Modern Atheism under its forms of Pantheism, Materialism, Secularism, Development, and Natural Laws   By: James Buchanan (1804-1870)

1. Several misprints (including Greek) were corrected. A full list of corrections can be found at the end of the text. Misspelling and inconsistencies in the French quotations, unless otherwise noted, have been preserved.

2. Footnotes have been renumbered and moved to the end of chapters.

3. Footnote 138 had no footnote marker within the text; the reference was added in a possible place.

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MODERN ATHEISM

UNDER ITS FORMS OF

PANTHEISM, MATERIALISM, SECULARISM, DEVELOPMENT, AND NATURAL LAWS.

BY

JAMES BUCHANAN, D. D., LL. D.,

DIVINITY PROFESSOR IN "THE NEW COLLEGE," EDINBURGH, AND AUTHOR OF "THE OFFICE AND WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT," ETC.

BOSTON: GOULD AND LINCOLN , 59 WASHINGTON STREET. NEW YORK: SHELDON, BLAKEMAN & CO., CINCINNATI: GEORGE S. BLANCHARD. 1857.

Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1856, by

GOULD AND LINCOLN ,

In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts.

Electro Stereotyped by G. J. STILES & COMPANY , 23 Congress Street, Boston.

PREFATORY NOTE.

The contents of this volume originally constituted about one half of a work, entitled "Faith in God and Modern Atheism compared, in their Essential Nature, Theoretic Grounds, and Practical Influence." Simultaneously with the first issue of that work in Scotland, the five principal chapters in this volume were published separately, accompanied with the announcement that each was complete in itself . The hint thus given by the author, has been acted upon by the present publishers. On examining the whole work, it was found to be divided into four Sections. Of these, the third was devoted exclusively to " Modern Atheism ." It embraced the five chapters already alluded to, together with a general introduction and four shorter chapters. It appeared, in fact, to be a complete treatise by itself; and it is now presented to the American public in the conviction that such a work is peculiarly demanded by the present state of religious opinion in this country.

The author is one of the most distinguished divines of the Free Church of Scotland. In 1845, he was appointed Professor of Apologetic Theology in the New College, Edinburgh; and, on the death of Dr. Chalmers, in 1847, he was translated to the Chair of Systematic Theology thus made vacant. In the former position, it became his duty to prepare a complete course of Lectures on Natural Religion. His work on "Faith in God," &c., contains, in an altered form, adapted to general readers, the substance of those Lectures.