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PHILOSOPHY AMONG THE JESUITS. 273 Congregation bears obvious traces of a feeling of weakness. It affirms that the Scholastic doctrine, " being more con- venient for Theological purposes, must be maintained " ; which evidently shows that many were of opinion to set the system aside, and follow in the wake of Huet, Malebranche, Leibniz, and all such authors as favoured Christianity in any way soever. The paragraph that concerns the study of experimental Physics is curious also ; but the whole decree is worth studying. " Several Provinces have requested the Congregation to provide lest, on one hand, too much liberty of opinion enter into our schools, and lest, on the other, the minds of students be narrowed by mere speculations and metaphysical subtleties." Thereupon the Congregation decides as follows : " 1. That the philosophy of Aristotle is not contradicted but confirmed by that more agreeable kind of study which, by means of mathematical principles and the experiments of the erudite, explains and illustrates the more remarkable phenomena of nature. " 2. Since the Society has embraced the philosophy of Aristotle as more useful to Theology, it must absolutely be maintained, according to what is prescribed in the Constitutions and the Rules that concern our studies. And that not only in Logic and Metaphysics, but also in Natural Philo- sophy, where the Peripatetic system concerning the constitution of bodies is not to be omitted. " 3. Should the Provincials notice that any Professor is fond of new things, and sets the aforesaid doctrine aside, either openly or by subter- fuges, he is to be removed from his charge." 1 The words " metaphysical subtleties " point to a great change come over the whole Order. A hundred years before, no one would have dared, would even have thought, to brand the time-honoured disquisitions of the School with such an epithet ; and now, with the best of intentions, it slips into the very declaration made by the heads of the Society in favour of Scholasticism. Metaphysical subtleties ! All the 17th, all the 18th, century breathes in those words. Again, notice the second decision. " What's done cannot be undone." Since the system has been chosen, let us keep to it. It certainly is more useful for Theology. As for its other merits, we may have our doubts. The Society chose it at first for no other motive than the one we allege, and until that motive is proved to be mistaken, we must stand by it. Cardinal Ptolemai is a very good representative Jesuit philosopher of those times. His treatment of the question of Matter and Form is quite typical. He candidly states the difficulties against the system, points out the answers made, and shows how those answers fail to give satisfaction. Nevertheless, he holds to it because of au- thority and the wisdom of antiquity, &c. 1 16 Congr. Gen., 1730. 18