170 HUME vin 



for heretics will serve also for the destruction of philoso- 

 phers." (IV. pp. 481-3.) 



Holding these opinions respecting the recog- 

 nised systems of theology and their professors, 

 Hume, nevertheless, seems to have had a theology 

 of his own; that is to say, he seems to have thought 

 (though, as will appear, it is needful for an expos- 

 itor of his opinions to speak very guardedly on 

 this point) that the problem of theism is suscept- 

 ible of scientific treatment, with something more 

 than a negative result. His opinions are to be 

 gathered from the eleventh section of the " In- 

 quiry" (1748); from the " Dialogues concerning 

 Natural Beligion," which were written at least as 

 early as 1751, though not published till after his 

 death; and from the " Natural History of Ke- 

 ligion," published in 1757. 



In the first two pieces, the reader is left to 

 judge for himself which interlocutor in the dia- 

 logue represents the thoughts of the author; but 

 for the views put forward in the last, Hume accepts 

 the responsibility. Unfortunately, this essay deals 

 almost wholly with the historical development of 

 theological ideas; and, on the question of the 

 philosophical foundation of theology, does little 

 more than express the writer's contentment with 

 the argument from design. 



" The whole frame of nature bespeaks an Intelligent Au- 

 thor; and no rational inquirer can, after serious reflection, 

 suspend his belief a moment with regard to the primary 

 principles of genuine Theism and Religion. (IV. p. 435.) 



