history of the world. Even the Roman senate of old, had not matured its plans for the conquest of the world, with greater certainty of success. Never had a more noble idea been carried out, and executed with such judgment! This society will for ever remain a pattern for all other societies, which earnestly wish to be extended, and to acquire a permanent continuance: at the same time, we have a proof that opportunities, when neglected, often baffle the wisest undertakings, and that the natural and continual increase of the human race crushes the artificial increase of a part. Every individual has a proper and peculiar share of capacity, but the capacity of the human race is immeasurable. Every plan must fail, that is not completely formed upon the bent and dispositions of mankind. This society is also more remarkable, as being the mother of other societies, one of which is yet unripe, but it certainly contains within itself a germ that is mighty and spiritual. The new Lutheranism, not Protestantism, could not have found a more dangerous rival. All the charms of the Catholic faith became still more powerful in their hands, and the treasures of knowledge flowed back again into their cells. What the Church had lost in Europe, they sought to regain in other parts of the world-in the most remote regions of the East, and to make the apostolic dignity and office its own. They were not idle in their endeavours after popularity, for they well knew how much Luther was indebted to his skill in this respect to his desire of pleasing the common people. But above all, to scoffers, it was right that the Society of Jesus should be as complete an example in morals as in talent. Did Loyola, or his followers, in any one of the above particulars? Are not their's the greatest numbers of martyrs in the cause of the Lord among the heathen? Is not the most brilliant, the most varied, the most extensive talents, to be found among the sons of Loyola? (“ Lives of Eminent Roman Catholic Missionaries," vol. iii. pp. 12, 16-18, ed. London, 1835.) Thus the "Quarterly” says: "With what vehemence, with what policy, with what exact discipline, with what dauntless courage, with what self-denial, with what forgetfulness of the dearest private ties, with what intense devotion to a single end, the Jesuits fought the battles of their Church, is written in every page of the annals of Europe, during several generations..... Dominant in the south of Europe, the great order soon went forth conquering and to conquer. In spite of oceans and deserts, of hunger and pestilence, of spies and penal laws, of dungeons and racks, of gibbets and quartering-blocks, Jesuits were to be found under every dtsguise, and in every country,-scholars, physicians, merchants, serving-men: in the hostile Court of Sweden, in the old manorhouses of Cheshire, among the hovels of Connaught; arguing, instructing, consoling, animating the courage of the timid, holding up the crucifix before the eyes of the dying." (Oct. 1840. Article-" Revolutions of the Papacy,” p. 240.) they established schools; they occupied the confessionals; they mounted the pulpit, and laboured with the press; they became poets and philosophers, ministers and martyrs, and at the prodigious distance of America from China, they were united in word and in deed in the most wonderful harmony. From their schools the order was recruited with great choice and judgment. Against the Lutherans, they preached with bitter zeal, and for the good of Catholic Christendom, they endeavoured to exterminate these heretics, as fit companions of the devil.* To them alone were the Catholic states, and especially the papal throne, indebted for their long continuance after the Reformation :† who knows how old the world would still have appeared, if weak sovereigns, the envy of princes and other religious orders, court-intrigues and other particular circumstances, had not interrupted their glorious career, and with them annihilated the last support of the Catholic faith. Even now, this once formidable order slumbers in poverty in the confines of Europe, perhaps from thence to arise, like the people that protect it, and under another name, and with more renovated strength, to extend themselves over their ancient abodes. § The Reformation was a sign of the times. For the whole of Europe it was significant of something, when it had openly broken out only in Germany. The wise and good of all nations became old, as it were, secretly; whilst they put all their confidence in the deceitful feeling of their "being called," and this they did the more confidently on account of the ancient restrictions. The clergy of the ancient faith were instinctively opposed to learning;|| the learned and spiritual body of men will always wage destructive war against each other, whenever they meet, for they fight for one and the same object. This disunion displayed itself still more now, and the learned gained the advantage, in proportion as the clergy of Europe opposed the triumphant * Novalis is certainly mistaken in this respect. The Jesuits endeavoured to convert them by all legitimate means, but not to exterminate them. (See Dallas's admir. able" History of the Jesuits.") †This is not exactly correct. The Catholic Church has a principle of life within her, independant of all external helps. The Russians. § The account which Ranke gives of St. Ignatius, and of his order, is far from being correct and impartial. He has completely mistaken the spirit of its illustrious founder, and ascribed motives to his actions, which would degrade him to a level with the enthusiast and the visionary. Now this was not certainly the character of St. Ignatius. (See "History of the Popes," vol. i. p. 181. Eng. Ed. 1840.) It is rather surprising, that Novalis should make such an assertion as this. progress of knowledge, and whilst knowledge and faith stood in decided opposition to each other. The cause of the universal stagnation was sought for in faith, and through the acquirement of deep learning, men hoped to exalt themselves. Moreover, the religious mind suffered from the manifold consequence of its own nature-of its own temporary personality. The result of the modern way of thinking, people called philosophy; and whatever was opposed to antiquity was included in this definition, and especially every attack upon religion.* The original hatred against the Catholic religion, by degrees was turned against the Bible, against Christian faith, and last of all against religion itself. Even more,-for this hatred of religion naturally extended to all objects of enthusiasm: it anathematized imagination and feeling; morality and love of art, it condemned the past as well as the future; it placed man on a level with a mere animal, influenced by some necessity from above, and represented the endless and creative music of the world, as nothing more than the uniform clapper of an immense mill, which, moved by the stream of chance, was supposed to be of itself a self-moving mill, without architect or miller-a true "perpetuum mobile." (To be continued.) THE LIFE OF BERNARD OVERBERG. CHAPTER X.-CONTINUED. Everything, exSome people are August 13. Nihil est ab omni parte beatum. cepting only God, has a fair side and a dark one. quick-sighted to discover what is good in everything; these provide for themselves a store of happiness-others are quick-sighted to discover evil everywhere; these prepare for themselves vexation. Accustom thyself always to observe in the first place, and in the most complete manner, the bright side of everything, and carry it back to the source * Das Resultat der modern Denkungsart nannte man Philosophie, und rechnete datzu was dem alten entgegen war, vorzüglich also jeden Einfall gegen die Religion. Der Anfängliche personalhatz gegen den Katholischen Glauben, ging allmählig in hatz gegen die Bibel," &c. (p. 169.) from whence it is derived. Then, only, be quick-sighted to discover the evil when thou art bound by duty to correct it, or when there is danger of injury to thyself or to others in passing by the bad side unobserved. Accustom thyself to these three things: 1. To think, like Christ. 2. To speak and to be silent like him. 3. To act like him. So as to be by imitation, as it were, another Christ. Observation. From many places of the Journal of Overberg, it may be seen that he laboured with zeal to keep constantly before his eyes the great example which God has put before us in the person of his incarnate Son. This exercise seems principally to have occupied his thoughts, when he was composing his history of the New Testament. Yet even during this time he reckoned it necessary to read something besides, for the purpose exclusively of his own edification, having frequently found by experience, that being occupied even about the most edifying subjects does not move a man, so much as regularly reading something, with no other intention besides his own individual spiritual good. Jan. 6, 1794. I have fallen again very often into the sin of procrastination. When shall I be free from it? When shall I begin steadily and earnestly to strive to be delivered from it? so that in my death, the multitude of affairs neglected, may not stand in array against me like a destroying army. O thou, who didst lead the wise men from the east, to adore thine only-begotten son, and didst move their hearts most readily to follow the star; enlighten and strengthen me, that I may quickly attend to every hint from thee. January 25. ( (On the feast of the conversion of St. Paul.) Convert us, and we shall be converted. Thou must do it, Lord, if ever it is to be done indeed; thou must give both to will and to do. I know well, that we must co-operate in the work, for thou hast said to each-if thou convertest thyself, I will convert thee; but thou must give also this co-operation, if it is to take place and to be available to our conversion. It certainly often is the manner of our co-operation, which hinders thee from accomplishing our conversion: first, because we choose the manner of our co-operation, according to our own will, so as not to co-operate with thee by the means which thou willest that we should adopt for the end; secondly, because we expect our conversion as the effect of our own powers, and not of thy grace; thirdly, because we count too much on our co-operation, not looking upon it as a means of drawing down thy mercies on us, but as something by which our conversion has to be brought to pass; whereas it is thou, O my God, who alone canst bring it to pass. It is a new creation; a work as impossible to men and angels, as the very original creation itself. Teach me, therefore, O Lord, rightly to co-operate with thy grace, so that thou mayest have mercy on me, and convert me. Thou knowest the untractableness of my own will, and that self-delusion, by which my selfwill disguises itself, and passes for thy will. Make this to vanish by thy grace, and force me to be thine, by the attractive power of thy love. April 21. (Easter Monday.) Yesterday morning, I had, as it appears to me, some foretaste of the feelings which we shall have at the general resurrection, if we rise to bliss. I slept soundly all night, and so quietly that I was not disturbed by the most trifling dream. At three o'clock, by the report and rattling of cannons, I passed in a moment from a deep sleep to a waking state, free from all disagreeable feelings; the moon and the nightingale producing at once on the eye and the ear a sensation of pleasure, which in a moment filled my whole soul. To this, it struck me, may be compared what will happen at the resurrection; and I was driven to sing, with a heart full of joy, When once from that mysterious sleep, Which death we call, I leap, And from all weight of sorrow free, That radiant morning see, Then I shall wake in other form, &c. I got up, and went on with my song, all alone in the garden, by the moonlight, to the tune of the nightingale, encompassed with blossoming trees, till T- joined me. I never remember a morning so happy as this. It has indeed given new life to my faith in the resurrection. Oct. 22. Since now that eagerness to get on with my business has subsided, I find that other trifles and altogether useless things are able to occupy and distract my mind just as much, and indeed actually do so, if Ido not set myself strongly against them, and so often I fail to do this, |