CENTURY SEVENTEENTH. SECTION I. THE GENERAL HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. § 1. The Romish congregation for propagating the faith.-§ 2. Urban VIII. The college for propagating the faith.-§ 3. French congregations of this kind.—§ 4. Hence many missionaries; among whom, the Jesuits are distinguished. § 5. Yet the Jesuits became suspected.-§ 6. The plans of the Jesuits cause contention.-§ 7. Propagation of christianity in India.-§ 8. The kingdoms of Siam, Tonquin, &c.-§ 9. China.-§ 10. Progress there. -§ 11. The Jesuits accused.-§ 12. The principal accusation. History of it.-13. Chinese controversy. The first question.-§ 14. The second question.-§ 15. Christianity in Japan.-§ 16. Destroyed and overthrown. -§ 17. Protestant missions in Asia.-§ 18. In Africa.-§ 19, 20. In America.-§ 21. The enemies of christianity in England. § 22. Hobbes, the earl of Rochester, &c.-§ 23. Vanini, Rugger, Leszynski, Knutzen.— § 24. Benedict de Spinoza.-§ 25. Literature and science cultivated and improved.-§ 26. Mathematical science especially. § 27. History.—§ 28. Languages and eloquence studied.-§ 29. The Law of nature.-§ 30. Aristotelian and Paracelsic philosophy.-§ 31. Peter Gassendi.-§ 32. The Cartesian philosophy.-§ 33. Its principal adversary, Gassendi.-§ 34. Two sects of philosophers, the mathematical and metaphysical.—§ 35. Propagation and improvement of the metaphysical philosophy.-§ 36. Progress of the mathematical philosophy.—§ 37. Philosophers, who were not of these schools. § 1. THE arduous efforts commenced by the Roman pontiffs in the preceding century, for extending the christian church, and thus exalting the glory and dominion of the Romish see, were in this century placed upon a permanent and solid basis: whereas, before, they had been tottering and ill-supported. In the first place, Gregory XV., at the instigation of his chaplain, Narnius, established at Rome, in 1522, the famous Congrega |