Hints to Thinkers; Or, Lectures for the Times
by William Edward Baxter (9781150219771)

General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1860 Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. Excerpt: SUPEBSTITION. ' It is almost as difficult succinctly to define the meaning of superstition, as it is to fix the etymology of the term. Scholars have in vain attempted to throw light on its derivation, and compilers of dictionaries precisely to explain it. It implies faith in what is contrary to reason; yet all irrational beliefs cannot be styled superstitious; it arises in many instances from the insufficient exercise of the understanding, yet it can by no means be laid to the charge of every man who is intellectually indolent. But it has invariably respect to Deity, to an unseen world, to a state of existence beyond the grave. It has its origin in low conceptions of God, in putting Him on a level, as it were, with His creatures, or with the inhabitants of a heathen Pantheon, in cherishing mean ideas of His moral attributes, government, and providence. It has, moreover, an intimate connection with the passions. Fear especially lies at the foundation of much of the superstition prevailing in the world. Dr. Johnson, indeed, explains the signification of the word as " unnecessary fear or scruples in religion." Perhaps a better, because a more comprehensive definition, might be, " Ignorant credulity in religious matters." The superstitious man believes too much; he allows his imagination to override his understanding; he permits some particular emotion to exercise undue influence over his judgment; he forgets the dignity both of his Maker and of himself, and indulges in whims and fancies, involving mental irregularity, and a culpable application to wrong purposes of his natural powers. Who can deny its ...

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