bad Spaniards. At the same time we do not advocate their overthrow by violence. From Tait's Magazine. The Progresistas we trust will bide their ON CHRISTIANITY, AS AN ORGAN OF Mean POLITICAL MOVEMENT. BY THOMAS DE QUINCEY. time, and, wisely taking advantage of circumstances, gradually remove the ground from beneath the feet of their adversaries. Until this shall be effected, Spain must conFORCES, which are illimitable in their tinue to be a very inferior power, despised by the rest of the world, as a pitiful append- compass of effect, are often, for the same age to the French monarchy. Its middle reason, obscure and untraceable in the steps of their movement. Growth, for instance, classes, however, seem to be bent on deanimal or vegetable, what eye can arrest its livering it from this humiliating state of deeternal increments? The hour-hand of a pendence. Even by Moderado members watch, who can detect the separate fluxions questions have lately been put in the Corof its advance? Judging by the past, and tes which indicate how uneasily the French the change which is registered between that yoke sits upon the shoulders of Spain. and the present, we know that it must The middle classes at length desire to awake; judging by the immediate appearhave an industry of their own, a commerce and a commercial navy of their own, and ances, we should say that it was always asleep. Gravitation, again, that works ships and steamers of war the property of without holiday for ever, and searches every Spain. In obedience to this national imcorner of the universe, what intellect can pulse, even the Moderado cabinet has con- follow it to its fountains? And yet, shyer sented to make an effort, and is having than gravitation, less to be counted than several steamers built in England. These, the fluxions of sun-dials, stealthier than the should Spain ever escape from her present state of tutelage, may form the nucleus of growth of a forest, are the footsteps of Christianity amongst the political workings a future navy to be employed for or against of man. Nothing, that the heart of man us, according to circumstances. values, is so secret; nothing is so potent. while, we desire it to be most distinctly It is because Christianity works so seunderstood, that the people of this country would view with extreme satisfaction the cretly, that it works so potently; it is because Christianity burrows and hides itself, revival of industry and the establishment that it towers above the clouds; and hence of freedom in the Peninsula. We regard it without a particle of jealousy, standing partly it is that its working comes to be as we do too high for rivalry, too far ad- misapprehended, or even lost out of sight. It is dark to eyes touched with the films of vanced in the race to be overtaken by any human frailty: but it is "dark with excesother people, unless we voluntarily relinsive bright."* Hence it has happened quish our own advantages, and sit still sometimes that minds of the highest order while others make progress. Taken altohave entered into enmity with the Christian gether, we cannot be the rivals of any peo- faith, have arraigned it as a curse to man, ple; our destinies are peculiar-we stand and have fought against it even upon Chrisalone. Our very situation on the globe tian impulses, (impulses of benignity that renders us the masters of its commerce. could not have had a birth except in ChrisOur centre is every where, and our circumtianity.) All comes from the labyrinthine ference nowhere. We are at home in our intricacy in which the social action of colonies, and our colonies as yet have no Christianity involves itself to the eye of a boundaries. They are spreading, they are acquiring strength, they are approxima- contemporary. Simplicity the most absoting towards each other, they may touch lute is reconcileable with intricacy the most elaborate. The weather-how simple some day, and coalesce into one prodigious would appear the laws of its oscillations, whole, the like of which it has not fallen to the lot of history to describe. From we stood at their centre! and yet, because such a position it is quite impossible that we do not, to this hour the weather is a Human health-how transparent we should look upon Spain with any other is its economy under ordinary circumthan a friendly eye. We desire to behold stances! abstinence and cleanliness, labor her flourishing and free, our friend, if pos- and rest, these simple laws, observed in sible, but at any rate her own friend, and not the slavish handmaid of another state. mystery. if "Dark with excessive bright." Paradise Lost, Book III. I begin with this question :-What do people mean in a Christian land by the word "religion?" My purpose is not to propound any metaphysical problem: I wish only, in the plainest possible sense, to ask, and to have an answer, upon this one point-how much is understood by that obscure term,* religion," when used by a "That obscure term "-i. e. not obscure as just proportions, laws that may be engrossed | need to fear that the explanation should upon a finger nail, are sufficient, on the prove tedious; for the mere want of space, whole, to maintain the equilibrium of plea- will put me under a coercion to move rapsurable existence. Yet if once that equi- idly over the ground: I cannot be diffuse; librium is disturbed, where is the science and, as regards quality, he will find in this oftentimes deep enough to rectify the un- paper little of what is scattered over the fathomable watch-work? Even the simplici- surface of books. ties of planetary motions do not escape distortion nor is it easy to be convinced that the distortion is in the eye which beholds, not in the object beheld. Let a planet be wheeling with heavenly science, upon arches of divine geometry: suddenly, to us, it shall appear unaccountably retrograde; flying when none pursues; and unweaving its own work. Let this planet in its utmost elongations travel out of sight, regards the use of the term, or its present value, and for us its course will become incohe- but as regards its original genesis, or what in civil rent because our sight is feeble, the beau- law is called the deductio. Under what angle, tiful curve of the planet shall be dislocated under what aspect, or relation, to the field which into segments, by a parenthesis of darkness; it concerns did the term religion originally come because our earth is in no true centre, the forward? The general field, overlooked by religion, is the ground which lies between the spirit disorder of parallax shall trouble the laws of man and the supernatural world. At present, of light; and, because we ourselves are under the humblest conception of religion, the wandering, the heavens shall seem fickle. human spirit is supposed to be interested in such Exactly in the predicament of such a But I suspect that originally these great faculties a field by the conscience and the nobler affections. planet is Christianity: its motions are inter- were absolutely excluded from the point of view. mingled with other motions; crossed and Probably the relation between spiritual terrors thwarted, eclipsed and disguised, by coun- and man's power of propitiation, was the problem ter-motions in man himself, and by disturb to which the word religion formed the answer. ances that man cannot overrule. Upon the various idolatries, that latreia, or service of Religion meant apparently, in the infancies of lines that are direct, upon curves that are sycophantic fear, by which, as the most approved circuitous, Christianity is advancing for method of approach, man was able to conciliate ever; but from our imperfect vision, or the favor, or to buy off the malice of supernatural from our imperfect opportunities for apply-powers. In all Pagan nations, it is probable that religion would on the whole be a degrading ining even such a vision, we cannot trace it fluence; although I see, even for such nations, continuously. We lose it, we regain it; we two cases, at the least, where the uses of a resee it doubtfully, we see it interruptedly; ligion would be indispensable; viz. for the sancwe see it in collision, we see it in combi- tion of oaths, and as a channel for gratitude not nation; in collision with darkness that conpointing to a human object. If so, the answer founds, in combination with cross lights gradations would have arisen from irreligion. is easy religion was degrading; but heavier dethat perplex. And this in part is irremedi- The noblest of all idolatrous peoples, viz. the able; so that no finite intellect will ever Romans, have left deeply scored in their very retrace the total curve upon which Christi-use of their word religio, their testimony to the anity has moved, any more than eyes that are incarnate will ever see God. But part of this difficulty in unweaving the maze, has its source in a misconception of the original machinery by which Christianity moved, and of the initial principle which constituted its differential power. In books, at least, I have observed one capital blunder upon the relations which Christianity bears to Paganism and out of that one mistake grows a liability to others, upon the possible relations of Christianity to the total drama of this world. I will endeavor to explain my views. And the reader, who takes any interest in he subject, will not degradation wrought by any religion that Pagan- Christian? Only I am punctilious upon one demand, viz. that the answer shall be comprehensive. We are apt in such cases to answer elliptically, omitting, because silently presuming as understood between us, whatever seems obvious. To prevent that, we will suppose the question to be proposed by an emissary from some remote planet,who, knowing as yet absolutely nothing of us and our intellectual differences, must insist, (as I insist,) upon absolute precision, so that nothing essential shall be wanting, and nothing shall be redundant. What then is religion? Decomposed into its elements, as they are found in Christianity, how many powers for acting on the heart of man, does, by possibility, this great agency include? According to my own view, four.* I will state them, and number them. cerned, it must be said, that it is so entirely remodelled, as in no respect to resemble any element in any other religion. Thus far we are reminded of the poet's expression, "Pure religion breathing household laws;" that is, not teaching such laws, not formally prescribing a new economy of life, so much as inspiring it indirectly through a new atmosphere surrounding all objects with new attributes. But there is also in Christianity, 4thly, A doctrinal part, a part directly and explicitly occupied with teaching; and this divides into two great sections, a, A system of ethics so absolutely new as to be untranslateable* into either of the classical languages; and, ß, A system of mysteries; as, for instance, the mystery of the Trinity, of the Divine Incarnation, of the Atonement, of the Resurrection, and others. Here are great elements; and now let 1st, A form of worship, a cultus. 2dly, An idea of God; and (pointing the analysis to Christianity in particular) an idea not purified merely from an-me ask, how many of these are found in cient pollutions, but recast and absolutely born again. 3dly, An idea of the relation which man occupies to God; and of this idea also, when Christianity is the religion con the Heathen religion of Greece and Rome? This is an important question; it being my object to show that no religion but the Christian, and precisely through some one or two of its differential elements, could have been an organ of political movement. Most divines who any where glance at this question, are here found in, what seems to me, the deepest of errors. Great theologians are they, and eminent philosophers, who have presumed that (as a matter of course) all religions, however false, are introductory to some scheme of morality, language of life must naturally receive, as in a mirror, the realities of life. Difficult it is to maintain a just equipoise in any moral habits, but in none so much as in habits of religious demeanor under a Pagan [that is, a degrading] religion. To be a coward is base: to be a sycophant, is base but to be a sycophant in the service of cowardice, is the perfection of baseness: and yet this was the brief analysis of a devotee among the ancient Romans. Now, considering that the word religion is originally Roman, [probably * "Untranslateable." This is not generally from the Etruscan,] it seems probable that it pre-perceived. On the contrary, people are ready sented the idea of religion under some one of its bad aspects. Coleridge must quite have forgotten this Paganism of the word, when he suggested as a plausible idea, that originally it had presented religion under the aspect of a coercion or restraint. Morality having been viewed as the prime restraint or obligation resting upon man, then Coleridge thought that religion might have been viewed as a religiatio, a reiterated restraint, or secondary obligation. This is ingenious, but it will not do. It is cracked in the ring. Perhaps as many as three objections might be mustered to such a derivation: but the last of the three is conclusive. The ancients never did view morality as a mode of obligation: I affirm this peremptorily; and with the more emphasis, because there are great consequences suspended upon that question. "Four:" there are six, in one sense, of religion; viz. 5thly, corresponding moral affections; 6thly, a suitable life. But this applies to religion as subjectively possessed by a man, not to religion as objectively contemplated. to say, "Why, so far from it, the very earliest however imperfect. They grant you that would have been a doctrinal part. There the morality is oftentimes unsound; but might have been interwoven with the ritual still, they think that some morality there must have been, or else for what purpose was the religion? This I pronounce error. arise, as by any ray mingling with the sentiments in a human creature towards a Divine one; not even sycophants ever pretended to love the gods. of worship, a sytem of economics, or a code of civil prudence, or a code of health, or a theory of morals, or even a secret revelation of mysterious relations between man All the moral theories of antiquity were and the Deity: all which existed in Judautterly disjoined from religion. But this ism. But as the case stood, this was imfallacy of a dogmatic or doctrinal part in possible. The gods were mere odious Paganism is born out of Anachronism. It facts, like scorpions or rattlesnakes, having is the anachronism of unconsciously reflect- no moral aspects whatever; public nuiing back upon the ancient religions of sances; and bearing no relation to man darkness, and as if essential to all reli- but that of capricious tyrants. First arisgions, features that never were suspected ing upon a basis of terror, these gods never as possible, until they had been revealed subsequently enlarged that basis; nor in Christianity.* Religion, in the eye of a sought to enlarge it. All antiquity conPagan, had no more relation to morals, tains no hint of a possibility that love could than it had to ship-building or trigonometry. But, then, why was religion honored amongst Pagans? How did it ever arise? What was its object? Object! it had no object; if by this you mean ulterior object. Under this original peculiarity of paganPagan religion arose in no motive, but in ism, there arose two consequences, which an impulse. Pagan religion aimed at no I will mark by the Greek letters a and B. distant prize ahead: it fled from a danger The latter I will notice in its order, first immediately behind. The gods of the calling the reader's attention to the consePagans were wicked natures; but they quence marked a, which is this :-in the full were natures to be feared, and to be pro- and profoundest sense of the word believe, pitiated; for they were fierce, and they the pagans could not be said to believe in were moody, and (as regarded man who any gods: but, in the ordinary sense, they had no wings) they were powerful. Once did, and do, and must believe, in all gods. accredited as facts, the Pagan gods could As this proposition will startle some readnot be regarded as other than terrific facts; ers, and is yet closely involved in the main and thus it was, that in terror, blind terror, truth which I am now pressing, viz. the as against power in the hands of divine meaning and effect of a simple cultus, as wickedness, arose the ancient religions of distinguished from a high doctrinal reliPaganism. Because the gods were wick-gion, let us seek an illustration from our ed, man was religious; because Olympus Indian empire. The Christian missionawas cruel, earth trembled; because the ries from home, when first opening their divine beings were the most lawless of views to Hindoos, describe themselves as Thugs, the human being became the most abject of sycophants. Had the religions of Paganism arisen teleologically; that is, with a view to certain purposes, to certain final causes ahead; had they grown out of forward-looking views, contemplating, for instance, the fur thering of civilization, or contemplating some interests in a world beyond the present, there would probably have arisen, concurrently, a section in all such religions, dedicated to positive instruction. There laboring to prove that Christianity is a true religion, and as either asserting or leaving it to be inferred, that, on that assumption, the Hindco religion is a false one. But the poor Hindoo never dreamed of doubting that the Christian was a true religion; nor will he at all infer, from your religion being true, that his own must be false. Both are true, he thinks: all religions are tru all gods are true gods; and all are equally true. Neither can he understand what you mean by a false religion, or how a religion could be false; and he is perfectly "In Christianity." Once for all, to save right. Wherever religions consist only of the trouble of continual repetitions, understand a worship, as the Hindoo religion does, Judaism to be commemorated jointly with Chris- there can be no competition amongst them tianity; the dark root together with the golden That would be an absurdity, fruitage; whenever the nature of the case does not presume a contradistinction of the one to the not less nor other than it would be for a ⚫other. Prussian to denounce the Austrian emperor, as to truth. or an Austrian to denounce the Prussian not, in any other way, secure the transking, as a false sovereign. False? How mission of this message to future generafalse? In what sense false? Surely not as tions, than by causing it to be registered non-existing. But at least, (the reader will in a book. A book, therefore, will be reply,) if the religions contradict each other, convertible with a doctrinal religion:-no one of them must be false. Yes; but that book, no doctrine; and, again, no doctrine, is impossible. Two religions cannot con no book. tradict each other, where both contain only Upon these principles, we may undera cultus; they could come into collision stand that second consequence (marked B) only by means of a doctrinal, or directly which has perplexed many men, viz., why affirmative part, like those of Christianity it is that the Hindoos, in our own times, and Mahometanism. But this part is what but equally, why it is that the Greek and no idolatrous religion ever had, or will Roman idolaters of antiquity, never prosehave. The reader must not understand lytized; no, nor could have viewed such me to mean that, merely as a compromise an attempt as rational. Naturally, if a reof courtesy, two professors of different ligion is doctrinal, any truth which it posidolatries would agree to recognize each sesses, as a secret deposit consigned to its other. Not at all. The truth of one does not imply the falsehood of the other. Both are true as facts: neither can be false, in any higher sense, because neither makes any pretence to truth doctrinal. keeping by a revelation, must be equally valid for one man as for another, without regard to race or nation. For a doctrinal religion, therefore, to proselytize, is no more than a duty of consistent humanity. This distinction between a religion hav- You, the professors of that religion, possess ing merely a worship, and a religion hav- the medicinal fountains. You will not diing also a body of doctrinal truth, is famil- minish your own share by imparting to iar to the Mahometans; and they convey others. What churlishness, if you should the distinction by a very appropriate ex- grudge to others a health which does not pression. Those majestic religions, (as interfere with your own! Christians, they esteem them,) which rise above the therefore, Mahometans, and Jews originalmere pomps and tympanies of ceremonially, in proportion as they were sincere and worship, they denominate "religions of conscientious, have always invited, or even the book." There are, of such religions, forced, the unbelieving to their own faith: three, viz., Judaism, Christianity, and Is- nothing but accidents of situation, local or lamism. The first builds upon the Law political, have disturbed this effort. But, and the Prophets; or, perhaps, sufficiently on the other hand, for a mere "cultus" to upon the Pentateuch; the second upon the attempt conversions, is nonsense. An anGospel; the last upon the Koran. No cient Roman could have had no motive for other religion can be said to rest upon a bringing you over to the worship of Jupibook; or to need a book; or even to ad- ter Capitolinus; nor you any motive for mit of a book. For we must not be duped going. "Surely, poor man," he would by the case where a lawgiver attempts to have said, "you have some god of your connect his own human institutes with the own, who will be quite as good for your venerable sanctions of a national religion, countrymen as Jupiter for mine. But if or the case where a learned antiquary un- you have not, really I am sorry for your folds historically the record of a vast my-case; and a very odd case it is; but I thology. Heaps of such cases, (both law don't see how it could be improved by and mythological records,) survive in the Sanscrit, and in other pagan languages. But these are books which build upon the religion, not books upon which the religion is built. If a religion consists only of a ceremonial worship, in that case there can be no opening for a book; because the forms and details publish themselves daily, in the celebration of the worship, and are traditionally preserved, from age to age, without dependence on a book. But, if a religion has a doctrine, this implies a revelation or message from Heaven, which canVOL. VIII. No. II. 51 talking nonsense. You cannot beneficially, you cannot rationally, worship a tutelary Roman deity, unless in the character of a Roman; and a Roman you may become, legally and politically. Being such, you will participate in all advantages, if any there are, of our national religion; and, without needing a process of conversion, either in substance or in form. Ipso facto, and without any separate choice of your own, on becoming à Roman citizeh, you become a party to the Roman worship." For an idolatrous religion to proselytize, |