The New Conspiracy Against the Jesuits Detected and Briefly Exposed Part 7

Nulli ergo omnino hominum liceat hanc paginam nostrae approbationis, et confirmationis infringere, vel ei ausu temerario contraire: si quis autem hoc attentare praesumpserit, indignationem Omnipotentis Dei et beatorum Petri et Pauli apostolorum ejus se noverit incursurum. {340}

Datum Romae apud Sanctam Mariam Majorem*, anno incarnationis Dominicae millesimo septingentesimo s.e.xagesimo quarto, septimo idus Januarii, pontificatus nostri anno septimo.

C. Card. Pro-Datarius. N. Card. Antonellus.

Visa, De Curia J. Mana.s.sei.

L. Eugenius.

(Loco Plumbi.)

_Registrata in Secretaria Brevium._

* Curia Romana annum inchoat a Feste Annuntiationis B. Mariae, quod incidit in diem 25 Martii, adeoque septimus idus Januarii 1764, coincidit c.u.m 7 Januarii hujus anni 1765, secundum nostram computandi rationem.

_Translation._

CLEMENT, BISHOP, SERVANT OF THE SERVANTS OF G.o.d, FOR A PERPETUAL RECORD.

The apostolic office of feeding the Lord's flock, conferred by the Lord Christ on the most blessed apostle Peter and his successor the Roman pontiff, no state of time or place, no regard of human affairs, in short, no consideration whatever, can so circ.u.mscribe or suspend as that the same Roman pontiff may not direct his care to all the duties of the said office, without exception or omission, and provide for all the wants which may occur in the church. Among those duties it is not the least to {341} give protection to the regular orders approved by the apostolic see, and to those worthy and pious men, who have, by a solemn vow, devoted themselves to the regular orders, strenuously labouring for the defence and increase of the catholic religion, and in cultivating the Lord's vineyard, to invigorate and encourage, to animate and confirm the languid and weak, to console the downcast and afflicted, but chiefly to remove from the church, entrusted to his faith and custody, all scandals, which from time to time spring up to the destruction of souls.

The inst.i.tute of the society of Jesus, composed by a man held in honour by the universal church, which sanctifies holy men, has, by our predecessors of happy memory Paul III and Julius III, Paul IV, Gregory XIII and Gregory XIV, and Paul V, been diligently examined, approved, and often confirmed, and by them and nineteen others of our predecessors honoured with peculiar favours; has been publicly extolled by bishops, not only of this age but former ones, as extremely efficient in promoting the wors.h.i.+p, honour, and glory of G.o.d, and eminently adapted to the salvation of souls; and has been patronised by the most powerful and pious kings, and most celebrated princes in the Christian republic: from its discipline nine persons have been numbered among the saints, three of whom obtained the glory of martyrdom; it has received the united praises of many men renowned for sanct.i.ty, now enjoying eternal glory in heaven; the church has cherished it in her bosom for the long s.p.a.ce of two centuries, and has ever committed the chief part of the sacred ministry to its professors, with great gain of souls; finally, it was p.r.o.nounced pious by the catholic church herself in the council of Trent: yet there have lately {342} appeared some, who, by wicked interpretations, have dared, not only in conversation but in writings and publications, to call this very inst.i.tute irreligious and impious, to revile it, and represent it as wicked and shameful; and have gone such lengths, that, not content with their own private thoughts, they have endeavoured, using every art, to convey the like poison from country to country, and to pour it out everywhere; nor have they yet ceased, where-ever they can find any of the faithful off their guard, to instil craftily their own notions into their minds; than which there can be nothing more injurious, nothing more offensive to the church of G.o.d, as if she had so shamefully erred, as solemnly to deem what is impious and irreligious devout and acceptable to G.o.d, and had been the more scandalously imposed upon for having so long, namely, for more than two hundred years, with the greatest loss of souls, suffered such a stain to remain in her bosom. Neither justice, which commands that all should receive what belongs to them and be protected in their rights, nor my pastoral solicitude for the church, can suffer any farther delay in putting a stop to this so great evil, which shoots its roots the deeper the longer it remains unnoticed.

In order, therefore, that we may remove so serious an injury from the espoused church divinely committed to our charge, and also from this apostolic see; and that, by our apostolic authority, we may check such unjust and impious a.s.sertions, spread far and wide to the seduction and ruin of souls, and entirely regardless of equity and reason; that the const.i.tution of the regular clerks of the society of Jesus may remain undisturbed, according to their appeal to us for justice, and be more firmly established by the same our authority, and that we may afford {343} them consolation in the present grievous state of their affairs; and, lastly, that we may comply with the just desires of our venerable brothers the bishops, who, from every part of the catholic world, have written to us letters greatly extolling the said society, all declaring that they were of the greatest use to them in their respective dioceses; of our own accord and certain knowledge, and by the plenitude of the apostolic power, following the footsteps of all our predecessors, in this our const.i.tution to be in perpetual force, in the same mode and form in which they have proclaimed and declared we also proclaim and declare, that the inst.i.tute of the society of Jesus is replete with piety and holiness, as well on account of the chief end it has in view, namely, the defence and propagation of the catholic religion, as on account of the means which it directs to be used for that end, hitherto confirmed to us by experience itself; for we know that, even down to these times, its discipline has produced many defenders of the orthodox faith, and pious preachers, who, with unshaken constancy of mind, have encountered dangers by sea and by land to bear the light of the gospel to barbarous nations; and, indeed, those who profess the said laudable inst.i.tute are always earnestly employed, some in educating youth in the practice of religion and the learned sciences, others in the direction of spiritual exercises, others again in the a.s.siduous administration of the sacraments, especially those of penance and the eucharist, in exciting the faithful to a frequent use of them; likewise in refres.h.i.+ng the inhabitants of country places with the divine food of the word of G.o.d: and as it evidently appears, that the said inst.i.tute of the society of Jesus has been established by the Divine Providence {344} for these great ends, we also approve it, and, in virtue of our apostolical authority, we confirm the approbation of our predecessors bestowed on the said inst.i.tute: we declare, that the vows by which the said regular clerks of the society of Jesus devote themselves, according to the said inst.i.tute, to G.o.d, are acceptable and pleasing to him: we approve in the highest degree of the spiritual exercises, which the regulars of this society recommend to the use of the faithful, who occasionally retire from the noise of the world to meditate in serious solitude on the means of obtaining eternal salvation, as being highly conducive to the reformation of manners, and to the establis.h.i.+ng and nouris.h.i.+ng of Christian piety: we likewise approve of their congregations or a.s.sociations; and not only of those for the use of youth, who attend the schools of the society of Jesus, but also of all other congregations, whether established for scholars only, or for others of the faithful in Christ, of either or both at once, dedicated to the blessed Mary, under whatever t.i.tle they are formed, in which pious works are fervently practised, especially that particular devotion towards the blessed Virgin, which these inst.i.tutions nourish and promote; and we, in virtue of our apostolical authority, confirm the const.i.tutions of our predecessors of happy memory, Gregory XIII, s.e.xtus V, Gregory XV, and Benedict XIV, by which they approved of these a.s.sociations, together with all other const.i.tutions enacted by our predecessors the Roman pontiffs, in approbation of the offices of the said inst.i.tute, each one of which we wish to be considered as here inserted and confirmed by the strength of our apostolic authority transmitted to us by G.o.d, as well as effectually protected by this our const.i.tution; and, if it be necessary, {345} we desire and order, that they may be considered as fresh const.i.tutions, enacted and promulged by us in due form.

It is not, therefore, allowable for any person to infringe, upon any account, this decree of our approbation and confirmation, or rashly to attempt to oppose its authority: and, if any one should be so presumptuous as to attempt it, be it known to him, that he will incur the indignation of Almighty G.o.d, and of the blessed apostles Peter and Paul.

Given at Rome, at St. Mary the Greater, &c. &c.

{346}

No. II.

_The Judgment of the Bishops of France, concerning the Doctrine, the Government, the Conduct, and Usefulness of the French Jesuits._

MOST GRACIOUS SOVEREIGN,

The n.o.ble sentiments of faith and religion, which have ever distinguished our kings, have induced your majesty, after the example of your august predecessors, to suspend the decision of an affair so closely connected with the doctrine and discipline of the church, till you had taken the advice of the bishops of your realm.

As the time your majesty was pleased to allow us for examining the points in question was very short, we applied ourselves to the task with more than ordinary diligence and a.s.siduity; it being one of our chief duties to concur with your majesty's pious views in whatever it may please you to propose for the good of religion, or for the maintaining of good order and tranquillity in the kingdom. We have therefore examined, with all the care which the importance of the subject required, the different articles, concerning which your majesty has done us the honour to consult us, and we think it our duty to communicate our sentiments in the following manner:-- {347}

ARTICLE I. "Of what use the Jesuits may be in France: the advantages or inconveniences that may attend the various functions, which they exercise under our authority."

The end for which the Jesuits' order was first inst.i.tuted being the education of youth; the ministerial labours, catechising, preaching, and administring the sacraments; the propagation of the Gospel; the conversion of infidel nations; and the gratuitous exercise of all manner of works of charity towards their neighbour; it is evident this inst.i.tution is calculated both for the good of religion and the advantage of the state.

This consideration induced pope Paul III to approve the new order by the bull _Regimini_, 1540; and the popes, his successors, by long experience, being sensible of the great advancement of religion, owing chiefly to the labours of the Jesuits, favoured them with the most distinguis.h.i.+ng marks of their good-will and protection. The fathers of the council of Trent call it a holy inst.i.tution, and, by an extraordinary privilege, dispense with the religious of this society in the general law they had made for other orders concerning their vows. The great promoter of piety and church discipline, St. Charles Borromoeus, took care to inform the fathers of that council how much he esteemed this order, and how desirous the pope was to favour those religious, on account of the visible advantages arising to the church from their zealous endeavours. The amba.s.sadors sent by other princes to represent them in that council had the same favourable opinion of the Jesuits, as plainly appears from their proposing the establishment of these religious in Germany, as the most efficacious means to restore religion and piety in the empire. {348}

However, it cannot be denied, but the novelty and singularity of this order, the many privileges granted them by the popes, and the great extent and generality of the exercises in which they are conversant, according to their calling, exposed them to the jealousy and opposition of other religious orders. The universities, the mendicant orders, and others, tried all means to hinder their establishment in France: your majesty's parliaments, in their remonstrances, laid open the many inconveniences, that might attend their being admitted into this kingdom: Eustace de Bellay, the then bishop of Paris, opposed them, and even the clergy of France, in their a.s.sembly at Poissy, anno 1561, expressed a diffidence and apprehension, that the Jesuits might encroach upon their rights; for, though they consented to their admission, they did it with such restrictions and limitations as then seemed proper to secure the rights and jurisdiction of the bishops.

Anno 1574, the clergy of your kingdom, having been apprised of the credit and the approbation this inst.i.tution had gained in the council of Trent, in conformity to the judgment of that general a.s.sembly, declare by their deputies, upon the article concerning the profession of novices after one year's probation, that, by _this rule, their intention was not any way to derogate from or to make any change in the good const.i.tutions of the clerks of the society of Jesus, approved by the holy apostolic see_.

It appears even, that the Jesuits, by their behaviour, had got the better of those prejudices, which had formerly been conceived against their order, seeing that, in the year 1610, when so great a storm was raised against them, Henry de Gondy, bishop of Paris, gives their {349} character in words very different from those of his predecessor, Eustace de Bellay, _viz._ that _the order of the Jesuits was greatly serviceable both to church and state, on account of their learning, piety, and exemplary behaviour_.

Hence it was, that, in the general a.s.sembly of the states, anno 1614 and 1615, both the clergy and the n.o.bility so pressingly desired the re-establishment of the Jesuits, for the instruction of youth, in the city of Paris, and the erection of other colleges in the different towns of the kingdom: this they recommended to their deputies as a matter of the greatest concernment, desiring they would most earnestly address his majesty, in order to obtain a favourable and speedy answer; _the a.s.sembly being sensible how greatly the order of the Jesuits, by their learning and industry, had contributed, and, with G.o.d's a.s.sistance, would again contribute towards the maintaining of faith and religion, the extirpation of heresies, the restoration of piety and morality_, &c. Again, in the a.s.sembly of the clergy, anno 1617, we find the Jesuits' schools proposed as the most proper means to revive and imprint piety and religion in the minds of the people.

Nothing, perhaps, is better calculated to convince us how high an idea your majesty's royal predecessors had of the usefulness of this body of men, than the patents, which they were pleased to grant, for the erecting many of their colleges in your dominions: this was particularly remarkable in the letters patent, granted by your majesty's great grandfather Louis XIV, of glorious memory, for their establishment in the college of Clermont, wherein he says, _that in this he had no other view than to_ {350} _support, countenance, and encourage those religious in their laborious employments for the education of youth in all useful sciences, and particularly in the knowledge of whatever may concern their duty towards G.o.d, and towards those who are placed over them for the government of the people_. But this he afterwards expressed in a more emphatic manner, when he was pleased to give his own august name to that college.

The Jesuits are also of great service in our dioceses, by enforcing and giving new life and vigour to piety and religion, by their sermons, their spiritual instructions, their missionary excursions, their congregations, spiritual retreats, &c., performed with our approbation and authority.

For these reasons we are persuaded, that to deprive the people of their instruction would be extremely prejudicial to our dioceses. And, in particular with regard to the education and instruction of youth, it would be a very difficult task to find persons capable of serving the public to equal advantage, especially in the country towns, where there are no universities.

The religious of other orders, who, by their vows and state of life, are not devoted to this kind of labour, as they are little conversant in the method of teaching, and strangers to that disagreeable confinement and subjection, which is inseparable from that employment, are too much taken up with the other necessary observances of their order to give that constant and due attendance, which is requisite for the education of youth.

As to other clerks regular and priests living in community, they have not a sufficient number of persons to supply the place of the Jesuits. The secular clergy, {351} indeed, with the allowance of the bishop, may undertake this employment: but, not having been brought up to it from their youth, they would not much relish this kind of life, nor have they equal experience or skill in the business. Add to this, that, as most of our dioceses have not near a sufficient number of priests to answer all the duties of the ministry, it would not be possible for us to fill up the places that would become vacant by the removal of the Jesuits.

Shall we then have recourse to the laity? alas! few of these are to be found of that turn of mind as willingly to embrace so laborious and disagreeable an employment as is that of teaching; fewer still, whose talents and qualifications are equal to it.

The Jesuits in France are possessed of a hundred colleges: if these were removed, where could we find a sufficient number of schoolmasters and professors of equal parts to fill up the vacancies in all these colleges?

As the Jesuits make up one community and incorporated body of men, they have this peculiar advantage, that, amongst all the religious, whom they train up to this exercise, they can make choice of such as are most likely to succeed and to answer the expectation of the public; and, if any one should misbehave, in a moment's warning they can provide another in his room; an advantage not to be expected in religious orders that are not so strictly addicted to this employment; nor amongst persons, who, though otherwise duly qualified, still want numbers for the business; much less amongst laymen, who, by their state of life, are free to choose for themselves, and no way concerned about their successors.

Adhering, therefore, to the judgment of the vicars of {352} Christ and of the council of Trent concerning the society of Jesus, and in conformity to the testimony, which the clergy of your majesty's kingdom, the kings your august predecessors, and your whole kingdom, have given of the usefulness of the Jesuits in France, we are persuaded, that, if due care be taken to prevent any abuse, that may insinuate itself in the exercise of their functions, this religious body cannot but be of very great service both to church and state.

In our examination of the third article, we shall have the honour to present your majesty with some regulations, which we conceive to be the best adapted for preventing all such abuses.

ARTICLE II. "How the Jesuits behave in their instructions and in their own conduct, with regard to certain opinions which strike at the safety of the king's person; as likewise with regard to the received doctrine of the clergy of France, contained in the declaration of the year 1682; and in general with regard to their opinions on the other side of the Alps."

Our history informs us, that, in the infancy of the society in France, the Calvinists used their utmost endeavour to hinder the growth of a body of men raised on purpose to oppose their errors, and to stop the spreading contagion: to this end they dispersed into all parts a mult.i.tude of pamphlets, in which the Jesuits were arraigned, as professing a doctrine inconsistent with the safety of his majesty's sacred person; being well a.s.sured, that the imputation of so atrocious a crime was the shortest and securest way to bring about their ruin. These libels soon raised a prejudice against the Jesuits in {353} the minds of all those, who had any interest in opposing their establishment in France, and some communities even joined in the impeachment. The crimes, which are now laid to their charge, in the numberless writings, that swarm in all parts of your majesty's dominions, are no other than those which were maliciously forged and published above one hundred and fifty years ago. It is not from such libels as these, that we are to form a just idea or rational judgment of the Jesuits' doctrine or behaviour: such wild and groundless accusations did not deserve our attention, and the little notice we took of them may be a convincing proof to your majesty of the Jesuits' innocence.

And, indeed, the inviolable fidelity of the bishops of your kingdom, and their sincere attachment to the crown, is too well known to leave any room for suspecting, that they could be either so blinded as not to discover that, which, as is pretended, is visible to the whole world; or, if they had perceived it, that they should so far have forgot their duty to G.o.d, to religion, to your majesty, as to encourage such treasonable doctrine by a criminal silence, and trust the most sacred functions of the ministry to persons convicted of publicly professing the same.

We will not here pretend to refute or to give an exact account of a doctrine, which will not bear the light, and can no way be exposed to the public without danger of infection; of which we may truly say, what St.

Paul said of a certain vice, "that its very name should never be heard amongst Christians." And it is with the greatest grief we see all the particulars of this d.a.m.nable doctrine publicly explained in the French tongue, and purposely {354} dispersed in all parts of your kingdom in an infinity of libels, the reading of which has done more prejudice to your majesty's subjects than could possibly have been caused by reading the fanatic authors themselves, who have treated of that subject. We shall only observe, that, in order to render the Jesuits more odious to the public, care has been taken to hold them forth as the first broachers of a doctrine, that was published long before they had a being. Their enemies have spared no pains to confound and perplex all our ideas concerning this doctrine, jumbling together, at all events, right or wrong, truth and falsehood, in order to bring the Jesuits in guilty: they are ever urging against them a certain period of our history, which, as it equally involves all states and conditions[121], ought to be blotted out of our annals, and never more be mentioned amongst us.

Whatever may be objected against the foreign Jesuits Mariana, Santarel, Suarez, and Busembaum, this is most certain, that the decree of their general, Acquaviva, appeared so satisfactory to your parliament of Paris, that, in the year 1614, they desired to have the same renewed; and it is well known, that, when those books first appeared in France, the Jesuits, in their declarations to the parliaments, disowned them in so clear, precise, and express terms, as did honour to their body, and gained them the applause of the whole nation. Lastly, their behaviour in the year 1682, and the declarations, which they have lately made to us, and which they desire to have registered at the respective offices in our spiritual courts, as a lasting and authentic testimony of their loyalty and fidelity, leave no room to doubt of their abhorrence and detestation of {355} any doctrine or opinion that may in any wise intrench upon the safety of the sacred person of sovereigns; or of their entire acquiescence to the maxims established by the clergy of your kingdom, in the four articles of 1682.

We must likewise observe to your majesty, that the instructions of the Jesuits in our dioceses are all performed in public; innumerable persons, of all conditions, are witnesses of what they teach; and we have the honour to a.s.sure your majesty, that they never were accused at our tribunals of teaching any such doctrine as is now imputed to them. Let us inquire of those, who have been brought up in their colleges, who have frequented their missions, their congregations, their retreats, we are persuaded there is not a man in the nation, who can attest, that he ever heard them teach a doctrine contrary to the safety of your majesty's person, or to the received maxims of the kingdom. On the contrary, in justice to their character, we must all confess, that the constant theme and subject of their school exercises is to celebrate the memorable deeds and heroic actions of our monarchs, and their whole study to impress in their hearers the most dutiful sentiments of loyalty and respect towards your majesty.

ARTICLE III. "The conduct of the Jesuits with regard to their subordination to bishops; and whether, in the exercise of their functions, they do not encroach on the pastoral rights and privileges."

It cannot be denied but that, if the Jesuits were to avail themselves of the many and great privileges which, at different times, have been granted to them by the see apostolic, they could not be said to live subordinate, either to bishops or to their ecclesiastical superiors. But {356} we are to observe, that these privileges were granted them by a communication and partic.i.p.ation of such as had been granted to the mendicant orders, and to the other religious, long before they came into the world; and, with regard to these, we find a decree in the _explanation of their rule_ (art. xii, p.

447), that they are to make use of their privileges with the greatest caution and moderation, and with no other view than for the spiritual advantage of their neighbour; for, being bound by their fourth vow, immediately upon the first notice of his holiness's command, to embark, in order to preach the Gospel to the most remote and barbarous nations, these privileges become absolutely necessary in places where neither bishops nor other pastors are to be found. We may also take notice, both with regard to the bull of Paul III, and those of his successors, that there is a wide difference between their approbation of the first plan of the inst.i.tute, or of the additions that were afterwards made for the perfecting of the same, and the _privileges_ granted to that society, which are merely accessory to the inst.i.tute; for these bulls, being written in the ordinary style of the court of Rome, the dispositions made by them cannot be brought into precedent, or have any other force than that which is allowed them by the pope's decretals and the laws of the kingdom, both which have long since declared, that privileges granted by the court of Rome, contrary to the jurisdiction of bishops, or derogatory to the due subordination of the faithful to their pastors, are of no effect without their consent, and, if they any way concern the state, without the approbation of the sovereign.

However, we find, even to the year 1670, that the Jesuits, as well as the other mendicant orders, used their {357} best endeavours to maintain these privileges, against the common law and the jurisdiction of bishops, on pretence, that the discipline of the council of Trent, which had abolished them, was not received in France. We read in the acts of our bishop.r.i.c.ks, that attempts to this purpose were made by the Jesuits at Quimper, at Agen, at Sens, and at Rhodez, where, in conjunction with the mendicant orders, they carried on their suits at law for a long time against the bishops of those dioceses.

But since that time the Jesuits are not known to have formed any such pretensions; on the contrary, they have renounced all those privileges, which may any way seem to intrench, either on the established maxims of the kingdom, or on the liberties of the Gallican church; and, as they still persist in that renunciation, and have expressed the same, in the clearest terms, in the declaration, which they lately presented to us, nothing more can reasonably be demanded of them with regard to this article.