of her danger.

Everything was going on prosperously for the Jesuits; as confessors of
kings, grandees, and fine ladies, they saw their morality everywhere in
full bloom; when in this serene atmosphere, the lightning flashes and
the thunderbolt falls. I speak of Arnaud's book, entitled "Frequent
Communion" (1643), so unexpected and so overwhelming.

Not only the Jesuits and Jesuitism were struck by the blow, but, in
general, all that portion of Christendom, which was enervated by an
easy indulgence. Christianity appeared again austere and grave; the
world again saw with awe the pale face of its crucified Saviour. He
came to say again, in the name of grace, what natural reason equally
asserts, "There is no real expiation without repentance." What became
of all their petty arts of evasion in presence of this severe truth?
What became of their worldly devotions and romantic piety, together
with all the Philotheas, Erotheas, and their imitations? The contrast
appeared odious.

Other writers have said, and will say, all this much better. I am not
writing here the history of Jansenism. The theological question is now
become obsolete. The moral question still survives, and history owes
it one word, for it cannot remain indifferent between the honest and
the dishonest. Whether the Jansenist did or did not exaggerate the
doctrine of grace, we must still call this party, as it deserves to be,
in this grand struggle, the party of virtue.

Arnaud and Pascal are so far from having gone too far against their
adversaries, that one might easily show they stopped short of the mark,
of their own accord, that they did not wish to make use of all their
arms, and were afraid (in attacking, on certain delicate points, the
Jesuitical direction) of doing harm to direction in general, and to
confession.

Ferrier, the Jesuit, avows that, after the terrible blow inflicted by
the _Lettres Provinciales_, the Jesuits were crushed, and that they
fell into derision and contempt. A multitude of bishops condemned
them, and not one stood up in their defence.

One of the means they employed to mend their case was, to say boldly
that the opinions with which they were reproached were not those of the
Society, but of a few individuals. They were answered that, as all
their books were examined by the chief, they belonged thus to the whole
body. No matter: to amuse the simple, they got a few of their order to
write against their own doctrin