The Sun.
London, England, 1867-10-21 00:00:00

WHAT IS THE "I?EVOLUTION?"

(From the Westminster Gazette.)
More than one-half of the controversies which
take place in the world may be traced, it has been
well said, to a misconception of the point at issue.
In a like manner, we believe that more than half
the sympathy which is bestowed in England on the
Revolution arises from ignorance of its purport
and its nature. The Revolution is looked upon by
average Englishmen of the uneducated or half-
educated classes as a struggle for liberty. It is,
indeed, a struggle for liberty, but not for the
liberty which Englishmen admire, but liberty of
quite another sort. It is a struggle for emanci-
pation from the bonds of ex'sting institutions,
political, social, and religious; a craving for the
independence of the human mind, from all control,
intellectual or moral; a revolt against all authority,
human or divine. The Revolution, which begins
by denying the divine origin of society, ends by
disbelieving in the existence of a personal God.
It is needless to refer in evidence of the natural
consequences of such a rebellion against divine
and human authority to the horrid blasphemies of
Voltairianism, or to the anti-social crimes of the
Reign of Terror ; what we wish to examine is : how
far Englishmen of the educated classes, who know
the real character and meaning of the Revolution,
sympathize with the principle which lies at the
bottom of the movement and gives it vitality and
force. Those who really look in their ignorance
upon Garibaldi, Mazzini, and the political and
religious disciples of Voltaire in France, Germany,
and Italy, as upholders of political and Teligious
truth, we must leave to be awakened by events
which will bring out the impious character of the
Revolution, so that even the intellectually or
morally blind cannot fail to discover its meaning.
But what we have now to deal with is the far
more serious question : How far has the Revolution
intellectually and morally penetrated into the mind
of the intellectual classes in England ?

By the Revolution we understand that radical
change in the European mind as to the relation of
man to God, which in the last century was com-
menced by the English Deists, which culminated
in the Voltairian philosophy that preceded and
caused the great French Revolution, and which
has since been perfected and reduced to system
by the sceptical intellect of Protestant Germany
and the I'osivitist Philosophy of France. The
Revolution is not confined to mere political con-
vulsions, however disastrous in their effects ; it
touches upon the foundations of society, upon the
nature and authority of human reason, and upon
the attributes and existence of God. It aims at
building up society anew on modern principles ;
and as these principles are in direct antagonism to
Christianity, it seeks to overthrow Christianity
by attacking the principle of divine faith. For
this purpose, in politics, in morals, in science, and
in religion itself, it substitutes for the authority
of God the authority of human reason. Now,
how far during the lastfifteen or twenty years
German Pantheism, or the philosophy of Comte,
has made itself a home in the English mind, may
be easily seen by studying the character of scien-
tific, religious, and philosophical speculations in
England during that period. A more striking
evidence of the change which has taken place
among the educated classes, is the nature and the
tone of the religious discussions which are carried
on in the intellectual press. No later than on last
Saturday, the Pall Mall Gazette made very serious
admissions as to the extent of unbelief. It granted
that the vast majority of the ' clergy and laity of
the Church of England:accepted their creed as true
without knowing much about it beyond the fact
that it is believed by a very large number of wise
and good men who have had the opportunity of
studying the subject ; but this argument, good as

The Pall Mall Gazette further argues, with equal
force and justness, against the dishonesty of up-
holding formulas which do not express the real
belief of those who use them, of subscribing to
articles of religion which have to be explained
away, of preserving creeds which those who recite
them do not believe. Of such dishonesty the
Pall Mull Gazette, writing on a former occasion,
states that several of the bishops of the Pan-
Anglican Synod are notoriously guilty. What is
wanted in the national Church, the writer urges,
is a creed which those who profess can believe to
be true. A limited creed is the only means to
obtain this desirable end. How limited a creed
would be, such as would be accepted by the intel-
lectual classes, not as convenient but as true, the
Pall Mall Gazette knows better than ourselves ;
but of this, at least, we are sure, that it would
not possess a remnant of primitive Christianity--
for without Christ there is no Christianity.
The work which has now to be done in Eng-
land, according to the opinion of writers who pass
for the representatives of English thought, is to
take up the dropped threads in the controversies
of the English Deists of the last century—dropped
but not broken, as has been too carelessly assumed
by the powerful weapons of such writers as Butler,
Berkeley, Warburton, Leland, and others—at ;the
precise point at which these controversies were
interrupted by the excesses of the French Revolu-
tion, and the fears which it engendered in
England, aided by the popular enthusiasm excited
by the Methodists. But now it seems to the writer
in the Pall Mall Gazette that the necessity is come
to revert to the Deists of the last century ; but by
so doing, does the writer mean to blot out all that
has happened in the interim—to blot out the
philosophical refutations of the errors of Deism, as
well as the historical record of fearful moral re-
sults flowing from those errors ?
This attempt, on the part of the writer in the
Pall Mall Gazette, to give the go-by to the great
apologists of Christianity both in Catholic Germany,
France, and England, as well as to the terrible ex-
perience of the practical consequences of irreligion,
amounts to an acknowledgment that the intellectual
and moral victory, since the first violent outbreak
of Deism in the last century, has been on the side
of Christianity. We would only ask the Pall Mall
Gazette, in passing, whether it is fair to Christi-
anity to pass over such eminent defenders of
Christian faith as France alone has produced in
such men as Abbe Bergier, the Abbe Guenee, M.
de Bonald, and M. de Maistre, not to speak of the
conferences of Pere Lacordaire, or of that work in
defence of Christianity by the lawyer M. Nicolas.
But this subject is too large to be treatedof paren-
thetically, and we must defer its consideration for a
future occasion. For it is our present purpose not
so much to comment on the intellectual line which
the Pall Mall Gazette wishes to be taken up
against the positive truths of Christianity as to use
its evidence as a testimony to the growth of unbe-
lief in England at the present moment. This
unbelief is the first and most dangerous form of the
Revolution, for when Christianity is once com-
pletely overthrown society is in the most imminent
danger either of lapsing back into Paganism or of
falling into anarchy. In either case the social, in-
tellectual, and religious advantages of Christian
civilization would be lost. What terrible changes
a revived intellectual Paganism would bring about
in modern society, whatintellectual darkness, what
moral corruption none can foretell. One thing is
certain, that it would only be able to interpose for
a time between anarchy and the dissolution of
society which is sure to follow the overthrow of
Christianity in a nation which was once Christian.
The Pall Mall Gazette is so impressed with the
character of the tremendous controversies in ques-
tion as to draw out the:inevitable alternative which
awaits the nation, should the friends of the Church
of England treat infidels and sceptics simply as
enemies, and say to them :

" We have nothing in common ; we have not
even common ground enough for the purposes of
discussion. When you ask us to reconsider and
do justice to the various arguments which have
been adduced against the truth of the facts stated
in the Apostles' Creed, and against the being and
attributes of God, you ask us to give up our whole
case, to commit a deadly sin, and to cease ipso
facto to have any intelligible standing ground at
all upon which we can justify the position which
we hold. 'We, the Christian Church, are the am-
bassadors of God. Take our message or leave it,
but when you ask us to consider calmly the ques-
tion whether it is a true message, and indeed the
question whether there is a God capable of giving
it, you ask us to proclaim ourselves cheats, and to
stultify our fundamental position. This, no doubt,
is perfectly clear and consistent, but it is open to
the fatal practical objection that the people who
really rest upon it are rapidly diminishing in num-
ber, and far more rapidly in intellectual power.
. . . . If the clergy of the Church of England,"
it continues, " elect to stand upon that ground, it
needs no ghost to foretell the result. The world
at large will more or less decorously shru gtheir
shoulders, the connection between Church and
State will gradually be dissolved, the Protestant
Episcopal Church will become a merely influential
sect like other sects, and one more great step will
have been made towards the polite shelving of all
existing religions by civil society."
The shelving of all existing religions by civil
society is the result which this writer in the Pall
Gazelle foresees from resistance to the
demands of infidels and sceptics. It is a melan-
choly conclusion to arrive at on the part of a writer
who is evidently too honest and too sincere a
thinker to put up with the outward semblance of a
faith which has lost all hold upon his mind. At the
same time it is no less a painful exhibition of the
lengths to which infidelity has spread among the
intellectual classes ; for no writer would iublicly
exhibit such open unbelief unless he knew that large
numbers of men were in a like position themselves
and able to sympathize with his views. From writ-
ings such as these, and they are to be found to no
inconsiderable extent in the periodical literature of
tho day, we are able too truly to detect the pre-
sence of the Revolution in England in its first and
most subtle form. When such causes are at work
in society, permeating with such rapidity the intel-
lect of the country, it would be sheer folly to
ehut our eyes to the inevitable consequences.

The Criterion Stakes is at present the only closed race on
Monday that calls for any remarks, and whichever Sir
Joseph Hawley runs, most likely Blue Gown, will win.
The Cambridgeshire is a most difficult race to select the
winner from, especially this year, and if there is no better
horses at the weights than we saw run in the Cesarewitch
it is just on the cards this great event will go to France
by the aid of Jeune Premiere, who since her arrival hero
looks and goes well. It is really ridiculous to expect
Julius to carry Bst 9lb successfully up the hill, for it has
never yet been done by a three year old, and very seldom
by a horse of any other age with such a heavy impost. The
highest weight that has won during the last ten years was
7st 41b., which Odd Trick carried in 1857. Friponnier
looks certainly big enough to carry a castle, and should
Mr. Pryor be able to get his money on and send him to the
rest he will beat all the heavy weights, as from the way
he defeated Heti:nit the other day we can hardly toll what
ho can do with a lot of indifferent horses, such as wo
have in training just now. Tom French will ride him if
he runs, so that his backers have nothing to fear on the
score of his not being properly handled in the race. Lanerot
is a pretty good horse, and I am told has had a favourable
trial, but I am afraid he has about 71b too much weight on
his back, although in my opinion he will beat all the
horses that ran in the Cesarawitch. Indeed, his running
with Lord Ronald at York looks as if he could beat all the
heavy weighted throe year olds. Treasure Trove has no
chance, and I think the Duke of York will be the best of
Charles Blanton's sable, and having been doing well
lately he may have an outside chance. Knight of the
Garter is well, and mounts the hill every morning like a
lion, but tho public will not back him at 7 to 4, as they
(lid his stable companion Blinkhoolie, nor has he any
chalice with Friponnier if the latter conies to the post.
Hippia will run, and is the best of the Baron's lot. The
Baron backed her for a lot of money before she was beat at
the First October Meeting, and since then has taken 3,000
to 90 about his lot, which is only like backing the winner
of the Oaks, as she boat all the others la a canter when
they were tried together ou Tuesday morning. Hayhoe
has paid particular attention to her this week, and there
are more unlikely animals than Hippie getting a place. I
have no fancy for anything else until 1 come to Dragon,
and although it has been frequently stated by me in these
columns that he was no Verby horse, he may run well
with 7st 71b on his back next Tuesday. Acton is well,
and has been doing some rattling work hero all the week;
in fact there is no animal looks and goes better, and she is
certain to take a great deal of beating. Janitor has been
backed at long prices, and if he has come back to his old
form, would win in a canter, but all I can say is he was hero
last meeting, and has gone home again. Tynedale, Goojorat,
and Nu have no chance, whilst Jasper is a rogue, and can-
not be depended upon. Wrough ton has been hacked for good
money, and will have the assistance of Tom Hibbard, and
if ho is in the same form he displayed in the spring when
he ran Vauban to a head his chance is second to none.
Blinkhoolie will perform better than he did in the Cesare-
witch, and, in my opinion, will beat all those which ran
for that event. Archimedes is too great a brute to be
trusted. Lozouge is fit to run for a man's life, and with
such a light weight ought to finish very forward. I have
no faith in Wolsey, who was beat at the distance iu the
Chesterfield Stakes at Goodwood, and does not apparently
like to go beyond three-quarters of a mile. Honesty has
no chance, notwithstanding all the money he has been
backed for, and those who "plunged" on him last Saturday
week at Bto 1 will have bad hedging. One writer tells us
that ho has gone through a variety of phases which the
most attentive student of the Turf barometer could not
have foreseen. Another writer tells us he has no partiality
fora horse he has so recently seen lame. Now, if those
writers had taken the troutle to look at the horse when
galloping, they would probably have prevented their
readers from backing him, his only complaint being that
ho is troubled with " the slows." Julius always pulled
over him, as I stated before the Cosarowitch, and Sweet
Anne also beat him in a gallop on the Limo Kilns the
week before that race, and I question if she could win the
Cambridgeshire with sst. on her back. All I can
say about Leases is that he will be one of the runners,
with young Goodwin up. The Attack colt has been
backed for some money; but I believe Grey Stocking
was verfcloso to him in a trial, and I cannot therefore
recommend either of them on this occasion. Ammunition
is fancied by some good judge's here, and I have every
reason to suppose Ilarlock thinks her chance second to
none. He is very anxious to engage Butler to ride her,
and from all I can hear is very likely to obtain the ser-
vices of that popular sight weight. Having gone through
all those animals likely to run, in conclusion, I shall ex-
pect to see ACIVEA, FRIPONNIEN LiNERET, and AMMU-
NITION furnish the winner, and fancy their chances in
the order named. In my selection of four for the Cesare-
witch were the first aad fourth horses, so I shall be
quite content if equally successful this time. Tho
Sweepstakes of 200 Dor; each looks like a certainty for
Pace, who will be in decidedly better form than he was
when ho beat Athena the week before last, as he had
been in physic only two days before. The Glasgow
Stakes on Wednesday looks a " moral" for Courtmantle,
and the All-Aged Stakes will most likely be walked over
by Friponnier. The Free Handicap Sweepstakes on
Thursday roads like a certainty for Julius, and I shall
stand Lady Elizabeth for the Troy Stakes. The Sweep-
stakes of 500 save each on Friday will also go to Pace,
and for the Sweepstakes of 100 sovs each, I shall expect
to see Dalesman beat Rama. The Sussex Stakes will
probably go to King Alfred, who has very much improved
lately, and goes in his best style.
The following horses have arrived :—Aches, Adamant,
Adam Bede, Ajax, Aherne, Amy Scott, Annie Laurie colt,
Armourcr, Attack colt, Bab at the Bovrster, Balloon, Bel
Giorno, Benevolence, Bossy Dixon, Bluo Gown, Bluoskin,
Bounceaway, Bravado, Brother to Claverhouse, Camellia,
Captain Kidd, Carbine filly, Oat (loan*, Cater, Ccerope,
Challenge, Choral, Citron, Corporal, Coup d'Eelat, Court-
mantle, Curfew all, Cygnet, The Dean, Demon, Di Vernon,
Duchess, Dulcimer, Duurobin, The Earl, E (sby, False
Alarm, Firebrand, Frauchisa, Freemason, Gauymode,
Gentle Kitty filly, Gipsy Queen, Greenhorn,
Grey to
ing, Governante, Head Centre, Herronnianus,lfu afk ,
Indian Star, Inspiration, Jeanie Deans, John L.ea ,Kg S
iec-
Alfred, King of Trumps filly, King Victor, Knight of St.
Michael, Lady Trodegar, Landscape, Leonie, Lictor, Little
Treasure, Lord Ronald, Madrid, Maid of Masham
Maid of Usk, Makeshift, Mandrake, Marcrnis of Worcester,
Master Robert, Master Willie, Melinda, Michael de Basco,
Miss Osborne, Miss Whip colt, Mochrie, Mortimer, Mrs.
Stratton, Musa, My Love, Naivete, Nancy, Nanny, Night.
ingale filly, North Marston, 0 uragan,T he Palmer,Parma, Pe.
riches, Pero, Philosopher, Pic-Nic, Pintail, The Piper, Pirate
Chief, Ths Pope, Post, The Priest, Prince George, Prince
Regent, Puff,Rabican, Rampant, Repulse, Restitution, Riga,
Rococo, Rosicrucian, Rupert's dam colt, Samson, Scotch-
man's Pride, Sea Serpent, Sir Oliver, Sister to Vedette,
Spendthrift, Tho Star, St. Ronan, Sycee, Thorndyke,
Tiblhorpe. Tight& colt, Traviata, Treasure Trove,
Ulphus, Valorous, Van Amburgh, Victorine, Vigorous,
Violent, Violet de Clare, Wardcur, Witchcraft, Wrough-
t On, Xi.