year 1661, the tremendous edict was renewed; and all the Socinians that remained, were most inhumanly driven from Poland, with immense loss, not merely of property, but also of the health, and the lives of many persons. These exiles dispersed into the provinces adjacent to Poland, Silesia, Brandenburg, Prussia, &c. Their descendants are still found in various countries of Europe, especially in Brandenburg, Prussia, England, ana Holland. CENTURY XVIII. 1. Romish Missions.-2. Protestant Missions.-3. Infidelity. 4. The Bull Unigenitus.-5. Jesuits and Jansenists.-6. Greek and Lutheran churches.-7. Moravians.-8. British churches. -9. Churches in the United States-Presbyterian. — 10. Episcopalian.-11. Methodist.-12. Baptist. I. THE Jesuits, and others among the Catholics, continued their exertions to propagate Christianity, or rather Romanism, in foreign parts; and their success was considerable in the East Indies; especially in the kingdoms of Carnate, Madura, and Maravia, on the coast of Malabar, and in China, Tonquin, and elsewhere; and also in some provinces of America. The question which had been much agitated in the Catholic church, whether the Jesuits residing in China, had advocated the cause of Christ well or ill, in permitting their converts still to retain their ancient rites and ceremonies, was decided, in 1704, by Clemen XI. in a man ner adverse to the Jesuits. This decree, however, was considerably mitigated in 1715; and the Chinese Christians were permitted to keep in their houses, tablets, on which are written, in golden letters, the names of their ancestors and of Confucius; and to honour them with lighted candles, with incense, and with tables set out with viands, fruits, and spices; nay they may even address these tablets, and the graves of their ancestors, as supplicants, prostrating themselves to the ground provided all superstition and appearance of religion be avoided; and that these rites be regarded as mere testimonies of respect to their ancestors, or as civil honours. All this concession, however, did not satisfy the Emperor of China, who is utterly opposed to allowing any innovation to be made in the ancient customs and institutions of the country. The Roman Catholic cause in China has therefore long been in a languishing and precarious condition, but it is said, is by no means giver. up. In the Jesuit mission of Tonquin, it is said that in the year 1826, they baptized children of believers, three thousand two hundred and seventy-three, and of unbelievers, about one thousand; adults one thousand and six, confirmed baptisms administered by catechists or Christians, during the absence of a priest, five thousand three hundred and sixty-five; heard confessions, one hundred seventy-seven thousand, four hundred and fifty-six; administered the communion seventyeight thousand, six hundred and ninety-two times; viatica, one thousand, three hundred and three; extreme unctions, two thousand seven hundred and six. They had marriages nine hundred and for ty-three, and confirmations, three thousand nine hundred and f rty-one. II. I'he English and Dutch made increasing efforts to spread the knowledge of Christianity among the nations of Asia and America. Frederick IV., king of Denmark, sent out missionaries in 1706, to preach Christian truth to the Indians on the coast of Malabar, who met with considerable success. The Moravians established missions in many parts of the world during this century; but it was reserved for the nineteenth century to enkindle and develope the missionary spirit, as it now exists in almost all evangelical churches. III. Infidelity found not a few advocates, espe cially in England and Holland, in the early part of the eighteenth century. Among these were John Toland, Anthony Collins, Matthias Tindal, Thos. Woolaston, Thomas Morgan, John Chubb, and John Mandeville. Most of these writers were ably answered by John Leland, in his View of Deistical Writers. IV. The popes of this century were said to be of much better character than those of former times. Efforts had been made to gain over Protestants, by explaining away and lowering down the most offensive Romish doctrines: but Clement XI., by publishing the famous decree called the Bull Unigenitus, in 1714, discovered that the doc. trines of the church of Rome were precisely the same that they had been at the Reformation. This Bull was issued against the French translation of the New Testament, with notes, by Pasquier Quesnel, priest of the Oratory, and a celebrated Jansenist. It condemned one hundred and one propositions of the notes; such as-Grace the effectual principle of all good works; faith the fountain of all the graces of a Christian; the Scriptures should be read by all, &c. This Bu! excit ed terrible commotions in France; where many espoused the cause of Quesnel, and refusing to submit to it, appealed to a future council. But Louis XIV., influenced by the Jesuits, made it the law of the land and in consequence, many became exiles, and retired among their brethren in Holland; others were coerced by violence and fear, to approve the decree of the pontiff; and others, being deprived of their livings, their honours, and their offices, removed to foreign countries. V. The contests between the Jesuits and Dominicans; between the Dominicans, and Franciscans; and especially between the Jesuits and Jansenists, continued to rage with no little animosity. The Jansenists undertook to establish their cause by miracles; and gave out, that God had inparted to the ashes and bones of some of the most distinguished of their party, the power of healing the most inveterate diseases. The most celebrated of these was Francis de Paris, a man of noble birth, but gloomy and superstitious, and who had voluntarily brought on his own death, by abstinence from food, and other self tortures. To miracles, divine visions were superadded; and many professed to be actuated by the Holy Spirit, and uttered prophecies, often of the most insipid char. acter. Among the Jansenists, however, were many learned, able, and worthy advocates of the truth; and in this respect, they far excelled the Jesuits. This powerful fraternity (the Jesuits) had arrived at such a pitch of pride, and wealth, and insolence, as began to draw down upon them a general feeling of hatred and disgust. And this was greatly increased by the Provincial Letters of Pascal, which had been published in the preceding century, and by the writings of Voltaire, and other wits of that day. Their ruin, therefore, came on apace. In 1762, the order was abolished in France, by act of parliament, as contrary to the laws of the state, to the obedience due to the sovereign, and to the welfare of the kingdom. Their effects were alienated, but they were permitted to reside in the kingdom, under certain restrictions. In Spain their ruin was most sudden and unexpected. At midnight, March 31, 1767, large bodies of military surrounded the six colleges of Jesuits in Madrid, forced the gates, secured the bells, collected the fathers in the refectory, and read to them the king's order for their transportation. They were immediately shipped to the ecclesiastical states in Italy. The like was done three days after, with every other college of the order in the kingdom. All their property was confiscated, and only a small pension assigned to each, so long as he should remain quiet and peaceable in the place appointed him. A similar seizure and deportation took place in the Indies, and an immense property was acquired by the government. Spain was soon followed by most other governments of Europe, that had not already expelled them and in 1773, the order was entirely suppressed by pope Clement XIV., who is supposed afterwards to have fallen a victim to their revenge. But in August 1814, a bull was issued by pope Pius VII., restoring the order to all their former privileges, and calling upon all Roman Catholic princes to afford them protection and encouragement. And now : these sworn friends, and liege subjects of the Pope, are putting extensively into practice, all their missionary and proselyting arts, in these United States. VI. Of the Greek Church in the eighteenth |