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LECTURE I
INTRODUCTION
THE subject of these lectures is a branch of natural theology.
By natural theology I understand that reasoned knowledge of
a God or gods which man may be supposed, whether rightly
or wrongly, capable of attaining to by the exercise of his
natural faculties alone. Thus defined, the subject may be
treated in at least three different ways, namely, dogmatically,
philosophically, and historically. We may simply state the
dogmas of natural theology which appear to us to be true:
that is the dogmatic method. Or, secondly, we may
examine the validity of the grounds on which these dogmas
have been or may be maintained: that is the philosophic
method. Or, thirdly, we may content ourselves with
describing the various views which have been held on the
subject and tracing their origin and evolution in history:
that is the historical method. The first of these three
methods assumes the truth of natural theology, the second
discusses it, and the third neither assumes nor discusses
but simply ignores it: the historian as such is not concerned
with the truth or falsehood of the beliefs he describes, his
business is merely to record them and to track them as far
as possible to their sources. Now that the subject of natural
theology is ripe for a purely dogmatic treatment will hardly,
I think, be maintained by any one, to whatever school of
thought he may belong; accordingly that method of treat-
ment need not occupy us further. Far otherwise is it with
the philosophic method which undertakes to enquire into the
truth or falsehood of the belief in a God: no method could
be more appropriate at a time like the present, when the

Natural
theology,
and the
three
modes of
handling
it, the
dogmatic,
the philo-
sophical,
and the
historical.

-1-

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Publication Information: Book Title: The Belief in Immortality and the Worship of the Dead. Volume: 1. Contributors: J. G. Frazer - author. Publisher: Macmillan. Place of Publication: London. Publication Year: 1913. Page Number: 1.
    
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