of Mr. Dale Owen more
complete, more interesting, and more instructive, by the addition of
some of those facts.

Frances or Fanny Wright was a friend of Mr. Dale Owen's. She was the
great representative female Atheist of her time. Like Mr. Dale Owen's
father, she was rich, and like him, seemed desirous to do something in
the way of philanthropy. Mr. Dale Owen, who was her agent for some time,
gives us some interesting facts with regard to her history, which may
prove of service to our readers.

In Buckle we have an Atheistical Historian, who endeavors to prove that
we are indebted for all the advantages of our superior civilization, not
to Christianity, but to natural science and skepticism alone. He
represents Christianity as the enemy of science, and as the great
impediment to the advance of civilization. These views of Buckle we
regard as false and foolish to the last extreme, and we expect to be
able to show that Europe and America are indebted for their superior
civilization, and even for their rich treasures of natural science,
_not_ to infidelity, but to the influence of Christianity.

Matthew Arnold has just published an interesting book entitled
LITERATURE AND DOGMA. It is however a mixed work; and we
propose, while noticing a number of its beautiful utterances, to make a
few remarks on some of its objectionable sentiments.

There is a great multitude of important facts with regard to
Christianity,--facts which can be understood and appreciated by persons
of ordinary capacity, and which no man of intelligence and candor will
be disposed to call in question; yet facts of such a character as cannot
fail, when duly considered, to leave the impression on men's minds, that
Christianity is the perfection of all wisdom and goodness, and worthy of
acceptance as a revelation from an all-perfect God, and as the mightiest
and most beneficent friend of mankind. A number of those facts we
propose to give in our next volume.

MODERN SKEPTICISM.

CHAPTER I.

INTRODUCTION.

When a man has travelled far, and seen strange lands, and dwelt among
strange peoples, and encountered unusual dangers, it is natural, on his
return home, that he should feel disposed to communicate to his family
and friends some of the incidents of his travels, and some of the
discoveries which he may have made on his way.

So when a man has travelled far along the way of life, especially if he
has ventured on strange paths, and c