languages; and which will be satisfied with nothing less than the knowledge of all that is in the heavens, and all that is on earth, and all that is in the bowels of the earth; but of the God who made the heavens and the earth, it knows little, nor is it much disposed to toil itself in such inquiries. It is a spirit equally indifferent to religion and to irreligion; it associates with either, and always produces great results. Of the causes which have led it into the walks of politicks and government, I do not intend to say any thing at present; but as I am now treating of the present political state of Europe, it is proper that I should advert to the operations of this spirit in the political department of society.

The first instance in which the spirit of our age displayed its political character, was in the American revolution. I have too many topics to touch, to allow me to enlarge on any one of them; and shall content myself with merely alluding here to the constitution of the United States. That instrument is allowed by all to display profound wisdom, great comprehension of the rights and duties of mankind; admirable skill in the construction of the machinery of government—and yet there is not a religious idea in it; not so much as the recognition of the existence of God. I do not mention this either for praise or blame, but merely for the fact, that the spirit of this age is purely intellectual, and has no intimate connection with religion or irreligion.

To pass over some minor convulsions in Europe, I next notice the French revolution. That event was, in a great measure, the work of literary men; but as the principal leaders among them were neither reli

gious men, nor yet men indifferent to religion, but inveterately hostile to it in every shape, the spirit of our age appeared among them as an atheistical, immoral, cruel spirit of desolation. It abolished all religion, not with contempt, but with rancour; pronounced death an eternal sleep, and engraved the decree on sepulchral monuments; altered the times and seasons; changed the method of computing time by weeks, in order to abolish the Sabbath; dissolved the marriage tie to legalize unbridled passion, and dispensed with the duties between children and parents. It shed human blood unnecessarily, wantonly, and without measure; its food was blood. Not only did it destroy all men of rank and distinction; but to show that it was bent on destruction, it took a pride in demolishing the palaces which decorated and adorned the country. It desolated all at home, and bursting beyond its boundaries, it desolated all the world around it. There is a trifling incident well worth remark. This demon erected its own image as the visible object of its votaries' worship; and on painter or statuary of antiquity, has so accurately exhibited the character of his country's God, as this demon exhibited its own living image. A beautiful female, but destitute of virtue, was set up in the capital of the empire and worshipped, under the name of THE Goddess of REASON. Never was a per

sonification so lively; never was an emblem so exactreason stripped of all the virtues, and indulging all the vices, usurping the name, place, and honour of the Almighty.

My present audience will not suspect me of saying these things out of any disrespect or ill will to the French nation; such feelings cannot exist: nor can I

be guilty of the partial judgment, which would charge on the whole nation the guilt of a few infuriated monsters, who for a time, stood in the room of its governors. But these monsters constituted its actual government; the laws, the tribunals, the resources and the arms of the nation were in the hands of the atheistical bloody portion, whether composed of many or of few. It was, I conceive, during the reign of atheism, atrocity, and destruction in France, that the huge unshapen stone, hewn out of the mountain without hands, smote the image on the feet, and broke them to pieces. It has not yet, indeed, grown up into a great mountain and filled the whole earth. But supposing, that the whole of Europe were in a situation, similar to that of France during the reign of atheism, would you not say, that the image was broken; and that the stone had grown into a mountain, and filled the whole earth? Now it is my opinion, that the whole of Europe will be brought into that very state; and I think we can visibly discern the accelerating progress of the catastrophe.

Our subject therefore requires, that we should cast a glance at the present condition of Europe. The first thing that catches our eye, is the extraordinary circumstance, that God has withdrawn from the governments of that part of the world, every thing which is required to render a government stable and permanent. The sovereigns of Europe are men with scarcely a single talent, and not one single virtue; men despicable, and despised, not only by their subjects, but even by their flatterers. It may be said, that there is one who stands clear of this censure; allowing this to be so, still it may be asked, does not his empire lie beyond the limits of imperial Rome? Yet even the character of that man is, to me,

greatly ambiguous; and for reasons which I may mention hereafter, I have no faith in the potentate of the north.

While the sovereigns of Europe, can derive no sta bility to their thrones from the energy of their talents, or the veneration of their virtues, they seem, at the same time, to be stripped of those extraneous supports, which in other ages have propped up feeble and tottering thrones. Their nobility are either degraded, like themselves, in the public estimation, or their affections are greatly and generally alienated. Their armies are no safe, reliance, for they are leavened with insubordination and mutiny, and some of them have displayed in action the spirit which is common to them all. Neither can these monarchs trust to their wealth and resources, for their nations are groaning under an insupportable load of debt and taxation. Least of all, dare they throw themselves on the affection and loyalty of their subjects, who despise them for their vices and insignificance, and execrate them as the cause of the general and intolerable oppression. In the ability and adroitness of their ministers, only a very small resource for security could be found, under the present unpropitious circumstances: besides one is tempted to suspect, that the race of great statesmen must be nearly extinct in Europe, we so seldom hear the name of such a character among them.

There can be little doubt, that a majority of the inhabitants of every country, feel that sort of disposition to support government, which: springs from the love of tranquility, from a desire to secure their present possessions and enjoyments, rather than risk the consequences of a revolution. Such men will support a

government which they despise and hate, so long as it keeps firm in its seat; but should it experience the slightest shock, numbers of them would change parties. Passing this subject by; it is a matter of awful portent to the human family, that Europe contains an immense and organized body of the darkest and most desperate spirits, that ever appeared together on earth. By whatever name they are called, Illuminati, Illuminees, Carbonari, Radicals; whatever they may chuse to call themselves, or by whatever denomination they may be stigmatized by others; exist they do, nor is it in the power of human government to detect them, and effectually put them down. They are determined to overturn the present order of things in Europe, and they will do it. About the choice of means they have no scruple; the means most prompt and most effectual, will with these men always have the preference. This organized insurgency embraces all descriptions of society, from the prince to the beggar. The whole mass of profligates and desperadoes belong to it as a matter of course. But its great moral force consists in the co-operation of a large body of men of letters, of great talents and capacity; some urged on by a morbid vanity, to seek eminence and distinction in the fluctuation and turbulence of a revolution; and others, perhaps, honestly thinking it a right and philanthropic enterprise, to wring sceptres from the incompetent hands which sway them. Already without the fear of God, so soon as they shall have been freed from the fear of man, they will act; and there is no human force at all able to resist them. When all this fearful body come into combined operation, such is the force which they naturally possess, and such is the agglomerating