Society called Father Person the Assistant of that Kingdom having wrote a Book against the Succession of the King of Scotland to the Crown of England Father Critonic with others of the same Order defended the Right of the said King by a Book entitled The Reasons of the King of the Scots against the Opinion of Father Person Now though they seemed to be divided among themselves yet they were in truth very well agreed for this Comedy was acted by the commandment of the General to the intent that if the House of Scotland had been excluded from the Succession they might have produced to him or them that had the Government Person 's Book or it on the contrary that House happened to be settled upon the Throne they might yet gain the King's Affection by shewing him Critonic's Book And so how ever the matter fell out they might quit themselves and be provided of a fit means to increase their Society By which we may observe also the truth of what I said when I affirmed that Princes were the ordinary and usual Objects of the Resolutions and Actions of the Jesuits and how much reason they have to say that their Order is a Great Monarchy And is not this also a convicting Instance and proof of the little fear they have to discontent Princes when it is their Interest Experience furnisheth us with a number of other Examples which would make this as clear as the day but I should be too long and troublesome if I should repeat them here I will therefore instance in one which is worth a thousand it being most remarkable Every one knows there is no Person in the World whom the Jesuits are more obliged to serve faithfully and obey than the Pope and that not only in respect of that particular vow of obedience which they make to him but also for a multitude of other reasons Yet nevertheless when Pope Pius the fifth who can never be enough commended had by the Inspiration of the Holy Spirit commanded them to officiate in the Quire and make their profession in the same manner as all the other Orders do they never would obey him it seeming to them that they should thereby receive a considerable prejudice There were only some few who yielded their Obedience to his Holiness his Will and who consented to accept the profession in that manner which he had propounded But how were they treated by the rest were they not in contempt call'd Avatins And was there ever any one Person of these who could obtain the least preferment from the Society After this manner also they opposed the famous Charles Borromee Arch-Bishop of Milan who in quality of Legat à latere would have brought their Company to the observance of a Religious Discipline But what is this They obey not the holy Canons seeing contrary to their Decrees they trade in Pearls Rubies and Diamonds which are brought them from the Indies and it is a common Opinion that the greatest part of the Jewels of India which are sold at Venice pass through the hands of the Jesuits and we cannot imagin this is a meet Report which hath been spread by their Enemies the very Posts themselves whom they use have taught it us And I could here report some other things which would prove as evidently that they are bad and unfaithful Servants to the Pope but because I cannot do it without speaking of a Prince who will be offended at it I will pass it in silence my design being to serve the World without offending any Man no not the Jesuits whom I honour otherwise and pretend not here to make an Invective against them but only to abate their Pride and teach them if it be possible a more tolerable way of acting For who is it that hath not just cause to complain of the Jesuits Yet as it often happens that sick Persons send up their crys to Heaven and are beheld by others in the interim with Wonder every one perceiving they are afflicted with this or that Malady and yet but few discern the true origin and fource of them So though almost all the World complain of the Jesuits some because they are persecuted by them others for that they are not served by them with a Fidelity becoming their Habit yet the evil continues nevertheless because most Men cannot perceive the true cause of so great a disaster But if they would examine the thing a little more exactly they should easily find that it is the vast and boundless desire they have to aggrandise themselves which makes them think it a thing of no moment to discontent Princes or deceive them to oppress the poor to spoil Widows and ruine most noble Families to raise Jealousies and make Discords amongst Christian Princes that by that means they may insinuate themselves into their greatest Affairs But would not this be a strange disorder in Nature if one of the least Members of the Body and that formed to no other end than to serve as an Instrument to the more Noble should yet draw to it self the purest Blood and the greatest part of the Vital Spirits the disorder without doubt is not less in the Civil or Ecclesiastical State while the Order of Jesuits which was one of the last that was admitted into the body of the Church to the intent that it should serve her in the Conversion of Infidels and particularly in exhorting Sinners to repentance on the contrary draws to it self the greatest affairs of Princes and Prelates that is as I may say the most pure and Vital Spirits of their Interest to the end this Order may appropriate and apply them to her self though she cannot do this without troubling the repose of Families and Kingdoms without oppressing many whose rise should rather be desired and raising others who deserve rather to be abased and finally without thousands of other inconveniencies which arise from hence I could easily produce here a great number of other reasons drawn from experience besides those I have already alleged to manifest That the Jesuites ambition is of a vast extent and that they have entertained an Appetite of Greatness which can suffer no Limits or Bounds But because I affect brevity in these Reflections it shall suffice to report the Project of Father Person upon England in that manner he discovers it in his Book intituled the Reformation of England where having blamed Cardinal Pool a Prelate worthy of an eternal memory not only for his Vertue and Sanctity of Life but also for his other merits to the holy Church and observed certain faults and defects in the Council of Trent at last he concludes That supposing England should return to the Catholic Faith he would have it reduced to the form and State of the Primitive Church that to that end all the Church Revenue should be held in common the Administration of which should be committed to seven Sages drawn out of the Society of the Jesuits that they might distribute
Means to acquire the Friendship of Rich Widows 1. WE ought for this purpose to choose those Fathers that are of a lively countenance and middle Age who must often visit their Houses and if they express any kindness for our Society make them partakers of the Merits of it And then if they begin to frequent our Churches it is fit to give them Confessors who may dispose them to perpetuate their Widow-hood representing to them the Delights Pleasures and Wealth they shall enjoy if they continue in that state which we must promise tanquam Obsides that they shall have an eternal Reward for it and that by this sole means they may exempt themselves from the pains of Purgatory 2. We ought to stir them up to the getting of an Oratory and an Altar well adorned about which employing all their care they may banish all thoughts of them who may seek them in marriage and if they have a little Chappel we ought to celebrate Mass there very frequently and above all things make some short Exhortations there 3. That things may succeed the better it is fit to persuade them to diminish their Train and Families appointing them what Officer they shal have and Persons for the management of their Estates and to introduce artificially and insensibly those that shall be necessary for the Government of their Houses according to the degree of the Person their Place Affection and Devotion to our Society changing their Officers to put in others at our Devotion and Discretion 4. The first thing the Confessor hath to do is to persuade them to acquiesce in their Counsel and to submit themselves entirely to them as the only Foundation of all that Spiritual Good they can receive 5. To propound the frequent use of the Communion assisting at the Divine Service reciting of Letanies and to make a daily examination of their Conscience in which they ought to help them and persuade them to chuse some Saint for their Tutelar Patron and especially to recommend to them our holy Founder 6. Exhort them to make a general Confession so that knowing their former Accusations Manners and Inclinations the whole may serve as a Guide to make them obey our Wills 7. To exhort them twice or thrice a week concerning the Tranquillity which they receive in their Widow-hood concerning the Troubles Dangers and Charges that will attend a second Marriage 8. Being thus disposed to continue in that state we ought forthwith to persuade them to enter some Cloister but then such an one as Pâ—ulina that being engaged in a Vow of Chastity they never marry again we ought strongly to persuade them to forsake the Society of younger Women who are given to Recreations Poetry and Musick and that they should suffer few Persons to see them and that they should observe in treating such a moderate Modesty for fear such should complain that they are too rudely used and so ours should be blamed or reproved 9. That the Officers of their Manors Chaplains Curates and all others may be admitted to their Functions upon our recommendation and that they may depend entirely upon our Wills 10. When we have obtained this then we are by little and little to dispose them to give Alms and do good works representing to them that without this they cannot attain the Kingdom of Heaven which Alms notwithstanding they ought not to dispose to every one if it be not by the advice and with the consent of their Spiritual Father And for as much as it is of great import that this be well managed as to the Person that they may receive a recompence from God it is necessary to let them know that Alms ill disposed do rather hurt than good And if they understand not that it is a good proficiency and for the expiation of their Sins yet we ought not to allow them so much Liberty and Liberality CHAP. VII Of the means of keeping in our hands the disposition of the Estates of Widows 1. WIdows should be frequently solicited to persevere in their Devotions and do good Works and not to suffer one week to pass without some act of Charity of their own free will in imitation of the holy Virgin and that cutting off all superfluous Expences they should give some considerable thing to the Poor and to the Church of Jesus Christ 2. If after this they become liberal to our Society as by giving some considerable sum of Money then we ought to make them absolute partakers of the Merits of our Society and that every thing may have the greater shew and have the greater force this ought to be done by our Provincial or General 3. If these Widdows have made a Vow of Chastity Let them renew it betwixt the hands of their Confessors twice every year that so they may think themselves so much the more strictly bound by the renewing of their Vows to preserve that friendship they have entertained for our Society permitting them to rejoice and recreate themselves conveniently the day of this renewing them 4. We ought to propound to them a rule of Life and that if it be acceptable to themselves they ought to make their Family and Servants submit to it 5. Propound a monthly Confession to them on the Feasts which are solemnized in memory of our Lord of the holy Virgin of the Apostles and of the Patron or tutelary Saint which they have chosen but especially of St. Ignatius and St. Xavier We ought also to give them Sindies which may have an Eye upon both the Men and Women of their Family and observe their defaults that so we may know whatever passeth concealing in the interim their Vow of Chastity 6. We ought to enjoin their Servants both Men and Women not to use any leering or disdainful Looks or to speak and look another way which ends for the most part in contempt and to see that they who are taken in these faults be severely chastised or rather forthwith turn'd away with the Widows consent 7. Our next care must be That they may be served by honest Maids admitted upon our recommendation and that care be taken they may be expert in making Church Ornaments for us that so our Widows may live with the greater piety 8. We must appoint these Maidens a Governess of our own Sort who may make them continually to work and observe their Actions 9. We ought to visit these Widows frequently provided these Visits be not troublesome entertaining them with pleasant Discourses and holy Stories keeping them always pleasant according to their several humors and never treat them rigorously in Confessions for fear they become thereby disaffected to us except when there is little hope of making any advantage of them 10. We ought to consolate them and dispose them to confess often that by this consolation they may wholly confide in us and turn all their Estates into our hands 11. It is of great import for the preserving and increasing the friendship of Widows to
THE CABINET OF THE Jesuits Secrets OPENED In which there are many things relating to the Church and Clergy of England As also the ways by which they encrease the Number and Wealth of their Society on the ruines of Kingdoms and Families In part began by Dr. Oats from an Italian Copy But now more largely discovered from a French Copy printed at Colon 1678. Made English By a Person of Quality Licensed Feb. 14. 1678 9. LONDON Printed for Jonathan Robinson and George Wells in St. Paul's Church-yard 1679. To the READER THese Papers were not originally intended for the Press but for the use of an intimate Friend and had possibly never gone further if they who are the subject Matter of them had not made it necessary to give my dear Country-Men this insight into their designs upon us and the methods by which they hope to attain their ends upon us There is scarce any sort of Persons in the Nation to whom the knowledg of these things may not be useful the Recusants themselves not excepted and it is most certain the Book was first printed by and for such But then it is most necessary for the Country-Gentry and for them I chiefly design it that they may be no longer cheated by the fair Carriage and insinuating Behavior of these Men and their Disciples They are said to be good Company and civil Men and which is more that they seldom spoil the Mirth and Pleasure of the rest of the Company with Disputations but rather make themselves agreeable with Stories and News But for all that these Men have a design if not upon your Lives and Persons yet upon your Families and Estates and you shall one day pay dearly for their Acquaintance or else they will miss what they most intend They rarely seek the Acquaintance of any but Persons of great Estate and of such as have same Authority in their Countrey and these they flatter and caress with all the little Arts of indearments imaginable but especially if they find them ignorant of the World and not too much verst in or fixt to the established Religion for with these they care not to associate Except it be in order to seduce their Children and herein they often prevail by matching their Daughters to them for they will not willingly marry a Son to a Protestant Woman And the stopping this Gap which hath seduced many great Families is a work as well worthy the thoughts of the Parliament as any other whatever But the use they make of Persons in Authority is yet more pernicious by their power they awe and curbe the inferior People that they durst not offend them and the late Plot had never come so near its execution had it not been for this For their preparation of Arms was clearly enough discovered to have put us upon our guard but that they used the Authority of some Justices of the Peace to punish those People who had seen and observed them and had also courage enough to report their Knowledg By this means also they baffle the execution of all Laws against them and doubtless in private deride and scorn those whom they thus cajole in publick And here let not the Dissenters flatter themselves as if they of all others had least conversation with them Their new virtue of Toleration hath done these Men more service than is thought of And Coleman was no Fool when he told the French King's Confessor That if they could once obtain an Act of Parliament for a general Liberty of Conscience They should afterwards do in effect what they list and a little after in the same Letter * The Trial of Edward Coleman page 54 That this would give the greatest blow to the Protestant Religion here that ever it received since its Birth They may see by this who are to reap the benefit of their Labours for a Toleration And Mr. Oats would infinitely oblige the World if he would publish an account of the Cheats of this sort he hath seen practised amongst them As for the Translation I shall say but this it is faithfully done and I have used as much as I could possibly the very words of the Original And now if God may have Glory and the Church and Nation Service by it I shall never wish for more Farewel THE SECRETS OF THE JESUITS THE Laws and Constitutions upon which the * Order This Author useth words indifferently viz. the Religion Order and Company of the Jesuits which they call the Society themselves Religion of the Jesuits was established make it so clearly appear that it was by the Inspiration of the Holy Ghost that Ignatius planted it in the Vineyard of the Lord that no Man can justly doubt thereof For whoever had considered it in its first rise would have had great reason to hope that it was the Tree that should produce the Antidote against the venom of Heresies and that it should send forth those blossoms of Christian and Religious Works which being once scented by Sinners should compel them to abandon the stench of Sin and follow the odour of Repentance And truly so long as those good Fathers from whom it deriv'd its Birth bedew'd it with their Charity and that it was cultivated according to their Intentions it is certain the Fruits which arose of it were fair and large to a Wonder as well in relation to the excellent education of Children as the Conversion of Souls and the propagation of the true Faith of the Catholick Religion But the Devil who imploys as much subtilty in the destruction of the works and designs of God as good men do labour to advance them took occasion even from the Grandeur of this Religion and the marvelous progress it made in a short time to pervert the end of its Institution for by a subtile Artifice instead of the first branches of Charity which are now almost quite withered he hath ingrafted the two most pernicious Affections in the World Ambition and Avarice which cause so great a mischief to Christianity that it is scarce possible to imagine a greater as I hope I shall demonstrate in this discourse In the entry of which I protest before God that it is neither Interest nor Passion moves my Pen but simply the zeal of the publick Good to the Advantage of which I believe my self obliged to use my utmost endeavours hoping that their Dissimulations and Arts being once known by Princes there shall in time be a remedy provided Now the first thing which should be considered is that the Religion of the Jesuits being solely provided for the education of Children of which there is neither Kingdom nor City which stands not in need it was at first desired on all hands and favoured by most Princes so that it made a greater progress in a few years than most others have done in many Ages But this greatness which for the most part introduceth a change of Manners kindled in these Children of Ignatius so
great a Love to their Society that persuading themselves it was of greater use to the Church of God then all the rest and better fitted for the Reformation of the World they concluded amongst themselves that they ought to imploy all their care and craft in the enlarging of it because with it they augmented the Militia of Jesus Christ the good of the whole Church and the antient Patrimony of our Lord if I may thus speak their Language And here it is that I shall need the Subtilty of Aristotle and the Eloquence of Tully to unfold the strange manner which these Fathers use in a constant increase of their Society which perhaps will seem impossible to many by reason of its Novelty but it will be sufficient for me to remark some few things only leaving a spacious Field for every one to form such an Idea of it as shall appear most reasonable to him and to this purpose I will content my self with the proposing some Heads or Points rather which may serve my design of affording a certain Foundation to the Reflections and Discourses of those who will exercise themselves in the Contemplation of this Subject I. The Jesuites foresaw they could never raise their Society to that heighth of Grandeur they aspired to by doing nothing but Teach Preach and Administer the Sacraments or by the sole performance of other such like Religious Offices For although at first they were entertain'd by many with a very great affection as I have said before yet at length they perceived that time diminished this Love which made them suspect their Religion had made its greatest efforts in its infancy and therefore they were put to the necessity of inventing two other means to aggrandise it the first of which was to discredit with Princes and in consequence with all others they could all the other Orders pretending great imperfections in them So that by this malicious address having raised their own greatness upon the ruine of others they possest themselves of a great number of Monasteries and Abbies and other great Revenues by their Slanders dispossessing the former Owners The second was by insinuating themselves into the Affairs of State ingaging in their Interest the greatest part of the Christian Princes in such a subtile and artificious manner that as it is difficult to penetrate so it is almost impossible to explain it perfectly Their General to whom all the rest pay a very exact Obedience recides continually at Rome he hath made choice of some Fathers who because they are alway with him are called Assistants and there is at least one of every Nation from which they take their Name one calling himself the Assistant of France the other of Spain the third of Italy the fourth of England the fifth of Austrich and so of all the other Provinces and Kingdoms The duty of each Assistant is to give advice to the General of all those events of State which pass in the Kingdom or Province he represents which he is inabled to do by means of the correspondence he holds there who making their abode in the chief Town of that Kingdom or Province inform themselves carefully of the State Nature Inclination and Intentions of Princes with which in conclusion they advertise the Assistants every Post giving them advice of what hath been discovered or what hath lately happened so that all these Pacquets arriving at Rome the General calls to his Counsel all his Assistants who present him as it were with an Anatomy of the World telling him the Interests and Designs of all the Christian Princes After which having considered all those things were written to them and having examined and compar'd them one with another at length they raise the Conclusion which is that they ought to favour the affairs of one Prince and hinder those of another according to their own Interest and Profit So that as Spectators see the blots better than the Gamesters so these Fathers having in view the Interests of all the Princes apply with the greater facility the necessary means to improve the affairs of him that is most desposed to their Interest II. The second Point which deserves to be chiefly considered after this is That it is extreamly mischievous that Religious Persons should meddle with State Affairs their duty obliging them to attend wholly the Salvation of their own Souls and those of their Neighbours So that the Jesuits intrieguing in the Civil Government more than the very Seculars themselves it is absolutely necessary for the avoiding many most dangerous Consequences to provide some remedy against so great a disorder For in the first place the Jesuits take the Auricular Confession of a great part of the Nobility of the Catholic States so that to get leisure for this they will no longer admit the Poor into their * These are certain private places in Churches made for that purpose like our Reading-Desks with Pewes on either side of the same height Confessionals and very often they are the Confessors of Princes too So that by this means it is easy to penetrate into all their Designs and learn all the resolutions as well of the Princes as of their Subjects of which they presently give advice to their General or to the Assistants which remain at Rome Now any Man that hath the least Judgment may perceive the damage which this sort of People bring to Soveraign Princes who have no other end in any thing but their own Interest for all the World knows that there is scarce any thing more necessary than Secresy for the Preservation of States so that if this thing be once lost they ordinarily fall to ruine which without doubt is the reason why all wise Princes are so careful to preserve it and keep their Intentions from being known whereas on the other side having often observed that they become the wiser by the knowledg of the designs of others and that thereby they govern their own Affairs the better they endeavour by all ways to attain the knowledg of them entertaining for that purpose Ambassadors and Spies with considerable expences though for the most part without a considerable advantage because the Reports which are made by their †Ministers Ambassadors are for the most part not very faithful But I can assure any Man that the General of the Jesuites and his Assistants have this advantage that they are truly and very particularly informed of what ever passeth in the most secret Consultations both by means of Confessions and of the Inquiries which their Correspondents make who live in all the chief places of Christendom and also by the aid of their other Adherents which I will speak of hereafter So that they do better understand as I may say what are the Forces the Revenues the Expences and Designs of Princes than the Princes themselves And all this without any other expence than the charge of Letters which in truth amounts to a considerable Charge seeing that every
Post according to the account of the Post-masters they come to 60 70 80 and sometimes 100 Crowns of Gold a Return By which it is easy to conjecture that having so exact a knowledg of the Interests of Princes it is equally in their power to diminish their Reputation with other Princes to make them lose their Authority with their Subjects to raise them up what Enemies they please and lastly to raise up their own Subjects against them with so much the greater facility that by means of Confessions and of their Emissaries they penetrate to the bottom of the Souls of their Vassals and so discover all those that are well or ill affected So that by the reports which are made them of the affairs of State they may without difficulty sow the Seeds of Enmity amongst Princes and involve them in a thousand suspicions And also of the knowledg which they have of the Minds of their Subjects it is no less easy for them to foment in them Contempt of their Governours and give birth to all sorts of troubles and seditions From all this any Man must conclude that Interest of State will never permit any Prince to choose for his Confessors these sorts of Men who apply themselves with so much care to pry into the Affairs of State and which make use of the knowledg they have thus gotten as the most effectual means of insinuating themselves into the favour of other Potentates And they ought much less to suffer their Counsellors their Principal Ministers and their houshold Officers to take them for their Confessors especially because we live in an age abundantly furnished with Persons who are not inferiour to the Jesuites neither in Knowledg nor in Vertue and are as able to serve them in every respect without giving them the least umbrage or intermedling in any thing but the direction of their Souls and their Ecclesiastical Functions III. But that what I have hitherto said and shall say hereafter may be the better understood we must consider that there are three sorts of Jesuites The First Are certain Lay Persons of both Sexes who being associated with them live under them in the practice of a certain Blind Obedience governing themselves wholly by the Counsel of the Jesuits and being ready to execute all their Commands These for the most part are Gentlemen and Ladies who pass the rest of their Lives in Widowhood Rich Citizens and Merchants who like good fruit-Trees bear the Jesuits a great quantity of precious Fruit that is to say of Gold and Silver Of this Class are those Women who are commonly called Bigottes who being induced by these Fathers to despise the World are in exchang fleeced by them who by their smooth Speeches draw from them Clothes Moveables and considerable Rents The second sort are only Men of which some are Priests and others are Layicks who although they live in the World and often by the interposition of the Jesuits obtain Pensions Canons Abbies and other Revenues have yet made a Vow to take their habit when ever the General shall require it For which cause they are called Jesuits in Voto And these the Jesuits use with a rare dexterity to establish their Monarchy maintaining them in the Kingdoms and Provinces in all the Courts of Princes and in a word in all the considerable places of Christendom to the end they may serve them as I shall set forth in the seventh Point The third Sort are the Politick Jesuits in whose hands all the Authority resides who manage the Government of their Order and who having been assailed with the same temptation Christ was by the Devil in the Wilderness Haec omnia tibi dabo si cadens adoraveris me have struck the bargain and accepted the Condition propounded by Satan employing all their Industry to reduce their Society to a perfect Monarchy And as it is at Rome where almost all the great Affairs of Christianity are transacted and in which place the Head of these brave Politicians resides i. e. their General with a great number of other Persons of the same Order so this is the place which they have resolved to begin their domination in as any Man may see who observeth the manner of their Conduct It is scarce possible to propose an Affair in this Court but the Jesuits who are informed of every thing by their Spies worth the taking notice of assemble themselves to conclude on an Issue advantagious to their Interest and from thence you shall see them run to the Cardinals the Ambassadors and the Prelates where having dexterously insinuated themselves to discourse of the Affair then in agitation or beginning to be so they represent it in that maner which pleaseth them having ever a careful respect to their own Interest and to that purpose often changing the true Aspect of things even to the making as the saying is black white and white black And because the first Relations especially when made by Religious Persons take a considerable impression in the Spirits of the Hearers from hence it proceeds that very often Affairs of great importance which are transacted in the Court of Rome by Ambassadors and other Persons of Authority have not had the success desired by Princes because the Master-Jesuits having prejudicated with their interested Reports the Minds of Men have forestalled their Faith and made them suspicious of the Relations of others though they were more true and sincere But it is not at Rome only and with the Prelates that they use this Artifice they practise it in the same manner either by themselves or the second sort of Jesuits in the Courts of other Princes From whence this consequence will arise that the greatest part of the Affairs of Christianity pass through the hands of the Jesuits and that those only succeed which they do not oppose I affirm in the interim that their dexterity in intrieguing in Affairs either to hinder or promote them being so subtile that it may be said to be impenetrable it is impossible to describe it exactly but yet it is easy for all Princes to know it if they will but take the pains to read what I have writ of it For it will cause them to reflect upon what is past and recal into their memory the particular Circumstances of Treaties so that comparing them with my Remarques it will be almost impossible not to discover some part of the Craft of this admirable Society Now though this Secret and hidden Artifice be the principal thing they put in practice to attain this Monarchic Jurisdiction which is the principal Object of their desires yet this hinders them not sometimes so much does their Passion blind them to employ other Expedients which manifest their ambitious Project For was it not a pleasant Petition which they made under pretence of the general good of the Church to his Holiness Gregory the 13th that he would command his Legats and all his Apostolic Nuntio's to take some Jesuit for their
the intention of the Order and not seem in the least a Burthen to the People as all the other Religious Orders of Mendicants are 12. Let them not declare themselves of the number of other Religious Mendicants till our House be sufficiently endowed and of this we ought to be very careful CHAP. II. What ought to be done to procure the Ear and Familiarity of Princes and Great Men. 1. WE ought to be mighty careful here in gaining the Ear of Princes quelling the presumption of them who think they have no need of us and do our utmost that all may depend upon us and that no Person what ever may be so hardy as to lift up himself against us 2. Always when Princes know their Actions odious they desire to have the Fathers of the Jesuits about them who never reprove them but expound them in the best sence which may be observed in Marriages contracted with their Kindred which are ever ill thought of by the People quòd tales execrantur Thoros And therefore when Princes affect such or the like things we ought to animate their Spirits and make them more affected to them giving hopes that we can easily obtain from the Pope what ever we will repeating some Reasons Sentences or Examples which may augment their desires seeing such Marriages have been approved for the common Good though of greater Consequence and lastly that they are allowed to Princes for the greater Glory of God 3. So when a Prince undertaketh any thing for example a War we ought to spur him on encouraging him to Constancy without ever considering the Cause for fear the ill event should be imputed to us and if it falls not out well then to tell them that our Rule forbids us to intermeddle in such things 4. To content Princes and preserve their Friendship it is not amiss to go upon some Ambassies provided they be advantagious to us and so make our selves no less necessary than acceptable by shewing them that we have great power with the Pope and other Princes 5. There is no better way to gain the Affections of Princes and their Courtiers than to make or cause Presents to be made to them we discover to be in their favour to the end that st alià s nequeant they may acquaint us with the Affections Manners and Delights of the Prince and those whom he hateth how he acteth and what his Customs are And this being known we shall the better insinuate our selves into the Spirits of Princes and Great Men who if they be not married we ought in taking their Confessions to speak to them of Marriages with Noble Beautiful and Rich Ladies which if they be not of the Kindred of any of our Friends yet at least let them be of our familiar acquaintance pointing out to them by Commendations conformable to the Designs and Wills of those Princes and Great Men the Virgins we recommended And so by the Women it may happen that we shall gain the Love of them who are not of our Kindred And this is seen by experience in the House of Austrich and in the Kingdoms of Poland and France and in many other Principalities 6. If Women who often change their Opinions freely put themselves into our hands we ought seriously to imprint in them a great Love for our Society and make them to push it on in that Affection not only by our own but those also of their private Families that they may the more earnestly seek our Advancement And we may gain this Love by divers little Services and small Presents yea and discover the greatest Secrets of the Lady who will not fail to reveal them to us her self if we use these means and then she will remain always firm to us 7. In governing the Consciences of great Men we ought to follow the Opinion of those who have spoken with the greatest Liberty contrary to the sentiment of the Monks that so they being rejected Princes may follow our Advice and Counsels and so all may be at our discretion and depend entirely upon us 8. And to this purpose to gain the Friendship of Princes Prelates and other great Men it is very pertinent to render them Partakers of the Merits of our Order shewing them how considerable we are in all the World and that our Powers are great and large to absolve in reserved Cases which the other Orders have not as 1. To dispence with fasting 2. With restoring what is due to another 3. To dissolve the hinderances of Marriages and of all sorts of Vows which lessen our Liberty 9. We ought to beget Enmities and Quarrels amongst great Men popular Commotions and what ever we believe agreeable to Princes following their Wills in every thing 10. But if any Person of Credit who possesseth the next place to any Monarch be against us and yet the Prince grants him any favour or confers Honours at his request we must wait on him court him at the greatest height imaginable both by Visits Humility and Reverence CHAP. III. What ought to be done in relation to those Lords which are not rich but yet have great Authority in the Common-wealth that by their Credit we obtain Profit and Preferment 1. IF these Lords be Seculars we ought to have recourse to their Aid and Friendship against our Adversaries and to their favour in our own Suits and those of our Friends and to their Authority and Power in the purchase of Houses Mannors and Gardens and of Stones to build with especially in those places which will not endure to hear of our settling in them because the Authority of these Lords serveth very much for the appeasing of the Populace and making our Ill-willers quiet 2. We ought to take care that the Prelates and their Diocesans may venerate and reverence us that so they may not hinder our Exercises in those places where they have power For in Germany Poland and France the Bishops have a great Authority who with a little trouble being Patrons may obtain for us of the Prince what is necessary for us as Monasteries Parishes prâ—prâ—â—te and â—â—pâ—â—priate Altars pious Legacies and other things after having given some small satisfaction to those Secular Priests who shall coâ—â—ey to us some Fouâ—dâ—â—ions 〈◊〉 we may easily accomplish in those places where Catholicks 〈◊〉 mixt with Hereticks and Schismaticks 3. We ought to shew these Prelats that besides the Merit they shall receive thereby a great benefit whereas from the Secular Priests and other Monks they can expect nothing preter 〈◊〉 4. It is fit to commend their Zeal immortalized by the memory of so great an Action if by their means we obtain the Benefites and Foundations of the Secular Priests and Canons which they may easily effect by the means and favour of those Bishops 5. We ought to be very careful when any Bishop founds a College that we may have the power to present a Vicar to the Parish Church with cure of Souls though the Superiors themselves
should for some time execute the Function of Curate to the end that all the Regiment and Administration of the Church may be at our Power and Discretion 6. We must take care that the Bishops may build us Colleges iâ— those Places where the Universities are against us and where both Catholicks and Hereticks hinder us from having any foundation and that as well in these places as in other noble Towns we may in favour to them have the Liberty of preaching before all others 7. When any of our Order are to be Canonized we ought to obtain the same by Letters of Recommendation address'd by great Men to the See of Rome if upon this occasion it happens that it be necessary that these great Men should sollicit the same in Person we must be careful that they be not attended nor necessitated to make use of any Religious Persons with whom we have no communication for fear the Affection they have for us should turn on their side and that in the Provinces where their Estates are and where our Colleges are situate they should give themselves into the hands of other Religions Orders to our loss and dammage And therefore when any Illustrious Person comes into the places where we have Colleges we ought to receive them with all the Modesty and Religion that is possible CHAP. IV. The Duty of the Preachers and Confessors of Princes and Great Men. 1. THat Princes Lords and other great Men may be perfectly instructed by us and in that manner that they may know that our Intention and Aim is the bringing greater Glory to God which our Society hath chosen for its Badge and true Symbol and which we will preserve with all sincerity viz. If Princes will follow our Counsel we must not presently but by little and little see to the Government and Administration of their Revenues Possessions and Estates and that we may obtain this we must frequently imprint upon their Spirits that they ought not to distribute Honours Charges Offices and Dignities to any but those that are worthy and capable of them and who have well deserved them by their good Services 2. That whoever doth otherwise commits a great Offence against God But yet we must not seem to have any design that any of ours should intermeddle in the Administration of the Common-wealth but rather let them protest the contrary as solemnly as they can possibly only that they are obliged to speak the truth by reason of their Charges 3. But if the Prince falls into any doubt and fear then we must set forth what are the Qualifications and Vertues necessary for them that are to fill such places and what their Duty is And great Care is to be taken that no Person be admitted if he be not one of our intimate Friends And let Princes be taught that the emploiment of Persons of Honesty and good Life is very honourable and requisite for the good of the Church and State who ought to be nominated to the Prince not by those we suspect but by our intimate and faithful Friends for in so doing both of them will have a great obligation to us and so will hold themselves more engaged and bound to the Services they at all times do us 4. The Confessors and Preachers ought to inform themselves of our Confidents in all parts of the Kingdom what is the wealth of the greatest if they be endowed with Power and Liberality keeping an exact List of their Names and Surnames recommending them finely and dexterously to Princes that they may the more easily when occasion serves be provided with Charges according to their Dignity and Deserts and chiefly those whom the Confessors and Preachers have in their Confessions and Conversations observed to be much affected to our Society 5. Above all let the Confessors and Preachers remember to treat Princes and others sweetly and pleasantly not to extort any thing from them in their Confessions be it either at publick or private Sermons Let ours that are in the Service of Princes keep but a very little Money and a few Moveables contenting themselves with a little Chamber modestly keeping company with the most vile and abject Persons but without Flattery and so being in good esteem they ought prudently to persuade Princes not to do any thing without their Counsel whether it be in Spiritual or Temporal Affairs 6. There must be great care taken speedily and in good time to know the Names of the Officers of the Common-wealth to change them and presently put others into their places which must be so managed that it may not be thought that the Change comes by our means but that it be done in the most secret manner that can be CHAP. V. What is to be done in relation to those Religious Orders which agreeing with us in many things on many occasions draw to themselves that which should have appertained to us 1. WE should bear this sort of Men though against our Wills and therefore we should endeavour to imprint upon the Spirits of those Princes who love us that our Order is more perfect than all other Orders and that if others excell in their Functions ours do yet appear in a more eminent degree in the Church of God that also the Rules of all other Orders are entirely subject to ours 2. We ought to remark the Defaults of other Orders and make it appear that those who stand in competition with us cannot succeed so prosperously in their Affairs as we 3. We ought to oppose more violently those Orders who intermeddle in the Education of Youth in imitation of us especially in those places where it is our interest to teach with applause and in which we gain a considerable profit 4. We ought to represent to the Prince and his Counsel that those Orders may beget Tumults and Seditions in the Common-wealth seeing they beget Factions in it And we ought to represent to the Universities that the other Orders are nearer to their ruine than we and if they have Letters of Recommendation from the Pope or any of the Cardinals which maintain them we must have recourse to the favour of Princes with the Pope remonstrating that our Society is maintained established and fortified by more Authentic Letters and Titles 5. It is fit that we have a good report in those Towns where we have our Colleges who may be induced to certify our Institution honest Life and the Benefit the Youth receive under our tuition 6. And in the interim we ought to insinuate with great Art that * Contrarieties and Tumults are to be feared from the variety of Schools which are suffered and from the Teachers Oppositions which are established in them and that they being Religious Persons the Tumults will be the greater 7. We ought to employ our utmost care that Learning may flourish with great applause to us rendring to Princes our Superiors and the very People great Proofs and Testimonies of vertue CHAP. VI. Of the