it to the French Republic. A picture of this new power, fo dreadful to Europe, is drawn in the most striking colours. All the most prominent features are brought forward in fuch a manper, as to imprefs the reader with a ftrong idea of its hideous deformities. The facts illuftrative of the pofition maintained, are taken from the periodical publications of the day, and from authors of acknowledged credit. We do not recol let that we have yet feen, except in Mr. Burke's publications, the principles and the practices of the revolutionary power brought before the public in a manner fo full, fo clear, and fo ftriking. The compofition is very animated: it is calculated to affect the mind with aftonishment and dread; and if the principle of Infidelity being the fubject of Prophecy, in the predictions which refer to thefe later ages, be admitted, it is calculated to excite doubts at leaft in the Infidel, to confirm the wavering and the indifferent, and to awaken to a more Jively fenfe of the divine government of the world, the fincere and pious Believer,

In the last chapter of the work, thofe Prophecies are confidered which remain to be fulfilled; for example, the Restoration of the Jews to their own land, and their converfion to the church of Chrift; the general diffufion of the Gofpel; the final triumph of our Lord over all his enemies, and the univerfal happiness of his glorious reign. The paffages which treat of the prefent, and of future times, are peculiarly inte refting. The author appears evidently to entertain an opinion, that the era of accomplishment of fome of the most wonderful events forefhown by Prophecy, is not very remote ; the downfall of Papacy and Mahometanifm, and the confequent restoration and converfion of the Jews,

Having thus given a general view of the fyftem, we shall not venture to mark it either with approbation or difapprobation. We recommend it to the serious perufal of the reader, and we leave it to his unbiaffed judgment. No man, either Chriftian or Infidel, unless his mind be very strongly prepoffeffed by prejudices, can read the work without feeling his mind roufed, and strong fenfations excited by the tremendous fcenes of the paffing day. No ferious perfon, who is acquainted with the general nature of the fubjects of ancient predictions, can allow himself to fuppofe, that the events of the prefent times, fo wonderful in themselves, and fo intimately con pected with the state of Christianity, may not be developed in the pages of the Prophets. Whether they have been fo frequently and fo fully depicted as this author fuppofes, is a question upon which we will not hazard an answer. The

author

author frequently difcovers a confiderable, and a very laudable, degree of modeity and diffidence in his opinions.

We shall now lay before our readers fome quotations from the second part of this work. The following fentiments, in a paffage upon the origin of Infidelity, we think peculiarly just, and very ftriking..

"It has been juftly obferved, that we cannot exceed the limits prefcribed for human knowledge, without involving ourselves in contradic tions and abfurdity; and that nothing has produced more pernicious mifchief to fociety, than the purfuit of principles in themselves good, fat beyond the bounds in which they are good.' Examined by the light of thefe obfervations, and the teftimony of experience, it will appear that the writings of Locke, though himfelf a worthy and eligious man, led to a fcepticism eventually hurtful to religion; and though a loyal fubject, that his political writings generated doctrines hurtful to monarchical government, and indeed to all civil fociety.' The Effay on the Human Understanding, in itself so profound and fo ufeful, with a confiderable degree of erroneous theory, as might be expected, from a man even of the greateit genius exploring untrodden, intricate, and arduous paths, brought a greater acceffion to man, of knowledge of thofe powers by which he is peculiarly distinguished, than any book that had ever been written. It tended alfo to fharpen and invigorate the faculties. But the caution with which it examined different fpecies and degrees of evidence, a caution right as far as it merely prevented error, fometimes refufed to admit truth; fought proof of a different kind from that which the nature of the fubject required; doubted, where, in the plain judgment of common fenfe, no doubt could exift, and afforded fuppofed data from whence ingenious men might form the moft vifionary theories.'

Thus the prevalence of metaphyfical difquifitions powerfully affifted the growth of Infidelity, in thofe countries where the liberal fpirit of the reformation tolerated difcuffion upon religious and political fubjects. Confidered as matters of mere fpeculation, and admired as enlarging the sphere of knowledge, the tendency of thefe writings was not always perceived by minds which Religion guarded from the mif chief. They faw the dazzling meteors fhoot harmlefs into space. But Infidelity faw clearly how their courfe might be directed to guide mankind to her dominions; and the diffenfions that prevailed among the numerous fects which fprung from the doctrines of Luther and Calvin, unhappily affifted the execution of this defign." Vol. iii, p. 17.

The animation and juftice of the following defcription of France, in its prefent free and enlightened ftate, will, we truit, excufe the length of the quotation.

"It is then upon France, emblematically reprefented as the fun," that the angel has poured out the fourth vial of wrath. It is in France that the second beat has caufed his followers to make the image to exercise his power over the confciences and liberties of men, and by democratic tyranny and fanatic perfecution of the religion of

Christ,

Christ, to fhew his determined enmity to the Lamb of God, and to fpeak great words of blafphemy against the Moft High." It is from France that he has extended his defolating (way over the fairest portion of Europe, and excited the aftonishment and the fears of the world. This is the power well known by the common appellation of Jacobin ifm, which, nurfed by Ambition, Vanity, and Atheism, has founded the pillar of French Republicanifm upon the ruins of the palace, the throne, and the altar that has reared it amid heaps of flaughtered victims, and cemented its parts with their blood. This is the power which, trained in the fchools of Philofophifm, affumed the drefs of mildness, virtue, and religion; but, when arrived at full maturity, difcovered its fanguinary and deftructive fpirit, and avowed its oppofition to every inftitution, human and divine, that obftructed its gigantic defigns; that with philanthropy ever in its mouth, and malice and vengeance in its heart, talks of honour, and practises perjury ;—of liberty, and exercifes the most intolerant tyranny:-that harangues on the rights of man, while it makes property a crime, robbery a virtue, and not only perpetrates, but juftifies murder. This execrable power, which alone can feel the hearts of its votaries against every feeling of nature, has dared to sanction treason, parricide, luft, and maffacre; and to infufe into the breafts of his fubject multitudes, a new paffion, which has funk them beneath the level of the brute creation-a paffion for the fight of their fellow creatures in the agonies of death,—and a literal thirst for human blood.

66

--

"This is the power that firft enthroning seven hundred tyrants in the place of one king (deliberately murdered only because he was a king) ruled twenty-four millions of flaves with the iron fceptre of terror, and for five years made France a flaughter house. That formed the web of its laws, of the most complex and intricate texture, and changed them at the fancy of the moment, or for the exprefs purpose of enfnaring the innocent; and, abfolute in all things elfe, difdained to pre ferve the prerogative of mercy.-That calling evil good, and good evil, putting darkness for light, and light for darkness," has "thought to change times and laws," for the exprefs purpose of destroying every vettige of true religion, and has deified Human Reafon, after having degraded it to madnefs.-That has fettered its vaffals in the chains of requifition-a tyranny before unheard of,that changed the artifans and peasants into a mass of banditti, deluged the country with torrents of their blood, and marked the frontiers with the vast piles of their bodies.-That, throwing away the fword of justice, made the guillotine keep pace with the flaughter of the field of battle, and crowded the prifons with numbers greater than the captives of war. That, mingling priefts and nobles, women, children, and peafants, with indifcriminating brutality, made them the wretched victims of its fury, tortured their feelings with the moft exquifite and fportive cruely, and made them drink the cup of mifery to its dregs.

That, pillaging alike the church, the palace, and the cottage, ba nifhing thoufands of the inhabitants from their country, destroying villages, towns, and cities, feizing every monument of art, and drying up every fource of commerce, fets up the standard of Defolation in its on dominions-This is the power, which, concealing the dagger of

terror

terror under the olive-branch of peace, and pretending to plant the tree of liberty in every country conquered by its arms, or deluded by its profeffions, invariably profanes their altars, exiles or murders their priests, abolishes their most useful and most facred laws and inftitutions, and avails itself of their riches and refources, to increase the inftruments of its own domination.-This is the power, which, not content with burling defiance at every fovereign on earth, has raised his voice against the Majefty of Heaven-has reviled the Saviour of the world -deftroyed his churches, perfecuted his minifters, forbidden his worhip; and, to complete the measure of guilt, has declared, in terms furpaffing the boldness of all former impiety, that there is no Gode" Vol. iii, p. 120.

The following are very juft remarks upon the effects of Socinianifm.

66

"In this country, the refuge of Liberty, when expelled from every ether, and the feat of pure Religion, the doctrines of modern Soci nianifm were found to be the most effectual means of propagating In fidelity, efpecially among the Diffenters. The religious knowledge diffused among all claffes of people in England, required more ma nagement than the ignorance and fuperftition of Popish countries; and the nature of our government was far lefs favourable to their re volutionary projects, than either abfolute monarchy or republics. "Socinianifm is in its principles friendly to Republicanism, and has been fo found in its history, as indeed has been the cafe with its near ally, Deifm;" for the general habit of fcepticism inevitably produces a reftlefs difcontent, and a diflike to establishments of every defcription. Idolizing their Conftitution, and zealous for their Religion, the people of England would not at that period have tolerated writings, which were read with avidity upon the continent. The attacks on Chriftianity did not therefore rife to Deifm, which openly difavows the Religion of Jefus, but were carried on by the fap of Socinianifm, which, profeffing to believe in Chrift, degrades his character, denies him as the Saviour of the world, as the atonement of the fins of mankind, and thus would deftroy the purposes of the Divine. Miffion; for they were fully aware that the paffage from Socinianism to Deism' is not long. And this scheme fucceeded but too well. "The chiefs of that fect foon confidered it as incumbent upon them to manifeft their political as well as their religious non-conformity. The doctrines which the herefiarchs preached and taught, were equally contrary to monarchy and hierarchy. Their enmity was indeed more avowed to the Church, but was equally ftrong against the state. And thus they became powerful engines in the hands of Infidelity and Anarchy, however they may acquit themselves of the charge of being partizans." Vol. iii. p. 64.

There are many paffages in this part of the work, which attempt to account for the fecurity enjoyed by our own country at this period of general ruin, which we could extract with pleafure, had we not already taken fo much from other parts.

We

We fhall clofe the prefent article with the following fublime and comprehenfive view of the effects which refult from a just tonfideration of the great fubject of Prophecy, which forms alfo the conclufion of the work.

"The Chriftian, from his enlarged views of Scripture and of manLind, fees in their full and proper light, the fublimity, the extent, and the importance of Prophecy; and it may be with truth afferted, that the ftudy of religion is abfolutely neceffary to the understanding univerfal history. The pretenfions of the modern philofopher to enlarged and impartial views of things, must then be considered as false and abfurd.-Rejecting the fureft guides of human reafon, he wanders through the labyrinths of Hiftory as chance directs, refting only in thofe places which appear to favour his fyftem; and, like the fly upon the beautiful Corinthian pillar, fees nothing but diforder and confufion: The Chriftian, on the contrary, fteadily following the clue which Religion offers, obferves the connexion of the parts, and their relation to the vaft, the wonderful Plan, which reaches from the creation of the world to its final deftruction-from earth to heaven! Raifed to the lofty station to which Revelation alone can conduct him, he furveys, as in a widely extended profpect, the paft and prefent hiftory of the world" His eyes are opened," and his conceptions are elevated and enlarged by admiration, gratitude, and hope, while he beholds the nations of the earth that have carried on, and are now fulfilling, the great defigns of God with refpect to his chofen people, and the Religion of Chrift. He fees the most apparently trivial, as well as the moft fignal events, made fubfervient to the triumph of true Religion; and the eternal welfare of mankind; and the viciffitudes of human life-the vice, the folly, and the mifery of man-as tending to one glorious object under the conduct of Infinite wifdom, goodness, and power. He furveys the tranfitory glory of antient and of modern itates, the boafted monuments of art, the attainments of learning, the powers of genius, the light of fcience, and the various employments of human life, not as fubjects of useless fpeculation, but with a reference to that particular end, which, whether they are collectively or feparately confidered, gives an unspeakable importance to them all :-Collectively, as they form one fublime fyftem of order in the Divine appointments-one long feries of difpenfations-of which we may ob tain fufficient knowledge to enlarge our capacity, to excite our wonder and adoration, to quicken our fenfe of dependence upon a wife and gracious Providence, and to warm and purify our hearts with fene timents of piety and zeal to promote the honour of God by labouring for the real interefts of his creatures, and by "walking in all his com mandments blamelefs:"And feparately, as they influence the fate of rational and accountable beings, fallen from their first estate of innocence and immortality-reftored to hope of future happiness by the marvellous work which has accomplished their Redemption; and urged to the performance of duty in this fhort probationary life, by the affurance of Divine affittance, and by the promife of that Eternal reward which is held out to every man for his rejection or acceptance, without any respect to his rank or fituation-his great or little sphere

of