beacon lights of history-iii-2-第50章

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motto　which　was　emblazoned　on　their　standard　when　they　went　forth

as　Christian　warriors　to　overcome　the　heresies　of　Christendom　and

the　superstitions　of　idolaters。　　〃The　Jesuit　missionary；〃　says

Stephen；　〃with　his　breviary　under　his　arm；　his　beads　at　his　girdle；

and　his　crucifix　in　his　hands；　went　forth　without　fear；　to

encounter　the　most　dreaded　dangers。　　Martyrdom　was　nothing　to　him；

he　knew　that　the　altar　which　might　stream　with　his　blood；　and　the

mound　which　might　be　raised　over　his　remains；　would　become　a

cherished　object　of　his　fame　and　an　expressive　emblem　of　the　power

of　his　religion。〃　　〃If　I　die；〃　said　Xavier；　when　about　to　visit　the

cannibal　Island　of　Del　Moro；　〃who　knows　but　what　all　may　receive

the　Gospel；　since　it　is　most　certain　it　has　ever　fructified　more

abundantly　in　the　field　of　Paganism　by　the　blood　of　martyrs　than　by

the　labors　of　missionaries；〃a　sublime　truth；　revealed　to　him　in

his　whole　course　of　protracted　martyrdom　and　active　philanthropy；

especially　in　those　last　hours　when；　on　the　Island　of　Sanshan；　he

expired；　exclaiming；　as　his　fading　eyes　rested　on　the　crucifix；　In

te　Domine　speravi；　non　confundar　in　eternum。　　〃In　perils；　in

fastings；　in　fatigues；　was　the　life　of　this　remarkable　man　passed；

in　order　to　convert　the　heathen　world；　and　in　ten　years　he　had

traversed　a　tract　of　more　than　twice　the　circumference　of　the

earth；　preaching；　disputing；　and　baptizing；　until　seventy　thousand

converts；　it　is　said；　were　the　fruits　of　his　mission。〃*　　〃　My

companion；〃　said　the　fearless　Marquette；　when　exploring　the

prairies　of　the　Western　wilderness；　〃is　an　envoy　of　France　to

discover　new　countries；　and　I　am　an　ambassador　of　God　to　enlighten

them　with　the　Gospel。〃　　Lalemant；　when　pierced　with　the　arrows　of

the　Iroquois；　rejoiced　that　his　martyrdom　would　induce　others　to

follow　his　example。　　The　missions　of　the　early　Jesuits　extorted

praises　from　Baxter　and　panegyric　from　Liebnitz。





*　I　am　inclined　to　think　that　this　statement　is　exaggerated；　or；　if

true；　that　conversion　was　merely　nominal。　　In　any　event；　his　labors

were　vast。





And　not　less　remarkable　than　these　missionaries　were　those　who

labored　in　other　spheres。　　Loyola　himself；　though　visionary　and

monastic；　had　no　higher　wish　than　to　infuse　piety　into　the　Catholic

Church；　and　to　strengthen　the　hands　of　him　whom　he　regarded　as

God's　vicegerent。　　Somehow　or　other　he　succeeded　in　securing　the

absolute　veneration　of　his　companions；　so　much　so　that　the　sainted

Xavier　always　wrote　to　him　on　his　knees。　　His　〃Spiritual　Exercises〃

has　ever　remained　the　great　text…book　of　the　Jesuits；a　compend　of

fasts　and　penances；　of　visions　and　of　ecstasies；　rivalling　Saint

Theresa　herself　in　the　rhapsodies　of　an　exalted　piety；　showing　the

chivalric　and　romantic　ardor　of　a　Spanish　nobleman　directed　into

the　channel　of　devotion　to　an　invisible　Lord。　　See　this　wounded

soldier　at　the　siege　of　Pampeluna；　going　through　all　the

experiences　of　a　Syriac　monk　in　his　Manresan　cave；　and　then　turning

his　steps　to　Paris　to　acquire　a　university　education；　associating

only　with　the　pious　and　the　learned；　drawing　to　him　such　gifted　men

as　Faber　and　Xavier；　Salmeron　and　Lainez；　Borgia　and　Bobadilla；　and

inspiring　them　with　his　ideas　and　his　fervor；　living　afterwards；　at

Venice；　with　Caraffa　（the　future　Paul　IV。）　in　the　closest　intimacy；

preaching　at　Vicenza；　and　forming　a　new　monastic　code；　as　full　of

genius　and　originality　as　it　was　of　practical　wisdom；　which　became

the　foundation　of　a　system　of　government　never　surpassed　in　the

power　of　its　mechanism　to　bind　the　minds　and　wills　of　men。　　Loyola

was　a　most　extraordinary　man　in　the　practical　turn　he　gave　to

religious　rhapsodies；　creating　a　legislation　for　his　Society　which

made　it　the　most　potent　religious　organization　in　the　world。　　All

his　companions　were　remarkable　likewise　for　different　traits　and

excellences；　which　yet　were　made　to　combine　in　sustaining　the　unity

of　this　moral　mechanism。　　Lainez　had　even　a　more　comprehensive　mind

than　Loyola。　　It　was　he　who　matured　the　Jesuit　Constitution；　and

afterwards　controlled　the　Council　of　Trent；a　convocation　which

settled　the　creed　of　the　Catholic　Church；　especially　in　regard　to

justification；　and　which　extolled　the　merits　of　Christ；　but

attributed　justification　to　good　works　in　a　different　sense　from

that　understood　and　taught　by　Luther。



Aside　from　the　personal　gifts　and　qualities　of　the　early　Jesuits；

they　would　not　have　so　marvellously　succeeded　had　it　not　been　for

their　remarkable　constitution；that　which　bound　the　members　of　the

Society　together；　and　gave　to　it　a　peculiar　unity　and　force。　　The

most　marked　thing　about　it　was　the　unbounded　and　unhesitating

obedience　required　of　every　member　to　superiors；　and　of　these

superiors　to　the　General　of　the　Order；so　that　there　was　but　one

will。　　This　law　of　obedience　is；　as　every　one　knows；　one　of　the

fundamental　principles　of　all　the　monastic　orders　from　the　earliest

times；　enforced　by　Benedict　as　well　as　Basil。　　Still　there　was　a

difference　in　the　vow　of　obedience。　　The　head　of　a　monastery　in　the

Middle　Ages　was　almost　supreme。　　The　Lord　Abbot　was　obedient　only

to　the　Pope；　and　he　sought　the　interests　of　his　monastery　rather

than　those　of　the　Pope。　　But　Loyola　exacted　obedience　to　the

General　of　the　Order　so　absolutely　that　a　Jesuit　became　a　slave。

This　may　seem　a　harsh　epithet；　there　is　nothing　gained　by　using

offensive　words；　but　Protestant　writers　have　almost　universally

made　these　charges。　　From　their　interpretation　of　the　constitutions

of　Loyola　and　Lainez　and　Aquaviva；　a　member　of　the　Society　had　no

will　of　his　own；　he　did　not　belong　to　himself；　he　belonged　to　his

General；as　in　the　time　of　Abraham　a　child　belonged　to　his　father

and　a　wife　to　her　husband；　nay；　even　still　more　completely。　　He

could　not　write　or　receive　a　letter　that　was　not　read　by　his

Superior。　　When　he　entered　the　order；　he　was　obliged　to　give　away

his　property；　but　could　not　give　it　to　his　relatives。*　　When　he

made　confession；　he　was　obliged　to　tell　his　most　intimate　and

sacred　secrets。　　He　could　not　aspire　to　any　higher　rank　than　that

he　held；　he　had　no　right　to　be　ambitious；　or　seek　his　own

individual　interests；　he　was　merged　body　and　soul　into　the　Society；

he　was　only　a　pin　in　the　machinery；　he　was　bound　to　obey　even　his

own　servant；　if　required　by　his　Superior；　he　was　less　than　a

private　soldier　in　an　army；　he　was　a　piece　of　wax　to　be　moulded　as

the　Superior　directed；and　the　Superior；　in　his　turn；　was　a　piece

of　wax　in　the　hands　of　the　Provincial；　and　he　again　in　the　hands　of

the　General。　　〃There　were　many　gradations　in　rank；　but　every　rank

was　a　gradation　in　slavery。〃　　The　Jesuit　is　accused　of　having　no

individual　conscience。　　He　was　bound　to　do　what　he　was　told；　right

or　wrong；　nothing　was　right　and　nothing　was　wrong　except　as　the

Society　pronounced。　　The　General　stood　in　the　place　of　God。　　That

man　was　the　happiest　who　was　most　mechanical。　　Every　novice　had　a

monitor；　and　every　monitor　was　a　spy。**　　So　strict　was　the　rule　of

Loyola；　that　he　kept　Francis　Borgia；　Duke　of　Gandia；　three　years

out　of　the　Society；　because　he　refused　to　renounce　all　intercourse

with　his　family。***





*　Ranke。



**　Steinmetz；　i。　p。　252。



***　Nicolini；　p。　35。





The　Jesuit　was　obliged　to　make　all　natural　ties　subordinate　to　the

will　of　the　General。　　And　this　General　was　a　king　more　absolute

than　any　worldly　monarch；　because　he　reigned　over　the　minds　of　his

subjects。　　His　kingdom　was　an　imperium　in　imperio；　he　was　chosen

for　life　and　was　responsible　to　no　one；　although　he　ruled　for　the

benefit　of　the　Catholic　Church。　　In　one　sense　a　General　of　the

Jesuits　resembled　the　prime　minister　of　an　absolute　monarch；say

such　a　man　as　Richelieu；　with　unfettered　power　in　the　cause　of

absolutism；　and　he　ruled　like　Richelieu；　through　his　spies；　making

his　subordinates　tools　and　instruments。　　The　General　appointed　the

presiden