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PHILOSOPHY AMONG THE JESUITS. 271 point against the new philosophy all the resources of their formidable arsenal of argument and erudition, as soon as they saw it turn the wrong way. At first, all seemed to go well. A moderate Cartesianism, mixed with many ideas of the School, soon became popular among the French clergy, and is easily discernible in the writings of Bossuet and Fenelon ; those of the former, especially his Elevations sur les Mysteres, contain many pas- sages equal to the finest of Descartes' Meditations, and tending in the same direction. Its influence is also clearly to be seen in the Logique de Port-Royal ; and though the Jesuits were the deadliest enemies of the Jansenists, by whom that work was published, they could not deny its value as a text-book. But Spinoza came on to the scene, followed by Bayle. Both of them were partisans of Descartes ; both of them went much further than he. Pantheism on one hand, in- difference and scepticism on the other: such were the conse- quences that flowed from the principles of the great reformer. It became evident to the Society that Cartesianism, whatever the intentions of its founder might have been, was radically bad and dangerous to the interests that it was their duty to protect. It was thenceforth their business to oppose it by every means in their power. In 1677 Spinoza died, and Bayle in 1706. Nineteen years after Spinoza's death, and ten before that of Bayle, the fourteenth General Congregation requested Father Thyrsus Gonzalez, the then General, to draw up an Elenchus, or list of those opinions which members of the Society were forbidden to teach ; taking occasion at the same time " to declare how much our Society has always abhorred and does still abhor all novelty of opinion in any question, and especially laxity on points of Morals ". 1 I have not been able to procure the Elenchus referred to, but am informed by very trustworthy authori- ties that it has principally to do with Cartesian opinions, and those maxims of lax morals that gave rise to the biting sarcasm of Pascal's Provinciales. A great reaction had set in throughout the Society. All those who had hitherto thought there was room in the bosom of Catholic unity for more than one philosophical system were now dismayed at the consequences of the new doctrines, that appeared more and more clearly every day ; and set themselves to work to destroy Cartesianism root and branch, before it was too late. Of course, in this reaction, as in all reactions, there were 1 14 Congr. Gen. Deer, v., 1696.