PHILOSOPHY OF CREDULITY AND SUPERSTITION. SECTION I. Mental Origin of Credulity and Superstition, and its Influence on Ancient Society. The remark of Lord Bacon, that "it were better to have no opinion of God at all, than such opinion as is unworthy of Him," is most appropriate in its application to the various superstitious beliefs that have, and still, in a degree, sway mankind; for superstition implies such extravagant notions regarding the character of Deity, that its rational contemplation is irreconcilable with such conceptions formed of the Author of the universe, as are derived from a survey of its structure. On the contrary, such is the influence of these beliefs on the mind, that they not only cause the character of the infinitely wise and rational Intelligence there delineated, to be graduated by a standard derived from ordi nary human attributes, but they often degrade such Being, by attributing to his character qualities like those presented from a survey of human nature in its most repulsive manifestations. If such are the facts furnished from an observation of the effects of credulity and superstition, it is manifest that the moral and social, as well as the religious interests of man, require that their true nature should be represented in such a form, that the evils arising therefrom may be exposed, and, if possible, obliterated. That man is by nature a credulous being, requires but the proofs which history furnishes of his race in all the conditions in which he is noticed by that record. That he is likewise superstitious, and prone to allow an undue influence to the imagination and the passions, is equally manifest from observation of his character, whether presented in a state of barbarism or of civilization. The universal prevalence of these propensities, conclusively shows that, instead of being foreign and accidental manifestations, they are indebted for their existence to the original structure of the mind itself. It will therefore appear, that however diverse may be the character of superstition and credulity, in comparison with legitimate mental deduction, still each must have received an origin from the natural tendency and associations which result from the mental organization. But as the former, so often fraught with evils to mankind, can not reasonably be imputed to the Divine economy in furnishing endowments to man, they must necessarily be explained by viewing them as perverted operations of some of the elementary principles of the mind, which were, no doubt, designed by the Creator to elevate man to the exalted position in the universe for which he was manifestly introduced into being. In a survey of human character, in connection with the mental faculties, we shall find that all its manifestations derive their origin from, and are dependent upon, specific elements of the mind; and that, however great the diversity exhibited in human character, it is to be referred to a varied operation of a few elementary principles, constituting the entire mental organization. Man is so constituted that he is by nature a social being. Hence a large portion of his happiness is made dependent upon his association with his fellow man in society. He would be unable to attain this boon of the social state, were he not endowed with the disposition to repose confidence in his fellow man, with whom he is necessarily associated in his various relations. |