The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-09-30

aries.
The distinction, therefore, which Mr.. Buckl,
attempts TO draw, and on which he rests one o
his main positions, does not exist.
Christian nations know more of Moral Truths
understand better their multiform applications
and have deeper reverence for them, thar
Heather nations; and in sll these respects
the Christian world Of to-day is immeasurably
in advance of the Christian world of the age O
Constantine; but there has been no change o.
Moral Truths" So, the Science of this era
is infinitely in advance of the Science of an
tiQuity; buttherehss been no change in the great
facts of Science or the Laws regulating them
no change in Intellectual Truths, but much in
the knowledge of them.
The attempt to divorce the moral nature Of
man from the intellectual is an absurdity. They
are insepsrable and what God has joined to-
gether, man may not put ssunder. He who
recognises the existence Of God, and the su-
prens claims of the Laws of Love and Justice,
will not admit that Religion and Morality have
less TO do with the progress of Civilization than
mere Science. He will claim for Conscience,
or whatever we may call that faculty which
psrceives Moral Truths, and recognises their
paramount obligation, the supremacy. Annihi.
late that make pure Intellect the do-all and
bs-all in man, and yeu convert Earth into a
Hell, in which the greater the growth of Intel
lectusl Power, the vaster its capacities of mis-
chief; and, suppose oil ideas of Justice, Love,
SslfSscrihce, blotted out, such capacities would
inevitably be used for evil, and that continual.
ly. Who would net rather trust Conscience
associated with Ignorance, than Intellect di.
vorced from Conscience Small progress
would the human race have made, had man
been 80 constituted az TO recognise alone the
relations Of mathematical or physical science.
Only in so far as knowledge is rendered sub
servient 10 the recognition and establishment
of moral relations, can it be regarded as the
great agent of Civilization. A helpmeet to the
moral man, it is all powerful as a principle of
progress. Alone, its reign would be as short
as the rebellion of the sngsi', who exalted In
telect above Conscience, and challenged the
sovereignty of the Creator. Civilization does
not consist so much in the growth of knowledge
as in the use that is made ef it. There is no
real progress, either Of the Individual or of 30.
ciety, in which there is not continual growth
of moral sensibility, constantly increasing
conformity to the Law of Love to God and man.
II we could suppose a community in which
there should be vast accumulation of Kuowl.
edge-in which the Mathematical and Physical
Sciences should be carried to heights unknown
as yet in the history of the world, but in which,
at the same time, men should be bold bias.
phemsrs, reckless of moral obligation, hcen.
tious, oppressors of the weak, liars, each intent
upon his own aggrsndizement at the expense
Of all justice, without natural affection, without
loyalty, hating one another-would you call it
highly civilized, q progressive community?
We repest-it is an absurdity to undertake
to separate powers which God has made insep-
arabic. Man is cd Intellectual and Moral being,
and there is no real Civilization that does not
spring from the development of both bis natures.
In their action and reaction resides the law of
progress. Moral culture promotes Intellectual
growth; Intellectual growth helps Moral culture
Neither agent is stationary, as Mr. Buckle as
sumes both are ever active, or must be 90
before there can be real progress.
The generalization of Mr.. Buckle will satisfy
no intelligent mind. Assuming that the prog.
ress of Civilization is commonly ascribed to
religion, Literature, and Legislation, he goes
into labored argument to disprove this theory,
and arrives at the conclusion that they IN.
doubtesly modify the condition" of mankind,
but " are still more modified by it." They are
but secondary agents for, however beneficial
their apparent influence may be, they are them.
selves the product of preceding changes, and
their results will vary according to the varia.
ton of the society in which they work" And
he finally concludes
That the growth of European Civilization
is solely due 10 the progress of knowledge, and
that the progress of knowledge depends on the
nunber of truths which the human intellect
discovers, and on the extent to which they are
6iffused."
This is the fundamental Idea of his book.
The Introductory volume is an elaboration of
it; the character of the discussions that are to
follow will be determined by it.
And yet Mr.. Buckle seems TO think that this
theory of Progress is the only true one, and
complains that historians generally have studied
history in the light Of secondary causes Let
US see. We can understand certain great facts
in history; for example, how, some eighteen
centuries ago, Divine parsonage appeared in
Jerusalem, spake as never man spske, lived and
died as never man lived and died, and that from
Him emanated q Doctrine, a Spirit, an Or.
ganizAtiOn, which, passing beyond Judea, grad
ually pervsded the Roman Empire, mastered
the fierce Barbarisns who subverted it, and de.
termined the form, nature, and direction, of the
civilization that now embrace. Europe, Amer.
lea, and parts of the other Continents, constitu.
ting the only Progressive condition in this lower
world. This Fact, we know, and we understand
pretty clearly hOsc this Religion has worked. and
is still working, first upon the Individual. and
through him upon Society.
Agsin-we know certain great Facts in the
History of Englsnd-its conquest aud abandon
ment by the Romans-its conquest and occu.
patton by the Saxons-the subsequent Eruption
of the Danes, and their temporary domination
the conquest by the Normsns, and complete
subjugation of the mixed population already in
England, and ultimate anslgamstion of all the
races and historians have traced with consd
cradle accuracy the operations of these Facts
and their combined results, in the institutions,
laws, and character, of the English People
These things, too, We can understand.
Now, what light can the theory of Mr.. Buckle
shed upon these great Facts? Were the ad.