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OF THE REFORMATION. 245stood to the existing order of things, could not but causeviolent struggles and great changes in their passage fromtheory into practice. Like the stream which loses itself inthe earth but a short way from its source, as if to accumulate its strength in secret, and breaks forth again a greatriver, these revolutions arise at moments when they areleast thought of, and exhibit signs of strength which themost accurate observer could not have foreseen. These differ therefore from the former by being in the highest degreeinteresting, as well in their origin as in their consequences.Their general characteristic is that they are prepared longbeforehand, and by a process which can hardly ever be discerned. They thus afford the practised observer abundantemployment from the very first as it is \not easy to discovertheir true origin, even though the immediate cause of theirbreaking out should be evident to the eye. They differfrom the former also in this, that they seldom arise from one,but usually from many and different sources, and these, becoming united, form a torrent which finally bursts throughevery bulwark, and sweeps away whatever attempts to stemits course.In order that ideas should become generally adopted andeffective, they must be such as can be readily appreciated bythe great mass of the people, and of sufficient interest to induce action as well as belief. Religion and politicsare theonly topics of this nature. Knowledgein its more difficultbranches must always be confined to a limited number ;nordo we ever read of wars caused between different nationsby different systems of philosophy, although it may havechanced that some particular doctrines, by passing intopopular opinions, have exercised an influence over theirdealings with each other. On the other hand, the ideas ofGod and of our country are too deeply interwoven with ourmoral nature to allow of their being entertained merely asobjects of reason, and not of the affections also. In fact, tlieless defined they are, the greater influence do they appearto exercise ;and hence it is that they possess the power ofacting like electricity, even upon the most uninformedminds, and impart energies to them which assume witli easethe character of enthusiasm, or even fanaticism.Religious notions, it is true, do not seem to have a very