"LUTHER, like a madman, declaims against the Apos "tolic See: IGNATIUS every where undertakes its defence. "LUTHER withdraws from it as many as he can: as many can, IGNATIUS reconciles, and restores to it.

as he

"All the devices and efforts of LUTHER are directed "against it: IGNATIUS consecrates to it, by a special vów, alł "his own labours, and all those of his companions.

"LUTHER has stripped the sacred rites of the Church of "all their venerable solemnity: IGNATIUS studies to procure "them reverence.

"The sacrifice of the Mass, the Eucharist, the Virgin "Mother of God, the Guardian Angels, and the Indulgences "of Popes, which LUTHER attacks with so much fury, are the 66 objects which IGNATIUS and his companions exert themselves "continually, to celebrate by new inventions and indefatigable "industry.

"To LUTHER, that disgrace of Germany, that Epicurean "Swine, that Curse of Europe, that Monster destructive to the "whole earth, hateful to God and man, &c. God by his "eternal decree has opposed IGNATIUS.

"In truth, the new Society acquitted itself faithfully in "the new service to which it was destined from its origin.

"A great number of Catholic Associations and Frater"nities, to which the general movement of the human mind 66 gave rise at that period, appeared and eclipsed one another "without glory-like those meteors which shine for a short "time in the atmosphere, and leave no trace behind them.

"The Society of Jesus, however, rose above the horizon, like an awful comet, which scatters terror among the nations. "While it was scarcely yet established, it rendered important "service to the Holy See, during the sitting of the Council of "Trent, and powerfully influenced the Decrees of that Assem (6 bly. The ancient Orders, especially the Mendicant, con"ceived great envy against those new-comers, who set out "with so much celebrity, and attracted all consideration, and "all favors. This emulation redoubled the activity of all such

"as were not Jesuits, and in particular of the Dominicans, who "wielded in a more terrible manner than ever the sword of "the Inquisition, intrusted to their hands. The Jesuits, "however, outstripped all their rivals, acquired the unlimited

favor of the Pontiffs, and an immense power through the "whole Catholic world. To them, and to the Popes, Mis❝sions were the same as colonies to Political Governments, a "source of wealth and power*."

With the above account of VILLERS, agrees the statement of HUME:

"The Order of Jesuits" (says he)" was erected when the "Court of Rome perceived that the lazy Monks, and Mendi"cant Friars, who sufficed in times of ignorance, were no "longer able to defend the ramparts of the Church, assailed on every side; and that the inquisitive spirit of the age required a Society more active and more learned to oppose its "dangerous progress +."

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The Jesuits had no sooner appeared than they overran the universe with surprising rapidity: they became the Instructors of Youth; the Masters of Seminaries; the Confessors of Kings; the distributors of favors; and the nominators to every office, civil and ecclesiastical, and sometimes even to crowns; in a word, the arbiters of every great event: they acquired immense wealth in freehold estates, and in the benefices which they procured for their houses: they formed the most substantial and brilliant establishments; and laid the foundations of a monarchy, calculated to resist the most powerful princes.

How poor Mendicants (for it is thus that these Fathers are designated) could have attained so speedily to an empire of such an extensive and absolute nature, so that they domineered over the properties, the lives, the liberties, and the minds of others, is a prodigy which (said the University of

See VILLERS's Essay on the Spirit and Influence of the Reformation of LUTHER, translated by MILL, p. 374.

HUME's History, Elizabeth, ch. 41. Ann. 1581.

Paris above a century since) would be regarded by posterity as a fable, if such power should cease to exist *.

The Faculty of Theology in Paris, whose advice the Parliament had sought, pronounced, in 1554, that "the Society, "withdrawn from the obedience and submission due to autho"rities, unjustly deprived both temporal and spiritual Lords

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of their rights; brought discord into every form of govern"ment, and occasioned among the people many subjects of complaint, many lawsuits, altercations, schisms, and jea"lousies; that it appeared dangerous to all that concerned the "Faith; calculated to disturb the peace of the Church; to “overturn the monastic order; and more fit to destroy than "to build up."

The recital of the crimes committed by the Jesuits, in every part of the world for more than two centuries, will serve to verify this statement. At present it shall suffice to apply to them the powerful language of the first of Roman Orators, reserving the proofs of its application to their Order, to the History which follows:-" CUM FERRO, CUM METU, CUM PRI66 VILEGIO, CUM PRÆSENTIBUS COPIIS PERDITORUM, ET MINIS, ET NEFARIO FEDERE, SERVITUTE OPPRESSAM CIVITATEM TENÉ"RENT."

IGNATIUS LOYOLA, the Patron and Founder of this Society, was born in Spain +. He followed at first the profession of arms. Thrown upon the world by this occupation, he gave himself up to his passions; and the Jesuits who have written his life, observe that vanity and ambition were his ruling pursuits. In 1521, being then 30 years of age, he was at Pampeluna when the French besieged it, and had his right leg broken, which was unskilfully treated. During his cure he met with a life of the Saints, written in a romantic style; he read it, and was impressed by it. If we may believe the Je

See Answer of the University, in 1644, to the Apology of the Jesuits, chap. 27; and Memorial of the University, presented to the King in 1724. See his life by BAILLET, and in the Continuation of Fleury.

suits, he received from Heaven, in the first years of his conversion, miraculous favors, visions, raptures, and ecstasies, from which he appeared to gain extraordinary illumination *. PASQUIER, who witnessed the birth of the Jesuits, was not wrong in calling IGNATIUS one of the most subtle and skilful politicians that his age had produced; and this will plainly appear when the analysis of the government, statutes, and privileges of the Society shall be given. He had such a military genius, that, after his conversion, having had a dispute with a Moor, who maintained that Mary had ceased to be a virgin by becoming a mother, IGNATIUS regretted + that he had suffered this blasphemer to escape, and pursued him in order to kill him happily, the mule on which he was mounted, took a different road to that of the Moor, and hindered him from executing this pious design.

He soon obtained disciples; but meeting with opposition, he determined to go to Paris. That great city is properly the cradle of the Society. After having experienced various obstacles there, which would have discouraged any other person, he set about forming new disciples; those whom he had had in Spain having deserted him. His first converts were LE FEVRE, who had been his private tutor, and FRANCIS Xavier, who taught Philosophy in the University; he added to them afterwards LAINEZ, SALMERON, BOBADILLA, and RODRIGUEZ: in order to fix his new disciples irrevocably, he took them, on the day of the Assumption, 1534, to the Church of Montmartre near Paris, where LE FEVRE, who had lately become a Priest, said Mass to them and gave them the Sacrament in the subterraneous chapel. After Mass, the whole seven, with a loud and distinct voice, took a vow to undertake, within a prescribed time, a voyage to Jerusalem, for the conversion of the Infidels; to abandon every thing they possessed in the world, except what they should need for their voyage, and, in

* BAILLET, Section 6.

↑ See BAILLET on the authority of MAFFE's and. Bouhours

"

case they should be unable to accomplish this, to go and throw themselves at the feet of the Pope, to offer him their services, and to proceed under his orders wherever he might think proper to send them. At length they were joined by three other disciples, namely LE JAY, CODUR, and BROUET. They arrived in Rome in 1538: being assembled at the house of QUIRINO GARZONIO, they agreed that the Society should be established, as soon as possible, as a religious Society, in order to prevent its being dissolved in future, and to enable it to extend itself in all places, and to subsist to the end of time. In spite of every obstacle which he encountered, he accomplished his object of obtaining the sanction of POPE PAUL III. for his Order +. He had presented the scheme of the Institution to that Pope in 1539, who referred it to three Cardinals for examination.

GUIDICCIONI, One of the Referees, a man of great merit and learning, strenuously opposed this new Institution; he even wrote a book to establish the reasons of his opposition, and his authority determined the two other Cardinals.

During this examination an event took place, which was the origin of the great credit which the Jesuits afterwards obtained at the Court of Portugal. JOHN III. King of Portugal, wished to send Missionaries into India, and directed his Ambassador at Rome to select ten for the purpose: that Ambassador was MASCARENHAS §, who was closely connected with IGNATIUS, who is even said to have been his Confessor: he then asked him for some of his companions; IGNATIUS gave

See BAILLET.

This Pope, after he had founded the Order, struck two medals; one inscribed "The Gates of Heaven are opened ;" and the other, "The

security of the Roman people." How far that event contributed to promote "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will "towards men," let the present History shew.

‡ See Continuation of Fleury, Vol. xxviii. Lib. 139.

§ See Continuation of Fleury, and Life of Xavier, by BAILLET.