V. Deinde hujusmodi magnates aut prælati, apud quos dimissi aliquid auctoritatis aut fidei sibi conciliare cœperint, omni genere beneficiorum à societate præveniendi sunt, ac obstringendi; explicandum illis quomodo bonum commune unius religionis tam celebris, quam utilis ecclesiæ præponderare debeat bono privato qualiscumque personæ; quod si affectus erga dimissos perseveret, juvabit causas dimissionis exponere, et exaggerare etiam quæ non adeo certa sunt, modo per probabilem consequentiam deducantur.
VI. Omni modo præcavendum erit, ne præsertim ii, qui sua sponte societatem deseruerunt, promoveantur ad aliqua officia aut dignitates ecclesiæ, nisi se suaque omnia societati submiserint et addixerint, ita ut omnibus constare possit quod à societate omnino dependere velint.
VII. Procuretur tempori ut ab exercitio functionum celebrium in ecclesia, ut sunt conciones, confessiones, evulgationes librorum, &c., quantum fieri potest sint remoti, ne affectum et plausum vulgi sibi concilient; eo fine diligentissime in vitam ac mores illorum erit inquirendum, nec non in sodalitia, occupationes, &c., et intentiones dimissi; quocirca efficiendum erit, ut cum aliquo è familia illa, quam dimissi incolunt, nostri peculiarem correspondentiam habeant, quamprimum autem quidpiam minus laudabile, aut censura dignum deprehensum fuerit, per personas inferioris ordinis nobis addictas in vulgus dispergatur, deinde magnates vel prælati, qui dimissos fovent, futuræ infamiæ indiciis teneantur: quod si nihil committant reprehensione dignum, et laudabiliter se gerant, extenuentur argutis propositionibus, ambiguisque verbis eorum virtutes, operaque quæ commendantur; donec æstimatio et fides quæ antea illis adhibebatur, imminuatur; societatis enim plane interest, dimissos et præsertim eos, qui eam sua sponte deseruerunt, prorsus supprimi.
VIII. Infortunia et eventus sinistri, qui illis accidunt, quamprimum divulgandi sunt, imploratis tamen precibus personarum piarum, ut non credantur nostri ex passione procedere; domi vero omnibus modis exaggerentur, ut alii contineantur.
CHAP. XI.
What we should all do against those dismissed from the society.
I. Since the dismissed, acquainted with at least a portion of our secrets, frequently do injury on that account, these efforts are to be obviated by the following methods:—before they may be dismissed from the society let them be induced to promise in writing, and swear, that they will never write nor speak any thing injuriously of the society; in the meantime let the superiors preserve in writing, the evil inclinations, defects and vices, which they may have at any time admitted for the clearing of their conscience, according to the constitution of the society, by which, if it shall be necessary, the society can strengthen itself with noblemen and prelates in preventing their promotion.
II. Those who are dismissed, should be published immediately, through our colleges, and the general reasons of their discharge, such as an unmortified mind, disobedience, an indisposition for spiritual exercises, obstinacy, &c. should be accumulated; then let all others be admonished, on no account to associate with them; and if strangers speak of the dismissed, let all uniformly say, and every where declare that the society discharges none but for weighty causes, even as the sea casts up only the dead, &c.; especially let such cases, as have caused us odium, be managed with such caution, as will give plausibility to the dismission.
III. In private exhortations it should be urged that the dismissed are exceedingly unhappy, and constantly soliciting re-admission: and the misfortunes of any, who may have perished miserably, after their departure from the society, should be aggravated.
IV. Whatever accusations those dismissed from the society may bring, are to be opposed by the influence of important men, who should every where declare that the society dismisses no one without strong reasons, and never cuts off sound members: which is proven by the zeal which the society feels and commonly exhibits, for the souls of those without: how much more then for her own members?