Errors Regarding Religion

This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1841. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... also, and that the Jews, deprived of their prophets, and of supernatural aid and interferences, still continued to adhere to the worship of the true God, which worship they had forsaken when miraculously led by Moses, and when surrounded by visible interpositions of divine power. But we must recollect that when miracles had ceased, many of the causes of idolatry had ceased also. The Canaanites were no longer in the land; their altars and their rites were forgotten. There were no ten tribes remaining to establish a political idolatry in opposition to the house of Judah. On the contrary, the new Samaritans were provoking the Jews to jealousy by their rivalry in the worship of Jehovah. It is prosperity which inclines men to novelty, but adversity makes them cling to whatever is ancient and national, and above, all, fondly, and even obstinately to retain their former and peculiar opinions, as connected with the remembrances of their ancient glory. But even had they been otherwise minded, and had their temptations to idolatry been as strong as they were weak, the antipathy of their Persian lords to the worship of idols was an additional inducement to them to reject all visible objects of adoration. The Greeks, indeed, were eminently polytheists, but before they had become the masters of Western Asia, the reverence which they paid to their idols had greatly declined, and philosophy, with scepticism in its train, had been gaining ground on the popular belief. II. The belief of the Jews after their return from captivity, though free from idolatry, was yet infected by fables, and corrupted by traditions and the doctrines of men. Where religion does not reform man after its own image, and stamp him with a divine character, man necessarily brings down religion to the liken...