Florida with a view, perhaps, to mitigate the ignominy of defeat-represent him as a magnanimous enemy, and almost superhuman in valor, agility, address, and the power of physical endurance. Though the portraits drawn at the present day, have not the extravagance of either of these pictures, they are equally unlike each other. The Puritans of New England describe the Indians of that region as children of the Devil, and only fit for carnage or servitude. The Friends of Pennsylvania, by pursuing a different policy, were able to give them a different character. They were proved to be capable of being mollified, by acts of good neighborhood, into the most disinterested of friends, and the most faithful of adherents.

It need not be concealed, that recent occurrences have had a tendency to strengthen the animosity which has been fostered towards the Indians, and accelerated their removal to the inhospitable residence selected for them, beyond the Mississippi. Our author expresses a very favorable opinion of the endowments and native qualities of the Indians, and bears his testimony to the high susceptibilities of their moral and intellectual nature. We do not intend to open anew those wounds which are yet bleeding, by a particular reference to the hardships in the case of the civilized Cherokees, but we may be permitted to advert to the celebrated letter of John Ross to a gentleman of Philadelphia, in confirmation of the sentiments expressed by General Harrison in the discourse before us. We leave the fate of the Indians, under Providence, in the hands of those who are able to control it, believing that for every violation of engagement which we commit - for every wrong and oppression and outrage which we inflict-there is a retribution in store, which will fall, one day, upon our devoted country. General Harrison's opinion of the Indian character, as we have said, is favorable. He pays a deserved tribute to many of the sachems, or chiefs, for high talents and elevated moral worth. As he acted in the capacity of agent for the United States at the treaty of Grenville, in the year 1795, and has had extensive intercourse with them in his military expeditions, and as governor of the northwestern territory, his opinion is of intrinsic value. He uses the following pointed language in regard to the good faith of the govern ment of the United States, during the administration of Jefferson and Madison, under whose successive appointments, we believe, he acted:

"I am satisfied that this is not the proper time to inquire how far the United States have fulfilled the obligations imposed upon

them, by their assuming, at the treaty of Grenville, the character of the sole protectors of the tribes who were parties to it, a stipulation often repeated in subsequent treaties. But I will take this opportunity of declaring, that if the duties it imposed were not faithfully executed, during the administrations of Mr. Jefferson and Mr. Madison, as far as the powers vested by the laws in the executive would permit, the immediate agents of the government are responsible, as the directions given to them were clear and explicit, not only to fulfil with scrupulous fidelity all the treaty obligations, but upon all occasions, to promote the happiness of these dependent people, as far as attention and the expenditure of money could effect these objects."

We take leave, with regret, of this able and instructive discourse, premising the consciousness that we feel of not having done justice to its merits. It evinces, in an eminent degree, great patience of research, combined with high powers of historical and philosophical analysis, while the literary execution of the paper reflects great credit upon the distinguished author.

ART. VIII. - Demonstration of the Truth of the Christian Religion. By ALEXANDER KEITH, D. D., Author of "The Evidence of Prophecy," etc. New York: 1839. Harper & Brothers. 12mo. pp. 336.

In the systematic treatises in defence of Christianity, which have appeared in the English language for a century past, the historical and other external evidences have occupied a very large, and in many instances, an almost exclusive place. This evidence has by different writers been variously combined, and put in nearly every possible light; but until a comparatively recent period, little has been contributed to the original materials. For some time, indeed, the principles of historical evidence in relation to the subject have been undergoing a more and more thorough investigation; and the vast amount of facts which go to make up the evidence itself, have been subjected to a more acute and profound criticism. But it is only of late years, and from the researches of modern travellers, and the discoveries and results of modern science, that any very valuable additions to the matter of the proofs before accumulated have been furnished. It is the use made of these materials that constitutes the most

distinctive characteristic of the work before us, and its principal value as a treatise for general readers.

The facts brought to light by travellers in relation to the present condition, the physical appearances, and social state, of various portions of the eastern world, confirm in a wonderful degree the truth and divine inspiration of the prophetic scriptures. Dr. Keith has placed these prophetic declarations in a parallel view with the facts in verification of them and thus the remarkable correspondence between them is put in a very exact and striking light.

The established conclusions of modern geological and astronomical science, also furnish incontrovertible evidence in support of the account of the creation, and of the changes of the globe, given in the Mosaic scriptures. The exhibition of this evidence forms an interesting portion of the present work - particularly the application of some of the results of geological investigation, to the overthrow of the ground of Hume's argument against miracles.

With the proofs from these sources, which the author regards as "not wholly destitute of novelty," are combined the ordinary arguments in favor of the genuineness and authenticity of the scriptures, and the truth of Christianity. "The leading sentiment," however, which, Dr. Keith says, "pervades, connects, and illumines the whole, is, that the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." Accordingly, a comparison of the prophecies of the Old Testament respecting Christ, with their fulfilment as recorded in the New Testament, forms a very important feature of his work; and by placing the prophetic declarations of the Old Testament side by side with the historical statements of the New, in parallel columns, the author has exhibited their coincidence in a clear and convincing manner.

On the whole, this work contains much that is valuable for general readers, which is not found in the popular treatises in most common use. We ought to add, however, that it is very far from being a model for its clearness of method, reasoning, or style.

With these remarks, we turn from any further consideration of the work before us, as we do not think it needful to go into an extended analysis or examination of it; and we prefer to occupy the brief space that we have with a few reflections which have been suggested to our minds, with respect to the relative connexion and value of the different branches of the Christian evidence, and with respect to one branch in particular, which, in a just

and philosophical view, is, we conceive, entitled to a far more important place than is commonly supposed.

We have adverted to the prominent place which the external evidences hold in most works on the truth of the Christian religion, not because we think slightly of the value and importance of these evidences. The exhibition of them, or even of any one division of them, may well be the subject of special extended treatises; and the thorough investigation of them may well afford an occupation for life, to the most learned and philosophical minds. But at the same time, it appears to us that every treatise on the evidences of Christianity for popular use, and especially every work, which, from its title, purports to give anything like a systematic or comprehensive view of the subject, ought to cover the whole ground, as well of the internal and the practical, as of the external evidence. We say this, because it must be clear in any philosophical view, that without the former, the latter is utterly incomplete and insufficient. The external miraculous attestations to its divine origin would be entirely inadequate, if Christianity did not carry the proofs of its divinity in itself. If its declarations of doctrines and facts were in contradiction with right reason, with the universal and necessary principles of man's intellectual and moral nature if it were not suited to the actual condition of humanity, did not offer itself as adapted to man's moral and spiritual wants- and if, upon trial, it were not found actually to meet those wants, leading man up to God; the most absolute historical and physical demonstration of its prophecies and miracles could never beget the conviction that it came from God. The only result would be a skepticism of the most painful kinda strife between conflicting principles of belief.

The internal and practical evidence is besides vastly better adapted to general comprehension. The full appreciation of the historical argument requires no small degree of intellectual cultivation; while the intrinsic excellence of the Christian religion, its adaptation to our nature and wants, and the reasonableness of the practical trial which it demands, impress themselves upon every mind that simply studies the New Testament with a serious and candid spirit. In point of fact, moreover, these are the grounds upon which the faith of the bulk of every Christian community rests. There are, to be sure, thousands whose belief in Christianity can scarcely be spoken of as a belief, or as resting on any distinct grounds: it is a mere habit of feeling, derived from education, or at most, an unreflecting adop

tion of a current opinion. To this sort of holding of the truth of Christianity, we do not refer; for, besides this, there is a conviction of its truth depending upon the perception of its intrinsic excellence and marks of divine origin, and upon a practical trial of its efficacy -a conviction for which these are valid and sufficient grounds, affording a foundation for the faith of thousands who are destitute of the means and of the culture necessary to appreciate the external evidence.

Of the internal evidences of Christianity, there have appeared in our language many admirable treatises, upon the whole subject or upon special topics of it; and among these there is none more admirable than that published several years ago by our accomplished fellow citizen, Mr. Verplanck. This work is equally remarkable for its original, profound, and vigorous thought, as for its beauty of style. It has been long out of print; and were it not for the continual republication of English works of inferior merit, we should consider the neglect of this masterly performance an indication of the utter indifference of As it is, we can the public to the subject of which it treats. only regret the defect of taste, or the indiscriminating prejudice in favor of books of foreign production, that has limited this excellent work to a single edition.

In regard to the practical or experimental argument for the truth of Christianity, many valuable hints and elementary views, more or less complete, are scattered through the works of many eminent Christian writers. Some of the best contributions on this subject are to be found in the writings of Jonathan Edwards. We have long considered the remarks on this topic which occur in his discourse on Spiritual Light, and in other treatises of his, to be among the most philosophical, and the most valuable portions of the writings of our celebrated countryman; and it has given us lively gratification to see them honorably recalled to the public attention in a recent article in one of our contemporary journals. It is, however, deeply to be regretted that this argument has never been sufficiently put forward in its just extent and proper place, as an integral element, necessary in any complete and philosophical view of the Evidences of Christianity. We know of no one special treatise which we could recommend to a cultivated and reflecting man, skeptically inclined, in which the nature and matter of this argument is clearly and completely stated, and its validity fully and philosophically developed. Nor do we recollect but one gene