JESUITISM.

My intention is not to write what I have heard from others respecting those devoted children of the zealous Ignazius Loyola, but what I have seen and observed by my frequent intercourse with them. Having been a pupil in the college of the Jesuits, I must confess, that from what I know and have seen of them, they are worthy sons of such a father.

The name Jesuit is one of reproach among Protestants; in Rome it commands respect mingled with fear. In Protestant countries they (though numerous) are never apparently seen; but in Rome they are every where present. Protestants abhor Jesuitism, (and well they might) for the name Jesuit is associated with regicide and the gunpowder plot, with the bloody night of St. Bartholomew and the desolation of Europe; in Rome they are not only the chief counselors of every project, but the executors of every plan framed by the secret council of the Vatican. To kill kings is out of the question, for they know that without the assistance of kings they will never succeed in oppressing liberty and opposing

the progressive spirit of the nineteenth century. Neither is there danger that modern Jesuitism will teach molinism and probabilism, for the present generation is too virtuous, and science has found its way out of their doors. With all these it is still the ever-living spirit of Jesuitism.

A Jesuit is an umphibious being; he is (accord ing to his constitution) neither a monk nor a secular priest; still he is both when required. The spirit of domination is the foundation of his order, and at the same time you see him creeping like a worm in the dust to be (apparently) crushed by every foot that passes by. He is a monarchist in Austria, a revolutionist in France, an autocrat in Italy and a republican in the United States. In one word he is every thing, in order to obtain his aim, for the end sanctifies the means. A Jesuit is like a but; when the cat comes, it says: "I am a bird," extending its wings and flies; if the hawk appears, it creeps in the darkest holes and

exclaims: "I am a mouse."

ácter of Jesuitism.

99 Such is the char

To become a Jesuit and to be welcomed at their doors, a person must have one of the three requisites, talents, nobility or money. Talent is the chief object, nobility is preferred before mo ney.

The bull of restoration by Pius VII. in the year 1814, was an unfortunate event for the church of Rome; not only because it has restored the Jesus its, but because it gave a tremendous blow to the infallible authority of the pope; it showed that the bull of Clement XIV. in which that pontiff sup pressed and annulled the order of the Jesuits was wrong, and how can we know that his bull of restoration is right? Popery boasts loudly of its uniformity of creed, unity of actions and infalli bility of authority, but is it not surprising to see the same authority in contradiction with itself? The house is divided and it must fall. But as there is no effect without a cause, so the soi disa ant infallible heads did nothing without a good cause, and that cause was self-interest. In the year 1773, Clement XIV. saw his interest in the destruction of the Jesuits; Pius VII. restored it for the same reason. Clement acted before the revolution, Pius after it. The revolution was the line of demarcation.

Jesuitism and the reformation are contempora aneous; like cause and effect, so was one the effect of the other. The light of reformation broke through the dense darkness of papal super stition; the so-called seat of Peter was shaken,

the thunders of the Vatican were rendered powerless; the church was attacked and wounded in the most vital part; nothing but a holy militia could save her from entire destruction. The period of reformation was short, the spirit of Luther was soon spent, and, the period of Protestantism and the spirit of polemics unfortunately took its place; instead of uniting against the common enemy, the children of the reformation disagreed in doctrinal points, and divided on the same ground. Germany and Switzerland were the theatre, and the Jesuits not inactive spectators of those trying times. The Bible and reason were the greatest enemies to papal darkness and were evaded by the Jesuits, whilst the banner of science and erudition was unfurled in their stead. During the time that the sons of the glorious reformation discussed their dogmatical points, the Jesuits fought in the foremost ranks for popery, raised again the beaten down standard of Rome and tried to give new lustre to the ancient honors of the triple crown.

It would be ridiculous if I were to make any distinction between ancient and modern Jesuitism, for that sect never changes. The leopard may change its spots and the Ethiopian his color, but

Jesuits will remain always the same. They are as in time of old, cunning and sagacious in gaining the favor of the great and the heart of youth. Jesuitism is all activity as in the day of its origin; having determined to go, they advance, they resolve to accomplish an object and succeed. To realize a project they evade all laws; they clear them by a leap or trample them under foot as they did before their suppression. If they aim at an object, they exert all these influences, resort to stratagems, equivocations and intrigues to obtain it, for conscientious scruples are trifles. The evil has risen to a point where concealment is criminal. Charity is due to the righteous, not to men who are guilty of delinquencies against righteousness to such a high degree.

It is not more than twenty-eight years since they have been restored by the good but imbecile Pius VII., and they have their foot upon every kingdom and empire in both hemispheres of the globe. In Europe the people had a severe lesson of the past, and their progress is slow, though their influence great. In the United States the free political institutions and the separation between church and state are favorable for the progress of Jesuitism; North America is the chosen