never want, they are, in their esteem, virtuous I know that the Jesuits, to hide and palliate the error and impiety of that absolute and impious obedience, which (by their rules and constitutions) is required of their inferiors; and to make us believe, that they expect obedience (and their inferiors bound to give it) only in things "just and lawful;" they do sometimes seem to give a sober exposition and qualification of that "universal obedience" they require of their inferiors, thus: "inferiors must obey their superiors IN ALL THINGS;" that is, "in all things in which there is NO MANIFEST SIN.' (9) Regula 13, Paulo ante citata. bus NULLUM est Societatis Jesu cum (1) "Obediendum But these are only Jesuitical frauds, and in OMNIBUS, in quimiserable shifts and fig-leaves, which may for MANIFESTUM PECsome time, and from some, conceal their sin and CATUM." Constit. shame, but neither are nor can be, any just Declarat.: Antwerp, apology to vindicate their doctrine of obedience, 1635, part 6, cap. 1 and justify and free it from that impiety where- page 233. “Et ubi with it stands charged. For, 1. The inferiors, according to their rules and received constitutions, that his obedience may be perfect, must renounce and reject all his own definiri non possit aliquod peccati genus, intercedere." Ibid, page 234. (2) Vide Regulas Servandas ut cum Ecclesia vere sen "Ut obedientia sit perfecta, quicquid nobis injunctum tiamus (superius cifuerit, obeundo, OMNIA JUSTA ESSB, nobis persuadendo, OMNEM tatas), 1 and 13. sententiam ac JUDICIUM NOSTRUM contrarium, CECA quadam OBEDIENTIA, abnegando." Ita Constitutiones cum Declarat. Societatis Jesu: Antwerp, 1635, part 6, cap. 1, page 233; and Ibidem, part 3, cap. 1, sec. 23, page 123. And this obedience is to be given to their superior as to Christ himself—"Qui obedit, considerare debet vocem a superiore eggressam, UT SI A CHRISTO DOMINO EGREDERETUR, ut OMNINO DIVINE Majestati placere possit."-Ibid. In Exam. General. cum. Declarat., cap. 4, page 37. nem attinet, tunc 66 and reason and sense, so far, that if he "see" and "know" such a thing to be "black" "impious," yet if his superior say, it is "white" (3) "Obedientia and virtuous," he (in contradiction to his own sancta et perfecta, sense and reason) must both "say" and "think" quod ad executio- so too. This is that "perfect obedience, which præstatur, cum res they commend to, and require of all inferiors, to jussa completur: be paid to any, to every superior; and it must cum ille qui obedit, be entirely, perfectly, and readily performed, ID IPSUM VULT, without any excuse or murmuring.' So that if QUOD QUI JUBET: the thing commanded by the superior do appear cum ID IPSUM SEN- sinful to the inferior, yet he must not believe TIT, quod ILLE QUI what he knows, but do what he is commanded dictæ cum Declarat., by his superior. quoad voluntatem, quoad intellectum, JUBET." page 233. Constit. OMNES perfectæ obe LOCO CHRISTI ag PROMPTE, &c. Sine 2. Those under command (by the constitu(4) "Valde ne- tions of that Society) must look upon their supecessarium est, ut riors, as persons in the “ place of Christ Jesus; dientiæ se dedant, "tanquam CHRISTI VICARIOS, ET CHRISTI VICEM superiorem (QUI- GERENTES, Christi partes agentes." By the way, CUNQUE ille sit), the reader may observe, that by this Jesuitical noscentes, et quæ divinity, or polity (call it what you will, you injungit, INTEGRE, cannot miscall it, unless you call it just and true), excusationibus et every superior in the whole series of that Society, obmurmurationibus is the vicegerent and VICAR OF CHRIST, and to obediant." Ibid, be obeyed by his inferiors, as well as the Pope part 3, cap. 1, page himself. How the Pope will like this, I neither (5) Ibid, dicta pp. know nor care; but sure I am, that " a learned 123 and 152; and Spaniard, and* zealous Papist, has both said, and part 4, cap. 10, page (by evident instances) proved, that (to gain the monarchy of the world to themselves) the Jesuits (6) Epist. 1 Ignatii, De Virtute are both innovators in matters of faith and reliObedientiæ, ad Fra- gion, rebellious and perfidious to the Pope as well tres Lusitanos, sec. as secular kings and princes." 123. 183. 4. (7) Ibid, sec. 3 and sec. 11. 3. And having declared their "superiors" to be God's vicegerents and "vicars of Christ," they (8) "Superior, cui further say, that their "superiors are INTERnos, ut Dei vicem PRETERS of the DIVINE WILL, to whose governgerenti, et DIVINE VOLUNTATIS INTERPRETI, moderandos tradidimus." * Alphonsus de Vargas Toletanus is the man I mean; and Ig- the title of his book is this-"Relatio ad Reges et Principes natius, Epist. 1, De Christianos, de Stratagematis et Sophismatis Politicis Societatis Virtute Obedientiæ, Jesu, ad Monarchiam Orbis terrarum sibi conficiendam. In ad Lusitanos, sec. 11. qua Jesuitarum erga Reges ac populos infidelitas, ergaque ipsum Pontificem perfiu, contumelia, et in rebus fidei novandi libido, illustribus documentis comprobatur."-Edita anno 1636, et postea anno 1642. Constit. Societat. ment they have given up themselves," and to obey their commands, " as if Christ himself had given them; so that the will and judgment of their superiors is to be THE RULE of theirs," and (9) Summarium to be in all things obeyed. And this absolute, Jesu., sect. 31, page blind, and impious obedience to their superiors, 17: Antwerp, 1635. Ignatius, the founder of that Society, highly approves and commends to them, telling them, "that whether their† superiors be wise or foolish, honest or impious, yet they are equally to be obeyed, as they are GOD'S VICEGERENTS, who is infallibly wise, and will supply their want of understanding AND HONESTY too." So that (by this divinity) let their superiors be never so simple, sinful, and impious, yet their inferiors may securely obey, and do WHATSOEVER they bid them. And this he thinks (which no wise man would) he has clearly proved out of express Scripture, Matthew xxiii. 2, 3. Our Saviour, saith he, when he had said, "the Scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses' chair;" he adds, "WHATSOEVER therefore they say unto you, that observe and do." If the Jesuits say, they succeed those Jews (the Scribes and Pharisees) in Moses' chair, then they might, though without all sense and consequence, argue for themselves, as they usually do for the Pope, jure successionis, thus: "The Pope sits in Peter's chair, therefore he is as infallible as he; and whatsoever he says must be observed." Thus Pope Agatho argues, and 'tis by Gratian registered, and by Pope Gregory (1) "Sic OMNES XIII. confirmed for law. So they argue for the apostolicæ Pope; and so with equal reason (yet ridiculously) piendæ sunt, tanthe Society might argue (as Ignatius does, a bold quam ipsius DIVINI sedis SANCTIONES acci PETRI ORE firmatæ sint."-Can. sicom"Qui obedit, confiderare debet vocem a superiore quo- nes, 2 Dist. 19. cunque egressam, ut si a Christo Domino nostro egrederetur, (2) Bulla Romæ, ut omnino Divinæ Majestati placere possit."-Ita Constitut. data 1 July, 1580: Societat. Jesu, et Examen cum Declarat.: Antwerp, 1635, cap. Juri Canonico præ4, sect. 30, page 37. +"Superiori non ideo obtemperandum, quod divinis donis ornatus sit, sed ob id solum, quod vices gerat Dei. Si prudentia minus valeat, non ideo quidquam de obedientia remittendum, quia illius personam refert cujus sapientia falli non potest; supplebit enim ipse quicquid ministro defuerit; sive probitate alisq.; ornamentis careat."-Ignatius, Epistle 1, De Virtute Obedientiæ, ad Lusitanos, sect. 3, page 13. fixa. 12; and Matt. xxiii. 16, 17, 18. (4) Matt. xxiii. 13, soldier, but a very bad disputer) for themselves, thus: "we succeed the Scribes and Pharisees, and sit in Moses' chair; therefore whatsoever we say must be observed." But I suppose they will not say, that they succeed the Scribes and Pharisees, whose corrupt doctrine, and impious manners, our blessed Saviour so often, and so (3) Matt. xvi. 6, justly3 condemns, and against whom he1 pronounces many sad and deserved woes. And if they deny (as sure enough they will) that they 14, 15, 16, 23, 25, succeed those impious and heretical Scribes and 27, 29. Pharisees; then their founder's reason is worse, and, if that be possible, more ridiculous, being only this "WHATEVER those Jews, Scribes, and Pharisees said, sitting in Moses'* chair, was to be observed: Ergo, WHATEVER those Christians (the superiors of the Jesuits) say, who do not sit in Moses' chair, must be observed; sed apage nugas, apinasque tricas." Such stuff as this, is neither worthy to be proposed, nor seriously confuted: nor had I troubled the reader, or myself, with any answer to it, had not, in their esteem, so great a saint and soldier as Ignatius so confidently urged it; and lest they might think or say (as sometimes they do), that such arguments, because they were not, could not be answered. Well, but though Ignatius's reasons are weak, yet his faith is strong, and (without any good reason or concluding premises) he firmly believes his position ("that his Society must give blind and absolute obedience to all the commands of (5) Especially in their superiors"), and earnestly presseth all his his Epistle Ad Fra- Society to believe and practise it. And since his Virtute Obedientiæ. decease (whether induced thereunto by his auData Romæ, 7 Cal thority, or their own interest, for they neither Aprilis, anno 1553. have nor can have any true reason for a false position, I know not), I say, since his decease, (6) They have ap- his Society have approved, received, and indus tres Lusitanos, De proved and received Ignatius's Epistles, his Exercitia 6 * They sat in Moses' chair (as interpreters of his law), and Spiritualia, &c., in therefore, whatever they taught the people which was consonant their Instituta So- to the law and mind of Moses, was to be observed, otherwise not. cietatis Jesu: Ant., And, therefore, our blessed Saviour bids his disciples beware of their doctrine (as well as of their manners).-Matt. xvi. 12. 1635. triously vindicated his doctrine of obedience. For, to give you a short sum of what they say, 1. He and they agree, that inferiors (to the end they may have that perfect obedience which they require) must renounce and utterly reject all their own WILLS, JUDGMENT, and senses; so far, that, if their "superiors say, Snow is black, they 13, superius citata. must believe and say it is so too, though their senses see it is white." (7) Regula 1 and "Necesse est, ut omnes perfectæ obedientiæ se dedant, licet difficilia, et 2. Nay, they must not only renounce, but superiori obediant, (as their founder Ignatius says) "mortify, kill, secundum sensualiand slay" their own "wills and judgments" by tatem (i.e., sensum) repugnantia jubeat: their obedience. 8 "Per obedientiam voluntates veram abnegationem vestras ac judicia MACTATE," &c. "So that in- propriæ voluntatis et feriors* must PERSUADE themselves, that it is judicii habeant.”DIVINE PROVIDENCE which moves and rules tutionum, sec. 31, them by their SUPERIORS. And therefore they page 17. must be like DEAD CARCASES, or as SLAVES in (8) Ignatius Epis. the hands of their superiors, which suffer them-2, De Perfect. Religiosa: Romæ, 4 selves to be MOVED, HANDLED, and CARRIED Ñon. Mart., 1547. WHITHER and WHAT WAY THEY PLEASE." The Summarium Consti inferior is not permitted to "consider, examine, (9) "Quæ supeor try," whether the commands be just, and (ac- rior injungit, INcording to the will of God) lawful; but they9 TEGRE, PROMPTE, et must "execute and obey them, and that ENTIRELY, READILY, and BOLDLY." SINE EXCUSATION- NIBUS observandæ 3. And the commands of their superiors is to stitut., quæ AB OMbe1< THE RULE both of their WILL and JUDG- sunt, sect. 31, page MENTS; and they are "bound to believe" that 17; and Constitut., (whatever the thing enjoined be) "HE COM- part 3, cap.1, sec. 23. MANDS' WELL," and that all the things enjoined voluntate et judicio (1) "Proposita "are3 JUST and GOOD;" and so good, that "NO- superioris, PRO RETHING BETTER could be done; nor God better GULA suæ voluntatis pleased with anything his own will or judgment sec. 31, page 17. et judicii."-Dicta, (2) "Quod jube "Sibi quisque persuadeat se ferri ac Regi Divina Provi- tur, BENE JUBERI dentia per superiores; et sinere debet, ac si cadaver esset, quod EXISTIMET."-Conquocunque versus ferri, quacunque ratione, tractari se sinit: stit. cum Declarat., vel ut senis baculus, qui ubicunque, et quacunque in re velit part 6, cap. 1, page eo uti, qui eum manu tenet, ei inservit." -Constitut. cum De- 234. clarat., part 6, sec. 1, cap. 1, page 234. (3)"QUICQUID no "Sic enim obediens rem quin curique, cui cum superior bis injunctum fuerit, velit impendere, debet exequi; pro certo habens, quod ea obeundo,OMNIA JUSratione potius, quam re alia quavis, quam præstare possit, TA esse, NOBIS PERpropriam voluntatem et judicium diversum sectando, Divina SUADENDO."- Ibid, voluntati respondebit."-Ibid, page 234. page 233. |