Publisher's Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1882 edition. Excerpt: ... The "Religion of the Brahmo Somaj Discussed. 67 future. For the information of persons of the last mentioned class, and of others whose interest, of whatever kind, in the movement may tempt them to express opinions and pass judgments, which, if worth forming at all, ought to be formed on some foundation of fact, it will be of service if an attempt is made--albeit in the nature of the case the attempt must be inadequate--to explain as briefly as possible some of the principles on which the Brahmo Somaj bases its religion. To the great disadvantage of Brahmos, it must be here observed that these principles have never yet been sufficiently set forth and elaborated in their writings. This perhaps gives some semblance of excuse to a number of the opponents of their body to misunderstand, in spite of repeated explanations, the most elementary things of the Brahmo's creed, and, what is much worse, to represent them incorrectly. One example will suffice. More than ten years ago the Somaj sought to place before the public, in sufficiently strong light, the universally recognized fact that religion, in its essential reality, is intuitive and natural to the human mind. Religion is an irrepressible instinct of human nature, which necessarily finds its embodiment in formal beliefs and principles, in ceremonial rules and observances, in external evidences and authorities, which, however outwardly divergent and erroneous, agree, when carefully analysed, in their original essence. This instinct involves certain necessary relations between the percipient mind of man and the divine realities that surround him within and without. The relations take shape among mankind in those elementary ideas about God, immortality, and human duty, which are everywhere...
