representative signification we shall pass by, and consider the first and last, the theory which reckons the phenomena in question as altogether supernatural, and that which makes them altogether natural; theories representing ignorance and knowledge, superstition and sound reason.

It is poor philosophy to refer to supernatural agency anything that is susceptible of explanation by natural power; and yet it is the upheaving of ignorance, the world over. To the savage, thunder is literally the voice of Deity; the earthquake is the approving of infernal powers; the storm is a work of a storm-god. Whilst one important evidence of the Divine existence to the intellect is law; an important reminder of Divine operations to the imagination is a departure from law. In everything inscrutible, defying penetration, the imagination, especially of the ignorant, sees divine manifestations. The mysterious is miraculous. Madness is considered to be something analogous to inspiration. From the time that Olympian Jove sent a lying dream to Agamemnon, men have taken visions of the night as revelations. By inhaling a vapor issuing out of the earth, and which produced something of madness both in man and beast, the Pythoness was prepared for her work of vaticination. Since, then, it is the natural tendency of ignorance to confound the inscrutible and the miraculous, and in many lands mental aberration is thought to indicate inspiration, it is scarcely to be wondered at, that the subjects of the Ulster Revival, experiencing in themselves strange sensations, and witnessing astounding phenomena, all intimately connected with religion, should consider such phenomena and experiences as supernatural in origin. It is strange, however, that the intelligent presbyterian ministry of Ulster, should have pandered so largely to this gross delusion. We are afraid that the obloquy must lie at the door of some, that, finding the popular idea of the origin of prostration to give intensity and strength to the revival movement, they acquiesced in what they knew to be a false opinion, and endeavored to do God reverence, acting on the principle that the end sanctifies the means.

That the prostrations of revivalism with all the attendant phenomena, deafness, catalepsy, insanity, are to be considered natural phenomena, to be classed with those of hysteria or catalepsy, is the unanimous opinion of the whole medical

profession. In the wild screams of the mill-workers of Belfast, Archdeacon Stopford, an excellent judge, detected the true hysteric sound. Their imagination, assisted by sympathy, made the dancing mania of Italy a natural epidemic. When nervous distempers afflicted the nuns of the middle ages, the mere sound of hysteria or the reproduction of its effects on imagination, was sufficient to communicate the infection. Only eighteen years ago, religious excitement produced a nervous distemper, characterized by heaviness in the head, insensibility to outward impressions, and an extraordinary faculty in preaching, among the rustic inhabitants of Kalmar, Wexio and Jan Kopping in South Sweden. This was called the Preaching Mania; and it is creditable to the intelligence of the Bishop who has furnished to us an account of the epidemic, J. A. Butoch, Bishop of Skara, that he referred it in general to the influence of animal magnetism. To whatever cause we attribute the prostrations of the Ulster Revivals, whether to religious excitement, biological sympathy, animal magnetism, or something yet more inscrutable, we are to consider them of natural origin, and to be classed with the phenomena of disease. We may mention, in passing, that in constituting our theory of the origin, we must not forget the influence of the warm summer, of bad air in meeting-houses, whose doors and windows were now and then intentionally kept shut; and of the prolonged nocturnal assemblies.

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Of this revival, as a type of religious progress, as an educationary or saving power, our opinion will vary, not only according to our idea of its practical effects, but according to our preconceived philosophy and theology. If in God we see the innocent spirit of the universe, sustaining creation by his present arm, and projecting influence from himself into the heart of man, and if in the process of regeneration we behold something supernatural, we shall be inclined to give a respectful attention to everything of a revivalistic nature. Immersing nature in the supernatural, and in starry influence seeing the source of all earthly growth, we shall find nothing extraordinary, or at any rate, incredible, in a general descent of pentecostal influence. A belief in immediate regeneration is almost necessary to the very existence of revivalism. On the other hand, the more we identify religion with morality, and in the formation

of character appreciate the importance of gradual growth, the further we shall be taken away from the revival spirit. In the analogies of nature some find the counterparts and correspondents, others read out a condemnation of revivalism. Intermittent activity, periodical excitement, alternation of work and rest, according to Henry W. Beecher, is the very order of nature; and again, it is said, that revivals in the spiritual are like thunder and lightning in the natural world, nature's extraordinary method of producing important results. Yet we must not forget, however, the important saying "There is first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn on the ear."

There is one thing evident, at any rate, and it is this:the fundamental idea of religion underlying a revival will determine its value. If we conceive of salvation as a magical and mystic thing to be conveyed by certain potential rites-a revival will enhance our appreciation of the importance of religious rites; if belief" be the golden key that opens the palace of eternity," a revival will make us strong, perhaps intolerant, believers; if religion be a name for everything beautiful in feeling and excellent in character, a revival will be authentic reformation. During the Middle Ages, penitence assumed the uniform expression of penance, and consequently the great Flagellant Revival, which followed upon the Black Death, was distinguished by nothing so much as by a pompous infliction of penance. In the East, religion comprehends scarcely anything but prayer; and quite in accordance with a priori expectation, we find that a religious movement, which recently spread over several districts of India, took the form of a persevering and meaningless invocation of the god Ram. "Ram, Ram, hear me," in a frenzied manner, petitioned the suppliant, and by the one petition considered that he was securing to himself a place in the Kingdom of Heaven. The value of a revival of religion depends, therefore, not in the amount of excitement it occasions, or on the extemporaneous emotion of religion it calls forth as on the fundamental basis of doctrine on which it rests. If that doctrine be an unmitigated superstition, a revival will only tend to give importance and strength to folly.

Reserving a glance at the fundamental idea of the Ulster Revival, we may consider the validity of the claims gener

ally made on its behalf as a moral reformer. It is said that the movement in question was successful in annihilating drunkenness; that it promoted brotherly kindness among divergent sects; that it put down profaneness of language, and awoke thousands and tens. of thousands to a concern for their souls. In this assertion there is considerable truth, mingled by no small amount of error. During the furor of the revival movement, drunkenness was certainly checked; neither the voice of laughter nor of profanity was heard in the streets; a portentous solemnity not, however, far off from intolerance, was apparent; prayer-meetings were held almost every evening, and the churches on Sundays were crowded. One of the judges of the North-east Circuit, Chief Baron Pigott, eulogized the movement as an agent of reformation. Certain keepers of ale-houses, or public houses, as they are called in Ulster, gave up their trade, and at least one barber shaving on Sunday, in consequence of having experienced the new birth. Throughout last winter, though the excitement has been steadily declining, extraordinary prayer-meetings were frequently held, and the churches were well attended.

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so dead is the heart of man to the highest interests, to the profoundest realities of existence, that we cannot but say, "Well done" to any movement that even in a coarse and bungling manner, tends to awaken a greater earnestness in religion.

Let us not exaggerate, however. Invariably the language of "converts" was the language of self-accusation: they felt the burden of their sins; yet a boastfulness-a pleasure in confessing the greatest enormities, supervened, calculated to provoke serious doubts of the reality of this contrition. Indeed, a considerable acquaintance with the language and behavior of "converts " has convinced the writer that, in a large proportion of cases, the sense of sin was nothing more than a feeling of helplessness. The sin is invariably charged upon an imbecile nature acquired by descent, rather than upon a perverted will for which the individual alone is responsible. And this feeling of impotence we look upon with suspicion as not only standing in the way of energetic duty, but as directly encouraging the visions of superstition. For, convince a man that he can do nothing for himself, and you can lead him to rely upon

anything a piece of consecrated bread, a priest, magic-as the source of everything good. With regard to drunkenness, a respectable paper of Ulster, the "Northern Whig," furnishes to us statistical information of some interest. It informs us that, whereas, in "the four months from May to August, 1858, the number of prisoners brought before the magistrates of Belfast amounted to three thousand four hundred and fifty-seven, in the four corresponding months of 1859, the number of parties, male and female, sentenced to punishment for being drunk and disorderly ran up to the goodly sum-total of three thousand nine hundred and thirtysix, being an increase of no fewer than four hundred and eighty-two offenders against God and man in the months during which the religious manifestations had full swing." And with reference to the general practical results of the Revival movement, the same paper shows, that in the town of Ballymena, the very focus of revivalism, the committals for the five months ending the first of October, 1858, were nineteen, while for the same five months of the succeeding year, the committals had almost doubled, amounting in number to thirty-four. These are startling facts, and rather a stumbling-block in the way of revivalism; yet, notwithstanding their plain tendency, our impression, and one derived from personal knowledge, is, that for a time drunkenness sensibly diminished under the influence of the Revival, and a greater circumspection of behavior was produced. Among the good results realized, however, there was not included a greater liberality, a feeling of union among divergent sects.

The Dancing Mania of the middle ages, which was in a great measure a religious movement, ended in scenes of the most scandalous debauchery; the Jerking Movement "left the church like one enfeebled and exhausted, sunk in formality and apathy;" every revival, bringing such a dangerous influence as religious enthusiasm to bear upon the ignorant mind, has been productive of extravagance and folly. The injurious consequence of the movement before us in the communication of bodily weakness and insanity, we have already noticed; its moral consequences that sound reason will mourn, remain for our consideration.

The consequences referred to have arisen out of two circumstances, the one common to all revival movements, the VOL. XIX. 3