Our history informs us, that, in the infancy of the society in France, the Calvinists used their utmost endeavour to hinder the growth of a body of men raised on purpose to oppose their errors, and to stop the spreading contagion: to this end they dispersed into all parts a multitude of pamphlets, in which the Jesuits were arraigned, as professing a doctrine inconsistent with the safety of his majesty's sacred person; being well assured, that the imputation of so atrocious a crime was the shortest and securest way to bring about their ruin. These libels soon raised a prejudice against the Jesuits in
the minds of all those, who had any interest in opposing their establishment in France, and some communities even joined in the impeachment. The crimes, which are now laid to their charge, in the numberless writings, that swarm in all parts of your majesty's dominions, are no other than those which were maliciously forged and published above one hundred and fifty years ago. It is not from such libels as these, that we are to form a just idea or rational judgment of the Jesuits' doctrine or behaviour: such wild and groundless accusations did not deserve our attention, and the little notice we took of them may be a convincing proof to your majesty of the Jesuits' innocence.
And, indeed, the inviolable fidelity of the bishops of your kingdom, and their sincere attachment to the crown, is too well known to leave any room for suspecting, that they could be either so blinded as not to discover that, which, as is pretended, is visible to the whole world; or, if they had perceived it, that they should so far have forgot their duty to God, to religion, to your majesty, as to encourage such treasonable doctrine by a criminal silence, and trust the most sacred functions of the ministry to persons convicted of publicly professing the same.
We will not here pretend to refute or to give an exact account of a doctrine, which will not bear the light, and can no way be exposed to the public without danger of infection; of which we may truly say, what St. Paul said of a certain vice, "that its very name should never be heard amongst Christians." And it is with the greatest grief we see all the particulars of this damnable doctrine publicly explained in the French tongue, and purposely
dispersed in all parts of your kingdom in an infinity of libels, the reading of which has done more prejudice to your majesty's subjects than could possibly have been caused by reading the fanatic authors themselves, who have treated of that subject. We shall only observe, that, in order to render the Jesuits more odious to the public, care has been taken to hold them forth as the first broachers of a doctrine, that was published long before they had a being. Their enemies have spared no pains to confound and perplex all our ideas concerning this doctrine, jumbling together, at all events, right or wrong, truth and falsehood, in order to bring the Jesuits in guilty: they are ever urging against them a certain period of our history, which, as it equally involves all states and conditions[[121]], ought to be blotted out of our annals, and never more be mentioned amongst us.
Whatever may be objected against the foreign Jesuits Mariana, Santarel, Suarez, and Busembaum, this is most certain, that the decree of their general, Acquaviva, appeared so satisfactory to your parliament of Paris, that, in the year 1614, they desired to have the same renewed; and it is well known, that, when those books first appeared in France, the Jesuits, in their declarations to the parliaments, disowned them in so clear, precise, and express terms, as did honour to their body, and gained them the applause of the whole nation. Lastly, their behaviour in the year 1682, and the declarations, which they have lately made to us, and which they desire to have registered at the respective offices in our spiritual courts, as a lasting and authentic testimony of their loyalty and fidelity, leave no room to doubt of their abhorrence and detestation of
any doctrine or opinion that may in any wise intrench upon the safety of the sacred person of sovereigns; or of their entire acquiescence to the maxims established by the clergy of your kingdom, in the four articles of 1682.
We must likewise observe to your majesty, that the instructions of the Jesuits in our dioceses are all performed in public; innumerable persons, of all conditions, are witnesses of what they teach; and we have the honour to assure your majesty, that they never were accused at our tribunals of teaching any such doctrine as is now imputed to them. Let us inquire of those, who have been brought up in their colleges, who have frequented their missions, their congregations, their retreats, we are persuaded there is not a man in the nation, who can attest, that he ever heard them teach a doctrine contrary to the safety of your majesty's person, or to the received maxims of the kingdom. On the contrary, in justice to their character, we must all confess, that the constant theme and subject of their school exercises is to celebrate the memorable deeds and heroic actions of our monarchs, and their whole study to impress in their hearers the most dutiful sentiments of loyalty and respect towards your majesty.
Article III. "The conduct of the Jesuits with regard to their subordination to bishops; and whether, in the exercise of their functions, they do not encroach on the pastoral rights and privileges."
It cannot be denied but that, if the Jesuits were to avail themselves of the many and great privileges which, at different times, have been granted to them by the see apostolic, they could not be said to live subordinate, either to bishops or to their ecclesiastical superiors. But