740 



JESUITS. 



Jesuits, gaining employment or reputation. The satirist's de- 

 S "V""' scription of the Greeks in Rome, has been aptly chosen 

 to describe their indefatigable and universal industry. 



Grunim/iliciis, rlnior, gemtctrrs, pktor, aliptrs. 

 Augur, schcnobates, Dicdiciis, magus, otntiia novit 

 Gmculits. 



They laboured with the greatest assiduity to qualify 

 themselves as the instructors of youth ; and succeeded, 

 at length, in supplanting their opponents in every Ca- 

 tholic kingdom. They aimed, in the next place, to be- 

 come the spiritual directors of the higher ranks ; and 

 soon established themselves in most of the courts which 

 were attached to the Papal faith, not only as the con- 

 fessors, but frequently also as the guides and minis- 

 ters of superstitious princes. The governors of the so- 

 ciety, pursuing one uniform system with unwearied per- 

 severance, became entirely successful ; and, in the space 

 ef half a century, had in a wonderful degree extended 

 the reputation, the number, and influence of the order. 

 When Loyola, in 1540, petitioned the Pope to author- 

 ize the institution of the Jesuits, he had only ten disci- 

 ples ; but in 16'08, the number amounted to 10,581. 

 Before the expiration of the sixteenth century, they had 

 obtained the chief direction of the education of youth 

 in every Catholic country in Europe, and had become 

 the confessors of almost all its noblest monarchs. They 

 thus formed the minds of men in their youth, and re- 

 tained the ascendancy over them in their advanced 

 years. They took part in every public measure, and 

 possessed at different periods the direction of the prin- 

 cipal courts in Europe. They preserved the highest 

 degree of influence with the Roman pontiffs, as the 

 most zealous champions of their authority ; and were 

 equally celebrated by the friends, and dreaded by the 

 adversaries of the Catholic faith, as the ablest and most 

 enterprising order in the church. In 1710, they pos- 

 sessed 24 professed houses, 59 houses of probation, 340 

 residences, 612 colleges, 200 missions, 150 seminaries, 

 and 19,998 members. 



Its power In spite of their vow of poverty, their wealth increa- 

 and wealth. se d with their power ; and they soon rivalled, in the 

 extent and value of then- possessions, the most opulent 

 monastic fraternities. Besides the sources of wealth 

 common to all the regular clergy, they possessed one 

 peculiar to themselves. Under the specious pretext of 

 facilitating the success and support of their mission, 

 they obtained a special license from the court of Rome 

 to trade with the nations whom they laboured to con- 

 vert ; and though these mercantile schemes tended ul- 

 timately to accelerate their ruin, they proved, during a 

 ^ century and a half, a most lucrative source of property 

 and influence. Besides carrying on an extensive com- 

 merce both in the East and West Indies, and opening 

 warehouses in different parts of Europe for the purpose 

 of vending their commodities, they aimed at obtaining 

 settlements, and reigning as sovereigns. It was in this 

 latter capacity, unsuitable as it may seem to their whole 

 character, that they exhibited the most wonderful dis- 

 play of their abilities, and contributed most essentially 

 Its esta- Io tne Benefit of the human species. About the begin- 

 Uishments ning of the 17th century, they obtained from the court 

 in South of Madrid the grant of the large and fertile province of 

 America. Paraguay, which stretches across the southern conti- 

 nent of America, from the mountains of Potosi to the 

 banks of the river La Plata ; and, after every deduc- 

 tion which can reasonably be made from their own ac- 

 counts of their establishment, enough will remain to ex- 

 cite the astonishment and applause of mankind, They 



found the inhabitants in the first stage of society, igno* Jesuits, 

 rant of the arts of life, and unacquainted with the first """ ""/"""' 

 principles of subordination. They applied themselves 

 to instruct and civilize these savage tribes. They com- 

 menced their labours, by collecting about fifty families 

 of wandering Indians, whom they converted and settled 

 in a small township. They taught them to build houses, 

 to cultivate the ground, and to rear tame animals; 

 trained them to arts and manufactures, and brought 

 them to relish the blessings of security and order. By 

 a wise and humane policy, they gradually attracted new 

 subjects and con verts; till at last they formed a power- 

 ful and well organized state of 300,000 families. Over 

 these they exercised a mild and patriarchal govern- 

 ment, and their subjects, docile and grateful, revered 

 their benefactors as divinities. The country was divi- 

 ded into 47 districts, over each of which a Jesuit pre- 

 sided. A few magistrates, chosen by the Indians them- 

 selves, assisted in every town to secure obedience to the 

 laws. In other respects all the members of the com- 

 munity were, as one family, on a footing of perfect 

 equality, and possessed all things in common. Every 

 individual was obliged to labour for the public, and the 

 fruits of their industry were deposited in common-store 

 houses, from which every person received whatever was 

 necessary for the supply of his wants. Punishments 

 were rare, and always of the mildest description, such 

 as an admonition from the Jesuit, a slight mark of dis- 

 grace, or at most a few lashes with a whip. Industry 

 was universal, but wealth and want were equally un- 

 known ; and most of those passions, which disturb the 

 peace of society, were deprived of every opportunity to 

 operate. Even the elegant arts began by degrees to 

 appear, and full protection was provided against every 

 invader. An army of 60,000 men was completely 

 armed and regularly disciplined, consisting of cavalry, 

 infantry, artillery, and well provided with magazines 

 of all the implements of war. The Indians of Paraguay, 

 in short, under the government of the Jesuits, were an 

 innocent and happy people, civilized without being 

 corrupted, and yielding with entire contentment the 

 most perfect submission to an absolute but equitable 

 government. Yet, even in this most meritorious effort 

 for the welfare of mankind, the peculiar spirit of the 

 order was sufficiently discernible. In order to preserve 

 their influence, they found it necessary to keep their 

 subjects in a state of comparative ignorance ; and, be. 

 sides prohibiting all intercourse witli the adjacent set. 

 tlements of the Spaniards and Portuguese, they endea- 

 voured to inspire them with a hatred and contempt of 

 those nations. They prevented their subjects from learn- 

 ing any language, except a native dialect, (the Gua. 

 rani,) which they endeavoured to improve as a general 

 standard, and plainly aimed at establishing an indepen- 

 dent empire, subject only to their order, which could 

 scarcely have failed, from its excellent constitution and 

 police, to have extended its dominion over all the 

 southern continent of America. 



Though the power of the Jesuits had become so ex- Reverses 

 tensive, and though their interests generally prospered and over- 

 during a period of more than two centuries, their pro- throw of the 

 gress was by no means uninterrupted ; and, by their society. 

 own misconduct, they soon excited the most formida- 

 ble counteractions. Scarcely had they effected their 

 establishment in France, in defiance of the parliaments 

 and universities, when their existence was endangered 

 by the fanaticism of their own members. John Chas- 

 tel, one of their pupils, made an attempt upon the life 

 of Henry IV. ; and Father Guiscard, another of the or- 



