SEC. 171. Immortality of the soul.

History. Essay of a historical and critical survey of the doctrines and opinions of our principal modern philosophers, concerning the immortality of the soul; (in German,) Lips. 1796. 8vo.

In opposition to the materialism, which Hobbes and others set up, des Cartes conceived more distinctly the idea, that the soul was a simple and purely spiritual substance. John Locke, had let drop the thought, that God was able, to impart the power of thinking, to a material body. This thought was eagerly seized, by some English and French writers, in order to declare man a mere machine, who at death would be completely destroyed. Julius Offrey de la Mettrie advanced these views, the most boldly. The Wolfian philosophy furnished arguments, both for the immateriality and immortality of the soul; but the Kantean philosophy, left the first problematical, and rested the last solely on moral grounds. Also the doctrine of immortality, in a comfortless form, as a protracted existence, without consciousness and personality; met with friends and advocates.

Notices. La Mettrie, L'homme machine; à Leiden 1748. 12mo. L'homme plante; à Potsdam 1748. 12mo. Jo. Gust. Reinbeck, Philosophical thoughts on the rational soul and its immortality; (in German,) Berlin 1739. Gottl. Is. Canz, Convincing proof of the immortality of the soul; (in Germ.) Tub. 1744. (Geo. Fred. Meiers, Thoughts on the state of the soul after death; (in Germ.) Halle 1746. 8vo.) Mos. Mendelsohn's Phaedon; (German,) ed. 4. Berl. 1776. (C. Spazier, Antiphaedon, or examination of some principal arguments for the simplicity and immortality of the soul; (German,) Lips. 1785.) Abr. Gotth. Kastner, Elucidation of an argument for the immortality of the soul; (German,) Gotting. 1767. Isaac von Pinto, Pith of the argument against the materialists; with notes by J. C. E. Mümler; (in Gerinan,) Helmst. 1778. Joh. Fred. Häseler, Julius, or, on the immortality of the soul; (in Germ.) ed. 2. Brunsw. 1794.

L. H. Jakob, Evidence of immortality, froin the idea of duty; (German,) ed. 2. Züllich. 1794. (Examination of the proof proposed by Professor Jacob; (in German.) Lips. 1793.) Elpizon, or, on my continuing to be, after death; (in German; by C. F. Sintenis ;) ed. 2. Lips. 1804-5. III vol. 8vo. Euthanasia; three dialogues on the life after death; (in German,) by C. M. Wieland, Lips. 1805. 8vo.

SEC. 172. Belief in Revelation.

After Ludovicus Vives and Philip de Mornay, Hugo Grotius holds a distinguished place, among the defenders of christianity (A). The distinction between natural and revealed religion, was contested by the Socinians ; who maintained, that all religious doctrines must be comprehensible, by reason, but that all become known to us, only by revelation. In these principles, they were followed by Gruner and Basedow. The earlier theologians placed the use of reason very low; and in this, they were preceded by Luther's severe opinion. On the contrary, the English deists(B) took opposite ground; exalted the value of the religion of reason, and thence inferred, either that christianity was not needed, and was superfluous; or that, being contrary to reason, it was to be rejected. To meet these arguments(C), the English apologists asserted the coincidence of the christian doctrines with the religion of reason; and thence inferred the truth of the for

mer.

Others, however, chose to found this truth, on the weakness and insufficiency of reason. Leibnitz endeavored to defend the coincidence of faith and reason, against Bayle's objections; and in accordance with the Wolfian principles, the necessity of a revelation, and the marks of a real one, were unfolded. Some theologians, however, treading in Vernet's steps, avowed only the desirableness and usefulness of a revelation. In confutation of the Jews and the Muhammedans, numerous. pieces were written; among which, only Limborch's Conference with Orobio, deserves to be noticed(D). For a controversy with Pagans, occasion did not occur; yet

learned inquiries respecting their religion, were undertaken (E).

Notices. A. Jo. Franc. Pici Miranduli, Examen vanitatis doctrinae gentium et veritatis christianae disciplinae, Lib. VI; Mirand. 1520. J. Lud. Vives, de veritate fidei christianae, Libri V; Basil 1544. 8vo. and in his Opp. Basil 1555. T. II. p. 284 &c. Philippi Mornaei, de veritate religionis christ. Liber; Antw. 1580.

Hugonis Grotii, de veritate religionis christ. Libri IV; Paris 1640. et alibi; ex ed. Koecheri, Halae 1734. II. vol. 8vo. B. Edwardi Herbert de Cherbury, de veritate prout distinguitur a revelatione, a verisimili, a possibili et falso; Lond. 1645, (Charles Blount,) Religio Laici; 1683. Oracles of reason; 1693. John Toland, Christianity not mysterious; Lond. 1696. Adeisidaemon; s. Titus Livius a superstitione vindicatus; Hagae Com. 1709. Nazarenus; Lond. 1718. Patheisticon Cosmop. 1720. Matthew Tindal, Christianity as old as the creation; Lond. 1733. and German, with Jac. Foster's Confutation; Francf. 1741. II vol. 8vo. The moral philosopher; by Thomas Morgan; Lond. 1737-40. III vol.8vo. Christianity not founded on argument, and the true principle of the gospel evidence assigned; Lond. 1742. Thomas Chubb, Posthumous works; Lond. 1748. The philosophical works of Henry St. John, Lord Viscount Bolingbroke; Lond. 1754. V vol. 4to. John Leland, View of the principal deistic writers; (in German,) Hanov. 1755-56. III vol. La vie de Mahomed; par Henri de Boulainvilliers; A Londres 1730. Letters sur la religion essentielle à l'homme distinguée de ce, qui n'en qu'accessoire; (par Marie Huber;) Amst. 1738. II vol. 8vo. Marie Arouet de Voltaire, L'evangile du jour; la philosophie de l'histoire; dictionare philosophique portatif, &c. in his Works; Gótha 1784. LXXI vol. The Encyclopaedists &c.

C. Ja. Abbadie, Traité de la verité de la religion chretienne; Roterod. 1692. II vol. 8vo. à la Haye 1763. III vol. 8vo. and in English, I vol. 12mo. J. Locke, The reasonableness of christianity; Lon. 1693, 1703. French; Amst. 1731. II vol. 8vo. A defense of revealed religion;

by J. Conybeare; Lond. 1732. and German; Berlin 1759. The strength and weakness of human reason; by Isaac Watts; Lond. 1736. and German; ed. 2. Halle 1755. The advantages and necessity of the christian religion, shown from the state of religion in the ancient heaheathen world; by John Leland; Lond. 1764. II vol. 4to. and in German, abridged, vol. I. Gotha 1769. 8vo. Eusebius; or, the true Christian's defense; by I. Chapman; Lond. 1739. II. vol. 8vo. and German; by Stef fens; Hamb. 1759. II vol. 8vo. George Benson, Reasonableness of the christian religion; Lond. 1743. and German; by I. Pet. Bamberger; Halle 1763. The. analogy of religion natural and revealed, to the constitution and course of nature; by Joseph Butler; ed 4. Lond. 1750. and German; ed. 2. Tub. 1779. 8vo. A view of the internal evidences of the Christian religion; by Soame Jenyns; Lond. 1776. German; by Vollbroth; Gott. 1776. 8vo. A view of the evidences of Christianity, in three Parts; by William Paley; Lond. 1795. II vol. 8vo. and German; Lips. 1797. II vol. 8vo. Blaise Pascal, Pensées sur la religion; Paris 1669. 12mo. Petri Dan. Huetii, Demonstratio evangelica; Paris 1690. Fol. Amst. 1694. 4to. Ejusd. Quaestiones Alnetanae de concordia rationis et fidei-cum ejusdem Commentariis de rebus ad eum pertinentibus; Lips. 1719. 4to. Traité de la verité de la religion chretienne tiré en partie du Latin de M. Jean Alfonse Turretin; par Jaques Vernet, à Geneve 1730-46. VII vol. 8vo. La religion chretienne prouvée par des faits par l'Abbé Houtteville; à Amst. 1743. IV. vol. 12mo. Lettres de quelques Juifs Portugais et Allemands à M. de Voltaire; (par Ant. Guenée;) Paris 1769. and German; 1773. also English. Abrecht von Haller, Letters on some objections of certain living Free-thinkers, against revelation; (in German,) ed. 2. Bern 1778. III. vol. 8vo. Genie du christianisme, ou beautés de la religion chretienne; par François Auguste Chateaubriand; Paris 1802. V vol.

D. Tela ignea Satanae;-in lucem protrusit Jo. Ch. Wagenseilius; Altorfi 1681. 4to. Philippi a Limborch, de veritate religionis christianae amica collatio cum erudito Judaeo; Goudae 1687. Basil 1740. Svo.

E. Edward de Cherbury, de religione gentilium errorumque apud eos causis; Amst. 1708. 8vo. Gerhardi Jo. Vossii, de theologia gentili et phisilologia christiana, Libri IX. ed. 3. Francf. ad Moen. 1675. 4to. Tobiae Pfanneri, Systema theologiae gentilis purioris; Basil 1679.

SEC. 173. Most recent history of belief in revelation.

The infidelity propagated from England and France into Germany, called forth many writings in confirmation of the truth and divine origin of christianity. The Wolfenbuttle Fragments, and the controversies respecting them, appear to have had a decided influence in shaping men's views of the nature of revelation. For, from this time onward, it became more manifest, that most theologians either wrapt up the idea of a revelation in equivocal obscurity, or had recourse to a distinction between mediate and immediate revelation. The Kantean philosophy was applied, in various ways, in order to sustain faith and a revelation; but with as little success, as may be expected to attend the more recent attempts, to trace all religion back to a divine revelation. The Tübingen school, however, stands alone, in holding fast the old and pure idea of revelation, unaltered.

Notices. Gotth. Ephr. Lessing's Contributions to history and literature, derived from the treasures in the library at Wolfenbuttle; (in German,) 3d and 4th Contribut. 1777. On the aim of Jesus and his disciples; (in Germ.) 1778. The remaining and unprinted works of the Wolfenbuttle Fragmentists; (in German,) published by Schmid (Andr. Riem.) 1787. J. Gottl. Fichte, Criticism on all Revelations; (in German,) ed. 2. Konigsb. 1793. Critical theory of revelation; (in German.) Halle 1793. Imm. Fred. Niethammer's Essay to establish a rational belief of revelation; (in German,) Lips. 1798 &c.

C.L. Nietzsch, de revelatione religionis externa eaque publica; Lips. 1808. 8vo.

F. Steudel, On the tenableness of faith in a historical revelation from God; (in German,) Stutg. 1814.8vo.