44 T/ie Origin of the Jesuits. 



William Postel, a native of Barenton in Normandy, a man of consi- 

 derable talents and extraordinary acquirements. He took the vows 

 in 1545, but shortly after promulgated some doctrines inimical to the 

 Catholic faith, for which he was expelled by Loyola from the so- 

 ciety.* This so gratified the Pontiff, that he appointed Salmeron and 

 Lainez to assist in his name with his legates at the Council of Trent, 

 whither also Le Jay went as theologian to the bishop of Augsburg. 

 They)succeeded so well in the performance of the task devolving upon 

 them, that they were appointed to compare the errors of the heretics 

 with the scriptures and the writings of the Fathers. f 



The efforts of the Jesuits to establish themselves in France did not 

 meet with the same success as in Italy. In the year 1545 there were 

 thirteen in the college of Lombards. They did not, however, openly 

 declare the sect, to which they belonged until the year 1549, when 

 Father Viole their principal finding the duties of their order incom- 

 patible with those required of them by the college, withdrew himself 

 and his associates from it, and claimed the protection of William Du- 

 prat, bishop of Clermont, and a natural son of the famous Cardinal 

 Duprat. He gave them an asylum in his Hotel de Clermont, and at 

 his death left them a large legacy. By the assistance of the Cardinal 

 of Lorraine they obtained, in 1550, letters patent from Henry II. of 

 France, by which they were permitted to have a college at Paris, and 

 to establish themselves in his kingdom. These letters, however, the 

 parliament refused to register; but the king persuaded by the Car- 

 dinal of Lorraine and the commissioners he had appointed to examine 

 the Institutes of the Jesuits, issued letters a second time, which he 

 commanded the parliament to register, jvnthout regarding the re- 

 monstrances of their procureur-general. 



Urged by the commands they had received, the parliament gave 

 an arret on the 3d of August, 1554, to the effect that, as the affairs of 

 the Jesuits were matters connected with religion, the bulls should be 

 submitted to the consideration of the bishop of Paris and the doctors 

 of the Sorbonne, and that these should render an account of them to 

 the court. 



Eustache du Bellai, bishop of Paris, was altogether opposed to their 

 establishment, and pronounced that " these bulls contained many 

 things which appeared to him utterly contrary to reason, and such 

 as ought not to be received [or tolerated in the Christian religion." 

 He called the title'of the society " an arrogant name, as if they would 

 represent themselves as alone constituting the church ;" and he said 

 moreover, " that in spite of their vows of poverty, they held and dis- 

 posed of ecclesiastical dignities, that they would not submit to be 

 corrected by bishops, and that they usurped the rights of those who 

 have the cure of L souls, those of the bishops, and even of the Pope 

 himself, whom especially they had vowed to obey, and to go whither- 

 soever he might send them, while their superior might recal those 

 whom the Pope had sent on any mission, and that they had obtained 

 exemption from the public services of religion." He concludes, 



* Helyot, Chap. 60. t Ibid. 



