dwelt in for ages by the countless Slavon-race? What is China, with its three hundred millions of people, but the great plain, formed by the Valleys of its three great Rivers, a nation, as we see, that is one and inseparable? Now, take the region of the Mississippi States of the Gulf; it is one of these great plains. Far up in Minnesota, three thousand miles from the Gulf of Mexico, it is eight hundred feet above the level of the sea; in Louisiana, two hundred. A perfectly smooth and level floor, of an irregular shape, sixty feet long by sixty feet wide, will fairly represent it. In that region, there must dwell one people, of one blood, one Language, one Religion, and one Government. This is so, by all that we know of the world, of God's government, and of man's nature.

And that race, the center of the body politic of the United States, will certainly, within one hundred years, be an hundred and fifty millions; ultimately, in all probability, three hun-dred millions. No German, no Irish, no English, no Scotch, but all the Arian races massed together in one people, nativeborn, in the proportions of blood that has seemed best to the Almighty Governor of Nations; all Native Americans, having but one common feeling, to their one common land.

This central race, Western Men they are now called, themen of the Great Valley they shall be named, is framing itself, even now; forming its type from metal of all the Arian races. The man of the Great Valley is already shewing to the world what he will be. Look all along the River States, and the type of man is the same in all. From Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois, Ohio and Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Mississippi, Texas and Arkansas, three generations, born in the land, bring forth the same tall and muscular frame, without an ounce of fat, the same deep chest, broad shoulders, and long arms; the same high-centered head, with regular features; the same daring soul, overflowing with the most audacious courage, and gifted, furthermore, with coolness and caution, un-matched, save in the red Indian; the fire of the Frenchman, the doggedness and pertinacity of John Bull, and the calm steadiness of the Russian.* We believe that God has reserved.

*That the uprising of the ultimate national type of the American people, in the VOL. XVII.

25*

this New World, for this new race to be formed and framed in these latter days, that it may do a great work of happiness for itself internally as a nation, and a greater work without itself, of planting Christianity in the Islands of the Great Ocean, and on the great continent of Asia, a mighty work, among mighty nations, to be done by a mighty instrument, which God has prepared for it.

We said that Christianity, after Constantine, became feeble. It lost very many of its grand ideas. The first of these was that of the Monarchia. The Church is the Spiritual Kingdom of God in this world; a real organized body, under its own laws and spiritual government and principles, actually and visibly existing, "We believe," said the old Christian Creed of the East, "in one God, the Father, the Sovereign of the Universe, the Maker of Heaven and Earth, and of all things, visible and invisible. And in One Lord Jesus Christ, the Only-begotten Son of God, begotten of His Father before all worlds, Light from Light, Very God from Very God, of one Being with the Father," &c.

The Spiritual Kingdom actually existing in the world as an organized, visible body,-Christ the King of His Church,God from eternity, born of the Father, man, in time, incarnate, and born of the Virgin upon earth,-ascended into

Great Valley, is already become evident to the world, may be seen by many indications. We give one; an extract from a correspondent in regard to the great Review at Washington of the armies of the late War. We may add, that in our opinion, the difference is not that of antagonism, as between English and Irish, or Russians and Italians, but of further progress toward perfection in the same type. The men of the Valley are simply becoming more rapidly what all Americans ultimately should be.

"Naturally, a comparison was made between the Eastern and Western troops. The Western men were taller, with fewer boys, and scarcely any foreigners among them. Their marching step was several inches longer, and yellow and red beards and light hair predominated. The officers of the Army of the Potomac conceded that they marched better. They moved with an elastic, swinging step, that does not belong to the Eastern boys, and their faces were more intelligent, self-reliant, and determined. One could not distinguish the officers from the men, except by the uniforms. The privates and officers seemed equal in intelligence and manly bearing. On the other hand, the Eastern troops showed more pure discipline and more drill.-There was a marked distinction in them between officers and men in point of culture."

Heaven,-God and man for ever more.-What mean these ideas and facts, placed side by side with the theory of Roman or Byzantine Imperialism or Feudal Aristocracy? These facts and truths,-they mean, which all men in this New World believe, that God alone is the King and Sovereign of the Earth. That all men, as brethren of our incarnate Lord, and purchased by His Blood, have an equal value, and are of an infinite price. That all men, therefore, have an equal right to justice, and kindness, and truth, and all those blessings and virtues, manifested in the Life of the God-man upon earth. Place our American ideas and principles upon these points of national and political principle, as they are professed by the mass of native Americans, side by side with those of the most cultivated and scientific Heathenism, say of Greek Philosophy or Roman Law, untouched by the influence of Christianity, and it will be plainly seen that they came from Christianity, from the New Testament and the Primitive Church, before the Union of Church and State by a despotic Emperor. They are the essential principles of Christianity before Constantine; principles which, when finally they come to be applied to National Politics, by the secret workings of God's Providence, in history, were stupidly called by the Roman or the Greek name, Republican or Democratic, but are really, Christian. All these principles, of equality and freedom, for the Man, the State, and the Church, Christianity lost by its union with the despotic Byzantine empire.

Again, the idea of an ultimate victory and conquest of the Church and the Gospel over the whole earth; that the Spiritual Kingdom shall finally embrace within it the whole world; that all the human Race shall confess, in Baptism, the Faith and principles of the Gospel ;-an idea which is, in fact, absolutely necessary to Christianity, is indeed the basis of all Missionary zeal and progress ;-this perished from Christian thought, or was transformed by heresy into a fanatical Millenarianism, and scorned and despised. And thus the Missionary Spirit of the Church failed within the Roman Empire of the East.

And yet, the doctrine that the Church of Christ should, in

the latter days, be victorious over the whole world, and that for a thousand years it should continue so to be, was, without doubt, the belief of the Christian Fathers, from the earliest day, down to the time of St. Augustine. In fact, it is distinctly laid down in Bishop Beveridge, one of the most learned and sober and judicious of the English Bishops, that it was a universal belief, in even the Jewish Church from the earliest times, that the world was to last seven thousand years, corresponding to the seven days of creation. The first two thousand years were to be without the Law; the second two thousand, under the Law; the third two thousand, under the Messiah. Then was to come the "Sabbath of the world," the thousand years of peace and rest. The primitive Fathers, one and all, held the same doctrine. With them, three thousand years are to be the "consummation of all things ;" "the final victory of the kingdom of Christ on earth." In this millennium, "Satan is to be bound for a thousand years."

We confess, that looking back upon Christianity, up to this time, we see no improbability in the doctrine. And looking upon this year as the eighteen hundred and sixty-fifth year from our Lord, leaving but one hundred and thirty-one years, until the last thousand years begin, we see it not an impossible thing, that a new era may be about to commence for the Christian Church, the era of its final victory and prevalence over the whole world;-a Missionary era, whose main arena of strife and conquest shall be, over the nations of the greatest continent and the greatest ocean.

And we do not think it at all improbable, that this Country and this Church may have been prepared for this work, as the Roman, the Greek, the Syrian worlds and races, for their early work, for the Gospel. For we, as Christians, resolvedly and clearly accepting the Faith, see no philosophy of history but this one, that before Christ, until His coming, all things prepared for the Advent of the Redeemer. And since His death, all movements in all nations are preparing for His final victory; the reign of the Kingdom of Christ over the whole Earth. Since the time of Constantine, all European Christianity has

Greswell on the Parables, Vol. I. p. 273, to the end. Vol. V. p. 67.

failed in respect to Asia and the Asiatic peoples. It is most pitiful to see what a difference between them and the Old Christianity. See the wretched paltering of the English East-India Company to Heathenism in Hindostan ! so sternly reproved by Buchanan fifty years ago. See the poor, feeble, partial efforts of the English since then. See how the Arabs, the noblest race in the world, have been left, by European Christianity, to Mohammed for twelve hundred years, and at this day, are almost untouched by the Gospel! Look at the Persians! Fifty years ago, Henry Martyn, great-hearted soul as he was, penetrated into Persia, saw what could be done there, translated the New Testament, and died a martyr to his holy Faith and zeal. Had he been the first Christian torch-bearer of the Gospel light in early days, a hundred would have followed him, and after them, ten thousand. And the great work of converting the nation would have been done. He died for the cause, and had no successor! The same remark may be made as regards the Jesuit missions. Since Xavier started forth, they have had but one result. The tree has been planted, has grown, and flourished, until it seemed about to take possession of the whole nation; and then, in all its vigor, it has been broken, struck down, and perished. So in Japan it has been, so in Paraguay, so in Hindostan.

It seems to us, that for the Christianizing of Asia, there only remain two nations to do the work; ourselves, and Russia. For the Russian Church and Russian people we have, as Americans, the most hearty sympathy. We do most heartily thank them, that they alone, of the great nations of Europe, have sought to make no gain out of our great agony. They, alone, have not stood by, as the rest of our good European allies, grinning, with the most intense delight, at the prospect of a civil slaughter in this great land, that should last for one hundred years, and end in a military monarchy. They, alone, have sent forth no pirates, fully equipped, with native sailors; have given no cannon from the royal stores; have not encouraged and intrigued with the men who desired our ruin. Russia, alone, in this War, has acted right royally towards the United States, in the spirit of honesty, and honor, and truth.