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 — Inside the Classic

Allegory as Exposé

Bulwer's contribution is described as an "allegory of the stars" that recounts the founding of a false religion by a "designing knave" who exploits ignorance and credulity. The publisher's preface explicitly compares this process to the establishment of Mormonism by Joseph Smith, drawing a parallel between ancient and modern imposture. The narrative appears to center on the manipulation of signs and wonders—miracles presented as violations of natural law—to bind followers mentally. The allegorical form allows Bulwer to critique the mechanics of religious authority without direct historical reference, though the preface suggests the pattern is universal: "The history of the origin of one supernatural religion will, with slight alterations, serve to describe them all." Readers should note how the allegory uses celestial imagery (the fallen star) to symbolize a descent from truth into error, and how the priesthood's role in perpetuating the system is emphasized.

Brougham's Taxonomy of Evil

Lord Brougham's dissertation takes a radically different approach, offering a philosophical classification of evil that challenges traditional theodicies. He distinguishes between physical evil (suffering arising from the constitution of matter, whether from human action or natural causes like disease and death) and moral evil (crimes of commission or omission rooted in the mind). A key argument is that physical evil ultimately depends on the properties of matter, which the Creator instituted, thereby implicating divine agency even when moral evil is separately accounted for. Brougham engages critically with Archbishop King's system and Bishop Law's commentary, noting that such works often "assume the thing to be proved" or proceed from suppositions inconsistent with infinite divine power. His analysis is methodical, parsing definitions and exposing logical gaps in prior attempts to reconcile evil with omnipotence.

Contrasting Methods, Shared Subject

The juxtaposition of Bulwer's allegory and Brougham's dissertation creates a productive tension. Where Bulwer uses narrative to show how false religions are made—through deliberate deception and the manipulation of wonder—Brougham uses reason to dissect the given problem of evil, questioning whether any system can satisfactorily explain its origin. Both works, however, share a skeptical stance toward established religious explanations. The publisher's preface explicitly links them by arguing that if religions were founded on "demonstrated truths of science," there would be no mystery or miracles—only verified facts. Yet the two authors pursue this insight through incompatible genres: one a fictional history of imposture, the other a logical treatise on metaphysical categories. Readers may find that the allegory's concrete depiction of priestcraft illuminates the abstract dilemmas Brougham raises, and vice versa.

Approach this volume as a dialogue between two Victorian intellectuals grappling with the same fundamental questions: How do religions gain authority? Why does evil exist? Neither work claims to offer a final answer, but together they demonstrate the range of tools—storytelling and logic, satire and system—available to the skeptical mind. The allegory rewards attention to its structural parallels with historical religions, while the dissertation demands careful tracking of definitions and distinctions. Reading them in sequence highlights how narrative and philosophy can each expose the other's assumptions.

I've often shelved that old Victorian pairing, The Fallen Star beside Brougham's grim dissertation, and felt their shared wonder at why we suffer. It's a heavy comfort. Yet nearby sits something gentler, Evangelists of Art: Picture-Sermons for Children — Story, Setting & Ideas, which asks the same question through stained glass and quiet parables. Both, in their way, simply hold a candle to the dark.