persuaded to forsake idolatry, are Christians only in name, and in respect to certain forms and ceremonies. They never quit their superstition, but only exchange one form of it for another. Large congregations of such nominal Christians were gathered in the East Indies, especially in the kingdom of the Carnatic, Madura, on the coast of Malabar and in China, Tonquin, and other distant regions. But these missionaries, so far from effacing the former stain upon the character of the Jesuit preachers, rather deepened it. For they are represented as seeking their own honor and emolument, rather than the interests of Christ, and as ingeniously corrupting the holy religion of the Saviour to obtain the more proselytes.

The famous question, whether the Jesuit missionaries in China acted consistently among that people, so exceedingly attached to their ancient customs, was decided in the commencement of this century, in a manner adverse to the Jesuits. For the pope declared it criminal for the new converts to practice the rites of their pagan ancestors; especially those rites by which the Chinese do homage to their ancestors and to Confucius. At least this was the decision of the pope at first. But with h at consistency and uniformity for which popery is remarkable, he afterwards altered and mitigated this decision to satisfy the Jesuits, till it was nearly abolished. The final decision was, that the teachers of the Chinese were allowed to designate the divine nature by the word Tien, provided they added the word Tchu, to remove the ambiguity of the former term. Thus it would stand, the Lord of heaven, and not heaven itself. The pope also allowed those rites to be practiced which gave so much offence to the adversaries of the Jesuits, provided all superstition and appearance of religion were avoided. Which is the same as to say they might be idolaters, if they would avoid all idolatry. This paradox, the Chinese converts would of course interpret according to their own inclinations.

The Chinese converts, therefore, feel themselves

allowed to keep in their houses tablets on which are written, in gold letters, the names of their ancestors and of Confucius. They may lawfully honor them with lighted candles, with incense, and with tables set out with all manner of spices, fruit, and viands. They may address these tablets, and the graves of their ancestors as suppliants, prostrating themselves on the ground, and yet be good and consistent papists. Such was the decision of the pope in the case.

The reconciliation of protestants to papists seems, in this century, to have been abandoned. Former attempts of this kind were made chiefly on the ground of explaining away or softening down the most offensive doctrines of popery. But pope Clement XI. deprived the peace-makers of this subterfuge by publishing that famous decree, called Bull Unigenitus. This decree shows most clearly, that on most of the points which compelled the protestants to separate from popery, it remains the same that it has been, and that thus it must be expected to remain. This disclosure being made, it became manifest, that those who had formerly offered peace on very easy and conciliatory terms, had only spread a net by their pretended expositions of the papal faith, and that no confidence at all was to be reposed in the word of such men.

The intestine discords which greatly disquieted the papal community in the preceding century, so far from being composed and healed, were in this century revived with new strength, and urged with greater animosity. The Jesuits still contended with the Dominicans and others, though more covertly, and with more external decorum. The Franciscans, also, and the Dominicans, continued at variance. But the principal controversy which shook the papal empire, was that of the Jansenists with the Jesuits. Of the former party, Quesnel was the chief advocate. He translated the New Testament into French, and accompanied it with notes which were cal

culated to awaken a sense of religion. To destroy the influence of this formidable enemy, the Jesuits besought the king of France to solicit its condemnation by the pope. The pope was obsequious to the French king, and issued the Bull Unigenitus already mentioned. The most violent contests were produced by this unhappy edict. Many of the bishops, and a vast number of influential and learned men, both among the clergy and laity, appealed from it to a future general council. Especially the archbishop of Paris manfully opposed it, regardless of the resentment both of the pope and the king. The popes, kings, and Jesuits, labored incessantly to prostrate these strenuous defenders of the religion of their fathers. They were visited with all manner of punishments and indignities, until they were at length in a measure overcome. Many became exiles, and retired to Holland; others were overawed to approve of the papal bull; and others, being deprived of their livings, their honors, and their offices, removed to foreign countries. The victory of the Jesuits was so complete, that this papal bull was finally declared to be the law of the land. Amidst these calamities, the Jansenists had two resorts for supporting their cause against their enemies, viz., the press and miracles. They did not fail to pour upon the pope and the Jesuits the influence of the press. Their publications were written with ability and elegance, and produced a powerful effect. And when human strength failed, they called in divine aid in the form of miracles. They persuaded the people that God had imparted to the bones and ashes of certain persons distinguished for their zeal in the cause of Jansenism, and who had appealed anew, in their last moments, to a general council, the power of healing the most inveterate diseases. Among those who had attained to this glory, the most distinguished was Francis de Paris, a deacon of the church in Paris, a man of noble birth, but of gloomy temperament, and excessive superstition, and one who had brought on his own

death by refusing food. To miracles, divine visions were superadded. Many persons, especially at Paris, pretended to be influenced by the Holy Spirit, and uttered predictions, often of the most ridiculous kind, by which, nevertheless, the multitude, as usual, was vastly affected. These events may serve to illustrate that unity and uniformity of popery which is so much boasted of by her advocates, and may show on how little of truth their statements and pretensions are founded. Thus concludes the regular historical narrative of popery from its origin. to the close of the eighteenth century. Thus have we seen the rise, progress, maturity, and fruits of this mystery of iniquity, this scourge of the human race. It arose from temporal prosperity, was fostered by earthly possessions, and is consummated in sensual gratifications.

SECTION VI.

DOCTRINES OF POPERY.

THE proper source to which to resort for correct information respecting the doctrines of popery, is found in the decrees of the council of Trent. At the diet of Spise, held in 1542, it was agreed that a council should be holden in the city of Trent. A bull was accordingly issued, summoning the prelates of the Christian world to convene at Trent the following November. But circumstances were adverse, the council failed to convene at the time appointed, and was postponed. At the diet two years after, the affairs of religion were seriously discussed, and a general council, as the only measure calculated to answer the exigencies of the times, was again urged. Nothing could exceed the grief of the pope on this occasion. That any thing like equality of rights should be granted to heretics, and that a German diet should presume to legislate in regard to religious mat

ters, without the concurrence of the pope, the head of the church, was an intolerable innovation. In a long and indignant letter, his holiness the pope reproaches the emperor with this conduct. He complained "that laymen and even heretics had been permitted to meddle with spiritual things, the exclusive province of the priesthood, and that in referring their disputes and grievances to a council, they had not so much as mentioned the successor of St. Peter, to whom only the right of convening such an assembly belonged. It resembled the sin of Uzzah, Dathan, Abiram, Korah, and Uzziah. The judgments of God would fall upon him unless he revoked the decree. By such conduct he had not only endangered the peace and unity of the church, but also exposed his soul's salvation to imminent peril." So unwilling was the pope to have any council called, or the affairs and doctrines of the church subjected to any scrutiny. But when the emperor and the king of France made peace, and the subject of a general council began again to press, and became unavoidable, the pope, to make a virtue of necessity, did not wait for a request which was coming, but issued a bull summoning the princes and prelates of Europe to meet in general council at Trent, March 15, 1545. Many expectations were raised on this occasion. The reformed churches, indeed, could not hope for much from a council. They saw the corruptions of popery to be too deeply seated to be removed by such a superficial application. They therefore did not calculate much on the effects of this movement, and they were not disappointed. It turned out to be a manœuvre of popery. But those who had been less observant of the nature of popery, had very exalted hopes from this council. The sovereigns and states of Europe looked to this assembly with sanguine expectations. They resolved to exert all their influence to procure a thorough reformation of abuses. Then they expected that protestants would cheerfully return to the bosom of the church, and restore