beacon lights of history-iii-2-第47节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



Tellier　rejoiced　in　the　slaughter　of　Saint　Bartholomew；　and　Te

Deums　were　offered　in　the　churches　for　the　extinction　of

Protestantism　by　any　means。　　If　it　could　be　shown　to　be　expedient；

the　Jesuits　excused　the　most　outrageous　crimes　ever　perpetrated　on

this　earth。



Again；　the　Jesuits　are　accused　of　riveting　fetters　on　the　human

mind　in　order　to　uphold　their　power；　and　to　sustain　the　absolutism

of　the　popes　and　the　absolutism　of　kings；　to　which　they　were

equally　devoted。　　They　taught　in　their　schools　the　doctrine　of

passive　obedience；　they　aimed　to　subdue　the　will　by　rigid

discipline；　they　were　hostile　to　bold　and　free　inquiries；　they　were

afraid　of　science；　they　hated　such　men　as　Galileo；　Pascal；　and

Bacon；　they　detested　the　philosophers　who　prepared　the　way　for　the

French　Revolution；　they　abominated　the　Protestant　idea　of　private

judgment；　they　opposed　the　progress　of　human　thought；　and　were

enemies　alike　of　the　Jansenist　movement　in　the　seventeenth　century

and　of　the　French　Revolution　in　the　eighteenth。　　They　upheld　the

absolutism　of　Louis　XIV。；　and　combated　the　English　Revolution；　they

sent　their　spies　and　agents　to　England　to　undermine　the　throne　of

Elizabeth　and　build　up　the　throne　of　Charles　I。　　Every　emancipating

idea；　in　politics　and　in　religion；　they　detested。　　There　were　many

things　in　their　system　of　education　to　be　commended；　they　were　good

classical　scholars；　and　taught　Greek　and　Latin　admirably；　they

cultivated　the　memory；　they　made　study　pleasing；　but　they　did　not

develop　genius。　　The　order　never　produced　a　great　philosopher；　the

energies　of　its　members　were　concentrated　in　imposing　a　despotic

yoke。



The　Jesuits　are　accused　further　of　political　intrigues：　this　is　a

common　and　notorious　charge。　　They　sought　to　control　the　cabinets

of　Europe；　they　had　their　spies　in　every　country。　　The　intrigues　of

Campion　and　Parsons　in　England　aimed　at　the　restoration　of　Catholic

monarchs。　　Mary　of　Scotland　was　a　tool　in　their　hands；　and　so　was

Madame　de　Maintenon　in　France。　　La　Chaise　and　Le　Tellier　were　mere

politicians。　　The　Jesuits　became　political　priests；　the　history　of

Europe　the　last　three　hundred　years　is　full　of　their　cabals。　　Their

political　influence　was　directed　to　the　persecution　of　Protestants

as　well　as　infidels。　　They　are　accused　of　securing　the　revocation

of　the　Edict　of　Nantes；one　of　the　greatest　crimes　in　the　history

of　modern　times；　which　led　to　the　expulsion　of　four　hundred

thousand　Protestants　from　France；　and　the　execution　of　four　hundred

thousand　more。　　They　incited　the　dragonnades　of　Louis　XIV。；　who　was

under　their　influence。　　They　are　accused　of　the　assassination　of

kings；　of　the　fires　of　Smithfield；　of　the　Gunpowder　Plot；　of　the

cruelties　inflicted　by　Alva；　of　the　Thirty　Years'　War；　of　the

ferocities　of　the　Guises；　of　inquisitions　and　massacres；　of　sundry

other　political　crimes；　with　what　justice　I　do　not　know；　but

certain　it　is　they　became　objects　of　fear；　and　incurred　the

hostilities　of　Catholic　Europe；　especially　of　all　liberal　thinkers；

and　their　downfall　was　demanded　by　the　very　courts　of　Europe。　　Why

did　they　lose　their　popularity？　　Why　were　they　so　distrusted　and

hated？　　The　fact　that　they　WERE　hated　is　most　undoubted；　and　there

must　have　been　cause　for　it。　　It　is　a　fact　that　at　one　time　they

were　respected　and　honored；　and　deserved　to　be　so：　must　there　not

have　been　grave　reasons　for　the　universal　change　in　public　opinion

respecting　them。　　The　charges　against　them；　to　which　I　have

alluded；　must　have　had　foundation。　　They　did　not　become　idle；

gluttonous；　ignorant；　and　sensual　like　the　old　monks：　they　became

greedy　of　power；　and　in　order　to　retain　it　resorted　to　intrigues；

conspiracies；　and　persecutions。　　They　corrupted　philosophy　and

morality；　abused　the　confessional；　privilege；　adopted　SUCCESS　as

their　watchword；　without　regard　to　the　means；　they　are　charged　with

becoming　worldly；　ambitious；　mercenary；　unscrupulous；　cruel；　above

all；　they　sought　to　bind　the　minds　of　men　with　a　despotic　yoke；　and

waged　war　against　all　liberalizing　influences。　　They　always　were；

from　first　to　last；　narrow；　pedantic；　one…sided；　legal；　technical；

pharisaical。　　The　best　thing　about　them；　in　the　days　of　their

declining　power；　was　that　they　always　opposed　infidel　sentiments。

They　hated　Voltaire　and　Rousseau　and　the　Encyclopedists　as　much　as

they　did　Luther　and　Calvin。　　They　detested　the　principles　of　the

French　Revolution；　partly　because　those　principles　were　godless；

partly　because　they　were　emancipating。



Of　course；　in　such　an　infidel　and　revolutionary　age　as　that　of

Louis　XV。；　when　Voltaire　was　the　oracle　of　Europe；when　from　his

chateau　near　Geneva　he　controlled　the　mind　of　Europe；　as　Calvin　did

two　centuries　earlier；enemies　would　rise　up；　on　all　sides；

against　the　Jesuits。　　Their　most　powerful　and　bitter　foe　was　a

woman；the　mistress　of　Louis　XV。；　the　infamous　Madame　de

Pompadour。　　She　hated　the　Jesuits　as　Catharine　de　Medici　hated　the

Calvinists　in　the　time　of　Charles　IX。；not　because　they　were

friends　of　absolutism；　not　because　they　wrote　casuistic　books；　not

because　they　opposed　liberal　principles；　not　because　they　were

spies　and　agents　of　Rome；　not　because　they　perverted　education；　not

because　they　were　boastful　and　mercenary　missionaries　or　cunning

intriguers　in　the　courts　of　princes；　not　because　they　had　marked

their　course　through　Europe　in　a　trail　of　blood；　but　because　they

were　hostile　to　her　ascendency；a　woman　who　exercised　about　the

same　influence　in　France　as　Jezebel　did　at　the　court　of　Ahab。　　I

respect　the　Jesuits　for　the　stand　they　took　against　this　woman：　it

is　the　best　thing　in　their　history。　　But　here　they　did　not　show

their　usual　worldly　wisdom；　and　they　failed。　　They　were　judicially

blinded。　　The　instrument　of　their　humiliation　was　a　wicked　woman。

So　strange　are　the　ways　of　Providence！　　He　chose　Esther　to　save　the

Jewish　nation；　and　a　harlot　to　punish　the　Jesuits。　　She　availed

herself　of　their　mistakes。



It　seems　that　the　Superior　of　the　Jesuits　at　Martinique　failed；　for

the　Jesuits　embarked　in　commercial　speculations　while　officiating

as　missionaries。　　The　angry　creditors　of　La　Valette；　the　Jesuit

banker；　demanded　repayment　from　the　Order。　　They　refused　to　pay　his

debts。　　The　case　was　carried　to　the　courts；　and　the　highest

tribunal　decided　against　them。　　That　was　not　the　worst。　　In　the

course　of　the　legal　proceedings；　the　mysterious　〃rule〃　of　the

Jesuitsthat　which　was　so　carefully　concealed　from　the　publicwas

demanded。　　Then　all　was　revealed；all　that　Pascal　had　accused　them

of；and　the　whole　nation　was　indignant。　　A　great　storm　was　raised。

The　Parliament　of　Paris　decreed　the　constitution　of　the　Society　to

be　fatal　to　all　government。　　The　King　wished　to　save　them；　for　he

knew　that　they　were　the　best　supporters　of　the　throne　of

absolutism。　　But　he　could　not　resist　the　pressure；the　torrent　of

public　opinion；　the　entreaties　of　his　mistress；　the　arguments　of

his　ministers。　　He　was　compelled　to　demand　from　the　Pope　the

abrogation　of　their　charter。　　Other　monarchs　did　the　same；　all　the

Bourbon　courts　in　Europe；　for　the　king　of　Portugal　narrowly　escaped

assassination　from　a　fanatical　Jesuit。　　Had　the　Jesuits　consented

to　a　reform；　they　might　not　have　fallen。　　But　they　would　make　no

concessions。　　Said　Ricci；　their　General；　Sint　ut　sunt；　aut　non

sint。　　The　PopeClement　XIV。was　obliged　to　part　with　his　best

soldiers。　　Europe；　Catholic　Europe；　demanded　the　sacrifice；the

kings　of　Spain；　of　France；　of　Naples；　of　Portugal。　　Compulsus　feci；

compulsus　feci；　exclaimed　the　broken…hearted　Pope；the　feeble　and

pious　Ganganelli。　　So　that　in　1773；　by　a　papal　decree；　the　Order

was　suppressed；　669　colleges　were　closed；　223　missions　were

abandoned；　and　more　than　22；000　members　were　dispersed。　　I　do　not

know　what　became　of　their　property；　which　amounted　to　about　two

hundred　millions　of　dollars；　in　the　various　countries　of　Europe。



This　seems　to　me　to　have　been　a　clear　case　of　religious

persecution；　incited　by　jealous　governments　and　the　infidel　or　the

progressive　spirit　of　the　age；　on　the　eve　of　the　French　Revolution。

It　simply　marks　the　hostilities　which；　for　various　reasons；　they

had　called　out。　　I　am　inclined　to　think　that　their　faults　were

greatly　exaggerated；　but　it　is　certain　that　so　severe　and　high…

handed　a　measure　would　not　have　been　taken　by　the　Pope　had　it　not

seemed　to　him　necessary　to　preserve　the　peace　of　the　Church。　　Had

they　been　innocent；　the　Pope　would　have　lost　his　throne　sooner　than

commit　so　great　a　wrong　on　his　most　zealous　servants。　　It　is

impossible　for　a　Protestant　to　tell　how　far　they　were　guilty　of　the

charges　preferred　against　them。　　I　do　not　believe　that　their　lives；

as　a　general　thing；　were　a　scandal　sufficient　to　justify　so

sweeping　a　measure；　but　their　institution；　their　regime；　their

organization；　their　constitution；　were　deemed　hostile　to　liberty

and　the　progress　of　society。