should they deviate from their duty, or forget the obedience due to their lawful superiors. Are we then immediately to suppress all these most serviceable corporations, and deprive ourselves of that which is a real good and advantage to the whole kingdom, for the apprehension of a remote and imaginary evil? The Jesuits certainly are not less bound by your majesty's laws than the rest of your subjects; and, if from things past we may be allowed to form a judgment of their future behaviour, we have little or no reason to fear any disturbance from that quarter. It is well known, that, in the year 1681, during our disputes with Rome concerning benefices, the pope's briefs were conveyed into the hands of the Jesuits in France, with express orders, both from his holiness and from their general, to disperse them immediately about the kingdom; but they, without much deliberation, on the 20th of June, produced the packet in open court, and, by their candid behaviour in that critical conjuncture, deserved that remarkable compliment from the first president, M. de Novion, that it was lucky those papers had fallen into the hands of persons of their prudence and discretion: that they had too good heads to be imposed upon, and hearts too loyal to be corrupted[[133]]. We are also assured by the general advocate, Talon, that no one could reasonably tax the Jesuits, whose behaviour on that occasion was fully justified by the bitter reproach and severe reprimand they afterwards underwent, both from the pope and their own general[[134]]. This one short passage of our history may convince us,
more effectually than all the reasonings in the world, that the Jesuits, according to their rules, do not profess any other obedience to their general than is consistent with their duty towards their king and country.
We are moreover convinced, that this obedience of the Jesuits to their general, as prescribed by their rule, and their fourth vow, by which they cannot be fully bound to the order till they have attained the age of thirty-three, are the two essential principles, and, as it were, the foundation stones, on which the whole edifice of their constitution is raised: these cannot be changed without overthrowing the whole building; neither can any alteration be made in them without forming a new constitution, very different from that to which the Jesuits have bound themselves by vow. These two fundamental articles discover to us the extraordinary wisdom of their founder, who, with great judgment and forecast, has thus provided against the growth of any dangerous irregularity in the order, and secured such a constant tenor of government, as was necessary to qualify the religious subjects for the great duties of their calling.
It was, doubtless, for these reasons, that the council of Trent so highly commended and approved of this institute: that the late pope, Benedict XIV, in the bull Devotum, anno 1746, called them most wise laws and institutions, ex præscripto sapientissimarum legum et constitutionum, &c.: that the clergy of France, anno 1574, stiled them good and sound regulations: lastly, that the great Bossuet assures us, that in this rule he discovered numberless strokes of consummate wisdom[[135]]. Which
testimonies are greatly confirmed by the example of those other religious orders, which have sprung up in the church since the first establishment of the Jesuits, whose founders have framed good part of their rule after the model of this institute.
All which things considered, we are of opinion, that no alteration can be made in the Jesuits' rule, with regard to the power and authority of the general. And your majesty will give us leave to observe, that, if it were expedient to make such a reform, it would neither be agreeable to the ecclesiastical law, nor to the avowed practice of all ages, nor in particular to the discipline of the church of France and the established maxims of your courts of parliament, to undertake an affair of this nature without the concurrence and joint consent of his holiness the supreme pastor of the church, of the bishops of France, and of a general congregation of the Jesuits: we might add, without the consent of all the professed Jesuits, as such an alteration in their dependence on their general would affect the very vitals of the order, and change the whole constitution.
For these one hundred and fifty years, our history affords one only instance (of 1681) in which this authority of their general might have been any way prejudicial to the state; and if, on that occasion, the loyalty of the French Jesuits underwent a very severe trial, it had no other effect than to convince the whole kingdom how well they deserved that honourable testimony of your parliament, that their prudence guarded them against all surprise, and their loyalty against corruption.
But nothing, perhaps, can be of greater weight in this matter than the judgment of your majesty's royal
predecessor Henry IV, of glorious memory[[136]], who, in the midst of all his troubles, when the kingdom was in the greatest ferment, and he beset by persons, who spared no pains to instil into his mind the greatest distrust of the Jesuits, desired no other security for their good behaviour than this alone, that he might have one of that body ever near his person in quality of preacher to his majesty, and that a French assistant should be established with the general at Rome.
Your majesty is still possessed of the same security; and, since we are taught by the experience of a hundred and fifty years, that this is abundantly sufficient for the purpose, there can be no need of any farther caution or new regulation; especially as the Jesuits, in the late declaration, which they had the honour to present your majesty, have assured us in the most express terms, that, if their general was to require any thing of them contrary to the laws of your kingdom or to the obedience and respect due to your majesty, they neither could nor would pay any regard to such commands; and that their vow of obedience, as it is explained in their rule, doth no way bind them to such a compliance. This so peremptory declaration of the Jesuits, and the wise dispositions of the edict in 1603, leave no room to apprehend any danger from the general's abusing his authority to the prejudice of your majesty's kingdom. We are, &c.