EXPLANATION OF SHORT TITLES.
In order to avoid encumbering the pages with notes containing the names of books, many of which would require to be frequently repeated, I have adopted, in referring to the under-mentioned works, the following abbreviations:—
A. B....The Aitareya Brâhmanam of the Rig-Veda. Edited, translated, and explained by Martin Haug, Ph.D. Vol. i. Sanscrit text. Vol. ii. Translation, with notes. Bombay, 1863.
A. I. C....An Account of the Island of Ceylon, by Robert Percival, Esq., of His Majesty's 19th Regiment of Foot. London, 1803.
A. M....Antiquities of Mexico (Lord Kingsborough's), comprising fac similes of Ancient Mexican paintings and hieroglyphics. Together with the Monuments of New Spain, by Mons. Dupaix; with their respective scales of measurement and accompanying descriptions. The whole illustrated by many valuable inedited manuscripts, by Augustine Aglio. In 9 vols. London, 1831-48.
A. N. L....Ante-Nicene Christian Library; translations of the Writings of the Fathers down to A.D. 325. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1870, &c.
A. R....Algic Researches, comprising inquiries respecting the mental characteristics of the North American Indians. First Series. Indian Tales and Legends. In 2 vols. By Henry Rowe Schoolcraft. New York, 1839.
Asha....Ashantee and the Gold Coast, by John Beecham. London, 1841.
A. S. L....History of Ancient Sanskrit Literature, by Max Müller. London, 1859.
As. Re....Researches of the Asiatic Society in Bengal. Calcutta, 1788-1839.
Av....Avesta, die Heiligen Schriften der Parsen. Aus dem Grundtexte übersetzt, mit steter Rücksicht auf die Tradition. Von Dr. Fried. Spiegel. Erster Band. Der Vendidad Leipzig, 1852. Zweiter Band. Vispered und Yaçna. Leipzig, 1859. Dritter Band. Khorda-Avesta. Leipzig, 1863.
B. A. U....Bibliotheca Indica. Vol. ii. part iii. The Brihad Âranyaka Upanishad, with the Commentary of Sánkara A'cha'rya. Translated from the Original Sanskrit by Dr. E. Roer. Calcutta, 1856.
Bergeron....Voyages faits principalement en Asie, dans les XIIe, XIIIe, XIVe, et XVe siècles, par Benjamin de Tudèle, Jean du Plan-Carpin, N. Ascelin, Guil. de Rubruquis, Marc-Paul, Haiton, Jean de Mandeville et Ambroise Contarini; accompagnés de l'Histoire des Sarrazins et des Tartares, par P. Bergeron. A la Haye, 1735.
Bernard....Recueil des Voyages au Nord. Amsterdam, chez Jean Frédéric Bernard, 1727.
Bh. G....The Bhagavat-Gíta; or a Discourse between Krishna and Arjuna on Divine Matters. A Sanskrit Philosophical Poem; translated, with copious notes, an Introduction on Sanskrit Philosophy, and other matters, by J. Cockburn Thomson. Hertford, 1855.
Bib....Apollodori Bibliotheca.
B. T....Buddhism in Tibet, by Emil Schlagintweit, LL.D. Leipzig and London, 1863.
C. B. A....A Catena of Buddhist Scriptures from the Chinese, by Sam'l Beal. London, 1871.
C. C....The Chinese Classics, with a translation, critical and exegetical notes, prolegomena, and copious indexes, by James Legge, D.D. In 7 vols. Vol. i. Confucian Analects, the Great Learning, and the Doctrine of the Mean. Vol. ii. Works of Mencius. Vol. iii. 2 parts, The Shoo King. Vol. iv. 2 parts, The She King. Vol. v. the Ch'un Ts'ëw. London, 1861, &c. (In course of publication.)
Ceylon....Ceylon, an Account of the Island, physical, historical, and topographical, with notices of its natural history, antiquities, and productions, by Sir James Emerson Tennent, K.C.S., LL.D., &c. London, 1859.
C. G....A new and accurate Description of the Coast of Guinea, divided into the Gold, the Slave, and the Ivory Coasts. Written originally in Dutch, by William Bosman. The 2d edition. London, 1721.
Chan. Up....Bibliotheca Indica, Nos. 78 and 181. The Chándogya Upanishad of the Săma Veda, with extracts from the Commentary of Sákara A'cha'rya. Translated from the original Sanskrit by Rájendrála Mitra. Calcutta. 1862.
Chinese....The Chinese: a general Description of China and its Inhabitants, by John Francis Davis, Esq., F.R.S. A new edition. London, 1844.
Chips....Chips from a German Workshop, by Max Müller, M.A. 4 vols. London, 1867-75.
C. N. E....Historia General de las Cosas de Nueva España, que en doce libros y dos volumes escribió el R. P. Fr. Bernardino de Sahagun, de la Observancia de San Francisco, y uno de los primeros predicadores del Santo Evangelio en aquellas regiones. Dala a luz con notas y supplementos, Carlos Maria de Bustamante. Mexico, 1829.
C. O....China Opened, by the Rev. Charles Gützlaff, revised by the Rev. Andrew Reid, D.D. In 2 vols. London, 1838.
C. R....Primera Parte de los "Commentaries Reales, que tratan del Origen de los Yncas," Reyes que fueron del Peru, de su idolatria, leyes, y govierno en paz y en guerra; de sus vidas y conquistas, y de toto lo que fue aquel Imperio y su Republica, antes que los Españoles passan a el. Escrito por el Ynca Garcilasso de la Vega, natural del Cozco, y Capitan de su Magestad. Lisbon, 1609.
Dervishes....The Dervishes; or Oriental Spiritualism, by John P. Brown. London, 1868.
E. M....Eastern Monachism, by Robert Spence Hardy. London, 1850.
E. Y. Eleven Years in Ceylon, by Major Forbes, 78th Highlanders. London, 1840.
F. G....Die fünf Gâthâ's, oder Sammlungen von Liedern und Sprüchen Zarathustra's, seiner Jünger und Nachfolger. Herausgegeben, übersetzt und erklärt von Dr. Martin Haug. Erste Abtheilung. Die erste Sammlung (Gâthâ ahunavaiti) enthaltend. Leipzig, 1858. Zweite Abtheilung. Die vier übrigen Sammlungen enthaltend. Nebst einer Schlussabhandlung. Leipzig, 1860.
Gaudama....The Life, or Legend of Gaudama, the Buddha of the Burmese, with annotations. The ways to Neibban, and notice on the Phongyies, or Burmese Monks, by the Rt. Rev. P. Bigandet. Rangoon, 1866.
G. d. M....C. G. A. Oldendorp's Geschichte der Mission der evangelischen Brüder auf den Caraibischen Inseln St. Thomas, St. Croix, und St. Jean. Barby, 1777.
H. B. I....Introduction a l'Histoire du Buddhisme Indien, par E. Burnouf. Tome premier. Paris, 1844.
H. G....David Cranz. Histoire von Grönland. Nürnberg und Leipzig, 1782.
H. I....Historia natural y moral de las Indias, en que se tratan las cosas notables del ciclo, y elementos, metales, plantas, y animales dellas; y los ritos, y ceremonias, leyes, y govierno, y guerras de los Indios. Compuesta por el Pardre Joseph de Acosta, Religioso de la Compañia de Jesus. Madrid, 1608.
H. N. S....Histoire naturelle et politique du Royaume de Siam, par Nicholas Gervaise. Paris, 1688.
H. R. C....An Historical Relation of the Island of Ceylon in the East Indies, together with an account of the detaining in captivity the Author and divers other Englishmen now living there, and of the Author's miraculous escape, by Robert Knox, a captive there nearly twenty years. London, 1681.
Ic. Ch....Iconographie Chrétienne. Histoire de Diau, par M. Didron. Paris, 1843.
K....The Koran, translated from the Arabic, the Suras arranged in chronological order; with notes and index, by the Rev. J. M. Rodwell, M.A. London and Edinburgh, 1871.
Kamtschatka....George Wilhelm Steller's Beschreibung von dem Lande Kamtschatka, dessen Einwohnern, deren Sitten, Namen, Lebensart und verchiedenen Gewohnheiten. Frankfurt und Leipzig, 1774.
K. N....The Kafirs of Natal, by J. Shooter. London and Guildford, 1857.
L. L. M....Das Leben und die Lehre des Mohammad, nach bisher grösstentheils unbenutzten Quellen. Bearbeitet von A. Sprenger. 3 vols. Berlin, 1869.
Lotos....Le Lotus de la Bonne Loi, traduit du Sanskrit, accompagné d'un commentaire, et de vingt-et-un mémoires relatifs au Buddhisme, par M. E. Burnouf. Paris, 1852.
L. T....Laò-tsé Taò-tĕ-Kīng. Der Weg zur Tugend. Aus dem Chinesischen übersetzt und erklärt von Reinhold von Plänckner. Leipzig, 1870.
Manu....Institutes of Hindu Law, or the Ordinances of Menu, according to the Gloss of Cullúca. Comprising the Indian system of duties, religious and civil. Verbally translated from the original, with a preface, by Sir William Jones. A new edition, collated with the Sanskrit text, by Graves Chamney Haughton, M.A., F.R.S., &c. London, 1825.
M. B....Manual of Buddhism, by R. Spence Hardy. London, 1860.
M. d'O....Les Moines d'Occident depuis Saint Benoit jusqu'a Saint Bernard. Par le Comte de Montalembert. In 5 vols. Paris et Lyon, 1868.
Misc. Essays....Miscellaneous Essays, by H. T. Colebrooke. 2 vols. London, 1837. (The only complete edition, however, is the one published in 3 vols., London, 1873.)
M. N. W....The Myths of the New World; a Treatise on the Symbolism and Mythology of the red race of America, by Daniel G. Brinton, A.M., M.D. New York, 1868.
N. A....An Account of the Native Africans in the neighborhood of Sierra Leone, by Thomas Winterbottom. 2 vols. London, 1803.
N. F....Histoire et Description générale de la Nouvelle France, avec le journal historique d'un voyage fait par ordre du Roi dans l'Amérique Septentrionale. Par le P. de Charlevoix, de la Compagnie de Jésus 3 Vols. Paris, 1744.
N. M. E....A Narrative of Missionary Enterprises in the South Sea Islands, with remarks upon the natural history of the Islands, origin, languages, traditions, and usages of the inhabitants, by the Rev. John Williams. London. 1837.
N. S. W....An account of the English Colony in New South Wales, from its first settlement in January, 1788, to August, 1801, by Lieutenant-Colonel Collins, of the Royal Marines. London, 1804.
N. Y....Nineteen years in Polynesia: Missionary Life, Travels, and Researches in the Islands of the Pacific, by the Rev. George Turner. London, 1861.
N. Z....New Zealand and its Aborigines, by William Brown. London, 1845.
O-kee-pa....O-kee-pa: A Religious Ceremony; and other customs of the Mandans, by George Catlin. London, 1867.
O. P....The Speculations on Metaphysics, Polity, and Morality of "the Old Philosopher," Lau-tsze, translated from the Chinese, with an Introduction, by John Chalmers, A. M. London, 1868.
O. S. T....Original Sanskrit Texts on the origin and history of the people of India, their Religion and Institutions. Collected, translated, and illustrated by J. Muir, D.C.L., LL.D. Volume First. Mythical and Legendary Accounts of the Origin of Caste, with an inquiry into its existence in the Vedic age. 2d edition. London, 1868. Volume Second. Inquiry whether the Hindus are of Trans-Himalayan Origin, and akin to the Western branches of the Indo-European Race. 2d edition. London, 1871. Volume Third. The Vedas: opinions of their authors and of later Indian writers on their origin, inspiration, and authority. 2d edition. London, 1868. Volume Fourth. Comparison of the Vedic with the later representations of the principal Indian deities. 2d edition. London, 1873. Volume Fifth. Contributions to a Cosmogony, Mythology, Religious Ideas, Life and Manners of the Indians in the Vedic age. London, 1870.
P. A....An Examination of the Pali Buddhistical Annals, by the Honorable George Turnour, of the Ceylon Civil Service. [From the Journal of the Asiatic Society for July 1837.]
P. A. B....Die Propheten des Alten Bundes, erklärt von Heinrich Ewald. Zweite Ausgabe in drei Bänden. Erster Band. Jesaja mit den übrigen älteren Propheten. Göttingen, 1867. Zweiter Band. Jermja und Hezequiel mit ihren Zeitgenossen. Göttingen, 1868. Dritter Band. Die jüngsten Propheten des Alten Bundes mit den Büchern Barukh und Daniel. Göttingen, 1868.
Parsees. Essays on the Sacred Language, Writings, and Religion of the Parsees, by Martin Haug, Ph.D. Bombay, 1862.
Picard....The Ceremonies and Religious Customs of the various Nations of the known World, by Mr. Bernard Picard. Faithfully translated into English by a gentleman. London, 1733.
Popol Vuh....Popol Vuh.—Le Livre Sacré et les Mythes de l'Antiquité Américaine, avec les livres héroiques et historiques des Quichés. Texte Quiché et traduction Française en regard &c., &c. Composé sur des documents originaux et inédits, par l'Abbé Brasseur de Bourbourg. Paris, 1861.
R. B....Die Religion des Buddha und ihre Entstehung, von Karl Friedrich Köppon. Erster Band. Die Religion des Buddha und ihre Entstehung. Berlin, 1857. Zweiter Band. Die Lamaische Hierarchie und Kirche. Berlin, 1859.
Rel. of Jews....The Book of the Religion, Ceremonies, and Prayers of the Jews, as practiced in their synagogues and Families on all Occasions; on their Sabbath and other Holidays throughout the year. Translated immediately from the Hebrew, by Gamaliel ben Pedazur, Gent. London, 1738.
R. I....Die Religiösen, Politischen, und Socialen Ideen der Asiatischen Culturvölker und der Aegypter, in ihrer historischen Entwickelung, dargestellt von Carl Twesten. Herausgegeben von Prof. Dr. M. Lazarus. 2 vols. Berlin, 1872.
Roer....Bibliotheca Indica, Nos. 1 to 4. The first two Lectures of the Rig-Veda-Sanhitâ. Edited by Dr. E. Roer. Calcutta, 1848.
R. S. A....The Religious System of the Amazulu, by the Rev. Canon Callaway, M.D. Part i. Unkulunkulu; or the Tradition of Creation as existing among the Amazulu and other tribes of South Africa, in their own words, with a translation into English, and notes. Part ii. Amatongo, or Ancestor-Worship. Part iii. Izinyanga Zokubula, or Divination. Natal, &c., 1868-70.
R. T. R. P....Rgya Tehér Rol Pa, ou Développement des Jeux, contenant l'histoire du Bouddha Cakya-Mouni, traduit sur la version Tibétaine du Bkah Hgyour, et revu sur l'original Sanscrit (Lalitavistara) par Ph. Ed. Foucaux. Première Partie. Texte Tibétain. Paris, 1847. Deuxième Partie. Traduction Française. Paris, 1848.
R. V. S....Rig-Veda-Sanhitâ. The Sacred Hymns of the Brahmans, translated and explained by F. Max Müller, M.A., LL.D. Vol. i. Hymns to the Maruts or the Storm-Gods. London, 1869.
S. A....Savage Africa; the Narrative of a Tour in Equatorial, South-Western, and North-Western Africa, by W. Winwood Reade. London, 1863.
Sale....The Koran, commonly called the Alcoran of Mohammed; translated into English immediately from the original Arabic. With explanatory notes, taken from the most approved Commentators. To which is prefixed a preliminary discourse, by George Sale, Gent. A new edition, with a memoir of the translator, and with various readings and illustrative notes from Savary's version of the Koran. London, 1867.
S. L....A Voyage to the River Sierra Leone, on the Coast of Africa. by John Matthews, Lieutenant in the Royal Navy; during his residence in that country in the years 1785, 1786, and 1787. London, 1791.
S. L. A....Savage Life and Scenes in Australia and New Zealand, by George French Angas. London, 1847.
Ssabismus....Die Ssabier und der Ssabismus, von Dr D. Chwolsohn. Band I. Die Entwickelung der Begriffe Ssabier und Ssabismus und die Geschichte der harrânischen Ssabier, oder der Syro-hellenistischen Heiden im nördlichen Mesopotamien und in Bagdâd, zur Zeit des Chalifats. Band II. Orientalische Quellen zur Geschichte der Ssabier und des Ssabismus. St. Petersburg, 1856.
S. V....Die Hymen des Sâma-Veda, herausgegeben, übersetzt und mit Glossar versehen, von Theodore Benfey. Leipzig, 1848.
T. R. A. S....Transactions of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland. London, 1827-35.
T. T. K....Laò-tsé's Taò Tĕ Kīng. Aus dem Chinesischen ins Deutsche übersetzt, eingeleitet und commentirt, von Victor von Strauss. Leipzig, 1870.
V. G....Voyage du Chevalier Des Marchais en Guinée, Isles voisines, et à Cayenne, fait en 1725.
Viti....Viti: An Account of a Government Mission to the Vitian or Fijian Islands in the years 1860-61, by Berthold Seemann, Ph.D., F.L.S., F.R.G.S. Cambridge, 1862.
Wassiljew....Der Buddhismus, seine Dogmen, Geschichte und Litteratur, von W. Wassiljew. Erster Theil. Allgemeine Uebersicht. Aus dem Russischen übersetzt. St. Petersburg 1860.
W. E....The World Encompassed, by Sir Francis Drake, 1577-80. Written by Francis Fletcher; collated with an unpublished MS. Edited with Appendices and Introduction by W. S. W. Vaux. 8vo, map. London, Hakluyt Society, 1855.
Wheel....The Wheel of the Law. Buddhism illustrated from Siamese sources by the Modern Buddhist, a Life of Buddha, and an account of the Phrabat, by Henry Alabaster, Esq. London, 1871.
Wilson....Rig-Veda-Sanhitâ. Translated from the original Sanskrit, by H. H. Wilson, M.A., F.R.S. Vol. i. The first Ashtaka, or Book, of the Rig-Veda. 2d edition. London, 1866. Vol. ii. The second Ashtaka. London, 1854. Vol, iii. The third and fourth Ashtakas. London, 1857. Vol. iv. The fifth Ashtaka. Edited by E. B. Cowell, M. A. London, 1866.
W. u. T....Der Weise und der Thor. Aus dem Tibetischen übersetzt und mit dem Originaltexte herausgegeben von I. J. Schmidt. St. Petersburg, 1843.
W. W....Works by the Late Horace Hayman Wilson, 12 vols. London, 1862-71.
Y....Commentaire sur le Yaçna, l'un des Livres Religieux des Parses; ouvrage contenant le texte Zend expliqué pour la première fois; les variantes des quatre manuscrits de la Bibliothèque Royale; et la version Sanscrite inédite de Nériosengh, par Eugène Burnouf. Tome i. Paris, 1833. Tome ii. Paris, 1835.
Z. A....Zend Avesta, Ouvrage de Zoroastre, traduit en François sur l'original Zend, avec des remarques; et accompagné de plusieurs traités propres a éclaircir les matières qui en sont l'objet, par M. Anquetil du Perron. 3 vols. Paris, 1771.
AN ANALYSIS OF RELIGIOUS BELIEF.
GENERAL INTRODUCTION.
Human nature, among all the phenomena it offers to the curious inquiries of the student, presents none of more transcendent interest than the phenomenon of Religion. Pervading the whole history of mankind from the very earliest ages of which we have any authentic knowledge up to the present day; exercising on the wild and wandering tribes, which seem to have divided the earth among them in those primitive times, an influence scarcely less profound than it has ever exercised on the most polite and cultivated nations of the modern world; leading now to peace and now to war; now to the firmest of alliances, now to the bitterest enmities; uniting some in the bonds of a love so enduring as to outlast and put to shame the fleeting unions of earthly passion; separating others, even when every motive of interest and natural affection conspired to unite them, so completely as to impel them to deliver each other up to the ghastliest tortures; Religion deserves a foremost place—if not the foremost place of all—among the emotions which have in their several ways affected, modified, and controlled the current of human events.
Forming, as it does, so large an element in the constitution of our complex nature; and playing so vast a part in guiding our actions, Religion must well deserve to be made the subject of philosophical inquiry. If we can by any scientific means discover its origin, lay bare its true character to the gaze of students, and estimate the value of its pretensions to be in possession of truths of equal, if not superior, authority to those of either natural or moral science, we shall have performed a task which may not be wholly useless or altogether uninstructive.
Our first business, in such an inquiry as this, should be to determine the method on which it ought to be conducted. In analyzing the religious systems of the world, the question of method is all-important. Indeed, it will be abundantly evident in the course of the ensuing investigations that the conclusions reached by those who have cultivated this field of knowledge have often been unsound, simply because they have failed to pursue the only proper method. Nothing can be easier, for instance, than to construct elaborate systems of religious philosophy, the several parts of which hang so well together that we find it; difficult to urge any solid objection against them, while yet the whole edifice rests upon so insecure a foundation that at the least touch of its lowest stones it will fall in ruins to the ground. This too common mistake arises from the fact that the first principles of the system are assumed without adequate warrant, and will not bear examination. Half, if not many more than half, the common errors of believers in the various current creeds are due to a similar cause. These persons start from some principle which they conceive to be indisputable, and proceed to draw inferences from it with the most complete confidence. An extreme instance of this is mentioned by Dr. Sprenger, who was asked by a Musselman how he could disbelieve the religion of Islam, seeing that Mahomet's name was written on the gates of paradise. In a less palpable form, the same mode of reasoning is constantly adopted among ourselves. Either we do not take the trouble to submit the evidence of the facts upon which we erect our arguments to a sufficiently rigorous scrutiny, or we fail to perceive that the axioms we take for granted are in reality neither self-evident, as our system requires, nor capable of any satisfactory demonstration.
Another and perhaps scarcely a less common kind of error arising from defective method is a failure to distinguish between adequate and inadequate evidence of religious truth. A sound and exhaustive method would not fail to disclose, if not what kind of evidence is sufficient, at least what kind of evidence is insufficient, to prove our doctrines. It is plain that if we should find arguments of the same character used by the adherents of different creeds to prove contradictory propositions, we should be forced to dismiss such arguments as of comparatively little value. Supposing, for example, that a Hebrew, desirous of proving the preëminence of the Jews over the Gentiles, should rely for his justification on the miraculous deliverance of the ancient Israelites from the Egyptians, and on their subsequent special protection by the Deity, his argument, however apparently conclusive, would be considerably weakened if it were found that the annals of other nations contained similar tales evincing a similar exclusive care for their welfare on the part of their local divinities. Or if we should claim for our own school the advantage of being supported by the authority of a long succession of able, wise, and virtuous men, fully competent to judge of its truth, yet if our adversaries can produce an equally imposing list of authorities against us, we shall have gained but little by our mode of reasoning. These one-sided ways of proving the exclusive claims of a particular creed are as if a person should maintain the vast superiority of his countrymen over foreigners by a reference to the battles they had won, the territory they had conquered, and the bravery they had displayed; forgetful to inquire whether there were not other nations which had gained victories equally transcendent, made conquests equally extensive, and evinced a heroism equally admirable.
These blunders, it may be objected, do not arise exclusively from a faulty method. It is true that they have a deeper source, yet, if a correct method were pursued they would be avoided. Hence the paramount importance of fixing upon one which shall not be likely to lead us astray.
Now, the method which in the natural sciences, and in the science of language, has led to such vast results, may be, and ought to be pursued here. This method is that of comparison.
When the philologist is desirous of discovering what elements, if any, a group of languages possesses in common, and what therefore may be considered as its fundamental stock, or essence, he compares them with one another. When the naturalist wishes to arrive at an accurate knowledge of the conformation, habits, or character of any class of animals, he can only do so by a comparison of different members of that class. How misleading our conclusions frequently are in matters like these when they are not based upon a sufficiently wide comparison, will be familiar to all. And though the analogy between these sciences and religion is far from precise, yet no good reason can be assigned why a method, which has been so successful in one case, should be totally neglected in the latter. Nor is it enough to say that this method is capable of application to the subject in hand. Religion, owing to certain characteristics which will now be explained, lends itself with peculiar facility to an inquiry thus conducted.
A merely superficial and passing glance at the phenomena presented to us by the history and actual condition of the world brings clearly to light two facts:
1. The absolute, or all but absolute universality of some kind of religious perception or religious feeling.
2. The countless variety of forms under which that feeling has made its appearance.
History and the works of travelers, amply prove that no considerable nation has ever been without religion, and that if it has ever been wanting, it has only been among the rudest savages, whose mental and moral condition was too low to be capable of any but the most obvious impressions of sense. Equally indubitable is the second proposition. We are acquainted with no period in which each country did not possess its own special variety of religious doctrine; we are acquainted with none in which there were not many and wide divergences within the bosom of each country among individuals, among sects, and among churches.
In this universality of a certain sentiment, accompanied by this variety of modes, we have at least a possible distinction between the Substance and the Form, between the universal emotion known as Religion, and the local or temporary coloring it may happen to assume.
It will be convenient if we call the substance by the name of Faith, and the form by that of Belief. The use of these terms in these senses is no doubt slightly arbitrary, yet the shade of difference in their ordinary meaning is sufficient to justify it. Faith is a term of large and general signification, referring rather to the feelings than the reason; whereas Belief generally implies the intellectual adoption of some definite proposition, capable of distinct statement in words.
The importance of the comparative method in the process of sifting, classifying, and ordering the elements of these respective spheres will now be apparent. For it is only by a comparison of the varieties of Belief that we can hope to arrive at an acquaintance with Faith. Setting one system beside another, carefully observing wherein they differ and wherein they agree, we may at length hope to discover what elements, if any, are to be set down to the account of Faith, and what other elements to that of Belief. Even after a full comparison there will still be considerable danger that we may mistake tenets which are widely held, but not universal, for primordial conceptions of the human mind. Without such a comparison, we should most undoubtedly do so, for we are ever unwilling to recognize how wide are the limits of variation of which the opinions and sentiments of men are capable.
Should we, however, succeed in eliminating by our analysis all that is local, and all that is temporary, we shall possess, in what remains to us after this process, a universal truth of human nature. Observe that I speak here of a truth of human nature as distinguished from a truth of external nature. The one does not of necessity imply the other, for it is conceivable that men might universally entertain certain hopes, fears, aspirations, or convictions which were wholly groundless; the supposed objects of which had no existence whatever beyond the mind that entertained them. In the present case, then, all that the most exhaustive comparison could do would be to lead us up to the scientific fact, that there is in human beings an irresistible tendency towards certain sentiments of a spiritual kind. Whether those sentiments can be the foundation of any rational conviction it is unable to tell us.
This question, however, is fully as important as the other, and I do not propose to pass it over in silence. It will be one object of our investigation to discover how far we are entitled to treat truths of human nature as identical with objective truths. If we are obliged to confess that no inference can be drawn from the one to the other, then it will be plain that Faith, however profoundly implanted in our hearts, does not convey to us any assurance of a single religious truth; for the impressions which we call our Faith may be as purely illusory as the fancies of delirium, or the images of our dreams. If, on the other hand, an internal sentiment may be accepted, not so much as a basis for truth, but as itself true; as leading, and not misleading us; then we must further examine what are the truths which are in a manner contained in Faith, and of which Faith is the warrant.
The first Book, therefore, will deal mainly with Belief. Its object will be, by a comparison of some of the various creeds that are, or have been, accepted by men, to discover the general characteristics of Belief, and to separate these from the more special and distinctive elements peculiar to given times, districts, and races. These general characteristics will, however, belong exclusively to the region of Belief, and not to that of Faith. In other words, they will have no title to a place in a Universal Religion.
In the second Book we shall proceed to investigate the nature of Faith. We shall endeavor to lay bare the foundation of the vast superstructure of Theology and Ritual erected by the piety of the human race. We shall seek to discover, if that be possible, the element of unity amid so much variety, of permanence amid so much change. And should we be successful in the search, we shall be in a position, if not absolutely to solve, at least to attempt the solution of the great problem which ever has interested, and ever must interest mankind: Is there any such thing as positive truth in the sphere of Religion? And if so, what is it? Or are the human faculties strictly limited to that species of knowledge which is acquired through the medium of the senses, and doomed, in all spiritual things, to be the victims of endless longings for which there is no satisfaction, and of perpetual questionings to which there is no response?