III. Founder of the Society of 1534-56.—On 15 Aug. 1534, the companions took the vows of poverty and chastity, at Montmartre, Paris, and founded the Society of Jesus. They also bound themselves to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land after two years; or, if this were not feasible, to put themselves at the disposal of the Holy Father. Works of charity occupied them for several years. In 1537, with permission of the Holy See, all were ordained to the priesthood. About this time on his way to Rome, Ignatius had a vision of the Eternal Father directing him to companion ship with Jesus, and saying: "Ego vobis Roma; propitius era? This vision fixed the knight's determination to call his society "La Com pailia de Jesus," in keeping with the military idea of recruiting a body of picked knights, priests of singular worth and noteworthy edu cation, who should be a select corps of trained warriors, named after its Captain, Jesus Christ, and ever ready at the beck of the Pope to go even to the utmost ends of the earth to spread the Kingdom of the Saviour. There were delays and difficulties at Rome. The plan re ceived pontifical viva voce approval, 3 Sept. 1539; and, on 27 Sept. 1540, the bull "Regimini militantis ecclesiz" of Paul III established the Society of Jesus as a new religious order. In April 1541 Ignatius was elected the first general of the society. He and his companions made their solemn profession, the 22d of that same month, at Saint Paul's outside the walls. Within a very short time, the new religious were sent on important missions to various parts of the world: Rodriguez to Portugal, where he founded a province; Xavier to India; Salmeron and Broet to Ireland; Fabre, Cani sius, Bobadilla and Le Jay, to Germany. In 1546 Laynez and Salmer6n were papal theolo at the Council of Trent; here also Le ay, Covillon and Canisius represented various bishops. Ignatius remained at Rome, to draw up the constitution (Cf. art. Jesuit's). What pains he took iii this work, and how he was guided therein by traordinary graces,— illu minations of the re on, inspirations of the will and visions,— ma be established by a journal of prayer still extant, wherein are recorded the deliberations for 40 days upon one vital issue in the matter of religious pov erty. Ignatius founded the Roman College in 1551, and the German College at Rome in 1552. He died in 1556, the 16th year after the canoni cal institution of the Society of Jesus. It had grown to a membership of about 1,000, divided into 12 provinces, and toiling in more than 100 religious houses. The saint was beatified Paul V, 27 July 1609; and canonized by Gregory XV, 22 May 1622. His remains rest under a beautiful altar, in the church of the Gesu, Rome.
IV. " The Spiritual spirit of Saint Ignatius was Pauline,— intrepid yet tender; motivated by two great principles,—love of Jesus Christ and zeal for the salvation of souls. These two principles were brought together in his motto: A. M. D. G., "Omnia ad Majorem Dei Gloriam" (All for the greater glory of God). It was this spirit, which breathed in "The Spiritual Exercises," a method of asceticism, that is the very soul of the constitutions and activities of the Society of Jesus. This little book is said to have con verted more souls than it contains letters. Certainly the results it has produced down the centuries cannot be exaggerated. The import ance of its method is proved by the mere fact that 292 Jesuit writers have commented on the whole work. The purpose of the Exercises is definite and scientific upbuilding of the reason, will and emotions, by meditation and contem plation on the fundamental principles of the spiritual life and by other exercises of the soul. First, God is rated rightly as the soul's end and object. Reason is convinced that God is the end for which the soul is created, and all things else are only means to bring the soul to God; hence it follows that that is good which leads the soul Godward, and that is evil which leads the soul awayward from God. The soul's awaywardness from God results in sin; so sin is studied both in itself and in its consequences to the soul. Secondly, Jesus Christ is put in His place in the soul, by medita tions on His ideals and contemplations on His private and public life. The soul now aspires to the very height of enthusiastic and personal love to Him; and to the most self-sacrificing generosity in following the evangelical counsels. Thirdly, the high resolves of the soul are con firmed by the imitation of Christ in His pas sion. Lastly, the soul rises to a sublime and unselfish joy, purely because of the glory of its risen Lord; and leaps with rapturous exultation into the realms of unselfish and perfect love of God, such as Saint Paul evinced when he cried out : "To to live is Christ; to die were (Philippians i, 21). See also article SPIRITUAL EXERCISES.
Bibliography.— (Monumenta Historica So cietatis Jesu' (1894, 36 vols., especially the 'Monumenta Ignatianad 9 vols., containing the of Saint Ignatius); Astrain, de la Compaftia de Jesus en la Asis tencia de Espafia) (Vol. I, 1902) • Tacchi-Ven turi, della Compagnia di desti in Italia' (1909) ; Dubr, der Tesuiten in den Landern tleutscher Zunge' (1907). More than 130 lives of Saint Ignatius have been written; important are Ribadeneira (1572), Clair (1894), Barton (1650), Bouhours (1679), Stewart Rose (1891) and Thompson (1910). •