The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Fallen Star; and, A Dissertation on the
Origin of Evil, by E. L. Bulwer; and, Lord Brougham

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Title: The Fallen Star; and, A Dissertation on the Origin of Evil

Author: E. L. Bulwer; and, Lord Brougham

Release Date: August, 2005 [EBook #8654]
Posting Date: July 28, 2009

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE FALLEN STAR ***

Produced by David Deley

THE FALLEN STAR, or, THE HISTORY OF A FALSE RELIGION

by E. L. Bulwer

and,

A DISSERTATION ON THE ORIGIN OF EVIL

by Lord Brougham

PUBLISHER'S PREFACE

RELIGION, says Noah Webster in his _American Dictionary of the English
Language_, is derived from "Religo, to bind anew;" and, in this _History
of a False Religion_, our author has shown how easily its votaries were
insnared, deceived, and mentally bound in a labyrinth of falsehood and
error, by a designing knave, who established a new religion and a new
order of priesthood by imposing on their ignorance and credulity.

The history of the origin of one supernatural religion will, with slight
alterations, serve to describe them all. Their claim to credence rests
on the exhibition of so-called miracles--that is, on a violation of
the laws of nature,--for, if religions were founded on the demonstrated
truths of science, there would be no mystery, no supernaturalism, no
miracles, no skepticism, no false religion. We would have only verified
truths and demonstrated facts for the basis of our belief. But this
simple foundation does not satisfy the unreasoning multitude. They
demand signs, portents, mysteries, wonders and miracles for their faith
and the supply of prophets, knaves and impostors has always been found
ample to satisfy this abnormal demand of credulity.

Designing men, even at the present day, find little difficulty in
establishing new systems of faith and belief. Joseph Smith, who invented
the Mormon religion, had more followers and influence in this country
at his death, than the Carpenter's Son obtained centuries ago from the
unlettered inhabitants of Palestine; and yet Smith achieved his success
among educated people in this so-ca