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A Sabbath among the Mountains: a Poem

Barton's Poetic Vigils

Beauchamp sur L'Indépendance de L'Empire du Brésil
Bingley's Biography of celebrated Roman Characters

85

49

286

84

Birt's Moral Government of God in the Dispensation of the Gospel vindicated

508

Blacker's Memoir of the Operations of the British Army in India during the Mahratta War of 1817, 1818, and 1819

528

Boys's Tactica Sacra

359

Brown's Exercises for the Young, on important Subjects in Religion
Bullock's Six Months' Residence and Travels in Mexico

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Catton on the Eternity of Divine Mercy established, and unconditional Re

probation discarded, &c.

558

Chalmers's Sermons, preached in St. John's Church, Glasgow

154

Champollion's Précis du Systéme Hieroglyphique des Anciens Egyptiens
Cole's Philosophical Remarks on the Theory of Comets

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423

Coquerel's Tableaux de L'Histoire Philosophique du Christianisme, ou Etu

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Dale's Tragedies of Sophocles, translated into English Verse
Daniell's Meteorological Essays and Observations

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508

452

154

289

133

Duncan's Travels through Part of the United States and Canada, in 1818 and 1819

Eighteenth Report of the Directors of the African Institution

Gambold's, the Rev. John, Works, with an Introductory Essay by Thomas
Erskine, Esq.

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Godwin's History of the Common Wealth of England, from the Commence-
ment to the Restoration of Charles the Second
Graham's, Maria, Journal of a Voyage to Brazil and Residence there, in the
Years 1821, 1822, and 1823

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Hall's Extracts from a Journal written on the coasts of Chili, Peru, and
Mexico, in 1820, 1821, and 1822

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whole Works of the Right Rev. Jeremy Taylor, D.D. Lord Bishop of

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Hough's Reply to the Abbé Dubois on the State of Christianity in India

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James's Christian Ministry

538

Johnson's Sketches of Field Sports as followed by the Natives of India

553

Typographia, or the Printer's Instructer

Jones's Charge to the Clergy of the Archdeaconry of Merioneth, July 1823 Journal of a Horticultural Tour through some parts of Flanders, Holland, and the North of France, in the Autumn of 1817

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Keith's Sketch of the Evidence of Prophecy

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Kempis's, Thomas à, Imitation of Christ, with an Introductory Essay, by
Thomas Chalmers, D.D.

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Mortimer's Sixteen Lectures on the Influences of the Holy Spirit
Munter's Narrative of the Conversion and Death of Count Struensee

154

570

Parry's Journal of a Second Voyage for the Discovery of a North West
Passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific

Prinsep's Narrative of the Political and Military Transactions of British
India under the Administration of the Marquess of Hastings, 1813 to 1818
Prior's Memoirs of the Life and Character of the Rt. Hon. Edmund Burke

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342

312

Say's Historical Essay on the Rise, Progress, and probable Results of the
British Dominions in India

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Werninck's Twenty Serinons on Practical Subjects; translated from the

Works of eminent French and Dutch Protestant Ministers

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THE

ECLECTIC REVIEW,

FOR JULY, 1824.

Art. I. Tableaux de L'Histoire Philosophique du Christianisme, ou 'Etudes de Philosophie Religieuse. Par Charles Coquerel. 18mo. Paris. 1823.

THAT very frequent phrase, the dark ages, which we

have heard and used so often from the time of our earliest initiation into history, has become, perhaps, in most minds, surrounded with images of physical obscurity. Even among our maturer thoughts, there may remain an indistinct impression that, during the period usually so designated, there was stretched over the nations a constant shroud of wintry vapours, reaching from the flats of Holland to the steppes of the Crimea, and from the stormy bay of Biscay to the frozen gulf of Finland. And a momentary effort of reason may be required before we can persuade ourselves, that, in those days of intellectual dimness, when men seemed to dream, rather than to think, when the lamp of Science had gone out in the sepulchre of Truth, and when the spider wrought her web from year to year without disturbance over the records of mind,-that in those days, as in these, placid lakes reflected bright bluet skies, and dashing streams sparkled in the rays of an unclouded sun. And it may be supposed, that a similar prejudice of the imagination insensibly influences the notions we form of the present state of the moral world. Thus, for example, while we see that our days are made glad by brilliant suns, we do not readily believe, that the times we live in will be spoken of by posterity as times of darkness. This sort of illusive association in the mind between material images and abstract facts, may make us hesitate for a moment to admit, that this vaunted nineteenth century is, throughout the continent of Europe, as well as over the neighbouring divisions of the globe, as dark an age as any that have preceded it.

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If, indeed, surprising improvements in all the arts of life,if the din of machinery in every town,-if steam-engines, and fast colours in printed cottons,-if the glitter of cast-iron cutlery, and well elaborated chemicals, and hard roads, and gas-lights, and Congreve rockets, fill up all that should belong to our notion of an enlightened age, then, truly, the present is not a dark age. But if we must chiefly regard the condition of human nature in its highest interests, and if we believe that wherever the light of the Christian Revelation does not shine, there, there is no true light; if we must grant, that the superstitious mummeries of devout ignorance are ill exchanged for the same mummeries employed to cover the hypocrisy of atheism ;-then we must acknowledge that, from one extremity of Europe to the other, the nineteenth century is as dark as was the thirteenth. Let the facts of the case be severally examined and compared, and we believe it will become apparent, that no exaggeration is contained in this assertion;-the sum of such a comparison being, that the religious opinions of the European nations are not less grossly or childishly erroneous, than were the opinions of their ancestors five hundred years ago; and, that the state of feeling towards religion throughout these countries, is even less favourable and more offensively profane now, than it was then. It is true, that a door of hope for the Continental nations has been opened of late; but the ray of light that rests upon it, too much dazzles the eyes of British Christians, and too much diverts their attention from the far-stretching gloom around. A general expectation seems to be entertained, that this darkness will neither go on to thicken, nor be of long continuance; but this expectation must be acknowledged to rest upon a vague anticipation of some sudden and almost supernatural changes, to be effected by an extraordinary interference from above, rather than upon any assignable and adequate grounds of common probability.

But let us for a moment compare the circumstances of the present times, with those of the age that preceded the Reformation. In that age, there were, no doubt, to be found, the faithful" seven thousand,"-scattered, divided, and unknown to the world, and to each other; but there no where existed numerous and tolerated societies of the true worshippers of God. The same, and nothing more, may be said of this age.

In that age, philosophic minds looked with a melancholy dissatisfaction upon the corruptions of the existing religious system. But the same class of persons in this age, instead of a melancholy dissatisfaction, regard the very same system with the contempt of an indurated and universal scepticism, that sinks them in moral worth far beneath its deluded votaries.

In that age, the frivolous made a jest only of the absurdities under which the substance of religion was concealed. But in this age, the frivolous make a jest of the essential principles of religion under every form. In that age, the manners of the people were generally licentious, yet, the great truth of a judgement to come held its place in their fears; and, in the day of their calamity, they returned to the faith, and paid it the homage of their terrors, their penitence, and their alms. But in this age, the manners of the people are not less generally licentious; and this licentiousness has broken the bands of all fear, as well as cast away the cords of affection; and the profane spirit holds out to the last in its defiance of God. and of his laws. In that age, an adulterons hierarchy seemed to have filled up the measure of its sins,-to have reached the last state of profligacy, of ignorance, of arrogance, of violent tyranny; so that an intelligent observer might with confidence have predicted, that the first ray of the long obstructed light from Heaven that should break through, would dissipate the delusion, and consume the corruption,-never again to return upon earth. But in this age, men have had exposed fully before their eyes, the cheat and the wrong; they have been invited, by often repeated opportunities, to rid themselves of the degrading yoke; yet, they have wittingly sought again the darkness,-have consented to the oppression,-covenanted afresh with the corruption, and after having deliberately looked the hideous evil in the face, they now yield themselves again to its arms. The demon has been expelled, and has returned; and truly, the last state of the possessed is worse than the first.

A distinction must always be made, and borne in mind, between those isolated facts which Christian charity delights to hear of, to seek for, and to believe in,-even where the evidence of their existence cannot be found,-and those more general facts which are matters of common observation, and in relation to which it would a mere weakness of mind to close our eyes, because the spectacle is painful or fearful. Thus, for example, much scattered evidence may be gathered, from which it may be hoped, that, in every country of Europe, there is a considerable and an increasing number of individuals who hold, love, and obey the word of God. This agreeable hope being admitted, we must then turn to that state of things which is obtruded upon the notice of every one who sets his foot upon any part of the continent. And these obvious and unquestionable facts will force upon us the sad conviction, that, if we put out of the question the existence of certain usages, and the occurrence of certain phrases,-carrying with them

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