But the most singular regulations, which principally con tributed to extend the power of the Jesuits, and to form that enterprising and intriguing spirit by which they were distinguished, were long unknown to the rest of mankind, and were concealed with a degree of care, which might alone have excited the worst suspicions of their nature. It was their favourite maxim, from their first institution, never to publish even the ordinary rules and registers of the order. These were preserved as an impene trable mystery, not only from strangers, hut even from the greater part of their own members. They refused to produce them, when required by courts of justice; and it was not till the public prosecutions against them in Portugal and France, which terminated in their overthrow, had com menced, that the mysterious volumes or the institute were unveiled to the world. But the a Secrets illonita," or hidden rules of the society, which were not discovered till nearly fifty years after the abolition of l he order, and which most unequivocally unfold the detestable nature of the in stitution, were most anxiously withheld from ever y eye, ex cept those of the most thoroughly initiated. They were directed to be communicated, even to professed members, with the utmost caution, and then only as the result of per sonal experience, not as the recorded rules of the institution. In the event also of their falling into the hands of strangers, it was expressly enjoined, that they must be positively de nied to be the rules of the society. A few extracts from these hidden precepts will furnish the reader with the best exposure of the spirit and tendency of jesuitism. " Princes and distinguished persons must by all means be so managed (by the members of the society,) that they may gain their car, which will easily secure their hearts; so that all persons will become dependent upon them, and opposition be pre vented —Since ecclesiastics secure the greatest favour by winking at the vices of the great, as in the case of incestu ous marriages, &c. such persons must be led to hope, that, through their aid. a dispensation may be obtained from the Pope, which he will no doubt readily grant.—It will further their object, if their members insinuate themselves into fo reign embassies, but especially in those to the Pope. Favour must, above all, be obtained with the dependents and domes tics of princes and noblemen, who, by presents and offices of piety, may be so far biassed as to impart intelligence of their employer's inclinations and intentions. Princesses and females of rank may be gained by women of their bed-cham bers, who must therefore be particularly addressed, where by there will be no secrets concealed from their members. —Their confessors must allow greater latitude than those of other orders, in order that their penitents, being allured with such freedom, may relinquish others, and entirely de pend on their direction and advice.—Prelates must be en gaged to employ the Jesuits both for confessors and advisers. Care must be taken, when princes or prelates found either colleges or parish churches, that the society always have the right of presenting, and that the superior of the Jesuits for the time being, be appointed to the cure, so that the whole government of that church and its parishioners may become dependent on the society. Wherever the gover nors of academies thwart their designs, or the Catholics or heretics oppose their lOundations, they must endeavour, by the prelates, to secure the principal pulpits.—Their mem bers, in directing the great, must seem to have nothing in view hut God's glory ; and not inimediately, but by degrees, interfere in political and secular matters, solemnly affirming, that the administration of public affairs is what they engage in with reluctance, and only as compelled by a sense of duty.—In order to induce rich widows to he liberal to the society, they must be provided with confessors, who may urge their remaining unmarried, by assuring them that they will thereby infallibly secure their salvation, and effec tually escape the pains of purgatory.—"Fhat the widow may dispose of her propel ty to the society, she must be told of those who have devoted themselves to the service of God, and he led to expect canonization from the court of Rome. Confessors must also enquire of their penitents, what family, relations, fi icods, and estates they possess, and what they have in expectancy, as also their intentions, which they must endeavour to mould in favour of the society. Such mem:',ers as make a scruple of acquiring riches for the society must be dismissed ; and if they appeal to the provin cials, they must not he heard, hut pressed with the statute, which commands implicit obedience from all.—Such as re tain a love for other orders, for the poor, or their relations, must be dismissed, since they are likely to prove of little service.—All, before dismission, must be prevailed upon to subscribe and make an oath, that they will never, direct ly or indirectly, either write or speak any thing to the dis advantage of the order ; and the superiors must keep an account of the sins, failings, and vices, which they formerly confessed, to be used against them, if occasion requires, in order to prevent their future advancement in life ; and no blemen and prelates, with whom they may have credit, must be prevailed upon to deny them their protection.—All must be caressed, who are distinguished either for their talents, rank, or wealth, especially if they have friends attached to the society, or possessed of power ; such must be sent to Rome, or some celebrated university, for study ; hut, if they prefer the provinces,the professors must inveigle them into a surrender of their effects to the society, and the superiors must shcw a particular regard to such as have allured any promising youths into the society. The pre ceptors must not chastise or keep in subjection young men of good genius, agreeable persons, and noble families, like their other pupils: they must be won by presents, and the indulgence of liberties peculiar to their age ; but on other occasions, especially in exhortations, they must be terrified with threats of eternal punishment, unless they obey the heavenly invitation of joining the society. If any member expects a bishopric or other dignity, he must take an addi tional vow, always to think and speak honourably of the society ; never to have a confessor who is not a Jesuit ; nor determine any affair of moment, without first consulting the society. The society will contribute much to its own ad vantage, by fomenting and heightening (but with caution and secrecy) the animosities that arise among princes and great men, in order that they may weaken each other." These detestable objects and principles, however, were long an impenetrable secret ; and the professed intention of the new order was, to promote with unequalled and unfet tered zeal the salvation of mankind. Its progress, never theless, was at first remarkably slow. Charles V. who is supposed, with his usual sagacity, to have discerned its dangerous tendency, rather checked than encouraged its advancement ; and the universities of France resisted its introduction into that kingdom. Thus roused by obstacles,
and obliged to find resources within themselves, the Jesuits brought all their talents and devices into action. They ap plied themselves to every useful function and curious art ; and neither neglected nor despised any mode, however humble, of gaining employment or reputation. The sati rist's description of the Greeks in Rome, has been aptly chosen to describe their indefatigable and universal industry.
They laboured with the greatest assiduity to qualify them selves as the instructors of youth ; and succeeded, at length, in supplanting their opponents in every Catholic kingdom. They aimed, in the next place, to become the spiritual directors of the higher ranks ; and soon established them selves in most of the courts v Lich were attached to the Papal faith, not only as the confessors, but frequently also as the guides and ministers of superstitious princes. The governors of the society, pursuing one uniform system with unwearied perseverance, became entirely successful ; and, in the space of half a century, had in a wonderful degree extended the reputation, the number, and influence of the order. When Loyola, in 1540, petitioned the Pope to' au thorize the institution of the Jesuits, he had only ten disci ples; but in 1608, the number amounted to 10,581. Be fore the expiration of the sixteenth century, they had obtain ed the chief direction of the education of youth in every Catholic country in Europe, and had become the confessors of almost all its noblest monarchs. They thus formed the minds of men in their youth, and retained the ascendancy over them in their advanced years. They took part in every public measure, and possessed at different periods the direc tion of the principal courts in Europe. They preserved the highest degree of influence with the Roman pontiffs, as the most zealous champions of their authority ; and were equally celebrated by the friends, and dreaded by the adver saries of the Catholic faith, as the ablest and most enter prising order in the church. In 1710, they possessed 24 professed houses, 59 houses of probation, 340 residences, 612 colleges, 200 missions, 150 seminal ies, and 19,998 members.
In spite of their vow of poverty, their wealth increased with their power; and they soon rivalled, in the extent and value of their possessions, the most opulent monastic fraternities. Besides the sources of wealth common to all the regular clergy, they possessed one peculiar to themselves. Under the specious pretext of facilitating the success and support of their mission, they obtained as pecial license from the court of Rome to trade with the nations whom they laboured to convert ; and though these mercantile schemes tended ultimately to accelerate their ruin, they proved, during a century and a half, a most lucrative source of property and influence. Besides carrying on an exten sive commerce both in the East and West Indies, and open ing warehouses in different parts of Europe for the pur pose of vending their commodities, they aimed at obtaining settlements, and reigning as sovereigns. It was in this latter capacity, unsuitable as it may seem to their whole character, that they exhibited the most wonderful dis play of their abilities, and contributed most essentially to the benefit of the human species. About the beginning of the 17th century, they obtained from the court of Madrid tile grant of the large and fertile province of Paraguay, which stretches across the southern continent of America, from the mountains of Potosi to the banks of the river La Plata ; and, after every deduction which can reasonably be made from their own accounts of their establishment, enough will remain to excite the astonishment and applause of mankind. They found the inhabitants in the first stage of society, ignorant of the arts of life, and unacquainted with the first principles of subordination. They applied them selves to instruct and civilize these savage tribes. They commenced their labours, by collecting about fifty families of wandering Indians, whom they converted and settled in a small township. They taught them to build houses, to cultivate the ground, and to rear tame animals ; trained them to arts and manfactures, and brought them to relish the blessings of security and order. By a wise and humane policy, they gradually attracted new subjects and converts; till at last they formed a powerful and well organized state of 300,000 families. Over these they exercised a mild and patriarchal government, and their subjects, docile and grateful, revered their benefactors as divinities. The coun try was divided into 47 districts, over each of which a Je suit presided. A few magistrates, chosen by the Indians themselves, assisted in every town to secure obedience to the laws. In other respects all the members of the com munity were as one family, on a footing of perfect equali ty, and possessed all things in common. Every individual was obliged to labour for the public, and the fruits of their industry were deposited in common store houses, from which every person received whatever was necessary for the supply of his wants. Punishments were rare, and always of the mildest description, such as an admonition from the Jesuit, a slight mark of disgrace, or at most a few lashes with a whip. Industry was universal, but wealth and want were equally unknown; and most of those pas sions, which disturb the peace of society, were deprived of every opportunity to operate. Even the elegant arts be gan by degrees to appear, and full protection was provided against every invader. An army of 60,000 men was com pletely armed and regularly disciplined, consisting of caval ry, infantry, artillery, and well provided with magazines of all the implements of war. The Indians of Paraguay, in short, under the government of the Jesuits, were an innocent and happy people, civilized without being corrupted, and yielding with entire contentment the most perfect submis sion to an absolute but equitable government. Yet, even in this most meritorious effort for the welfare of mankind, the peculiar spirit of the order was sufficiently disscernible. In order to preserve their influence, they found it necessary to keep their subjects in a state of comparative ignorance ; and, besides prohibiting all intercourse with the adjacent settlements of the Spaniards and Portuguese, they endea voured to inspire them with a hatred and contempt of those nations. They prevented their subjects from learning any language, except a native dialect, (the Guarani,) which they endeavoured to improve as a general standard, and plainly aimed at establishing an independent empire, sub ject only to their order, which could scarcely have failed, from its excellent constitution and police, to have extended its dominion over all the southern continent of America.