J'ESIIITS, or SOCIETY OF Jusus, a celebrated religious order of the Roman Catholic church, which has lined is large space in the ecclesiastical and even the political history o' the world. It was founded in 1534 by the well-known Ignatius of Loyola (see LOYOLA), in concert with five associates—Peter Le Fevre, a Savoyard; three Spaniards —James Lainez, Francis Xavier, and Nicholas Bobadilla; and a Portuguese named Rodriguez. The original object of association was limited to a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, and a mission for the conversion of infidels; but as all access to the Holy Land was precluded by the outbreak of a war with the Turks, the associates turned their thoughts to a more comprehensive organization, specially designed to meet those more modern requirements which had arisen since the reformation. With this view Ignatius of Loyola, with Laiuez and Le Fevre, having meanwhile recruited several new asso ciates, repaired to Rome in 1539, and submitted to the pope, Paul III., the rule of the proposed order, the great aim of which was expressed in their adopted -motto: Ad meig9rena Dei gloriam ( ro God's greater glory); and the vow of which, in addition to the threefold obligations common to all Catholic religious orders, of chastity, poverty, and obedience, comprised a fourth, whereby the members bound themselves unreservedly to go as missionaries to any country which the pope might indicate to them. The new rule was approved by a bull dated Sept. 27, 1540; and in the following year the association was practically inaugurated at Rome by the election of Ignatius of Loyola as its first general.
The original consOtution of the society has undergone so few subsequent modifica tions that it may be described without specifying these changes. Although it is com monly represented as absolutely monarchical. yet the authority of the general is, in many respects, strictly limited. It is true that the general—who is elected by a con gregation of professed members selected for the purpose by the whole body of pro fessed members in the various provinces—holds his office for life; and although he is aided in his government by a council of five assistants from the five chief provinces, he is not obliged to follow their voice, even when unanimous. But, on the other hand, he is strictly bound by the constitutions of the order; nor, although lie may dispense in particular cases, is he competent, of his own authority, to annul or to alter any of their constitutions. In like manner, although no instance of deposition has ever occurred, lie is liable to be deposed by the sentence of a general congregation, in certain contin gencies which are specifieally pointed out the constitutions.
The body over which this general presides consists of four classes: 1. Professed, who, having passed through all preparatory stages, which commonly extend over ten or twelve years, or even a longer period, have solemnly taken the vows described above, that of obedience to the pope. It is from this class alone that the general and all the higher officials of the society are chosen. 2. Coadjutors, spiritual and temporal: the former—who have completed their studies, and have (seldom before their thirty second year, or even later) been admitted to holy orders—being designed to assist the professed in preaching, teaching, and the direction of souls; the latter being lay-brothers, to whom the minor and menial offices of the society are assigned. 3. Scholastics, who, having passed through the novitiate, are engaged for a long series of years, either in pursuing their own studies, or in teaching in the various schools of the order. 4. Lastly, novices, who, after a short trial as "postulants" for admission. are engaged for two years exclusively in spiritual exercises, prayer, meditation, ascetic reading, or ascetic practices, and generally in a course of disciplinary training. The administra
tive and executive government of the society, throughout the various provinces or countries into which it is divided, is intrusted, tinder the general, to provincials, who are named by the general, and hold office, as do all the other officials, for theee years. In each separate province there are three kinds of communities—professed houses or residences, colleges, and novitiates. Not only the superiors of these houses—who are called by different names—but also all the various office-bearers in each, are appointed by the general, who receives at stated intervals—monthly from provinces, quarterly from colleges and novitiates—a detailed report of the character, conduct, and position of each member of the society. In all these gradations the subordination is complete, and the obligation of obedience is immediate and unreserved; and one of the most familiar accusations against the society is, that this duty of blind and implicit obedience' makes the superior the sole and final arbiter of conscience for all his subjects, the judge of good and evil, of virtue and of vice. Nevertheless, whatever may be said of the practical tendency of this relation, the Jesuits and their apologists plead that, both in the rules of St. Ignatius and in the so-called "examen" of the candidate, there is con tained, in the duty of obedience to a superior, an explicit reservation for the subject, •` unless where the superior should command what is sinful." Such is the internal organization of this renowned association. The system of train ing applied to the formation of its members exhibits the most profound knowledge of the human heart, and the most correct appreciation of the religious instincts and impulses of mankind. The long exercises of the novitiate were designed by Ignatius to form the individul character in habits of personal holiness, and practices .of personal piety. It was the business of the school and college to form the social character of the future teachers of men, and directors of the destinies of society. To learning carefully adapted to the actual Condition and progress of knowledge, they sought to add manners and habits calculated to inspire confidence, and to disarm prejudice and suspicion. Unlike the older orders, they made no parade of a special calling, whether by a peculiar habit, or by peculiar exterior indications of austerity or asceticism. They enjoyed, indeed, in these respects, some exemptions from the more austere practices of other orders. Their churches were but designed as supplementary to those of the parish clergy (whose ordi nary costume they adopted as their own conventual dress), without the canonical services, without much imposing or attractive ceremonial, being chiefly appropriated for religious instruction, an d for the duties of the confessional. Their casuistry avoided all harsh and excessive rigor; and it cannot be doubted that some of their writers carried it to the opposite extreme. But, above all, they addressed themselves to the great want of their time—education; and through the mastery which they soon obtained in this important field, as well as their eminence in every department of learning, divinity, philosophy, history, scholarship, antiquities, and letters, they attained to unbounded influence in every department of society. It may be added that to their extraordinary success in thus drawing to themselves, for education, the youth of every country into which they% were introduced, the historians of the society ascribe much of the opposition which they encountered from the universities and collegiate bodies whose monopolies they invaded.