DEVOTION TO THE HEART OF JESUS. 5x9 



latinate, a hardened firmer was fuddenly converted, as 

 he was carrying to the place of execution, at the fight 

 of a copper-plate engraving of the Saviour pointing to 

 his heart, and inviting the finner to mutual love. 



The jefuits had artfully obtained the toleration or 

 connivance of the bifhops and fenfible perfons towards 

 this devotion^, under the fpecious pretext, that it was 

 not to be underftood of the flefhly and bodily, but of 

 the fymbolical heart of Jefus, by which the divine love 

 itfelf was typified. As foon, however, as it became 

 manifeft to all men, by the writings and publications 

 of the jefuits Gallifet, Croiffet, Darouville, and num- 

 berlefs others, that the adoration was directed imme- 

 diately to the material heart, as a particular part of the 

 man in union with the deity, there arofe great numbers 

 in oppofition to it, efpecially in Italy and France. 

 Yet they had fo deeply {truck their root in the minds 

 of both princes and people, and the bifhops were fo 

 much under the yoke of the jefuits, that they frill 

 maintained their credit every where. 



From the year 1697. the jefuits were bufily em- 

 ployed in obtaining of the fovereign pontif a proper 

 office and a peculiar mafs for the anniverfary of this 

 devotion ; their ardent wanes, however, were not ful- 

 filled by the pope till the year 1765. when, in the 

 abundance of his clemency, he overturned their order. 

 They did not fail to trumpet abroad this confent as a 

 papal confirmation of their fuperfiitious rites ; but he 

 that will take the pains to read the refcript, will at 

 leaft perceive, that this devotion is not to be directed 

 to the corporeal, but to the figurative heart. To cut 

 off all fubterfuge for idolatry, indeed, the pope would 



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