a sect of deists, who, in September 1796, published at Paris a sort of catechism or directory for social worship, under the title of Manuel des Théophilianthropes. This religious breviary found favour; the congregation became numerous; and in the second edition of their manual they assumed the less harsh denomination of Théophilianthropes, i.e., lovers of God and man. A book of hymns, a liturgy for every decade of the French year, and an homiletical selection of moral lessons, are announced, or published, by their unknown synod. Thus they possess a system of pious services adapted to all occasions, which some one of the individuals who attend reads aloud; for they object to the employment of a regular lecturer, in consequence of their hostility to priests. This novel sect was countenanced by Larevillere Lepeaux, one of the Directory, and, soon after its formation, opened temples of its own in Dijon, and in other provincial towns. They had declamations, in the spirit of sermons, which abounded with such phrases as Eternal geometrical, and the like, and which have long since been familiar to those who frequent the lodges of free masonry. Whether the sect now exists, or fell at the last revolution which annihilated the directory, we have not learned; but a translation of its Manuel into English, for the use, we suppose, of our Jacobins, was made so early as the year 1797. From this contemptible performance, we learn that the creed of the Théophilianthropists is comprised in the four following propositions:

The Théophilianthropists believe in the existence of God, and the immortality of the soul.

The spectacle of the universe attests the existence of the First Being.

The faculty which we possess of thinking, affords us, that we have, within ourselves, a principle which is superior to matter, and which survives the dissolution of the body.

The existence of God, and the immortality of the soul, do not need long demonstrations; they are sentimental truths, which every one may find written in his heart, if he consult it with sincerity.

Thus a sort of religious instinct is set up as the sole foundation of piety, which every one has as much right to disavow as another to assert; and the obligations of which, therefore, can in no way be shewn to be incumbent on those to whom this novel illumination is not vouchsafed. Society, under such a system, gains no means of influencing the conduct of refractory members.

The morality of the Théophilianthropists is founded on one single precept: Worship God, cherish your kind, render yourselves useful to your country!

Among the duties comprehended under the denomination of cherishing our kind, we find that of not lending for usury; the others are chiefly extracted from the gospels, and do not interfere with the province of the civil magistrate. The question of monogamy is not discussed.

Among the duties to our country are placed those of fighting in its defence, and of paying the taxes. It was certainly prudent in the statesman to hide these duties into the catalogue of his established maxims of morality; and he ran thereby little risk of provoking heretical animadversions on his creed in France.

The following inscriptions are ordered to be placed above the altars in the several temples or synagogues of the Théophilianthropists; but for what reason altars are admitted into such synagogues we are not informed: First inscription, "We believe in the Existence of God, in the immortality of the soul."

Second inscription, "Worship God, cherish your kind, render yourselves useful to the country."

Third inscription, "Good is every thing which tends to the preservation or the perfection of man.—Evil is every thing which tends to destroy or to deteriorate him."

Fourth inscription, "Children, honour your fathers and mothers. Obey them with affection. Comfort their old age.—Fathers and mothers, instruct your children."

Fifth inscription, "Wives, regard in your husbands the chiefs of your houses.—Husbands, love your wives, and render yourselves reciprocally happy."

This pentatogue is chiefly objectionable on account of the vague drift of the fifth commandment; the whole has too general a turn for obvious practical application. The introduction of ceremonies, of sculpture, of painting, and of engraving, is forbidden. If poetry and music may concur to render the worship impressive, why not the other fine arts? The fine arts have never illustrated a country which excluded them from the public temples. Are they to be extinguished in France by Theophilanthropic iconoclasts?

At p. 28. of the Manuel, this surprising maxim occurs: Avoid innovations! A fact fifteen months old grown as telly as the church of Rome! They acknowledge, that perhaps better inscriptions may be found; yet they forbid the exchange. They prefer mummifimus to the sumptifimus of genuine Christianity!