502 RICHELIEU TO FATHER SUFFREN. 



Take care that your fathers fhew themfelves dutiful 

 towards the lawfully-conftituted fuperiors of the church. 



Let them never be moved at the jealoufy of other 

 ecclefiaitics ; for, as thefe are far more advanced in 

 age, they will bear the lefs patiently to be treated by 

 you as inferiors. I could wi fn that your fathers would 

 not fo obftinately pernft in creeling colleges in places 

 where they meet with oppofition ; and even that they 

 would not go every where whither they are called. They 

 might content themfelves with preaching, hearing con- 

 fefiion, catechinng and inffcrucTing the youth, where 

 they are already eftabliihed, without being delirous of 

 diving into the affairs of other towns, of private per- 

 fons, and family lecrets. 



Try what you can do to prevent your fathers from 

 ffoiving fo greedily to enrich their colleges by foreign 

 benefices ; for, befides that this is called perverting the 

 view of the founder, by evincing fo much follicitude 

 about accumulating wealth for their houfes, it draws upon 

 them the envy of others, and occalions it to be faid of 

 them, that they rely lefs on divine providence than 

 other ecclefiafcics. 



Let your fuperiors, I intreat you, take the utmoft 

 care that none of your fociety caufe books to be printed, 

 containing bad maxims and fuch as are contrary to the 

 laws of the ftate, or affert any thing that may be 

 wrongly interpreted. 



If you act in this manner, the king will continue to 

 be fatisfled with you, as he already is from the reputa- 

 tion you enjoy, and will maintain both you and your 

 order in that credit, in which they mufl wifh to ftand 

 with theworld. By this you will conftantlymore and more 



obtain 



