falsely esteemed vague, mystical, arrogant, infidel. It turns out at last, it seems, to be not destructive but conservativechristian, apostolic, churchmanlike-the friend of order and law, the demonstrator of a visible as well as spiritual church -not the bold impugner, as men thought it to be, of the doctrines and institutions of christianity-not the arrogant and supercilious questioner into "the hidden things" of Godbut the childlike recipient of revealed truth, the humbleminded disciple, the willing and the thankful member of Christ's visible body-and all this, resting on the unchanging and unchangeable principles of an inward and deep philoso phy, one that keeps a man what it makes him to be. Now, we want such christians in our country-we would desire such philosophers in our land-we need such teaching among us. It is the very teaching that in truth we do want, for it alone, of all forms of philosophy, strikes at the very root of our prevailing errors-our wildness in religious speculation, our vagueness in christian opinion, our lawlessness in act and choice whether in church or state

"Licence we mean when we cry liberty."

That lawlessness is at once our characteristic and our curse the evil and the punishment of our age and country; though some may be unwilling to proclaim, there are few, we deem, but will be ready to admit, and none, who think at all, as christian men should think about their country, but must look at it with fear and dread, as a demoralizing and destructive spirit, for which we are to find a remedy, or it will eventually work out our ruin. That such remedy, in God's good providence, will be found for us, either in the moral, religious, educational, or political energies of our country, or rather, in all of them combined, we, for ourselves, doubt not. We count it one of the highest duties of the man and the christian to have ever a hopeful trust in the great interests of humanity, and above all, of our own country, and to believe that "all things, under a wise providence, are working together for good." Still, notwithstanding, or rather in consequence of such faith, (for it is an essential part of it to believe that man is its constituted agent for good,) are we called on to seek and to cherish the means of neutralizing this spirit of evil, and to turn, as we can, the restlessness of error, so prevalent in the speculative minds of our countrymen, into the activity of truth and goodness.

Our conclusion is, that so far as this lawlessness originates from, or is strengthened by, false principles in philosophy, or the unguided wanderings of the religious mind groping after truth, then we say, that for such portion of the evil, we have here before us, in the deep, christian, conservative philosophy, which we have been examining, we will not say an adequate corrective, for that rests with God's grace, but we do say, an appropriate and a powerful remedy. It alone, or at least beyond all other human systems, combines that which, as a nation, we want, and as a people, we must have -a self-appealing philosophy-order arising out of choice

perfect freedom eventuating in a willing obedience. This is the peculiarity of a philosophy of "insight," when_that insight is rightly directed upon the practical elements of our nature- -the will and the conscience. Then it is, that philosophy grows up into religion in the mind-the student is converted into the christian-revelation becomes the rule of the reason—the man reverences himself in the law-the citizen obeys himself in the magistrate-while the christian reasoner, withdrawn from all wild and baseless reveries, demands for his spiritual contentment, a visible church and sacramental ordinances, receiving the mysteries of revealed faith with the humility of one who has already acquainted himself with the darker mysteries of his own heart and mind; and thenceforth walks under them as the christian should walk, humbly, quietly, lovingly, and faithfully. Such, we confidently believe, will be found to be the products of this philosophy, in proportion as it enters into the heart and reason of the student; and as such, we fearlessly recommend it, above all, to those who, having leisure and inclination to look beyond the surface of things, are willing to build up their faith, through the power of reflection, on a foundation not to be shaken.

Nor is it only our belief that the philosophy of Coleridge, fully and rightly interpreted, as it now stands in the volumes before us, is an appropriate remedy for what we want; -we believe farther, that it is an actual remedy, and that the same principles on which it runs, though, perhaps, under other names, are already working powerfully among us, and laying the foundation deep for a far wider agreement in all the great conservative principles taught in this philosophy, whether of law or of religion, than what now appears in outward result. Many a truth of Coleridge's teaching is now

recognised, which is not as yet openly acknowledged-many a principle admitted, identical in fact, but still seen as diverse through the veil of words-central truths as laid down by him. are coming out, and men's thoughts are daily turning more and more to the foundations on which rest their faith, their practice, and their church; under this advancing selfdiscipline of mind, very clearly to be perceived among us, half truths and partial statements lose their value-dogmatic teaching will no longer do- superficial teaching will not satisfy the man must be made his own instructor, and in demanding that, he is at once thrown upon Coleridge-he cannot avoid the contact - he cannot reject the teacher—and if he follow him faithfully, he will be led safely.

Among these great conservative christian truths, thus working out dimly, but widely, in our land our land of a thousand sects we esteem the greatest to be the IDEA, the necessary idea, of ONE CATHOLIC APOSTOLIC CHURCH, as the visible exponent of christianity-as the constituted sacramental bond of union between the christian and his Lord-as a divine institution of mercy above man, and beyond his control, whether to make or to unmake.

To this IDEA, the thoughtful mind is led by reflection, the unthoughtful is driven to it by necessity; and step by step, christians of every name are daily led to realize it, through experience of its want. The vain and the wild speculations of irresponsible teachers, the gross errors of ignorance, the excesses of fanaticism, the pantheism of philosophy, the cold and heartless creed of rationalism, the lawlessness of the human heart, under every name and form, when thrown loose from its appointed teacher-all drive men back upon the church, as their refuge and their haven-upon a church, that holding equally to the word and to the sacraments, provides alike for the instruction and the nourishment of all its members; counselling them in health, comforting them in sorrow, and at all times, ready to lead up their hearts to heaven, through a form of prayer, calm as it is fervent, deep as it is simple

"To a church," to use the words of the younger Coleridge, "that has descended to us an heir-loom from our fathers- whose visible presence is everywhere the emblem of stability — whose very accidents are less unstable than anything else in this shifting world, and within whose walls the present becomes linked to the

past by a chain of venerable associations, equally reasonable and affecting; a mystic unity imaged to the senses in the traditionary ordinances of the church, which we now see realized to the feelings, by blessed memories, by perpetual consolations, and by glorious hopes."— Sermons, p. 84.

But we would conclude with a wider lesson from the same eloquent expounder of a father's spiritual philosophy:

"Reader! if thou hast turned aside from the mysteries of revelation, in the proud consciousness of intellectual endowments, as if the understanding were excluded from the service of religion, and reason banished from the domain of faith; or, if willing and anxious to believe, then art vexed with secret hauntings of infidelity, fearing to explore the grounds of thy belief, lest that to which thou clingest in humbleness of heart, as alone capable of filling up the craving hollow of thine inward being, though morally accepted, should, upon inquiry, against thy will be intellectually rejected, know, that such scorn and such apprehension are equally misplaced. Christianity is the truth of God, both in himself and in his relations to the outer world. It is the truth of that which is the ground of truth, and without which all knowledge stops, and is imperfect." "A truth that may be propagated by graft, but not by transplantation-may be communicated, but cannot be transferred."-pp. 248, 249.

Even while the pages of this article are passing through the press, its predictions are verifying both here and elsewhere, and the need of its warnings deepening." There is a pantheism," says the London Quarterly," approaching upon us. Christianity is giving way beneath an invading pantheism. It is developing itself in the form of socialism among the lower classes, and of philosophic radicalism among the higher." Such is the cry from abroad, and what are the notes of its advancing triumphs among ourselves. Take the recent language of one of its file leaders. "We know no difference," says Mr. Brownson, of Boston, in his late address, "between a protestant church and a catholic church-both war against freedom of mind, both therefore ought to go by the board. We insist upon it, that the complete and final destruction of the priestly order, in every practical sense of the word, is the first step to be taken towards elevating the laboring classes." May we not then well say—" To your tents, O Israel."

ART. VII.-1. The Motley Book, a series of Tales and Sketches of American Life. By the Author of "Behemoth." Third Edition. New York: 1839. Benjamin G. Trevett.

2. The Politicians, a Comedy, in Five Acts. By CORNELIUS MATHEWS, Esq., author of "The Motley Book," "Behemoth," etc. New York: 1840. Benjamin G. Trevett. Bartlett and Welford.

Two of the most important desiderata for our country, are a great poet and a great humorous writer. No nation can ever be truly respected by others, or know rightly how to respect itself, without a national literature. A land without its original authors, is like a man without the faculty of speech, who is thrust aside and overlooked in every company: so the institutions will be neglected, the manners laughed at, the character misunderstood, till the world is compelled to listen to the true explanation at the hand of a great writer. It is in vain that a nation is said to live epic poems, if they do not write them. Facts are gross material things, having little light in themselves, to be slowly discovered unless first illuminated by principles; and who can set these forth but the poet? He is the only interpreter of every age-the true mediator among nations. If the attainments, the prospects, the hopes of the present time, its true portent, were worthily written in verse, America, the great leader and representative of the spirit of the age, would not be at the mercy of mere critics, or be found vindicating herself against the splenetic attacks of dyspeptic travellers. Other nations would do us honor, and we should have a constant standard by which to guide our own achievements. The poet, "looking before and after," would teach us wherein to be modest, wherein to hope and strive. Along side of the philosophic poet, (for poetry in future must bear this character,) in a scarcely inferior rank would be the man, who should represent in some enduring literary form, whether in the Drama or the Novel, the humorous traits of society as they are now existing.

In the latter undertaking, much that now lies hid would be discovered, to do honor to the national character-much to rescue elements essentially good, from the chaos of frivolity and uproar in which they are now lost-many genial qualities