bEVOTtOtt TO THE HEART OP JEStTS* $15 



ft from a heretic, proceeded from its extreme impor- 

 tance as an article for their holy trade. 



The inventor of it was Thomas Goodwin, prefident of 

 Magdalen College, Oxford m 9 an Arminian, who excited 

 great attention in England, in the middle of the laft 

 century, by his afcetical and theological writings. His 

 bookj Cor Chrifti in ccelis erga peccatores in terris, 

 printed in the year 1649. comprifes the whole fyftem 

 of this devotion ; and was intended to promote the 

 fpread of it in England. 



The jefuit La Colombiere, who was fent to London 

 as confeffor and preacher to the dutchefs of York, after- 

 wards queen, found there a numerous feci: of people, 

 who, after Goodwin's example, adored the flefhly 

 heart of Jefus, as the fymbolical image of divine love. 

 He was aftonifhed at the novelty of fo ravifhing a de- 

 votion, which had fo long efcaped the fertile invention 

 of his brotherhood; and carried it in a kind of triumph, 

 as formerly caefar Caligula did his fpolia oceani, back 

 with him to France : there to plant it in a more happy 

 foil, where under the influence of heavenly vi lions and 

 miracles, it flruck deep root, and by a legion of apof- 

 ties was propagated through the four quarters of the 

 world. 



At Paray le monial, in the province of Bufgogne, 

 in the convent of the vifitation, there lived at that 

 time a nun of the name of, Marie a la Coque, who, in 

 her heavenly villous, had frequently the happinefs of 

 converfing familiarly with Chrift. The fame of her 



* Under Cromwell, with whom this fanatic was in high favour 

 Under Charles II. he was turned out of that place. 



3L h a fane- 



