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which Gresset, addressed the jesuits when he quitted their order.

"Je dois tous mes régrets aux sages que je quitte:
"J'en perds avec douleur l'entretien vertueux ;
"Et, si dans leur foyers desormais je n'habite,
"Mon cœur me survit auprès d'eux.

"Car ne leurs crois point tels, que la main de l'envie
"Les peint à des yeux prévenus :

"Si tu ne les connois que sur ce qu' en publiee
"La ténébreuse calomnie,

"Ils te sont encore inconnus:

"Lis,-et vois de leurs mœurs des traits plus ingenus :

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Qu'il est doux de leur rendre un temoignage

"Dont l'intérêt, la crainte, et l'espoir sont exclus!
"A leur sort le mien ne tient plus

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"L'impartialité va traçer leur image.

"Oui, j'ai vu des mortels,—(j'en dois içi l'aveu),—
Trop combattus, connus trop peu ;

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"J'ai vu des ésprits vrais, des mœurs incorruptibles,
"Voués à la patrie, à leur roi, à leur Dieu;
"A leurs propres maux insensibles;

"Prodigues de leurs jours, tendres, parfaits amis;

"Et souvent bienfaiteurs paisibles

"De leurs plus fougeux ennémis;

Trop estimés enfin pour être moins haïs :

66 Que d'autres s'exhalant, dans leur haine insensée,
"En reproches injurieux,

"Cherchent, en les quittant, à les rendre odieux:-
"Pour moi,-fidele au vrai,—fidele à ma pensée,
"C'est ainsi qu'en partant, je leur faix-Mes adieux."

It may be naturally asked in this place:-if the jesuits were such friends to humanity, rendered such

services to religion and literature, and were individually so honoured and loved, as they are represented in these pages,-why had they so many and such violent enemies

The answer is plain :

Talents and merit produce power and influence; -power and influence produce envy and ill-will. The power and influence of an individual operate generally within a limited circle, and therefore excite the envy and ill-will of few, and these expire with their objects. The power and influence of a body, numerously and strongly constituted, and spread over the whole world, as was the society of Jesus, are not thus limited; they are not only permanent, but almost always on the increase *.

The consequence is obvious.

A young gentleman complained to the late sir Alexander Strachan, a distinguished member of the society, of the undeserved malevolence which he had received from some, whom he had served : My "dear friend," said the worthy father, "you know "the jesuits think of us, and be satisfied.”

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He might have involved the observation higher: he might have said,-"Think of the fate of him, qui pertrasiit benefaciendo."

The writer hopes these historical minutes of this very interesting society will displease no enlightened or candid reader. No one can be more independent

⚫ See the Apologie de l'Institût des Jésuites, ch. iii. septième objection,--from which this remark is taken.

of its members, less connected with them, or have fewer calls on him to advocate their cause.-But,

"Pleas'd to spread friendships, and to cover heats,"

POPE,

he could not refuse himself the satisfaction of offering, in this place, a few words in their eulogy.

CHAP. LXXVI.

Vol. 11. c. 35. p. 63.

GEORGE THE THIRD.

GENERAL STATE OF THE ENGLISH CATHOLICS, IN THE REIGN OF GEORGE THE THIRD, BEFORE THE ACT PASSED IN THEIR FAVOUR IN 1778.

1760.

LXXVI. 1.

Vol. 11. c. 35. s. 1. p. 63.

General Condition of the English Catholics, from the Revolution till the Accession of George the third.

LXXVI. 2.

Vol. 11. c. 35. s. 2. p. 69.

The gradual Amelioration in the Situation of Catholics.

CHAP. LXXVII.

Vol. 11. c. 36. p. 74.

THE ACT PASSED IN THE EIGHTEENTH YEAR OF

HIS LATE MAJESTY FOR THE RELIEF OF THE ENGLISH CATHOLICS.

LXXVII. 1.

Vol. 11. c. 36. s. 1. p. 74.

The Petition presented by the English Catholics in 1778.

LXXVII. 2.

Vol. 11. c. 36. s. 2. p. 77.

The Proceedings in Parliament on the Act of the eighteenth of his late Majesty.

LXXVII. 3.

Vol. II. c. 36. s. 3. p. 81.

The legal Operation of the Act of the eighteenth of his late

Majesty.

LXXVII. 4.

Vol. 11. c. 36. s. 4. p. 82.
The Oath prescribed by the Act.

LXXVII. 5.

Vol. 11. c. 37. p. 86.

The Riots in 1780.

CHAP. LXXVIII.

THE SOCINIANS,—UNITARIANS,-DEISTS,~ FRENCH PHILOSOPHERS.

WE have given some account of the successive reformations of the established creed by the latitudinarians, by the low-church men, and by Hoadley and his disciples: the subject now leads us to notice, I. The socinians: II. The unitarians: III. The deists: IV. And the French philosophers. V. We shall then mark the reception of the French emigrants in this country.

LXXVIII. 1.

The Socinians.

THE reformation had scarcely dawned, before some persons secretly promulgated antitrinitarian opinions.

The first of these was Martin Cellarius, a native of Stutgard, in 1499; John Campanus, who maintained the same doctrine, was his contemporary, and is better known. Soon afterwards, the celebrated Michael Servetus, an Arragonese, published his first work on the Trinity*: it produced a powerful sensation among the leaders of the reformation: they all openly professed their abhorrence of its doctrines. Undismayed by their clamours, he published a second work †, of the same

• De Trinitatis Erroribus, libri septem, per Michaelem Servetum, alias Reves, ab Aragonia, Hispanum.

↑ Dialogorum de Trinitate, libri duo: de justitia Regni Christi, capitula quatuor.

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