Religion in these evil times who thought it not his duty to swear an immortal enmity against our Fathers So that the passage in Scripture may be as properly applyed to our Society as it was to St. Paul I will shew him how much he must suffer for my Name p. 123. Why should I trouble my self further to consider the boldness of these new Apostles who pretend to make as many Articles of Faith as they please to find new senses of Scripture in corrupting it and turning the passages from the true sense to apply them to themselves for if you believe them 't was not so much of St. Paul as of their Society that Christ spake when he said I will shew him how much he must suffer for my Name They who have any love for their salvation are much concerned that the faith be not corrupted by these new additions and those who receive easily these Articles of Faith of the Iesuitick Church ought to fear lest they forget those which Christ hath taught his Church what they add in the same behalf is an imagination without ground pretending the hereticks as they call them make war particularly against them by reason of the Name of Iesus which they bear to shew it is not for the Name of Catholicks which they have common with the Bishops the Popes and an infinite number of Doctors Ecclesiastical persons and Fryars but because by particular priviledge they bear the Name of Iesus in bearing that of Iesuites As if the hereticks believed not in Iesus Christ and held not the Name of Iesus Sacred and adorable as we and as if it were not known that Calvin hath put the Name of Iesus at the top of every page of his Institution to endeavour to sanctifie his books by that Holy Name as the Iesuites make use of it to hallow their unholy actions and opinions In another place with a pride proper to them and on design to draw glory to themselves from the hatred of hereticks towards them say they all the enemies of the faith fling their darts at us as if the maintenance of holiness and the Catholick Religion depended on the subsistence of our Society alone being perswaded that if this pillar of publick safety were pulled down and ruined there could be nothing easier than intirely to destroy the faith with the piety the ceremonies and worship of the Church As this thought is suitable to the good opinion the Iesuites have of themselves I believe them at least as capable of it and all other thoughts of self-conceit and vain glory as the worst of those Hereticks But as to the particular animosity between the Lutherans and Calvanists and these fathers all the learned know that it proceeds not from an opinion that they are better able to reâ—ute their errours than the Doctors of Universities the Bishops and Cardinals it being notorious to the world that the books of Ruard Tapper the famous Doctor of Loven of Drued of Augustin Sâ—ucchius Eugabinus a Bishop in Italy and many other excellent persons of the faculty of divinity and other eminent Prelates are stronger against the Lutherans than those of the Iesuites and that when compared with Saintez upon the Eucharist or Cardinal Perron against the Lutherans the books of the Iesuites look like those of Students or School-boys besides it comes not to pass because they of the Reformed Churches think them more holy than other Orders of Religion though they publish themselves altogether perfect and Ramparts of the Doctrine of Faith for they know as well as the Roman Catholicks that their spirit is less humble their life less austere their knowledge less Ecclesiastical their charity less patient and meek their piety less dis-interessed than those of other Orders but 't is because the Iesuites preach no other thing in their books against hereticks but that they ought to be exterminated and burnt And that those Hereticks who have not zeal enough to seek the Glory of false martyrdom love more the charity and gentleness of Catholick Doctors and Bishops who desire not the death of a sinner but that they may be converted and live than the irregular zeal of those who labour not so much to convince men by Truth and overcome them by Charity as to destroy them by injuries and ruine them by violent counsels which they inspire into Kings and Rulers against them Another Reason that the Hereticks are more inclined to ingage with them than other Catholick Doctors is that those Fathers fill their books with new Opinions fantastick tenets and corrupt maximes which give the hereticks great advantage against them this medley of ill things making it more facile for them to desend themselves against their writings and to answer their Reasons Other Orders are said to come of the Saints who have founded them as the Benedictins from St. Benedict the Dominicans from St. Dominique and so of the rest which is the reason they are called the Orders of St. Benedict St. Dominique c. But the Iesuites have this advantage above all other Orders That their Company is the Company of Iesus himself the Society of the Son of God the Order whereof he is the true Author and that bâ—aâ—s his Name That Christ is their first Fâ—uâ—der the Virgin the second and St. Ignatius only the third lib. 1. c. 6. St. Ignatius was so humble that he thought himself unworthy to give the Name of Ignatians to his Companions after the custome of other Founders wherein he seems willing to have imitated the Apostles whose humility St. Augustine praises in that they gave not the Names of Paulians and Petrians but Christians to the faithfull but if we will judge â—right of things we may say the Society hath taken the Name of their Author for Ignatius attributing all unto God in the founding of his Society and nothing to himself and declaring that Christ was the first and principal Author thereof he did it with great reason that according to the custome among the Philosophers in the Christian Religion and the Orders thereof the Society should bear the Name of their Author without mention of Ignatius who desired to be concealed p. 68. Wherein he pretends that the Divine Excellence which is found in the foundation of the Church in that it hath Iesus Christ for its first and true chief and founder and in that he hath given it the surname of Christian from his name Christ appears in the foundation of this Society whereof they say Christ is the true and first Author and gave it his Name incomparably more August than his Surname as if he had waved his general Society of the Church that he might reserve this highest honour for the particular Society of Iesuites That Virgin knowing and Martyr Society as another calls it and if you take their word you may believe Ignatius had the place of St. Peter Xavier of St. Paul their ten first Fathers that of the twelve Apostles and the sixty first Iesuites
THE Moral Practice OF THE Jesuites Demonstrated by many remarkable Histories of their Actions in all parts of the World COLLECTED Either from Books of the greatest Authority or most certain and unquestionable RECORDS and MEMORIALS By the Doctors of the Sorbonne Faithfully rendred into English LONDON Printed for Simon Miller at the Star at the West-end of St Pauls 1670. THE PREFACE Of the Design of this BOOK THere 's no doubt but all who love the purity of the Moral Doctrine of Christ are very sensible of the Corruption the Jesuites labour to introduce thereinto by the Opinions they have invented But it may be said That nothing is more dreadful in the Conduct of these Fathers than to see them pursue those corrupt maximes in their Practice and that of the many things they allow in others contrary to the Law of God and the principles of the Gospel there is not any they commit not themselves to satissie their Avarice or to promote the Grandeur and Glory of their Society To prove this is the business of the present Collection of those Learned and Pious Doctors of the Sorbonne to inspire the World and the Jesuites themselves with horror at their detestable Morality there being no better way to demonstrate the danger of the looseness they authorize that latitude and remisness whereof they are Patrons than by discovery of that abyss of Injustice Avarice Lust and Other Vices wherein they have plunged them Let none imagine we were moved to gather the different pieces that make up this Collection with design to decry or prejudice the Society God is our witness we have undertaken it out of the Charity we have for them and the grief we are sincerely affected with to see them so unhappily engaged We sigh to â—ind them the causes of the loss of so many souls they seduce and draw with themselves into the precipices of Errour and Vice We deplore their obstinacy in shutting their eyes against the Light held forth by the Pastors of the Church to guide them out of their wandrings into the right wayes of Piety and Truth and tremble when we consider that every day they literally fulfil the Prophesies delivered of them in the infancy of their Society For is it not a terrible judgement of God not only on the Jesuites but the whole Church that almost in all parts of the world providence hath raised persons wise illuminated and full of the Divine Service who from the first establishment of this Company have foreseen all those mischiefs it hath wrought in the Church its turning topsie turvy the Ecclesiastical Discipline its troubling and disordering all Estates and Conditions and that in the mean time the same Company hath been permitted to mount to that degree of Power and Authority that they have laid at their feet almost all that is Great in the World that those of their Order are Masters of almost all the Consciences of Christendom that they resist all Bishops and very often attempt against their Soveraigns Melchior Canus Bishop of the Canaries that Great Luminary of the Church of Spain in these last ages no sooner discovered their appearance in that Kingdome but he believed the end of the world drew nigh and that Anti-Christ would forthwith appear for that the Fore-runners and Emissaries the Titles they confess he calls them by began to walk abroad He published every-where not only in particular discourses and private Conferences but in his Sermons and publick Lectures that he discovered in them all the marks which the Apostle declared should be seen in the followers of Anti-Christ And when Turrien one of his Friends who waâ— turned Jesuite desired him to forbear persecuting his Order and alledged on that occasion the approbation given him by the Holy See he made him no other Answer but that he held himself obliged in Conscience to advertise the people as he did that they might not peâ—mit themselves to be seduced by the Jesuites D. Jerome Baptista de Lanuza Bishop of Albarazin and Balbastro a person admirable for Holiness and Piety and particularly endowed with the gifts of Prophesie of Wisdome and Vnderstanding composed an expresse work to make it appear that the prophesie of St. Hildegard ought to be understood of the Jesuites and that it was easie to discern all the lineaments of the Society in the pourtraite she had made Tarvisius Patriarch of Venice confirmed by an Oath upon the Holy Evangelists his prediction that they should one day be expelled that City for their Factions and Politique Genius which happened accordingly five hundred years after for their having raised strange factions and seditions in the bosome of that Republique All the Catholique Vniversities particularly those of Cracovie Lovaine and Padua those of Spain and France the Bishops the Clergy all the Orders of Religion and the Courts of Parliament almost every where opposed their establishment as contrary to the good of the Church and the security of States And in particular The faculty of Theology at Paris in their Famous Decree which we cannot too much Commend Declared Unanimously THAT THIS SOCIETY APPEARED DANGEROUS AS TO THE FAITH APT TO TROUBLE THE PEACE OF THE CHURCH TENDING TO THE OVERTHROW OF THE MONASTIQUE ORDERS OF RELIGION AND MADE MORE FOR DESTRUCTION THAN FOR EDIFICATION GOD hath not only permitted that all those Great Men of Spain Italy Almaigne Flanders Poland and France should predict the mischiefs this Society would do in the Church but hath raised many of the Society iâ—self even Generals of their Order to represent and set forth with that Energy and Liberty wherewith Charity and Truth do inspire men the corruptions crept in amongst them and by their means spread through the whole body of the Church The learned Mariana hath made an express Treatise Of the Defaults he had observed in their Government and makes it appear That at the time he writ their Society was so much disfigured That had St. Ignatius their Founder come again into the world he would not have known it Mutius Vitteleschi their sixth General reflecting upon that criminal facility wherewith those of his Congregation embraced All the New Opinions that â—ended as his phrase is to corrupt and ruine the Piety of the Faithful sayes in a Letter addressed to the Superiours of all their houses That there was reason to fear the latitude and liberty of Opinion of some of the Society especially in the matter of manners would not only utterly ruine the Company but cause very great mischiefs in the whole Church of God So many Voices and Oraâ—les ought â—ertainly at least to have inclined the Jesuites to examine themselves and reform in their Doctrine and Conduct what so many Great Men judged capable to destroy their Society and annoy the whole Church But by a just judgement of God what St. Paul the Apostle declares to be the condition of every one Who doth not embrace the Holy Instructions of Christ and the Doctrine which is according to
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
they dare not trust any further they suggest to him that he may desire leave to go to the New World to which he hath no sooner consented but they make this forced desire pass for an extraordinary â—eal for the Faith and a necessary banishment for an Apostolical mission And for one that undertakes these Voyages sincerely and with good intentions there are twenty which go not but upon carnal considerations and become worse after than they were before Lastly as they make use of every thing for their Glory they are not ashamed to count those of their Society Martyrs who dyed for their Crimes and to make them companions of Christ crucified who justly suffer as capital offenders they make it their merit to have been driven out of England and France though they drew on themselves that just punishment for their crimes for having taught men to kill Kings and confessed or instructed three Assassinators of the Monarchs of France Barriere confessed by Varada Iohn Chastell instructed by Guignard and Ravaillac confessed by F. D'Aubigny as all the World may read in history insomuch that Guignard was hanged and strangled for having inspired Chastell his Schollar in Philosophy with the Parricide and having taught it in his writings In England Gardner and other Jesuites were executed for having been Complices in the Powder-treason where they would have blown up in a moment the King Queen and all the great men of England by a piety worthy the moderation of these new Apostles as they call themselves and justly as not led by the spirit of the old They have been also expelled from Venice for raising factions according to the Prophecy of the Venetian Patriarch Farnisius who apprehending their factious and politick Genius foretold 50 years before swearing on the Evangelists as themselves confess in this book p. 494. that they should be one day driven out of Venice To conclude though in other Provinces and Cities of Europe and other parts of the World they have been often ill treated for their Plots and Cabals they forbear not to say by a horrible blasphemy that these persecutions are the Crowns of their piety humility and innocence as they were in the Sacred Person of Jesus Christ. Priviledges and Extraordinary Advantages of the Society above other Orders I. Priviledge That the Society is a Virgin THis we have seen in the proud Image on the frontispiece of this book where the Society is represented as a young Virgin though Ignatius their founder had lived in the disorder of a man of Warr before his Conversion as Ribadeneira testifies in his life and was a slave to the vanities of the world and those unruly passions of corrupt nature as they express it in this image of their first Age and at last of a dissolute Souldier became a Saint of Penitence Whereas other Religious Societies in a Christian humility confess their weakness acknowledge their imperfections and dare not speak of their vertue though most of their Founders were really Virgins as we learn by their Lives and were Saints rather of innocence than Penitence On the other side these Fathers consider not that when they boast their Society a Virgin with so much earnestness they give occasion to say that they ought to be ashamed that their Casuists make this Virgin speak with so much impudence words so little becoming a Virgin and capable to corrupt the Masters that teach and the Schollers that shall be sufficiently unhappy to follow them II. Priviledge That it is the Company of Iesus And that the use and Office of his Name particularly belong to them THe name of the company of Iesus and of Iesuite is the most August upon Earth not Granted them by Popes of meer motion but desired and demanded by their first Fathers according to the express terms of the first Bull of their Institution And yet if you will believe them 't was God himself gave it them as they say expresly in these terms Et nobis Divinitus concessum est lib. I. or 4. p. 127. St. Thomas in his Summe of the body of Divinity demands why Christians have taken their name from Christ and not from Iesus and are called Christians and not Iesuites and answers it is because they partake of the holy Unction denoted by the name Christ by receiving it in the Sacraments so that they may be called the Christs and Anoynted of God whereas they have no part in the signification of the sacred name Iesus which signifies Saviour they being The saved and he alone the Saviour Whence it is that this name is not the sirname but the proper name of Iesus Christ which was given him by God by the ministry of the Angell because he was to save his people in delivering them from the sins which held them captive And that at this Adorable name every Knee should bow in Heaven in Earth and under the Earth Hence it is also that the whole Sorbonne in the year 1554. with unanimous consent and not as they pretend some Doctors of the Sorbonne having been consulted by the Parliament of Paris found this name of Iesuite extraordinary and in their famous Censure give it a mark calling the Iesuits The New Society which particularly attributes to it self the unusual title of the name of Iesus And M. Eustache de Bellay the illustrious Bishop of Paris who also was consulted by the Parliament of Paris having given his advice in Writing proposed in the Assembly of the Church of France held at Poissy by the command of the King in 1561. that if they should be received it should be only as a Society and Company and not as a new Order of Religion and that they should be obliged to take another name than that of the company of Iesus or Iesuites This was held so reasonable by the whole Assembly Generall of the Gallican Church that she received them not but with express Charge that they should be obliged to take another title than that of the Society of Iesus or Iesuites and under many other conditions to which they then submitted out of politick prudence but performed them not having then no other end but to establish themselves in France and knowing according to one of their Emblemes that as soon as their Society should put in a foot it would move the whole Land p. 321. by tumults and popular seditions before they could be removed out of their places But because they have taken this Glorious Name and preserved it by the favour of a Pope who not being able to resist their importunities gave them as many Bulls as they thought fit to desire as themselves have observed they say That the use and office of this Name which consists in fighting for the Church seems to belong to their Fathers by the particular priviledge received by the Popes Bulls since none can be ignorant that we can prove to our glory by every dayes experience that no man almost hath declared war against the Faith and
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
Constitutions that their General ought alwayes to labour the obtaining new priviledges exemptions and favours for the Society 17. Saying Give them us and we will pray for you and obtain pardon for all your sins The years now last past have discovered their practice towards persons of whom they have most need in their affairs They tell them the Society is charged with their sinns and will repent for them so that the sinners need take no care but repose in security bearing them in hand that they shall be sanctified though they do nothing in order to it and instead of instructing them in the fear of God leading them through vain hopes into the paradise of fools 18. Making those they confess to forget their Kindred There are so many examples of the Iesuites extraordinary avarice in engaging their Disciples to give them their Estates to the prejudice of their Kindred whom they leave in poverty that the tenth part of what we know is suâ—â—icient to verifie the pâ—â—phecy 19. Receiving Goods from Robbers on the High-wayes Extortioners sacrilegious persons c. See the Commentary Num. 16. 20. Living Deliciously The whole world can witness of the Iesuites that self-denyall is no part of their practice none wear â—iner Linnen none lye on softer beds And they that would excuse them for not using woollen about their persons nor in their beds tell us the seams of the finest Linnens are troublesome to them They never rise before day to say Mattens they know no Vigils nor Fasts but what Seculars who live most at ease do observe They make excellent cheer drink the best wines and are stored with all sorts of the most delicate Liquors for Furniture and Housholdstuffe they exceed the Grandees of the world with this advantage that the Iesuites are at no pains and as little Cost to get them And though they fare so well and admit of no extraordinary Fast yet have they procured Brieves of Dispensation for Lent and such other Fasts as their Superiours may impose 21. Passing this tranfitory life in Society and at last falling together into Damnation The word Society is so proper to the Iesuites as we observed before that it serves for an Argument the prophecy aims at them 22. Having the World at will More may be said of this than my brevity will allow it shall suffice that they dispose all things before hand to bring more Grist to their Mill and in all their affairs propose no other end but their advantage and particular interest 23. 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 c. But the people will cry out c. Remember you never did good I see not the Prophecy altogether fulfilled in this point yet true it is the world begins to know the Iesuites better than formerly and there be many that say of them the same things that St. Hildegard doth having discovered at length that all is not Gold that glisters in them 24. You were the Fortunate Malignants Consider well all the following Epistles and you shall see that the eloquence of Demosthenes could not have invented more proper or elegant to declare the thoughts lay concealed in the hearts of the people They call them first The fortunate Malignants who under colour of sanctity pretend great trouble and care for the credit and reputation of other orders of Religion as if they came with that heat and fervency that is necessary to repair that vigour and strength they have lost by age Their envy appears in telling their friends tales to the disadvantage of other Orders publishing the Crimes of some Fryers and feigning stories of their condemnation which they deliver in a compassionate Accent full of tenderness and sympathy casting words by the by of the dangers they are in for no other end but to perswade the hearers into fear for them and a solicitous care for their safety though in truth they do it only out of envy against other orders whose Grandeur is their trouble whose growth and increase they esteem their wane and decay 25. Pretending poverty but very rich This is the character St. Bernard gives of such Fryars who being Votaries of poverty labour for riches and to live in plenty of all things Examine whether this agrees not with the Iesuites who call themselves poor and would be thought so but in the mean time receive more yearly than all other Orders of Religion together 26. And under colour of simplicity of great power They do what they please while they pretend to the innocence of Doves and compass all their designs by holding their peace and catch the bird while others make a noise in beating the bush 27. Devout Flatterers To say such a one is of our Congregation is sufficient with them to make him pass for a Saint 28. Hypocritical Saints Proud Beggers Experience in these particulars surpasses expression 29. Offering Petitioners 'T is their custom to begge and petition for favours from others by offering them theirs their intercession their cares their good offices and to give them their due there 's none better able to perform what they offer their Devotes for they accommodate all sorts of people they finde Clients for Lawyers Servants for Masters Scholars for Professors Tutors for Children Brides for Young men and Bridegrooms for Ladies Offices and employment for other persons in Cities and Families of Princes though now they are very cautious what Domestiques they commend to Lords and Ladyes because they have been formerly unlucky in some who chose rather to be faithfull to their Masters than Spyes for the Society who placed them there on no other design but to know by them all that passed in the Family 30. Wavering and unstable Teachers Their Books shew how little solidity there is in their doctrine and on how weak foundations and false grounds they rely for advancing conceits and new-fangled opinions opposite to those of the Fathers and Ancienâ— Doctors received and approved by the Church whom they would abase to exalt themselves in their place and so become the Rabbines of Chriâ—tendome 31. Delicate Martyrs The state of Religion is a kind of Martyrdome but that of the Iesuites so full of delicacies and pleasures that it may be thought a Regal condition They have no woollen to their skin no abstinence no Fasts no Vigils no Cloyster no other thing to afflict the body but are like those delicate Souldiers St. Ierom speaks of fitter to spin with Penelope and live in dallyance with Paris than fight with Hector or watch with Vlysses 32. Hired Confessors Reflect well on this Epithet and you shall â—erceive what profit they have made and still â—o make every day by Confessions Have you â—ver known a person who confesses to them â—ho left them not at his death his whole â—state or at
least as great a share in the triumph of the Iesuites as the Angels He that is really vertuous however things happen continues so still But when one is not in reality an Elias or a Saint but goes to heaven only by emblem and in a machine all is in disorder when the machine fails This may be confirmed by another accident at the same time and in the same City One of these Fathers praising the Society in his Sermon compared it to a clock which is under Regulation and regulates all other things but as he enlarged magnificently upon the subject the Clock of their house by misfortune struck above a hundred and by the irregularity caused such disorder in the auditory that they could not forbear mocking the Preacher and the Society which they publickly said was as just and regular as their Clock The Society is a great miracle like the world and therefore needs not do miracles The principal and greatest miracle of the Society is the Society it self There is not in the world a mâ—racle greater than the world The same may be said of the Society as being a little world of is self This great body of the Society moves and turns by the will of one man to move it is easie but to trouble it difficult He that sees a multitude of men flourishing in age excellent in parts and eminent for their vigour and vivacity of spirit conducted and governed so long in the Cariere of Vertue and learning for the service and advantages of others without any interruption in their course and upon examination dâ—â—h not judge it the principal and greatest miracle let him not expect another from the Society 'T is my opinion that as in the world there is no greater or other miracle than the world it self so there cannot be found in the Society a greater miracle than the Society Think it not strange then if the Iesuites do not any particular miracles as other Orders of Religion in the first age of their institution have done and expect not the same from Ignatius their Founder who did no miracle at the foundation of the Order as Ribadeneiro in the first edition of his life assures whereas other Founders have done so many since the Society is a publick and perpetual miracle as the Creation and preservation of the world I know it may be said nevertheless that the Foundation Propagation and subsistance of the Church over all the Earth in the time of Paganisme was much more miraculous in the first ages than the foundation and extent of the Society of Iesuites among Christians and that the Church did millions of miracles by the Saints and Bishops who succeeded the Apostles which by consequence were so much more desirable in the Society of Iesuites as it is an Apostolical Order if they interpret of it the Prophecy of Abbot Ioachim destin'd for conversion of Hereticks insidels and ill Christians to which miracles would be very subservient But we must believe that though no miracles are to be found amongst them as they say here were not to esteem them less Apostolical or less Holy for these sixty or eighty years last past since the death of their first Fathers because their Society is a miracle of miracles and that though the Orders of St. Benedict St. Dominick and St. Francis did so many miracles in the first age of their institution it proceeded not from their sanctity alone as if it were greater than that of the Iesuites who are as they say A Society of Angels of new Apostles new Samsons full of the Spirit of the Lord and the most perfect of all Orders but because God would supply the defects of those Societies in general by the particular miracles of their individuals whereas the default of particular Iesuites who work not miracles is recompenced made up by the general miracle of the Society it self and the imperfection of all the members in particular by the universal perfection of the whole body That the Society is the Oracle on the breast of the High Priest who decides infallibly thereby When I consider the square form of the Oracle I discover the Society figured thereby as spread into the four parts of the world And when I behold the three rowes of four precious stones to a row whereof it consisted These good Fathers are deceived for according to the Text they ought to have said four rowes of three precious stones to each row it represents to me the divers works of several of this Society which transoend Nature but are confirmed by the Doctrine of Truth When I call to mind that this Ornament was carried on the breast of the High Priest of the Iews methinks I behold this little Society wrought in as it were on the breast of a more holy Pontife The Church will now be offended with these expressions because she loves the Society not only more than she ought but more than indeed the Society deserves Nâ—â— will other Orders of Religion wonder as it since this binders not but that they continue as always in the Church what the Table the Manna and the Rod those three Oracles of the Ancient Religion and instruments of so many prodigious miracles were in the Ark of the Covenant Lib. 5. c. 5. p. 622. This sublime Elegy of this admirable Society obliges us to render it extraordinary honours for can men say more than that it is the Oracle of the Doctrine of Truth which the High Priest of Jesus Christ carries on his breast and on his heart as the Scripture saith in Exodus It was called The Oracle of judgment because as Vatablus and other Interpreters say The High Priest never gave judgment in matters of importance but he had this Ornament on his stomack and as others say Because it contained the Iudgement and Decree of God that the High Priest should be odorned with a soveraign doctrine and most perfect accomplished purity of manners So it may be believed with reason that the Society of Iesuites so straitly united to the Pope is the Oracle of his judgement being as eminent in Knowledge as Sanctity Nor may men admire any more that they maintain the Pope infallible provided he first consult the Divines and Scholastical Doctors among whom they esteem themselves with good right to hold the first rank as masterâ— of the world the most knowing of mortals the teachers of all Nations the Apollons the Alexanders of divinity and the Prophets come down from heaven who deliver Oracles in oecumenical Councels and so sharing infallibly with the Pope on whose heart they tell us here their Society rests as the Oracle of Doctrine and Truth which he ought to consult in affairs of moment as the High Priest of the Iewes never consulted the Deity but clothed with this Ornament so that we are to conclude that there is just cause to believe the Pope infallible when he takes advice of this famous Oracle of Truth or doth any thing in favour
of the Iesuites as in the name of the Company of Iesus granted them by Paul the 3d. at their desire with many extraordinary and unheard of priviledges as they themselves testify when they say That the Popes having said in their Bulls That this Society hath been raised by the Providence of God their judgements in these things are not subject to errour because it seems God gives his Oracles by him But the Popes infallibility is subject to contest when he censures the Books of three famous Iesuites Poza Bâ—uny and Cellot with such brands of errours and heresies condemned that he makes their Books of the number of prohibited ones so dangerous and pernicious that they ought not to be read or imprinted and then when he darts the intire thunderbolt of Anathema against the Book of Rabardean the Iesuite saying That the Saâ—â—ed Congregation having maturely examined the propositions contained in his Book hath judged that there are many rash scandalous offensive to devout eares seditious impious intirely destructive to the Papal Power contrary to the immunities and liberties of the Church approaching very near the heresies of the Innovators erronious in the Faith and manifestly heretical For there is cause to believe that the Pope consults not his Oracle when he acteth against it and attributes to the famous Authors of this August Society falsities impieties and heresies approaching neer those of the Innovators And why should not the Disciples of the Iesuites piously believe that it were easie for this High Priest on these occasions to have seen false visions than that these Oracles of Doctrine and Truth should become lyers Now me thinks these good Fathers ought to reserve their humility and modesty for some occasion and not call her the Little Society when they tell us their Society is the Oracle of the Soveraign Pontife and spread through the four parts of the world Elogies that denote her of the greatest grandeur excellence and extent of all Societies in the Universe But it may be that when they say This Society fastned on the breast of the Pope they would qualifie her with the title of Little lest men should think she might lye heavy on his stomack and be a burden to him because of her greatness As for what they add that the Church loves their Society more than she ought or the Society deserves 't is a modesty not to be approved for that in Truth the Church ought intirely to love those who are not only the Restorers of the Life of Christ and the Apostles among men A Society of Angels and Heroes but are besides the Oracle of Doctrine and Truth which he who represents her Head and her Spouse carries on his breast the owes them not love only but respect Truth being venerable of it self and the Oracles of Truth deserving a double Reverence As to that they insinuate of purpose to sweeten the Envy of other Orders against their Society That other Orders of Religion are in the Church what the Manna the Tables and Aarons Rod were in the Ark of the Covenant and that they call these three things the three Oracles of the Ancient Religion to make the Title they assume of the Oracle of Doctrine and Truth more passable and currant I fear the able persons of other Orders will believe those good Fathers do but jear them making them believe that these three things were sometimes Oracles which they never were but continued shut up in the ark without use in the external paâ—â— of religious Worship whereas this Oracle of Judgement Doctrine and Truth was the most august and necessary Ornament of the High Priest without which he could not execute any function of Priest and Supream Judicature It seems by this that the Iesuites would reduce other Orders of Religion to continue locked up in their Monasteries as reliques in their Chests and as the Manna Tables and Rod were in the Ark and keep for themselves all the honourable imployments of the Church which can have no favourable construction among other Orders most men even those who make profession of piety not loving to be mocked with false titles of honour pretended to be given them by those who assume the true and most illustrious to themselves But though the patience and charity of good men of other Orders were sufficient to bear this mockery with simplicity it would not excuse the malignity of the Iesuites in offering the indignity The Example of Bishops who preferred that of the Society to their Character and Titles of Honour A Bishop in 1602. Declared publickly That he gloried more in the title of a brother of our Society than in that of a Bishop and esteemed it a greater Ornament than his Cross and his Myter lib. 3. c. 7. pag. 363. Not long since a Bishop of the Realm of Naples who in his life-time had more love for his Mitre than for the Society said at his Death O holy Society which I have not sufficiently known untill now nor deserved to know thee thou surpassest the Pastoral Crosier the Mitres the Purple of Cardinals the Scepters the Empires and Crowns of the world Lib. 5. c. 10. p. 667. An excellent Document for our Lords the Bishops Archbishops and Cardinals if they love their Churches and Dignities more than the company of Jesuites that is if they are more BishopS Archbishops and Cardinals than Jesuites When they appear before God Christ will not ask them whether they have loved their sheep whether they have fed and guided them aright and laboured for the good of the Church but whether they have loved his Companions the Jesuites upheld the interest and favoured the enterprizes of this Little Society of these Little and Beloved Benjamins A Bishop of France who knew the Iesuites better than this Prelate of Italy and was endued with a more Episcopal science told these Fathers That there was great difference between the Order of Bishops and theirs for that there is no doubt that the former was of an holy institution and its Authority necessary for the preservation of the Church though all were not Saints who were invested with the dignity but as for the Iesuites without examining particulars the whole body was of no value it being more than probable thâ—â— the spirit of the world and politick respects had contributed more to their establishment than the Spirit of Christ and that the Good Ignatius brought into it was presently destroyed by the interessed Ambition of his Successors Three great Archbishops of Malines who possessed that dignity immediately one after the other and dyed reputed Saints had thoughts very different from those of the Italian Bishop For the ancientest of the three speaking of the Iesuites said These men shall flourish at first but afterwards become a Curse to all People his Successor added These men shall trouble the Church The last Propheeyed of them in these words These men shall become as the dung of the Earth To conclude the last Bishop of
as we see at this day in Spain and do nothing but to promote the Glory of God we must not question but they have an express command from Christ to warâ—ant their Actions Besides it were an unpardonable injury to look on their General as those of the Iaâ—obins or Augustine Fryars who govern only men of Religion but if you will frame your Idea suitable to the Grandeur of the Subject you must conceive him a Soveraign no less Secular than Ecclefiastick that affects the Government of the world no less than that of the Church 'T is not long since that a French Lord had this confirmed from their Generals mouth telling him That from his Chamber he Governed not Paris only but China not China â—â—ly but the whole world yet no man knew how VI. Priviledge That Christ comes to meet every Jesuite at his death to receive him to Glory 'T Is one of the Priviledges of the Society of Iesus That upon the death of each Iesuite he advances to meet and conduct him to bliss Happy Souls assured to pass from the prison of mortality into the immortal bosome of our Lord Iesus the verity of this proposition depends not on my authority but of the Oracle that delivered it F. Crifoel the Iesuite tells us that in 1616 in the vision of Saint Therese a soul on her way to Glory in company of many more told this Saint A Brother of the Society of Iesus is our Guide how happy are we in such a Chief to whose vertue and prayers we owe our deliverance this day out of the pains of purgatory Wonder not that the Almighty comes to meet us 't is no new thing the brethren of the Society of Iesus have this Priviledge that when one of them dies Iesus comes to meet and receive him to Glory lib. 5. c. 8. p. 648. These Visions may be proper entertainments for the vanity of these Fathers who may need humility and repentance to bring them to Heaven As for the Vision it might appear in the fancy of a Jesuite but never to St. Therese who never related it and was so far from regarding such Apocryphal Revelations that she gave small encouragement to rely on any at all now adayes VII Priviledge That no Jesuite shall be damned that the Society hath no cause to fear corruption ALphonso Rodrigues had it revealed by Vision that not only his Companions then living but those that succeeded many years after should live with him eternally in Celestial bliss These are great favours but loe here a greater Francis Borgia told Mark his Companion with tears of joy Know Brother Mark that God hath extream love for our Society and granted it the Priviledge formerly given the Order of St. Benedict that for the first three hundred years no person that perseveres to the end in the Society shall be damned See the express terms as here rendred pag. 649. I heartily desire the salvation of these Fathers but must advertise them that nothing exposes them more to damnation then this false confidence that they cannot be damned Let them remember their Emblem Time ne tumeas fear the judgement of God and damnation of Hell lest the pride of our heart link us into it Where presumption hath banished fear from the Soul it becomes more bold to commit all manner of wickedness but where a servile fear ends in a filial this will make way for Charity to enter which when perfected will expell all fear A Fryar of another Order but Anonymus at the point of death sent for F. Matres the Jesuite Confessor to the Vice-Roy of Barcelona to tell him these words Happy are you O Father to be of an Order wherein whoever dyes enjoyes eternal felicity God hath revealed it and commanded me to publish it to the world The Jesuite confounded with admiration and modesty and asking him whether all of his own Order should not be likewise saved the dying man answered him with a groan That many should but not all but that all of the Society of Jesus without exception of any who persevered therein to the end should be crowned with eternal beatitude ibid. How great how divine was the wisdome of Ignatius who hath so armed the Society against the injuries of time and built on supporters of such strength that 't is an instance to the world to prove that all things are not the supplies of time But that Vertue and Religion may be so guarded that the course of Ages cannot corrupt them and what brings other things a decrepit age or certain death promises the Society â— perpetual youth so verdant and flourishing that she shall feel the revolution of ages without these effects of decay and ruine that usually attend it pag. 104. Thus their Society shall be more priviledged than the Church and other Orders of Religion which being like theirs mingled with the world are not exempt from its corruption but this Priviledge of incorruption is proper to these extraordinary Saints who are all Phoenixes and birds of Paradise Since then all the brethren of this Holy and ever flourishing Society shall be saved without exception according to the vision of that Anonimus Fryar they quote the first purity of this Society must endure to the end and surpass the Sanctity of that Fryars Order who though he observed a severe and most pure Discipline as they tell us lib. 5. c. 8. assures us that all of his Order could not be saved Thus pag. 147. they tell us the Society hath no cause to fear corruption though they confess the spirit of Ambition the greatest of corruptions seized them so soon that immediately after the death of Ignatius in 1565. being only twenty five years after their Institution Rashness and Ambition animated Nicolas Bobadille two of their first ten Brethren and four mâ—re of the profâ—ssion against two of their first Fathers and the rest of the Society they Solicited Cardinals rose eagerly against Laines then Vicar-General and afterwards General and violently questioned the Constitutions of the Order This they call The fate of Kingdomes and Republicks which erected with great pains turn their Forces and their Power against themselves the Dispute was for the Generalship which Laines by subtlety carried from the rest If you read Mariana of the Defects of the Society you may judge with what appearance of Truth they tell us their Society needs fear no corruption Let them beware that for want of judging and condemning themselves they be not at last condemned of God VIII Priviledge That the Blessed Virgin is intirely theirs THe Mother of God hath declared not only that the whole Society is hers but that she is wholly the Societies Platus a Brother of the Order Reports a Vision wherein the Virgin appeared with the Society under her Mantle The Society covered with this Mantle of the Virgin shall abide firm against all the furies of Hell the menaces of Tyranâ—s and the attaques of her Enemies as the immoveable stone of
of the spirit of the Society to believe that Confessors are soveraign masters of the interests of God and havâ— full power to absolve the most enormous offenâ— dors according to their fancy without obliâ—ging them to repentance or requiring anâ— fruits of it But this is in truth a horrible abuse of the power as well as the mercy of Iesus Christ but acted by them to procure themselves Glory from men and to fill their Churches with such Proselytes as being sure of their pardon will never fear to sin When the Society was first established people communicated but once a year and they who communicated twice or thrice passed among some for persons of rare sanctity and among others for men who affected a Name of Devotion and to exalt themselves above other men by a vain shew and ostentation of piety Others pretended that the reverence of the mysteries of that Sacrament kept them from the Eucharist and so covered their disgust and neglect thereof with the Name of respect Thus the frequent use of communion that assured aid of salvation seemed laid by on all sides and which is most hainous principally by them whose duty it was to have commended and pressed its continual use Ibid. This is meant of the Pastors of the Church It is in truth a new kind of piety and new aid of salvation reserved for the Society of the Iesuites not to exclude any from frequent approach to the Eucharist to admit thither the Goats with the Sheep to mingle Sacriledge and Impiety with Holy Actions and to make no difference between the worthy and unworthy as if St. Paul and the Church understood not what they said or were deceived in their Doctrins when they tell us The wicked Communicate tâ— their damnation There was at Valentia a great stir kept against the Society for frequent Communion The Arch-Bishâ—p spoke in their favour and having assembled many Doctors Ordered that all the people should be at Liberty to Communicate every day in the week Ibid. They are not only at Liberty to do it but to be commended for it though they be never so wicked provided they seriously repent and reform their lives The Society then finding the times so contrary and averse to vertue and mens manners universally corrupted was animated the more to endeavour a reformation She hoped that the use of the Sacraments would weaken mens Vices and the vigour of the one become the ruine of the other This engaged her from the beginning to imploy all her strength to enflame the whole earth with the love of these saving aides but with what wonderful success a success great beyond the hopes of the Society What concourse from all parts how the assiduity of the Confessors was over-charged by the multitudes of them that came to Confession insomuch that the continual throng laid siege as it were to several Churches of the Society Crimes are nâ—w expiated with much more alacrity and ardouâ— than they were heretofore committed Nothing is more ordinary now than monthly yea than weekly Confession and many are no sooner stained with sin but they cleanse themselves by confessing their faults The Fathers in answer to the Novatians who reproached the Church for the Authority she took to absolve great offenders as encouraging impenitence told those Hereticks They had been in the right if the Church had promised pardon to sinners without engaging them first to repent But had the practice of the Church been conformable to the Iesuites she had been to seek an Answer to the Objection of the Novatians And St. Augustine assures us That if great sinners could as easily wash off as contract the guilt of their transgressions or if sighs watchings and prayers were not necessary for regaining the favâ—ur of God they would make it their sport to commit the grâ—ssest enormities but now the time is come since these complaisant Directors have taught men that it is as easâ—e to expiate as to commit sin that they scruple not to transgress when it is so easie to gain remission Before the founding of the Sâ—ciety the Curates confessed not their Parishoners but at Easter And if I may be allowed to declare it some of them were more willing to be eased of the labour than to quiet mens consciences and took more care to dispatch than amend the Penitents But now in divers Cities their Successors every Sunday and Holiday are almost opprest with the number of other Penitents as well as men professing Religion in the Orders of the Church Ibid. These Fathers by a lamentable abuse do visibly place the salvation of sinners in the bare outward acts of Confession and Communion which are but acts of Sacriledge without sincere repentance and resolutions of amendment Fryar Ierome a Roman tells us that upon the founding of the Society all Rome was changed in a moment and that then the Ancient Devotion of the Primitive Church in frequenting Confession and the Eucharist began to revive A Burgess of Bolduc sayes the same of that Town there is not a Town upon Earth where the Society hath been established which thinks not the same and openly declares it But since all this change is only superficial and that the Conduct as well as Morality of the Iesuites rather covers and daubes than roots out mâ—ns vices the praise they deserve is that they have filled the world and their Churches with an infinite number of hypocrites which to their other crimes add profanation of Sacraments and a false and vain affectation of piety Before the times of the Society the people scarce knew the name of General Confession though nothing be more ordinary now above ten thousand General Confessions having been made in the Province of Iapan So that 't is credible the whole Society established in thirty six Provinces purifies yearly above a hundred thousand Consciences by these General Confessions How immense is the benefit How worthy their pains by this sole invention to draw yearly out of the slavery of vice and the Devil a hundred thousand Souls and set them at liberty in the state of the Children of God should the Society reckon how many she purifies otherwise yearly how many thousands would be added to the number But were they to be numbred she would esteem them too few and not answerable to the greatness of her zeal for souls Ibid. pag. 374. 'T is true General Confessions were not so frequent heretofore nor the progress of Religion accounted to depend on them but the Priests were imployed to prepare Penitents so well and confirm them so solidly in the hatred of â—in and the love of obedience to the will of God that they were not subject to relapse into former miscarriages and the disorders committed appeared like monsters rarely seen but since these Fathers by acquaintance with these monsters have rendred them ordinary and familiar that their Penitents have so often need of General Confessions 'T is a clear evidence they confess not as they ought but
after which to get some pretence for complaint and to give out as they have done that they were driven away by force they prevailed with the Sieur Beta Lord of Altkirk to send thither for Souldiers who arrived upon the place and the Iesuites having made them drink after the Germane mode retired to Ellenberg Of the Abby of Nostre Dame des Ermites in Suisserland and the Jesuites entry thereby notorious falsiâ—ies Though the means used by the Iesuites to usurpe the Priory of St. Morand were unworthy of men of Religion and of Christians yet those whereby they insinuated themselves into the Abby of Nostre Dame des Ermiâ—tes in Swizzâ—rland are more base and villanous The story is so common in that Countrey that every one knows it This Monastery is a stately Abby of the Order of St. Benedict very famous the best regulated most reformed and populous of all Germany having ordinarily forty or fifty Monks all imployed and well skilled in the Sciences of Phylosophy Theology and Cases of Conscience of good abilities of Preaching Catechising and Confâ—ssion which they exercise constantly and the Diâ—ine Service performed to a perfection proportionable to the wishes of the most Devout The Iesuites nevertheless took the same pretence of Preaching and Confession to get in thither as at St. Mâ—rands with this difference that at St. Mâ—rands they made use of the secular Authority of the Arch-Duke onely but for this Abby they had recourse to the Holy See and surprized the Pope informing him most falsly that the Church of the said Abby which is renowned for miracles and multitudes of Pilgrims resorting thither from all parts to pay their vows to the Blessed Virgin was very ill served the Pilgrims ill instructed and little satisfied and that it would be very expedient to settle there some persons capable to exercise this Holy Ministry being almost incompatible with a monastick profâ—ssion and offering to sacrifice their persons to that Labour if his Holiness thought fit to imploy them The Pope who discerned not the hooke hid under this fair pretence dispatched a Brieve to the Abbot commanding him to receive into his house fix Fathers of the Iesuites capable and appointed to assist and ease the Fryars of his Order in that Holy Exercise with Order to entertain them in all things according to their profâ—ssion Though the Abbot received and made them welcome yet he mistrusted them and apprehended the danger he saw himself suddenly and unexpectedly fallen into This made him Assemble from all the neighbouring places such persons both Religious and Secular whom he accounted most Judicious To consult with them how to secure himself against these dangerous spies The Resolution was That an ample information should be drawn up in good form of the state of the Abby the imployment of the Monks and Celebration of Divine Service and that it should be sent to the Pope to dis-abuse and undeceive him which was accordingly done And the Pope thereupon immediately sent a second Brieve in revocation of the former commanding the Iesuiâ—es to retire to their Colledges and leave the Benedictines to continue their spiritual harvest in the fields of the Church Câ—rruption of Iudges by presenâ—s The Rector of the Iesuites of Fribourg resolved to retain if possible the said Prâ—ory of St. Morand bethought himself beforehand of means most unworthy a man of Religion and a Christian to secure what he had unjustly obtained To this purpose he was fully determined at what price soever to gain the Auditor-General being Soveraign Iudge at Bâ—isach to their side and to corrupt him by bribery from doing Justice to the adverse party engaging him to his power to favour the usurpation of the Iesuites never minding the scandal would be given this heretick being one of the subtlest amongst them and to other men of Religion when it should appear that a Rector of the Iesuites who would be thought the flower and cream of Christiâ—nity was guilty of an iniquity so hâ—mous as to endeavour by presents to shake the constancy of a Iudge and sway him from his duty who ought to be inflexible But the Rector who valued not such considerations made the Iudge a present of a Christal Vessel to oblige him to maintain them in their usurpation of St. Morand This is clear by a letter in Latine the Original whereof was shortly after found in the said Monastery signed by the Iesuite Gebhardus Deminger and addressed to F. Gaspard Schiez Rector of the Society of Iesus at St. Morand dated Iuly 27. 1651. containing among others these express terms as may appear by the whole letter intirely recited in the said memorial of Paul William Viz. Heri hodie rationes congessi easque cras 〈◊〉 Brisacum ipse feram Et ut D. Audâ—torem nobis faventem efficiam crystallinum mecum feram poculum decem ducatorum affabre hic elaboratum ad eundem nobis devinciendum i. e. Yesterday and this day I have collected reasons for the strengthning of our Cause which God willing to morrow I will carry to Brisach and that we may have the Auditor our friend and oblige him to us I shall present him a vessel of Chrystal of ten Ducates value and cuâ—iously wrought In a word this Lutheran Auditor to the utmost of his Power favoured the Iesuites in thâ—ir usurpation but the Kings Orders and the Justice of the Benedictins Cause prevailed and obliged the Governour to perfer the interesses of the Crown of France to the pretensions of the Iesuites and not permit the alienation of Monasteries to the profit of strangers so that they were forc'd to restore them to the antient and legal possessors Complaints grounded on lies corrupting of witnesses surprizing the King The Fathers were no sooner outed but they repented their quitting their prey so easily they made a great bustle and spread their complaints every were that they were expelled the Priory of St. Iames and St. Morand by violence and â—orce of armes they conveyed these complaints to the ears of the Emperour and the Arch-Duke and by their Pens to Cardinal Colonna Protector at Rome of the nation of Almaigne having a fit opportunity to send the letters by their Provincial Fr. Schorrer who was deputed to assist at the Election of their new General At the same time they held an Assembly of several Rectors with their Secular Council at the village of Hirsingen a league from St. Iames and St. Morands and having invited the Dean of the place to dinner they presented him for the first course an Act to sign dressed after their manner to testifie that they had been expelled the said Priory of St. Morand injuriously and by violence But the Dean being a man of honour and resolute answered He could not testifie a matter whereof he had no knowledge and that the report was on the contrary that they had desired the Souldiers to come and made them drink deep to have some colour of saying That the Souldiers had
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
Confessor was one being consulted with about an Abby which having been long in the possession of Lutherans and Secular Persons the Cardinal Arch-Bishop of Prague would have procured for himself by gift from the Emperour had delivered their opinion in writing That it could not be done with a safe Conscience and that the Abby being Benedictine ought to be restored to the Order of St. Benedict and that the Emperour in giving it to the Cardinal had committed the same injustice as if after winning the battel of Prague he had given away the land of some Catholick Lord recovered from the enemy to another Catholick Lord having no right thereto the Iesuites not able to deny this opinion delivered at large in writing agrâ—â—d that the Iesuites were then of that judgment buâ— answered that since they had changed their Opinion This rare priviledge have these â—xcellent Casuists to alter their sentiments and their conscience upon any occasion when it may be for their profit to change So when the question was about giving an Arch-Bishopâ—a Benedictine Abby their judgement was the Emperour was in justice obliged to restore it to the Order of St. Benedict but when there is hopes they may procure them for themselves by their shifts and artifices they presently maintain that the Abbies of St. Benedict are Abbies supprest and the Estates that belong to them at thâ— disposal of the Emperoâ—â— and the Pope who may give them whom they please without any injustice to the Fryars of the Order who are the lawful proprietors when an Arch-Bishop desires to have one but have no Title at all when the Iesuites would have many of the same Abbies for the use of their Society 9. Imposture That F. Lamorman in cheating the Emperour did well i. e. according to the rules of the Society In vain did the Benedictines reproach them that all the trouble had been raised for taking from them these Abbyes against the Edict of the Emperour proceeded only from their F. Lâ—â—â—man who had the boldness to write to his Imperial Majesty that his Edict and Instructions given his Ambassadour contained things not agreeing with the Principles of the Catholique Faith And that it were fit his Majesty should name some person to examine the whole business aâ—ew with him his Confessor To this the good Fathâ—â—s made answer in these express words The prudent sage and devoâ—t Readâ—r haviâ—g well considered of all things will doubtless observe that the Confessor eâ—gaged not hastily in an affair of such moment but after long deliberation how to remedy this evil which was the restitution of the Abbyes to their several Orders without allowing the Iâ—suites to alienate any from the Lawfull Proprietors and that it must be avowed the Father had done well and ought not to have done otherwise and that if he had not advertised his Imperial Majesty thereof he had deserved thâ— blame of not dischargeing the duty of a Good Confessor according to the light of Nâ—tural reason and the rules of our Society to which the Fryars of St. Benedict with good reason replyed That from hence we are to conclude that the hinderance of justice is the duty of a good Confessor That we are required by the light of Nâ—â—â—ral Reason to allow that for Iust which is really against the known rules of Iustice and that the Rules of the Society Ordained that such of their Fathers as are Confessors to Princes must earnestly endeavour that the Abbies which those Princes have Ordered to be restored to their Orders may fall into the hands of the Society against the Authority of the most legal Edicts 10. Imposture That these Abbiâ—s bâ—lâ—ngeâ—â— not 〈◊〉 any and that they deâ—â—red them not of the Princes but Princes demanded them for the Society In vain did the Fryars object the Commandment of God Not to 〈◊〉 other mens goods for the Iesuiâ—es answered That they coveted not other mens goods in coveting these Abbies which belonged not to any and than it was not they demanded these Abbies but the Princes of the Empire demanded thâ—m for the Society that as they could not have demanded these Estates without envy so they could not refuse them without injury to the honour of God when the Powers thought fit to bestow them on their Company for promoting the Glory of God and the salvation of the people of Almaigne So that the Society desired not these Abbies but only submitted to the pleasures and dispositions of the Soveraign Powers of Christendom Adding with equal sincerity in the same Book That when they built themselves they built not so sumpâ—uously but that Princes against the will of the Society built for them great Colledges and magnificent Churâ—hes To the first point where the good Fathers suggest that the Fryars had not title to the Abbies They Answer That the Iesuites denying that the Abbies did belong to the Ancient Orders of Religion did not cover their injustice but render it more visible and that they did as a Robber who taking another mans purse should tell him Friend I do you no wrong I desire not your goods this purse belongs not to you And as to the second point of their pretended moderation and their perfect disinteresment The Fryars answered with astonishment That having written so many Books and published such Volumes to destroy the Edicts of the Emperour having sent so many Letters to the great Lords of Almaigne to engage them to solicite from his Majesty Imperial a gift of these Abbies to the Society of Iesus they feared not to say That the Soveraign Powers of Christendom constrained them by force to accept of these Abbies and that they were not ashamed to call themselves Children of Obedience who could not resist the Soveraign Pastor of the Church whom they were obliged to obey by a quadruple vow In the mean time to inform the world with what Faith these Fathers proceed in their Actions the Benedictines produced a letter of the late Cardinal Richeâ—ieu to the Congregation of Cardinals in 1630 wherein as the Abbot of Cluny he complains That the Emperour having Ordained That all the Monasteries which had been possessed by the Protestants should be restored to the same regular Orders on which they depended before the usurpation It was informed nevertheless That the Provost-ship of Colmar being a dependant on the Abby of Cluny to which his Prodecessor had presented an Abbot was claimed by the Iesuites who disputed his Orders and desired to possess themselves of it on pretence to found a Seminary there But because these solemn testimonies and their violent actions publickly done in the face of the Sun made it visible to all that they had a passionate desire to take away these Abbies from the owners they thought fit to confess their desire but with this trim and pleasant distinction That the Fathers of the Society coveted the Estates of these Abbies not for the Estates but for the conveniency of entertaining a greater number of persons to
retain them so that neither this Monastery of St. Vrsula of Metz nor the Community thereof had a beginning but from the day when the first of the Appellantes made profession there and the Community was not accomplished untill there were three Nuns profest that two infallible and decisive consequences arose from hence the one that the Appellantes who made up the true Monastery having not been privy to the Contract nor ratified it the Defendant had no Action against them nor morgage on their dowers the other That they could not be otherwise answered than as Minors who are alwayes relieveable in these things they may have done to their prejudice That judgement had been given in the like case for the Jesuites of Authun and Bourg in Bresse as may appear by an Arrest of the Parliament of Dijon in 1632. and by a judgement of the Presidial of Bourg in Bresse whereby the Jesuites relieved for purchases they had made to their prejudice being damnified a third part thereby in the price paid above the value of the things purchased That there is damage sustained of above two thirds for in 1627. this house with another adjoyning called Duponce was bought at twenty seven thousand Francs Messines In 1642. the Jesuites upon an exchange valued it but at thirty thousand Francs with all the improvement and buildings they had erected after the demolishing of others very considerable In 1646. it was farmed at four hundred and fifty Francs Mâ—ssines per Ann. In 1649. they offered it to Nuns and a person of quality at twenty seven thousand Francs of the same money but they refused it as not worth so much Yet the same year 1649. F. Forget the Rector having been in several Cities of the Kingdom and afterwards addressing himself to the Vrsulines of Mascon surprized them by several untrue suggestions and sold them this house at thirty thousand Liures Tourtois currant money of France which make fourscore thousand Francs Messines so that the Nuns are damnified above two thirds that besides the consideration of damage the frauds artifices cheats and false suggestions on which the contract was grounded make it void and null This will appear by a writing of F. Forgets intituled Important Avisoes wherein he hath described this house but with many fictions and disguisements of the Truth both as to its situation and the consistence of the buildings and promised several advantages which had never been nor ever will be and to gain the better credit he writ and caused to be written a great number of Letters to the said Vrsulines and the late Lord Bishop of Mascon and not content with this he sold the house according to a plat-form and model both of the body of the lodgings and the frontispiece signed with his hand but found false upon view and comparison made of the house with the model That he had sold it as in good condition according to the view taken and by him reported at Mascon which was also false That he sold it as all regularly built and fit for Nuns so that there was not said he any thing unfinished but the grates and windows whereas in truth there was not one regular place save the Dormitory which was not habitable by reason of the stink and infection of the River Seille and the publick Sewers that there was no Church no burying place no Cloyster that he suggested other Nuns would have bought it which was not true that the Nuns of Mascon who were sent to instruct the Virgins of this new Monastery in the rules of Religion and their Order being accompanied with two persons of Quality bound for Metz to see whether they had been cheated in the buying of this house when they came to Chaumont F. Forget made them believe that they could not pass further without danger of their lives which caused their return to Mascon as may appear by a letter of F. Forgets yet the morrow after F. Forget writ another letter quite contrary to the former Lastly that there was so much deceit and fraud in the business that it was evident F. Forget to make the Nuns of Miscon believe that this house cost the Jesuites more than he sold it for suggested to them that the decree of adjudication was made to them for twenty two thousand and three hundred Liures without adding Messines and afterwards in his suggestions of the workmens accounts and acquittances he made them also believe that there were improvements and buildings of above fifteen thousand Liures Tourtois value which was not so in regard that allowance being made for the buildings they had demolished all the improvements were not worth two thousand five hundred Liures Tourâ—ois Further F. Forget fearing lest the Nuns upon the place might have discovered the trick of Liures Messines dexterously stipulated by the bargain of Sale that the Evidences of their purchase of this house were not to be put into the hands of the buyers till after full payment of the whole price That the lapse of ten years could not be objected against the Appellantes because their Community had its beginning between five and six years since That by Evidence communicated by the Defendant himself it appeared that the Nuns of Mascon who remained there had made continual complaint against the Rector of the Iesuites for the cheat he had put upon them That this was carefully concealed from these in this Monastery that the Rector of the Iesuites did plot and contrive by intelligence and correspondence with others to deceive the Nuns that were to make profession in this Monastery by keeping the contract from their knowledge That the pretended ratification of Decemb. 13. 1649. made by the Nuns of Mascon sent hither could not hurt or prejudice the Appellants who never appeared nor intermedled therein nor had ever agree'd or ratified it That the pretended ratification had been contrived and extorted by F. Forget who was Director Spiritual and Temporal to the Nuns who came from Mascon that by the reading it was evident he had digested and compiled it as he pleased That it was visibly false in all its propositions and could not give validity to a contract in it self fraudulent and null That the Contract of Sale could not oblige the Appellants who were not privy to it since it is not permitted for any to stipulate for a third person That the Letters of restitution were not necessary for the Appellants but for a surabundance of good right they had taken them to the end no act they could have done might be objected against them That the Defendant having already received eighteen thousand Livres Tournois it was much more than the house was worth therefore he concluded that in regard of the said Letters and in allowance thereof the parties ought to be remitted into the same estate they had before the Contracts of Septemb. 16. and Decemb. 13. 1649 and the Defendant condemned to restore the eighteen thousand Livres by him received upon the Appellants
take cognizance of this affair and put the said Roderick in possession of this Estate causing the Iesuites to make restitution of the Principal Money with all the mean profits made by the use thereof D. Iohn de Santelices began to cause this to be executed and his successors in that Charge continue the execution to this day As to these words of the book of Pious works We must temporize with D. Roderick Barba Cabeca de Vaca till the death of the Beneficiary John Segner de Velasco his Vnkle and when he is dead shut the door against Roderick as a person we have nothing to do with They were inserted because the Iesuites gave him yearly three or four hundred Ducats telling him that a Kinsman of his having left them the disposal of a pious work they were very glad of the occasion to imploy it for his relief as a poor Gentleman And their design was as appears by the book to continue this Gift no longer than till the death of Iohn Segâ—er de Velasco who was the only person privy to the whole affair being Cousin to Iohn de Monsalvo whose life they hoped could not be long being above fourscore years old 'T is to be observed as a truth made out by this secret book that for severâ—l years they had convâ—rted these charitable works of marrying Maidens redeeming Captives and others into Alms bestowed on the Fathers Of their poâ—r little profest house of Sevil as they call it A Iesuite of Madrid engages a Woman to give all her Estate to the Society by will another Jesuite perswades her to give it her Heirs and is expelled the Society for doing so They destroy the life of another for the same Cause PAge 248. the Iesuites are of opinion that no persons deserve Legacies better than they which is founded on the detestable maxim in the last Paragraph of their secret advice that all the Church militant together doth not so much good by all other Orders of Religion joyntly as they alone doe This sets them awork to procure Gifts and severely chastise such as promote not that design as destroyers of the Society whereof you have a fresh instance in the following story at Madrid A rich Woman who had much Kindred in that City fell sick She had for her Confessor a Iesuite who attended her in her weakness and as a faithfull servant of the Company disposed her to make her will in favour of the Iesuites and leave them all her Estate without the least thought or remembrance of persons whom Nature did strictly oblige to take care of being her Nephews The Confessor returned home overjoyed with his success and in sport demanded the reward due to them that bring good newes as thinking he had done an heroick Action having gained the company so considerable an Inheritance It so fell out that one of these Fathers illustriously descended and as Noble in Disposition as blood was moved at this impudence and desiring to undoe what the other had done went to the sick womans house at a time when the Confessor was absent his habit procured him entrance which had been denyed to one of another Order for 't is a Maxim of the Iesuite not to admit any of another Religious Order to the sick they visit for fear they should reverse what they have contrived This good Iesuite brought a Notary with him and represented to this woman that in the condition she was in she was more obliged to satisfie the duties of Nature than devotion and so engaged her to revoke her Testament and all the Legacies she had given the Society and to leave her estate to her lawful heirs The woman died and the Confessor made himself master of the house and all the keys he caused the Testament to be opened whereby it appeared that she made the Iesuites sole heirs of all her estate But as the Iesuite pleased himself in being Master of this inheritance and having compassed his designs and behaved himself with great haughtiness towards the Nephews of the woman thinking to make them dance attendance in waiting his leasure for an inconsiderable Legacy their Aunt had left them the Chief of the Nephews presented them the Codicil took from the Iesuites the keys of the house and drove them all out The Iesuites made narrow search for the Author of this treason and having found him to be the Father of whom we have spoken the morrow after they put a billet under his napkin commanding him to retire for that the Company had no more need of hiâ—â— he went to prostrate himself at the feet of his Catholick Majesty to whom he related the story and was received into his protection where he was safe from the fury of the Iesuites There is another Domestick example of this kind in the person of Father Ximenes whose life the Iesuites of the profestâ—house of Madrid destroyed in 1633. for that being Confessor to a widow he had not advised her to give them her estate The Jesuites of Madrid Expel a Smiths Sâ—n from their Society but retain his money which the Smith dexterously recovers P. 66. A Smith at Madrid placed his Son among the Iesuites and had him admitted for two thousand Ducats though the Iesuites habit commonly costs more but after a short time they judged this young man not proper for them as wanting the address and fineness necessary for their profession and stript him of his habit he returns home to his Father who went presently to the Iesuites and summoned them to perform the Contract he had made with them for the reception of his Son but when they refused to give ear to him he sued them at law for his two thousand Ducats which they were obliged to restore as having not satisfied tâ—â— conditions on which they received them They had credit enough to obtain sentence against the Smith who seeing himself deprived of the money his Sons Habit had cost him resolved to make that whereby he had lost his money to regain it and that the Iesuiteâ— Habit which had cost hâ—m so much should be worth him something So tâ—e next day he habited his Son like a Iesuite and made him work and beat the Anvil that day and after in the Robe and Hood of a Iesuite this gave the people notice of the Iesuites cheat who being mocked pâ—blickly for what they had done to the poor man and his Son were at last ashamed of it and restored him his money which made him strip his Son of their Habit. A Jesuite of Granada gives two contrary advices but would not sign the one of them by reason of a Maxime of the Society to the contrary P. 121. Don Lewys Lasso de Vega being Steward of Granada the King demanded a Contribution from the City an Assembly was called and divided in Opinion and every one consulted persons of learning and fearing God who might give them advice most profitable in their judgement for the good of the City Some of
that they obtained any thing since 1649. when I left them at Madrid soliciting this affair Certain it is that the Jesuites were strangely insolent who having caused the Revolt of Portugal would have taken other mens Estates who had no share in the Guilt of that Rebellion They turn a Water from its Channell and build â— Mill thereupon in one night P. 388. I am so troubled with these things that I would quit Granada very willingly but am stopped by the way by the memorable story of the Mill which the Jesuites of the Colledge of Granada caused to be built at St. Foy two leagues from the City The better to comprehend what I am to say we must look back to the time of King Ferdinand and Q. Isabelle These pious Princes Graciously granted the first Inhabitants of St. Foy for them and their Successors permission to draw a Channell from the River Genil to flood their Grounds by a Water-course with condition that none should make use thereof without their consent The Iesuites had several years longed for the possession of this Channell and had used a thousand artifices and addresses to that purpose but in vain by reason of the constant opposition of the Inhabitants of the Town who had alwayes made a vigorous resistance The Jesuites were loth to intreat persons so inexorable and took a resolution worthy the Society in confidence of protection in this as in other affairs from the Chancery of Granada the rather because they had already possessed with the business and made sure to their side almost all the Judges of the Chamber who were to take cognizance of the cause They bought a pitifull piece of Ground contiguous to the Territory of St. Foy and not farr from the Channell whereof they designed to make themselves so absolute Masters that the Inhabitants of the Town should not take of the waters without their permission F. Fonseea then Rector of the Colledge had a Lay-brother a Great Architect whom he commanded to make a Mill of wood and dispose of all the Carpenters work so as in an hour to be erected and made fit to grinde which was accordingly done and the Timber Milstones and other things necessary carryed in Carts to the piece of ground above-mentioned In the evening they sent thither several servants of their house and the Farms they have in those quarters These workmen instructed by the Iesuite made a water-course on that side where the Mill was to be built and laboured with such diligence in the trench and the Iesuite plyed his part in erecting the mill so nimbly that at Eleven a Clock in the Evening it turned and ground as if it had stood there several years The Iesuites brought with them a Notary whom they payd well and he in acknowledgement gave them an act importing he had seen the Mill grinde in their Land without contradiction and took the depositions of above twenty witnesses who said the same thing The Fathers thought that being thus in possession and otherwise assured of the Judges no man in the world could out them from thence 'T was hardly light the next day but the Inhabitants of St. Foy understood all that past The sight of their walls built by K. Ferdinand and Q. Isabel their Founders in a night prevented their Astonishment at the nimble erecting of the Mill They called an Assembly and by the command of one of their Civil Officers a man of spirit and courage now a Priest called Thomas Muros they went to the Mill rased it to the ground and filling the new trench with rubbish turned back the water into the Ancient Channell The Iesuites seeing their Mill destroyed made their Complaints in the Chancery of Granada treated the Inhabitants of St. Foy with great insolence and in pursuance of the instructions received of their Advocates and procurators exhibited an information which they had caused to be drawn of the peaceable possession of their Mill. The Audience of Granada caused the Inhabitants of St. Foy to be cited and some to be arrested They spent much money in the suit and scaped but narrowly from being condemned by the Judges to rebuild the Mill at their own charges But D. Paul Vasquez de Aguilar one of the Judges shewed himself so Generous in defence of the Inhabitants that the rest seeing they had not reason on their side durst not contradict him and in conclusion gave the Iesuites a Reprimande at least check'd their Proctors condemned them to pay costs enlarged the prisoners and approved of all that had been done They coyn many millions of Money for one P. 389. When I was at Malaga sayes the Author they kept such a noise with their hammers and so unseasonably that I could not sleep From thence I went to Salamanca where I understood that the Iesuites coyned Money by permission of King Philip the 3 d for one million to serve for the building of their magnificent Colledge in that City They were not content with one million but coyned above three but the pieces of four Maravedis were so small that they were commonly called the Iesuites Money The pleasantness of it is that if the King upon information of their insolence had not prohibited them they had continued their work and would have been coyning of this million till Doomsday Hence came that abundance of their Money in Spain whereof the King was obliged again and again to lessen the value to the great dammage of the Kingdom for which they are in some measure beholding to the Iesuites A Jesuite makes his Penitent relapse into his Crime by presenting him with the picture of a Lady he had loved and forgot P. 244. There is a Maxim among their secret advices for proof whereof the Author reports this story The Maxim is That in the Guidance of the Consciences of Great ones they are to follow the loosest opinions By this they introduce and preserve themselves in favour and render themselves acceptable by their complaisance A very rich Gentleman falling sick confessed to a Iesuite and among other sins accused himself of the love he bore to a Lady whose picture he had for a pledge of Affection which expecting to dye he bestowed on his Confessor The Gentleman recovered and repented of his fault so sincerely that he intirely forgot the person who had caused it and thought no more of the Iesuite But the Father deâ—irous to renew his acquaintance went to see him when recovered and discoursing of his sickness spake to him of the Lady mentioned in his Confession and returned him her picture This putting the Gentleman in minde of the Lady whom he had quite defaced out of his memory he returned to his vomit and persisted in it long What shall we say of these Maxims and practices of the Iesuites but that they will destroy the Church Religion and the Sacraments if it may serve their interest And that the least temporal advantage shall prevail more over their spirit than all the Laws of