beacon lights of history-iii-2-第48章

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conscience　enlightened　by　the　Bible；　and　willing　to　fight；　even

amid　the　greatest　privations　and　sacrifices；　to　maintain　this

sacred　right　and　transmit　it　to　their　children。　　Such　were　the　men

who　fought　the　battles　of　civil　liberty　under　Cromwell；　and

colonized　the　most　sterile　of　all　American　lands；　making　the　dreary

wilderness　to　blossom　with　roses；　and　sending　out　the　shoots　of

their　civilization　to　conserve　more　fruitful　and　favored　sections

of　the　great　continent　which　God　gave　them；　to　try　new　experiments

in　liberty　and　education。



I　need　not　enumerate　the　different　sects　into　which　these　Puritans

were　divided；　so　soon　as　they　felt　they　had　the　right　to　interpret

Scripture　for　themselves。　　Nor　would　I　detail　the　various　and　cruel

persecutions　to　which　these　sects　were　subjected　by　the　government

and　the　ecclesiastical　tribunals；　until　they　rose　in　indignation

and　despair；　and　rebelled　against　the　throne；　and　made　war　on　the

King；　and　cut　off　his　head；　all　of　which　they　did　from　fear　and　for

self…defence　as　well　as　from　vengeance　and　wrath。



Nor　can　I　describe　the　counter　reformation；　the　great　reaction

which　succeeded　to　the　violence　of　the　revolution。　　The　English

reformation　was　not　consummated　until　constitutional　liberty　was

heralded　by　the　reign　of　William　and　Mary；　when　the　nation　became

almost　unanimously　Protestant；　with　perfect　toleration　of　religions

opinions；　although　the　fervor　of　the　Puritans　had　passed　away

forever；　leaving　a　residuum　of　deep…seated　popular　antipathy　to　all

the　institutions　of　Romanism　and　all　the　ideas　of　the　Middle　Ages。

The　English　reformation　began　with　princes；　and　ended　with　the

agitations　of　the　people。　　The　German　reformation　began　with　the

people；　and　ended　in　the　wars　of　princes。　　But　both　movements　were

sublime；　since　they　showed　the　force　of　religious　ideas。　　Civil

liberty　is　only　one　of　the　sequences　which　exalt　the　character　and

dignity　of　man　amid　the　seductions　and　impediments　of　a　gilded

material　life。





AUTHORITIES。





Todd's　Life　of　Cranmer；　Strype's　Life　of　Cranmer；　Wood's　Annals　of

the　Oxford　University；　Burnet's　English　Reformation；　Doctor

Lingard's　History　of　England；　Macaulay's　Essays；　Fuller's　Church

History；　Gilpin's　Life　of　Cranmer；　Original　Letters　to　Cromwell；

Hook's　Lives　of　the　Archbishops　of　Canterbury；　Butler's　Book　of　the

Roman　Catholic　Church；　Wordsworth's　Ecclesiastical　biography；

Turner's　Henry　VIII。；　Froude's　History　of　England；　Fox's　Life　of

Latimer；　Turner's　Reign　of　Mary。







IGNATIUS　LOYOLA。



A。D。　1491…1556



RISE　AND　INFLUENCE　OF　THE　JESUITS。





Next　to　the　Protestant　Reformation　itself；　the　most　memorable　moral

movement　in　the　history　of　modern　times　was　the　counter…reformation

in　the　Roman　Catholic　Church；　finally　effected；　in　no　slight

degree；　by　the　Jesuits。　　But　it　has　not　the　grandeur　or　historical

significance　of　the　great　insurrection　of　human　intelligence　which

was　headed　by　Luther。　　It　was　a　revival　of　the　pietism　of　the

Middle　Ages；　with　an　external　reform　of　manners。　　It　was　not

revolutionary；　it　did　not　cast　off　the　authority　of　the　popes；　nor

disband　the　monasteries；　nor　reform　religious　worship：　it　rather

tended　to　strengthen　the　power　of　the　popes；　to　revive　monastic

life；　and　to　perpetuate　the　forms　of　worship　which　the　Middle　Ages

had　established。　　No　doubt　a　new　religions　life　was　kindled；　and

many　of　the　flagrant　abuses　of　the　papal　empire　were　redressed；　and

the　lives　of　the　clergy　made　more　decent；　in　accordance　with　the

revival　of　intelligence。　　Nor　did　it　disdain　literature　or　art；　or

any　form　of　modern　civilization；　but　sought　to　combine　progress

with　old　ideas；　it　was　an　effort　to　adapt　the　Roman　theocracy　to

changing　circumstances；　and　was　marked　by　expediency　rather　than

right；　by　zeal　rather　than　a　profound　philosophy。



This　movement　took　place　among　the　Latin　races；the　Italians；

French；　and　Spaniards；having　no　hold　on　the　Teutonic　races　except

in　Austria；　as　much　Slavonic　as　German。　　It　worked　on　a　poor

material；　morally　considered；　among　peoples　who　have　not　been

distinguished　for　stamina　of　character；　earnestness；　contemplative

habits；　and　moral　elevation；peoples　long　enslaved；　frivolous　in

their　pleasures；　superstitious；　indolent；　fond　of　fetes；

spectacles；　pictures；　and　Pagan　reminiscences。



The　doctrine　of　justification　by　faith　was　not　unknown；　even　in

Italy。　　It　was　embraced　by　many　distinguished　men。　　Contarini；　an

illustrious　Venetian；　wrote　a　treatise　on　it；　which　Cardinal　Pole

admired。　　Folengo　ascribed　justification　to　grace　alone；　and

Vittoria　Colonna；　the　friend　of　Michael　Angelo；　took　a　deep

interest　in　these　theological　inquiries。　　But　the　doctrine　did　not

spread；　it　was　not　understood　by　the　people；it　was　a　speculation

among　scholars　and　doctors；　which　gave　no　alarm　to　the　Pope。　　There

was　even　an　attempt　at　internal　reform　under　Paul　III。　of　the

illustrious　family　of　the　Farnese；　successor　of　Leo　X。　and　Clement

VII。；　the　two　renowned　Medicean　popes。　　He　made　cardinals　of

Contarini；　Caraffa；　Sadoleto；　Pole；　Giberto；all　imbued　with

reformative　doctrines；　and　very　religious；　and　these　good　men

prepared　a　plan　of　reform　and　submitted　it　to　the　Pope；　which

ended；　however；　only　in　new　monastic　orders。



It　was　then　that　Ignatius　Loyola　appeared　upon　the　stage；　when

Luther　was　in　the　midst　of　his　victories；　and　when　new　ideas　were

shaking　the　pontifical　throne。　　The　desponding　successor　of　the

Gregorys　and　the　Clements　knew　not　where　to　look　for　aid　in　that

crisis　of　peril　and　revolution。　　The　monastic　orders　composed　his

regular　army；　but　they　had　become　so　corrupted　that　they　had　lost

the　reverence　of　the　people。　　The　venerable　Benedictines　had　ceased

to　be　men　of　prayer　and　contemplation　as　in　the　times　of　Bernard

and　Anselm；　and　were　revelling　in　their　enormous　wealth。　　The

cloisters　of　Cluniacs　and　Cisterciansbranches　of　the

Benedictineswere　filled　with　idle　and　dissolute　monks。　　The

famous　Dominicans　and　Franciscans；　who　had　rallied　to　the　defence

of　the　Papacy　three　centuries　before；those　missionary　orders　that

had　filled　the　best　pulpits　and　the　highest　chairs　of　philosophy　in

the　scholastic　age；had　become　inexhaustible　subjects　of　sarcasm

and　mockery；　for　they　were　peddling　relics　and　indulgences；　and

quarrelling　among　themselves。　　They　were　hated　as　inquisitors；

despised　as　scholastics；　and　deserted　as　preachers；　the　roads　and

taverns　were　filled　with　them。　　Erasmus　laughed　at　them；　Luther

abused　them；　and　the　Pope　reproached　them。　　No　hope　from　such　men

as　these；　although　they　had　once　been　renowned　for　their　missions；

their　zeal；　their　learning；　and　their　preaching。



At　this　crisis　Loyola　and　his　companions　volunteered　their

services；　and　offered　to　go　wherever　the　Pope　should　send　them；　as

preachers；　or　missionaries；　or　teachers；　instantly；　without

discussion；　conditions；　or　rewards。　　So　the　Pope　accepted　them；

made　them　a　new　religions　Order；　and　they　did　what　the　Mendicant

Friars　had　done　three　hundred　years　before；they　fanned　a　new

spirit；　and　rapidly　spread　over　Europe；　over　all　the　countries　to

which　Catholic　adventurers　had　penetrated；　and　became　the　most

efficient　allies　that　the　popes　ever　had。



This　was　in　1540；　six　years　after　the　foundation　of　the　Society　of

Jesus　had　been　laid　on　the　Mount　of　Martyrs；　in　the　vicinity　of

Paris；　during　the　pontificate　of　Paul　III。　　Don　Inigo　Lopez　de

Recalde　Loyola；　a　Spaniard　of　noble　blood　and　breeding；　at　first　a

page　at　the　court　of　King　Ferdinand；　then　a　brave　and　chivalrous

soldier；　was　wounded　at　the　siege　of　Pampeluna。　　During　a　slow

convalescence；　having　read　all　the　romances　he　could　find；　he　took

up　the　〃Lives　of　the　Saints；〃　and　became　fired　with　religious　zeal。

He　immediately　forsook　the　pursuit　of　arms；　and　betook　himself

barefooted　to　a　pilgrimage。　　He　served　the　sick　in　hospitals；　he

dwelt　alone　in　a　cavern；　practising