I can no longer hold in Perfius: He has been teazing me for a great while; and is fo provok'd to hear fuch Difcourfe, that I must for Quietness fake indulge him a Word or two. (n) Ye grovelling Souls, who have fo little Notion of Things celeftial, to what purpofe is all this Difplay of the Disorder and Corruption of our Manners, even in our Temples? And how can ye judge of what will be agreeable to the Gods, from what is fo to your wicked Appetites?" But let us return; for 'tis not time yet to hear the Pagans, whofe Doctrine will appear to be the more pure, after we have heard the profane Decifions of the Divines of the Society, and feen how far they are authoriz'd by the Bull.

The Jefuits pretend, therefore, that an Obedience is paid to the Precept which enjoins the hearing of Mafs, tho a Perfon is taken up all the time in criminal Thoughts and unchafte Defires. And not only the old Jefuits are of this Opinion, but the Moderns perfectly tally with them in this Point: For, fays Father de la Croix, who was Bufembaum's Commentator, Even tho the Intention of hearing Mafs be accompany'd with an evil Intention, (o) yet hitherto you comply with the Precept: As for Example, if you are inclin❜d to hear Mafs, even from a Motive of Vain-glory, or to feast your Eyes at the fame time by ogling a Girl then prefent, you fulfil the Command,

(n) O curvæ in terras animæ, & cæleftium inanes!

Quid juvat hoc templis noftris immittere mores,

Et bona diis ex hac fceleratâ ducere pulpâ. Perf. Sat. ii. (0) Etiamfi intentioni audiendi miffam adjungatur alia intentio mala, adhuc fatisfacis præcepto, v. g. fi vis audire miffam, etiam principaliter ob vanam gloriam, aut fimul volens te delectare turpi afpectû puellæ præfentis fatisfacis. Ita autores 20 omnino graves quos nominatim recenfit Pafqualigo q. 1313. Gobat, n. 208. La Croix, Tom. ii. 1. 3. pars I. p. 371. n. 636.

' which

⚫ which enjoins you to hear Mass. This is what < has been decided by twenty grave Authors, whom

Pafqualigo and Gobat have mention'd by Name.' And Father de la Croix crowns his impious Affertion with this additional Blafphemy; That, notwithstanding such criminal Intentions, Honour is 'done to God, (p) to whom the Sacrifice is of• fer'd by the Mass-Priest and those who are pre• fent.'

Who would have believ'd, not that a Chriftian fo corrupted truly honours God, but that Men who advance fuch monftrous Maxims, fhould have influence enough to get thefe Propofitions of Father Quefnel condemn'd as false and dangerous Doctrine? viz. Whofoever would draw near to

Prop. 66.

59.

50.

God, muft not come to him with bru'tish Paffions.----But by Faith and Af fection as Children. The Prayer of the Ungodly is a fresh Sin. 'Tis in vain for us to call God our Father, if it be not with a Spirit • of Love. Love is the only thing ⚫ that performs Christian Actions after a • Chriftian manner, with refpect to God

Prop. 53.

Prop. 47. and Jefus Christ. Obedience to the 'Law ought to fpring from Love as its Source. When the Love of God is a Man's inward Principle, and his Glory his End, the outward Man is pure; otherwife 'tis Hypocrify, or counterfeit Righteoufnefs. All these Propofitions, fays Clement XI, are so many false and pernicious Doctrines. And why fo? because, according to the found Doctrine of the modern Fathers of the Church, there's no neceffity for Love in the Heart in order to obey the Law; because to perform a religious Action, 'tis fufficient to bow before God as Men would do

(p) Nam per hoc colitur Deus, cui per facrificantem & affiftentes immolatur facrificium, Ibid.

before

before an Idol; because the Command of Prayer may be fulfill'd with a Mind wilfully taken off from the Duty, provided that the outward Man be Decent and Compos'd (q); because a Man may be prefent at the facred Mysteries with an Intention to fteal, or from a Principle of vain Glory, or with a Heart, Mind and Eyes full of unclean and profane Affections; because, provided that Modesty appears in the external Air, God is honour'd at Mafs, tho the Perfon (r) diverts himfelf all the while by looking luftfully at young Women; because, in a word, (let's hear this new Blafphemy) as we are told by the Fathers Schielder, and Humbert de Precipian, who was afterwards Archbishop of Mechlin (s). • The Command of Jefus Chrift is as well fulfill'd by a facrilegious Communion, as a facrilegious Baptifm. Thefe, fay I, are the Reasons why Father Quefnel's Doctrine is difallow'd.

Great God! who feeft thy Truth fo abus'd, and its Defenders fo vilify'd, wilt thou be filent any longer, and not difplay thy Power, to the Confufion of that Error and Impiety which triumph at this Time? Lord, how long shall the wicked, how long fhall the wicked triumph? How long shall they utter and fpeak hard things, and all the Workers of Iniquity boast themfelves (t)? See what a Pafs we are come to. Decrees which canonize Error and Blafphemy are iffued from the Apoftolical Chair. Pa

(9) Thefe are Bauni's very Words.

(r) This is the very Term us'd by the Jefuit de la Croix.

(s) In a Thefis intituled, Synopfis Theologica de Sacramentis Ecclefiæ, i. e. a Theological Synopfis of the Sacraments of the Church, which they maintain'd at Louvain the 21st of April 1648. p. 15. Col. 1. §. 34. These are their Words, Impletur præceptum Chrifti; ficut baptifmo ita & communione facrilegicâ.

(1) Pfalm xciv. 3, 4.

ganism

ganifin blushes at the Doctrines of our Teachers; and the Maxims of the latter when parallell'd with those of the Heathen Orators, Philofophers, and Poets, can no more ftand than Darkness before the Light.

For what will become of all the Doctrines juft now particularis'd, when compar'd with that facred Maxim of the Romans, which we find at the Head of their Laws, which they call'd facred -Laws. Let (u) Men approach the Gods with a pure Heart, and come before them with a godly Mind. He that does otherwife, God himself will take Revenge on him.' What can be more religious than this Maxim? And by the Rule of contraries, what lefs edifying than this Doctrine of the Jefuits, viz. that God is honour'd by a Man who diverts himself with staring immodeftly at young Women during the Celebration of our moft Holy Myfteries? or than that other Doctrine of the Bull which confirms it, viz. that a Perfon may draw near to God with brutish Paffions!

Let the Jefuits come then with their Bull to the School of the Pagans, and learn from Cicero in particular, after what manner God must be honour'd, and what Worship is due to him. The Leffon they will have from that Orator, is this (w), • The Law demands that we fhou'd approach the Gods chaftly, that is to fay, with a Mind free • from all Impurity; nor does the Law difpenfe ' with the Chastity of the Body; but wou'd have

(u) Ad Divos adeunto caftè, pietatem adhibento fecus faxit, Deus ipfe vindex erit. Cic. de Leg. 1. ii.

Qui

(w) Caftè jubet lex adire ad Deos, animo videlicet in quo funt omnia: nec tollit caftimoniam corporis. Sed hoc oportet intelligi, cum multum animus corpori præftet, obferveturque ut cafta corpora adhibeantur, multo effe in animis id fervandum magis. Cic. de Leg. l. ii.

it to be understood, that fince fo much care is • taken about the Body, there's much more rea• fon for keeping the Mind pure, as 'tis far more excellent than the Body.'

Is it poffible to make a better Commentary upon thefe words of Jefus Chrift (x), Cleanfe first the infide of the Cup and Platter, that the outfide of them may be clean alfo. And can there be a better Argument at the fame time to confound the pharifaical Worship of the Jefuits (y)? Wo

unto you new Scribes, and new Pharifees, Hypocrites, for ye make clean the outside of the Cup and Platter, while your Hearts, and the Hearts of those whom you direct, are full of Extortion and Excefs.' For, don't you say that the Precept of hearing Mafs is comply'd with, and that God is honour'd, tho there's a defire in the Heart to Steal, and a Luft of the Eye after Women, provided that there be an Air of Decency and Modefty outwardly?

Learn therefore from Cicero, and never forget, that Piety confifts (z), no more than any other • Virtue, in outward fhew; and that the Worship we owe to the Gods (a), is a Worship full of Affection, a Worship the most Pure, Holy and Pious, and ought to be with an inviolable finC cerity and Purity of the Heart and Lips.' And fince you are too profane to approach the Deity, and fince your Prayer might probably be a fresh Sin, make Intereft to thofe who oppose your

(x) In fpecie autem fictæ fimulationis, ficut reliquæ virtutes, ita pietas ineffe non poteft. Cic. de nat. Deor. l. i.

(a) Deos & venerari & colere debemus. Cultus autem Deorum eft optimus, idemque caftiffimus, atque fanctiffimus, pleniffimufque pietatis, ut eos femper purâ, integrâ, incorruptâ, & mente & voce veneremur.^ Cic. ibid. l. ii.