You congratulate me on being a citizen of a well regulated community; but if you dwelt in a country, enjoying the most perfect of legislations, and entirely free from troubles, you would desire me to become your fellow citizen; well! it is so, and still more; as you shall now learn.

During my residence at Cassel, I have been reading all the ancient historians in the order of time in which they lived, and I pass over no remarkable fact without recording it. My object has been, to form a just idea of the condition of all nations down to the moment when the ancient world was, as it were, annihilated by the irruption of the barbarians. I know not how it occurred to me, about two months since, to cast my eyes on the New Testament, before I had quite reached, in my course of reading, the period at which it was written. How shall I express to you what I have found in it? I had not opened it for many years, and when I began it, was prejudiced against it. The light which blinded St. Paul in his journey to Damascus, was not more supernatural or more astonishing to him, than that was to me, which I now suddenly discovered;-the accomplishment of all hopes, the point of perfection of all philosophy, the explanation of all revolutions, the key of all the apparent contradictions of the physical and moral world, life and immortality! I saw the most astonishing results accomplished by the simplest means. I saw the relation of all the revolutions of Asia and Europe to that miserable people who preserved the deposit of the promises; just as we prefer intrusting manuscripts to one, who, not knowing how to write, would be incapable of falsifying them. I saw the Christian religion appear at the moment most favourable to its establishment, and in the form least fitted to ensure its adoption. Miracles were wrought to awaken those who were contemporary with its publication. A still greater miracle was reserved for our day;-the spectacle of all human affairs linked together in such a manner, as to be subservient to the foundation and the preservation of this doctrine. The world appearing to be arranged solely to favour the religion of the Saviour, I cannot resist the conclusion, that this religion is from God. I have read no book on the subject, but in reflecting on all that took place before this era, I have always found, that something was wanting; and since I have known the Saviour, all is clear to my view. With him, there is nothing which I cannot resolve. He appeared at a moment, when VOL. I. 60

the human race, at least in the finest part of the world, was advancing rapidly in corruption, till it arrived at such a pitch, that it became necessary to destroy it by hordes of barbarians. From that time, God separated those who were his own.

It appears to me, that the people of our own age are approaching that degree of corruption, which brought on the destruction of the Roman empire. We must, therefore, conclude, that there will be a new separation of those who are willing to receive the teachings of our Lord, with that simplicity which can alone render us capable of apprehending the truth of things so far elevated above the comprehension of sense.

Pardon me for having eulogized the sun, like a blind man who had suddenly received the gift of sight. All this you have long known; but ought I to dissemble my joy that I, too, have at last made the discovery? If pleasure or literature could make me forget it, I would sooner pray God to blot every thing else from my memory. But learning more every day of the truth of Bacon's observation, that "a little philosophy may make a man an unbeliever, but the progress of knowledge re-conducts him to the truth," I assure you, that I have never in my life studied with more zeal than now. I contemplate a great work, on which I am already labouring, and which I shall compose immediately after the history of Switzerland. The plan of it is such, that I should reproach myself with presumption in attempting it, if I could not depend on the assistance of the Father of lights. You will one day see developed in it that, of which I have only given you a naked outline.

In reading over this letter, I find it one of the worst that ever came from my pen; it is so difficult to express justly what we feel strongly. Be it so. I would rather it were thus, than the contrary. I conclude by assuring you, that I have never known so well the happiness of knowing and of loving you.

FROM BONNET TO VON MUeller.

June 20, 1782.

You foresaw, my dear friend, that your letter would give me the greatest pleasure. You have no need, therefore, that I should assure you of this. You know too well the sincere

interest I take in your happiness; nothing could contribute more to this, than the change through which you have now passed, and which you relate in so interesting a manner. To conduct you to these great truths, a good Providence has availed itself of a way, which neither you nor I had foreseen, and which was yet the best suited to your tastes and to your wants. Every day I discover new beauties in the doctrine of life. It will, I am persuaded, be thus with you, if you continue to make it the theme of your meditation, as much as I desire. I could wish you had spoken more in detail of the new work which you contemplate. I cannot too earnestly exhort you not to lose sight of a project so useful to the public and to yourself.

FROM VON MUELLER TO BONNET.

August 3d, 1782.

You cannot doubt the increased pleasure which I derive from your letters and your remembrance, since our souls have now one more point of contact, and since we think conformably on a subject, which, by its nature and its greatness, absorbs every other thought. It is the precious pearl for which I would willingly have given all the treasure of my knowledge; nay, all this is now no farther valuable to me, than as it serves to purchase this pearl. Believe not, then, that I shall ever allow myself to be less occupied with it, than I now am. Every day, each step of my progress in knowledge, recalls me to it. It is the leaven which diffuses itself by an unceasing fermentation.

The plan of my work embraces all the revolutions of the political and moral world. I wish to show the relation of each to the rise and progress of the doctrine of immortality. Thus, while the latter is the key to the contradictions of the physical and moral world, the whole series of the vicissitudes of the former has only served to acquaint us with its value.

But is it not moreover, an admirable arrangement of divine wisdom, that the religion of our Saviour should be that of just the most active, the most commercial part of the whole human race? The Chinese would have kept it to themselves. To what region will it not be propagated by the Europeans?

I believe that we are on the eve of a great revolution,

(1782.) All the powers of the earth are shaken; all minds are in a state of fermentation. The more I see into the present condition of all nations, the more I am astonished at the vastness of the things which are preparing. The moral world seems electrified. Happily, we know that all must be subjected to Him, to whom all is given. We have only to study his ways.

When I open the volume of his oracles, I am in ecstasy. My astonishment is excited at the number of principles, of observations, of points of view, so profound and extensive, that all the progress which the sciences have made is necessary to enable me to comprehend them. Some of them will only be understood by future generations. I do not believe, that all the seals will be opened till the consummation of ages. Wonderful volume! Yet there have been those who could ascribe it to St. Paul, to St. John! As if we should suppose the Analytic Essay, and the Palingenesia, to be the works of the person to whom you dictated them.

One consideration more. All the objects of our sensual desires being only transitory, we ought, beyond all doubt, to sacrifice them to our principal object, that is to say, to the care of following the example of Him who has taught us this truth. The spirit of his life and of his death was, to forget himself, that he might live and die only for us. Is it possible, after this, to reproach his doctrine with not inspiring the public virtues? Who ever loved his friends better, than he who died for them?

I conclude, but with regret. Never forget me, and remember too, the promise contained in St. Matthew, chapter 18, verse 19.

FROM VON MUELLER TO BONNET.

Feb. 5, 1783.

My health is sensibly impaired. It is a gradual decay, an exhaustion of all my physical powers, which sometimes allows me to hope, sometimes appears to hasten the termination of all my evils. And yet, I am not sad; at least I never experience more than a very transient feeling of moral sadness. It is because there exists a source of consolation which has long been known to you, and to which the bountiful Master who possesses it, has granted me access.

ART. X.-CHRISTIANITY AND PHILOSOPHY.

BY THE EDITOR.

NUMBER I.

Introductory Remarks.—Object of this Discussion.-Historical View of Christian Philosophy.-Account of the Patristic and Scholastic Periods.

THAT complete renovation of the world to which the hopes of the Church are directed, requires that Christianity should not only be spread through the whole earth, but that, wherever it is planted, it should pervade all the powers of the mind, all the departments of their activity, all the forms and institutions of social and civil life. It cannot be doubted, that in the better period which we are justified in expecting from the prevalence of our religion, affection, imagination and reason, literature and art, science, philosophy and government, will be brought into captivity to Christ, and will together contribute to the embellishment and glory of his kingdom on the earth.

As yet, however, this grand consummation is far, very far, from being attained, even in countries where Christianity has been long established. The popular literature even of Christian lands, the reigning systems of their philosophy, the tone and usages of their society, the frame of their governments, still rest to a great extent on an antiChristian basis, and remain at variance with the spirit of our religion. An impartial survey of the actual state of things in modern Christendom must convince us, that Christianity is at present scarcely more circumscribed by the narrowness of its geographical boundaries, than by the various obstructions towering against its influence within these boundaries themselves, and that as much yet remains to be done in giving intensive effect, as extensive spread, to the religion of the Cross.

But among all these obstructions, there is none which has held out more obstinately against Christianity, or done its assailant forces so much injury, as false philosophy in all its forms. What was it, during the first ages of the Christian era, which, more than civil oppression, impeded the progress of the Gospel, and corrupted its purity? Those ancient, huge, grotesque systems of Gnostic and