Its Origin

The Jesuits, or the Society of Jesus (S.J.) is the name of a notorious religious order in the Romish church. The name “Jesuit” was never used by the founder, being used derogatively to mean one who used the name of Jesus too freely, or unwisely. The founder was the Spanish fanatic Ignatius Loyola (Inigo Lopez de Recalde of Loyola). He was tough, swash-buckling, gallant and rich. He spent much of his time in amorous adventures. As the result of an injury received in battle with the French he began to consider more serious matters, and contemplated the adventure of a religious life. However, his only intellectual ability at this time consisted of a little reading and writing. Learning in those days was despised and left to priests! To develop the leadership qualities he believed he needed to make something of himself in the religious world, he entered college at the age of 33. (Luther was 41 then.) This was in Barcelona. Later he continued his studies in Paris. He felt that it added to his training to devote himself to the virgin Mary, and to pilgrimages to the holy land. At the same time he conceived the nebulous idea of a new religious order of the knighthood. He thought of it as a military company, and army, a flying squadron, trained in defensive and offensive fighting, with disciplined might, well equipped with knowledge of strategy, surprise and camouflage. Such a fighting force was felt necessary due to the detrimental effects Romanism suffered from the Protestant Reformation, and from various evidences of unpopularity throughout the world. For the people of Europe were striving more and more to rid themselves of the bondage of Rome. The Jesuits labored to tighten that bondage. Luther preached liberty in Christ. Loyola rebutted with unquestioning submission to the hierarchy. The weapon of the Protestant Reformation was the Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. “The shield of the Romish church was a secret society.”

To crystallize his plan with constitution, laws, and wide constituency, Loyola claimed direct divine inspiration for his ideas and authority. This did not first set well with the pope, nor with his committee of cardinals appointed to study the matter. They refused their approbation on the grounds the society was unnecessary, and would endanger the welfare of the church. But Loyola succeeded in removing these objections by making an offer irresistible to any pope. He pointed out that the society would have the usual three vows of poverty, celibacy, and monastic obedience common to Romish orders, but in addition would impose a fourth vow of blind, uncritical obedience to the pope, swearing to go wherever he would command, and labor for the cause of Romanism without any financial support from the pope or the church At large. This new body would have for its purpose the enslavement of all the world to Roman authority, devotion to the pope, the putting in motion of effectual opposition to Rome’s enemies, and the countering of attacks and set-backs caused by them. The pope then perceiving how this scheme perfectly suited the Romish spirit and genius, approved and ordered the establishment of the new society, making Loyola its first general. This was in the period of 1540-41. The pope’s insight was soon substantiated in the fast growth and power of the order, its swift increase of membership over the world, its amazing wealth, and its becoming the most competent and effectual order in the church.

Its Object

We are familiar with the fact that Romish orders are, generally, ascetic, monastic, withdrawing from the world, retiring to solitude, silence and seclusion for the purpose of developing piety and influencing mankind by good example and prayer. But the Jesuits were formed for action! They were not to be primarily meditative, but mobile. They were soldiers, not monks, and their only chief on earth the pope. They took upon themselves to instruct the ignorant, proselyte or persecute enemies of Rome. To accomplish this without hindrance, they were given total exemption from the recluse rigors of other orders. Hence, they are not bound to the tediums of processions, parades and the needless monkish austerities. They are required to attend all the major political, social, labor, economic, educational and religious functions of the world, and to mingle in the affairs, including the revolutions, of the nations. They must live closely to any and every part of life which has influence upon religion, and which may be turned to the advantage of the Roman church. Their purpose is to have a Romish majority in the fields of politics and education. Today we are dangerously close to having public education under the dominance of a Roman-controlled government. The Jesuits have gained almost absolute control within the Roman Catholic Church. Every power in the world is viewed as properly belonging to papal control. To realize this aim, the priests become psychologists to a degree, study the nature and character of men in high rank in order to cultivate their friendship. The cause of Rome must be fostered in these ways. This is not scorn, satire, irony, exaggeration, or unhistorical, unscholarly exposure. It is well-grounded fact borne out by current events, to say nothing of familiar history. Nor will it do to charge the world with the employ of name-calling, such as, “busy-bodies, mischief-makers, politicians with no attachment to country”! Let them make their defense standing in the white light of Scripture, and not in the darkness of sophistry and paralogy.

Its Polity and Policy

Other societies are of voluntary association, and membership persists according to the consent of the individual member. But the Jesuits submit to permanent blind obedience and are controlled by an absolutely totalitarian monarchy. We must say a word about the principle of “blind obedience.” The rebuttal to the charge of blind obedience is that all obedience must be blind to some extent, even as the tired cliché has it, “Theirs not to reason why, theirs but to do or die.” It is further insisted that the subject taking exception to any given command may appeal in the constitutional way, and by discussion and arbitration have his case cleared up. But this necessitates going through labyrinthine channels to make a disposal of the case. To go through a hierarchical system would be like an attempt to unravel a ton of cooked spaghetti.

A further word on this matter of blind obedience. One must submit even to the point of sacrifice of the intellect and abandonment of personal freedom. This principle binds to the doing of any act – the commission of assassination – or any evil that good may come. The Jesuit principle, “the end justifies the means,” has been denied, has been admitted but explained away, has been defended on philosophic grounds, but not according to Scripture. It is not surprising then that Jesuits must yield to their superiors matters of conscience, natural inclination and personal sentiment. Neither the severity of a convent, nor the cell of a monastery can compare with this iron-clad despotism, the impact of which is impressed upon all its members, and felt in all its operations. In order to qualify for membership in the order candidates must bare their conscience, inmost thoughts and desires to their superior. He must not only confess his sins, auricularly, and reveal his own personal defects, but also bare the passions of his soul. He must subject himself to this psychoanalytical fluoroscopy every six months. Official record files on him note his personal qualities, foibles and anything else of importance concerning him. This “dossier” is not complete without formal deposits of daily detailed information added year by year until the novice attains the age of thirty-three. Only then may he take the vows and become a full-fledged Jesuit. The order therefore has complete knowledge of the novice’s character, temperament and capabilities. The general of the order, with the aid of these minutely detailed registers, can then select the most apt for any project or espionage he may dictate. There may possibly be no secret Jesuits, but every member of the society has a shadow, and is either always in the company of another member (as with the nuns), or constantly kept under surveillance. The society continually spies on its own constituency.

Its Progress, Power and Influence

As the order from its inception promoted the cause of education, it took upon itself the task of educating youth, of instruction the people, of missionary effort to convert the heathen nations to Romanism. Jesuits were the directors of education in all the Romish states of Europe. They had a Jesuit college in almost every town in Germany, established colleges under stress of great peril in Ireland, and were never entirely expelled from England. They now have schools and colleges in every state in the Union.

They were the father-confessors of kings, and under them were of higher rank than prime ministers. They were as personal astrologers to the elite and eminent of the post-reformation age. They, of all the Romish orders, enjoyed the esteem, interest, and confidence of the papal hierarchy. For they were the most avid and adroit champions of papal power.

Increasing in power they also accumulated vast stores of wealth. There were devious ways of circumventing the vow of poverty. The Roman church ha always been uncommonly wealthy. But the Jesuit order has resources of its own. They have built cathedrals of massive architecture. (Dynamite had to be used to dismantle the massive walls of the Jesuit college of Quebec, torn down in 1880 by order of the provincial government.) These edifices are constructed with numerous side chapels, are of staggering beauty and richness in marble, gold inlays, exceptional lighting effects, the blending of striking artistry on walls and ceiling. This is complemented with great music and impressive ceremonies which greatly impress the mystically-minded worshiper.

Wealth is also accumulated by their working themselves into the business of international trade, holding commerce in West and East Indies, owning warehouses in Europe. This led to the desire to acquire property, when finally possession of Paraguay was secured. The people here were heathen, ignorant, illiterate, subsisting by hunting and fishing; and as can easily be believed, knew practically nothing of docility, much less, of government. This was a challenge not too great for the Jesuits, who immediately began cultivating and civilizing the savages, teaching them to farm, build, form villages, and establish a society sustained by arts and manufacture. This worked so well, and so held the Indians that a few Jesuits could control a hundred thousand of them. Ostensibly advancing the good of mankind in this fashion, the aim was to form Paraguay into an empire and power militarily, politically and commercially, with a view of extending their dominion all over South America.

Within the mammoth body of Romanism there is, paradoxically, a dog-eat-dog spirit, or a Satan casting out Satan state of affairs. To keep the Paraguayans under the influence of their own society, they taught them to hate and have no dealings with their Spanish and Portuguese neighbors. Men appearing form these neighboring settlements were not permitted to have any contact or conversation with the subjects of the Jesuits. Nor was any Indian privileged to enter the house of a Spaniard or a Portuguese unless in the company of a Jesuit priest. The learning of either the Spanish or any European language was withheld from the natives. To weld their empire into thoroughly controlled security and unity the Indians were given a European military training, armed to the teeth, and disciplined in strict soldiery. Jesuits also control French Canada, and the French language itself, which is a powerful means of keeping the people isolated, and keeping out any ideas or advances in civilization not in harmony with the church. Administration, diplomacy, politics, exploration and labor are also Jesuit-controlled.

– – – To be continued – – –