The Beginnings of Religion. By Thomas Scott Bacon. (Rivingtons.) —There
are, Mr. Bacon says, two theories of the origin of religion. According to one, men began to be religious from their own reflec- tions, discoveries, and inventions ; according to the other, "from the very first mankind received the suggestion and information of true religion immediately from God." But is there not aria media, according to which the Spirit of God has from age to age educated the human intelligence into a certain knowledge of itself, teaching mankind one thing by the Greek, another by the Roman, and the most important of all by the most religiously gifted of all, the Hebrew? We cannot but think that Mr. Bacon's theory, which, of course, is the second of the two stated above, lands us in unsur- mountable difficulties. At the same time, we wish to express our respect for the sincerity of purpose and unfailing industry that he has brought to the preparation of this essay.
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