fresh and plausible speculations of those who oppose, more or less openly, the generally received doctrines. Without the possession and application of this knowledge, the necessary work could not be well done; and even if it could, it could scarcely be expected to exert its appropriate influence.

Upon such grounds as these, we are thoroughly satisfied that Natural Theology ought to occupy a more prominent place than used to be assigned to it, in the studies of ministers and of candidates for the ministry; and that, since the conclusions of Natural Theology are after all much more important in their bearing upon the evidences than upon the contents of the Christian revelation,-and since certain notions, alleged to be comprehended in the religion of nature, are often now-a-days brought to bear injuriously upon the whole mode of investigating and ascertaining divine truth,—this subject ought to be taken up in the commencement of a course of theological study. It seems to have been to a conviction to this effect, that we owe the original preparation of the very important and valuable work which we have placed at the head of this article. Dr Buchanan having been called by his official duties, as one of the professors in the theological seminary of the Free Church, to superintend the education of students in the first session of a theological curriculum, prepared, as the first branch of this work, a course of lectures upon Natural Theology, in which the leading topics usually comprehended under this head were discussed, in connection with a view of the speculations of modern Atheists and Pantheists. Dr Buchanan seems to have been led by his convictions of duty, as well as by the bent of his studies and inclinations, to go fully and elaborately into this subject; and having been afterwards, on the death of Dr Chalmers, transferred to another department in the labours of the seminary, he has published the substance of his lectures in this department of the course, in the two volumes which now lie before us.

The work we regard as eminently successful, and deserving of the highest commendation. It is an able, learned, comprehensive, well-digested, and lucid exposition of the leading topics usually ranked under the head of Natural Theology, followed up by an elaborate and masterly refutation of the prevalent modern systems of Atheism and Pantheism. Dr Buchanan is