Ebook A Comparative History of Religions

Of such junctures five, at least, have entered so deeply into the life of mankind that general history cannot be recorded intelligibly without them. These are, first, the change whereby, out of the Simple patri archal religion, there was gradually constructed a legal system of religious Observances: secondly, that whereby the legal observances were, in some quarters, adopted and inspired by a monotheistic reformation; thirdly, that whereby in the extremity of legal bondage and degradation, a reaction of reason was created against it; fourthly, that whereby, in the hopelessness of ra tional unbelief, men threw themselves back into legal bondage, or sustained a rational faith by a philosophic system; and fifthly that which was effected by the introduction of Christianity.