Is it desirable that the Order of Jesuits should be Re-established? 314 of it? Would it be fair to inculpate a | gospel; it employs all its legitimate whole body of men, for the faults of some individuals? means to obtain that end. With such a prospect, how is it possible not to desire the re-establishment of an institute, solely distinguished by the' apostolic zeal of its Missionaries, by the sacred eloquence of its preachers, by the profound science of its theologians, by their incomparable success in the education of youth, by the dignified worship in their churches, by the attachment and pious confidence they inspired the people with, and to the Was it the institution that commanded those faults? Will they accuse the whole Apostleship, because there was a traitor among them? But I ask: has the whole Jesuitical cause been impartially judged? Has it been debated by all the lawful forms? Has the friend to truth no right to presume in their favour? Is it not verified, that the most implacable enemies of the Jesuits were altogether those super-great number of meritorious people of stitious beings who believed in the false Parisian miracles; besides the incredulous who denied the existence of God? The two parties joined in sentiments common to such people, in their hatred for the Jesuits; their combined efforts gained the assistance of some powerful men, and succeeded in crumbling an edifice which appeared indestructible. all classes attached to an institute which has produced an Ignatius, a Francis Xavier, a Borgia, a Louis of Gonzagua, a Stanislaus Szostka, and a multitude of others! If the re-establishment of the Order of Jesuits is desirable for the sake of religion, it is also relatively to the state, since the Catholic altar is the most firm support of the throne. That very society has rendered the most essential services to governments, by the assiduous cares to the morals of the growing generation, the culture of useful sciences and literature. Those important services were never expensive to the state, since that society practised frugality and poverty. It is very evident that the chief pastor of the church, in order to avoid a schism, flattered himself, that in sacrificing or abolishing that institute, it might preserve the peace of the church. But then there existed a fermentation, which caused a revolution, whose horrors we every day contemplate; some sophistical wicked wretch- It is at least very praise-worthy to es, abusing the name of philosophy express one's wishes for the re-estab (respectable in itself) attempted to lishment of the Jesuits, since the Vicar sap or undermine the basis of the true of Jesus Christ, Pius VII, that virbelief, in reuniting a number of per-tuous Pontiff, the wonder of his age, versed men: they overturned in France the throne and the altar, by murder and carnage. Religion, that blessed gift from heaven for the salvation of mankind, is immutable like the rock in a tempest, whilst we every day behold that wickedness destroys itself. But experience has again manifested, that nothing is to be obtained upon villany, by a condescending complacency; its audacity encreases, proportionably to the sacrifice which is made. To bring back mankind towards its Creator, to destroy vices, to encrease virtue, such is the true spirit of the has already given his authorization to re-establish themselves in all the countries where the Princes would desire it; and who could imagine but that well-intentioned sovereigns will protect it with ardour, when wearied out to an excess by the late havocks which have shaken and nearly annihilated all the thrones of Europe, which evidently have begun to be poured out upon them immediately after the destruction of the society, and that all the remedies which they employ to avoid its consequences, will be found nearly useless, until they recall the society, and with it the virtue of a Catholic education, they never will procure security but imperfectly, without the return of the Jesuits. When a reasonable man, a true Catholic, considers the lukewarmness, the incredulity, the ignorance of the moral and religious verities, which ravage the human kind ; when he considers that delirium of the passions, that religious apathy, that want of principles, or rather that corruption of youth, which degrades so many thinking beings; when he considers at last that spirit of anarchy, which renders mankind ungovernable, the produce of so many horrors, whose evils are not yet unrooted, it is then that the honest man, the true Roman Catholic, desires earnestly that the society of Jesuits, founded upon piety, guided by wisdom, and cemented by obedience, be soon re-established; until that period, no real happiness is to be expected upon earth. EPITOME OF INTELLIGENCE. THE following articles are copied from the French papers, received since the last month : Rome, Aug. 3.-Of 6,000 priests in the States of the Church, 800 refused to take the oaths of fidelity to the Empire and the Constitution, because his Holiness had, in a letter to the bishops, prohibited the acknowledgement of any authority but that of the Holy See. The persons were transported to Corsica and other places, and subsisted on small pensions allow ed them by Buonaparte: the Pope has now, in reward for their firmness and fidelity, restored them to their functions, and conferred other marks of favour upon them. By a proclamation, the Pope has forbid individuals to enquire into what is passed, reserving to himself the power of proceeding against the most guilty. All the ancient tribunals have been re-established. All the priests who had taken the former oath are ordered to retract the same, under the pain of being suspended a divinis. The government proposes to indemnify the Cardinals, Prelates, and others, whose property has been alienated, and a commission to this effect has been appointed. M. Alanasis, Pro-Vicegerent of The Rome, who had concurred in all the measures of the usurper, has published a declaration, manifesting his repentance, and submitting to whatever may be pronounced against him. Abbe Casolini, so zealous in the service of Buonaparte, has also offered a circumstantial recantation. The Duke of Sera has offered to raise 700 men for the service of the Pope, and to erect a statue to his honour; but his Holiness has thanked his zeal, and accepted neither the one nor the other. M. Antonio Longo, Arch-priest of Florence, who was nominated by Buonaparte to the Bishopric of Spoleto, and had obtained the powers of Vicar-Capitular for that Diocese, published, on the 4th of May, at Florence, a recantation, in which he begs pardon for having accepted an appointment from a man who had no right to give one, for the impious violence offered to him by the person of the Head of the Church, and for having counteracted the brief af the 2d Dec. 1810, addressed to the Chapter of Florence. He declares that his conduct was the effect of fear, and expresses great contrition. On the feast of St. Peter, the Pope distributed the usual medal to the Cardinals and Prelates. It bears on one side, the portrait of St. Peter, with | ed by the Royal Treasury; the fami the inscription, Pius VII. Pont. Mar. lies of the condemned are to be adand on the other, St. Peter released by mitted to their inheritances. This an angel from prison, with this in- Memorial, full of wise views, and such scription around it, Renovatum Proas are in harmony with the glory of digium; and below, Summi Pontificiis religion, and the present enlightened reditus Religionis triumphus. An. state of the world, has been well received by his Holiness, who, it is said, has since had several conferences with his Majesty King Charles IV. 1814. The feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Order of the Jesuits, was celebrated on the 31st ult. with very great pomp in the church of Jesus. An immense concourse of the faithful were present, and a number of Cardinals assisted at the offices. Cassel, Aug. 4.-The Hanoverian ministry has restored to the Prince Bishop, and to the Catholic clergy of the principalities of Osnabruck and Hildesheim, the rights and properties Aug. 12.-We have been informed, secured to them by the resolution of the that Ferdinand VII. has addressed a deputation of the Empire in 1813, and long Memorial to his Holiness, pray- of which they were deprived by the ing him to regulate the jurisprudence late King of Westphalia. From Noof the Supreme Council of the Inqui- vember 1, 1813, the Prince Bishop of sition by a Bull. His Majesty pro- Hildesheim will receive his pension of poses to abolish the code called Di- [ 25,000 Prussian crowns; and those of rectorium Inquisitorum. (It is in that Basle and Liege will, in like manner, code, the author of which was Nicho-be paid those assigned them by the las Rimeric, a Dominican, that we King of Prussia, out of the revenues read the following sentence:-"Let of the country of Hildesheim. The no man say that he is condemned un-religious belonging to the suppressed * justly, nor complain of his ecclesias tical judges, nor of the judgment of the church; but if he be unjustly condemned, let him make it matter of joy that he suffers for justice.")—Mahometans, Jews, and other infidels, will no longer be allowed to give testimony in matters of religion against Catholics accused of heresy, &c. Wives, children, relations, and domestics, are not to be admitted as witnesses in the first instance. The torture cannot be ap- | plied in any case. The charges are to be so specific, that slight or violent suspicion of heresy cannot suffice, without a commencement of proofs, for ordering the arrest of any individual.-Jews may be allowed to employ Christian nurses without being called to account by the Inquisition. His Majesty appears disposed to submit criminal affairs, in matters of religion, to the ordinary forms of criminal justice. The property of the condemned cannot, in any case, fall to the Inquisition. The expences of the Supreme Council are to be defray ORTHOD. JOUR. VOL. II. | | | convents will also be paid the pensions fixed in 1803. The civil officers attached to chapters and churches, who received nothing under the former government, are again to be paid their salaries with arrears; in short, both in Hildesheim, Munster, and Osnabruck, the utmost attention is paid to repair the wrongs and losses sustained for so many years by the Catholic establish ments. The Elector of Hesse has also re-established the Ecclesiastical pensions in his dominions, on the footing of 1806 : he has re-endowed the ministers of the Catholic religion in this residence, and also a Protestant Professor of Canon Law at Marburg. One of the first things which will probably occupy attention at the Congress, is that of providing for the wants of the German Dioceses. Most of the episcopal sees are vacant; there are neither chapters, seminaries, nor theological chairs; the faithful now know not where they are. For the last 20 years, the Catholic church of Germany has experienced the most adorned the natives of Ireland. Of of treacherous dissimulation and perfidious imposition, both upon the understandings and the pockets of their seduced and unthinking followers.To return, however, to the meeting in question. I call upon the reverend chairman, if he be not already ashamed of his proceedings, to substantiate or vindicate, if he can, the whole or any of the expressions I have quoted in the present letter; and if he fail in doing so, let him take to himself the contempt and indignation which must inevitably attend such conduct. In reflecting upon the wickedness and immorality of bringing up a set of children to such vile courses; making them instruments for the dissemination of expressions and sentiments, which they would be ashamed or afraid to utter themselves, one is almost at a loss for suitable words to express the detestation which must be felt at such conduct, and alternately led to con demn the depravity, to pity the weakness, and laugh at the egregious folly I come now to the story told by a which can dictate such a line of beha larger lad than usual, the Blower of viour. But in order to convince your the meeting. Without any observa- readers that it is impossible to set any tions on the tale itself, I feel myself bounds to their extravagant folly, I bound to tell this gentleman, that poor, proceed to lay before them an extract ignorant, besotted, and superstitious of a letter which the Society professes as I am, I really blushed for his weak- to have received from one of its agents ness. I felt for degraded humanity, in Ireland, and who is termed a reto see a full grown person, apparently spectable correspondent. The letter in the possession of his senses, evince commences by mentioning that some such a childish want of common un- Catholics being in possession of a Tesderstanding. I will not charge the tament, "In reading it they were religion of any of my dissenting bre-" joined by some Protestants; and all, thren with inculcating the propriety of" in alluding to the treatment our Saits teachers imposing upon the rest of "viour endured, discovered that the their body by tales of such ridiculous "priests were his enemies and oppc. nonsense, and the circulation of such sers, and that it was by the malice vile impositions as I have recapitulat-" and influence of the chief priests he ed; but I will maintain that what I σε was put to death. This gave rise to have adduced of their conduct, and a warm dispute between the Proexposed of their language, sufficiently "testants and the Catholics, to which justifies me in saying that I have never "of their denominations the wicked yet had an opportunity of observing priests pertained. However, the the proceedings of any body of persons" Catholics were silenced by this ar so totally undeserving even of the cre- gument from the Protestants, that dit of good intentions, as the Hiber-"the Protestant clergy were not nian Society.I can discern nothing priests, but ministers, and that, as in their conduct but a base compound" yo denomination had priests but the 66 66 66 ries, who are represented to be so ig-norant as not to know what they read!! What excellent principles govern the members of the Hibernian Society! What penetrating beings are English Protestants, to believe such trash! What a wonderful triumph for these enlightened gentlemen! But what is the plain inference to be drawn from the publication of this letter? Is it not, that Protestants, being left without any one to instruct them, are in reality as ignorant as the Catholics are de-. scribed to be? Or, if we suppose them better informed, are they not guilty of wilfully wishing to impose a wicked falsehood upon their unsuspecting Catholic neighbours? Or, if we reject these suppositions, is not the whole story a fabrication, for which we are indebted to the zealous, the pious, and the amiable votaries of the Hibernian Society. That they are very capable of such proceedings is, I think, most evident from what I have laid before your readers respecting them: and, leaving them in possession of all the honours to which they are entitled, I for the present take my leave of them, subscribing myself your's, &c. J. C "Catholics, it must have been they "who perpetrated the deed. The Ca"tholics, sore under the charge, reic proached their priest, on his next "visit, for this wicked deed of his or"der; which obliged the priest to "make a sermon on the occasion, to "convince them that it was the Jewish "and not the Catholic priests who "crucified the Redeemer." Your readers have here I think a tolerable specimen of the modest candour, the ingenuous liberality, of this respectable correspondent of the Society. (Indeed. I had much rather they should be judged at all times by their own language, than by my description of them.) It appears by this extract, that it is a matter of satisfaction to them, that the Catholics should be charged with the guilt incurred by the Jews of old with regard to the death of our Saviour. But it seems that no denomination of Christians have priests but the Catholics. The Protestant clergy forsooth ARE NOT priests but MINISTERS! I really can hardly persuade myself in penning this sentence that I am not dreaming. But if I am really awake, and in the possession of my reasoning faculties, I have frequently heard them boast of having among them persons of all religious persuasions; and as I have heard one MR. EDITOR.The following ac of their speakers, and Secretary too, count of the suppression of the Semiboast of being a member of the esta- nary of Gand, consisting of 214 theoblished church, I should wish to ap- logians, which took place on the 25th peal to his correct knowledge, whether of July, 1813, will sufficiently shew the church of which he is a member how necessary it is that the Church has not, according to her doctrine, should be governed by Pastors endowboth priests and deacons. I should ed with disinterested fortitude and realso be glad to know what sort of a solution, in preference to these who Testament it was that these cunning submit to become the instruments of a fellows had; because the Rheims trans- despotic tyrant, or the tools of inlation says they were Jewish priests triguing men. The Penal Laws enwho committed the act? Yet the reacted under our own Elizabeth, like. spectable scribe makes it out that the Protestants were ignorant of this matter as well as the Catholics, notwithstanding their pretended superior knowledge in matters of religion.— What a cause to defend! -where the advocates of it have recourse to a direct LIE, to overcome their adversaORTHOD. JOUR. VOL. II. For the Orthodox Journal. those of the Roman Emperors, were aimed to destroy both the priest and the altar, by open and undisguised persecution; but it was reserved for our unhappy age, to see those who are appointed to support the sacred institutions of the Church, become them selves the agents of the unhallowed, 2 S |