ISAAC TAYLOR'S LOYOLA: *

many years since the "Natural Manny of Enthusiasm" appeared before the world, as one of a series of six works on the subject of reli-

taus error. At intervals an attempt was made to carry on the design ; t after the appearance of two or three continuations, the completion of She series was abandoned. In some sense, however, Loyola may be looked upon as a contribution to that branch of the subject which re- lated to- implicit submission to authority, or Spiritual Despotism ; as the

necessary studies for the oyclical undertaking have stored and enriched Isaac Taylor's mind foe the production of this biography of Ignatius Loyola, and exposition of Jesuitism such as be made and left it.

Various books on individual Jesuits or on the constitutions of their Order have lately appeared, but nothing at all approaching in interest or merit to Loyola, and Jesuitism in its Rudiments. The author is a thorough master of his subject, both in its mass and its details. His sound Protestantism keeps him alive to all the reli,giotts error and fraud in the system; his genial humanity renders him tolerant of per- sonal failings; his philosophy enables him to allow for the influence of age and country, to discard the foregone conclusions, of sect and preju- dice, and not only to see the points of failure in the system of Loyola, but to trace out their causes. His literary characteristics also adapt hint to the task. Be has a dry and quiet humour, but genial withal, which is just fitted to deal with the alleged miracles and wonders of a R.omish saint ; he distinctly marks their absurdity, but without bitterness or sarcasm—with no more even of scepticism than is necessary to un- belief. This quality, mingling even with the narrative, acts like a salt, • Loyola; and Jesuitism In its Rudiments. By ISAAC Taylor. Published by Long- emu and Co.

flavouring matter that might otherwise be tasteless, unless it were made disgusting. The style of Isaac Taylor appears to have improved. h retains its richness without its harshness or its diffuseness; and in fact reminds one very much of the most illustrious student of the master, Sir James Stephen, when engaged on the similar theme of ecclesiastical biogtaphy. Isaac Taylor has arranged his subject with judgment and skill. The life and personal character of Loyola is separated from the exposition of Jesuitism such as its founder exhibits it in his own writings, or in those which he sanctioned ; and the life itself is presented in successive stages, each marking an epoch in the progress of the man, and, when the Jesuits come upon the stage, in the progress of the order. This mode of subdi- viding the story of a life or of a novel is indeed too common now to have either merit or character ; but Isaac Taylor's division is not an arbitrary section for the sake of a tide for a chapter, bet a true exhibition of Loyola's career. Hence it brings the outline of the man's life at ones under the reader's view ; and each successive chapter becomes a species of text or theme, the drift of whose expansion is seized at starting, and not lost sight of. By this means, fresh interest is given to a subject so hacknied as the life of Ignatius Loyola.. The true attraction of the book, however, consists in the execution.

The common lives of the founder of the Jesuits deal much in filthiness or much in wonders. Isaac Taylor contents himself with indicating the existence of each, while by a comparison of the early and original lives of

Loyola with the compilations of a later date, be succeeds in showing- that the strange and startling tales rest upon slender or no authority, and when we get to Loyola himself, it does not appear that he laid claim to any miraculous power whatever. The taste of the reader is thus left an- shocked, and the man is presented in more genuine guise ; while enough. of the wondrous is still left, in dreams converted into actual visitations by Loyola's imagination, heated by fanatic contemplation, andstored, hi biographer conceives, with the pictures by whose means the Romish Church encourages devotion. The commentator, too, is constantly pre- sent with the narrator, pointing attention to those facts which mark the character of the man or influence the progress of his career.

Having traced the rise and establishment of the order in the life of its founder, Isaac Taylor next deduces the character and purpose of Jesuitism

by a critical analysis of the Exercises, the Letter of Ignatius on Obe- dience, and the Constitutions. In this task he pictures Jesuitism in a darker because in a more rational manner than is customary. There is nothing of vulgar mystery or romance in his pages ; it is not the Jesuit; but Jesuitism, that is the object of attack, if that can be called attack which wears the semblance of philosophical exposition. He brings the. principles and practices of the order to the testa of Scripture, of reason, of human nature, and of manliness, and shows that they fail at each, and that, with the rare exception of peculiarly-constructed minds, they must produce hypocrites or crushed and broken-down spirits. In general con- clusion few will.sliffer with...the critic; but we think he judges Romanisla ton- much by a Protestant spirit, not only in the effects certain practices are likely to produce upon the mind, but in the opinion he passes upon the practices themselves. A. thing our author cannot away with, is Loyola's begging with money in his purse, and the mendicant practice of the Society as written in the Constitutions. But the mortification of pride or the preservation of the money for religious or charitable objecte are intelligible if not praiseworthy motives. We suspect they would be recognized by Protestants as sufficient, if it were not for the idea of-im- position or fraud, which in the case of Loyola or of any Jesuit is not to be entertained. The motive, be it what it may, is not that of the Irish pauper.

Absurd miracles and disgusting stories of hospital attendance will.nof be found in the book; but Mr. Taylor has no objection to a quiet joke, such as this.

"But how dangerous and how difficult is the course of those who attempt to tread the path of Christian philosophy' without the help of a spiritual director and muter, let all learn from what befel the great Ignatius himself about this time! The Catholic zeal of Ferdinand had not as yet succeeded in sweeping the Spanish soil clean of Moorish abominations; for even in his own provinces, and on every side, might still be seen, not the vestiges merely of Mahometan misbelief; but the persons also of many who, as conforming Moriscoes, reeked with that poi- son. Into the company of one such ' miscreant ' the young convert happened to fall on his road; and when the customary trivialities had given way to more seri- ous discourse, the gravest of questions touching the blessed Virgin came to be dis- cussed. The two travellers proceeded from the language of courteous debate to that of vehement controversy and objurgation; the Moor admitting a fragment only of the orthodox belief on this point, Ignatius strenuously maintaining the entire faith of the church. In vain were reasons urged, in vain was the light of truth pre'. tented to the eyes of the impious man; who at length, with fierce impatience, dash- ing his spurs into the sides of his beast, left his antagonist behind, in all the fen- your of the hottest resentment. The man was gone past hope of conversiont Loyola's impulse was to push forward, and plunge a dagger into the heart of one who, with polluted lips, had dared to derogate from the honour of the Queen of Angels! How should he decide between the promptings of the soldier-blood which throbbed in his veins, and the gentler motives of piety?' But did not then very motives demand that he should inflict a summary vengeance upon this ser- vant of the Devil? Ought he to leave unpunished blasphemies such as these! From this perplexity he relieved himself by appealing to a guidance which he thought might more safely be followed than his own judgment. The Moor having passed forward beyond a spot where two roads met, Loyola threw the reins on the neck of his mule, resolving to abide by the choice which his beast should maks for him—between the purposes of vengeance and the misgivings of a wavering zeal. Should the mule, of its own accord, take the road—a broad road—on which the Saracen had galloped forward, he would then feel himself to be heaven- commissioned to follow him, and to bury a dagger—pugio ficlei—in his body; bat if the other and the less open road were taken, then he would content himself short of vengeance. The mule quietly trotted forward upon this rugged but bet- ter path; and the saint's biographers, who are not less wise than was their mis- ter's mule, congratulate the Society upon the occasion of his escape from blood- guiltiness."

Neither does the biographer avoid stories more shocking to Protestant minds than miracle-mongering, nor, while finding a philosophical ex- cuse for the men, shrink from passing judgment on the systera. TM origin of the Soeintrof &Ma is ea example of what-we mean:

o'We torn towardthe three fathers, Ignatius, Lainez, and Faber, who are now making their way on foot to Borns.

It Loyola's course of secular study, and if his various engagements as even- Lariat and as chief of a society, had at dchilled his devotional ardour, or had drawn his thoughts away from the unseen world, this fervour, and this ttpward direction of the mind, now returned to him in full force: we are assured that on this pil- grimage, and through favour of the Virgin,' his days and nights were passed in s tort of continuous ecstasy. As they drew toward the city, and while upon the sienna road, he turned aside to a chapel, then in a ruinous condition, and which he entered alone. Here ecstasy became more ecstatic still; and, in a trance, he believed himself very distinctly to see Him whom, as Holy Scripture affirms, 'no man bath seen at any time: By the side of this vision of the Invisible, appeared Jesus, bearing a huge cross. The Fatherpreeents Ignatius to the Son; who utters me words, so full of meaning, will be favourable to you at Rome.'

"It is no agreeable task thus to compromise the awful realities of religion, and thus to perplex the distinctions which a religious mind wishes to observe between truth and illusion; yet it seems inevitable to narrate that which comes before us as an integral and important portion of the history we have to do with. Aad yet, incidents such as these, while they will be very far from availing to bring us over as converts to the system which they are supposed superna- turally to authenticate, need not generate any extreme revulsion of feeling in an opposite direction. Good men, ill-trained, or trained under a system which to an great an extent is factitious, demand from us often, we do not say that which an enlightened Christian charity does not include, but a some- thing which is logically distinguishable front it; we mean a philosophic habit of mind, accustomed to deal with human nature, and with its wonderful incon-

sistencies, on the broadest principles. C S •

"From this vision, and from the memorable words Ego yetis Romps propitius ere,' the Society may be said to have taken its formal commencement, and to have drawn its appellation. Henceforward it was 'the Society of Jesus ';--for its founder, introduced to the Son of God by the Eternal Father, had been orally as- sured of the Divine favour—favour consequeut upon his present visit to Rome. Here, then, we have exposed to our view the inner economy or divine machinery ef the Jesuit Institute. The Mother of God is the primary mediatrix ; the Father, at her intercession, obtains for the founder an auspicious audience of the Son; and the Son authenticates the use to be made of His name in this instance; and so it is that the inchoate order is to be—' The Society of Jesus !'

"An inquiry, to which, in fact, no certain reply could be given, obtrudes itself upon the mind on an occasion like this,—namely, How for the infidelity and atheism which pervaded Europe in the next and the following century sprang di- rectly out of profanations such as this? Merely to narrate them, and to do 8o in the briefest manner, does violence to every genuine sentiment of piety. What meat have been the effect produced upon frivolous and sceptical tempers, when, with sedulous art, such things were put forward as solemn verities not to be dis- tinguished from the primary truths of religion, and entitled to the same reve- rential regard in our minds !"

With the following sketch of Loyola as a preacher, we will close our extracts front a book which must be carefully read by any one who wishes to form a true idea of Loyola, and an idea of Jesuitism, not so true perhaps, but one of the best he can readily obtain.

'As a preacher also he laboured incessantly, and with great effect; and this notwithstanding his deficiencies as an orator, and the extreme rudeness of his style and articulation in using the Italian language. But in a mode more direct than that of nicely-modulated tones, or of phrases classically, eerrect, Loyola brought the souls of his hearers into close contact with his own. Perhaps even when the general purport or drift only of his discourse was understood by them— when his -foreign accent and his utterly mischosen idioms hung as a veil between the preacher's mind and the minds of the hearers, the effulgence of the soul beamed with scarcely diminished brightness through that medium, aud con- veyed heaven's fire from the one heart to the hearts of all. Thus perhaps it had been with him whose bodily presence was weak and his speech contemptible.' Loyola's hearers, if they but half caught the logic of his periods, caught entire the solemn intensity of his persuasion, that the' things unseen and eternal' are real and true. Preaching produces like effects as often as it is prompted by alike full conviction.

"This 'Methodist ' of-Catholicism at Rome and in the sixteenth century might have been found fault. with as the author of irregularities precisely similar to those which have marked the course, of like-minded preachers in modern times, and among ourselves. But the Church of Rome has never been jealous of dis- orders that did not seem to threaten her own authority. Protestant churches, on the contrary, have lost ground among the people, and have foregone their pre- rogatives, by indulging a fastidious repugnance toward whatever revolted an aristocratic taste in matters of religion. Protestant churches have grudged sal- vation when dealt out to the people in their own style. Rome has been far less nice.

"When Loyola commenced his sermon, a breathless silence reigned through the church; as he went on there was perceptible a pressure toward the pulpit; sighs soon became audible on every side; then these sighs swelled into sobs, and sobs into groans. Some fell on the pavement as if lifeless. Once and again an obdu- rate offender—hitherto obdurate—pushed forward, threw himself at the feet of the preacher as he left the pulpit, and, with convulsive struggles, made a loud con- fwaion of his crimes. Men from every class of society, and not exclusive of dig- nified ecclesiastics, were numbered among these oonquests of preaching in earnest."