honour, worship, and majesty of the Divine Being, and all virtue and morality. Infamous for the publication of such books, are, John Toland, Anthony Collins, Matthew Tindal, Thomas Woolston, (a portentous genius, who with most stupid effrontery attempted to undermine the credibility of our Saviour's miracles,) Thomas Morgan, John Chubb, John Mandeville, and several others. And not long will any country of Europe, particularly those which have abandoned the Romish communion, be free from writers of this character, if the booksellers continue to abuse the power they now have, of rescuing from oblivion by means of printing every wretched and senseless production. § 6. The sect of Atheists, that is, of persons who deny the existence of an infinitely wise and powerful Being, who created and upholds the visible universe according to his pleasure, is now almost extinct. For at the present day, those actuated by this frenzy, omitting all disputation, agree to the doctrines of Spinoza; and consider this whole material world as an automaton, which, by means of some internal energy, originates and produces various movements, all of which are the result of necessity. The tribe of Deists, or of persons who assail the truth of all revealed religions, and especially of the christian religion, disagree very much, and are divided into various sects. The best of them,-though these are bad enough,are those who endeavour to merge christianity in natural religion, maintaining that Christ only republished the lost and obliterated precepts of nature or correct reason. Of this class are Tindal, Chubb, Mandeville, Morgan, and many others among the English; if indeed they really believed what their words express. To the same class belongs Muralt, or whoever may be the unfortunately eloquent and ingenious author of the recent French work, entitled: What is Essential in Religion, [Lettres sur la Religion essentielle à l'Homme, distinguée de ce qui n'en est que l'Accessoire. Macl.] For according to his opinion the whole system of religion is comprised in these three propositions: There is a God: He watches over human affairs: The soul is immortal. And to inculcate these three truths, by his precepts and example, was the object of Christ's mission. to those sent them from Rome. For many the remo and the bers i glor ap J we THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. of this character, if the bookSortentous genius, who with most stupid Toland, Anthony Collins, Matther Tindal, ity. Infamous for the publication of such have abandoned the Romish And not long will any country of Morgan, John Chubb, John Manundermine the credibility of our and majesty of the Divine Being, and all hey now have, of rescuing wretched and sense ne who deny the ng, who created pleasure, 18 actuated r me, which they wisely dis uff. This appears, among other things, sts of the pontiffs in the present age with the rance, Portugal, Sardinia, and Naples; in which the it's have uniformly been obliged to succumb. § 8. A reconciliation of the protestants with the papists, if except some feeble efforts of certain individuals, has not been seriously and earnestly attempted; nor indeed was it hardly possible. For those who formerly attempted this thing, endeavoured principally to gain over the protestants by explaining away and lowering down the [most offensive] Romish doctrines; but Clement XI. deprived the pacificators of this their principal resource by publishing that very noted decree, called the Bull Unigenitus. For this has shown most clearly, that on most of the points which obliged our ancestors to separate from the Romish communion, the present doctrine of the papists is precisely the same as it formerly appeared to be. This disclosure being made, it became manifest, that thony Collin had formerly offered us peace on very conciliatory ly laid a trap for us, by their pretended exposiomish faith, and that no confidence whatever on the promises of such men. THE EIGHTEENTH CENTU majesty of the Div famous for the public ius, who with most stupid Chubb, John Man Matthew Tindak credibility of our country of Romish wok tine discords, which greatly disquieted the in the preceding century, were so far from 1 settled in this, that they have rather h, and raged with increased animosity. nd with the Dominicans and others; decorum, and more covertly. The ce with the Dominicans. There is nature and lawfulness of the Chinese > enumerate all the contests which of the widely-extended Romish and sometimes more violently. iding the papal empire is that ied on with various results, herlands. The Jansenists, 887 and all of such use to be called, are inferior to the -, power, and influence; but are their equals , sagacity, and erudition; and their superiors in cumoniousness, and that superstition which dazzles the eyes of the multitude. In France they are oppressed and persecuted, but in the Netherlands they find a ready asylum. The greatest part of the papists in the Spanish Netherlands, and all those in the United Netherlands, adhere to the Jansenist doctrines. The Dutch papists at this day have almost separated themselves from the Roman pontiff; though they profess the closest adherence to the communion of the Romish church: nor are either the threatenings or the entreaties of the Romish prelate able to reduce these rebellious Batavians to subordination. § 10. The greatest support of the Jansenist cause, both in the preceding century and in this, was the New Testament of the very learned and pious Paschasius Quesnel, one of the Presbyters of the Oratory, which he translated into French, and accompanied with notes calculated to awaken a sense of religion. For the marrow of the Jansenist doctrines is very elegantly and ingeniously wrought into these notes, so as to infuse it the more agreeably into the mind of the reader. To § 7. The Romish church in this century has been governed by Clement XI. [A. D. 1700-21.] Innocent XIII. [1721—24.] Benedict XIII. [1724-30.] Clement XII. [1730-40.] Benedict XIV. [1740-58.] All these may be pronounced holy, wise, and learned men, if compared with the pontiffs of former times. The most distinguished of them for learning and erudition are Clement XI. and the present pontiff, Benedict XIV., whose former name was Prosper de Lambertini. The most distinguished for piety, or rather for a show of it, was Benedict XIII. This last-named pontiff attempted, by means of a council which he held in the Lateran palace in 1725, the acts and decrees of which have been published, to correct the greater evils in the church, and to reform the very corrupt morals of the clergy of every rank. But the event did not answer his expectations. Nor will Benedict XIV. be more successful; who is now attempting the same thing, though by different means. Moreover, the modern pontiffs differ exceedingly from their predecessors in the extent of their prerogatives, and in their power and influence. For the sovereign princes and states, though they treat the pontiffs personally with high respect and honour, yet are continually depressing and humbling the court of Rome, which they wisely discriminate from the pontiff. This appears, among other things, from the contests of the pontiffs in the present age with the kings of France, Portugal, Sardinia, and Naples; in which the pontiffs have uniformly been obliged to succumb. § 8. A reconciliation of the protestants with the papists, if we except some feeble efforts of certain individuals, has not been seriously and earnestly attempted; nor indeed was it hardly possible. For those who formerly attempted this thing, endeavoured principally to gain over the protestants by explaining away and lowering down the [most offensive] Romish doctrines; but Clement XI. deprived the pacificators of this their principal resource by publishing that very noted decree, called the Bull Unigenitus. For this has shown most clearly, that on most of the points which obliged our ancestors to separate from the Romish communion, the present doctrine of the papists is precisely the same as it formerly appeared to be. This disclosure being made, it became manifest, that those who had formerly offered us peace on very conciliatory terms, had only laid a trap for us, by their pretended expositions of the Romish faith, and that no confidence whatever could be reposed on the promises of such men. § 9. The intestine discords, which greatly disquieted the Romish community in the preceding century, were so far from being composed and settled in this, that they have rather acquired new strength, and raged with increased animosity. The Jesuits still contend with the Dominicans and others; though with a little more decorum, and more covertly. The Franciscans are at variance with the Dominicans. There is also dispute respecting the nature and lawfulness of the Chinese rites. It would be endless to enumerate all the contests which disturb and disquiet every part of the widely-extended Romish church, sometimes more slightly and sometimes more violently. The principal controversy now dividing the papal empire is that of the Jansenists; which is carried on with various results, particularly in France and the Netherlands. The Jansenists, or Augustinians as they choose to be called, are inferior to the Jesuits in numbers, power, and influence; but are their equals in fortitude, sagacity, and erudition; and their superiors in sanctimoniousness, and that superstition which dazzles the eyes of the multitude. In France they are oppressed and persecuted, but in the Netherlands they find a ready asylum. The greatest part of the papists in the Spanish Netherlands, and all those in the United Netherlands, adhere to the Jansenist doctrines. The Dutch papists at this day have almost separated themselves from the Roman pontiff; though they profess the closest adherence to the communion of the Romish church: nor are either the threatenings or the entreaties of the Romish prelate able to reduce these rebellious Batavians to subordination. § 10. The greatest support of the Jansenist cause, both in the preceding century and in this, was the New Testament of the very learned and pious Paschasius Quesnel, one of the Presbyters of the Oratory, which he translated into French, and accompanied with notes calculated to awaken a sense of religion. For the marrow of the Jansenist doctrines is very elegantly and ingeniously wrought into these notes, so as to infuse it the more agreeably into the mind of the reader. To |