the smallest matters and added thereto in his practice frequent Fasts and instead of cords made use of chains of iron in acts of Penance and Mortification his constant exercises were Prayer and Reading of Godly Books he had the gift of Prophecy was of great Wisdome and excellent Understanding whereof his Master St. Lewis Beltram and his Books give ample testimony and a clear evidence He spent fifty years in the Ministry of the Word and when he preach'd his face was often seen to shine with extraordinary lustre his Charity when Bishop made him very poor for he gave all his Goods even the Bed he lay on in Almes his Confessor assures us he never sinned mortally and in the seventieth year of his Age died at Albarazin reputed a Saint The Holy Woman speaks of a sort of men to come in the last Ages And 't is observed in the Life of St. Engelbert the Martyr Arch-Bishop of Cologne written by an Author his Contemporary That in the life of that Prelate when the Domiâ—iâ—ans and Franciscans came to Cologne to Found for themselves Houses of Religion the Ecclesiasticks murmured and endeavoured to perswade the Arch-bishop to expel them alledging for reason their fear that these were the men of whom St. Hildegard had Prophesied to which the Prelate made answer that there was no cause of complaint against those Orders for that till then they had not given other than good Examples but the time would come when the Prophecy should be fulfilled which in the Margent of this Prophecy in the Annals of Baronius is observed to be these latter dayes I shall relate the Prophecy as I find it recited in Bzovius a famous Author for though the Copy the Bishop of Albarazin followed in his Commentary differ somewhat from that Bzovius made use of yet both agree exactly in sense The Marvellous Prophecy of the Abbess Hildegard Reported by Bzovius in the 15th Tome of his Ecclesiastical Annals Anno Dom. 1415. Q. 39. under Pope John 23. THere will arise men without a Chief who shall feed and grow fat upon the sins of the people but profess themselves of the number of Beggars shameless in their behaviour studious to invent new wayes to do mischief a pernicious Order odious to all wise men and those that are faithful to Jesus Christ healthy and strong but lazy and idle that they never work pretending beggery busie antagonists against the Teachers of the Truth by their Credit with Great Ones opposing the Innocent having four principal Vices rooted in their hearts by the Devil Flattery to gain gifts from the World Envy to make them impatient to see good done to others and not to them Hypocrisie to please by dissimulation and Detraction to render themselves commendable by dispraising others Preaching incessantly to Secular Princes to procure themselves applause from the people and to seduce the simple but without Devotion or Example of true Martyrdome robbing true Pastors of their Rights to administer the Sacraments and depriving the Poor the miserable and the sick of their Almes cajoleing the populace and courting their favour familiar with Ladies and other women and â—eaching them to cheat their husbands and give away their goods to them in private receivers of ill gotten goods saying give them to us and we will pray for you and obtain pardon for all your sins making these they Confess to forget their kindred receiving goods from â—obbers on the high-way extortioners sacrilegious persons usurers fornicators adulterers hereticks schismaticks apostates lewd women perjured tradesmen corrupt Judges cashiered souldiers tyrants and all other miscreants led by the Devil living deliciously passing this transitory life in society and at last falling together into damnation having the world at will but the people will by degrees grow cold towards them and having by experience found them seducers cheats and impostors will hold their hands from further gifts then will they run about their houses like famished or mad dogs with their eyes to the ground shrinking their necks like 〈◊〉 seeking bread to satisâ—â—e their hunger but the people will cry out Woe be to you ye children of desolation the world hath deceived you the devil is seized of your hearts and mouths your minds are gone astray in vain speculations your eyes were delighted with beholding vanities your delicate palates have searched out the most pleasant wines your feet were swift in running to mischief and you may remember you never did good you were the fortunate malignants pretending poverty but very rich and under colour of simplicity of great power devout flatterers hypocritical saints proud beggars offering petitioners wavering and unstable teachers delicate martyrs hired confessors proudly humble piouâ—ly hard-hearted in the necessities of others sugred slanderers peaceable persecutors lovers of the world sellers of indulgencies disposing all things for your convenience admirers of luxury ambiâ—ious of honour purchasers of houses sowers of discord building still higher and higher but not able to attain a height equal to your desires and now ye are fallen as Simon the Magician whose bones were bruised and his body struck by God with a mortal plague upon the Apostles prayer so shall your Order be destroyed by reason of your impostures and iniquities Go then you teachers of sin the Doctors of disorder Fathers of corruption Children of wickedness wee 'l no longer follow you for Guides nor give ear to your doctrine An Expository Comment upon this prophecy by the Right Reverâ—nd Don Jerome Baptista de La Nuza Lord Bishop of Albarazin and afterwards of Balbastro whereby it appears that 't is â—o be applyed to those who call themselves the Society of Jesus though their actions and opinions bâ—speak them his enemies being conâ—radictory to His which they profess with their month but deny in their works Reported by the Author of Theatrum Iesulâ—iâ—um pag. 183. as a true Copy of the Original under the Prelates hand remaining in the Convent of Dominicans at Saragosa 1. There will arise men withoâ—t a Chief who shall feed and grow far upon the sins of the people but profess themselves of the number of Beggars FIrst It appears this is spoken of Ecclesiasctical persons for of them the Prophet said That they did eat the sins of the people which is the same with the Holy womans expression in the Prophecy Secondly They must be of a begging Order which she confirms on another occasion by express words to that purpose Assumentes potins exemplum mendicandi And though the Iesuites are not comprehended in any of the four Orders of Fryers Mendicant yet have they Brieves like theirs whereof they glory in their Books and make use upon occasion Thirdly That they shall be an Order which shall not bear the name of their Founder or chief which is the meaning of those words Sans Chef and denotes what is afterwards intimated in the name La Companie which Hildegard uses where she saith That they shall live deliâ—iously in the Company or Sâ—ciety a
is in all the Benefices wherein the Iesuites are installed Pursuant to this they wrought the Arch-Duke so fit for their designs that he was perswaded for colouring their usurpation to write to Rome to obtain an Union for them not only of the Priory of St. Iames but of the Abby of Val-Dieu the Priories of Froidâ—fontaine and St. Nicolas of the same Order and the Commandery of St. Anthony of Isenheim without the consent or knowledge of the parties concerned the Titulars or Collators of the said Benefices and without shewing the estate or nature thereof which they ought to have done before the passing of the Grant In the mean time they entertain the good Prior Nicâ—lin with Letters of complement and counterfeit amity which may be produced The better to induce the Arch-Duke to interpose and prosecute the business in their behalf they propose an agreement somewhat extraordinary That every of the said five Benefices being respectively worth between two and three thousand Florins should yield the Arch-Duke five hundred Florins apiece in deduction of so much of the three thousand Florins assigned them for their foundation This was easily agreed to by the Arch-Duke though he had no power to do it and decreed they should enjoy them in Commendam during the dependance of the matter of the Union with charge to satisfie the obligations of the foundations which was impossible for them by reason of the inconsistence and repugnancy of their institution and Rules with those of the foundations By this means the Divine Seâ—vice and communities of five good Monasteries were supprâ—ssed â—o â—ound a Colledge almost useless as being environed on all sides with other Colledges more considerable at Potentrut Fribâ—urg Selestat Mâ—lsheim and Haguenâ—u so that they have in the said Colledge but forty or fifty Schollars in six Classes under three Regents But this design was not approved of by the Holy See which refused the union as appears by another letter of the Arch-Duke of Inspâ—uch written to Rome Decemb. 9. 1651. on the same subject and to as little purpose as the former nevertheless these good sub-farmers who fancied that the Arch-Dukes Authority would never fail them and that the Scripture meant them where 't is said to the Iesuites Every place you set your foot on shall be â—oâ—rs disposed of the Priory as their own In the mean time the Abbot of Cluny advertised of the death of Nicolin bestowed the Priâ—ry of St. Iames on a â—ryar called Guillâ—t who having taken possession by Atturney dâ—signed to go in person to establish good Orders there but both he and they who assisted in taking the possession were so frighted by the threats of the Iesuites and all the Peasants of the village so deeply fined by the Sir Derlach at their instigation for having suffered an entry to be made that the Prior menaced with imprisonment durst not go further but returned into France So the Iesuites continued as farmers to usurp the mean profits in hopes the Arch-Duke recovering his Estates by a treaty of peace would maintain them by absolute Authority But F. William established by the Prince of Conty Vlâ—ar Generall of the Order of Cluny in Almaigne being provided of the said Priory 15 Iuly 1651. by the single device of Guillott and authorized by the Kings Letters addressed to the Governour of the Countrey went upon the place took possession thereof according to Custome the 7 of September the same year and established there a community of Reformed Fryars having found the Priory abandoned and almost all ruined without a Curate without Prâ—est without Fryar as it had continued ever since the usurpation of the Iesuites though the Church thereof was Parochial All which he caused to be presented by Information at Law An Abby of St. Benedict coveted and almost taken away by the Jesuites This Artifice of F. Weinhard hath no small relation and resemblance to another feat which one of his Brethren whose name for some reasons shall be concealed made use soon after against a good Abbot of the Order of St. Benedict in Almâ—igne after the death of the Emperour Ferdinand the 2 d. This Father went to the new Emperour and informed him of a design he had to write the Life of the deceased Emperour Ferdinand the 2 d his Father but it was his desire to compose a piece worthy the subject and for that purpose to retyre into some pleasant place where he might have good Aire and refreshment and named a fair Abby of the Order of St. Benedict excellently seated as a place fit for his designs Which the Emperour approving of gave him Letters of recommendation to the Abbot who made him all the welcome and good entertainment imaginable while he sojourned there The Iesuite was so taken with the pleasantness of the place that he was enamoured of it and resolved to begg it of the Emperour To compass this design he made it his business not only to watch narrowly and accurately observe but amplifie the smallest defects and imperfections of the Fryars and having finished his double work took his leave with all the marks of greatest satisfaction from the Abbot and Fryars who believed their Guest would serve them for the future as a powerfull Advocate with the Emperour upon occasion The Iesuite Arrived at Court and having presented his Majesty the Book he had composed of the life of Ferdinand the 2 d told him with unparallel'd ingratitude that he had been much deceived in the choyce he had made of the place to write in for whereas he thought it a House of Religion he found it a House of scandal and debauchery and had seen examples of a most dissolute life amongst men professing Religion but having nothing of it but the habit That his Majesty was obliged in Conscience to remedy it speedily The good Emperour answering that disorders must be reformed The Iesuite replyed that these disorders were arrived at such excess that he saw no other remedy but a total expulsion of those debauched Monks and that if his Majesty pleased to give the Society the management of it such good Order should be taken that the Change would quickly appear The Emperour taking this for a fit means to gratiâ—ie and reward the work of this Author granted his request And it was resolved in Councel that all those Monks and their Abbot should avoid the place within eight dayes and leave it to the Iesuites Another Abbot of the Order who by good Fortune was by the Councel immediately dispatched an express to the poor Abbot to advertise him of the Resolution taken against him The affair being communicated in the Chapter as usual it was concluded that the Abbot accompanyed with one of the ablest of his Monks should go to Court to seek a remedy for this misfortune and to prevent their total ruine When they presented themselves to the Emperour they found him so prepossess'd that he presently rejected them telling them his word was engaged and he could
not revoke it The Abbot bethought himself of this Expedient he besought his Majesty to be graciously pleased that he might at least defend his Cause by a publique dispute which was granted him and the dispute continued three dayes successively The Iesuite who maintained the part of the Society and flattered the Emperour by attributing to him a power he had not to dispose at his pleasure of the Benefices of Ancient Orders and change their Foundations thinking he had born away the Bell the two first dayes grown insolent upon his pretended victory the third day insulted over the Monk who accompanyed the Abbot slighting him as a Cypher and one that came thither only to fill up a room or make up a number The young Monk more able as well as more modest than the Iesuite having on his Knees desired the Abbots blessing before he made his Defence and received it made it appear that there is a time to be silent as well as to speak and that as he knew the former he was not ignorant of the later He began to repeat from one end to the other all that had been said objected answered and replyed on the one side and the other the two first dayes and after that so refuted the seeming reasons of the Iesuit that he taught him to hold his peace having put him to the nonplus and left him nothing to answer and maintained the right of the Abby with arguments so convincing that the Abbot and he were by the Emperour sent back into their Abby with the applause of the whole Assembly The Priory of St. Morand and two others usurped by a shew of piety and surreptitious Bulls If the Rector of Ensisheim plaied his part well in gaining entry into the Priory of St. Iames of Veldbach the Iesuites of Fribourg in Bresgaâ— used no less artifice to seize that of St. Morand while Alsatia was yet under the house of Austria for though two onely of the Society were by the favour of the Arch-Duke introduced there about 1623. under pretence of Catechising and hearing the confessions of the neighbourhood and Pilgrims frequent in that place as if the Benedictines who then were there whose names and surnames remain recorded in the information made thereupon had not been able to have performed it yet these Iesuites did so ply the Officers at Rome that they obtained secretly a Bull of Union in 1626. without the knowledge of the Benedictines which they have not dared hitherto to produce as being full of suggestions notoriously false as That the said Priory was several years they say eighty forsaken and abandoned by the Prior and Monks and without any Convent That the buildings were all gone to ruine that the Revenue of the Benefice was very small and that the Collation belonged to the Arcb-Duke which in every particular are publickly known to be false Besides the pretended Bull hath an express Reservation sine praejudicio alicujus that the grant shall not operate to the prejudice of any yet they forthwith expelled Peter Gaspard and Peter Michael then Monks there who retired into the Abby of St. Peter of the same Order in the black forrest It appears clearly not only by the said information but by the confession of the Iesuites in their memorials though in other things injurious and diâ—â—amatory that the said Priory of St. Morand is by foundation of the Order of Cluny and convenâ—ual and that the collation thereof belongs to the General of the Order as of all others that depend thereon that it hath continued alwayes conventual and was actually possessed and served by the Benedictine Fryars without any reproach untill the intrusion of the Iesuites who expelled them That the revenue they set forth at one hundred Ducats exceeds eight hundred that the buildings of the Priory and particularly the Cloyster were intire and in good repair and that these Fathers enemies to monastick regularity to deface their power all the marks thereof have on purpose pulled down the Cloyster since their entry and caused the materials to be carried to St. Vlrich another Priory of the said Order about two leagues from thence to repair it and not far from a very rich Priory of St. Augustine called Ellenberg which two last Priories situate in the Territories of France the said Iesuites strangers of Fribourg are in possession of at this day with as little right as that of St. Morand the last having been given them in reward for a Tragedy acted by them for that purpose before the Arch-Duke wherein St. Augustine is introduced complaining of the idleness and dissoluteness of those of his Order and offering the said Priory of Ignatius whom they bring on the stage to accept it after a thousand praises of their Society A deed of gift without right in favour of the Jesuites who not able to keep the Priory carry away the moveables evidences and ornaments Four years after they had surreptitiously obtained this Bull and without consent of the parties concerned and particularly of the General of Cluny to whom alone the collation did of full right belong these Fathers finding their Bull was no assurance of it self resolved to help it out by propping it with a deed of gift which they easily procured from the Arch-Duke though he had no right to make it other than usurped authority guided by their advice to dispose of the concerns of France But being their opinion no person could be so hardy as to adventure the questioning of the palpable nuâ—lities of their Bull when protected and supported by a Soveraign Authority And the Tragedy having been acted about the beginning of the Germane Wars the Iesuites had a fair opportunity to keep the Priory in their hands during the troubles but the Treaty of Peace being published in 1648. and the Countries of Aâ—sâ—â—tia and Sundrigaâ— reunited to France the Prince of Conty holding himself obliged to Retake into his hands the Estates and Possessions usurped from his Order and depending on his Abby of Cluny and having received advice of the vacance of the said Priory at the Re-commendation of M. de la Barde the Kings Embassadour to the Swisses bestowed it in August 1651. on Benedict Schwaller a Fryar of the Order and Doctor of the University of Paris In pursuance whereof Schwaller by his Majesties Order took possession in the usual form and Re-established there a Community of Fryars of his Order according to the tenour of the said Treaty of Peace ordaining That Monasteries usurped from the Catholicks whether by other Catholicks or by â—â—eâ—eticks should be restored to those Orders from whom they were originally founded and not to any other This hindred not the Iesuites to prevaricate and by shifts and dodging tricks to keep the Prior four dayes in play and in that time by night and by day to convey away all the Grain Writings Evidences Church-Ornaments and other moveables of the Priory leaving nothing behind that could be carried away though it was never theirs
the Community undertook and for whom by consequence they are responsible To which he adds that 't is visible that among the Jesuites 't is not so much the particular persons that offend as in other Orders of Religion who correct and expell them that are guilty but that a general dissoluteness hath seized the whole body which he justifies by the words of Azeuredo and Villa Sante Iesuites of Spain who renewed the Sect of the Illuminated Heretiques and having been imprisoned and interrogated upon their abominable Tenets answered the Magistrates That if they were imprisoned for them they might have as well imprisoned the Society As for the Author of the Theatre of Jesuitisme the name of La Pietaâ— which he assigned was not his truâ— Name He was a Natural Son of the deceased King of Spain and hath been alwayes reputed very considerable in the Court at Madrid Nor was it his intention by that assumed name to conceal his composure of that work which he hath alwayes publickly owned as the true Author thereof and had it been feasible to have confined the Book to the Kingdome of Spain he had prefixt his Name since none in that Realm but knew it his work but his modesty and humility inclined him to hide his name from those of forreign Countries who were ignorant of it He was a Dominican when he composed the Book his name is Ildefonso de S. Thomas a Sancto Thoma And though his Book by the Credit of the Jesuites hath been condemned and put into the Index Expurgatorius it hindered him not from being named successor to John de Pallafox in the Bishoprick of Osme and presently after in that of Placentia worth fifty thousand Crowns annual rent and lastly in that of Malaga which he is new possessed of having preferred it before that of Placentia though it be worth but twenty thousand Crowns which is thirty thousand Crowns less than the other to justifie this choice he said that the Monastery where he made his profession was in the City of Malaga though the more probable cause may be that being a person of most accomplished piety having past all the Offices and Dignities of his Order he gladly embraced the occasion by his dis-interesment on this occurrence to ediâ—ie the Church and lessen his account to be rendred to God which would have been increased had he continued in charge with a Bishoprick so considerable as that of Placentia being one of the richest of Spain after Toledo The King of Spain hath acknowledged him his Son and he was made Bishop in the Life of the King The three Bishopricks mentioned were all void in less than three months so that he hath stood charged with no other Church but only that of Malaga and is highly esteemed in his Diocess He is reputed one of the greatest and most zealous preachers this day in Spain and applies himself much to Confession and the direction of Souls committed to his care His Mother was Maid of Honour to Isabel of France late Queen of Spain and was Sister to the Marquesse Mortara Governour of Milan but being with Child the King to save his Honour married her to the Marquess Quintana one of the greatest and richest Lords of his Court The Marquess had that passionate love for this Lady and gave her those Evidences of real affection that she held her self obliged to testifie her acknowledgements by revealing the secret of her being with Child by the King before her Espousals with the Marquess her Husband But all the Protestations she could make of inviolable sidelity to him could not save the poor Marquesse from receiving in this news his mortal wound for though he gave his Wife no testimony of it he was seized with such grief upon the report that it brought him to his end within two months after The Marquesse having lain in retired into a Monastery whence she took great care of her Sons education and afterwards became a Nun and died there But having before told her Son who he was he took a resolution to take the habit of St. Dominique in the City of Malaga about which is scituate the Estate he quitted to become a Fryar of that Order wherein he lived ever since and continues at present with the dignity of Episcopacy and a high reputation of singular piety The Merit and Piety of the Author of the THEATRE of JESUITISME takes away all doubts of the truth of the facts he reports What remains but to add a word of those pieces that immediately follow this PREFACE and to observe that they are common to all parts of the Collection being Prophesies whose accomplishment is seen in all the Stories whereof the work is composed which are but effectual Comments and Explications of what hath been predicted It is not our purpose in this Treatise or others to heap all the â—xamples that might be brought on the Subject which might require an infinite number of Volumes but to pick out the most Authentique and proper to justifie that we undertake to prove Mar. 31. 1670. Licensed and Entred according to Order THE Moral Practice OF THE IESVITES The words of St. Paul taken out of the third Chapter of the second Epistle to Timothy Interpreted of the Iesuites by the Pious and Learned Bishop of the Canaries Melchier Canus the Famous Divine of the Order of St. Dominique Acknowledged accordingly by Oâ—landin the Iâ—suite in the History of the Society 1. KNow then that in the latter dayes perillous times shall come 2. For there shall be men whâ— shall be lovers of themselves covetous boasters prâ—ud blasphemers disâ—bedient to parents unâ—hankfull unboly 3. Without natural affection truce-breakers false-accusers incontinent fierce despisers of those that are good 4. Traytors heady high-minded lovers of pleasures mâ—re than lovers of God 5. Having a form of Godliness but denying the power thereof from such turn away 6. For of this sort are they that creep into houses and lead capâ—iâ—e silly women laden with sins led away with divers lusts 7. Ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the Truth 8. Now as James and Jambres withstood Moses so do these also resist the truth men of corrupt minds reprobate concerning the Faith 9. But they shall proceed no further for their â—olly shall be made manifest to all men as theirs also was 12. Yea and all that will live Godly in Christ Iesus shall suffer persecution 13. But the evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse deceiving and being deceived The Prophecy of St. Hildegard ADVERTISEMENT THe Prophecy of St. Hildegard hath been applyed to the Iesuites by many persons and among others by D. Ierome Baptista de la Nuza of the Order of St. Dominique afterwards Bishop of Albarazin and Balbastro whose Elegy may be seen in the Acts of the Chap. General of that Order Celebrated at Rome in 1629. 'T is said of him that all his life he observed exactly the rules of his Order even in
least a Legacy very considerable â—esides what they hook in by a thousand Artiâ—â—es in the life-time 33. Proudly humble Humble in appearance but really proud abasing themselves outwardly while their thoughts are employed to exalt themselves above all the world 34. Piously hard-hearted in the necessities of others This we see in their dealings with the Children and Kindred of some persons who have left their Estates in their hands in confidence of a compassionate and pious regard from them to the necessities of the Orphans but they have deceived the hopes of the Parents and miserably frustrated the expectations of the Children The poor receive almes from the Superiours of other Orders so often that they are ashamed to begg of them but who ever saw the Iesuites give away a penny they could make use of In short they are better Preachers than practisers of that Precept in the Gospel Give Almes for they get every day more and more wealth retain tenaciously what they have gotten and hardly part with other mens Estates in their hands on what Accompt soever they are possessed of them but though they see the owner perish for want they 'l not spare him a farthing The world is full of instances of this kind 35. Sugred Slanderers With what sweetness do they express al the evil they please of other men and to shew their compassion for the misfortunes of other Orders they will recount the fall of some Fryar and covering their malignity with some specious pretence will write things to the disparagement of Religion and its professors or any other persons who are not in their books Ribadeneira their founders Companion in the book he writ of Tribulation produces the Example of Savanarola only that he might say he was a Dominican to cast odium on the Order by the miscarriages of a particular person 36. Peaceable Persecutors They persecute so gently that they seem not to touch men and in the mean time make so cruel a warre against those they love not that no secret poyson kills more infallibly It is their Maxime Never to forgive but to dissemble a while to gain opportunity of a severer revenge 37. Lovers of the World The truth of this Prophecy is demonstrated by the Iesuites care to root themselves in the world to settle themselves in the Palaces of Kings and Princes Ecclesiastical and Secular exalting themselves by degrees of favour till they render themselves Masters of all and how hardly they are gotten out of a Palace where they have once put their foot in though but a moment We see the same in their buildings their Churches and the Artifices they use to draw into their houses the most considerable persons of the places they live in their Balconies their Galleries their half-Paces their Foot-clothes their Canopiâ—s their Foot-stools and other things never used by other Orders who studied more to undeceive then to deceive the world consider further how they have undertaken the instruction of youth how they prefer in their Classes the Sons of Gentlemen and rich Tradesmen â—carrying them in triumph to be Emperours and Captains of their Schools though not perfect in the Alphabet not regarding the poor who are excellent Schollars and deserve the honour bestowed on the illiterate Their principal intention is not the instruction of youth but to gain by any means the amity of the rich and favour of the powerful to exalt themselves and become Masters of the World which they intirely love and at the same time most slavishly serve 38. Sellers of Indulgences The Pâ—â—phecy speaks not of the favours and indulgences of the Popes which their Order hath not as the Mendicants but is to be understood of their facility in granting large permissions to sinners by their loose opinions whereof their books are fuâ—l which never fail to sell well as being a Mine of convenienceies for wicked men and a magazine of means to accommodate sinners some to keep in their possession the Estates of other men other to break the fasts and â—light the abstinences and other laws of the Church and others for matters of greater infamy 39. Disposing all things for your convenience The whole world may learn of them the course they are to take for profit and convenience they think of all things foresee all things provide and dispose all things at a thousand leagues distance that nothing may scape them and though this appear impossible 't is said of them that they reason of things impossible to render them possible This may be well understood in another manner for whereas the devout Founders of Religious Orders imployed all their care to root out thence all sensual delights and pleasures of life as the principal enemies of a Religious Estate and of the Cross of Christ the Iesuites seem to bend all their thoughts for good accommodations good Linnen good Stuffs good Beds good Chambers good Horses and good Provisions for their Voyages good Victuals besides extraordinaries which they want not the best Fruits the whitest Bread and the best baked and old Wine of all which they have in their Constitutions a Law which they observe punctually and peradventure more then the Law of God so that you may strictly call them with St. Hildegard Ordinatores Commodi a name most proper for them for they have reduced carnal worldly enjoyments under rules and recalled them into Monasteries whence the Saints had carefully banished them 40. Admirers of Luxury Which denotes their inclinations to sensuality and the pleasures of the palate and other irregular passions 41. Ambitious of Honour We may fill a volumn on this Articles for they pretend to a Supremacy in Knowledge in Vertue in Sanctity c. In the time of Gregory the 13 th they attempted to take from the Order of St. Dominique the Mastership of the sacred Palace and were so importunate with that Pope that they engaged him to propose it in Consistory and had obtained their desires had not the Cardinals represented the great services done the Church by the Dominicans Ribadeneira the Iesuite in the last Book he writ giving an account of the Customes of his Order saith that though they have neither Quires nor Fasts nor Discipline nor Penance c. yet they deserve higher esteem than all other Orders whereupon he tells us admirable stories For instance when he gives the reason why the Iesuites assist not at Procâ—ssion he saith It is because they ought to have a 〈◊〉 Hâ—nâ—urable Rank than any other Order and out of humility absent themselves To back this strong reason he invents a Fable which I understand not how other Orders can endure That it was declared in the Council of Trent That the General of the Iesuites ought to have a place more Honourable then the Generalls of other Orders 〈◊〉 impudent lye they publish not to the world but disperse in private among their Confidents the Book that contains it till the lye gather force and then the Book shall be publick in
all most partial for the ancient enemies of your Crown used the advantage of being in your Countrey to act more maliciously against your interest Otho one of their Society being chosen for chief by the 16 Conspirators And if I may be allowed to interweave among our own a passage taken from foraign affairs it shall be that lamentable one in the History of Portugal When the King of Spain attempted the usurpation of that Kingdom all the Orders of Religion stood firm in the obedience due to their King the Iesuites only deserted him to advance the Dominion of Spain and caused the death of two thousand Fryers and other Ecclesiastiques for which they had a Bull of absolution Their Doctrine and Deportment in time past caused that when De Chastel rose against you there followed an Arrest as well against him as against those of their Society condemned by your mouth An Arrest which we have consecrated to the memory of the happiest miracle of our time judging from thence that if they continued to bring up Youth in that mischievous Doctrine and Damnable instruction your life could not be in safety which made us pass over those formalities which oblige us to judge of Causes in our Conusance by regular instances which we postposed to the safety of the publick by sentencing them who being peculiarly subject to the Jurisdiction of your other Courts might in ordinary cases have claimed exemption from ours But We had not any malice envy or ill will against them in general or particular if we had God had punished us for being their Judges though the atrocity of the Crime and the affection we had for your Majesties preservation for the future invited us to give this Arrest though executed within the Jurisdiction of the Parliament of Roven and Dijon by your commandement and met with no resistance from any but them who were not well setled in their obedience to your Majesty and could not but with difficulty part with their ill will and disaffection to your Government They complain by their writings that the whole Society ought not to be charged with the faults of three or four But their enormities are such that had they been reduced to the condition of those called the Humble Fryers they had not had just occasion to complain one Fryar of that Order had plotted only the Assassinate of Cardinal Borromâ—o about thirty years since and the whole Order was suppressed and for ever abolished by Pope Pius the fifth pursuant to a resolution of the Colledge of Cardinals notwithstanding all the instance of the King of Spain to the contrary our judgement is not so severe if they say there is no comparison between their Order and that of the Humbled Fryars their 's being far greater we shall tell them that there is less comparison between a Cardinal and the greatest King of the world exalted far higher above a Cardinal then their Order above the meanest that may be That the Humbled Fryars were in less fault then they for one only of them was author of the Assassinate of the Cardinal but they all are guilty of your parricide by means of their instruction We do therefore most humbly beseech you that as you approved of the arrest so justly given and then necessary to deter so many traytors from conspiring against you so it may please you to maintain it and cast your eye back on the danger we then were in to see the life of our Common Father taken away which is dearer to us than our own and we could not but expect the shameful reproach of disloyalty and ingratitude did we not keep in perpetual memory the danger you were in since 't is you have restored us our lives our peace and our estates Tâ—e remembrance of the past ought to serve us for precaution to take such Order that we be not for want of foresight buried in the abyss of a second ship-wrack I cannot omit a particular petition on the behalf of the university that you would have pity and compassion for it which cannot but dread the consequences that may ensue upon the admission of so pernicious an Order as those we have spoken of These are in short our humble Remonstrances and Reasons that have stayed us from causing your letters to be published fearing least we might be justly reproached to have proceeded with too much facility to the verification Extracts out of the Book intituled An Image of the first age of the Society of the Jesuites wherein is seen that spirit of pride and self-esteem that reigns in this Society even to extravagance THere need not any great researches to evidence that the Iesuites practise those maximes of pride they teach other men That one book they composed to give the world an image and representation of their Society is sufficient to demonstrate that ambition vanity and presumption inspire men with nothing which these fathers believe not allowable and that the desire of Honour and Glory they take for the object of their conduct in all things hath transported them even to the utmost extravagances The Society is the fiery chariot of Israel a troop of burning and shining Angels The Society say they is that fiery chariot of Israel which sometimes made Elisha weep over that in which he ascended and that now by the particular favour of God this and the other world rejoyce to see it brought back in the necessities of the Church wherein if you inquire for Armies and Soldiers which every day multiply by new victories their triumphs of the militant Church you will find them in this society being a choyce Troop of Angels who in Animal forms execute in this warfare the desires of their Soveraign head Lib. 3. Orat. 1. Pag. 401. As the Angels illustrated with the brightness of the Divinity shine as streams of light and perfection so the Companions of Iesus imitating the purity of Angels are closely united to their Origin that is to God from whom they derive those quick and ardent motions those clear and bright rayes of vertue loosing all impurity of pleasures in that furnace of Soveraign and most chaste love that consumes them and attaining such degrees of clarity and perfection that they have sufficient not only to trim their own lamps but to communicate to others a light mingled with heat being no less illustrious by the splendour of their vertues than divinely inflamed by the ardour of charity ibid. They are all eminent in learning and wisdome 't is the Society of the Perfect They are Angels like St. Michael in their combates against hereticks like Gabriel in the conversion of infidels like Raphael in the consolation of Souls and conversion of sinners by their Sermons and Confessions they all express as much promptitude and fervency to confess and catechize the poor and the ignorant as to govern the consciences of great Men and of Princes and are all no less famous for their learning and wisdom than those who direct
spend their time and bestow their pains to no purpose I could wish they would learn that the end of Confession is to convert men at once that they commit not the same offences again That there is no commerce between frequent Câ—mmunion and Vice To frequent the Sacraments is highly useful for all duties of Christianity And you shall hardly find them defective in any part of Christian Righteousness who often approach these fountains of vertue and salvation or any publick licentiousness in a town where the frequent use of these mysteries hath been confirmed by a laudable custome For what Commerce can there be between the Author of holiness and corruption of manners What place is therefore the darkness of hell in those hearts that are irradiated by the eternal light Therefore the Society having proposed for the end of her labours to establish vertue declare war against vice and to serve the publick 't is no marvel she commends to our greatest veneration the frequent use of the Eucharist as the Arsenal of the Christian Militia the Soveraign Remedy against all maladies and infallible comfort in the worst of miseries You have heard already and shall hear further in its proper place how the Iesuites to promote their interest and carry on their carnal designs admit all persons without examination to the participation of the body of Iesus Christ. Artifices of Devotion invented by the Society to draw the people on the three gaudy dayes and the first dayes of the month to the Communion I shall produce here one only example of the Roman magnificence in the present year 1640. for we have certaine news that the brethren of our Congregation laid out nine thousand Florins on the solemnity of these three dayes to draw the minds of the people from profane licentiousness to the love of piety They 〈…〉 a great Machine in our Church of Farnese at Rome in honour of the Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist the height was one hundred and twenty spans the breadth was eighty exquisitely embellished with curious Statues Images Histories and Emblems to the ravishment of the Spectators the Church shining with extraordinary lustre by the light of four thousand Flambeaus The service was celebrated with so much pomp and so delicious a consort of the Popes musick that there wanted only the presence of the Pope to make it the most Majestick sight on Earth Alphonso Gonsague Arch-Bishop of Rhodes said Mass seventeen Cardinals and almost all the Prelates of the Court of Rome were present five Cardinals more came in afterwards all the Ambassadors of Kings and Princes several Religious Orders and all the Arch-Fryaries of Rome Lastly during the three dayes such throngs of people flocked to the Communion that instead of profane Bacchanals they really kept a feast of Paradise Another Artifice of the Society for more frequent Communion was the invention of Communicating the first day of the month which pleased Pope Paul the fifth so well that he granted indulgencies thereupon and by that bait of publick deâ—â—tion drew â— great concourse of people to the Holy Table The Society rejoycing at the success took the boldness to invite Cardinals to administer 〈◊〉 Sacrâ—ment whereby the number of Communicants 〈◊〉 greatly augmented the people being ravished to receive at the hands of so Illustrious Persâ—ns the pledge of their Salvation Five Cardinals did it and at Rome at one day and in one Church they compâ—ed sâ—metimes sixteen thousand sometimes twenty and sometimes thirty thousand Communicants and from thence this piâ—us custome over-spread the whole Earth So that at Lisbon in the Church belonging to the house of our Profession the Sacrament 〈◊〉 administred to twenty five thâ—usand in one day 〈◊〉 six or seven in Brussels and as many at Antwerp in one of those dayes and bad our Churches been capable of more persons the number of Communicants would have been greater General Reflections on all the extracts out of the Image of the first age THe Iesuites never spoke truer of themselves than when they assumed the title of The Pharisees of the New Law And though they have been so vain as to attribute to themselves undue praises they have this once declared so great a truth that we may take them at their word 'T is the Spirit of Pharisaisme hath caused them to write those great Volumes stuffed only with their praises and to prove they are not as other men Christ blamed the Pharisees of his time for affecting the chief places in Assemblies and to be honoured as the principal Doctors and Guides of the people The Iesuites extol themselves above all Orders of Religion march still in the first rank and call themselves masters of the world The ancient Pharisees took upon them to dispense with the principal Commandments of the Law but are clearly out-done by their successors the Pharisees of our time for what have they left undone to shew We are not obliged to Love God nor to give almes And they that find most subtleties to dispense with good works are in most esteem among them and to this Banius Tambenius â—scobar and others owe their reputation Those holy men that went before them had no other secret for the conversion of men than to preach Christ crucified and to take off thâ— sâ—andal of the Cross by the practice of humility But the prudence of these new Apostles consists in hiding from the people they pretend to convert the folly of the Cross as may be one day proved more clearly than they are awarâ— of The first word of St. Iohn Baptist of Chriâ—â— and his Apostles address to Sinners was Repenâ—â— But the Iesuites willing to spare all that is troublesome and professing themselves complaisant civil and gentle directors have founâ— out a way to remit sins without obliging 〈◊〉 a rude and harsh Repentance and to make Confession so easie and pleasant that the most criminal will not decline it but run to 't as willingly as they did to Sin as themselves assure us When Confessors believed it a matter of difficulty to leave ill habits and that we 〈◊〉 strive to enter in at the strait gate of Heaveâ— they were not satisfied with words without seeing the fruits of a solid Repentance so thâ—â— those who were inclined not to reform theâ—â— lives nor to make restitution of ill gotten goodâ— nor quit ill company durst not present themselves before the tribunal of the Church whose severity they feared which made true penitence rare even in the primitive times a thing not easily performed but difficult and toylsom The same Fathers who taught us That the life of Grace was freely received by us in Baptism instructed us also That a Soul dead in sin is not easily revived and that when we have made our selves slaves to the Devil it is very hard to break his chains when we have blinded our selves in following our lusts we cannot without miracle come out of darkness and return into the way of Iesus Christ. Lastly
the Offerings and Liberalities of the people upon the occasion of the Great Miracles wrought by the Martyr Bishop of Soissons when those Monks in their return from Pilgrimage to Rome arrived at Ruffach enriched with his Reliques by hte Gift of the Abbot of St. Potentience of the same Order in the City of Rome so that in a short time they built that Priory which continued alwayes in the possession of the Monks and Abbot of Chesy though the Iesuites have not omitted any artifice from the beginning of their institution to make themselves masters thereof contrary to the Bulls of the Popes Lucius and Alexander 3 d who excommunicated all those that should attempt any thing concerning the said Priory in prejudice to the rights of the said Abbot and Monks For after the year 1578. they procured and obtained from time to time Bulls upon Bulls but so voyd and null they durst not produce them And in 1618. they huddled up all the nullities and obreptions of the precedent Bulls into one suggested by them to have been obtained for the benefit of the Colledge of Selestat founded some 3024. years before wherâ—in they set forth contrary to the truth that it was a simple Priory without a Convent and aliened long since from the said Order with the usual formalities and consent of all parties interessed In pursuance of this Bull these Fathers having by strange precipitation and extraordinary haste outed the Prior Nicolas Verdot Monk of Chesy with unheard of vexations possessed themselves timely of the said Priory in 1618. without any form of Justice and 18 years before the time prescribed by the pretended Bull that is before it became void by the death or cession of the said Prior who was Canonically possessed of it ever since 1610. and never juridically deprived thereof Letters gained by surprize from the King aâ—d â— Mandamus from the Bishop of Strasbourg The dependance of the three Priories This violent intruâ—ion notwithstanding the Oppositions complaints Protestations and pursuits of the said Prior with the interposition of the Authority of the Crown of France endured till God himself brought the remedy by a change of the State in 1634. when the Iesuits upon the arrival of the French Armies having quitted the Priory the said Prior was re-established by his Majesties Authority and dyed in peaceable possession thereof in 1636. whereupon Iames Boescot of the Order of St. Dennis succeâ—ded him and possessed it till 1644. though the Iesuites in 1638. had obtained Letters Patents from the said King in Confirmation of their right if any they had which they got by surprize upon false suggestions that the said Priory ever since 1578. had been Canonically united to the Colledge of Selestat which had not been founded before 1615 and that the said Verdot of Chesy whom death had deprived of power to defend his Cause had been an usurper Intruder and illegally possessed of the said Priory as if he had been a Lutheran seized of it by main force But the Letters Patents were of no use to the Iesuites for Boescot seeing that the continuance of the Warre in Germany made the place not habitable in the year 1644 resigned the said Priory into the hands of the Abbot of Chesy who bestowed it on Paul William a Fryer of the strict Observance of the Congregation on of S. Vanne who by the Kings Order took possession thereof and peaceably enjoyed it with those of his Order till the 2 d of Iune 1651. on which day in pursuance of a Mandamus issued from Archduke Leopold Bishop and Lord of Strasbourg under pretence of executing some Articles of the Treaty of peace but really in breach thereof the Arch-dukes Officers re-established there some Iesuites strangers and by force and violence outed the said Prior and his Fryers of the reformed Order of St. Francis notwithstanding all their oppositions Appeals and Protestations of force which the said Officers refused to enter of Record among the Acts of their Courts though it was afterwards granted them upon renewing their suit at Brisac Now these three Priories depending as to their spiritualty and right of Collation upon the Abbyes of Chesy and Cluny have ever been subject and answerable for their temporaltyes to the Archdukes Chamber of Iustice of Ensiâ—heim belonging to the house of Austria though this of St. Valentine be situate in the Territories of the Bishop of Strasbourg and that by the Treaty of Munster in 1648. all the rights of the House of Austria in the higher and lower Alsatia were granted in Soveraignty to the Crown of France and consequently the said Priory being at present under the Jurisdiction of the most Christian King and his Justice to whom alone belongs the cognizance thereof and the maintenance of the said Prior in his possession it followes that the intrusion of the said Iesuites strangers into the place of the said Prior outed without cause or lawfull Authority in 1651. is an unjust attempt against the tenor of the said Treaty of peace Nor is the Kings interest less engaged for keeping the two other Priories of St. Iames and St. Morand which the Iesuites would have taken away from the Order of Cluny and consequently from France to alien them to perpetâ—ity and unite them to the Colledges of strangers to the great prejudice of his Majesties Subjects and the order of St. Benedict False suggestions to pope Gregory XIII to obtain a Bull of Vnion of the said Priory False Charge of Crimes on the Prior. That it may the better appear what artificâ—s the said Fathers make use of for want of right to usurp the said Priories observe that in 1578. Iohn Sancey being Prior of that of St. Valentin they obtained from Popoe Gregory xiii by the procurement and Authority of Iohn Bishop of Strasbourg a Bull of Union of the said Priory for founding a Colledge in the Town of Molsheim and that they should enjoy it upon the first vacancy upon the false suggestion that it was a Priory only without a Convent without declaring that it depended on France and the Abby of Chesy without an information Super commodo incommodo of the convenience and inconvenience which according to Custome ought regularly to have been first exhibited without the consent of the Prior or his Convent the Abbot of Chesy the Bishop of the Diocese or of the King though all interessed partyes These Iesuites being otherwise sufficiently founded at Molshâ—im not knowing how to betake themselves to execute their Bull so full of nullities and void Clauses left it dormant without the least mention 31 years in which time two vacancies incurred by the decease of Sancey in 1589. and of Adrian Verdâ—t his Successor in 1598. which they let pass without stirring at all or giving the least notice or hint of their pretensions So that the said Bullby this means lay superannuate and useless At last in 1609. they pitched on an expedient very disagreeable to the Charity of Christians
neglected and object against theâ— great imperfections and disorders in their manners as grounds for their usurpation and account them Canonical Titles for intruding into the Rights of other men ought to have been confounded for these real enormities which though committed by them they have the impudence to own in the face of the world to the scandal of Christianity You have heard before that upon their entring St. Morand they demolished the Cloyster and caused the materials to be conveyed to St. Vlrich At St. Valentines every one knows that they changed into a hey-house and stable for the Arch-Dukes horses a fair and large Hospital magnificently built and with extraordinary charge by D. Iohn Sancey the Benedictine Prior at the gate of the Monastery for receiving and lodging poor Pilgrims and that they dissipated and imbezelled the Reliques and a quantity of Plate and Ornaments which the Priors had provided by their frugality But the Priory of St. Iames of Veldbach though let them in good condition and at a great undervalue in the Rent fared worst of all and was used with least respect as situate in a village where they held themselves at liberty to act those abuses which in Cities and great Towns they durst not attempt for they not only permitted the Dormitory of the Fryars adjoyning to the Church and the Founders Chappel beside the High Altar to decay and run to ruine but pulled down the Steeple and threw great pieces of timber on the Founders Tombs which were in the middle of the Quire and by this Barbarisme broke all to pieces Thus they demolished part and spoyled the residue of this poor Church that there was not left one ornament for saying Mass of twelve they found there which they carryed into Swizzerland with all the Plate of the Priory And 't is probable they had not spared the rest of the Church from utter destruction but that it was Parochiall which notwithstanding they leâ—t in extreme disorder Of the Priory of Maizere of the Order of St. Benedict changed into a Farm by the Jesuites What you have heard is no more than what their brethren of the Colledge of Porentrâ—t who pretend no less Veneration for sacred places than the rest of the company had given sufficient cause of credit and belief to having three years before ruined the Church of another Priory of the same Order called Maizere formerly famous for Pilgrimage in the Countrey to the great scandal of the Hereticks who carefully maintain and preserve their Churches and to the great regret of the Countrey adjacent who deplored the profanation to see the materials of the House of God imployed to repair the houses Barns and Stables of a Farmer so that there remained no sign of a Priory nor any thing else but a plain Farm Such is the condition to which the Iesuites reduce the benefices they usurp whereof they consider nothing but the revenue beginning alwayes as soon as they enter them to abolish the Divine Service and all those marks which might make it appear they once belonged to the ancient Orders of Religion without any regard to the intention of the Founders nor the Charges they imposed which is the Iesuitical way to promote the glory of God Their taking away Evidences and Registers Another Detriment and injury done by the Iesuites to these three Priories for which the Priories were obliged to seek their remedy in the Great Councel was their taking away the Evidences and Registers concerning the Rights and Revenues of these Monasteries which the Iesuites could make no other use of but to accommodate themselves in case of a re-entry there which nothing but an unjust Ambition could give them any hopes of or to deprive the right owners of the enjoyment of them to which nothing but an extreme malignity could incline them or lastly to conceal and suppress some debts to which their Goods might be lyable which though it denotes a malicious avarice yet is not strange in the Jâ—suites practice For the Iesuites of the Colledges of Novices at Nancy have 40 years since used the like practice against the Friars of Senon of the Order of St. Benedict in Lorrain when the Abbot of St. Vanne of Verdun having given them the Lordship of Barbonville being a dependant on his Abby charged with the ancient rent of 22 quarters of Corn to the Abby of Senon they craftily embezled all the Evidences thâ—y could light on that made mention of that duty And when the Fryars of Senon sent to demand the Rent as accustomed the Iesuites who thought all the Evidences that concerned that duty were safe in their hands pretended ignorance and refused payment telling the demanders thâ—y thought nothing due A suit was thereupon commenced in the Councell of Lorrain and the Fryars for want of their Evidences to make out their title were cast But some years after the reformation of the said Abby the reformed Fryars made so diligent search that they found three Registers wherein the said duty was charged in pursuance whereof they brought a new Action which the Iesuites stifly defended but the Registers being produced they submitted to pay what they could no longer dispute The Iesuites proceeding in three several Tribunals and three Distinct Countreyes at the same time for the same Priories and other petty foggeries We have cause to believe that on the same dâ—sign the Rectors of the three Colledges of Selestat Enssheim and Fribourg carryed away the Deeds and Evidences of the three Priories above-mentioned And when the Priors of the Benedictines sought restitution by Law it is incredible how many artifices and petty foggeryes they used to detain them To give an instance when they saw themselves pressed by the Benedictines to restore them they procured a prohibition from the Privy councel to prevent proceedings in the inferiour Courts interdicting the ordinary Judges the cognizance of the Cause The Councell being thus intirely possessed of the Cause at the instance of the Iesuites the Prince of Conty and the Abbot of Nesmond interposed in behalf of the Benedictines the former as Generall of the Order of Cluny the later as Abbot of Chesy and Collators of the Priories The Iesuites hereupon fearing their success in the Councel while the matter depended there prosecuted the Benedictine Priors at the same time both at Rome and Brisach and obtained of the Auditor Generall at Brisach whom we spake of before a sequestration of the Priories of St. Iames and St. Morand without any form of Justice and without hearing or summoning the Defendants And at Rome they procured a Monition to cite the Benedictines thither with an Excommunication against all that should oppose the execution of their Bull which they durst never produce And caused the Monition to be printed throughout And the Benedictines of St. Morand to be cited by the Bishop of Basle for which as an injury and abuse the Fryars were forced to make an Appeal In pursuance of this they used all the
tricks the spirit of Wrangling could invent in the most shifting petty-foggers by delayes by reiterated defaults new Assignations contesting about the qualities of the parties producing ridiculous impertinent and insignificant matters falsities and manifest untruths diffamatory Libells forged Letters informations without date or subscription and a thousand other devices to be seen at large in the Memoriall above-mentioned which is therefore the more credible for that upon the whole matter a notable Arrest was given in favour of the Benedictines you shall see hereafter Bulls without president and contrary to the Canons and Councels of the Church An Arrest in favour of the Benedictines against the Jesuites We must not forget some remarkable things to be observed in the Bulls the Iesuites obtained for the three Priories spoken of before for besides the false suggestions nullities and obrâ—ptions whereof they were full which inclined the Benedictines to procure and produce Duplicates thereof against the Iesuites and besidâ—s the express provision in some of them that they should not operate to the wrong or prejudice of any they were most abusively and maliciously framed in two points 1. In that contrary to all forms and presidents they gave power to the Jesuites to take possession of the said Benefices by their proper Authority without observing the ordinary formalities requisite in such cases and that contrary to the Canons and the Councels of Constance of Lateran of Chalcedon and others they made alienation of Estates without consent of the parties united several Benefices situate in divers Dioceses and suppressed Monasteries and Benefices Conventual which ought to remain to perpetuity 2. In that by an unparallel'd and unheard of abuse they contained a Clause ordaining that they should not be questioned for any nullity obreption or subreption whereof they were full Decernenâ—es easdem praesenâ—es nullo unquam tempore de subreptionis vel obreptionis aâ—t nullitatis viâ—io Aâ—gui seu notari which takes away all cause of wondâ—r why the Jesuites were alwayes loth to produce them as knowing they could serve for nothing more than to discover their Artifices and Deceits the clearer though notorious enough to the world already upon other occasions And now none can think it strange that after so many shifts and tricks of petty foggery they were at last wholly defeated and for ever debarred of their pretensions to the Priories in question by Arrest of the Kings Councel the Judiâ—ial part whereof and the sentence is here transcribed but the proceedings purposely omitted for that they are herein before succinctly reported and may be seen at large in the Printed Memoriall we mentioned often The Arrest of the Privy Councell THe King in his Councel giving Judgement and doing right in the said Cause hath maintained and kept and doth maintain and keep the said Fryar Paul William in the possession and enjoyment of the said Priories of St. Valentine of Ruffach and St. James of Veldbach and the said Fryar Benedict Schwaller in the possession and enjoyment of the said Priory of St. Morand Forbidding and prâ—hibiting the Demandants the Jesuites and all others to trouble or mâ—lest them in this behalf and ordering the Sequestrators to deliver the possession into the hands of the said William And having done right upon the demands respectively made by the said parties for restitution of the Reâ—iques Ornaments Evidences Moveables and other things that were heretofore in the said Priories hath ordained and ordains that the parties within two months joyn issue in the same and dâ—bate tâ—em at large before the Sieur De Baussan Intendant in the Countrey of Alsatia and that the said Sieur De Baussan shall assist and further the execution of this Arrest which shall be executed notwithstanding any oppâ—sition or Appeals whatsoever Yet so as the said Appeals shall not be barred or prejudiced hereby but in the mean time the parties are to proceed to executiâ—n which shall not be delayed by verâ—ue or colour of any Appeal whatsoever And his Majesty reserves unto himself and his Councell the cognizance and deâ—erâ—ination of any Appeal that shall or may happen to be made in this â—ause which Appeal shall be proceeded in summarily without the â—sual formality of Suits Examined Signed De Moris Given at the Kings Privy-Councel held at Paris Aug. 4. 1654. OTHER Historical Passages AND Relations of the Artifices and Violences of the Jesuites of Almaigne in taking away several Abbies from the Orders of St. Benedict and the Cisteaux monks Collected out of the Books of the Famous F. Hay a Benedictine of Almaigne the one called ASTRUM INEXTINCTUM Printed in 1636. and the other HORTUS CRUSIANUS Printed at Frankfort in 1658. and Printed also within these ten years with all their Quâ—tations in France in 4 to and at Cologne in 8 vo in 1659. A notable imposture of F. Lamorman the Jesuite Confesser to the Emperour of the Vsurpaâ—ion of Abbies THE Emperour Ferdinand the second having had great advantages over the Protestants of Germany after the rising in Bohemia and the battel of Prague which he won against them by a General Edict of the 6 th of March 1629. ordained That all the Abbies and other Eâ—tates Ecclesiastical which had been usurped from the Catholicks by the Protestants against the Articles of the Treaty of Passau in 1552. should be restored to those to whom they belonged according to their foundaâ—ions In pursuance of which Edict he sent Commissioners throughout the Empire to see it executed and published other particular Edicts in favour of St. Benedict the Cisteaux and others As there 's nothing more just than to restore every one what belongs to him so this Edict of the Emperour was highly approved by the Pope who writ an express Brief to the Emperour To teâ—tifie his joy and that of the whole Consistory of Cardinalls for this re-establishment of the Clergy and the Fryars in their estates The Emperour at the same time writ to his Ambassadour at Rome the Prince of Savelli the 14th of April 1629. the reasons of his Edict which were That he was of opinion he could not have done any thing more profitable and conducing to the good of Religion in Almaigne then to take such course that the Religious Orders might flourish again which had been heretofore the firm pillars thereof that pursuant to this design he had ordered by his Authority Imperial that the Abbies and other places Consecrate to Religion which had been profaned by the iniquity of the times or converted to other uses should be restored every one to the Order to which they belonged as being Consecrate thereto from their first foundation and not to another He sent him afterwards a more ample instruction of the 25 of Octob. the same year wherein he gives six principal reasons of his Edict The Iesuites extremely nettled and perplexed that they had no share in this restitution to the Ancient Orders consulted among themselves how to enrich their Society with other mens Estates
his Hâ—liness the Pope of Rome His Imperial Majesty the Cardinals of the holy Roman Church the Bishops Princes and others and also Of the little Society of Iesus This the learned and pious Benedictine F. Hay shew by an excellent book intituled Aâ—trum inextinctum which he opposed to that of the Jesuite to be the most shameful illusion and mockery that ever appeared for that instead of defending these powers it formally questions and opposes an Imperial Edict approved by the Pope and Colledge of Cardinals by an express Brief as well as by all the Bishops Princes of Almaigne And that the thing he really maintained though very weakly was the Little Soâ—iety of Iesus which he represented as so great and necessary for the Church that he feared not to affirm That God had not sufficienâ—ly provided for the Chruch if having established all other Orders of Religion theirs onely had been wanting 1. Imposture of the Iesuites that these Abbies werâ— supprest 'T is incredible what artifices they made use of in these Books to maintain a pretention most â—njust and most unworthy men professing Religion I. They would have made the Pope believe That all those Abbies were supprest and that the Eâ—tates were vacant i. e. such as â—ad no owner That the Emperour or Pope might dispose of them at their pleasure Declaring sometimes that it belonged to the Emperour to give them with the approbation of the Pope and sometimes that it belonged only to the Pope to bestow them as devolved to him by a special and particular right upon design that of these two Powers that should be adjudged to have most right which they by their intrigâ—es and insinuations should render most inclinable to give them these Abbies But this erroneous illusion was folidly refuted as contrary to the Laws Civil and Canon by the Benedectins who justified by the Authority of the Ecclesiastical Laws and by presidents both ancient and modern of above thirty famous Abbies as that of Mount-Cassin S. Maâ—â— in Anjou and others that Abbies possessed and destroyed by forraign enemies when recovered were alwayes restored to their proper Orders That it was an unheard of pretence that the sole-violence of the hereticks founded only on the force of Armes should operate so as to cause these Abbies to be adjugded supprest and that it would appear very unjust if re-entring their Abbies they might not of right say with the Maccabâ—es We have not possessed our selves of a strange land nor are we entred upon the Estates of others but by the benefit of the Revolution of time we resume the possession of the heritage of our Fathers which hath for sometime been injuâ—tly â—surped by our Enemies 2. and 3. Impostures That it was an abuse and not within their power who did it to restore these Abbies to the Frâ—ars Though these Abbies had been adjudged to the Religious Orders by an arrest of the Court Imperial of Spire and the Edict of the Emperour approved by the Pope yet these good Fathers who stick not to exalt themselves above the Emperour and the Pope had the boldness to publish in print That this affair was of the number of â—hose whereof we are to say that they pass only by way of sufferance and tolleraâ—ion which if weighed in the ballances of judgement are inconsistent with the Rules of Iustice whereby they would impose on us a belief that the re-establishment of the Fryars in their Abbies that is the plain â—xecution of the Laws of Nations and Nature was an intollerable abuse and that on the contrary the most unjust usurpation of other Mens Estates which the Iesuites in their hopes had already devoured was pure justice and most unquestionable right But there 's nothing of greater wonder than the extravagant Answers they made to the invincible Arguments and Reasons of the Fryars In vain did the Benedictines object to them the â—xpress terms of the Emperours Edict and the Orders he had sent his Commissaries General for execution viz. Our pleasure is that the Abbies possessed against the Treaty of Passau and the Peace for regulating the state of Religion which have been to this time unjustly detained be surrendred and restored by vertue of this our Edict Imperial to such persons of the Religiâ—us Orders to whom they belonged bâ—fore the said unjust detentiâ—â— for the Jesuites with an unconceivable boldness made aâ—swer that there was not one word to be found in his Imperial Majesties Edict which imported thâ—â— the Abbies ought to be restâ—red to the Orders for which they had been fâ—unded and to mainâ—â—â— this false and strange assertion they 〈…〉 themselves of a gross illusion which tâ—nds only to make the Emperours Edict ridiculous 〈◊〉 say they the pleasure of this Prince was thaâ— restitution should be made of the Abbies to the samâ— individual persons to whom they belonged before theâ— were possessed by the Lutherans which is in effect That the Emperour had sent his Commissariâ—s to make restitution of the Abbies to persons dead and interred forty or fifty years before and not to the Religious Orders which in that they never dye were capable of the benefit of thâ— pious intentions of the Emperour 4. and 5. Impostures That the Jesuites were persons proper to possess the Abbies and comprehended under the name of Monks In vain did the Benedictines object against them That the Emperour had expresly Ordained by his Edict that the foundations of Abbies should be preserved and the vacancies filled with persons proper according to the rules of the foundation duly called and fitly qualified according to law for the Jesuites answered That it was true but it could not be proved that the Fathers of the Socieâ—y were not persons duly called and legally qualified according to the foundations of these Abbies given them by the Pope with his Imperial Majesties Consent That is as F. Hay doth elegantly expound it That these Abbies founded for the Order of St. Benedict six or seven hundred years before there were Jesuites in the world were founded for the Fâ—thers of the Society of Iesus In vain did the Benedictines object That these Abbies had been established for Mâ—nks and Fryars and that it was Ordained by the Canon-law That Monasteries should continue Monasteries to perpeâ—uity for the Jesuites answered That in matters of favourable construction such as tended to the enriching themselves with the Estates of the Manasteries the Jeâ—uites were comprehended under the name of Monks To which the Benedictines replyed That it was pleasanâ— to consider that the Jesuites who on all other occasions express so great aversness from the name of Monks are very willing to be called Monks when it may serve to introduce them into the inheritance of Monks And 't is fit to observe here that the Iesuites brand Auâ—elius with errour for alledging that a Monk and a person of a Religious Order are convertible terms and denote the same thing so in France when there is nothing to be got by assuming
labour the propagation of the Catholick Faiâ—h in Almaiâ—n Whereupon the Benedictines no less wisely than truly Observe that the Iesuites did not so eagerly covet the Abbies in order to a Religious end for the maintaining Divine Service and constant Prayers according to the Rules of their Foundations which they pretend not to observe but desired only to finger the money and receive the Revenues The Jesuites endeavour to take away an Abby of the Cisteaux and another of St. Clare A hansome Letter of a Germane Lord against their Covetousness The observation of the Benedictines is clearly proved by the courses taken by the same Iesuites of Almaign to take away two Nunneries one of the Order of Cisteaux and the other of St. Clare and to unite them to their Colledge of Mayence for Father Iohn Theodore Lennâ—p having by Order of his Rector and Provincial addressed a Letter to that Effect to the Baron of Questemberg his Cousin and of the Emperours Council desiring him to procure a Grant thereof from his Majesty Imperial unto their Colledge without once mentioning the Pope concludes with an earnest entreaty for speedy execution And the principal motive he alledges for their desiring these Abbies particularly that of St. Clare called Clarental is that it would be of great use to their Colledge of Mayence especially in the multitude of Pastures and Meadows belonging thereto on which F. Hay hath this remark That the good Father had greater care of the Soyle than the Soul to accommodate Beasts than to guide men to Salvation The Almaign Lord in answer to his Cousin the Iesuite having exprest a particular affection and kindness for the Society and promised his assistance in any thing he could think reasonable frankly declares in an Excellent Letter Printed at large in F. Hayes Book That he held himself obliged to caution lest by favouring one party he might prejudice another and lest whilest he thinks to comfort himself in the acknowledgements and joyes of the one he be not opprest with affliction for the groans and tears of the other that he was afraid to appear against St. Benedict St. Clare St. Francis and St. Bernard those great Lights of the Church Triumphant and Militant and could not believe it allowable in Conscience to trouble and molest their Holy Orders and tread under-foot their ancient and commendable foundations That he was not acquainted with the secrets of Theolâ—gy but to speak according to his sense he could give this enterprize no other name than that of Robbery and Rapine I have often admired sayes he that they who profess a contempt of the good things of the world and to reject all hope and desires to possess them but to imitate nearly the nakedness and simplicity and purity of Christ should so vehemently labour and imploy with such earnestness the best part of their lives to augment the Estates and Possessions of their Orders And now men of Religion are clearly dâ—scovered notwithstanding all their disguises to run the same course with the Secular with this advantage that their sin is the greater who act unjustly under false appearances of piety and vain pretences of spiritual good Why should I think my self a Criminal or the Preachers presently brand me for an offender if I endeavour by usury by fraud or other unlawful means to take away and usurp my neighbours Estate if you who are the peculiar servants of Christ may without crime or offence appropriate to your selves the Estate of another Religious Order who oppose it protest against your violence and Cite you to Answer at the Tribunal of God I could enlarge on this subject Dear Cousin but my imployments take me of and I fear the little I have said will displease you though you know better than I that the faithful wounds of a friend are of more value and deserve greater esteem than the deceitful kisses of an enemy Nor had I touched on this matter but that the frequent not to say continual complaints and reproaches of many persons against the insatiable avarice as they call it of your laudable Society had not in a manner forced me to give you this hint there being nothing but this covetousness the most pious find fault with in the Fathers of the Company This pious and Christian Letter which ought at least to have cooled the heat of the Iesuites inâ—lamed it for they made the same Iesuite his Cousin by a second Letter of Ian. 15. 1630. to write back to this Lord That he committed a great sin before God in not advising the Emperour to joyn these Nunneries to their Colledge of Mayeme that this omission tended to the defrauding of the Church of necessary labourers in the Vineyard of her Lord to the retarding the gain of Souls to the favouring of Heresie and opposing the Holy Enterprizes of their Society that he knew the Society had many that envied her prosperity and very powerful adversaries but presaged that they and their posterities should one day acknowledge under the sense of the Chastisements of the Divine vengeance That they had hurt the apple of Gods eye That other Orders of Religion were either unwilling to imploy themselves in the Conversion of Hereticks or unable to perform with that dexterity and success which was visible in the actions of the Society That all they desired from him was to have procured a Grant from the Emperour to the Society of the annual revenues of one or two Nunneries that were wholly vacant taking no notice that the violence of the Hereticks was the sole cause they were not then full That he had not attempted to justifie the many sorts of translations and unions of Abbies made in favour of others but as a Divine of the Society laboured only for that which might be profitable for the company and was fully assured a good Councellour of State might in good conscience in prudence and piety have advised the Emperour accordingly and that he who opposed it not only committed a great fault but made himself guilty not of one but many very haynous offences That it was true men made it their custome to reproach their Society with imputations of Avarice of Rapine and unjust coveting others Estates but that it was a stale heretical objection and had been learnedly refutedâ— by their Father Gretser That they accommodate their Kitchins not the Monasteries Four Abbiesâ— alienated for an addition to one of their Colledges To their pretence of dexterity and success in converting Pagans and Hereticks to the Catholick Faith The Benedictines replyed That almost all the North had been converted by the ancient Orders of Religion and 't was strange these good Fathers would perswade us That there is no other way no better means to propagate the faith of Christ in Almaigne than by multiplying Jesuitical preachers that there were multitudes of other pious men of Religion ready to take pains in converting the Hereticks that the Iesuiâ—es did them wrong to say they were unwilling
Females represented the person of Christ the other that they who assume the Name of Jesus accompanied with their Guard of Souldiers acted not his part but that of the Iews 〈◊〉 persecuted and abused him O Society of Jesus Is this the Society you have with Jesus I conjure your paâ—ernal Reverence by the â—owels of our Redeemers Mercies to cause restitution to be made of the Abbies which the Society have possessed themselves of under â—olouâ— of a pretended Cession for fear these Angels of Peace according to Scripture phrase be obliged to continue their sighs and their tears if voluntary restitution be not speedily made we shall not fail of means to cause it to be done Cesarea May 30. 1631. To conclude notwithstanding the great power this Iesuite had over the Emperours spirit The Order of Cisteaux up in their prosecution of re-establishment from his Imperial Majesty obtained a solemn arrest in their favour for restoring these Nuns to their Abby whence the Iesuites were obliged to dislodge with shame as they had entred by a violent intrusion contrary to the Civil and Canon Law for which by the Canons they deserved exemplary punishment For the ancient Orders of St. Benedict St. Bernard and others needed only the Emperours authority for their re-establishmâ—nt in their proper Abbies as Estates violently uâ—â—â—ped from them by the Luâ—herans to which the said Orders had a continual and most unquestionable right of re-entry But besides that the gift of this Abby which the Iesuites pretended to have had from the Emperour was Null in it self as contrary to the Edict and had not been obtained but by manifest surprize as was observed before the Iesuites themselves acknowledged by their Books that the Pope only could make such translation of Abbies from the Ancient Orders to their Society and when in the mean time they were pressed to shew that the Pope had given them this by some Rescript or Bull they had none to produce but made an illusory answer worthy of themselves That the Pope had given it them by the Emperour as if sayes F. Hay the Pope â—ad accustomed to grant such extraordinary favours by Secular Commissions of Emperours or Kings and not by Bulls or Apostolick Brieves The Iesuites forbare not afterwards to attempt the possession of several Abbies under the specious pretence of the greater Glory of God insomuch that the Catholick Noblesse of the Rhine in Weteravia held themselves obliged to make publick Complaints against their Avarice to Pope Vrban the 8 th in these words We see Holy Father to our very great astonishment that the Fathers of the Sociâ—ty of Iesus by divers persecutions and flatteries they use to the Soveraign Chief and Princes of the Empire over and above the vast riches they have gained labour to possess themselves of Abbies Foundations and Monasteries principally those of Noble and Illustrious Virgins under divers pretexts of propagating the Faith and advancing the salvation of Souls They represent to him further That in such holy places as the Iesuites were possessed of presently all marks of the ancient duties of the foundations vanished upon their entry all works of Mercy and Charity in practice there before did immediately disappear That the Monasteries being abandoned did sensibly decay and would by degrees moulder to nothing contrary to the pious intentions of the founders their Ancesâ—ors that the buildings were ruined and fallen to the ground and that nothing remained but the Estates and Revenues to inrich the Colledges of the Iesuites by the spoils of the ancient Orders of Religion So that notwithstanding the great pride and vanity of these self-conceited Fathers and their contempt of the Nunneries saying That the virginity of females consecrated to Christ is a solitary recluse and lazy virginity which works out only their particular salvation whereas theirs of the Society is publick active imployed in preaching and fervent with zeal for the happiness and beatitude of the souls of all Their Covetousness and Avarice appeared the more odious by their insolent brags and provoked every person to indignation against them for having such presumptuous thoughts of their Company as to dare to pretend that Religion was in danger of ruine and a total destruction unless change were made of the Holy Habitations of Religious Virgins whose prayers are so useful to the States Ecclâ—siastical and Civil into Farms for their Colledges whose disorders and irregularities are so notorious to the world and pernicious to mankind The Famous Story Of the Enormous Cheat upon the Nuns of the Order of St. Vrsula by the Rector of the Iesuites of Metz in the sale of a house for their new establishment in that City Confirmed by an arrest of the Parliament of Metz in 1661. a Copy whereof is here inserted Whereby appear the equivocations lies deceits and cheating impostures practised by the said Rector against the said Nuns thâ—ugh he was their director Spiritual and Temporal Extracted and faithfully transcribed out of the Registers of Parliament BEtween the Nuns professed and Convent of the Vâ—sulines of this City of Metz authorized by the Court to prosecute their rights appellantes for the Seizures made of the goods and revenues of the said Monastery the 24 th and 27 th Nov. and 19 th Ian. last demandants in conversion of appeal into opposition and upon letters of form of Rescision and Restitution by them obtained in Chancery 29 Dec. last against a certain contract of Sale of Sept. 7. 1649 that of ratification of Decem. 13. in the said year and all other acts ensued thereon of the one part And the Rector of the Colledge of the Iesuits of the said City summoned and defendant of the â—ther part And also between August de Montigny Burgess of Metz and his Consorts next kinsmen to the Appellants Demandants by request to obtain intervention of one part And the said Rector defendant of the other part As also between Thomas le Blane Provincial of the Iesuites partly by intervention of one part And the said Nuns defendants of the other part Without that the qualities shall hurt or prejudice the parties COVRCOL for the Appellantes and Demandantes sets forth That the Suite was of a Contract of Sale of a house situate in this City of Metz passed by F. Forget then Rector of the Jesuites of the said City for the use of the Vrsuline Nuns of Mascon stipulating for a new establishment of the Nuns of the same order to be made at Metz aforesaid That the qualities of the parties would decide the cause it being certain that the Nunâ— come from Mascon for the new establishment of this Monastery were not of the Community or Nuns of this Monastery for that according to the constitutions of the Order such Nuns as had not made profession in the new Monastery remained still profest Nuns of the Monastery whence they came out and whither they might return or be recalled and the Nuns of the new Monastery were not obliged to
already so clearly proved All this Sir hath need of a speedy and exemplary remedy and the Creditors hope from your Majesties Piety and Justice that they shall owe you Sir those lives which the Iesuites have rendred so troublesome by the miseries and necessities they see themselves reduced to that they esteem it greater happiness to lose them than to be obliged to live without ability to maintain themselves in that port and rank they formerly flourished in respectively 'T is possible they may breath again if the Judge of the Council causes payment to be made them and these men of Religion learn at the same time that they ought not under pretence of their priviledges and of their profession to ruine their best friends but content themselves with what the Laws allow them to possess By stopping the course of so dangerous a precedent the Iâ—suiâ—es of other Colledges and Provinces will see it concerns them more to accustome themselves to traâ—fick in prayers and supplications to pass with safety the Sea of the miseries and travels of this world where so many are shipwracked than to apply themselves to trade for the Indies to send merchandizes thither and to maintain Commerce and get Gain prohibited by Law 'T is Sir very remarkable and merits a particular attention that the other Colledges of the Iesuites of the Province of Andaluzia owe great sums of money to many private persons which are no less considerable than those of the house of Sevil and they attend with impatience the resolution of your Council that they may do as their brethren of Sevil have done if they come off well in this affair for their thirst to amass money Sir is so insatiable that it is believed their houses in both Castilles owe two millions of money for things deposited with them in confidence of fair dealing for monies they have borrowed and for debts they have contracted on divers pretences 'T is worthy observation of how great sums they defraud the Church and your Patrimony Royal in that neither this Colledge nor any house of theirs in the Kingdome pay any tythes Imposts or part of the Contributions which are levied for your Majesty on Ecclesiastical Estates so that it would be more profitable for the Church and your Majesty that these Estates were possessed by Secular persons You cannot too much consider and reflect upon these sins and those crimes which the ruine and poverty of so many Widows Maidens and women of quality have caused and what strangers not well grounded in our Faith and Religion may say to see an affair of this Nature pass before the eyes of a King so Catholick and Just and of his Council-Royal consisting of persons so eminently Christian besides what may be apprehended from the desperate resolutions of so many considerable persons who find themselves ruined in honour and their Estates which they see in the hands of their Enemies These poor Creditors SIR most humbly beseech your Majesty with tears in their eyes that you would protect them in a Cause so worthy of your Majesties Care and Christian Charity since the Justice thereof doth so clearly appear to you And that you will be Graciously pleased to order your Council that in regard of the evident malice of the Iesuiâ—â—s they would not give place for further delayes nor permit any new incidents to be foysted into the Cause now depending but think it sufficient that the Iesuites have already had eight years time to plead and not allow thâ—m to make the Process immortal as they vaunt they will do by their great credit These miserable Creditors shall spend their lives and consume these poor remains of their Estate which these Fathers have not taken away to prosecute this Suite and solicite the payment of their debt if the Judge appointed by the Council to take â—ognizance of this Banquerupt and the Plaint of the Creditors will not cause payment to be made them by dispatching the third proviâ—ion and an Act to declare that the Estate of the Iesuites is not Ecclesiastical to the end the Conservator named by the Colledge intermeddle not any further in the business nor take any cognizance thereof and that in the same time he vacate and annul this new and artificial deputation YOVR MAIESTY SIR shall in this do a piece of service very acceptable to God and by this means your poor subjects the Creditors shall recover their Estates and shall every one live in the Rank Honour and Reputation suitable to their quality which this Banquerupt hath caused them to lose Signed Iohn Onufre de Salazar THE History of this FAMOVS BANQVERVPT is reported by the Author of the IESVITICK THE ATRE pag. 378. Where the Relation agrees exactly with this Memorial with this addition onely that the Council prohibited the Conservator the cognizance of the affair and ordered him to transmit all the papers to D. Iohn de Santeâ—ices By this means de Villar was set at liberty from the Iesuites prison and secured upon bayle in tâ—e Convent of Saint Francis where he made it appear to the world that he had done nothing in all this but by order of his Superiours whose original Letters he produced to stop the mouths of these Fathers and silence their Calumnies which Letters are inserted in the proceedings at Law and Copies of them dispersed in several places Villar was affraid that if aftâ—r this he entred again among the Iesuites they might practise on him the Doctrine of their Father Amy who allows a man of Religion to kill him who publishes things scandalous of his Order as they had practised on several occasions and particularly on the person of Doctor Iohn D' Espino whom they poysoned three times which is so notorious that there is not a person in Spain or the Indies who fears not their poysons and violencies This obliged Villar to quit the Iesuites habit and take his cloak and his sword and to marry in the peace and face of the Church having first obtained a dispensation of the vowes â—e had made four or five times but they were vowes for the professâ—on of Iesuitisme to which nothing can oblige a man Now the Iesuites give out that the Cause of the Banquerupt was the Knavery of Villar who reigns in his roguery and triumphs and feasts himself with the spoils of other men He answers they lye and refers himself to what appears in writing and tells them mens tongues should be silent when prayers and such evidences speak which is exprest in the Spâ—nish Proverb Hablen Cartasy callen barbas The same Author recounts afterwards a story to which this Proverb hath some relation which we have rendered verbatim out of another Spanish Impression which seems more exact and contains the matter we come next to declare Other Marks of the Avarice Injustice and Cheats of the Iesuites in the following Story reported by the Author of the Iesuitique Theatre pag. 381. and another Printed Book in Spanish ENTITULED A Relation of
Gospel should come they would ruine all by Warres and Seditions But we are to take notice that to that time and afterwards till 1593. they saw no other Preachers but Iesuites This Fryar speaks not this of himself but hath taken the words out of the General History of Iapan printed at Alcala in 1601. which the Author Lewys Gusman the Iesuite sayes He had gathered out of Relations of certain truth or ocular testimonies The same Author Cap. 3. Lib. 2. reports the persecution raised against them by the Emperour of Iapan and the cause alledged by the Emperour to have been that the Iesuites were Cheats and Impostures who made pretence of preaching salvation came to raise the people and plot some treason against him and the Kings of Iapan and that had he not taken heed of them they had long since deceived him as they had done many other Kings and Princes so that in six years they had discovered the end they had in preaching the Gospel and made it appear to have been the destruction of Princes It cannot be said the Emperour did this out of hatred to the Christan Faith who gave permission in writing in 1593. to the Order of St. Francis to enter his Empire to found there Churches Hospitals and Convents and appear publickly in their poor habit All which notwithstanding the persecution continued against the Society who had but one Church left at Nangazaqui a Port town and a place of great Commerce This Church the Emperour permitted to stand because of some Iesuites Inhabitants there who took care of merchandizes one of whom named Iohn Roderick was the Emperours Interpreter This shews how fâ—r the Iesuites were engaged in trade that some of them were necessary to be left to uphold it when the rest were expelled and that they were not chased away for their Faith since the the Order of St. Francis who laboured more effectually the Conversion of Infidels were admitted the same time but for the horror and detestation of the Iapanois conceived against them for their double dealing and falsehood The Avarice and Ambition of the Jesuites cause the destruction of two Christian Kings of Japan Their Treason against the King of Omura makes the Ministers of the Gospel to be accounted Traytâ—rs P. 311. I could not in silence pass by two cruel Treasons which the Ambition of the Iesuites produced in these Countries by policies most repugnant to the maximes of Christianity The King of Omura received the Christian Faith with very great devotion and for that reason and because he reputed the Iesuites Ministers of the Gospel favoured and protected them in his Realm Nangazaqui is one of thâ— principal Cities there and capable to enrich all the Countrey being a Port well frequented as we hinted before The Iesuites thought to draw more advantages to themselvâ—s from another person whom they designed to make Master of a Port so considerable though not without the brâ—ach of all the Laws of Fidelity due to a Catholick King their friend They went to the Emperour and represented to him the conveniencies of the Port the various Merchandizes brought thither the commodiousness of its situation for security of his Vessels and at last assured him that as a Soveraign Lord he might take it away from the King of Omura giving him something else equivalent to it The Emperour followed their advice and took away the Port from the King of Omura but as soon as he had done it he banished the Iesuites from all parts of that Kingdom saying with much wisdom That having betrayed their Benefactor they would with more reason betray him the Emperour who had far less obliged them than the King of Omura Thus they lost the amity of the King and gained not that of the Emperour they affected but left the Ministers of the Gospel the reputation of being Traytors This hath been assured upon the oaths of above fifty Christian villages in a Memorial presented originally to his Catholick Majesty in his Councel of the Indies and to the Pope in the Congregation de Propaganda â—ide A Mischievous Counsel given the King of Arima which cost him his life and â—aused a bloody persecution against the Christians P. 312. There happened another thing equally strange to the King of Arima a Christian and great Benefactor to the Iesuites whose Seminaries and Colledges flourished in his Realm They put a chimera into the head of this Prince and perswaded him to demand of the Emperour the restitution of some Lands which his Predecessors had lost by war The Iâ—suites design in this was to enlarge their Power by extending the Dominions of the King of Arima their friend beyond the ordinary limits to attain their desires they made use of a man who was intirely at their devotion his name Dayfaqui a Secretary to one of the Emperours Ministers but though they gained him to their side he forbore not to discover the whole intrigue which cost the lives of the one and the other for the Emperour caused the King to be beheaded and Dayfaqui burnt and Morejon the Iesuite escaped but narrowly the same flames This King is charged with the killing of a Son he had by a former wife to make way for the succession of one by a second wife as a person from whom the Iesuites hoped more favour in his Reign than they could expect from the other The Emperour hereupon conceived a very ill opinion of our Religion and its Ministers for that all who acted in this Tragedy were Fryars or Christians and this moved him to the second persecution which was much more bloody than the former He chased away all Fryars from his Empire so that the Conversion of this people was extreamly obstructed by the ill Counsels and Flatteries of the Iesuites Is not the Ambition of the Iesuites very strange and their flattery a horrible thing who to extend their Dominion and please the King of Arima though they were setled in very good condition proposed to him the design of re-entring these Lands his Predecessors had possessed though then in the hands of another Master In a Contribution made by all the Religious Orders of Spain the Jesuites give three advices instead of money P. 392. The King of Spain wanting monies at the beginning of the War with France demanded of all the Orders of Religion a succour by way of Contribution The Collector applyed themselves presently to the Iesuites not doubting but they who were Labourers Burgers Usurers Bankers Merchants Mint-men Exchangers Victuallers Intelligencers Emissaries into China Legatees and executors of Testaments throughout the world would on this occasion make appear to the world their affection for the publick good and their Power and would give the King a considerable sum to help him out of the great straits he was in The Fathers answered them who made the proposal that when they had demanded the Contributions of other Religious Orders the Sâ—cieâ—y would give as much as they who gave most yea
God The Jesuites stirr not abroad by night for the Poor but do it for the Rich A merry prank play'd them by the Governour of Evora in his particular P. 394. What passed at Evora is very pleasant A Governour of that City some years before the revolt of Portugal knew the Iesuites well and that they run upon wheels when their interest calls them but have Lead in their heels when there 's nothing to be got though the business concern the good of their neighbour and the service of God He was informed that a poor man being sick to death they went at midnight to the Iesuites Colledge because this man lodged neer them to desire one of them to come and confess him The Porter answered that the Fathers never stirred out of the Colledge by night and so the poor man dyed without being confessed The Governour took this occasion to make others know the Iesuites as well as he knew them and to undeceive such as had a good opinion of them he sent his servant one night to desire a Confessor from the Iesuites for a woman that lay a dying but instructed him well and forbad him to tell whence he came The servant went to the Colledge and having called and knocked a long time the Porter came to the Gate cursing him to the Devil that knocked but took the Message and went to deliver it to the F. Rector The servant waited for an Answer which after a long attendance was brought him to this purpose that the F. Rector advised him to go seek out the Curat of the Parish for that they of this holy House stirred not abroad by night Some dayes after the Governour sent them a message from him that after supper he had been suddenly taken with an Apoplexy whose consequence might be dangerous and to prevent the ill that might otherwise ensue he desired that he might have a Iesuite to confess him As soon as the servant had delivered his message two Iesuites came forth warmly clad for it was Winter and went beside the Governours house who attended them by the way with the Officers of Justice When he saw them he asked who they were and whither they went They answered they were Iesuites and went to confess the Governour who lay a dying This is all false replyes he for I am the Governour and very well in health and you are not Iesuites but Robbers and so sent them to prison where they continued all night The Rector having heard of this Accident in the Morning went in search of those of his Order found them in prison and complained to the Archbishop who proceeded against the Governour But the Governour would not let them goe till they had made an Authentique information and proved by the depositions of several witnesses that they were men of a Religious Order and that they were acknowledged and commonly reputed such This took up a dayes time and the Rector and other Iesuites bestirred themselves to purpose and would have given money to clear themselves of the mischance and thought themselves kindly used that the Governour insisted on no more satisfaction for delivery of the Prisoners The Governour excused himself for what past because he knew on one side that the Iesuites stirred not abroad by night no not to confess persons that lay a dying and that on the other side finding at midnight two persons in the streets in Iesuites habit it gave him just cause to suspect that they were Robbers who made use of that disguise This story was told me by a Lay-brother a Iesuite named Pantaleon d' Almeyda who was at Granada not many years since whom his Superiors have since sent into New Spain The corrupt Manners of their Schollars and Priests in three Great Provinces How they keep their Vow of Obedience to the Pope and endeavour to cheat Princes P. 410. The Iesuites make a particular vow of obedience to the Holy See though sufficiently obliged without it and as if all Catholiques were not of their opinion in the point but 't is easie to discover by what follows how ill they perform it 'T is known these Fathers take on themselves the instruction of youth in all parts of the world to infuse into them the Principles of Learning and Good manners They managed it so well in the Provinces of Stiria Carinthia and Carniola that the Ecclesiasticks who had studyed under them led so infamous lives and gave such ill examples that Pope Paul 5. held himself obliged by the duty of his Office to take order for their reformation For this purpose in 1619. he appointed the Bishop of Serzane his Nuntio in the Empire to be Visitor that he might correct and punish the debauchery of their manners so dishonourable to the Church The Iesuites who loved these wretched Priests and Students as their true disciples to discharge their vow of obedience to the Holy See left no stone unturned to hinder the Visitation But seeing the Nuntio far advanced in the chastisement and reformation of these corrupt Church-men they found a rare expedient to hinder the effect of the punishments given them and to procure them impunity in their loose courses of life F. Bartholomeâ— Villers a Iesuite was then Confessor to the Archduke and had the priviledge to give his advice first in all sorts of Affairs He represented to this Prince that the Popes design in this Visitation was to know and procure a Memoire of all the forces and fortifications of all his Estate for some purposes unknown but such as there was just cause to suspect That the Nuntio being an Italian would take with him some persons of the same Nation to assist in the Visitation that it was not fit to give strangers liberty to enter the State to penetrate its secrets and reduce them into Memoirs Had this Prince been less pious he had not needed greater motives to cross the good intentions of the Pope But having discovered these of the Iesuites and the weakness of their reasons he seconded the designs of the Pope and the Visitation was held throughout these three Great Provinces wherein there were found only fix Priests who used not Concubines and were otherwise guilty of scandalous living What shall we now say of the Iesuites who would have perswaded this Prince to hinder the execution of the Ordinances of the Pope And is not this a good obedience to the Soveraign Pontife I have often heard it said The Robber and Receiver merit the same punishment Another Author who relates this story sayes that these debauched Priests had not only studied under the Iesuites but made it their custom to give the Fathers several Presents and that this engaged these Masters to favour their Schollers and take them into protection though publick and scandalous sinners Plerique enim provinciarum illarum Sacerdotes ex Iesuitarum scholis profecti munusculd illis frequenter missitabant adeoque duplici nomine quamvis palam essent improbi Magistrorum patrâ—cinium gratiamque
carry on their breasts little cords enterlaced as a chain as the particular marque of their profession The Iesuites who serve this people and are willing to please them which concludes them Rich wear these cords as the Idolaters as at China they go in the habit of Bonzes and canonize in their persons the idolatry of their parishioners The other orders of Religion were astonished at the sight and consulted the Hâ—ly See what they were to do on this occasion as not being able to perswade the Iesuites out of this habit But much about the time they expected an answer Rubinos the visitor of the Iesuites published in Micao that his holiness had declared that it was allowable to wear the habit of those Indians F. Morales being shortly after at Rome remembred this passage and inquired of the Commissioner of the Holy Office what judgement had been given in that point the Father â—hewed him the sentence pronounced whereby it appeared that that sort of Ornament or marque of distinction was prohibited as heretical directly contrary to what the Visitor had published A strange vow of a Jesuite of quality whom the Fathers dismissed their Colledge for receiving an inheritance he had renounced obliging him by vâ—w to re-enter the Society when master of the Estate Charles Zani Son of Count Iohn Zani of Bologne in Italy entred into the Society of the Iesuites in the year 1627. and before his entrance made an ample renunciation to all the Estate that might at any time belong to him in what manner soever it should be specifying expresly that neither he nor the Society should be able to make any pretence thereto When he had continued amongst them eleven years his Father and Count Angelo his Brother dying in that time the Fathers of the Society perswaded him to quit the Colledge for receiving the inheritance and when he had done it to return thither again To this purpose they desired of the F. General Vitteleschi the letters of dismission necessary for the occasion which were sent to F. Menochins the Provincial but before they were given to F. Charles Zany they made him vow to return into the Society with all the estate that should belong to him as F. Bargellin should think fit the form of the Vow signed by F. Charles was as followeth I Charles Zany being ready to receive my letters of dismission from the Society of Iesus which I have desired before they are delivered me by the Right Reverend F. Provincial Stephen Menochius do in his presence voluntarily make this vow to God whereby I oblige my self in conscience to his Divine Majesty as strictly as is possible that having received my said Letters of dismission I shall again desire with all instance the Superiors for that time being that I may re-enter the said Society as soon as I have ordered my affairs for which I have desired and received the said Letters intending and obliging my self to make such instance and desire of re-entring the Society and to take such time as shall be judged most convenient by the Reverend F. Vincent Marie Bargellin as he shall think my affairs are sufficiently regulated holding my self obliged in this to follow his pious judgement and his will to exempt my self from all scruples and to know more assuredly the time and term of accomplishing my vow to the good pleasure of God He quitted the habit of Religion Novemb. 27. 1639. in his Countrey as he hath testified by writing signed with his hand Having afterwards taken possession of his Estate he changed his resolution and came to Rome to procure a Dispensation of his vow but could not obtain it of Pope Innocent the 10 th fell sick of a feaver and made his Will in favour of the Colledge of Iesuites of Boulogne by the perswasion of these Fathers who attended him day and night and shortly after he died The Iesuites forth with seized the Estate but the vow of F. Charles being unhappily thwarted by a contrary settlement made by the Lords of Zany a Suite was commenced at the Ruota at Rome The Iesuites fearing lest in the prosecution and judgement of the cause the strange vow of Charles Zany might be published and their insatiable Avarice and new Artifices to invade inheritances discovered obtained of Pope Alexander the 7 th a signature of Grace whereby he commanded the Auditors of the Ruota to determine the business by way of accord This was accordingly done by dividing the Estate in question into twelve parts five whereof were assigned to the Iesuites and the remaining seven to the Lords of Zani who got not the possession but through infinite difficulties and hinderances interposed by these fathers to the total dissipation of almost all the inheritance ALETTER OF MONSIEVR***** to one of his Friends at Paris Wherein is seen the base Complaysance of the Jesuites towards opulent and puissant persons and their strange conduct concerning a Regular Abbot whom they feared not to absolve on his death-bed without obliging him to make restitution of his Robberies nor reparation for his horrible scandals but took care to interre him in their Church at Lyons and to extollâ— him for his piety by publick Monuments Written from Grenoble 28 Octob 1661. SIR YOu desire an Account of our journey And 't is fit I perform that little you desire to give this testimony at least of my readiness to obey you in the most important occasions We had good Weather every day since we parted from Paris as if Winter had put off her coming to afford us the leisure to return home with convenience I need not tell you we passed by Clairvaux Auberine Cisteaux la Ferte and Clugny those great and vast Houses which stand famous Monuments of our Ancestors piety But 't is matter of Lamentation that the spirit of those Saints who founded them being expired almost as soon as their persons they have left us nothing but so many heaps of stones and that after they were sanctified by poverty and penitence their reputation hath gotten their Successors riches which serve only to maintain in idleness and sloth those that enjoy them But because these evils are without remedy I shall not insist longer on them but make a step as far as Lyons to tell you the story of a little Conference I had there with a Jesuite Monsieur de M. one of their good Friends upon our arrivall brought us to see their House of Belle-Cour Having prayed a while in their Church I staid to look on an Epitaph I had heard of and hardly then finished but it being late and my sight short I could scarce read any more than these two words Piè obiit When I was come forth I was glad to understand from the Father who accompanied us that it was the Elogy of Monsieur the Abbot of St. Sulpice and as I had known something of the life of that miserable Abbot I endeavoured to learn some particularities concerning his death I told this Father
the mean time 't is every day printed and will in time work out the effect they proposed to themselves Such are their Artifices to fill the world with falsities for their credit and advantage 42. Purchasers of Huses They that are acquainted with the misteries of their Trade know that where houses are Let at dear rates the Iâ—suites have the best part of them especially at Court. In matters of merchandize and traffick there is no trader so dexterous as they the Genoâ—se are dunces when compared to them in matters of Exchanges wherein their gains are excessive for their consciences are large and their Trade universal in small as well as great Commodities in Puppets and Babies and other Trinkets and Baubles for Children to play with and every thing else that brings in profit be it never so vile never so contemptible nor is their trade limited to particular places but is driven in all parts of the world by Land and by Sea by Corresponds and Factories 43. Sowers of Discord There is not a City or kingdom where they are established wherein they have not caused dangerous Commotions so considerable in some parts that they have troubled the Church as at Venice at Paris and in other places the worst is the Divisions they have sown have taken such root that 't is probable they will continue to the end of the world 44. Building still higher but not able to attack a height equall to your desires Were this understood of the buildings of the Iâ—suites it were literally true their edificâ—s being always the highest and a league before you come to a Town the first thing in view are the towers of their Chappels the galleries on their Houses and the walls of their Churches but yet they arrive not at the height they pretend to for God resisteth the proud and gives not Grace but to the lowly 45. But now you are fallen as Simon Magus c. Here ends the Prophecy of St. Hildegard which shews the fall and destruction of the Order the speak of which we judge to be the society of the Iesuites by all these marks which by this comment appear so proper to them These are the words of that Pious Bishop There is none but will acknowledge that if we would search further into the interessed and ambitious conducâ— of this Society since his time in excusing the grossest sins seizing other mens goods turning away the people from their true Pastors oppressing honest men and for destruction of Bishops we might give you a more ample explication of the Prophecy it being easie to prove that this Society is estranged from God proportionably to its prodigious growth and the grandeur whereof they are so jealous hath served only to verifie that remarkable expression of the Royal Prophet The presumption of them that hate thee increaseth ever more and more The Conclusion of the Divine Professors at Paris in their ordinary Convocation held Decemb. 1. 1554. THe first day of December Anno Dom. 1554. The sacred faculty of Theology at Paris having heard the Mass of the Holy Ghost solemnly sung in the Chappel of the Colledge of Sorbon was then the fourth time assembled by oath to determine of two Bulls said to have been granted by two Popes Paul 3. and Iulius the 3. unto those who affect the name of the Society of Iesus which Bulls the Parliament of Paris by their Usher sent on purpose committed to the view and examination of the said faculty the tenour whereof followeth And first of the Bull of Paul 3. Then of the Bull of Iul. 3. But before this Faculty would begin to treat of a matter of so great weight all and singular the Masters thereof made open publick profession that they would not think much less decree or attempt any thing against the Authority and Power of the Pope but as they and every of them as obedient Children have always acknowledged and confessed so they now do sincerely faithfully and willingly acknowledge and confess the Bishop of Rome Soveraign Vicar of Jesus Christ and Universal Pastor of the Church to whom Christ gave the fulness of Power whom all persons of either Sex are bound to obey to reverence his Decrees and every one in his place ought to defend and observe But forasmuch as all men especially Divines ought to be ready to give satisfaction to every one that demands it in matters relating to the Faith manners and edifying of the Church the said faculty held themselves obliged to satisfie the demand command and request of the said Court Therefore all the Articles of both Bulls having been often read repeated and understood and according to the greatness of the subject many months days and hours solemnly and most diligently discussed and examined the said faculty with unanimous consent but deepest reverence and humility leaving the whole matter to the correction of the Apostolick See then at length past this judgement This new Society claiming peculiarly to it self an unusuall appellation of the Name of Iesus so licentiously and promiscuously admitting any persons thâ—ugh wicked lawless and infamous differing nothing from secular persons in outward habit in censure in saying privately or singing publickly in the Church the Canonical hâ—ures in Cloysters and Silence in choyce of meats and of dayes in Fasts and other various Lawes and Ceremonies whereby the States of Religion are distinguished and preserved having so many and various privileges indulgences and liberties granted it especially in the administration of the Sacrament of Penance and the Eucharist and that without difference of places or persons and also in the office of preaching reading and teaching in prejudice of the Ordinaries and Hierarchical Order and in prejudice of other Orders of Religion yea of Princes and Temporal Lords against the privileges of Vniversities Lastly to the great griâ—vance of the People seems to violate the honour of Monastick Religion enervates the studious pious and most necessary exercise of vertues abstinences ceremonies and austerities and gives occasion to Apostatize freely from other Religious Orders withdraws the obedience and subjection due to the Ordinaries unjustly deprives Lords Spiritual and Temporal of their Rights induceth disturbance in Civil and Ecclesiastical Policy many quarrels among the people many suits differences contentious aemulations and various schismes All these things therefore and others having been diligently examined and throughly weighed This Society seems in the matter of Faith dangerous and to tend to the distuâ—bance of the Peace of the Church to the subversion of Monastick Religion and more for destruction then for aedification Remonstrances of the Court of Parliâ—mâ—nt of Paris to King Henry the 4th upon the Re-establishment of the Iesuites made by the Prime President M. de Hâ—rlay in 1604. SIR YOur Court of Parliament having deliberately considered of your Letters-Patents for Re-establishing within some places of their jurisdiction the Priests and Schollars of the Colledge of Clermont assuming the Name of Iesuites hath ordained that humble