Audiobook History of Free Thought in Reference to The Christian Religion

Adam Storey Farrar investigates the critical history of free thought as a continuous manifestation of the human mind struggling against external religious authority. The author establishes that this intellectual tension is not an isolated or accidental phenomenon, but an inevitable historical process governed by a distinct law of progress through antagonism. By examining four distinct historical crises—from the early philosophical opposition of heathen writers, through the scholastic skepticism of the middle ages and the humanism of the Renaissance, down to modern deism, French infidelity, and German rationalism—the work analyzes the intellectual causes that prompt these movements. The first primary cause is the introduction of new knowledge from physical and moral sciences, while the second is the shifting metaphysical standard of certitude, whether grounded in sensory experience, subjective forms of thought, or intuition. The author maintains a distinct theological standpoint, evaluating various systems of doubt against the foundational verities of the Christian faith, specifically the vicarious atonement, the supernatural character of revelation, and the direct operation of the Holy Ghost. Throughout the course, the inquiry is handled with objective historical analysis rather than mere polemic, demonstrating that historical criticism and the anatomy of intellectual error serve as the most effective educational instruments for guiding the student through contemporary doubts.