Ixxiv. PROLEGOMENA. 



themselves lo circumstances ; and the world has exhibited 

 a wonderful proof how much they have protected the faith 

 against heresy. They have been persecuted, and I am 

 ashamed to say, it has not been so much by protestants as 

 by bad members of our own Catholic Church, from motives 

 which sprinj^ out of envy, bigotry, and selfishness, vices 

 which are a disgrace to the vocation of a Christian. But 

 God in his inscrutable providence granted them this trial 

 at the prayers of their founder, who desired that bis 

 followers, allied so closely to Jesus, in name and in labours 

 of love, should also be partakers of his persecution. 



I have gone into this digression, from the article under 

 consideration, in the hope of convincing my readers that 

 we Catholics are not nowadays persecutors. The Mas- 

 sacre of St. Bartholomew, so disgraceful to Christianity, 

 though so much misstated, could not have taken place if 

 the mild principles of this excellent and peaceful Society 

 had been in operation ; and I may say, with confident 

 hope, that Persecution on the part of Catholics is at an end 

 for ever. 



It must be candidly confessed that in former times 

 both Catholics and protestants have persecuted each other : 

 individuals will always be found in all large communities, 

 whose cupidity will get the better of their charity, and 

 who will find a ready cloak for their sins in an afTected 

 zeal for religion ; otherwise we could not account for the 

 number of scoundrels who, in the clerical garb, commit 

 every species of enormity. But in an enlightened stage of 

 society these vices will by degrees give way to a better 

 state of things ; hypocrisy will gradually be disarmed 

 by education, and in direct proportion as solid virtues and 

 sanctity of life are respected, instead of the cant that 

 affects or the sable mantle that covers them, will persecution 

 be deprived of its powers. The Society of Jesus have 



