The great sources of such historical proofs as have been amassed by the new conspiracy against the Jesuits being proved to be impure and unworthy of credit, it becomes as unnecessary as it is disgusting to wade through the mud and filth of the mass of obscure pamphlets referred to by the writer of the pamphlet, such as "Prynne's hidden Works of Darkness," and "Rome's Masterpiece," "Remarks of a Portugueze," "A true and certain Relation of sundry Machinations and Plots of the Jesuits," "The Anatomy of Popish Tyranny," "Recit des desseins les plus Secrets des Jesuites," "Jesuites Marchands," "Recueil des Procès contre les Jesuites," "Idée generale des Vices," &c. &c. There is, however, one more of the catalogue, which I will notice, to prove still farther the dishonesty of the means taken by the new conspirators to blacken the Jesuits; it is
"Le Franc Discours, or the Memorial presented to Henry IV against them." Did it not become an inquirer into the truth of the accusations, to state the answer of Henry IV to the accusers of the Jesuits? An answer which, in itself alone, is enough to vindicate the society, and unveil the immense and complicated engine so long since put in motion for its destruction; and so irresistibly and successfully employed, in the course of time, by the framers of it. Pius VII is not the first, who has recalled the Jesuits; the great and good Henry IV recalled them, after they had been banished from his kingdom by the machinations of their enemies. Then it was, that he was memorialed; that remonstrance upon remonstrance was laid before him: but Henry was not easily imposed upon by passionate asseverations, nor made the dupe of envious persecutions. On the parliament delaying to give effect to his edict for the re-establishment of the Jesuits, he informed them, that he was determined to be obeyed; but he admitted a deputation of some of their members, with
their first president, Harlay, at their head, who went to the palace to state anew their remonstrances. Dupleix, a French historian, says, that Harlay made a long harangue to the king, which "was rather an invective, filled with all the abuse and outrage in the pleadings of Pasquier and Arnaud; in the Catechism of Pasquier, and in the work entitled Franc Avis, against the society, than the speech of a statesman[[30]]." Henry's reply lies at this moment before me on the table, and, I think, I should be wanting to the cause of truth and justice, if I neglected to insert it here. It is rather long for a quotation, but it cannot be tedious, and I am certain, that every unprejudiced reader will be gratified with the perusal of it.
"It is very kind, it is very kind of you to be so careful of my person and my kingdom. I know your meaning perfectly; but you do not know mine. You have started difficulties, to your thinking, very great and considerable, and little know, that I have thought on and considered them all these eight or nine years past; and that the best resolutions for the time to come are taken from reflections on things past, which I am acquainted with better than any person whatever. You set up for mighty statesmen, and understand state affairs no more than I do the drawing the report of a cause. As to the affair of Poissy[[31]] things would have gone much better for the catholics, if all of you had acted your part as well as a Jesuit or two, who, very luckily, happened to be there. There clearly appeared, not the ambition, but the abilities of the Jesuits; and I do not understand how you can make those ambitious, who refuse dignities and prelacies, and make a vow to God never to aspire to any preferment; and, who seek nothing in this world besides serving all that are willing to employ them, without any view of interest or recompence. If the name of Jesuit displease you, why not find fault with those, who stile themselves religious of the Trinity; why not say, that your daughters are as much religious as the nuns, called here daughters of God[[32]]; and that you are as much of my order of the Holy Ghost as my knights and myself? For my part, I would as soon, or rather, be called Jesuit, than Augustinian or Dominican. As to the churchmen, who except against them, ignorance has always borne a grudge to learning; and I observed, when I began to speak of re-establishing the Jesuits, that two sorts of persons opposed this design; those of the pretended reformed religion, and churchmen of irregular conduct, which has gained them still greater credit and reputation. If the Sorbonne you talk of has condemned them, it was, quite like you, without knowing them; and, if the old Sorbonne would not own them out of jealousy, the new Sorbonne is very proud of, and esteems them; if they were not fixed in France before, God has reserved for me the honour, which indeed I esteem a favour, of settling them; and, if they were only provisionally admitted heretofore, they shall henceforward have a permanent settlement, both by edict and arret. The will of my predecessors kept them here, mine shall establish them. The university opposed them, either because they excelled others (witness the vast concourse of scholars to their colleges), or because they were not incorporated in the university, which will not be refused when I order it; and when I shall see that they stand in need of being better regulated. You say, that the greatest men of your parliament have learned nothing from them: if the oldest are the most learned, you are certainly right; they had ended their studies before the Jesuits had opened their schools. Other parliaments, I am credibly informed, do not say so; nor, indeed, does all yours. They teach better than others; that is the true reason why, since their absence, your University is quite abandoned, and students flock after these masters to Douay, and other places, within and without my kingdom. You say, they engage the brightest geniuses, they examine and pick out the best for their society: I commend them for it. When I raise troops, I chuse those who are likely to turn out the best soldiers. Were there no room for favour amongst you, would you admit any, but what were worthy of being members, and of having a seat in your parliament? I heartily wish you received such only as are quite deserving, and that virtue were always the badge and distinctive mark in posts of honour. If the Jesuits served the public with ignorant masters and preachers, you would despise them; and now, that they employ in your service men of wit and capacity, you are not pleased. As to the great estates, you say, they possessed, it is all calumny and imposture; and I very well know, by the account of the estates re-annexed to the crown, that seven or eight masters could not be maintained at Bourges and Lyons; whereas, when the Jesuits were there, they were thirty or forty in number. But should there be any difficulty in this respect, I have provided against it in my edict. To call them a factious society, for being concerned in the league, is a reproach that falls only on the times. They thought they did well: many others were concerned, with whom they were mistaken and deluded; and they own now, that they have found my intentions quite contrary to what they had preconceived. But, I am inclined to believe, they acted with less malice than others, and that the same disposition, with the favours they receive from me, will make them as affectionate to me, even more so, than they ever were to the league. It is objected, they get footing in cities and towns by all means they can: so do others: I myself got into my kingdom as well as I could. It must be owned, that, with their wonderful patience and regular way of life, they may compass what they will; and their great care not to change or alter any thing in their institute will be the cause of their stability and long continuance. The vow of obedience they make to the pope will not subject them more to his will, than the oath of allegiance they have taken to me will bind them not to undertake any thing against their natural sovereign. But their vow does not extend to every thing, as is vainly pretended; they only make a vow of obeying the pope, when he is pleased to send them to labour for the encouragement of infidels; and, in fact, the Indies are converted by them. As to the opinion of the pope, I know he esteems them greatly; so do I. But you do not tell me, that the pope was upon the point of seizing cardinal Bellarmine's Works, at Rome, for not allowing him as great an extent of jurisdiction as other divines do: and you studiously conceal what the Jesuits have lately maintained, that, though the pope could not err, Clement might be mistaken. Upon the whole, I am persuaded, that they say no more than others of the papal authority; and that, if opinions are to be tried, you must quarrel with those of the catholic church. It is said, that the king of Spain employs Jesuits; I tell you, that I am determined to do the same; why should France fare worse than Spain? Since all the world judges them useful to the public, let me tell you, I think them necessary to my kingdom. As to the doctrine, imputed to them, of withdrawing churchmen from obedience to sovereigns, or teaching subjects to attempt on their lives, it is proper to see, on one side, what they say, and, on the other, what they teach their scholars. What convinces me there is no such thing is, that, for these thirty years past, that they have taught in France, above fifty thousand scholars have been brought up in their colleges, have conversed and lived with them, and not one has yet been found, in that vast number, who pretends to have heard any such discourse among them, or any thing coming up to the doctrine with which they are reproached. What is more, ask protestant ministers, that have lived and studied under them, how the Jesuits live: to be sure, they will not spare them, were it only to justify their leaving the society. I know the question has been put to many, and nothing could ever be got from them, but that their conduct and morals were without exception. Barriere was not encouraged, as you pretend, by any Jesuit. The first notice of that attempt I had from a Jesuit: another told him, he would be damned if he dared to go upon any such design. Châtel never accused them, nor could any torments extort any charge against Varade, or any other Jesuit. If any one had been accused, how came you to spare him? The other Jesuit, that was seized, was taken up on account of some printed papers found in his chamber. After all, though a Jesuit had done that foul deed, which I am resolved to forget, must all the Jesuits suffer, must all the apostles be banished for one Judas? At that time God was pleased to humble and to save me, for which I give him thanks: he teaches me to forgive all offences; and I have done it, freely and willingly, for his sake. I pray daily for my enemies; so far am I from remembering what is past, as you advise me to do, not very like good Christians, for which I do not thank you. The Jesuits are natives of my kingdom, and born my subjects; I will not harbour any suspicion against those whom their birth has placed under my government; and, if there should be any danger of their communicating my secrets to the enemies of France, I will take care to let them know only what I think fit. Let me manage this affair; I have gone through many others much more difficult: and now I charge you to think of nothing farther, than doing what I bid and command you to do."
With such a speech in existence, is it not a disgrace to any man to cite against the society the remonstrance that gave occasion to it? I have done, then, with this writer's impure and disgraceful authorities; and I should here proceed immediately to the respectable, the noble, the brilliant list of authorities in favour of the Jesuits, but that I feel it proper previously to notice another attack upon them, from a very unexpected quarter, from one whom we are almost compelled to consider as an unbiassed
assailant, since (besides being a gentleman and a member of the legislature) he does, in the very act of aiming the blow which he gives, profess the highest admiration, respect, and regard for them. "I am ready to admit," says sir John Hippisley, "the merit of that body of catholics, as far as they are exercised in the secular walk of philosophical and classical instruction; their schools and seminaries have been the most celebrated," &c. Again; "It pains me to speak, in these terms, of a community, comprehending many highly respected ecclesiastics, and, in the bosom of which, many of my valuable friends have received their education," &c. But sir John's "sense of duty overcomes his individual partialities[[33]]."
In consistency with these professions, sir John seems desirous of confining his objections to some particulars; but he was unable to conceal how willing he is to lay his axe to the tree, root
and branch; for he inserts a note to his speech, in which, not satisfied with protestant objections, he luxuriates in the citation of the "burning of more than fifty publications of Jesuit authors by the common hangman;" in the naming of the authors, whose books were burned; and in recording the very terms of the sentence: seront lacerés et brulés, dans la cour du palais, par l'executeur de la haute justice (the high office translated by sir John common hangman) comme seditieux, destructifs de toute principe de la morale Chretienne, enseignant une doctrine meurtrière et abominable, non-seulement contre la sureté de la vie des citoyens, mais même contre celle des personnes sacrées des souverains. To which is added, a reference to a Portuguese work, for a complete list of the books burned. So much for sir John's sorrow in speaking, in the milder terms of his harangue, on his particular objections, and for the preference he would have given to having his statement reserved for the consideration of a select committee. The reader, long before he arrives at this
preference of secret publicity, will have learned, from good authority, how to appreciate both the sentence and the judges that pronounced it; which sir John, by his recording it, appears not to have been able to do, in spite of the number of his friends, to whom he might have applied for information of the spirit that inflamed the parliament of Paris. But let us see the particular objections made by Sir John Hippisley. Sir John states, that the general of the order being a Russian, the acknowledgment of him by Jesuits in other states is an instance of dependence upon foreign jurisdiction. From this objection, it is to be presumed, that sir John credits the complete despotism, and other horrors, which have been attributed to the character of the general, as well as the prostitution of reason and virtue in all the members of the order, in consequence of the vow of obedience. And he evidently apprehends, that, if we go to war with Russia, the constitution of Great Britain will be endangered by the plots of Jesuits in this country! "We are," says he, "at this hour,
on terms of amity with Russia; within how short a period was it otherwise?" In neither country is catholicism the established religion, yet sir John sees, that Jesuits may busy themselves so foully with Greeks and Lutherans, that the pope will be brought in. The objection is really absurd; but, on the despotism of the general, and the blind obedience of the companions of the order, I shall make some remarks, when I consider the institute itself; at present, I shall only repeat, that these are calumnies to which no man would be a dupe, who had ever cast his eye over the pages of that almost inspired body of religious and moral statutes. The general, as well as the members of the community, is bound by those laws. A general congregation may be assembled, without his consent, and in defiance of him, to make laws against him: and "blind obedience is a sacrifice of passion, not of reason; Jesuits are to obey blindly, only when they see clearly, that they may do so without a crime, nay, without the slightest fault." The obedience which all religious, as well as Jesuits, paid to their chief