LIBRARY OF THE HIVERSITY NATURAL THEOLOGY AN INQUIRY INTO THE FUNDAMENTAL AND POLITICAL, SCIENCE PROFESSOR OF DIVINITY AND CHURCH HISTORY IN THE THE FACULTY OF THEOLOGY WILLIAM BLACKWOOD AND SONS EDINBURGH AND LONDON MDCCCLXVII PREFAC E. THE true theory of religion, morals, and politics constitutes the grand question of the day. We have arrived at a period of human progress, in which mere authoritative or traditional belief is held comparatively as of little value. Education is so widely spread that the majority of men think more or less for themselves, and demand evidence for that which they are called on to believe. in all cases of a great movement of the human mind, they consequently are led to appeal to first principles, and of course the most plausible, though it may be the most superficial theories, are in the first instance generally adopted. As This, accordingly, is the case with respect to the sciences of religion, morals, and politics. The vast mass of mankind, while occasionally speculating with regard to them, have yet a sort of |