amazingly; the number of its members ||licy could not fail to impress its characDecame great; their character as well ter on all its members of the order, and as accomplishments were still greater; to give a peculiar force to all its operaand the Jesuits were celebrated by the tions. There has not been, perhaps, in friends and dreaded by the enemies of the annals of mankind, any example of the Romish faith, as the most able and such a perfect despotism exercised, not enterprising order in the church. over monks shut up in the cells of a convent, but over men dispersed among all the nations of the earth. As the constitutions of the order vest in the general such absolute dominion over all its members, they carefully provide for his be 2. Jesuits, object of the order of The primary object of almost all the monastic orders is to separate men from the world, and from any concern in its affairs. In the solitude and silence of the cloister, the monk is called to working perfectly informed with respect to out his salvation by extraordinary acts of mortification and piety. He is dead to the world, and ought not to mingle in its transactions. He can be of no benefit to mankind but by his example and by his prayers. On the contrary, the Jesuits are taught to consider themselves as formed for action. They are chosen soldiers, bound to exert themselves continually in the service of God, and of the pope, his vicar on earth. Whatever tends to instruct the ignorant, whatever can be of use to reclaim or oppose the enemies of the holy see, is their proper object. That they may have full leisure for this active service, they are totally exempted from those functions, the performance of which is the chief business of other monks. They appear in no processions; they practise no rigorous austerities; they do not consume one half of their time in the repetition of tedious offices; but they are required to attend to all the transactions of the world on account of the influence which these may have upon religion: they are directed to study the dispositions of persons in high rank, and to cultivate their friendship; and, by the very constitution and genius of the order, a spirit of action and intrigue is infused into all its members. the character and abilities of his subjects. Every novice who offers himself as a candidate for entering into the order, is obliged to manifest his conscience to the superior, or a person appointed by him; and is required to confess not only his sins and defects, but to discover the inclinations, the passions, and the bent of the soul. This manifestation must be renewed every six months. Each member is directed to observe the words and actions of the novices, and are bound to disclose every thing of importance concerning them to the superior. In order that this scrutiny into their character may be as complete as possible, a long novitiate must expire, during which they pass through the several gradations of rank in the society; and they must have attained the full age of thirty-three years before they can be admitted to take the final vow's by which they become professed members. By these various methods, the superiors under whose immediate inspection the novices are placed, acquire a thorough knowledge of their dispositions and talents; and the general, by examining the registers kept for this purpose, is enabled to choose the instruments which his absolute power can employ in any service for which he thinks meet to destine them. 3. Jesuits, peculiarities of their policy and government.-Other orders are to 4. Jesuits, progress of the power and be considered as voluntary associations, influence of-As it was the professed in which, whatever affects the whole intention of this order to labour with body, is regulated by the common suf- unwearied zeal in promoting the salvafrage of all its members. But Loyola, tion of men, this engaged them, of full of the ideas of implicit obedience, course, in many active functions. From which he had derived from his military their first institution, they considered profession, appointed that the govern- the education of youth as their peculiar ment of his order should be purely mo- province: they aimed at being spiritual narchical. A general chosen for life, by guides and confessors; they preached deputies from the several provinces, frequently in order to instruct the peopossessed power that was supreme and ple; they set out as missionaries to conindependent, extending to every person vert unbelieving nations. Before the exand to every case. To his commands piration of the sixteenth century, they they were required to yield not only had obtained the chief direction of the outward obedience, but to resign up to education of youth in every Catholic him the inclinations of their own wills, country in Europe. They had become and the sentiments of their own under-the confessors of almost all its mostandings. Such a singular form of po-narchs; a function of no small impor As all tance in any reign, but, under a weak independent empire, subject to the soprince, superior to that of minister.ciety alone, and which, by the superior They were the spiritual guides of al- excellence of its constitution and police, most every person eminent for rank or could scarcely have failed to extend its power; they possessed the highest de- dominion over all the southern continent gree of confidence and interest with the of America. With this view, in order papal court, as the most zealous and to prevent the Spaniards or Portuguese able champions for its authority; they in the adjacent settlements from acquipossessed, at different periods, the di-ring any dangerous influence over the rection of the most considerable courts people within the limits of the province in Europe; they mingled in all affairs, subject to the society, the Jesuits enand took part in every intrigue and re-deavoured to inspire the Indians with volution. But while they thus advan-hatred and contempt of these nations: ced in power, they increased also in they cut off all intercourse between wealth; various expedients were devi- their subjects and the Spanish or Portused for eluding the obligation of the vow guese settlements. When they were of poverty. Besides the sources of obliged to admit any person in a public wealth common to all the regular cler- character from the neighbouring gogy, the Jesuits possessed one which was vernments, they did not permit him to peculiar to themselves.-Under the have any conversation with their subpretext of promoting the success of |jects; and no Indian was allowed even their missions, and of facilitating the to enter the house where these strangers support of their missionaries, they ob-resided, unless in the presence of a Jesuit. tained a special license from the court In order to render any communication of Rome, to trade with the nations which between them as difficult as possible, they laboured to convert: in conse- they industriously avoided giving the quence of this, they engaged in an ex- Indians any knowledge of the Spanish tensive and lucrative commerce, both or of any other European language; but in the East and West Indies; they encouraged the different tribes which opened warehouses in different parts of they had civilized to acquire a certain Europe, in which they vended their dialect of the Indian tongue, and labourcommodities. Not satisfied with tradeed to make that the universal language alone, they imitated the example of throughout their dominions. other commercial societies, and aimed these precautions, without_military at obtaining settlements. They acqui-force, would have been insufficient to red possession, accordingly, of the large have rendered their empire secure and and fertile province of Paraguay, which permanent, they instructed their substretches across the southern continent jects in the European art of war, and of America, from the bottom of the formed them into bodies completely mountains of Potosi to the confines of armed, and well disciplined. the Spanish and Portuguese settlements 5. Jesuits, pernicious effects of this on the banks of the river De la Plata.order in civil society.-Though it must Here, indeed, it must be confessed, they be confessed that the Jesuits cultivated were of service: they found the inhabi- the study of ancient literature, and contants in a state little different from that tributed much towards the progress of which takes place among men when polite learning; though they have prothey first begin to unite together; stran-duced eminent masters in every branch gers to the arts; subsisting precariously of science, and can boast of a number of by hunting or fishing; and hardly ac-ingenious authors; yet, unhappily for quainted with the first principles of sub-mankind, their vast influence has been ordination and government.-The Jesuits set themselves to instruct and civilize these savages: they taught them to cultivate the ground, build houses, and brought them to live together in villages, &c. They made them taste the sweets of society, and trained them to arts and manufactures. Such was their power over them, that a few Jesuits presided over some hundred thousand Indians. But even in this meritorious effort of the Jesuits for the good of mankind, the genius and spirit of their order was discernible: they plainly aimed at establishing in Paraguay an often exerted with the most fatal effects. Such was the tendency of that discipline observed by the society in forming its members, and such the fundamental maxims in its constitution, that every Jesuit was taught to regard the interest of the order as the capital object to which every consideration was to be sacrificed. As the prosperity of the order was intimately connected with the preservation of the papal authority, the Jesuits, influenced by the same principle of attachment to the interest of their society, have been the most zealous patrons of those doctrines which own members: they refused to produce them when required by courts of justice; and by a strange solecism in policy, the civil power in different countries authorized or connived at the establishment of an order of men, whose constitution and laws were concealed with a solicitude which alone was a good reason for having excluded them. During the prosecutions which have been car ried on against them in Portugal and France, the Jesuits have been so inconsiderate as to produce the mysterious volumes of their institute. By the aid of these authentic records, the principles of their government may be deliheated, and the sources of their power investigated, with a degree of certainty and precision which, previous to that event, it was impossible to attain. tend to exalt ecclesiastical power on the ruins of civil government. They have attributed to the court of Rome a jurisdiction as extensive and absolute as was claimed by the most presumptuous pontiffs in the dark ages. They have contended for the entire independence of ecclesiastics on the civil magistrates. They have published such tenets concerning the duty of opposing princes who were enemies of the Catholic faith, as countenanced the most atrocious crimes, and tended to dissolve all the ties which connect subjects with their rulers. As the order derived both reputation and authority from the zeal with which it stood forth in defence of the Romish church against the attacks of the reformers, its members, proud of this distinction, have considered it as their peculiar function to combat the The pernicious effects of the spirit opinions, and to check the progress of and constitution of this order rendered the Protestants. They have made use it early obnoxious to some of the prinof every art, and have employed every cipal powers in Europe, and gradually weapon against them. They have set brought on its downfall. There is a rethemselves in opposition to every gen-markable passage in a sermon preachtle or tolerating measure in their fa-ed at Dublin by Archbishop Brown, so vour. They have incessantly stirred up long ago as the year 1551, and which against them all the rage of ecclesiasti- may be considered almost as prophetic. cal and civil persecution. Whoever It is as follows: "But there are a new recollects the events which have hap-"fraternity of late sprung up who call pened in Europe during two centuries, "themselves Jesuits, which will deceive will find that the Jesuits may justly be many, much after the Scribes and considered as responsible for most of "Pharisees' manner. Amongst the the pernicious effects arising from that "Jews they shall strive to abolish the corrupt and dangerous casuistry, from "truth, and shall come very near to do those extravagant tenets concerning ec-it. For these sorts will turn themclesiastical power, and from that intole- "selves into several forms; with the rant spirit which have been the disgrace"heathen, a heathenist; with the atheist, of the church of Rome throughout that"an atheist; with the Jews, a Jew; period, and which have brought so "with the reformers, a reformade, purmany calamities upon society. "posely to know your intentions, your 6. Jesuits, downfall in Europe.- minds, your hearts, and your inclinaSuch were the laws, the policy, and the "tions, and thereby bring you, at last, to genius of this formidable order; of "be like the fool that said in his heart, which, however, a perfect knowledge "there was no God. These shall be has only been attainable of late. Eu-" spread over the whole world, shall be rope had observed, for two centuries," admitted into the councils of princes, the ambition and power of the order; "and they never the wiser; charming but while it felt many fatal effects of "of them, yea, making your princes these, it could not fully discern the cau- "reveal their hearts, and the secrets ses to which they were to be imputed."therein, and yet they not perceive it; It was unacquainted with many of the "which will happen from falling from singular regulations in the political con- "the law of God, by neglect of fulfilstitution or government of the Jesuits,"ling the law of God, and by winking which formed the enterprising spirit of "at their sins; yet, in the end, God, to intrigue that distinguished its members, justify his law, shall suddenly cut off and elevated the body itself to such a "this society, even by the hands of height of power. It was a fundamental "those who have most succoured them, maxim with the Jesuits, from their "and made use of them; so that at the first institution, not to publish the rules"end they shall become odious to all of their order: these they kept conceal- "nations. They shall be worse than as an impenetrable mystery. They Jews, having no resting place upon stair communicated them to strangers, "carth; and then shall a Jew have "more favour than a Jesuit." This ven to the greater part of their 66 singular passage seems to be accomplished. The emperor Charles V. saw it expedient to check their progress in his dominions: they were expelled England by proclamation 2 James I. in 1604; Venice in 1606; Portugal in 1759; France in 1764; Spain and Sicily in 1767; and totally suppressed and abolished by Pope Clement XIV. in 1773. Enc. Brit. Mosheim's Ecc. Hist. Harleian Misc. vol. v. p. 566; Broughton's Dict. tions, which the New Testament writers lay down relative to Jesus Christ. If the writers intended to affirm the divinity of Jesus Christ, these are words of truth and soberness; if not, the language is incautious and unwarrantable; and to address it to men prone to idolatry, for the purpose of destroying idolatry, is a strong presumption against their inspiration. It is remarkable, also, that the richest words in the Greek language are made use of to describe Jesus Christ. JESUS CHRIST, the Lord and Sa- This language, which is very copious, viour of mankind. He is called Christ would have afforded lower terms to ex(anointed,) because he is anointed, fur- press an inferior nature; but it could nished, and sent by God to execute his have afforded none higher to express mediatorial office; and Jesus (Saviour,)|| the nature of the Supreme God. It is because he came to save his people from worthy of observation, too, that these their sins. For an account of his nativi-writers addressed their writings not to ty, offices, death, resurrection, &c. the philosophers and scholars, but to the reader is referred to those articles in common people, and consequently used this work. We shall here more parti-words in their plain popular signification. cularly consider his divinity, humanity, The common people, it seems, underand character. The divinity of Jesus stood the words in our sense of them; Christ seems evident, if we consider, 1. for in the Dioclesian persecution, when The language of the New Testament, the Roman soldiers burnt a Phrygian and compare it with the state of the Pa- city inhabited by Christians; men, wogan world at the time of its publication. men, and children submitted to their If Jesus Christ were not God, the wri- fate, calling upon Christ, THE GOD OVER ters of the New Testament discovered ALL-2. Compare the style of the New great injudiciousness in the choice of Testament with the state of the Jervs at their words, and adopted a very incau- the time of its publication. In the time tious and dangerous style. The whole of Jesus Christ, the Jews were zealous world, except the small kingdom of defenders of the unity of God, and of Judea, worshipped idols at the time of that idea of his perfections which the Jesus Christ's appearance. Jesus Christ; Scriptures excited. Jesus Christ and the evangelists, who wrote his history; his apostles professed the highest regard and the apostles, who wrote epistles to for the Jewish Scriptures; yet the wrivarious classes of men, proposed to de- ters of the New Testament described stroy idolatry, and to establish the wor- Jesus Christ by the very names and ship of one only living and true God. To titles by which the writers of the Old effect this purpose, it was absolutely Testament had described the Supreme necessary for these founders of Christí- God. Compare Exod. iii. 14. with John anity to avoid confusion and obscurity viii. 58. Is. xliv. 6. with Rev. i. 11, of language, and to express their ideas 17. Deut. x. 17. with Rev. xvii. 14. in a cool and cautious style. The least Ps. xxiv. 10. with 1 Cor. ii. 8. Hos. i. 7. expression that would tend to deify a with Luke ii. 11. Dan. v. 23. with 1 Cor. creature, or countenance idolatry, would xv. 47. 1 Chron. xxix. 11. with Col. ii. have been a source of the greatest error. 10. If they who described Jesus Christ Hence Paul and Barnabas rent their to the Jews by these sacred names and clothes at the very idea of the multi- titles intended to convey an idea of his tude's confounding the creature with deity, the description is just and the the Creator, Acts xiv. The writers of application safe; but if they intended to the New Testament knew that in describe a mere man, they were surely speaking of Jesus Christ, extraordinary of all men the most preposterous. They caution was necessary; yet, when we chose a method of recommending Jesus take up the New Testament, we find to the Jews the most likely to alarm and such expressions as these: "The word enrage them. Whatever they meant, was God, John i. 1. God was manifest the Jews understood them in our sense, in the flesh, 1 Tim. iii. 16. God with and took Jesus for a blasphemer, John us, Matt. i. 23. The Jews crucified the x.33.-3. Compare the perfections which Lord of glory, 1 Cor ii. 8. Jesus Christ are ascribed to Jesus Christ in the Scripis Lord of all, Acts x. 36. Christ is tures, with those which are ascribed over all; God blessed for ever, Rom. ix. to God. Jesus Christ declares, “All 5." These are a few of many proposi-things that the Father hath are mine," || shall all be judged, we allow; but how do you prove that Christ shall be our Judge? Because, adds the apostle, it is written, "As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God," Rom. xiv. 10, 11, with Is. xlv. 20, &c. What sort of reasoning is this? How does this apply to Christ, if Christ be not God? And how dare a man quote one of the most guarded passages in the Old Testament for such a purpose? John the Baptist is he who was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, Prepare ye the John xvi. 15. a very dangerous proposi- death is a sacred act of worship: in the tion, if he were not God. The writers performance of this act, Stephen died, of revelation ascribe to him the same saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit, perfections which they ascribe to God. Acts vii. 59. The whole host of heaven Compare Jer. x. 10. with Isa. ix. 6. worship him that sitteth upon the Exod. xv. 13. with Heb. i. 8. Jer. xxxii. | throne, and the Lamb, for ever and 19. with Is. ix. 6. Ps. cii. 24, 27. with ever, Rev. v. 14, 15.-6. Observe the Heb. xiii. 8. Jer. xxiii. 24. with Eph. i. application of Old Testament passages 20, 23. 1 Sam. ii. 5. with John xiv. 30. which belong to Jehovah, to Jesus in the If Jesus Christ be God, the ascription of New Testament, and try whether you the perfections of God to him is proper; can acquit the writers of the New Tesif he be not, the apostles are chargeable tament of misrepresentation, on suppowith weakness or wickedness, and either sition that Jesus is not God. St. Paul would destroy their claim of inspiration. says, "We shall all stand before the -4. Consider the works that are as-judgment-seat of Christ." That we cribed to Jesus Christ, and compare them with the claims of Jehovah. Is creation a work of God? "By Jesus Christ were all things created," Col. i. 16. Is preservation a work of God? "Jesus Christ upholds all things by the word of his power," Heb. i. 3. Is the mission of the prophets a work of God? Jesus Christ is the Lord God of the holy prophets; and it was the Spirit of Christ which testified to them beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow, Neh. ix. 30. Rev. xxii. 6, 16. 1 Pet. i. 11. Is the salvation of sinners a work of God? Christ is the Sa-way, Matt. iii. 1, 3. Isaiah saith, Previour of all that believe, John iv. 42. Heb. v. 9. Is the forgiveness of sin a work of God? The Son of Man hath power to forgive sins, Matt. ix. 6. The same might be said of the illumination of the mind; the sanctification of the heart; the resurrection of the dead: the judging of the world; the glorification of the righteous; the eternal punishment of the wicked; all which works, in one part of Scripture, are ascribed to God; and all which, in another part of Scripture, are ascribed to Jesus Christ. Now, if Jesus Christ be not God, into what contradictions these writers must fall! They contradict one another: they contradict themselves. Either Jesus Christ is God, or their conduct is unaccountable.-5. Consider that divine worship which the Scriptures claim for Jesus Christ. It is a command of God, "Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve," Matt. iv. 20. yet the Scriptures command "all the angels of God to worship Christ," Heb. i. 6. Twenty times, in the New Testament, grace, mercy, and peace, are implored of Christ, together with the Father. Baptism is an act of worship performed in his name, Matt. xxviii. 19. Swearing is an act of worship; a solemn appeal in important cases to the omniscient God; and this appeal is made to Christ, Rom. ix. 1. The committing of the soul to God at || pare ye the way of THE LORD; make straight a highway for OUR GOD, Is. xl. 3, &c. But what has John the Baptist to do with all this description if Jesus Christ be only a messenger of Jehovah, and not Jehovah himself? for Isaiah saith, Prepare ye the way of Jehovah. Compare also Zech. xii. 10. with John xix. 34, 37. Is. vi. with John xii. 39. Is. viii. 13, 14. with 1 Pet. ii. 8. Allow Jesus Christ to be God, and all these applications are proper. If we deny it, the New Testament, we must own is one of the most unaccountable compositions in the world, calculated to make easy things hard to be understood.-7. Examine whether events have justified that notion of Christianity which the prophets gave their countrymen of it, if Jesus Christ be not God. The calling of the Gentiles from the worship of idols to the worship of the one living and true God, is one event, which, the prophets said, the coming of the Messiah should bring to pass. If Jesus Christ be God, the event answers the prophecy; if not, the event is not come to pass, for Christians in general worship Jesus, which is idolatry, if he be not God, Isaiah ii. iii. and iv. Zeph. ii. 11. Zech. xiv. 9. The primitive Christians certainly worshipped Him as God. Pliny, who was appointed governor of the province of Bithynia by the emperor Trajan, in the year 103, examined and punished several |