the excuse, that all Academies are apt to exaggerate their own merits. Vol. III. p. 470. A lame apology for a Society calling itself after the name of JESUS! Yet this writer has attempted, (Vol. IV. Chap. III. and IV,) something like a second IMAGO, by bringing together all the eminent men whom the Society has produced, during the last three centuries. The Catalogue is extensive, and we would not deny the just celebrity of many of the individuals. But the proportion of useful and eminent moralists or divines, is very small; and their distinguished men of science, not numerous. The majority are of second-rate and local reputation. Even in learned labors, they are more than rivalled by the Benedictines. They have few names to compare with Mabillon, or Du Fresne. We desiderate altogether useful and practical preachers, or humble, hardworking missionaries. We may judge of the extreme partiality with which this Catalogue is constructed, by knowing, that they compare the Jesuit Guldin with Kepler, and Father Lallouére with Pascal, and Father Schrank with Buffon.-Vol. IV. p. 312, and Vol. V. p. 449. -Their only first-rate pulpit-orator is Bourdaloue. We shall not imitate Crétineau-Joly, by comparing him with De Ravignan. Bellarmin is their great controversialist. Baronius their great historian. Clavius, Taquet, Dechales, and Boscovich, their chief mathematicians. Tiraboschi is almost

their solitary glory in general literature. Brotier, their most distinguished classical-scholar. But what are these to the Bacons, Newtons, Shakespeares, Miltons, Lockes, Bentleys, &c., of England? They have none of our Addisons, our Johnsons, our Goldsmiths, our Scotts ;-not to mention the hosts of continental Literati. They have not produced one eminent discoverer in Arts, or Manufactures, like Watt, or Smeaton, or Arkwright. Nor can they lay claim to any useful inventions, like those of the Safety-lamp, or the Telegraph, the

application of Steam, or the substitution of cow-pox for small-pox. In short, if the Jesuits are to be tried by their practical ability in art or science, they will be found. totally unworthy of those extravagant eulogies, which they heap upon their Order. The benefits which they have conferred on society and civilization bear no proportion to their enormous evils. They have done nothing to improve legislation, or advance the cause of national freedom. They have contributed little to the discoveries of modern chemistry. They have taken no part in geology. But if the question be reduced to a mere exhibition of talent, apart from the profession of Christianity, the Jesuits have no names to compete with the disastrous reputation of Hume, or Gibbon, of D'Alembert, La Place, Voltaire, Buffon, Rousseau, &c. It is true, they educated the three last; but what honour can they derive from men, who were not less distinguished for their vices, than their talents? *

After this proud, vain-glorious array, who would expect the following celestial comparisons of Dr. Wiseman? It is thus he characterizes the missionary labors of his Church. "No clamour or boast is heard within her; but she perseveres in the calm fulfilment of her eternal destiny, as unconscious of any extraordinary effort, as are the celestial bodies in whirling round their endless orbits, and scattering rays of brilliant light through the immeasurable distance of space."

* The savage treatment which the celebrated Muratori experienced from the Jesuits, for hesitating to admit their doctrine of the Immaculate Conception, destroys their title to literary courtesy. They assailed him with terrific denunciations, denying him all hopes of salvation. See his Life by his nephew. Steinmetz, Vol. iii. p. 439.-How inferior they are in providing useful and entertaining books for "The Million," may be inferred from the late Jesuit Edition of "Robinson Crusoe," from which all the inimitable wit of De Foe against Popery is carefully excluded. They are singularly deficient in poetry, and all works of imagination.-Who was the great Jesuit poet?

CHAPTER VI.

A.D 1600-1650.

RECAL OF THE ORDER BY HENRY IV.-GUNPOWDER PLOT-EXPELLED VENICE, THORN, AND DANTZIC-THEIR SETTLEMENTS IN VARIOUS PARTS OF FRANCE-HENRY IV. ASSASSINATED-THEIR QUARRELS WITH THE DOMINICANS AND FRANCISCANS-DISPUTES

WITH FOREIGN PARLIAMENTS-THE JESUIT CASUISTS CONDEMNED AT ROME-GENERAL REFLECTIONS.

We are now to resume our historical report of the testimonies against the Jesuits, by the members and states of the Romish Church. The First consists of the Remonstrance, presented (24th Dec. 1604,) by the President Harlay to Henry IV. on behalf of the Parliament of Paris. In an evil hour, Henry had been prevailed on to grant their re-establishment.* They had succeeded even in procuring the demolition of the Monument, on which the condemnation of Chastel, and their own banishment were recorded. If the reader will not trust to Sully, as a Protestant, let him consult the Parliamentary documents in "The Annals of the Society." + We refer to them as facts of historic notoriety. Amongst other intrigues, they pretended to possess the power of exorcising demoniacs.

* Sully, book 17. Crétineau. vol. ii. p. 122. De Thou. liv. xiv. p. 122. † Vol. ii. pp. 13-29.

Harlay was unsuccessful, but the speedy assassination of Henry (June 4, 1610), forms the best apology for the Remonstrance.*

On Nov. 5, 1605, that atrocious conspiracy was discovered, by which the Papists had designed at one blow to destroy our Protestant constitution. The execution of this plot was principally left to the Jesuit party in England, and it has accordingly stamped their name with national infamy. We are convinced, that no other Order in the Romish church, could have been capable of conceiving, or perpetrating, such an inhuman conspiracy, and that it has marked them out to the end of the world, as the fittest of all instruments and accomplices in " treasons, stratagems, and spoils."-Yet this is now the paramount Order in the Church of Rome ! .

So little did Paul V. the reigning Pontiff, blush at the discovery of this nefarious project, that he addressed two Briefs to the English Roman Catholics, to console them under their troubles. It was now, also, that the celebrated Bellarmin urged them to come forward, and die for their principles. We cannot desire better or stronger evidence than that which the Popish ecclesiastical historian, Dodd, has adduced ;-but his narration should be read with the Notes of Mr. Tierney, so valuable and authentic for extracts from the Stoneyhurst MSS.

It is unnecessary to enlarge on the various traitorous and murderous attempts of the Jesuits against Elizabeth and James I. We have sufficiently adduced the testimony of Lingard, the popish historian, in the former part of this compendium.† Of those who suffered, eighteen were professed *Part I. p. 56.

Part I. Chap. ix. We omitted to state, that three Proclamations were published by James I. for the expulsion of the Jesuits. The First dated, Westminster, Feb. 22, 1604. The Second, Greenwich, June 10. 1606. The Third, Whitehall, June 2, 1610.

members of the Society of Jesus.* At the close of Ribadeneira's Catalogue of the Jesuit writers, [Anvers 1643, Rome 1676,] long lists of these martyrs are given. Amongst these, are the well-known names of Campian, Briant, Oldcorne, Garnet, &c.-So nearly may a Romish Martyrology resemble the Calendar of Newgate ! †

A Decree of the Senate of Venice, 18th Aug. 1606, was issued to expel the Jesuits from the Republic, and exclude them from filling the offices of tutors and teachers in their colleges. The whole is given at large by the celebrated Father Paul in his Account of the disputes of the Pope with the Venetians. He traces these political dangers to the despotic principles of the Order, and their desire to uphold the Ultramontane doctrine-that the civil power should always be subservient to the ecclesiastical.

This is a principle which they have uniformly maintained, and which they uphold at the present day, as much as they did 300 years ago. It is frequently urged in "The Dublin Review," and in the "Tablet," as the chief characteristic of Romish Orthodoxy.

In the same year, A.D. 1606, the Council and Senate of Thorn and Dantzick commanded the Jesuits to quit their territories within three days. The reasons assigned were their avarice and cupidity in ecclesiastical transactions—their seizure of Abbeys and Colleges-their disobedience both civil and ecclesiastical, and their endless quarrels with the Dominicans. For this conduct these Republics were placed under an interdict, by Paul V.

It was about this time, A.D. 1607-8, that Saint [Marthe and the Bishop of Poictiers addressed letters to Sully, respecting the danger of allowing the Jesuits to form settle* Annales des soi-disans Jésuites, vol. ii. p. 65.

+ Note 7.

See also Du Pin. Cent. 17. Part I.