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THE

LITERARY PANORAMA,

AND

Rational Register:

For JULY, 1816.

NATIONAL and PARLIAMENTARY misery under which the earth suffers.

Notices,

PROSPECTIVE and RETROSPECTIVE. (BRITISH & FOREIGN.)

TREATIES.

THE CHRISTIAN TREATY,
Signed between

THE EMPEROR OF AUSTRIA,
THE KING OF PRUSSIA,

AND

THE EMPEROR OF RUSSIA, December 25, 1816.

Of all the feelings incident to humanity, the most painful, the most lamentable, are those attendant on Atheism. To the well-constituted mind nothing is so afflicting, as suspicion of the possible absence of a power by which the world is governed; and, in consequence of that absence, a remission of the superintendance of mankind-of the whole race of mankind to the listless indifference of chance. The atoms of Lucretius might jumble together and make a world; they might disperse, after having united, and dissolve the world they had made; Chance might dispose of the whole :what a miserable consideration for weak and fallible mortals! What a gloomy' perspective for to-day, for to-morrow,

for ever!

It is a more pleasing delusion, even if it be a delusion, to believe that some rational power interferes to abate the

VOL. IV. No. 22. Lit Pan. N. S. July 1.

It is not so severe as it might be it is not so extensive as it might be. It does not include that number of individuals which it might; it does not oppress them so heavily, as it might. The Pestilence ravages and destroys-but only from time to time, from age to age, it breaks the bounds which commonly confine it; it seems to await a commission to overpass its ordinary sta◄ tion, and to exert an influence more extensively fatal. The same may be said of that not unequal scourge of the human race the Sword. True it is, that the pestilence depends not on the human will; ' nor receives its commission from man; whereas man draws the sword against his fellow, and is the arbitrary agent in furiate animosity and skill, and with the urging its destructive powers, with inutmost strength of his arm.

The ambition of one man covets the dangerous and troublesome office of ruling over many. We have lately seen it aspire at dominion over whole nations; -nations so distinct, and so opposite, in their interests, their prejudices, their' manners, that scarcely had they any principle in common, that might serve as a bond to the whole. Ambition was, in this instance, more extensive than

the pestilence; it refused to set bounds to its avidity; the whole world was included in its glance. The powers of nature opposed this folly; and, where the pestilence must have stopped, ambition met with a barrier. The same causes which would have controuled this, con trouled the other; and mankind found one reason additional for acknowledging the kindness of an interposing Deity. The

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instance proved that appointments of unprincipled ambition, at that moment, Providence are not without infinite fore- presented. sight, and that their application, when opportunity should offer, is equally the dispensation of Sovereignty, Power, and Beneficence.

Exalted station is continually exposed to the shafts of jealousy, and to the suspicions of invidious unbelief. The same action that would be admitted as credible, and applauded as becoming,

It was not, theu, consistent with the wise designs of Providence that a single poten-in a private individual, shall be criticized tate should include too great a surface of the earth under his rule; that a single will should enforce the obedience of too great a number of nations, or fix the fate of individuals, in a proportion too considerable of the population of the globe.

and scrutinized, and pronounced incre-
dible, perhaps unworthy, in a sovereign.
As if a sovereign were necessarily di-
vested
of human feelings;-as if his
mind were less accessible to conviction
than that of his meanest subject; as if
all his actions were inseparable from
parade, and as if his crown prevented
him from participating in the duties,
the enjoyments, the impulses of uncon-
strained and ingenuous humanity. Hard
fate of crowned heads, if this be inevi-
tably and universally true!

a

The earth is divided among the human race; there are, no doubt, important purposes answered by this division. It is not for a mere being of simple humanity to affect, even, to receive the homage of all peoples, and kindreds, and We have lately had occasion to intronations, and tongues. That is the alone prerogative of HIM who made them. duce a series of TREATIES, not He reigns over all; nor has he delegat- little different in their prevailing feaed his office to the proudest among tures, from former examples. The point mortals who ever occupied a throne. If of time at which they originated was exHe reigns, it were well to acknowledge traordinary; the opportunity was too him: if His authority be supreme, let precious to be neglected: but, nevertheall bow to it: if His will be known, no-less, the most extraordinary of all is, thing can be more prudent, more ho- that which has been called, par eminourable, more becoming, than a connénce, formity to his pleasure, and coincidence with his purposes.

This is not the usual voice of kings: those vicegerents of God upon earth, are ordinarily too fond of the symbols of divinity by which they are surrounded. Accustomed to flattery from their earliest years, they know not how to live without it: the incense is fragrant, though acknowledged to be misapplied. History records a few who have bowed the knee with earnest devotion to the Power that rules over all: and our own days have witnessed the combination of sovereigns after the gain of a tremendous battle, on their knees, in pious acknowledgement" O God! thine arm was here." The same princes have entered into a treaty, founded on similar sentiments, which is the immediate subject of the present article. It is, perhaps, the completion of ideas caught on the field of Leipsic: of sentiments cherished, and resolutions made, amid that contemplation of the waste of human life which

THE CHRISTIAN TREATY.

The first suspicion suggested by those who affect to be startled at an appearance so unusual, is, that it binds the parties to obligations understood, but not expressed; not merely friendly to themselves, but inimical to others;that the profession of desiring to establish Christianity and Christian principles, implies and includes, a stipulation to suppress all others :-that, to support Christianity is to extirpate Judaism and Mohammedism, as well as Paganism :-that to bind themselves to obedience to maxims established by the religion of Christ, is to impugn and stigmatize all other, from whatever source derived. Such is the refinement of thorough bred politicians! Words have no ordinary meaning, in their estimation, among statesmen, whatever they may have among the world at large. Nothing can be done, without some insidious motive, some bye end to be served, by parties concerned in the most simple

action possible. They may be right; race as one great family, the family of but, the perpetual fever of suspicion in-one Divine Father? In general, the plied in this superabundant penetration, institutors of new religions content is abhorrent from the feelings of the Pa-themselves with devising new rites and noramic Corps; and we persuade our selves, from those of the greater mass of the British nation.

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ceremonies, with reforming ancient modes fallen into desuetude, with propagating a few moral maxims; and there terminates their intention. Not such is the Christian scheme: it inreciprocal service"-" unalterable good-will”—and “mutual affection."-"The Princes consider themselves as delegated by Providence to govern three branches of one family."

cludes "

Had

The evils consequent on the destruction and annihilation of Christian principles have long astonished and plexed mankind. The world beheld what miseries accompanied the attempt to improve the condition of a people, by banishing those commanding precepts and maxims which distinguish the most-They confess that the Christian nabenevolent of celestial dispensations. tion of which they and their people Can any body blame the solicitude which form a part, has in reality no Soveendeavours to avoid those miseries by reign but HIM to whom really all power patronizing and avowing principles dia- belongs-all science, power, and infinite metrically opposed to them? Is it pos- wisdom."-Memorable words! sible to impugn the motives, or the provi- we found them in a rescript of the sions, which call into action powers and Emperor of China, they would have sentiments in the highest degree inimi- commanded our admiration and revecal to what experience has proved to be rence: had they emanated from the Subfraught with destruction and discord?lime Porte, we could not but have con -ruinous to the peace of individuals, to gratulated the successors of Mahomet the happiness of private families, to the on the change of their ideas, their progeneral prosperity of the Commonfessions, and their expressions. Weal, and fatal to the real honour and And here we may recollect, that glory of a people ?-We have had these monarchs are chiefs of those difenough of soi-disant Philosophy !ferent persuasions into which the Chrisenough of Jacobinism !-enough of hard-tian world is divided. No recollection ened Infidelity! Let us now try Christianity. Opposite maxims may produce opposite consequences. Instead of war we may establish peace: instead of petual rivalship and bickerings, we may be fast friends; instead of envying the advantages of others, we may be more than ever satisfied with our own; and ready to do a good office, rather than to thwart whatever might be beneficial to a neighbour.

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For it appears, evidently, that these monarchs have insight sufficient into the spirit of Christianity to perceive that it excites not merely to "GLORIFY GOD, IN THE HIGHEST," but also, to promote "ON EARTH PEACE, AND GOOD-WILL TOWARDS MEN." "It commands," say the three contracting monarchs, "all men to consider each other as brethren." A truly noble description of Christian precept! What other religion lays this disposition as its basis?-or considers the whole

of the supremacy of his ecclesiastical
head, the Pope, withholds the Emperor
of Austria from joining in Christian
communion with a member of the Greek
Church, whose Patriarch should be at
Antioch, or at Constantinople; a sepa-

ratist from the Chair of St. Peter! an
Iconoclast! Neither does this Sove-
reign, himself a Greek, refuse to pledge
his honour and conscience to a supporter
of that Universal Hierarchy, from which
his honour and conscience revolt. In
like manner, the Protestant unites with
the Catholic, and the Catholic with the
Whatever be the issue, the
Protestant.
attempt is liberal and noble.

This Treaty binds the powers as men and sovereigns, as heads of armies, and as fathers of families: it stipulates for mutual assistance to each other, for the support of religion, peace, and justice. The world has long groaned under the consequences of bringing politics into religion: what may arise from bringing

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