He desires to take human nature as an existing fact, and to analyze its constituents just so far as is necessary to bring to light the obligations to right living. Of like practicality is his more famous Analogy. He took the Deists on their own ground and strove to cut the ground from under their feet in order that he might bring them to the Christian foundation.
Religion is treated altogether from the historical point of view.
Its main doctrines are facts and are susceptible of proof, just like any other facts . . . . It is an argumentum ad hominem all through, and is not intended to present an absolute and consecutive statement of the grounds of faith. . . But both parts are very hard reading, because, though perfectly clear, the argument is very profound. It has been a college and university text-book for nigh 175 years and the quarry of innumerable works. There are many editions of Butler.