The Analogy of Religion, Natural and Revealed, to the Constitution and Course of Nature

The Analogy of Religion, Natural and Revealed, to the Constitution and Course of Nature is a book written by Joseph Butler, an Anglican bishop, in 1736. The book is a philosophical and theological work that aims to demonstrate the rationality of Christianity by comparing it to the natural world. Butler argues that just as the natural world operates according to certain laws and principles, so too does religion. He asserts that there is a close analogy between the natural world and the revealed truths of Christianity. In other words, the same God who created the natural world is the same God who revealed himself to humanity through the Bible. The book is divided into two parts. The first part deals with the analogy of religion to the course of nature, while the second part deals with the analogy of revealed religion to the constitution and course of nature. Butler argues that the natural world provides evidence for the existence of God and that the revealed truths of Christianity are consistent with the natural world. The Analogy of Religion was highly influential in its time and has been praised for its logical and systematic approach to theology. It has also been criticized for its conservative views on morality and its defense of the established church. Overall, the book remains an important work in the history of Christian theology and philosophy.1736. If the reader should meet here with anything which he had not before attended to, it will not be in the observations upon the constitution and course of nature, these being all obvious; but in the application of them, in which, though there is nothing but what appears to Mr. Butler of some real weight, and therefore of great importance. Yet the reader will observe several things, which will appear to him of very little, if he can think things to be of little importance, which are of any real weight at all, upon such a subject as religion. The proper force of the following treatise lies in the whole general analogy considered together. Added are two brief dissertations of personal identity, and of the nature of virtue. Written in Old English.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.