ABSTRACT
The sense in which the word has been used by certain writers, called classic. Samuel Johnson says that 'belief' is credit given on account of authority. He defines religion as 'virtue founded upon reverence of God and expectation of future rewards and punishments', and will quote Milton, South, Watts, and Law for this sense of the word. Man advances to a consciousness and conviction that there does exist a perfect being (whom we may call God), exactly in proportion as his nature is well constituted, well-educated, well exercised. The more highly man's moral, intellectual, and spiritual faculties are cultivated, the more nearly will he approach a true conception of God. In our times there is also much critical observation on religious subjects, showing doubt or disbelief of creeds, of which the foundation is miraculous revelation; but there is no strong or united purpose to find out what is true on religious subjects.
