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dignity　of　man　amid　the　seductions　and　impediments　of　a　gilded

material　life。





AUTHORITIES。





Todd's　Life　of　Cranmer；　Strype's　Life　of　Cranmer；　Wood's　Annals　of

the　Oxford　University；　Burnet's　English　Reformation；　Doctor

Lingard's　History　of　England；　Macaulay's　Essays；　Fuller's　Church

History；　Gilpin's　Life　of　Cranmer；　Original　Letters　to　Cromwell；

Hook's　Lives　of　the　Archbishops　of　Canterbury；　Butler's　Book　of　the

Roman　Catholic　Church；　Wordsworth's　Ecclesiastical　biography；

Turner's　Henry　VIII。；　Froude's　History　of　England；　Fox's　Life　of

Latimer；　Turner's　Reign　of　Mary。







IGNATIUS　LOYOLA。



A。D。　1491…1556



RISE　AND　INFLUENCE　OF　THE　JESUITS。





Next　to　the　Protestant　Reformation　itself；　the　most　memorable　moral

movement　in　the　history　of　modern　times　was　the　counter…reformation

in　the　Roman　Catholic　Church；　finally　effected；　in　no　slight

degree；　by　the　Jesuits。　　But　it　has　not　the　grandeur　or　historical

significance　of　the　great　insurrection　of　human　intelligence　which

was　headed　by　Luther。　　It　was　a　revival　of　the　pietism　of　the

Middle　Ages；　with　an　external　reform　of　manners。　　It　was　not

revolutionary；　it　did　not　cast　off　the　authority　of　the　popes；　nor

disband　the　monasteries；　nor　reform　religious　worship：　it　rather

tended　to　strengthen　the　power　of　the　popes；　to　revive　monastic

life；　and　to　perpetuate　the　forms　of　worship　which　the　Middle　Ages

had　established。　　No　doubt　a　new　religions　life　was　kindled；　and

many　of　the　flagrant　abuses　of　the　papal　empire　were　redressed；　and

the　lives　of　the　clergy　made　more　decent；　in　accordance　with　the

revival　of　intelligence。　　Nor　did　it　disdain　literature　or　art；　or

any　form　of　modern　civilization；　but　sought　to　combine　progress

with　old　ideas；　it　was　an　effort　to　adapt　the　Roman　theocracy　to

changing　circumstances；　and　was　marked　by　expediency　rather　than

right；　by　zeal　rather　than　a　profound　philosophy。



This　movement　took　place　among　the　Latin　races；the　Italians；

French；　and　Spaniards；having　no　hold　on　the　Teutonic　races　except

in　Austria；　as　much　Slavonic　as　German。　　It　worked　on　a　poor

material；　morally　considered；　among　peoples　who　have　not　been

distinguished　for　stamina　of　character；　earnestness；　contemplative

habits；　and　moral　elevation；peoples　long　enslaved；　frivolous　in

their　pleasures；　superstitious；　indolent；　fond　of　fetes；

spectacles；　pictures；　and　Pagan　reminiscences。



The　doctrine　of　justification　by　faith　was　not　unknown；　even　in

Italy。　　It　was　embraced　by　many　distinguished　men。　　Contarini；　an

illustrious　Venetian；　wrote　a　treatise　on　it；　which　Cardinal　Pole

admired。　　Folengo　ascribed　justification　to　grace　alone；　and

Vittoria　Colonna；　the　friend　of　Michael　Angelo；　took　a　deep

interest　in　these　theological　inquiries。　　But　the　doctrine　did　not

spread；　it　was　not　understood　by　the　people；it　was　a　speculation

among　scholars　and　doctors；　which　gave　no　alarm　to　the　Pope。　　There

was　even　an　attempt　at　internal　reform　under　Paul　III。　of　the

illustrious　family　of　the　Farnese；　successor　of　Leo　X。　and　Clement

VII。；　the　two　renowned　Medicean　popes。　　He　made　cardinals　of

Contarini；　Caraffa；　Sadoleto；　Pole；　Giberto；all　imbued　with

reformative　doctrines；　and　very　religious；　and　these　good　men

prepared　a　plan　of　reform　and　submitted　it　to　the　Pope；　which

ended；　however；　only　in　new　monastic　orders。



It　was　then　that　Ignatius　Loyola　appeared　upon　the　stage；　when

Luther　was　in　the　midst　of　his　victories；　and　when　new　ideas　were

shaking　the　pontifical　throne。　　The　desponding　successor　of　the

Gregorys　and　the　Clements　knew　not　where　to　look　for　aid　in　that

crisis　of　peril　and　revolution。　　The　monastic　orders　composed　his

regular　army；　but　they　had　become　so　corrupted　that　they　had　lost

the　reverence　of　the　people。　　The　venerable　Benedictines　had　ceased

to　be　men　of　prayer　and　contemplation　as　in　the　times　of　Bernard

and　Anselm；　and　were　revelling　in　their　enormous　wealth。　　The

cloisters　of　Cluniacs　and　Cisterciansbranches　of　the

Benedictineswere　filled　with　idle　and　dissolute　monks。　　The

famous　Dominicans　and　Franciscans；　who　had　rallied　to　the　defence

of　the　Papacy　three　centuries　before；those　missionary　orders　that

had　filled　the　best　pulpits　and　the　highest　chairs　of　philosophy　in

the　scholastic　age；had　become　inexhaustible　subjects　of　sarcasm

and　mockery；　for　they　were　peddling　relics　and　indulgences；　and

quarrelling　among　themselves。　　They　were　hated　as　inquisitors；

despised　as　scholastics；　and　deserted　as　preachers；　the　roads　and

taverns　were　filled　with　them。　　Erasmus　laughed　at　them；　Luther

abused　them；　and　the　Pope　reproached　them。　　No　hope　from　such　men

as　these；　although　they　had　once　been　renowned　for　their　missions；

their　zeal；　their　learning；　and　their　preaching。



At　this　crisis　Loyola　and　his　companions　volunteered　their

services；　and　offered　to　go　wherever　the　Pope　should　send　them；　as

preachers；　or　missionaries；　or　teachers；　instantly；　without

discussion；　conditions；　or　rewards。　　So　the　Pope　accepted　them；

made　them　a　new　religions　Order；　and　they　did　what　the　Mendicant

Friars　had　done　three　hundred　years　before；they　fanned　a　new

spirit；　and　rapidly　spread　over　Europe；　over　all　the　countries　to

which　Catholic　adventurers　had　penetrated；　and　became　the　most

efficient　allies　that　the　popes　ever　had。



This　was　in　1540；　six　years　after　the　foundation　of　the　Society　of

Jesus　had　been　laid　on　the　Mount　of　Martyrs；　in　the　vicinity　of

Paris；　during　the　pontificate　of　Paul　III。　　Don　Inigo　Lopez　de

Recalde　Loyola；　a　Spaniard　of　noble　blood　and　breeding；　at　first　a

page　at　the　court　of　King　Ferdinand；　then　a　brave　and　chivalrous

soldier；　was　wounded　at　the　siege　of　Pampeluna。　　During　a　slow

convalescence；　having　read　all　the　romances　he　could　find；　he　took

up　the　〃Lives　of　the　Saints；〃　and　became　fired　with　religious　zeal。

He　immediately　forsook　the　pursuit　of　arms；　and　betook　himself

barefooted　to　a　pilgrimage。　　He　served　the　sick　in　hospitals；　he

dwelt　alone　in　a　cavern；　practising　austerities；　he　went　as　a

beggar　on　foot　to　Rome　and　to　the　Holy　Land；　and　returned　at　the

age　of　thirty…three　to　begin　a　course　of　study。　　It　was　while

completing　his　studies　at　Paris　that　he　conceived　and　formed　the

〃Society　of　Jesus。〃



From　that　time　we　date　the　counter…reformation。　　In　fifty　years

more　a　wonderful　change　took　place　in　the　Catholic　Church；　wrought

chiefly　by　the　Jesuits。　　Yea；　in　sixteen　years　from　that　eventful

nightwhen　far　above　the　star…lit　city　the　enthusiastic　Loyola　had

bound　his　six　companions　with　irrevocable　vowshe　had　established

his　Society　in　the　confidence　and　affection　of　Catholic　Europe；

against　the　voice　of　universities；　the　fears　of　monarchs；　and　the

jealousy　of　the　other　monastic　orders。　　In　sixteen　years；　this

ridiculed　and　wandering　Spanish　zealot　had　risen　to　a　condition　of

great　influence　and　dignity；　second　only　in　power　to　the　Pope

himself；　animating　the　councils　of　the　Vatican；　moving　the　minds　of

kings；　controlling　the　souls　of　a　numerous　fraternity；　and　making

his　influence　felt　in　every　corner　of　the　world。　　Before　the

remembrance　of　his　passionate　eloquence；　his　eyes　of　fire；　and　his

countenance　of　seraphic　piety　had　passed　away　from　the　minds　of　his

own　generation；　his　disciples　〃had　planted　their　missionary

stations　among　Peruvian　mines；　in　the　marts　of　the　African　slave…

trade；　among　the　islands　of　the　Indian　Ocean；　on　the　coasts　of

Hindustan；　in　the　cities　of　Japan　and　China；　in　the　recesses　of

Canadian　forests；　amid　the　wilds　of　the　Rocky　Mountains。〃　　They　had

the　most　important　chairs　in　the　universities；　they　were　the

confessors　of　monarchs　and　men　of　rank；　they　had　the　control　of　the

schools　of　Italy；　France；　Austria；　and　Spain；　and　they　had　become

the　most　eloquent；　learned；　and　fashionable　preachers　in　all

Catholic　countries。　　They　had　grown　to　be　a　great　institution；an

organization　instinct　with　life；　a　mechanism　endued　with　energy　and

will；　forming　a　body　which　could　outwatch　Argus　with　his　hundred

eyes；　and　outwork　Briareus　with　his　hundred　arms；　they　had　twenty

thousand　eyes　open　upon　every　cabinet；　every　palace；　and　every

private　family　in　Catholic　Europe；　and　twenty　thousand　arms

extended　over　the　necks　of　every　sovereign　and　all　their　subjects；…

…a　mighty　moral　and　spiritual　power；　irresponsible；　irresistible；

omnipresent；　connected　intimately　with　the　education；　the　learning；

and　the　religion　of　the　age；　yea；　the　prime　agents　in　political

affairs；　the　prop　alike　of　absolute　monarchies　and　of　the　papal

throne；　whose　interests　they　made　identical。　　This　association；

instinct　with　one　will　and　for　one　purpose；　has　been　beautifully

likened　by　Doctor　Williams　to　the　chariot　in　the　Prophet's　vision：

〃The　spirit　of　the　living　creatures　was　in　the　wheels；　wherever　the

living　creatures　went；　the　wheels　went　with　them；　wherever　those

stood；　these　stood：　when　the　living　creatures　were　li