ance; since it is the only means of giving to the nations, guides who truly merit their confidence guides who are capable of directing their opinions, and putting them into a state of judging fairly the political measures which are favourable or contrary to the interests of the greatest number. In fine, I was obliged to show the Catholics and the Protestants the precise epoch at which they had missed the straight road, in order to facilitate the means of re-entering it. I must insist upon this point, because the conversion of the Catholic and Protestant clergy would give powerful support to New Christianity.
After this explanation, I resume the course of my ideas. I will not stop to examine all the religious sects which have arisen out of Protestantism; the most important of all, the English church, is so bound up with the national institutions of England, that it cannot properly be examined, except in connexion with the whole of these institutions; and this examination will take place when I pass in review, as I have already announced, all the spiritual and temporal institutions of Europe and America. The Grecian schism is at present out of the European system; I shall have no occasion to speak of it; and moreover all the elements of the criticism of these different heresies are comprised within that of Protestantism.
But I have not merely in view to demonstrate the heresy of Catholics and Protestants; it does not suffice me entirely to regenerate Christianity, and make it to triumph over all the ancient religious philosophies; I have also to establish its scientific superiority over all the doctrines of philosophers, who have placed themselves without the pale of religion. I must reserve the development of this idea for a second conversation; but in the mean time, I will give you a view of the whole of my subject.
The human race has never ceased to progress, but it has not always proceeded in the same manner, and employed the same means, to increase the amount of its knowledge, and to perfect its civilization. On the
