Revue Encyclopedique. Par M. V. Cousin [pp. 358-377]

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ART. III.-REVUE ENCYCLOPEDIQUE. Paris. HISTOIRE
DE LA PHILOSOPIIIE. PAR M. V. COUSIN. Paris.
"THE world by wisdom knew not God." The history of
Philosophy, whether ancient or modern, not only confirms
this testimony, but demonstrates that wisdom is emphatic in
the sentence that makes the declaration. It is not simply, that
man, without direct revelation from God, is ignorant of his
glories; this ignorance is most conspicuous in philosophy,
the boasted wisdom of the human race. From the oldest
philosophers of Egypt or India, to the wildest disciple of
Kant, or Fichte, the reputed sage has, with few exceptions, entertained more incorrect notions of God, than the
peasant whose superstition he has scorned. The latter may
not have held the divine unity, he may have cherished many
ridiculous aberrations of fancy, but he has seldom stripped superior beings of the first essential attributes of intelligent
existence. If he has formed gods in his own image, he has
not reduced them lower than himself, by denying their individual consciousness and free volition. Philosophy is the sole
parent of such folly.
With these thoughts we rise from the perusal of the publications the titles of which we have placed at the head of this
article. We have coupled them together, as containing many
sentiments in common with each other, not on account of
any connexion in authorship or professed object in writing.
The Revue Enc3yclopedique is a monthly publication at
Paris. Each number contains from one hundred and fifty to
two hundred pages, sometimes more. It is professedly a
general review of all that deserves notice in the passing history
of the human mind. Notices of American, English, German,
Italian, and French publications, together with those of other
countries, find a place in its columns. Many of the articles
are very brief; others of the ordinary length for Quarterly
Reviews. The number of contributors is very considerable,
as appears from the signatures appended to almost every article. Some few of them appear to entertain a degree of respect for the Christian religion, but the general spirit of the
publication is what we should term decidedly infidel. The
following extracts from the number for last December, will
convey a clear idea of the spirit that pervades many of the
most elaborate and extended articles. It is from a review of