till at length this idolatrous practice was abolished in many parts of the Christian world by the reforination. See IMAGE. ICOÑOLA TRÆ, or ICONOLATERS, those who worship images; a name which the Iconoclastes give to those of the Romish communion, on account of their adoring images, and of rendering to them the worship only due to God. The word is formed from any, image, and Arpauce, I worship. See last article, and article IMAGE. sound; and at the same time gives not those alarms to conscience which the eruptions of bolder and fierce emotions often occasion Logan's Sermons, vol. i. ser. 4; Blair's Sermons vol. iii. ser. 4; Idler, vol i. p. 5. 171, 172; Cowper's Poems, 228, vol. i. duod. Johnson's Rambler, vol ii. p. 162, 163. IDOLATRY, the worship of idols, or the act of ascribing to things and persons, properties which are peculiar to God alone. The principal sources of idolatry seem to be the extravagant ve and sciences.-3, It was more adapted to the bent which men have towards visible and sensible objects. Men want gods who shall go before them, and be among them. God, who is every where in power, and no where in appearance, is hard to be conceived -4. It favoured human passions: it required no morality: its religious ritual consisted of splen did ceremonies, revelling, dancing, nocturnal assemblies, impure and scandalous mysteries, debauched priests, and gods, who were both slaves and patrons to all sorts of vices. IDLENESS, a reluctaucy in be em ployed in any kind of work. The idleneration for creatures and beings from man is in every view both foolish and which benefits accrue to men. Dr. Jorcriminal. "He neither lives to God, to tin says, that idolatry had four privilethe world, nor to himself. He does not ges to boast of. The first was a veneralive to God, for he answers not the end ble antiquity, more ancient than the for which he was brought into being Jewish religion; and idolaters might Existence is a sacred trust; but he who have said to the Israelites. Where was misemploys and squanders it away, thus your religion before Moses and Abrabecomes treacherous to its Author. ham? Go and inquire in Chaldea, and Those powers which should be employ there you will find that your fathers ed in his service, and for the promotion served other Gods.-2. It was wider of his glory, lie dormant. The time spread than the Jewish religion. It was which should be sacred to Jehovah is the religion of the greatest, the wisest, lost; and thus he enjoys no fellowship and the politest nations of the Chalwith God, nor any way devotes himself deans, Egyptians, and Phoenicians, the to his praise. He lives not to the world,parents of civil government, and of arts nor for the benefit of his fellow-creatures around him. While all creation is full of life and activity, and nothing stands still in the universe, he remains idle, forgetting that mankind are connected by various relations and mutual dependencies, and that the order of the world cannot be maintained without perpetual circulation of active duties. He lives not to himself. Though he imagines that he leaves to others the drudgery of life, and betakes himself to enjoyment and ease, yet, in fact, he has no true pleasure. While he is a blank in society, he is no less a torment to him- "All the more remarkable false reliself; for he who knows not what it is to gions that have been or are in the world, labour, knows not what it is to enjoy. recommend themselves by one or other He shuts the door against improvement of these four privileges and characters." of every kind, whether of mind, body, or The first objects of idolatrous worfortune. Sloth enfeebies equally the bo-ship are thought to have been the sun, dily and the mental powers His cha- moon, and stars. Others think that anracter falls into contempt Disorder, gels were first worshipped. Soon after confusion, and embarrassment mark his the flood we find idolatry greatly prewhole situation. Idleness is the inlet to vailing in the world. Abraham's father's a variety of other vices. It undermines family served other gods beyond the ri every virtue in the soul. Violent pas- ver Euphrates; and Laban had idols sions, like rapid torrents, run their which Rachel brought along with her. course; but after having overflowed In process of time, noted patriots, or their banks their impetuosity subsides; || king's deceased,animals of various kinds, but sloth, especially when it is habitual, plants, stones, and, in fine, whatever is like the slowly-flowing putrid stream, people took a fancy to, they idolized. which stagnates in the marsh, breeds The Egyptians, though high pretenders venomous animals and poisonous plants to wisdom, worshipped pied bulls, snipes, and infects with pestilential vapours the leeks, onious, &c. The Greeks had whole country round it. Having once about 30,000 gods. The Gomerians deitainted the soul, it leaves no part of it fied their ancient kings; nor were the || JEHOVAH, one of the Scripture Chaldeans, Romans, Chinese, &c. a whit less absurd. Some violated the most natural affections by murdering multitudes of their neighbours and children, under pretence of sacrificing them to their god. Some nations of Germany, Scandinavia, and Tartary, imagined that violent death in war, or by self-murder, was the proper method of access to the future enjoyment of their gods. In far later times, about 64,080 persons were sacrificed at the dedication of one idolatrous temple in the space of four days in America. The Hebrews never had any idols of their own, but they adopted those of the nations around. The veneration which the Papists pay to the Virgin Mary, and other saints and angels, and to the bread in the sacrament, the cross, relics, and images, lays a founa-gested, as he gave out, by the immediate tion for the protestants to charge them with idolatry, though they deny the charge. It is evident that they worship them, and that they justify the worship, but deny the idolatry of it, by distinguishing subordinate from supreme worship: the one they call latria, the other dulia but this distinction is thought by many of the Protestants to be vain, fu tile and nugatory. JESUITS, or the Society of Jesus ; a famous religious order of the Romish Church, founded by Ignatius Loyola, a Spanish knight, in the sixteenth century. The plan which this fanatic formed of its constitution and laws, was sug inspiration of Heaven. But notwithstanding this high pretension, his design met at first with violent opposition. The pope, to whom Loyola had applied for the sanction of his authority to confirm the institution, referred his petition to a committee of cardinals. They represented the establishment to be unnecessary as well as dangerous, and Paul refused to grant his approbation of it. At last, Idolatry has been divided into meta- Loyola removed all his scruples, by an phorical and proper By metaphorical offer which it was impossible for any idolatry, is meant that inordinate love pope to resist. He proposed, that beof riches, honours, and bodily pleasures, sides the three vows of poverty, of chaswhereby the passions and appetites of tity, and of monastic obedience, which men are made superior to the will of are common to all the orders of reguGod; man, by so doing, making a god lars, the members of his society should of himself and his sensual temper. Pro- take a fourth vow of obedience to the her idolatry is giving the divine honour pope, binding themselves to go whitherto another. The objects or idols of that soever he should command for the serhonour which are given are either per- vice of religion, and without requiring sonal, i. e the idolatrous themselves, any thing from the holy see for their who become their own statues; or in- support. At a time when the papel auternal, as false ideas, which are set up thority had received such a shock by in the fancy instead of God, such as fan- the revolt of so many nations from the cying God to be a light, flame, matter, Romish church, at a time when every &c. only here, the scene being internal, part of the popish system was attacked the scandal of the sin is thereby abated; with so much violence and success, the or external, as worshipping angels, the acquisition of a body of men, thus pecusun, stars, animals, &c. Tenison on Ido- liarly devoted to the see of Rome, and latry; A. Young on Idolatrous Cor-whom it might set in opposition to all ruptions; Ridgley's Body of Div qu. 106. Fell's Idolatry of Greece and Rome; Stillingfleet's Idolatry of the Church of Rome; Jortin's Ser. vol. vi. ser. 18. JEALOUSY is that particular uneasiness which arises from the fear that some rival may rob us of the affection of one whom we greatly love, or suspicion that he has already done it. The first sort of jealousy is inseparable from love, before it is in possession of its object; the latter is unjust, generally mischievous, and always troublesome. its enemies, was an object of the highest consequence. Paul, instantly perceiving this, confirmed the institution of the Jesuits by his bull; granted the most ample privileges to the members of the society, and appointed Loyola to be the first general of the order. The event fully justified Paul's discernment in expecting such beneficial consequences to the see of Rome from this institution. In less than half a century the society obtained establishments in every country that adhered to the Roman cathi church; its power and wealth inc amazingly; the number of its members became great; their character as well as accomplishments were still greater; and the Jesuits were celebrated by the friends and dreaded by the enemies of the Rom sh faith, as the most able and enterprising order in the church. cy could not fail to impress its character on all the members of the order, and to give a peculiar force to all ns operations. There has not been, perhaps, in the annals of mankind, any example of such a perfect despotism exercised, not 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 order 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 Je suits 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 per formance of which is the chief business of other monks. They appear in no processions: they practise no rigorous aus. terities; they do not consume one half of their time in the repetion 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 di rected to study the dispositions of persons in high rank, and to cultivate their friendship; and by the very constitu tion 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 vows 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, frogress of the fiower and be considered as voluntary associations, influence ofAs 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 command 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 mo standings. Such a singular form of poli-narchs; a function of no small-impor tance in any reign, but, under a weak independent empire, subject to the sociprince, superior to that of minister. ety 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 Amrica. 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 devis- their subjects and the Spanish or Portued for eluding the obligations 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 governgy, the Jesuits possessed one which was ments, they did not permit him to have peculiar to themselves.—Under the any conversation with their subjects; pretext of promoting the success of and no Indian was allowed even to enter their missions, and of facilitating the the house where these strangers residsupport of their missionaries, they obed, 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. As all other commercial societies, and aimed these precautions, without military force, at obtaining settlements. They acquir-would have been insufficient to have ed possession, accordingly, of the large rendered their empire secure and perand fertile province of Paraguay, which manent, they instructed their subjects stretches across the southern continent in the European art of war, and formed of America, from the bottom of the them into bodies completely armed, and mountains of Potosi to the confines of well disciplined. the Spanish and Portuguese settlements on the banks of the river De la Plata. Here, indeed, it must be confessed, they were of service: they found the inhabitants in a state little different from that which takes place among men when they first begin to unite together; strangers to the arts; subsisting precariously by hunting or fishing; and hardly acquainted with the first principles of subordination and government.-The Jesuits set themselves to instruct and ci vilize 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 5. Jesuits, pernicious effects of this order in civil society.-Though it must be confessed that the Jesuists cultivated" the study of ancient literature, and contributed much towards the progress of polite learning; though they have produ ced eminent masters in every branch of science, and can boast of a number of ingenious authors; yet, unhappily for mankind, their vast influence has been 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 patrous of those doctrines which tend to exalt ecclesiastical power on own members: they refused to produce the ruins of civil g vernment. They them when required by courts of jushave attributed to the court of Rome a tice; and by a strange solecism in polijurisdiction as extensive and absolute as cy, the civil power in different countries, was claimed by the most presumptuous authorized or connived at the establishpontiffs in the dark ages. They have ment of an order of men, whose consticontended for the entire independence tution and laws were concealed with a of ecclesiastics on the civil magistrates solicitude, which alone was a good reaThey have published such tenets con- son for having excluded them. During cerning the duty of opposing princes the prosecutions which have been carwho were enemies of the Catholic faith, ried on against them in Portugal and as countenanced the most atrocious France, the Jesuits have been so inconcrimes, and tended to dissolve all the siderate as to produce the mysterious ties which connect subjects with their volumes of their institute. By the aid rulers. As the order derived both re- of these authentic records, the principutation and authority, from the zeal ples of their government may be deli. with which it stood forth in defence of || neated, and the sources of their power the Romish church, against the attacks investigated, with a degree of certainty of the reformers ; its members, proud of and precision, which, previous to that this distinction, have considered it as event, it was impossible to attain. their peculiar function to combat the opinions, and to check the progress of the Protestants. They have made use of every art, and have employed every weapon against them. They have set themselves in opposition to every gentle or tolerating measure in their favour. They have incessantly stirred up against them all the rage of ecclesiastical and civil persecution. Whoever recollects the events which have happened in Europe during two centuries, will find that the Jesuits may just'y be considered as responsible for most of the pernicious effects arising from that Amongst the Jews they shall strive to corrupt and dangerous casuistry, from "abolish the truth, and shall come very those extravagant tenets concerning ec- "near to do it. For these sorts will clesiastical power, and from that intole- " turn themselves into several forms: rant spirit which have been the disgrace" with the heathen, a heathenist; with of the church of Rome throughout that period and which have brought so many calamities upon society. The pernicious effects of the spirit and constitution of this order rendered it early obnoxious to some of the principal powers in Europe, and gradually brought on its downfall. There is a remarkable passage in a sermon preached at Dublin by archbishop Brown, so lng ago as the year 1551, and which may be considered almost as prophetic. It is as follows: "But there 46 are a new fraternity of late sprung up "who call themselves Jesuits, which "will deceive many, much after the "Scribes and Pharisees' manner. 46 46 “ the atheist, an atheist; with the Jews, a Jew; with the reformers, a reformade, purposely to know your intentions, your minds, your hearts, and your inclinations; and thereby bring you, at last, to be like the fool that said in his heart, there was no God. "These shall be spread over the whole ||“ world, shall be admitted into the "councils of princes, and they never "the wiser; charming of them; yea, 61 46 .. 6. Jesuits, downfall in Europe.Such were the laws, the policy, and the genius of this formidable order; of which, however, a perfect knowledge has only been attainable of late. Europe had observed, for two centuries, the ambition and power of the order; but while it felt many fatal effects of these, it could not fully discern the causes to which they were to be imputed. It was unacquainted with many of the singular regulations in the political constitution or government of the Jesuits. which formed the enterprising spirit of intrigue that distinguished its members," and elevated the body itself to such a height of power. It was a fundamental maxim with the Jesuits, from their first institution, not to publish the rules of their order : these they kept concealed as an impenetrable mystery. They never communicated them to strangers, not even to the greater part of their making your princes reveal their hearts, and the secrets therein, and "yet they not perceive it; which will happen from falling from the law of O God, by neglect of fulfilling the law "of God, and by winking at their sins; yet, in the end, God, to justify his law, shall suddenly cut of this society, even by the hands of those who have most "succoured them, and made use of them; so that, at the end, they shall "become odious to all nations. They shall be worse than Jews, having no "resting place upon earth; and then "shall a Jew have more favour than a |