The Religion of Nature Delineated
By William Wollaston.
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Translator’s Note
The Religion of Nature Delineated, being a book in great esteem with her late majesty Queen Caroline, she was pleased to command me to translate the notes into English for her own use: And there being a demand for a new edition, it was thought proper to publish this translation, as these notes are illustrations and confirmations of the sentiments of the learned author; and therefore I have consented to the publishing of them.
Editor’s Note
Wollaston usually gave very brief, obscurely-abbreviated sources for the quotations in his footnotes. John Clarke translated these notes, but left their sources obscure. In many cases I have been able to track these down and expand them (thanks in part to Alexander Altmann, who identified many of the Hebrew sources in a 1948 paper for the Jewish Historical Society of England).
Because of this, a note that originally read merely:
“Ubi virtus, si nihil situm est in ipsis nobis? Cic. הוא עמוד התורה והמצוה … רשות לכל אדם נתונה אם רצה להטות עצמו לדרך טובה Maim. הרשות היא הבחירה Nahh. Ab.”
Now reads, more helpfully:
“Ubi virtus, si nihil situm est in ipsis nobis? ‘Where is virtue then, if there be nothing within our own power?’ (Cicero, Academica). הוא עמוד התורה והמצוה … רשות לכל אדם נתונה אם רצה להטות עצמו לדרך טובה ‘There is a power given to every man, if he be but willing to incline himself to the way that is good … This is the support of the law and the commandments.’ (Maimonides, Mishneh Torah, Hilkot Teshubah, V, 1, 3). הרשות היא הבחירה ‘This power is what we call free will’ (Isaac Abravanel, Nahalot Abot).”
And this cryptic note:
“As that Βλιτρι ap. Diog. L. in v. Zen.”
Becomes the more legible:
“As that word Βλιτρι (Blitri) in Diogenes Laërtius’s Life of Zeno, which word has no meaning at all.”
I do not know Greek, Latin, Hebrew, or Arabic, so it’s very likely that I have let some typos slip into these notes as I have transcribed them. I apologize and invite you to report any errors you find to the Standard Ebooks team so that they may be corrected.
I have also made some changes to the original text in this edition: I have modernized archaic spellings and Americanized some English ones, have expanded some abbreviations, have adjusted punctuation and italicization to better conform to the expectations of modern readers, have added a few additional translations of non-English phrases, and have altered cross-references to use hyperlinks instead of page numbers.
Foreword
To A. F., Esq.
I was much surprised, sir, when (some time ago) you so importunately desired my thoughts upon these questions:
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Is there really any such thing as natural religion, properly and truly so called?
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If there is, what is it?
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How may a man qualify himself, so as to be able to judge for himself of the other religions professed in the world, to settle his own opinions in disputable matters, and then to enjoy tranquility of mind, neither disturbing others, nor being disturbed at what passes among them?
With what view you did this—whether in expectation of some little degree of satisfaction, or merely to try my abilities, or (which I rather think) out of kindness to amuse me at a time when I wanted something to divert melancholy reflections—I shall not venture to guess. I shall only say that, could I have foreseen in due time that such a task was to be imposed upon me, I might have been better prepared for it. I might have marked what was suitable to my purpose in those books which I have read but shall scarce ever return to read any more; many more I might have read too, which, not wanting them for my own conviction, I have neglected, and now have neither leisure nor patience to peruse. I might have noted what the various occurrences and cases that happen in life suggested, and, in general, I might have placed more of my time on such parts of learning as would have been directly serviceable to
