> 
1799: ] a ii ie 
For the Monthly Magazine. 
HINTS CONCERNING MODERN JESUI- 
TISM. eat 
Je penfe fouvent a tout ceci, & je n’y trouve 
‘rien de bon. Le monde ne feait pas ou cela, 
va, ni quelles en font les confequences. 
Ce n’ eft point ici une affaire de Religion, 
mais de Politique; & je fuis trompé fi le 
Janfenifme (Jacobinifme) qui femble en 
étre le fujet, en eft autre chofe en effet que 
1’ occafion et le pretexte. Car pendant 
qu’on nous amufe de 1’ efperance de le voir 
abolir, on nous affervit infenfiblement al 
Inquifition, qui nous opprimera avant que 
nous nous en foyons appercus. . : 
Lettres Provinciales de Pafcal. x1x. 
ROFESSOR -ROBISON’s Con/pz- 
racy occafioned my inquiring tor 
various publications, old and new, con- 
cerning the literary and political fects of 
the Continent. It has lately been my 
amufement, not indeed to entirely read 
them, but to turn them over with inter- 
ventions of ftudy, and with a culling cu- 
riofity. Such fkimmed information me- 
rits a very imperfect reliance ; yetan out- 
line of the general refult may perhaps not 
be indifferent to your readers. 
A literary manicheifm feems to divide 
the German hierarchy of writers: they 
are angels of light, or meffengers of dark- 
nefs; votaries of Ormuz, or of Ariman. 
The one fet affe&ts exclufively the name of 
Aufklirer, Iluminants or Exlighteners. 
Their radical do&trine is the perpetual 
improveability of mankind ; and they are 
for ever labouring to popularife {ome {pe- 
cific amendment. Chriftianity is to be 
brought nearer to the idea of a perfect re- 
ligion; government nearer to the idea of 
a perfect commonwealth. Language, 
diet, furniture, clothing even, are to be 
refathioned by the moft approved medels. - 
Progreffion, amelioration in all things is 
their aim. On their adverfaries they en- 
deavour toimpofe the names of Fiz/ferlinge, 
Obfcurants or Bedarkeners. Of thefe, the 
radical doStrine is the hereditary depra- , 
vity of man, the hopeleflnefs of any vic- 
tory over his felfifhnefs but by his folly, 
and the confequent probability cf deteri- 
oration: by every change. Religion and 
government, according to them, ought to 
be of the moft extenfively and laftingly 
eflablifhed kinds. For fuperftitions: the 
meft groveling they have a fneaking 
Kindnets : prefs licenfing, inquifitions, ar- 
bitrary powers, whatever has prolonged 
the exiftence of ancient inftitutions, they 
view with favour; and on what is already 
ftabile they afpire to confer immutability. 
. 5 . 
innovation. 
“MontTary Mac, No. xuix, 
‘Retrogreflion they prefer to any untried 
Madern Fefuctifm. 
5o/ 
. Both thefe fe&ts are; in, fact, continu- 
ations of the grand ichifm which took 
place in the literature of France under 
Louis XV. when the encyclopedifs un- 
dertook to new-model, and the priefthood 
to boliter up, the old-fafhioned religious 
and governmental opinions of that coun- 
try. With a traditional though abfurd 
prejudice, the German. parties ftill affect 
to confider the terms jefiit and athei/? as 
the bittereft nick-names in the difputant’s 
vocabulary; and ftill afcribe to the rival 
leaders the one or the other of thefe cha-- 
racters.. The firft praétiea] victory won 
by the Enlighteners over their antagoniits, 
was the fuppreifion of the Order of- Je- 
fuits by Clement XIV. ; as from that pe- 
riod the balance of erudition and talents 
began to incline toward the fide of the re- 
formers or refathioners. at 
Now this fuppreffion (according to the* 
one army of German writers) has been 
merely nominal. The jefuitical order has 
ever fince continued to receive profelytes, 
to act in concert under hidden fuperiors, 
and to puriue its ambitious hereditary 
views. Many membets of this order 
were permitted or commanded to embrace 
fecular occupations, to wear,a lay-habit, 
and even to marry; and have thus re- 
mained in the weftern ftates of Europe in 
ftrict cohefion, but viewleis difperfion. 
Many others migrated into Poland, and 
efpecially into. + White Ruffia; where 

* Nachricht von “der avabren Befchaffenbeit 
des Inftituts der Fefuten. Berlin 1785. j 
Berlinifcher Monat{chrift, 1786 to 17895 a 
magazine conduCied by Biefter and Gedike. 
Reifebefchreitung durch Deutfchtand und die 
Schwejtz, von F. Nicolai: fee efpecially the 
7th vol. article Augfburg. 
Unterfuchung der Befchuldigungen, by the 
fame. This.is a defence of the foregoing 
Travels, a$ far as refpetts the alarm of ex- 
jefuitifm. 
Serdjchreiben eines Layen uber die Fefuiten- 
epoche, § Vheile.. Frankfurt 1785 and 1736. 
Die cigenthiimlichen Lebrsatue und [aximen 
publik, 1786. 
| Magazin zur Gefchichte der Fefuiten. 
furt 1737. . 
Saint- Nicaife, Anti-Saint-Nicaife, and Archie 
demidey, 1786,°1787, and 1738. ; 
Allgemeine Gefcbichte der Fefuiten. Zurich 
170. , 
+. Vorlaufige Darftellung des beutigen Fer 
fuitifnus, 1786. 
Aierkesiirdige Nachrichten von den Fefuiten in 
Weifs Reufiin. Frankfurt 1785. 
Vhis work is a tranflation from the: Italian 
4H Leitere 
Ere 
