of benefits desire to shew themselves most grateful 11. Now some of you impose on the Fathers a new crime and peradventure as yet unheard of saying that they draw to their order young men of the most forwardness and best dispositions An unpardonable crime yet I praise them and esteem them particularly for this that you condemne Do not we though in a different matter do the self same A Captain that is to raise Souldiers does he not cull out the choicest and leave the meanest and lest hopeful In your Parliament when you choose a new Court or fill up an old do you preferr the unlearnedst and least apt for business If the Jesuites should put unlearned Masters in their schools or in their Churches ignorant Preachers would you not with reason blame them What offence is it that the Jesuits should provide the fittest they can both for Church and Schools 12. That slander which concerns the Jesuits treasure is as false as common Go visit all the Colledges in France search all their treasures sum all together and you will scarce find twelve or at most fifteen thousand crowns I know well how poor and slender furniture and provision was both at Lyons and Bourge Neverthelesse 30 or 40 persons were to be fed in each of those colledges whereas their yearly revenues was scarcely sufficient for eight Masters 13. The vow of obedience with which they tye themselves to the Pope doth not oblige them to be more faithfull to externes then to us Neither is there in that Vow any thing contrary to the oath which they will swear unto me They will attempt nothing I am sure against their Prince That Vow to the Pope bindeth them to go to barbarous and savage Nations that they may reduce them to the Catholick church The whole world testifyeth that the remotest regions of the Indies together with infinite Hereticks have been by their pains and learned endeavours brought to Christs fold I remember I have often said that if the labour of Spanish Fathers be so profitable for Spain why should not France with reason expect the same Is that Kingdom more fortunate and flourishing then this Spain is loved by the Spaniards and why should the French hate their Native soil 14. But as you are wont to say these men seek to be admitted into Provinces and Kingdomes what way soever they can Pray you is this an offence 'T is the custome of all that follow the instinct of nature I my self by what means I could sought to get my Crown Howsoever we cannot but admire the Fathers constant patience whereby they go through so great and hard matters and bear so many and so heavy crosses 15. Neither do I Esteem them the worse for that they be so observant of their Rules and Constitutions This is that whereby the society doth increase flourish and better it self every day more and more For this reason I thought not good to change any of their Constitutions or Rules though I have made some change in others which was not approved of all But that 's no matter 16. The Fathers of the society have many back friends among some that seem Holy and Religious persons who speak ill of them This no wise man will wonder at Our age is not come to that sanctity that ignorance should cease to hate learning or corruption of manners leave to envy integrity of life It was so in times past and so 't is still These moathes are alwayes gnawing on learned works No prosperity so circumspect that can scape the tooth of malice hatred and envy alwaies attend the highest things I observed when it was consulted about the recalling of the Jesuits into France that two sorts of men did specially oppose themselves Hereticks and loose living Churchmen the one was moved thereunto by their bad faith the other by their bad life But I am so far from being hereby moved to alter my intended purpose that I am more confirmed in my resolution 17. The Fathers of the society speak and think honourably of the Pope so they should and so do I I joyn with them since I am certain that in averring and defending the Popes authority they differ not from other Catholick Divines 18. Neither did their Doctrine ever give occasion to Clergie-men to deny me tribute Nor is there any to be found whom these Fathers words or books animated to killing of Kings Whatsoever some have patcht together to bring them to Discredit is all a Fiction and meer Fable Thirty Years and more are passed since the Fathers began to instruct the Youth of France both in Vertue and Learning Of these some have gone through with all their studies in their Schools Others have broke off and applyed themselves to Phisick or Law Tell me whether any of these ever learnt of their Masters to lay hands upon Kings and to kill them I tell You the Fathers are so clear that they are content to appeal even to their enemies judgement There are some Pulpit-Men among the Hereticks who were trained up in Fathers Schools ask these Men their judgment concerning the Jesuits lives and Doctrine But whose cause is so good as to desire to be tryed by Enemies Yet I am sure in their case this has been done The Ministers have been asked their judgement of the Jesuits and they have given no other answer but That the Jesuits Lives cannot be Reprehended and for their Doctrine that it is in too clear a Sunne for to be be questioned Certes few can be found that will dare to stand to their Enemies judgment their security of conscience must needs be great that fears not any Adversaries Verdict 19. The Confession of Barriere who attemted something against my person doth not infringe that which I have said For so far was any Jesuit from that fact which you nevertheless affirm that one of these Fathers of good credit advised me of it in time and another of them dehorted and deterred Barriere from his attempt proposing to him Gods heavy Judgements due to such Malefactors 20. As for Catel all imaginable torments were not able to wrest the least word against Varadius or any one Father of the Society If this be not so why spared you the guilty Why let you them go when you had them fast why punished you them not according to your Law and Court 21. But to grant you that that never was suppose some one of the society had attempted against my person Will you condemn all the Apostles for one Judas shall the punishment light on my head for whatsoever any of my Souldiers shall trespasse in military license I acknowledge the hand of God whose will it was to have me pressed and humbled at that time the same hand raised me and set me safe again Gods goodnesse and providence be thanked I have learnt to forget and forgive injuries for Gods sake as I willingly do for that King who is greater then my self And now I will be so far from remembring injuries done unto me or revenging the same that I will dayly offer up praiers to God for my enemies All of us have need of Gods mercy which is no waies better to be obtained then by promptly and readily pardoning those who have offended Vs FINIS ERRATA Page 13 Dominus read Divinius p. 19 mistery r. mastery p. 22. World revealed r. World and revealed ibidem swarm r. swarve p. 24 yea r. yet p. 55 to the known r. to all the known p. 72 to relent r. resent p. 76 and carry away the ball r. and seem to them to carry away the bell p. 78 publishing r. palliating p. 134. the reader make the reader may make Some other faults there are of lesser note and errours in the interpunctions which the Juditious Reader will easily correct
in other things he left him free to use the help of others when he should think fit And in effect those Wonderfull conversions of so many Nations as he became Apostle of are the fruits of Catechisme Nor is it to be wondred that the Society sets so much by teaching the Catechisme 'T is the Doctrine of Christ that which the Son of God taught with word with example with Signs and Prodigies 'T is the way to eternal Life and as they call it in the West Indies the science of Heaven the only knowledge necessary to Salvation 'T is the study which most imports the World for those that now are children will within a few years be masters of all the World if therefore they be well instructed now you may hope of good plants good trees and good fruit of good seed on the contrary neglect these Children now and you shall soon have an unruly licentious and savage Nation For these reasons and many others the society saith with Christ Mark 10.14 Sinite parvulos venire ad me let little ones come to me and maketh this the first of her cares to instruct little ones and ignorant people in the Christian Doctrine With what success they perform this I had rather you should hear from an Extern then from one of the society Laurence Beyerlinke then a Canon of Antwerp that died not very long since a man of great Learning as his books testifie writeth thus in Theat vitae Humanae Tom. 2. lib. C. In our age among all that profess Religion those of the society of Jesus do with great diligence and great fruit apply themselves to catechising youth If there were nothing else this might make them commendable to all that with so great zeal and so exact a method they do a thing so advantageous to the Church of God It seemeth to be the proper function of the Jesuits to which they all set themselves endeavouring so to form the minds of little ones that they may suck Christian piety with their milk By this means it happeneth that in the Towns where the society resides you shall see the Children mannerly and devout and able to discourse of those things which in other places the elder are ignorant of Nor do the Jesuits take this pains with the children of the rich only but even with the poorest Tradesmen even with almesmen and beggars All these they instruct whensoever on Festival dayes they can get them together Nor do they stop within the Walls of Cities but make excursions abroad to those Parishes where Pastours are wanting to their duty According to the Apostle they become all to all and accomodate themselves to the manners of all to teach all In Antwerp alone you shall see sometimes thirty Fathers and more employed in this pious work The next imployment following the course of mans age is the teaching Humanity that is the Latine and Greek tongues in several Classes or Schools of Grammar Syntax Poetry and Rhetorick In these they endeavour to educate Youth to learning so as all along to instill piety This is a thing which the Society hath alwaies practised from her first institution and that as Greg. 13. saith in his Bull Aedificandi by divine vocation In every Colledge of the Society you have five or six Masters employ'd in teaching these lower schools What labour and toyle these men must devoure you may easily guesse if You reflect what it is for a man that hath otherwise good talents to consume his age with children How many impertinencies must he strive with that is content to be confind to the company of little one He must spur on one bridle another bear with the rudeness of this wink at the passion of that controul the malepertnesse of t'other and study the humors of all to win all to vertue and learning A great labour and if it were not undertaken for Gods sake I should call it intollerable But since it doth advantage the good of Souls so much it is embraced by all the Society with a great deal of fervour without pretending any gain or being capable of receiving any salary for their pains but only what God hath laid up in the other World for those that labour in his Vineyard Twenty two Years Turcelline taught these lower schools Cerda 30. and John Boniface 40 years together and very many have and do spend all their dayes in teaching little children The Society hath only the labour others reap the fruit In these schools are formed those who afterwards become Religious in Cloysters Preachers in Pulpits Pastours in Churches Captains in Armies Judges in Courts All the Cities wherein the Society is see this so well that generally the chief motive why they desire Colledges is that their children may be taught that piety and learning which may make them fit to manage greater affairs afterward The number of their schollars as Contern guesseth was in the year 1618 one hundred and fifty thousand another since hath counted them to be above two hundred thousand Another in his book de Instit. Christ pueritiae saith that if the Society had been from the beginning founded for this alone to teach youth and did only this one thing yet would this alone give the Society credit and splendour enough and administer to them in teaching matter enough of of vertue and to the whole World of profit The third employment wherein the Society endeavoureth to help their neighbour is to go on in Doctrinal matters teaching the higher schools as Philosophy Mathematicks and the several parts of Divinity both positive and speculative These studies commend themselves enough by their name and nature For Mathematick besides the profit is the pleasantest of all studies Philosophy serves for nothing else then to strengthen reason and discusse nature Divinity is the bulwark of the Church and School of Faith In these studies the Society laboureth to perfect men in the best part of nature that is reason and Christians in the knowledg of supernatural things that they may be secure in the wayes both of time and eternity I need not say any thing of the successe which the society hath had in these and in their other studies I will only use the words of Christ John 10.38 Operibus credite believe their works Look on their innumerable learned works look on the several sciences illustrated by them look on the Catalogue of the books made by the Society in the first hundred years which Catalogue makes a compleat Tome and let their works speak for them I know some have carped at some of their works but withall I know the repute which the Society hath got in all manner of learning is such that I appeal to the judgment of their adversaries and desire no commendation but what they do give them The fourth employment is preaching and explicating holy Scripture in the Pulpit for the edification of the people This is that function to which all other sciences serve the end and terme
Thomas St. Anthoninus Cajetan c. of the Franciscans St. Bonaventure Johannes de Capistrano Pelagius Alvarius Alexander Ales c. of Carmelites Waldensis and Bacon of the Clergy very many Priests and Bishops and Cardinals as Gerson Doctour of Paris c. Of Lawyers Bartolus and Baldus c. These and many more were cited in Shooles for this Doctrine which Barclay rightly calleth the common doctrine of both Canonists and Divines though notwithstanding it is to be observed that none of these nor no Catholick Divine ever gave the pope an Arbitrary power to depose at his list as now some though very falsly presume Their opinions were modifyed so that their books stood in esteem and were not thought to have deserved so ill at princes hands as now some would make them seem All which I do not sry to defend their opinions as good but only as declaring matter of fact I say these and many more were cited in Schools for this doctrine as a common opinion before the Society was in the World as besides what I have said is manestly proved in the Oration which Cardinal Peron made to the 3. Estate in France Whilest then this was the opinion of Schools Beliarmine writ his controversies and in the matter de summo pontifice he taught this doctrine and he took his arguments as he professeth himself in great part out of Sanders a secular priest After Bellarmine partly to vindicate him partly on oother accounts four or five Jesuites more writ of the same matter alledging authours who had writ before them and taking for the most part their reason out of former writers that stood in Libraries and were read without controll in Schooles And this is that which Henry the fourth said that he wassure Jesuites taught nothing in this matter which did differ from other Catholicks But it was not enough for the society to be as wary as others Their doctrine therefore after the death of Henry the fourth their great Protector was highly contradicted specially in France and much noise there was The Jesuits then seeing that this doctrine was Lapis offensionis and bred disgust because they taught it to take away all complaint of the society resolved never to say more of that matter so F. Claudius Aquavaria the fifth General of the Society made a prohibition concerning this matter on the 5th of Jan. 1616. But because that prohibition seemed not efficacious enough to prevent all inconveniences and give the World full satisfaction Father Mutius Vitelleschi the sixth General of the society in the year 1626 on the thirteenth of August made a precept of obedience by which all Jesuites are obliged under pain of damnation never to write dispute teach or print any thing concerning that matter The precept is extant in an Epistle of Father Mutius and from thence inserted as a perpetual precept into the 8th Congregation in fine it runneth thus Ordinamus in virtute sanctae obedientiae ne quis in posterum materiam de potestate summi pontifieis super principes eos deponendi c. tractet aut libris editis aut scriptis quibuscùnque nec publice disputet aut doceat in seholis ut occasiones omnes offensionis querelarum praecidantur This is the precept which hath now stood this 35 years and never was infringed by any one fince the year 26 nothing hath been said of this question in schools or sermons or publick discourses nothing hath been printed of it in the society This care the society hath had to avoid all offensive questions And truly I conceive it were much to be desired that all other Divines as well Protestants as Catholicks were obliged in the same manner to perpetuall silence in these matters But whilst the society hath used this caution others have not done so They taught it before the society was in the World and some continue it still All this makes me reflect on the proceeding of those who love to revile the society right or wrong certainly if these mens zeal were for his Majesties safety as they pretend they would never have picked out the Jesuits amongst all others to blame for this doctrine they would have endeavoured to have rooted it out where it is main tained not where it is already silenced and banished the schools They might have found Doctrine more capable of their invectives which concerneth our times and our Nation neerer For example the Author of the Reflections on the Oaths of Supremacy and Allegiance telleth us page the 67th that in Spain Schools are connived at still in teaching this doctrine of the popes temporal power If this be true why doth he not cite these schools are they Monks are they Fryars are they Clergy men for I am sure they are not Jesuits But his resolution to make the Jesuits odious will not give him leave to name any body else Again whilst these men would banish all the Jesuites out of England because some Jesuites did fourty or fifty years ago teach that doctrine why do they not cry out of such English men as lately have writ the same doctrine and more too I will not cite them as not willing to propagate any of this kind of Doctrine though it be but in a citation But certainly they might have been taken notice of by any that did really intend rather to root out such kind of Doctrine then to impugne the Jesuites The fourth Objection against the Jesuites Doctrine is that they teach the killing of Kings though under the name of Tyrants So Mariana a Spanish Jesuit teacheth and therefore ha◠his books burnt at Paris I answer that Mariana did in the year 1599. print a book entituled De Rege et Regis institutione which he dedicated to Philip the second King of Spain In this book he did teach a doctrine after Dominicus Soto l. 5. de jure Justicia q. 1. a. 3. contrary to the judgment of the society of killing not Kings but of Tyrants which doctrine the society condemned and forbid and the other Doctours of the society all unanimously impugned it That you may know the truth I must do as in the last Objection that is give you a narrative of the passage When then the General of the society Claudius Aquaviva understood that Mariana had put out an opinion of so dangerous consequence he writ to the fathers of the society in France who had acquainted him with the whole matter in these words as Father Coton sets them down in a Letter to the Queen Regent of France We have been very sorry that no body percieved the fault untill the books were printed the which notwithstanding we have presently commanded to be corrected and will use great care hereafter that such things happen no more This passed in the year 1606. four years before the Sorbon condemned Mariana's book which was Anno Domini 1610. July 4. According to this the General of the society did give order for the correcting that place and