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1J9. BUTLER (JOSEF'H). THE ANALOGY OF RELIGION, Natural and Re- vealed, to the constitution and course of nature. 4to, contemporary calf, rubbed. London, 173G.

FIRST EDITION. On the Grolicr List. The famous "Analogy' is an endeavor to show that, "as the particular frame of man reveals a supreme conscience, so the frame of nature shows a moral governor reveaW through conscience." Considered the greatest theological work of the time, and one of the most original of all itmes.

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S T

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The QUEEN'S Mofl Excellent MAJESTY.

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Admiral Yonge Hon. Mrs. Yonge Lady Yonge

THE

ANALOGY

O F

RELIGION,

Natural and Revealed^

T O T H E

Conftltutlon and Courfe of NATURE.

To which are added

Two brief DISS E RTATI O N S :

I. Of Personal Identity. II. Of the Nature of Virtue.

B Y

JOSEPH BUTLER, LL. D. Redor of Stanhope, in the Bifhoprick of Durham.

Ejus ( Analogic ) ha;c vis ejl, ut id quod dubium ejl, ad aliquid fimile de quo non quaritur, referat ; ut incerta certis frobet.

Quint. Inft. Orat. L. I. c. vi.

LONDON:

Printed for James, John and PaulKnapton, at the Crown in Ludgate Street, MDCC XXXVI.

s

t

J

\\00 To the Right Honourable j

CHARLES Lord TALBOT Baron of HENSOL,

i Lord High Chancellor of G r e at B r i tain,

The following T R E A T I S E is , with all Refped , Infcribed, in Acknowledgment of the Higheft Obligations to the late Lord Bilhop of D U R H A M and to H I M S E L F,

I By His L o R D s H I p's

'^ moft dutifuly

\ mofl devotedy

.\ #

and mofl humble Servant,

(b) Joseph Butler,

..i w>

ADVERTISEMENT.

IF the Reader fliould meet here with any thing, which he had not before attended to, it will not be in the Obfervations upon the Conftitution and Courle of Nature, thefe being all obvious ; but in the Application of them : In which, though there is no- thing but what appears to me of fome real Weight, and therefore of great Importance ; yet he will ob- ferve feveral things, which will appear to him of very little, if he can think things to be of little Impor- tance, which are of any real Weight at a]J, upon fuch a Subjeft as Religion. However, the proper Force of the following Treatile, lies in the whole general Analogy conjfidered together.

It is come, I know not how, to be taken for granted, by many Perfons, that Chriftianity is not fo much as a Subjedl of Inquiry ; but that it is, now at

(b 2) length,

Advertisement.

length, difcovered to be fiditious. And accordingly they treat it, as if, in the prefent Age, this were an agreed Point, among all People of Difcerninent ; and nothing remained, but to fet it up as a principal Subjedl of Mirth and Ridicule, as it were, by Way of Reprilals, for its having fo long interrupted the Pleafures of the World. On the contrary, thus much, at leaft, will be here found, not taken for granted, but proved, that any reafonable Man, who will tho- roughly conlider the Matter, may be as much aillired, as he is of his own Being, that, however, it is not fo clear a Cale, that there is nothing in it. There is, I think, ftrong Evidence of its Truth ; but it is cer- tain no one can, upon Principles of Reafon, be fa- tisfied of the contrary. And the practical Confe- quence to be drawn from this, is not attended tq, by every one who is concerned in it.

iV%, 1736.

CON-

CONTENTS.

T NfRODUCTION. Pagej

PART I. CHAP. I.

Of a Future Life. 1 1

C H A P. II.

Of the Government of God by Rewards and PuniJJj- ments j and particularly of the latter, 3 1

CHAP. III.

Of the Moral Govermnent of God. 44.

CHAP. IV.

Of a State of Probation^ as implying Trials Difficul- ties and Danger. yo

CHAP. V.

Of a State of Probation^ as intended for tnoral Dif- cipline and Improveme?it. 7 g

CHAP.

CONTENTS.

CHAP. VI.

Of the Opinion of Necefftty, confidered as influencing PraBice. Page 104

CHAP. VII.

Of the Government of Gody confdered as a Scheme or Confiitution, imperfeEily comprehended, i 2 1

Conclufion. 133

PART II C H A P. I.

OJ the Importance of Chriflianity. 14.1

CHAP. II.

Of the fuppofed Prefumption againft a Revelation^ confidered as miraculous. 161

CHAP. III.

Of our Incapacity of judging^ ii^hat were to be expeSl- ed in a Revelation ; and the Credibility ^ from A?ia- logy, that it mujl contain things appearing liable to ObjeEiions. 169

CHAP. IV.

Of Chriflianity, confidered as a Scheme or Conflituti- ony imperjeSlly comprehended. 185

CHAP.

CONTENTS.

CHAP. V.

Of the particular Syflem of Chriftianity ; the Ap- pointment of a Mediator^ and the Redemption of the World by him. 194

CHAP. VI.

Of the Want of Univer/ality in Revelation ; and of fuppofed Deficiency in the Proof of it. 215

CHAP. VII.

Of the particular Evidence for ChrifHanity. 236

CHAP. virr.

Of the ObjeEiiom which may he made againfl arguing^ from the Analogy of Nature^ to Religion, 275

Conclufion. 289

DISSERT. I.

Of perfonal Identity. joi

DISSERT. II.

Of the Nature of Virtue. 309

76 I ) 203.

«>3 3'4- ,

L243/ l^i' 236. 272, &c.

THE

(i)

INTRODUCTION-

PRobable Evidence is eflentially diftinguidied from demon- ftrative by this, that it admits of Degrees ; and of all Variety of them, from the highefl moral Certainty, to the very lo.veft Prefumption. We cannot indeed fay a thing is p'-obably true upon one very flight Prefumption for it ; be- cau e, as there may be Probabilities on both fides of a Queftion, there may be fome againft it : and though there be not, yet a flight Prefumption does not beget that Degree of Convidlion, which is implied in faying a thing is probably true. But that the flighteft poffible Prefumption, is of the nature of a Proba- bility, appears from hence ; that fuch low Prefumption often repeated, will amount even to moral Certainty. Thus a Man's having obferved the Ebb and Flow of the Tide to Day, affords fome fort of Prefumption, though the lowefl imaginable, that it may happen again to Morrow: But the obfervation of this Event for fo many Days, and Months, and Ages together, as it has been obferved by Mankind, gives us a full afTurance that it will.

B ' That

I N r R 0 D u c r I 0 N.

That which chiefly conflitutes Probability is expreffcd in the Word Liicely, /. e. like Ibme Truth % or true Event; like it, in itfclf, in its Evidence, in fome more or fewer of its Circum- ftances. For wiien we determine a thing to be probably true, fuppofe that an Event has or will come to pafs, 'tis from the Mind's remarking in it a Likenefs to fome other Event, which we have obferved has come to pafs. And this obfervation forms, in numberlefs daily Inflances, a Prefumption, Opinion, or full Convidlion, that fuch Event has or will come to pafs ; accord- ing as the obfervation is, that the like Event has fometimes, mod commonly, or always fo far as our obfervation reaches, come to pafs at like diilances of Time, or Place, or upon like Oc- cafions. Hence arifes the Belief, that a Child, if it lives twen- ty years, will grow up to the ftature and ftrength of a Man ; that Food will contribute to the prefervation of its Life, and the want of it for fuch a number of days, be its certain Deftrudion. So likewife the rule and meafure of our Hopes and Fears concerning the fuccefs of our Purfuits ; our Expedations that Others will adl fo and fo in fuch Circumftances ; and our Judgment that fuch Adions proceed from fuch Principles; all Thefe rely upon our having obferved the like to what we hope, fear, ex- ped, judge, I fay upon our having obferved the like either with refped to Others or Ourfelves. And thus, whereas the Prince '' who had always lived in a warm Climate, naturally concluded in the way of Analogy, that there was no fuch thing as Water's be- coming hard ; beca>ufe he had always obferved it to be fluid and yielding : We on the contrary, from Analogy conclude, that there is no Prefumption at all againll This: that 'tis fuppofeable, there may be Frofl; in England any given day in "Jajiuary next j probable that there will on fome day of the month ; and that there is a moral Certainty, i. e. Ground for an expedation with- oat any doubt of it, in fome part or other of the Winter.

' Verifimile. I" The Story is told by Mr. Lock in the Chapter of Probability.

Probable

INTRODUCTION.

Probable Evidence, in its very nature, affords but an imperfed kind of Information ; and is to be confidcred as relative only to Beings of limited Capacities. For nothing which is the poflible objedl of Knowledge, whether paft, prefent, or future, can be probable to an infinite Intelligence j fince it cannot but be difcerned abfolutely as it is in itfelf, certainly true, or certain- ly falfe : But to us, Probability is the very Guide of Life.

From thefe things it follov/s, that in Qiieftions of Difficulty or fuch as are thought (o, where more fatisfodlory Evidence cannot be had, or is not feen ; if the refult of Examination bo, that there appears upon the whole, any the loweft Prefumption on One fide, and none on the Other, or a greater Prefumption on One fide, though in the loweft Degree greater ; this deter- mines the Queftion, even in matters of Speculation ; and in matters of Pradice, will lay us under an abfolute and formal Obligation, in point of Prudence and of Intereft, to adl upon that Prefumption or low Probability, though it be fo low as to leave the mind in very great Doubt which is the Truth. For furely a Man is as really bound in Prudence, to do what upon the whole appears, according to the beft of his Judgment, to be for his Happinefs, as what he certainly knows to be fo. Nay further, in Queftions of great confequence, a reafonable Man will think it concerns him to remark lower Probabilities and Prefumptions than thefe ; fuch as amount to no more than fliowing One fide of a Queftion to be as fuppofeable and credible as the Other: nay fuch as but amount to much lefs even than this. For numberleis Inftances might be mentioned refpeding the common Purfuits of Life, where a Man would be thought, in a literal fenfe, diftradcd, who would not ad, and with great application too, not only upon an even Chance, but upon much lefs, and where the Probability or Chance was greatly againft: his fucceeding ".

' See Chsp. vi. Vm II.

B 2 It

"J

iv INTRODUCTION.

It is not my Defign to enquire further into the Nature, the Foundation, and Meafure of Probability ; or whence it proceeds that Likenefs fhould beget that Prefumption, Opinion, and full Convidion, which the human Mind is formed to receive from it, and which it does neceflarily produce in every one ; or to guard againft the Errors to which, Reafoning from Analogy is liable. This belongs to the Subject of Logick; and is a part of that Subjedl which has not yet been thoroughly confidered. Indeed I fliall not take upon me to fay, how far the Extent, Compafs, and Force, of analogical Reafoning, can be reduced to general Heads and Rules ; and the Whole be formed into a Syftem. But though fo little in this way has been attempted by thofe who have treated of our intelleftual Powers, and the Exercife of them ; this does not hinder but that we may be, as we unqucftionably are, affured, that Analogy is of weight, in various Degrees, towards determining our Judgment, and our Pradice. Nor does it in any wife ceafe to be of weight in thofe cafes, becaufe Perfons either given to difpute, or who require things to be ftated with greater Exadnefs than our Faculties appear to admit of in pradlical Matters, may find other Cafes in which 'tis not eafy to fay, whether it be, or be not, of any weight; or inftances of feeming Analogies which are really of n*ne. It is enough to the prefent purpofe to obferve, that this general way of arguing is evidently natural, juft and conclu- five. For there is no Man can make a Queftion but that the Sun will rife to morrow, and be feen, where it is feen at all, in the Figure of a Circle, and not in that of a Square.

Hence, namely from analogical Reafoning, Origen * has with fingular Sagacity obferved, that be who believes the Scrip- ture to have proceeded from Him who is the yliithor of Nature, may well expetl to find the fame fort of Difficulties in it, as are

* Xpn \ijii 701 yt To» «^«^ irafciai'^x. fi/tyet tS KTurnmei rov xoT/jt/ct mat TatiVws t«s Vp«<f«? mxiiS^, 0T» ores Tffi TiK x.TKriu(i kiTdiTci Toii t^tirSri Tct rrsfi icuTiji; xiyn, txutut 7^ Trefl Tui yfa((iav. Phil. p. 23. Ed. Cant.

3 found

INTRODUCT'ION.

found in the Conftitution of Nature. And in a like way oF Reflexion it may be added, that he who denies the Scripture to have been from God upon account of rhefe difricukies, may, for the very fame Reafon, deny the World to have been formed by Him. On the other hand, if there be an Analogy or Likenefs between the Syftem of things, and Difpenfation of Providence^ which Revelation informs us of, and that Syftem of Thino-s and Difpenfation of Providence, which Experience together with Reafon informs us of, /. e. the known Courfe of Nature ; this is a Prefumption, that they have both the fame Author and Caufe j at lead fo far as to anfwer objedlions againft the former's being from God, drawn from any thing which is analogical or fimilaf to what is in the latter, which is acknowledged to be from Him : for an Author of Nature is here fuppofed.

Forming our Notions of the Conftitution and Government of the World upon Reafoning , without Foundation for the Prin- ciples which we affume, whether from, the Attributes of God or any thing elfej is building a World upon Hypothefis, like Dts Cartes. Forming our Notions upon Reafoning from Principles which are certain, but applied to Cafes to which we have no ground to apply them, like thofe who explain the Strudlure of the human Body, and the Nature of all Difeafes and Medi- cines from mere Mathematicks ; is an Error much a-kin to the ■ former: fmce what is aflumed in order to make the Reafoning:' applicable, is Hypothefis. But it is allowed juft, to join abftra<5t ■ Reafonings with the obfervation of Fadls, and argue from fuch Fafts as are known, to others that are like them; from that Pare of the Divine Government over intelligent Creatures whicJi comes under our view, to that larger and more general Govern- ment over them, which is beyond it ; and from what is prefent, to colledl, what is likely, credible, or not incredible, will be : hereafter.

This method then of concluding and determining being prac- tical, and what, if we will adt at all, we cannot but aft upon ia

th©.-

y

vj INTRODUCTION.

the common Purfuits of Life; being evidently conclufive, in various Degrees, proportionable to the 'Degree and Exaftnefs of the whole Analogy or Likenefs ; and having fo great Autho- rity for introducing it into the Subjed of Religion, even reveal- ed Religion; my Defign is to apply it to that Subjeft in general, both natural and revealed : taking for proved, that there is aii intelligent Author of Nature, and natural Governor of the World. For as there is no Prefumption againfl: This prior to the Proof of it : fo it has been often proved with accumulated Evi- dence ; from this Argument of Analogy and final Caufes ; from abftradl Reafonings ; from the mofl: ancient Tradition and Tef- timony; and from the general Confent of Mankind. Nor does it appear, fo far as I can find, to be denied, by the Generality of thofe who profefs themfelves dilTatisfied with the Evidence of Religion.

As there are Some, who, inftead of thus attending to what is in Faft the Conftitution of Nature, form their notions of God's Government upon Hypothefis ; fo there are Others, who indulge themfelves in vain and idle fpeculations, how the World might pofllbly have been framed otherwife than it is ; and upon fup- pofition that things might, in imagining that rhey {hould, have been difpofed and carried on after a better Model, than what ap- pears in the prefent Difpofition and Condud of them. Suppofe now a perfon of fuch a Turn of Mind, to go on with his Re- veries, till he had at length fixt upon fome particular Plan of

Nature, as appearing to him the beft. One {hall fcarce be

thought guilty of Detradtion againft human Underftanding, if .one fliould fay, even beforehand, that the Plan which this fpe- culative Perfon would fix upon, though he were the wifeft of the Sons of men, probably would not be the very beft, even ac- cording to his own Notions of beft ; whether he thought That to be fo, which afforded Occafions and Motives for the Exer- cife of the greateft Virtue, or which was productive of the greateft Happinefs, or that Thefe two were neceiTarily conned-

ed.

INTRODUCTION.

cd, and run up into one and the fame Plan. However, it may not be amifs once for all to fee, what would be the Amount of thefe Emendations and imaginary Improvements upon the Syftem of Nature, or how far they would miflead us. And it feems there could be no flopping, till we came to fome fuch Conclu- fions as thefe : That all Creatures fhould at firfb be made as per- fedl and as happy as they were capable of ever being : That nothing to be fure of Hazard or Danger fhould be put upoa them to do; fome indolent Pcrfons would perhaps think nothing at all: Or certainly, that efFeftual care fliould be taken, that they fhould, whether neceffarily or not, yet eventually and in fadl, always do what was Right and mod conducive to Happi- nefs, which would be thought eafy for infinite Power to efteft ; either by not giving them any Principles which would endanger their going wrong; or by laying the right motive of Adtion in ' every inftance before their Minds continually in fo ftrong a man- ner, as would never fail of inducing them to aft conformably to it : And that the whole method of Government by Punifli- ments (liould be rejeded, as abfurd; as an awkard round-about method of carrying things on ; nay as contrary to a principal Purpofe, for which it would be fuppofed Creatures were made," namely Happinefs.

Now without confidering what is to be faid in particular to the feveral Parts of this Train of Folly and Extravagance, what has been above intimated, is a full diredl general Anfwer to it, namely, that we may fee before-hand that we have not Facul- ties for this kind of Speculation. For though it be admitted, . that from the firft Principles of our Nature, we unavoidably ■ judge or determine Some Ends to be abfolutely in themfelves preferable to Others, and that the Ends now mentioned, or if they run up into one, that this One is abfolutely the Left ; and confequently that we muft conclude the ultimate End defigned, in the Conftitution of Nature and Condudl of Providence, is the mod Virtue and Happinefs polTible : Yet we are far from

being

VI)

viij INTRODUCriON.

being able to judge, what particular Difpofition of things, would be nioft friendly and affiftant to Virtue, or what Means might be abfolutely neceffary to produce the moft Happinefs in a Syf-. tein of fuch Extent as our own World may be, taking in all that is pa ft and to come ; though we fliould fuppofe it detached from the whole of things. Indeed we are fo far from being able to judge of this ; that we are not Judges what may be the necef- fary means of raifing and conducing one Perfon to the higheft Perfedlion and Happinefs of his Nature. Nay even in the little Affairs of the prefent Life, we find men of different Educations and Ranks are not competent Judges of the Condudt of each other. Our whole Nature leads us to afcribe all moral Per- fedlion to God, and to deny all Imperfedion of him. And this will for ever be a practical Proof of his moral Charadler, to fuch as will confider what a practical Proof is ; becaufe it is the Voice of God fpeaking in us. And from hence we con- clude, that Virtue mufl be rhe Happinefs, and Vice the Mifery, of every Creature ; and that Regularity and Order and Right cannot but prevail finally in a Univerfe under His Government. But we are in no fort Judges, what are the necelTary Means of accomplifliing this End.

Let us then, inflead of that idle and not very innocent Em- ployment of forming imaginary Models of a World, and Schemes of governing it, turn our Thoughts to what we expe- rience to be the Conduit of Nature with refped: to intelligent Creatures ; which may be refolved into general Laws or Rules of Adminiflraiion, in the fame way as many of the Laws of Nature refpeding inanimate Matter may be colleded from Ex- periments. And let us compare the known Conftitution and Courfe of Things, with what is faid to be the moral Syftem of Nature ; the acknowledged Diipenfations of Providence, or that Government which we find ourfelves under, with what P..eligion teaches us to believe and expcd ; and fee whether they are not analogous and of a piece. And upon fuch a comparifon,

it

INTRODUCTION. k

it will I think be found, that they are very much fo ; that both may be traced up to the fame general Laws, and refolved into the fame Principles of divine Conducft.

The Analogy here propofed to be confidered, is of pretty large Extent, and confifts of feveral Parts; in Some, more, in Others, lefs, exadl. In fome few inflances perhaps it may amount to a real praflical Proof; in others not fo. Yet in thcfe it is a Con- firmation of what is proved other ways. It will undeniably fliow, what too many want to have fliowed them, that the Syf- tem of Religion both natural and revealed, confidered only as a Syftem, and prior to the Proof of it, is not a Subjecfl of Ridi- cule, unlefs That of Nature be fo too. And it will afford an Anfwer to almoft all Objecftions againft the Syftem both of na- tural and revealed Religion ; though not perhaps an Anfwer in fo great a Degree, yet in a very confiderable Degree an Anfwer, to the Objedions againft the Evidence of it: For Obje<Sions againft a Proof, and Obje<ftions againft what is faid to be proved, the Reader will obferve are different things.

Now the divine Government of the World, implied in the

Notion of Religion in general and of Chriftianity, contains in

it; That Mankind is appointed to live in a future State = ; That

There, every one {hall be rewarded or puniflied •" ; rewarded or

puniflied refpedively for all that Behaviour Here, which we

comprehend under the Words Virtuous or Vitious, morally

good or evils : That our prefcnt Life is a Probation, a State

of Trials and of Difcipline ', for that future one; Notwith-

ftanding the Objedlions, which men may fancy they have, from

Notions of Neceffity, againft there being any fuch moral Plan

as this at all '' ; And whatever Objedions may appear to lie a-

gainft the Wifdom and Goodnefs of it, as it ftands fo imper-

fedly made known to us at prefent ' : That this World being

in a State of Apoftacy and Wickednefs, and confequently of

Ruin, and the Senfe both of their Condition and Duty being fo

• Ch. J. f Chap. ii. s Ch. iii, "■ Ch. iv. ' Ch. v. " CJi. vi. ' Ch. vii.

C greatly

s INTRODUCTION:

greatly corrupted amongfl; Men, this gave occafion for an additi- onal Difpenfation of Providence; of the utmoft Importance ""j proved by Miracles " ; but containing in it many things appearing to us ftrange and not to have been expedled"; a Difpenfation of Providence, which is a Scheme or Syftem of things p ; carried on by the Mediation of a divine Perfon, the Meffiah, in order to the Recovery of the World ^ ; yet not revealed to all Men, nor proved with the ftrongefl poffible Evidence to all thofe to whom, it is revealed ; but only to fuch a Part of Mankind, and with fuch particular Evidence as the Wifdom of God thought fit". The Defign then of the following Treatife will be to fhew, that the feveral Parts principally objected againfh in this Moral and Chriftian Difpenfation, including its Scheme, its Publication, and the Proof which God has afforded us of its Truth ; that the particular Parts principally objedled againfl: in this whole Difpenfation, are analogous to what is experienced in the Con- fliiuiion and Courfe of Nature, or Providence ; that the chief Objedtions themfelves which are alledged againfl: the former, are no other, than what may be alledged with like Juftnefs againfl: the latter, where they are found in Fadt to be inconclufive ; and that this Argument from Analogy is in general, unanfwerable, undoubtedly of Weight, and very material on the fide of Re- ligion *", notwithfl;anding the Objedtions which may feem to lie againfl it, and the real Ground which there may be, for Difference of Opinion, as to the particular Degree of Weight which is to be laid upon it. This is a general Account of what may be looked for in the following Treatife. And I fliall begin it with That which is the Foundation of all our Hopes and of all our Fears ; all our Hopes and Fears, which are of any Confidera- tion ; I mean a future Life,

■^Part ir. Ch. i. " Ch. ii ° Ch. iii. P Ch. iv. ■) Ch. v.

' Ch. vi, vii. ' Ch. viii.

THE

(")

THE

ANAL O G Y

OF

RELIGION

T O T H E

Conflitutioii and Courfe of Nature.

P A Pv T I.

Of N A T u