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

German and French Philosophy.
c. Universality: Romanism.
2. Judaism.
IV. Christianity.
a. Primitive Christianity; before Catholicism.
b. Catholicism and reign of the middle ages.
c. Protestantism and the modern Spirit.
V. Absolute religion, and the universal kingdom; or the
last era of the world.
VI. Transition to the absolute world (le monde absoli:)
grand cosmic, catastrophe; transformation of the world.
The absolute world, (le monde absolu.)
We share the opinion of M. Daumer in regard to a state
of humanity anterior to the state of opposition, of separation
antagonism, a state in which man and humanity were absorbed in the external world, in nature. We approve of his
making the second era of the world commence with the separation of the people, and its result in opposition, antagonism.
That which he calls the world absolute, the worldi of unity and
harmony, appears to us, as to him, in advance of humanity
and the end of its progress.
" We shall now select some passages from the work, such as
appear remarkable and suitable to represent the sentiments of
M. Daumer with many other German writers. See what he
says of the Christian religion in general:' Christianity, long
since, so great, so powerful, so mingled with all human affairs, is no longer any thing but subjectivity. A little consolation, a little support, a little factitious exaltation, this is all it
offers to the individual in the crosses and miseries of life. It
is a plaster for the wounds of the heart, it mitigates also the
bad temper of the soul, and operates as a curb and spur for
the vulgar. But although it has been a universal principle of
history, it is so no longer; it no longer produces events of
general interest; it nolongerdetermines the marchof the human
race.......... Prostestantism is the negative form under which is
conceived the new principle. As long as the positive new
principle, which we need, and which protestantism unconsciously prepares, is not developed, protestantism will afford
a relative good, a relative truth, a superiority relative to catholicism. This latter, good, and necessary as it was for the middle ages, is now only the wreck of a great life finished ages
ago, without soul, and without value......... Protestantism is the
spirit of Christianity, weakened indeed, but still the spirit;
catholicism is only a shade of the past. A thing has only
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