beacon lights of history-iii-2-第52章

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and　confessors　and　preachers；　in　the　adaptation　of　their　doctrines

to　the　taste　of　the　rich　and　powerful；　in　the　elegance　and

arrogance　and　worldliness　of　their　dignitaries。　　Father　La　Chaise

was　an　elegant　and　most　polished　man　of　the　world；　and　travelled　in

a　coach　with　six　horses。　　If　he　had　not　been　such　a　man；　he　would

not　have　been　selected　by　Louis　XIV。　for　his　confidential　and

influential　confessor。　　The　change　which　took　place　among　the

Jesuits　arose　from　the　same　causes　as　the　change　which　has　taken

place　among　Methodists　and　Quakers　and　Puritans。　　This　change　I

would　not　fiercely　condemn；　for　some　think　it　is　progress。　　But　is

it　progress　in　that　religious　life　which　early　marked　these　people；

or　a　progress　towards　worldly　and　epicurean　habits　which　they　arose

to　resist　and　combat？　　The　early　Jesuits　were　perhaps　fanatical；

strict；　ascetic；　religious；　and　narrow。　　They　sought　by　self…

denying　labors　and　earnest　exhortations；　like　Savonarola　at

Florence；　to　take　the　Church　out　of　the　hands　of　the　Devil；　and　the

people　reverenced　them；　as　they　always　have　reverenced　martyrs　and

missionaries。　　The　later　Jesuits　sought　to　enjoy　their　wealth　and

power　and　social　position。　　They　becameas　rich　and　prosperous

people　generally　becomeproud；　ambitious；　avaricious；　and　worldly。

They　were　as　elegant；　as　scholarly；　and　as　luxurious　as　the　Fellows

of　Oxford　University；　and　the　occupants　of　stalls　in　the　English

cathedrals；that　is　all：　as　worldly　as　the　professors　of　Yale　and

Cambridge　may　become　in　half…a…century；　if　rich　widows　and　brewers

and　bankers　without　children　shall　some　day　make　those　universities

as　well　endowed　as　Jesuit　colleges　were　in　the　eighteenth　century。

That　is　the　old　story　of　our　fallen　humanity。　　I　would　no　more

abuse　the　Jesuits　because　they　became　confessors　to　the　great；　and

went　into　mercantile　speculations；　than　I　would　rich　and　favored

clergymen　in　Protestant　countries；　who　prefer　ten　per　cent　for

their　money　in　California　mines　to　four　per　cent　in　national

consols。



But　the　prosperity　which　the　Jesuits　had　earned　during　their　first

century　of　existence　excited　only　envy；　and　destroyed　the　reverence

of　the　people；　it　had　not　made　them　odious；　detestable。　　It　was　the

means　they　adopted　to　perpetuate　their　influence；　after　early

virtues　had　passed　away；　which　caused　enlightened　Catholic　Europe

to　mistrust　them；　and　the　Protestants　absolutely　to　hate　and　vilify

them。



From　the　very　first；　the　Society　was　distinguished　for　the　esprit

de　corps　of　its　members。　　Of　all　things　which　they　loved　best　it

was　the　power　and　glory　of　the　Society；just　as　Oxford　Fellows

love　the　prestige　of　their　university。　　And　this　power　and

influence　the　Jesuits　determined　to　preserve　at　all　hazards　and　by

any　means；　when　virtues　fled；　they　must　find　something　else　with

which　to　bolster　themselves　up：　they　must　not　part　with　their

power；　the　question　was；　how　should　they　keep　it？　　First；　they　are

accused　of　having　adopted　the　doctrine　of　expediency；that　the　end

justifies　the　means。　　They　did　not　invent　this　sophistry；it　is　as

old　as　our　humanity。　　Abraham　used　it　when　he　told　lies　to　the　King

of　Egypt；　to　save　the　honor　of　his　wife；　Caesar　accepted　it；　when

he　vindicated　imperialism　as　the　only　way　to　save　the　Roman　Empire

from　anarchy；　most　politicians　resort　to　it　when　they　wish　to　gain

their　ends。　　Politicians　have　ever　been　as　unscrupulous　as　the

Jesuits；　in　adopting　expediency　rather　than　eternal　right。　　It　has

been　a　primal　law　of　government；　it　lies　at　the　basis　of　English

encroachments　in　India；　and　of　the　treatment　of　the　aborigines　in

this　country　by　our　government。　　There　is　nothing　new　in　the

doctrine　of　expediency。



But　the　Jesuits　are　accused　of　pushing　this　doctrine　to　its

remotest　consequences；　of　being　its　most　unhesitating　defenders；

so　that　jesuitism　and　expediency　are　popularly　convertible　terms。

They　are　accused　too　of　perverting　education；　of　abusing　the

confessional；　of　corrupting　moral　and　political　philosophy；　of

conforming　to　the　inclinations　of　the　great。　　They　even　went　so　far

as　to　inculcate　mental　reservation；thus　attacking　truth　in　its

most　sacred　citadel；　the　conscience　of　mankind；on　which　Pascal

was　so　severe。　　They　made　habit　and　bad　example　almost　a　sufficient

exculpation　from　crime。　　Perjury　was　allowable；　if　the　perjured

were　inwardly　determined　not　to　swear。　　They　invented　the　notion　of

probabilities；　according　to　which　a　person　might　follow　any　opinion

he　pleased；　although　he　knew　it　to　be　wrong；　provided　authors　of

reputation　had　defended　that　opinion。　　A　man　might　fight　a　duel；　if

by　refusing　to　fight　he　would　be　stigmatized　as　a　coward。　　They　did

not　openly　justify　murder；　treachery；　and　falsehood；　but　they

excused　the　same；　if　plausible　reasons　could　be　urged。　　In　their

missions　they　aimed　at　eclat；　and　hence　merely　nominal　conversions

were　accepted；　because　these　swelled　their　numbers。　　They　gave　the

crucifix；　which　covered　up　all　sins；　they　permitted　their　converts

to　retain　their　ancient　habits　and　customs。　　In　order　to　be

popular；　Robert　de　Nobili；　it　is　said；　traced　his　lineage　to

Brahma；　and　one　of　their　missionaries　among　the　Indians　told　the

savages　that　Christ　was　a　warrior　who　scalped　women　and　children。

Anything　for　an　outward　success。　　Under　their　teachings　it　was　seen

what　a　light　affair　it　was　to　bear　the　yoke　of　Christ。　　So　monarchs

retained　in　their　service　confessors　who　imposed　such　easy

obligations。　　So　ordinary　people　resorted　to　the　guidance　of　such

leaders；　who　made　themselves　agreeable。　　The　Jesuit　colleges　were

filled　with　casuists。　　Their　whole　moral　philosophy；　if　we　may

believe　Arnauld　and　Pascal；　was　a　tissue　of　casuistry；　truth　was

obscured　in　order　to　secure　popularity；　even　the　most　diabolical

persecution　was　justified　if　heretics　stood　in　the　way。　　Father　Le

Tellier　rejoiced　in　the　slaughter　of　Saint　Bartholomew；　and　Te

Deums　were　offered　in　the　churches　for　the　extinction　of

Protestantism　by　any　means。　　If　it　could　be　shown　to　be　expedient；

the　Jesuits　excused　the　most　outrageous　crimes　ever　perpetrated　on

this　earth。



Again；　the　Jesuits　are　accused　of　riveting　fetters　on　the　human

mind　in　order　to　uphold　their　power；　and　to　sustain　the　absolutism

of　the　popes　and　the　absolutism　of　kings；　to　which　they　were

equally　devoted。　　They　taught　in　their　schools　the　doctrine　of

passive　obedience；　they　aimed　to　subdue　the　will　by　rigid

discipline；　they　were　hostile　to　bold　and　free　inquiries；　they　were

afraid　of　science；　they　hated　such　men　as　Galileo；　Pascal；　and

Bacon；　they　detested　the　philosophers　who　prepared　the　way　for　the

French　Revolution；　they　abominated　the　Protestant　idea　of　private

judgment；　they　opposed　the　progress　of　human　thought；　and　were

enemies　alike　of　the　Jansenist　movement　in　the　seventeenth　century

and　of　the　French　Revolution　in　the　eighteenth。　　They　upheld　the

absolutism　of　Louis　XIV。；　and　combated　the　English　Revolution；　they

sent　their　spies　and　agents　to　England　to　undermine　the　throne　of

Elizabeth　and　build　up　the　throne　of　Charles　I。　　Every　emancipating

idea；　in　politics　and　in　religion；　they　detested。　　There　were　many

things　in　their　system　of　education　to　be　commended；　they　were　good

classical　scholars；　and　taught　Greek　and　Latin　admirably；　they

cultivated　the　memory；　they　made　study　pleasing；　but　they　did　not

develop　genius。　　The　order　never　produced　a　great　philosopher；　the

energies　of　its　members　were　concentrated　in　imposing　a　despotic

yoke。



The　Jesuits　are　accused　further　of　political　intrigues：　this　is　a

common　and　notorious　charge。　　They　sought　to　control　the　cabinets

of　Europe；　they　had　their　spies　in　every　country。　　The　intrigues　of

Campion　and　Parsons　in　England　aimed　at　the　restoration　of　Catholic

monarchs。　　Mary　of　Scotland　was　a　tool　in　their　hands；　and　so　was

Madame　de　Maintenon　in　France。　　La　Chaise　and　Le　Tellier　were　mere

politicians。　　The