form the mind to the reception of evangelical truth." " Buck's Theol. Dict. vol. ii, p. 149.

A great number of men eminent for piety and learning were raised up during this century, in Germany, Switzerland, England, Scotland, Italy, France, and Holland, to reform the errors of the church, and to propagate true religion. The astonishing success of their labors, it is unnecessary to mention particularly.

Seventeenth century. "The church of Rome, eager to bring the subjected nations within her pale, established, in 1622, a congregation of cardinals, termed de propaganda fide. To defray every expense, a vast endowment, successively increased, furnished the most ample means. The Missionaries were educated, conveyed, and supplied with every necessary. Seminaries were established for such heathen converts as should be sent to Europe from the different nations. Books were printed in all languages for the use of the missions. A provision was made for erecting schools, and affording to the poor assistance, whether by medicine, or under any temporal want. In short, every thing which could forward the missions was liberally supplied.

"France copied the example of Rome; and, in 1663, formed an establishment for the same purpose; and multitudes of friars, of every order, were ready for embarkation, however distant the voyage or perilous the service.

"The Jesuits claimed the first rank, as due to their zeal, learning, and devotedness to the holy see. Their steps were directed by consummate skill, and crowned with astonishing success. They studied the characters of those with whom they had to do, and suited themselves alike to the peasant and to the noble. They selected from their society, the instruments best qualified for their several spheres of action. They were physicians, astronomers, mathematicians, painters, musicians, artists in every occupation, that could render their talents subservient to missionary purposes. Their gentle and insinuating manners gained the confidence of the natives where they resided. They consulted the inclinations and habits of the several nations. In short, they determined to become all things to all men, that they might obtain the great object in view. The new world, and the Asiatic regions, were the chief field of their labors. They penetrated into the uncultivated recesses of America; civilized the savages, and won them to habits of

industry. They visited the untried regions of Siam, Tonkin, and Cochin-China. They entered the vast empire of China itself; insinuated themselves into the confidence of that suspicious people, and numbered millions among their

converts. In India they assumed the garb and austerities of the Bramins; and boasted on the coast of Malabar of a thousand converts baptized in one year by a single Mission-ary. They could alike familiarize themselves with the magnificence and luxury of the court of Pekin, or live on water and vegetables like the Jogis; and whatever their adversaries may object to the looseness of their moral sy stem, the conduct of the Missionaries was unimpeachable, otherwise they had never attracted or preserved the veneration of their disciples-if they admitted of relaxation, it was for them, and not for themselves.

"That their sufferings were great, we have the most authentic evidence. The dreadful massacres in China and Japan, proved them sincere; and at least, as true Catholics as any at Rome, or elsewhere.

"They have been charged with endeavoring to reconcile the Christian God and the Christian doctrine to the prejudices of the disciples of Confucius. But it has been said in their vindication, that, as to the use of the word Tien, for the true God, it conveyed to the mind of a Chinese the idea of Deity, and, if explained, might be as proper as any term in the Hebrew or Greek language. There was something more objectionable in the use of rites, and offerings paid to their departed ancestors; but to us Protestants it will appear equally indifferent, whether the respect be paid to a greatgrandfather, to Confucius, St. Januarius, or St. Crispin.

"Besides the Jesuits, the Dominicans, Franciscans, and other orders became Missionaries in China, and disputed the palm with them: jealous of their superiority, they impeached the purity of their motives, and imputed their zeal to ambitious purposes. Into these accusations probably much truth entered, But more envy. Memorials and crimi nations were sent to Rome against the Jesuits, the most grievous and disgraceful to the Christian name. These quarrels were fatal to the missionary work: they produced contentions among their converts. The jealousy of the gov ernment was roused. In Japan a dreadful persecution arose, and teachers as well as disciples fell victims to the fury of the people. In China also the same causes produ

ced the same calamities, and the next century saw them expelled the empire.

"In Africa, the Capuchins were chiefly employed; less artful and able indeed than the disciples of Loyola, but equally zealous. They relate the wonders wrought by their ministry at Benin, Soffala, and the west and southern coasts of Africa; but those who have seen these negro Christians, will with difficulty admit them a place in the church of Christ."-Burder p. 142–145.

"In those parts of South America, where colleges were founded by the Jesuits, the fathers found an ample field for the exercise of their zeal, either in promoting piety among the inhabitants of the towns, or in instructing the Indians who were employed by the Spaniards in cultivating their fields. But not satisfied with this, they resolved upon forming settlements in the midst of the savage Indians, far distant from the Spanish towns, having learned, by sad experience, that their exertions in behalf of the Indians were almost frustrated by the vicious conduct of the Christian Spaniards.

"The first step which they took was to convince them how much a civil and social life was to be preferred to those brutish wanderings and manners to which they had been accustomed. The inconveniences of that way of life were pointed out, and they were struck with the representation. At length, when a competent number of Indians was brought together,they were taught to build houses, or huts, with some appearance of neatness and symmetry. The next step was to provide necessaries for their subsistence. With much difficulty they were convinced that it was necessary to husband the ground. They had been used only to hunting and fishing; they looked for wild honey and wild fruits in the woods. But the Missionaries furnished them with grain to sow the land, and found them all necessaries for their maintenance till the har-vest. Before the end of the year they had become more gentle and tractable; they began to reap the fruit of their labor, and success rendered them the more eager to take pains. A church, entirely made of wood, was raised at the same time, and nothing was omitted that could instruct them with regard to religion.

"The first colony was scarcely settled, when several others began to be formed on the same plan, and they obtained the name of reductions. The missionaries continued to

make further progress into the heart of the country, in quest of the Indians dispersed among the plains, mountains, and forests. They endeavored, by small presents, to gain their good opinion; laid before them the sad condition of men who acknowledged no God, or adored idols; while they represented, in the best manner they could, the advantages of Christianity. The savages saw with their own eyes the happy situation of the reductions, and put themselves entirely under the direction of the missionaries, whom they considered as persons sent from heaven. Thus several reductions were successively formed, and numbers flocked from all parts to gain admission into them.

"The first settlements were made in the province of Uraguay, which is encompassed with a chain of mountains, inclosing a vast and fruitful plain, for the space of 690 miles. Before long, thirty reductions were established, and the Number of inhabitants in each was from four to six thousand. "It must be owned that worldly motives had a considerable share in bringing so many of the Indians together; for when the first settlement was in agitation, they said, "If you will have us stay with you, give us plenty of victuals; we are like the beasts, that are always eating; not like you, who eat but little, and that little at set hours." The clock was not their rule, but the calls of a craving stomach, and they ate their meat nearly raw.

"This put the Jesuits upon contriving, by all means, to supply their wants. Hereby they gained their confidence, and obtained a complete influence over them. They taught them to love labor and husbandry; they provided them, gratis, with fish-hooks, knives, hatchets, and scissars, and also with medicines; and by this method they were induced to become Christians.

"Unhappily, however, in a few years they were attacked by many thousand Indians, by whom twelve or thirteen of these reductions were destroyed, and multitudes of the Christians put to death. In consequence of this dreadful inroad, the remaining neophytes were transplanted to the banks of the river Parana, about 400 miles distant. This was attended with immense difficulty; but about 120,000 in number at length reached the appointed place, and formed the reduc tions of the Lady of Loretto, and St. Ignatius; after which many more settlements were established between the rivers

Parana and Uraguay. In the year 1717, one province alone reckoned thirty-two reductions, containing 121,168 Indians, all baptized by the Jesuits. Others were formed towards the north, and were afterwards extended to neighboring countries. Extracted from 'A Relation of the Missions of Paraguay, by M. Muratori. 1759.

"A pleasing account of one of these settlements is given by a traveller, F. Florentine de Bourges, a Capuchin, 1712, and which is taken from vol. xiii, of the Lettres Edifiantes.

"This little community consists of seven priests, all men of the greatest virtue. Prayer, study, preaching, and the administration of the sacraments, is their continual employ. Their method of cultivating these new Christians, made such an impression upon me, that I have it always fresh in my mind. This reduction consists of about 30,000 inhabitants. 'At break of day the bell rings to church. One of the missionaries says the morning prayer, and mass; after which each one goes about his business. The children from seven or eight years of age to twelve, are obliged to go to school, where they learn to read and write; they also learn the catechism and prayers of the church. The girls have also their schools, and are taught to sew, spin, &c., they also learn the prayers, &c.

At eight in the morning the boys and girls go to church, say their prayers, and recite the catechism aloud. The modesty and devotion of these children made an uncommon impression upon me. About sun-set the bell rings for evening prayer.

There is a most perfect unison and charity among them. Their goods are common; they are utter strangers to ambition and covetousness; nor is disunion or law-suits known in these colonies. Such care is taken to inspire them with a horror for all sins of impurity, that faults of this kind rarely occur. The service of God and the care of their families take up their whole attention. Two things especially contribute to this purity of life; first, the great care that is taken to instruct them, at set times, concerning the duties of their station; and, secondly, the little commerce they have with any Europeans. There is not a mine of gold or silver in all this country, nor any thing that invites foreigners to settle here. Another advantage is, that there is in every town, a person called their Fiscal, an elderly prudent man. He has