THE BLACK POPE
A HISTORY OF THE JESUITS.
By M. F. CUSACK
(Formerly the Nun of Kenmare)
CHAPTER III
THE FOUNDATION OF THE ORDER—THE FOURTH VOW THE REAL OBJECT—THE IDEA OF FOUNDING A UNIVERSAL MONARCHY WITH THE POPE, NOMINALLY, THE GENERAL OF THE JESUITS PRACTICALLY, AT THE HEAD.
THE FOUNDATION OF THE ORDER OF JESUITS. — The service of the pope their avowed object; remarkable clause in their Constitutions on this subject; the vow of obedience to the pope not what it seems ; it secures great honour and many advantages to the Jesuits, but is practically useless to the pope ; no Jesuit is permitted to obey the pope unless he is ordered to do so by the General.—Practically the pope is obliged to obey the General.—Proof of this.—The General takes the place of God, and of the individual conscience towards those under him.—The Jesuit forbidden to listen to the voice of conscience.—Proof of this from the Rule.— Reasons why R. C. bishops are often unwilling to have Jesuits in their diocese.—How bishops are sometimes outwitted by them.—The Jesuits are the only religious order which has been condemned and dissolved by a pope.—The comparison between the obedience required from a soldier and from a Jesuit not well founded.—Extraordinary privileges given by some popes to the Jesuits; the popes have tied their own hands ; has this been a case of hypnotism ? the Jesuits allowed to make priests of persons who have not been born in lawful wedlock, etc. though this is strictly forbidden to others.—Allowed to say mass in time of interdict; these permissions give them great power; can require the secular power to enforce their excommunications, and to punish those who may oppose them in any way ; unlimited spiritual and temporal power of the General. — Jesuits obliged to report on public affairs to the General.—Ignatius' wonderful diplomacy.[Given that Frannie is a Jesuit, that is almost like the Beast with the mortal head wound. Pope killed them, brought them back to life. DC]
ON Easter Day in the year 1541, Ignatius Loyola attained the summit of his ambition and was elected general of his Order. That he should be the first general was a foregone conclusion. There were then only five members of the Society in Rome, but as all had been pre-arranged those who were absent had sent in their votes, so that delay or confusion was avoided. Before we enter further on the history of the Order, we must carefully study its constitutions, its rules and the objects of its founder. It should be noted first that the Jesuits are the only "religious order in the Church of Rome—and these orders are very numerous—which has lain under the ban of the Pope, or which has been expelled from any country because of its interference in politics. Hence we may expect to find that to obtain political power forms a main feature in the plans of the Society. A sketch, rather than a detailed statement, of the proposed objects of the new Society was drawn up .by Loyola and submitted to Pope Paul III.: it was confirmed by him on the 27th September, 1540. At a later period the constitutions were greatly enlarged, but the substance remained the same. This rule required the taking of the three vows, poverty, chastity, and obedience. These vows are required in all religious orders. But the fourth vow was the real object and distinguishing mark of the new Order. By this vow every Jesuit is bound to the service of the Pope in the most solemn manner. It must have been no little inducement to the popes of that day to sanction the plans of Ignatius, when they could no longer depend on the services of the older orders, for as we have shown in the last chapter, they were fast decaying under the weight of their own corruption.
There are some remarkable points in this remarkable document. First, we find the following direction: " He (the Jesuit) should always have God before his eyes, or more correctly, the aim of our Society and our rule, which is the sole way to God." This sentence so carefully framed, is the key-note to the whole system of the Jesuit. It is self-evident that no mere man could come forward and demand on his own responsibility the abject and absolute obedience which Ignatius exacted from his disciples. It is because Ignatius claimed to represent God, not as a mere figure of speech, but literally and actually, that he claimed to be obeyed as God. No other claim would have supported his exactions ; and that claim once admitted, there could be no limit to the demands on the obedience of the disciple. When once it is believed that Divine authority, and the claim is nothing short of a claim to Divine authority, is bestowed on any individual, that individual takes the place of God, and becomes the god of the person who admits the claim. It is certainly difficult to believe how any human being gifted with ordinary common sense could think that a fellow mortal like himself could possess such power, but we have to do with facts, and not with conjectures. It is a fact that thousands have believed and do believe that a mortal like themselves has such power, and exercises it by Divine right. It is quite clear that there are many circumstances in human life in which we may have a difficulty in deciding which of two courses is the better or most pleasing to God, but the Jesuit has no such difficulty, he has no choice, for his superior takes the place of God and decides for him. Hence also the demand which is made on the Jesuit for absolute and un asking obedience in the smallest as well as in the most important matters.[the jesuit does have a choice, but he chooses man over The Creator, not a very intelligent thing to do, moreso here in the 21st century DC]
When God speaks there can be no question as to the duty of obedience, but these men claim to speak as God, and with an equal if not almost a superior authority. We use the expression superior authority advisedly, because with the Jesuit the voice of the superior must always overrule the voice of God in the individual conscience. It is this which makes the rule of the Jesuit at once so dangerous and so unchristian. The Jesuit is taught and believes, that he commits a deadly sin if he allows himself to question for one moment the command of his superior, because the superior represents God, hence he must stifle promptly the voice which tells him that this or that is contrary to the law of God, and he must do an unholy violence to the voice of God's spirit within him. The words which we have quoted are very remarkable, and framed with an almost diabolical ingenuity. The novice, indeed, must always "have God before his eyes." So far the pious and unsuspicious might think there could be nothing but good, but the qualifying clause which follows over-rides this, and shows the real aim of Ignatius.
The next point to be noted is the vow of obedience to the Pope, and here the remarkable cunning of Ignatius is apparent. After much expression of the readiness which should characterise each member of the Order to obey the Pope, and to go wherever he might command, a clause is inserted which limits this obedience, and renders it practically a vow of obedience to the Society. No member of the Society shall have a right to enter into communications, either with the "chair of Rome" or any other ecclesiastical authority as an individual; all must be arranged through the General. Hence this much vaunted vow of obedience to the Pope, simply resolves itself into a promise to obey the Pope if the General of the Jesuits approves of what the Pope has commanded. The tremendous power which this places in the hands of the Society is self evident. It is a practical illustration of the old story of the bundle of sticks. The Pope cannot use one or any number of Jesuits for his own ends; if he requires the services of the Order he must ask it of the General, and he must accept these services as the General pleases. Hence the Pope must submit to the Society and keep on terms with it as a society, while the Society poses before the Catholic world as the humble servant of the Pope. The clause which limits the power of the Pope is thus worded: " The power of the General shall be so unlimited that should he deem it necessary for the honour of God, he shall even be able to send back, or in other directions, those who have come direct from the Popes."[this is why the Catholic Church is so afraid of people thinking on their own DC]
Thus by the rules of the Order which have been approved by many Popes, the Popes actually placed themselves under the feet of the Jesuit. The name given in reproach to this Society, or rather to the head of the Society, of the Black Pope, is singularly appropriate, and the complications which such arrangements involve is unique in the history of the world's religions. It has been said already that no member of the Order can accept any ecclesiastical position whatsoever, even at the command of the Pope, without the permission of the General, which permission is rarely given. The object of this rule is apparent. A Jesuit bishop in virtue of his ecclesiastical standing, would be the superior of his General; other members of the Order might attach themselves to him, or obtain his assistance in difficulties with their superiors. This could not be tolerated for a moment, hence every rule is framed with marvellous skill to secure the abject submission of the individual, and to prevent in advance even the least opening for relaxation.
The obedience which is exacted in a lesser or greater degree from individuals in Roman Catholic religious communities has been compared to that which is required from a soldier and has been justified by this comparison. But you cannot compare things which are not equal. There can be no comparison whatsoever between the obedience required from the Jesuit and the obedience of a soldier, which is simply an external obedience and limited to time and place. In the case of the obedience of a monk or nun, the circumstances are altogether different. The monk or nun is obliged to obey under all circumstances, and the obedience of the monk or nun is a spiritual obedience.
The soldier may criticise the actions of his superior officer, if his criticisms are not such as to interfere with the exterior obedience required from him, and on occasion he may represent to higher authority his objection or suggestion. He is not bound to internal agreement with his officers, though for the time being he is obliged to obey their lawful commands ; far less is he told that obedience can be exacted from him, under pain of eternal damnation. It is the spiritual element in the obedience required in the church of Rome which makes it a bondage too heavy to be born by all but those who can believe that a mere man has the authority of the Eternal God.
The Jesuit once bound by his vow is bound for ever. No Pope may sign his release. No Jesuit may confess to any priest who is not a member of his order. It is not altogether unusual for a member of one religious order in the church of Rome to pass to another order. Many difficulties are put in his way, but still such change is made from time to time, especially, or perhaps exclusively, when the monk or nun wishes to go from a lower to a higher order — the higher order being in all cases the more strict as to discipline. But in the case of the Jesuit this is not permitted, with the exception of the Carthusian Order, the vow of perpetual silence observed there being the cause of the permission, as the Jesuit would have no opportunity of exposing evils, or grievances, which he may have experienced in his former life.[yep once lucifer gets you in this state,you are cooked DC ]
But one of the most important and diplomatic rules of the Order is the one which forbids the interference of any ecclesiastical authority whatsoever in the affairs of the Jesuits. The bishop of every Roman Catholic diocese is practically the Pope of the various religious orders in his diocese, but over the Jesuit he has no control whatsoever. He dare not enter the Jesuit monastery except as an invited guest. The Jesuit has no need to ask his permission to say mass, or to hear confessions. All the personal and jealously guarded powers of the bishop are of no account whatsoever. Hence it is that the Jesuit often finds it so difficult to obtain a place in any diocese. A bishop can generally prevent the Jesuits from establishing themselves in his diocese, but once established he cannot expel them. An impecunious bishop may accept a very liberal consideration for permission to found a college under Jesuit management in his pastoral precincts, but the impecunious bishop generally finds that while there have been two parties to the contract, when the contract is once signed, only one party benefits.[Don't think for a second that Frannie as a pope is a coincidence at this time, these priests and bishops, at least some of them, have to know.Remember what was said about a divided house DC]
Hence the dislike which has been manifested even openly by many bishops to this Order. Another privilege which was granted to the Society was that of being allowed to say mass during an interdict, a privilege which was of immense importance to the Jesuits in the middle ages. All the ordinary rules of the Roman Catholic Church were, in fact, dispensed in their favour. Bishops were ordered to ordain anyone who might be presented to them by the fathers, without further examination or ceremony. The Church and the services of the Church were placed at their disposal, and none dare gainsay them, while they only gave in return the very doubtful benefit of establishing colleges, when they took care to secure for themselves all the best pupils in the district. They were to pay no taxes or dues but were permitted to take all they could get, and to keep all they got, other ecclesiastical privileges or laws to the contrary being suspended in their favour. All donations of land, or money, or houses are at once their property, and the Pope binds himself to this at the time of the grant without knowledge of what is granted. Truly the Spanish knight was by no means deficient in worldly wisdom.
The amount of exceptions and favours granted to this Order by the infallible bulls of infallible popes is something which can hardly be understood by those who are not familiar with the intricacies of Roman Catholic canon law and observance. One most important permission was that which allowed the Jesuits to receive into their order those who might be the offspring of adultery or incest. It is a strict rule, on the whole faithfully observed in the Roman Church, that no person can be ordained priest who has not been born in lawful wedlock, the reason being the high character attributed to the priestly office, nor could anyone be ordained who has any notable physical deficiency. But for the Jesuit all this was dispensed, nor can there be any doubt that just as Ignatius Loyola saw the immense gain to be secured when he opened a house for the mistresses of the Roman nobles and ecclesiastics, he saw also that the illegitimate offspring of the Jesuits' clientele would prove an immense source of income to his Order. The progenitor of such offspring would gladly give considerable amounts of money, or grants of houses or lands, to have their children thus provided for, and no questions asked.
But the great means through which Loyola expected to gain power was the education of youth. Hence he obtained permission and authorisations, which all tended to strengthen his hands in this direction. His Order was empowered to send professors to any university, and to give lectures there no matter what objection might be made by the existing authorities. Not content with all these advantages, his keen knowledge of human nature and extraordinary worldly wisdom quickened his perceptions, and he soon perceived that these favours would excite both jealousy and a perfectly natural opposition. This was also provided for in advance, just as he provided in advance the authority of the Pope to accept donations, no matter how large, of which the Pope knew nothing. All persons whatsoever were commanded to refrain from hindering, harassing, or disturbing his Society, under penalty of excommunication, and the Jesuits were empowered to call in the aid of the secular power to support them in opposing and silencing such of their Roman Catholic brethren as might interfere with their plans. The placing of such authority in the hand of any body of men was tantamount to giving them all power both in heaven and on earth. They could close the gates of heaven with a word by excommunicating those who opposed them, no matter whether justly or unjustly, and they could use the power of the earthly sword to exterminate, and compel obedience to their commands.
Ignatius certainly knew how to make the best of both worlds for the advancement of his Order. There is a manuscript collection of the sayings of Ignatius, which is well authenticated. Both the Bollandists, and the Jesuit author of the life of the saint, have quoted from it. In this collection it is stated that Ignatius, when conversing with Polanco, his confidential secretary, said: " In those who had offered themselves (to join the Society) he had looked less to purely natural goodness, than to firmness of character and ability for business." His disciples have followed his example. Further, he declared emphatically, according to the same reliable authority, that however valuable the connections or qualifications of a candidate might be, he would not avail himself of his services unless he discerned in him a character which could be moulded to strict obedience. If Ignatius Loyola knew how to make rules for his order, he knew also how to choose those who would obey these rules.
It is often, and not unnaturally, supposed that theological propositions which may be used or endorsed by members of the Society of Jesuits are simply the opinion of the individual. This is a serious mistake. No individual opinions are allowed in the Society, nor, indeed, in the Church of Rome. No Jesuit dare write or publish any book which has not the full and free imprimatur of his superiors. No Roman Catholic can persevere in the publication of books, or in the assertion of opinions, which have been condemned by the Church, and even at the present day Rome is not slow to silence authors, or to condemn those of whom she does not approve.
In such a Society it was absolutely necessary that a system of espionage should be arranged and carried out systematically. Ignatius laid down the lines for this system, and trusted to human nature to do the rest. No Jesuit novice (and the novitiate lasts for many years) can receive visits from his friends, unless a superior is present, a curious commentary on the supposed happiness and freedom of the religious life. No Jesuit can read a letter or write a letter without the express permission of his superiors. To ask such a permission is an obvious humiliation; hence the end is attained, for few will voluntarily place themselves in such a position. Besides, this rule cuts off all possibility of free intercourse or of expression of unhappiness. After a time letters to friends or relatives are gradually discontinued, neither side caring to write what must be carefully inspected, and the individual stands alone. The same rule is observed in every convent and monastery. It may be asked, why do men or women submit to such unnatural restraints. The answer is simple, and *will be easily understood by those who have the happy faculty of entering into mental conditions which differ from their own. The Jesuit novice believes that this sacrifice will be acceptable to God, and he enters on his career under the firm conviction that it is pleasing to God, and that the more he "conquers nature" the higher will be his place in heaven.
The power placed in the hands of the General is practically unlimited, but in order to exercise this power he must be fully informed of all that passes in every house of the Order, and in each individual soul. The Pope exercises a somewhat similar power, with this exception, that the Pope is not so minutely informed. But in the case of the Pope, while the affairs of the Church in all countries are reported to him, the reports go into the hands of the cardinals and others appointed to make digests for his use. In the case of the General, all must come directly into his hands, though he is allowed to employ confidential secretaries who aspire to his exalted position, and therefore protect the interests of the Order con amore.
The Jesuit Order has been always the determined opponent of the Freemasons, yet they are themselves a secret organisation practically independent of the Church, whose powers and far reaching effect exceed all that the most ambitious Freemason could desire. The superiors and rectors of all Jesuit houses are obliged to report every week to the Provincial of their province. This report is not confined to an account of the internal economy of their respective convents. They are obliged to report specially as to the exterior work of the Society in their locality, and many a good Protestant would find his character well analysed in these reports, while the statesman, whether Catholic or Protestant, Liberal or Conservative, would see that many an action in which he supposed that he had been a free agent, had been secretly suggested through channels which he had never suspected. Evidence will be given later on this point when treating of the interference of the Jesuits in politics.. The Provincial makes up his report from these reports for the General once a month, but so complete and complicated is the plan to secure knowledge of places, persons, and motives, not merely as regards members of the Order, but as regards each person of the least note in the various towns or neighbourhoods, that the inferior officers of the Society are also required to report once in three months to the General, in addition to the weekly report which they make to their local superiors.
But on every check there is a counter check. Superiors, rectors, and, most important, also the masters of novices, are required to send a report to the General every three months. Thus each report can be compared, and accurate results obtained. Arrangements are made also in case the affairs reported, refer to persons outside the Order, that these reports shall be so worded, that while they are perfectly clear to the General and his immediate entourage* they would convey no information to others into whose hands they might fall. It may be well to say here that these statements are not the mere assertions of ignorant or prejudiced writers. The "Institutes" or authorised rules of the Jesuit Order, were published at Prague in 1757, and contain not only the rules of the Order as authorised by the various popes who approved them, but also the decrees of general congregations. Everything is provided for, nothing has been left- to chance, or future arrangement, even the possibility of the defection of the General himself is foreseen, and arrangements made to provide for such a contingency. The General is also under a certain supervision. He is not allowed to travel alone; he is provided with assistants, without whom he cannot act in certain cases, but his restrictions are few, and practically he has the absolute power of an autocrat. He can receive or dismiss at pleasure, he can promote or degrade his subjects as he thinks fit, without giving account to anyone whosoever. Furthermore," he has the most extraordinary and absolute dispensing powers, as regards the rule, and the observance of the rule. Certainly Loyola believed in autocracy, though the Society, as a body, accommodates itself to every or any mode of government in the various countries where it exists.
St. Charles Borromeo, the well known Roman Catholic saint and doctor of the Church, has made some notable observations on this subject. He says: " The superiors often do not admit the best subjects, while admitting with open arms those who are skilled in sciences, though they may be often destitute of piety or devotion." This, however, was strictly in accord with the instructions given by their founder.
The Jesuit is not permitted to take his full and final vows until he has attained the age of forty-five. As a consequence there are few fully professed members of the Order. There may have been more than one reason for this rule, the longer the practical novitiate the more formed the habit of obedience would become. The spiritual elevation on which the few and select Fathers are placed, would make them an object of envy to those beneath them, and there is something in human nature which leads men to value what they do not possess and to strive for its attainment, but when the object is possessed and the desire attained there will be a relaxation of their efforts.
Besides the rigorous regulation as to age, the rule requires that thirty-one years shall have been passed in the Order before the final vows are taken, so that a Jesuit who had not entered the novitiate at a very early age, might be far older than the years specified before he could take the final vows. In the meantime he is simply the bond slave of the General, who may dismiss him at will, or retain him at pleasure. He must become a corpse in the hands of his superior, the original words of the rule are " ac si cadoever esset."
When God desired to punish Nebuchadnezzar, He deprived him of his reason, and he had his dwelling with the wild asses, but when Solomon chose an understanding heart as the highest gift which God could give him, he was commended by eternal wisdom for his choice, but these men cast aside the divinest gift which God can bestow, and glory in their self-inflicted degradation.
The proud distinction chosen by Loyola of being the founder of the " Society of Jesus," was part of a well arranged plan. There can be no question that the primary, if not the sole object of the Spanish monk, was to counteract the effects of the German Reformation, and he actually established a college in Rome which he called the German College, in which Germans were especially trained with the view of returning to their own country to reclaim those who had followed the Reformers, the keen insight of Ignatius enabling him to realise that those who were natives of Germany would obtain a hearing sooner than those who might neither understand the language nor the ' customs of the country. It may be said here that in the original papal bull which authorised the establishment of the Order, the number to lie received was limited to sixty. Ignatius probably smiled at the restriction, well aware that unlimited leave to act as he pleased was a foregone conclusion, and would necessarily be given in a very short period. In this bull, promulgated on the 27th of September, 1540, the founders associated with Ignatius are named as the "ten dear sons, Ignatius de Loyola and Peter Faber, and James Laynez, as well as Claude le Jay and Paschal Brouet and Francis Xavier, with Alphonse Salmeron and Simon Rodriguez, John Codure, and Nicolas de Bobadilla."
Not only at first, but from time to time during the lifetime of Loyola, objections were made to the name which he gave to his Order. But while on some other points Ignatius stooped to conquer, on this point he remained immovable. If he had not extraordinary foresight, he may have had some larger knowledge than his disciples of the doctrines then taught by the German reformers, and have believed that the prominent use of the name of Jesus would enable his followers to secure a hearing when all other means failed. To have had, and to have carried out such an idea, was altogether consonant with the whole plan of the Society, and others besides Ignatius have made unholy use of the sacred name of the Saviour of mankind. One of his earliest and most trusted disciples, Father Michael Torres, implored him to yield this point, but he refused with characteristic determination. His Order was to be a company of soldiers, under the nominal command of Jesus Christ, but Christ was represented to his army by the general for the time being. He distinctly refused to allow his spiritual children to be called or in any way represented as a monastic body. They were the Pope's soldiers, who nevertheless on occasion commanded the Pope.
Orlandini, the official historian of the Order, says that the term Societas was chosen expressly because it was the best rendering of the Spanish word Compania, the technical expression for a company of soldiers under the command of a captain. This use of the name of Jesus was made a subject of special complaint by the French clergy, and the Sorbonne protested, but protested in vain, against the presumption of any religious body in arrogating to itself the special headship and approbation of the Saviour.
Some -very remarkable circumstances occurred when the title was under dispute in Rome, during the generalship of Acquaviva, and after the death of Loyola.
In the month of August, 1590, Sixtus V. intimated officially that the Order would not be allowed to continue if the name by which it had been known hitherto was not promptly changed. But such were the constitutions of the Order, as fully authorised by a previous Pope, that even the Pope himself could not make the change, the General was therefore compelled to act. So determined was the Pope that Acquaviva was prepared to yield. He drafted a document enforcing the required change, but scarcely had it reached the hands of the Pope for approval and inspection, when he died suddenly. Sixtus was succeeded by Cardinal Castagna, who ascended the pontifical throne under the title of Urban VII. It was expected that he would be even more uncompromising than his predecessor, but he survived his elevation to the chair of Peter only eleven days. His successor, Gregory XIV., was a warm friend of the Jesuits, and the remarkable death roll was closed. This Pope added notably to the already vast powers of the Order, and empowered the General to dismiss any one from it without even the semblance of a trial.
The words ad majorem Dei gloriam, which is the motto of the Order, were also imposed by the founder. The novices were taught that whatever benefited the Order promoted the glory of God, that they could only learn from their superiors what would be most for the benefit of the Order, and for the glory of God. It is quite certain that the glory of God and the glory of the Society were convertible terms in the" mind of Ignatius Loyola.
CHAPTER IV.
THE MAKING OF THE JESUIT.
THE MAKING OP THE JESUIT.—The motives which induce men to submit to such discipline; the object of Loyola was the success of the Order at any price ; proof of this.—How novices are secured and selected ; gradual influence used to persuade them to join the Order.—Boys easily impressed by the praise and attention of their elders.—They do not suspect that they have been chosen, so carefully is all arranged; the effect of honours paid to three youthful canonised Jesuits.—The ambition fired by reports of the glory of the Order, and its power everywhere; a novice may one day be confessor to a king, or a pope, and rule the destinies of the world; the use made of the Spiritual Exercises; sermons preached to excite the imagination; spiritual terror produced; impossibility of forming a calm judgment under such circumstances; close resemblance between the Spiritual Exercises and the Eleusinian mysteries.—Ignatius imprisoned by ecclesiastical authorities at Alcala in 1526, on the charge of being one of the Illuminati; the Jesuit novice and the Buddhist novice; strange rites; politics controlled and affairs of state regulated in the interests of the Order; secular priests jealous of the power which the Jesuit Director has over women of rank and public men.—How the Jesuit novice is hardened for his work.
WHEN the extraordinary rules which govern the order of Jesuits have been studied, even in the barest outline, and their peculiar characteristics understood in some degree, the question may be asked naturally, what motive could induce those who are still in the vigour of manhood, if not in the very buoyancy of youth, to bind themselves to such a mode of life? In studying such subjects we can best succeed in obtaining the explanation which we desire, by realising that whether we approve or disapprove, thousands of our fellow beings sincerely believe what we disbelieve and what we consider morally wrong. They act on principles, and from motives, which are altogether foreign to us even if they are not absolutely repugnant. We must try to understand the motives which influence them, and look at them from their point of view, if we would know why they think as they do, and why that which is so repugnant to us seems to them an act of the highest virtue.
A long and exceptionally intimate acquaintance with the deepest feelings of those who have held the most widely opposite views on religious questions must certainly lead to toleration. But toleration is something very different from condoning evil. Unfortunately for the cause of truth, there are, and no doubt always will be, a certain class who are not capable of considering any subject from any standpoint but their own, hence they rarely win souls from error; and such persons naturally misjudge those who have larger and more Christian views.
We who rejoice in the liberty with which Christ has made us free, may find it difficult to understand the bondage of evil; but this bondage has been the unhappy birthright of thousands, who believe in it, and glory in it as we do in our freedom. It requires, then, no common faith and love to reach such souls, and we can do so best by giving them credit for their sincerity, while we strive with all patience and charity to lead them into the light.
When studying the characteristics of the Order we should remember that like all other institutions it is composed of units, and that each unit is equally necessary to the formation of the whole body. We shall therefore take a unit and follow the line of thought and indicate the motives which induce a youth to enter such institutions. When we come to treat of the Jesuit colleges and their mode of instruction, whether religious or secular, we shall find on their own authority that the heads of these colleges make use of a system of espionage, which they have elevated to a fine art. One object of this is to secure for themselves those of their pupils who give the best promise of being useful members of the Order. Here we have at once one reason why the Jesuit devotes himself to the education of youth. We have already mentioned the special qualifications which the founder of the Order considered most necessary for those whom he desired to join his institute. Talent was to be preferred to piety, or moral qualifications, and the permission which he obtained to receive and even to advance to the priesthood, those who for moral reasons were universally rejected by other orders, is an evidence that his object was success at any price.
The youths thus selected received special attention, both in regard to their studies, and their conduct. The parents of these youths were never informed, until the last moment, what had been arranged for their sons. The boys themselves were kept in ignorance, until some supreme moment in their religious training, when it became necessary that they should assent to the suggestions of their confessor. If they had known the object in view too soon, they might have been induced to offer some opposition by those of their companions who were less devout, or less amenable to discipline. If they had known that they were being trained for a certain end, they might have resented the training. The Jesuit masters have all the advantage on their side, and their pupils for all practical purposes are at their mercy. In all such cases the first object would be to impress the mind of the youth with the great honour which was conferred on those who were chosen by the Society. The young are easily fired with ambition by hearing of the deeds of heroes, especially when the hero* is highly commended by those to whom they naturally look up with respect. The youth begins to think how glorious it would be if he too might one day be spoken of as this hero has been, and thus the first idea germinates.
Let it be added to this that the youth who are under Jesuit training are inspired with even more devotion to the Church than the alumni of other Catholic Colleges. To belong to the Church is to be sure of salvation, to belong to the Society of Jesuits, is to secure a most exalted place in heaven. It is an army, and youth burns to do battle in what he firmly believes to be so good a cause. It is an army where he is told that the rewards are always sure, and the distinctions depend on the valour of the individual. He is* fired with the ambition to destroy heresy, and to conquer the world for the Church. He is not yet told anything of the means whereby this apparently glorious end is to be attained.
The time approaches for his first communion, and all around is made subservient to the impression which such an event is desired to make. The Jesuit saints and their doings are brought prominently forward for his consideration and admiration. Indeed, the Jesuits have been astute enough to secure the canonisation of some of their very youthful, but long deceased members, so that schools and educational institution? are placed under their patronage. The canonised youths Aloysius and Stanislaus, have a monopoly of clients amongst the young, and lately a certain blessed Berchmans has been added to the list. Novenas, or nine days of successive prayer, are said to these deceased heroes of the Order. Altars are erected in their honour, and decked on their feast days with the choicest flowers and the most costly ornaments. Who shall say but one day this youth may have such honours paid to him also!
The desired end is helped by a little word from a father, a master, a professor, which has been so carefully pre-arranged as to seem quite accidental. It is the old story of the constant, dropping of water. But the drops are dropped very cautiously, not one too many, nor one too few. Now let it be remembered that the youth believes in his Church with an intensity of belief which is difficult for the non-Catholic to realise. He is told certain things, and he believes them to be true, and he has no opportunity of hearing the other side of the question, and indeed he does not believe that there is another side. Rome has spoken ; his Jesuit masters tell him what to believe, and he believes accordingly. Later we shall show that history, for example, is taught according to Rome and not according to fact, and that all students, whether intended for the Order or for the world, are carefully prevented from having access to any book, pamphlet, or paper, the reading of which might lead them to question what they are taught. There is only one side of any question, literary, metaphysical, social or political, for the Roman Catholic, and that is the Roman Catholic side. The habit having been so well formed in youth of believing what is told them, and the warnings being so terrible as to the dangers of listening for a moment to the opposite side of any question; that later in life, when there is comparative mental freedom which might he availed of for obtaining information, such information is not desired, because it has been so impressed on the mind in youth that there is no other side except what is false and dangerous.
At last the time arrives when the youth must make his choice between a world which he has been told is full of snares for his destruction, and a state wherein he is assured he will be absolutely certain of heaven. Once more let it be remembered how his earliest years have been impressed and moulded, how sure he is that his teachers are infallible, and that they actually represent God. It is difficult to tell which is strongest, the vividness of Roman Catholic belief or the certainty of the Roman Catholic that his Church is the one Church founded by Christ Jesus. All that is needed now is to deepen repressions already made, and to excite the youth to make a definite and final choice. To attain this end what are called the spiritual exercises are brought into use, and these exercises are the final touch which is given in the making of the Jesuit.
The spiritual exercises are simple enough in themselves. They consist of a series of meditations on sacred subjects. With the exception of those, and they are few, which deal with worship of Mary and the saints, any Christian might read them without perceiving evil. Apparently their only object is to lead the soul to a greater love of God, and a greater zeal for His service. These exercises are used in all convents, at what are called "retreats," which take place once at least every year. They are used also in Jesuit, and, indeed, in all Roman Catholic Colleges both by the priests and the students. The general use of these exercises has done not a little to help the Society, and to spread it. Devout persons naturally wish to have their retreats given to them by members of the Society, as they are supposed to be experts in the use of their own formulas.
The spiritual exercises may be gone through in nine days, or they may be so arranged as to occupy a month. They may be used either publicly or privately. There are three exercises for each day, but, as we have said, the words used are simple, and give but little idea of the effect produced when a preacher who has been trained to make them his text preaches them to an absorbed audience.
It is the accessories, which produce the effect. First, a profound silence is required. It is considered a serious fault if even a word is spoken during the time in which the exercises are being used, not only while the preacher is expounding them, but at any time. Only those who have had personal experience of a retreat can have the least idea of the terrible effect of this enforced silence. Day after day, and at every hour of the day, and night, there is a silence so profound that the falling of the smallest article, or the shutting of a door or window so as to be heard, is forbidden, and penance inflicted. The nervous tension produces in some minds a feeling akin to madness; but the desired effect is obtained. The mind is no longer able to take a clear view of duty, it becomes so enfeebled by its surroundings that it is impossible to think sanely, or calmly. Every mental faculty is strained ; how then can a decision be made deliberately. Spiritual terror is the chief factor in the exercises, and the silence and gloom of all around enhances the terror.
In the meditation on hell each individual is required to picture hell to himself, with all its horrors, and if he honestly does what is required, he reduces himself to a pitiable state of mind. When the retreat is given in public the trained Jesuit preacher knows how to pile up the agony with words and gestures, until some of his auditors burst into sobs of anguish, or even shriek aloud in this artificially produced terror. When the imagination is thus worked up anything will be promised which affords a hope of escape from such a future, and here the Jesuit's opportunity comes in. The novice master, to whom alone the novices are permitted to speak, goes round to those in whom he is especially interested, and finds them only too thankful to relieve an overstrained mind, and often a promise is given and taken, when the hapless individual is utterly unfit to decide a matter of such supreme moment. But it is all for the good of the Church and the Order—perhaps we should rather reverse the words —and the end justifies the means.
Those who are unacquainted with the realities of Roman Catholic convent life, are often under the impression that all those who enter convents or monasteries, are reluctant victims. If it is realised that they believe in the existence of all the terrors of which they are told, it will be seen that there is motive enough for their. decision. It is indeed difficult for those who know that Christ saves fully and freely to realise the state of mind of those who do not believe, and who think that they can escape an eternity of torment by their own efforts.
But the spiritual exercises of Ignatius are by no means so original as may be supposed. It is impossible now to discover whether he had or had not any knowledge of "the manner in which the heathen were initiated into the Eleusiman mysteries, but it is more than probable that he was not unacquainted with Oriental mysticism. In the year 1526 while Loyola was in the town of Alcala where Cardinal Ximenes had established a high school, he was arrested by the Inquisition, and cast into prison on a charge of being one of the Illuminati. There is no doubt that there were many disciples of secret and occult Eastern sects in Spain at this period.
The account given in " Rollins' Ancient History " of the introduction of novices into the Eleusiman discipleship is strangely like the initiatory exercises of a Jesuit novitiate. The principle at least is the same. Spiritual terror is the means used to impress the votary. When the time of their initiation arrives they are brought into the temple, and to inspire them with greater reverence and terror, the ceremony was performed in the night. Wonderful things took place on this occasion. Visions were seen and voices heard of an extraordinary kind.. A sudden splendour dispelled the darkness of the place, and disappearing immediately, added new horrors to the gloom. Apparitions, claps of thunder, earthquakes, heightened the terror and amazement, whilst the person to be admitted, overwhelmed with dread, and sweating through fear, listened with trembling to the reading of a mysterious volume, if, indeed, in such a condition he was capable of hearing at all. In this case the mind was impressed through the senses, in the case of the Jesuit and Buddhist novice they make their own sensation, and the bodily faculties are impressed through the mind. The Jesuit novice is commanded to smell the stenches, to see the tortures, and to feel the pains of the damned, and he who best carries out this self-impressed illusion is considered the most fitting subject for the Order. In the case of the Buddhist the method is somewhat more spiritual.
The Buddhist novice who performed his spiritual exercises long centuries before the Ignatian method was in use, proceeded thus:—Five states of " Yama " or purifications and meditations had to be passed through before the novice could obtain holy wisdom, or union of the soul with the supreme God. First, the Chela, or novice, must spend some time in purifications and fasting, and then he comes into the presence of his teacher or master, who is to help him, as the Jesuit novice master assists the Jesuit novice in the process of advancement in the science of Divine things. A patron saint is selected, for the heathen theology has its saints, generally the spirits of ancestors to whom worship is rendered in kind, as well as verbally.
In the Church of Rome the .offerings in kind, which are usually made to the chosen saint, are given in kind to the priest, or other representative of the authority of the Church; in the Eastern worship of the departed the offerings in kind are burned, as it is supposed that they will thus reach the personality for whom they are intended, through the medium of fire. The idea is curious. The ignorant heathen, having seen that any substance which is placed in fire disappears rapidly, concludes that the fire has absorbed the substance of what is offered, and that this, whether food, or clothing, or other gift, will be presented to the person in whose honour it is offered in another world by the Fire God. The Indian novice is taught to look on his teacher or master as an incarnation of his god. He must worship at his feet, and present to him the same offerings as he would to Krishna (see "Vishnu Purana," by Wilson, the Orientalist, p. 652). His master is at once his guide and his god. He accepts the voice of the master as the voice of God.
Thus the teaching of Rome has been anticipated by the teaching of. the followers of the gods of old. Nor is it necessary to account for this "similarity of religious teaching by crediting the later teachers with actual imitation. Men who are ignorant of Gospel truth have manifested a similar fashion of worshipping in all ages; and visible signs and symbols have been used as a medium of honouring or communicating with the invisible and unknown God. Of the two systems, however, the more ancient has in some respects a greater spirituality. In the spiritual exercises of the Buddhist novice he must endeavour to abstract himself from all outward things by silence, by closing all the approaches of the senses. The eyes must be closed, the ears must be filled with some substance, which will prevent the entrance of sound, and the very breathing must be suspended. When he is fully abstracted from all the things of time and sense, then, and then only, may he hope for heavenly communications. So also must the Jesuit novice withdraw himself even from the usual course of his sufficiently secluded life. He is removed into a new sphere. Even his former routine of spiritual duties is changed. All must be silent as the grave, and he must lay aside even his holiest occupations. He also must place himself abjectly at the feet of his master, to learn from him the further abandonments of himself to which he is now called.
When the Buddhist novice has altogether abstracted himself from all outward things, he is desired to conjure up the image of his god ; it is true that the symbols and form under which he is taught to represent this deity are gross and materialistic, but the same may truly be said of the images of saints which are placed before the Roman Catholic youth for their veneration. But the anthropomorphism of the Buddhist is but a step in passing to the realisation of the abstract and purely spiritual deity whom he learns to adore, while the Roman Catholic is always required to venerate exterior forms, and to adore exterior symbols. But there is this important difference: the Eastern novice was taught to use these material things as a means to attain a state of complete abstraction from everything earthly, whereas the Jesuit novice, even if he may attain eventually to a condition of spiritual ecstasy, continues to use the things of sense. We are told, in the life of Madame Guion, that she fasted and prayed and scourged herself in vain, until a Jesuit, more enlightened than his brethren, told her she was searching from without what could only be found within.
There is a certain satisfaction to the natural man in doing some exterior work which he hopes may secure his welfare hereafter. The visible is nearer to us than the invisible. What we see and what we feel is more real to us than what others have seen, or what others have felt. Hence the special adaptability of the spiritual exercises of Ignatius to the natural man. The individual who, is engaged in this work is withdrawn, as we have said, from all exterior distraction in order that all his faculties and all his senses may be occupied in the one object of realising the subjects proposed to him. It is not sufficient that he shall listen to the words in which the preacher describes the torments of hell —torments which are supposed to assail every sense, and to torture each with an agony devised specially for the purpose.
The listener is at last left in the dimness of an artificially created solitude, to work up the scene which has been described in such a manner as to make him imagine that he already feels the whips and scorpions and the burning fiery instruments with which he will be punished for ever and ever.
But the spiritual exercises were not all words. Ignatius had taught and had practised the gospel of salvation by works. Once it is believed that we can save ourselves, or at least that we can merit salvation, by personal suffering, there is no limit except the limit of human endurance, which can be put to self-sacrifice. But it often happens that those who have practised the most degrading humiliations to obtain the grace of humility have found a source of pride even in these humiliations. The temptation to spiritual pride in the Roman Catholic Church is proportioned to the honour which that Church pays to those who practise voluntary humiliations. And this is the case above all in the cloister. Here ambition is limited, and has but one outlet. It is true that a few may ambition advancement in position, and desire the higher places. For the rest, they know well that the prizes are few indeed, and the difficulty of attaining them is very great; but the poorest and the most ignorant have not only a chance, but the best chance of advancing themselves to that high position of sanctity which must eventually secure them honour, even if that honour is sometimes manifested in pitiful exhibitions of envy and jealousy.
Indeed, to secure the very high honour of being considered a saint, the very first step is to practise, in season and out of season, acts of extraordinary humility, or perhaps we should say, acts which in conventual life are supposed to be acts of extraordinary humility. Humility is a relative term, and humiliations vary accordingly. Then there are two kinds of humiliations: first, the humiliations which are part of the convent rule, as, for example, kissing the floor when reproved by a superior, or performing a penance prescribed by rule in the refectory; and second, the penances or humiliations which are voluntary. These are the penances which obtain credit of the highest kind. A good religieuse is one who observes well and carefully the ordinary routine of the convent; a saint is one who, besides observing this rule, does a great many other things which to the uninitiated seem more or less absurd.
It was perhaps natural that some soul who had so followed the instructions of the guide of his retreat as to have counted the blows received by Christ in the scourging, and " seen" the blood which flowed from His stripes, should at last be so overcome by this realised scene as to desire to bear himself what Christ had borne. It is certain, however, that in all religions, and at all times of the world's history, men have sought to propitiate their gods by personal sufferings, and there is little difference, either in the motive or the act, between the scourgings which the Roman Catholic saint inflicts on himself or others, and the piercing of the flesh with hooks of the Hindoo fakir.
Nor need it be assumed that this seeking for honour through humiliations is done deliberately. Pride is one of the most subtle of sins, and the pride which apes humility has passed into a proverb. The monk or the nun who practises humiliations with a remote view of future exaltation, may have scarcely realised the temptation, and would resent the imputation of such a motive with an indignation not altogether feigned. We have considered the spiritual exercises of Ignatius Loyola principally with regard to their effect on, and use by the Jesuit novices, but these exercises are intended for the use of Roman Catholics of all classes. Many editions of this work have been published by the Jesuits, and to the uninitiated reader they may seem as we have said elsewhere, simply a good guide to a higher spiritual life. But the real object of these exercises consists in what they are made to mean when expanded or used as a text-book by a trained priest.
In the edition published by Cardinal Wiseman, he calls attention to the necessity of a director for those who wish to avail themselves of the full benefit to be gained from them. He says, "The essential element of a spiritual retreat is direction. In the Catholic Church no one is allowed to trust himself in spiritual matters." Elsewhere he says, " Let no one think of undertaking these holy exercises without the guidance of a prudent and holy director." It is a fundamental axiom in the Church of Rome that every one must be guided in all things spiritual and temporal by the Church.But as the Church is an abstraction, and only general—though very well defined lines of conduct are laid down for the guidance of the children of the Church—it becomes necessary that all who desire "perfection " should apply to some one individual for the personal guidance which is of precept, if not of obligation.
It is here that the tremendous power of the Church makes itself felt. It is through this " direction " that statesmen are compelled to act, not for the benefit of the country to which they belongs but for the benefit of the Church, which controls them. It is here that matters of the most secret nature are discussed and decided. It is here that alliances of marriage are arranged, and political treaties are agreed on. That we do not over state the case will be shown later. It is even advised that the confessor and the director should not be the same person, and the reason for this is obvious. A good Roman Catholic is supposed to go to confession frequently, and may have to change his confessor often. But the case of direction is different. Direction is not needed at every moment, letters can pass between the directed and the director, and at regular and not infrequent interviews, particular orders can be given by the director and general principles laid down for the guidance of the individual.
The great power of the Jesuit has been obtained and preserved through the director. To have a Jesuit director is fashionable, and the Jesuit has succeeded in persuading the world of Catholics that he is an expert in this matter, as indeed he is. As it is of the utmost importance that the General should be kept informed of every important public affair in every country, and in every cabinet, it is obvious that he can obtain the information through the fathers who hold the position of directors to Roman Catholic politicians; hence the efforts which are made by the Order to . secure for themselves the direction of Roman Catholics who hold a prominent place in politics or society. Hence the jealousy with which they are regarded by other religious Orders, and by the secular priests.
The Jesuit novice has also his director, but the one object of his spiritual guide is everywhere the same—to impress on him the glory and honour of becoming a member of an institute, which has not only kings and princes, but even popes and cardinals at its feet. But while the neophyte is dazzled with the glory which is offered to him, he is at the same time well impressed that the only way to secure and preserve this glory, is obedience. It is the first and the last lesson of his spiritual life. His training on this one point is terribly severe. But the end pointed out to him is glorious. He may some day have kings and princes kneeling at his feet, and have the power to direct the destinies of nations. He may regulate the policy and frame the laws even for nations which are not of his own faith, through the members of his Church who now take their places in the councils of Protestant nations. If the process of the " making of a Jesuit " is hard to flesh and blood, he is reminded that he aspires to belong to the only body of men in the world who can boast of almost universal domination, who wield a sword with the hilt in the hand of their General in Rome and the point everywhere. He is not required to practise great austerities, for this was scarcely part of the Ignatian plan. Indeed, Ignatius is credited with having had a special care as to providing for the bodily requirements of his disciples, and the anecdote of how he purchased lampreys in Rome when the price was prohibitory for all but the most Wealthy, is read from time to time in the Jesuit refectory with unction, and heard with suppressed murmurs of approval.
At the commencement of the Order, Ignatius was obliged to receive older men into his novitiate, but he desired only the young. With them there could be less question of obedience; when the director of their retreat described the misery of the lost ins bloodcurdling accents they would not be so likely to recall the time when they believed that "a certain mitigation of punishment, a certain happiness, might be possible even in hell." It is necessary that these aspirants to so exalted a position should be hardened, and hardened with the hardness of steel. At any moment they might be called upon to exercise the most terrible cruelties on others, or to bear the most terrible cruelties themselves; not indeed that these sufferings would be necessarily physical, but there are mental sufferings which cut as deep into the soul as the lash of the most cruel discipline cuts into the quivering flesh of the body.
Obedience is the one end of all this training— unasking, unthinking, unreasoning obedience. It is more than unwise to underestimate the strength of an attacking army, or to express contempt for the ability or plans of the leader of an opposing force. What may seem to us the merest folly, is to others heavenly wisdom. We cannot expect to convince if we do not understand the point of view of the individual whom we desire to convert. We cannot expect the hearty co-operation of those who dislike, even if they do not fear, the Jesuits' system, if we either mis-state its working, or understate the motive power by which it is governed. It is true that the Jesuit, like all Catholics, has his Pantheon of divinities, but he believes in them as firmly as the Christian believes in God, and he also believes in God. It is true that the Jesuit has his General to whom he gives the obedience of a slave, but the Jesuit believes his General to be as God, so that if the dead voice of God, so to say, in Scripture, seems to conflict with the living voice of God which comes through the General, the authority of the living voice must prevail.
It cannot be too clearly understood that religion, or we may say a certain view of religion, lies at the root of the whole matter. It cannot be too clearly understood that the whole system would fall to the ground at once, if the obedience of the Jesuit was claimed on merely human grounds. A number of men may agree to obey a fellow man, for a limited time, as soldiers obey their generals in war. But though attempts have been made by Roman Catholic theologians to compare the two kinds of obedience, there is actually the greatest possible difference. We have alluded to this matter before, but its importance may justify us in returning to the subject.
The obedience of the soldier is an obedience of convenience, the obedience of the Jesuit is claimed to be an evidence of the highest religious virtue. The soldier is not obliged to internal obedience, he may criticise the actions and motives of his General within certain common sense limits. The Jesuit is taught that an internal criticism is quite as much an act of deadly sin as an openly expressed murmur. The soldier can appeal to higher authority, and to public opinion if he considers himself wronged, but the hapless Jesuit is allowed no appeal, even to the Pope; to appeal is to suppose it possible that the superior may have erred, and to admit such a supposition, would be to open the door to a freedom, however limited, which the Jesuit cannot allow to his subjects.
Although the General of the Jesuits is the head of the Order, religiously as well as in all matters of discipline, it will be observed how powerfully his authority is strengthened by the vow required from every Jesuit, of personal service to the Pope. If a Jesuit perchance rebelled or doubted, he can at once be told that it is quite as much against the individual Pope he rebels as against the individual superior, and what Catholic, while he retains even a spark of faith, would try to rebel against his God on earth ! That these men should have succeeded as they have succeeded is matter of little wonder, when they have been governed by such a code of laws, that they should have failed, and have been driven forthwith contumely from Catholic countries, proves that after all the skill which organised was but human, and that the ends which it strove to attain were not for the benefit of humanity.
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THE JESUIT AS AN EDUCATON
PART 3
https://exploringrealhistory.blogspot.com/2021/02/part-3-black-popethe-jesuit-as.html
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