$11 DEVOTION TO THE HEART OF JESUS. 



Auguftine order, and the anonymous author of the 

 Rifieffioni fopra Forigine, la natura, ed il fine della 

 divozione al cuor di Gefu, Napoli, 1780. have urged, 

 In late years againtt, it, exeeed every thing, and have 

 been productive of much good among the people in 

 general. The author of the piece Saggi Teologici, 

 Lugano, 1773. afferts, that the book of the advocate 

 Blaii alone has already drawn away one half of thefe 

 heart-devotees from their altars. 



The more folidly, however, the caufe has been op- 

 pofed on all fides, the more frequently this devotion 

 paid to the heart of Jefus, as a particular part of the 

 body of Chrift has been fhewn to be a glaring idolatry, 

 fo much the more zealoufly have the Scattered difciples 

 of Loyola, continued to defend it, even in the groffefi: 

 fignification, as addreffed to the corporeal heart, by 

 every plaufible and fophifrical diftinction they have 

 been able to invent. Not many years ago, there was 

 even a bifhop of Lodeve in France, of the name of 

 John Felix Henry de Fumel, who wrote a book in 

 vindication of it, under the title of, Le culte de Famour 

 de Dieu; ou la devotion du facre cceur de Jefus 



This book is in one fenfe very remarkable. The bi- 

 fhop, who appears to be initiated in the myfteries of 

 the Jeluits, openly declared, that the heart of Jefus is 

 at this very day the central point of the reunion of the 

 difperfed members of the abrogated fociety ; by it they 

 unite in fpirit, at certain hours of the day, with all. 

 their trufty brethren, however remote from each other, 

 and of whatever rank and nation they may be. — Un- 

 der the name of the heart of Jefus, houfes are built 



