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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　lifted　up；　the

wheels　were　lifted　up　over　against　them；　and　their　wings　were　full

of　eyes　round　about；　and　they　were　so　high　that　they　were　dreadful。

So　of　the　institution　of　Ignatius；one　soul　swayed　the　vast　mass；

and　every　pin　and　every　cog　in　the　machinery　consented　with　its

whole　power　to　every　movement　of　the　one　central　conscience。〃



Luther　moved　Europe　by　ideas　which　emancipated　the　millions；　and

set　in　motion　a　progress　which　is　the　glory　of　our　age；　Loyola

invented　an　agency　which　arrested　this　progress；　and　led　the

Catholic　world　back　again　into　the　subjections　and　despotisms　of

the　Middle　Ages；　retaining　however　the　fear　of　God　and　of　Hell；

which　are　the　extremes　of　human　motive。



What　is　the　secret　of　such　a　wonderful　success？　　Two　things：　first；

the　extraordinary　virtues；　abilities；　and　zeal　of　the　early

Jesuits；　and；　secondly；　their　wonderful　machinery　in　adapting　means

to　an　end。



The　history　of　society　shows　that　no　body　of　men　ever　obtained　a

wide…spread　ascendancy；　never　secured　general　respect；　unless　they

deserved　it。　　Industry　produces　its　fruits；　learning　and　piety　have

their　natural　results。　　Even　in　the　moral　world　natural　law　asserts

its　supremacy。　　Hypocrisy　and　fraud　ultimately　will　be　detected；　no

enduring　reputation　is　built　upon　a　lie；　sincerity　and　earnestness

will　call　out　respect；　even　from　foes；　learning　and　virtue　are

lights　which　are　not　hid　under　a　bushel。　　Enthusiasm　creates

enthusiasm；　a　lofty　life　will　be　seen　and　honored。　　Nor　do　people

intrust　their　dearest　interests　except　to　those　whom　they

venerate；and　venerate　because　their　virtues　shine　like　the　face

of　a　goddess。　　We　yield　to　those　only　whom　we　esteem　wiser　than

ourselves。　　Moses　controlled　the　Israelites　because　they　venerated

his　wisdom　and　courage；　Paul　had　the　confidence　of　the　infant

churches　because　they　saw　his　labors；　Bernard　swayed　his　darkened

age　by　the　moral　power　of　learning　and　sanctity。　　The　mature

judgments　of　centuries　never　have　reversed　the　judgments　which　past

ages　gave　in　reference　to　their　master　minds。　　All　the　pedants　and

sophists　of　Europe　cannot　whitewash　Frederic　II。　or　Henry　VIII。　　No

man　in　Athens　was　more　truly　venerated　than　Socrates　when　he　mocked

his　judges。　　Cicero；　Augustine；　Aquinas；　appeared　to

contemporaries；　as　they　appear　to　us。　　Even　Hildebrand　did　not

juggle　himself　into　his　theocratic　chair。　　Washington　deserved　all

the　reverence　he　enjoyed；　and　Bonaparte　himself　was　worthy　of　the

honors　he　received；　so　long　as　he　was　true　to　the　interests　of

France。



So　of　the　Jesuits；there　is　no　mystery　in　their　success；　the　same

causes　would　produce　the　same　results　again。　　When　Catholic　Europe

saw　men　born　to　wealth　and　rank　voluntarily　parting　with　their

goods　and　honors；　devoting　themselves　to　religious　duties；　often　in

a　humble　sphere；　spending　their　days　in　schools　and　hospitals；

wandering　as　preachers　and　missionaries　amid　privations　and　in

fatigue；　encountering　per