514 devotion to the heart a? jesus, 



religion ; and the flrfr. efforts of their zeal were em- 

 ployed in overturning the fyftem of grace. Hardouin 

 and Berruyer undermined revelation itfelf, and forged 

 arms for the fervice of deifm. By their doctrine of pro- 

 babilifm, not only the evangelical, but even natural 

 morality, was, as much as in them lay, pufhed out of 

 the world ; for what horror can be imagined that may 

 not be purified and ennobled by being drawn through 

 this fource ? With the power they had in their hands, 

 they derided both the inquilition and reafon. 



However, the jefuits did not, till the year 1674. 

 proceed fo far as to lead the catholic world into a for- 

 mal idolatry, by teaching them to pay divine honours 

 to a mufcle which, in the human body, admits and 

 propells the blood. I fpeak of the generally-received 

 devotion to the heart of Jefus. The queftion here is 

 not about the adoration of Chrift under a fymbolical 

 image, but the heart itfelf, as a particular part of his 

 body. The adoration we are now fpeaking of has not 

 the perfon of Jefus, but this part, for its object. For^ 

 though the more moderate of the heart-worfhipers pre- 

 tend, that the adoration is directed to the heart, as a 

 fymbolical image and the feat of the divine love ; yet 

 they will not thus evade the charge of idolatry, lines 

 any corporeal image of the divine attributes, or the 

 heart alone, how many divine attributes foever it may 

 be fuppofed to hold, is no proper object of adoration. 



If we coniider the analogy fubfifting between the 

 immediate object of this devotion, and the convulnve 

 feelings of fentimental hearts, it is truely a great won- 

 der how it happened that the inventive fpirit of the' je- 

 fuits tliemfelves did not fall upon this glorious means 

 for gaining fouls. That they made no fcruple to adopt 

 6. it 



1 



1 



1 



