The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-03-24

lltlcally speaking, from OIL the earJh.
Urged by the state of public opinion
which had spread like wild fire over so
large portion Of its ancient territory,
the nter-Reformation was an at
tempt on the part of Roman CathOli-
cism, under the guidance of the POpes
ito preserve Catholic dogma in its in
tegrity and to maintain the Supremacy
of the church."
To do this it became necessary act
ually, to some extent at least, to reform
the morals and manners of her clergy,
from the Pope down to the village
priest, and to enforce some degree of
| decency and some respect for the moral
judgments Of mankind amongst them.
This becomes partly apparent in the
fact that at the Council of Trent it was
deemed necessary to appoint ''cOn-
gregation," or, as we would say, COM
mittee, on reforms. Without this
measure of renewed spiritual activity
and true moral reformation it is doubt
full whether all other measures taken
to stay the tide Of public indignation
and righteous protests would have been
sufficient. 1t was too late. Catholic
ism awoke out of her long and deep de-
bauch to find her very existence i'm
perilled. Luckily for her the gangrene
which had for so long been tainting the
eXtremities had not attacked any vital
part. There might be a cure for her
ills if there were life and courage left
| to lOp off the infected parts-or cleanse
them-or if new blood could be inject
ed into her decaying veins. Some
means must be found to adapt her ''de-
cadent and rotten faith' to the necessi-
ties of ChristendOm. How we'll she
succeeded in finding these means, how
strong and staunch she came out of the
conflict only the long future of time can
tell. 1t is not too much to say, perhaps,
that only that day which shall declare
the final destiny of this American
Republic, can fully reveal the power
she yet holds and wields for her own
purposes in the affairs of the world.
For that republican institutions must
eventually reckon with Roman Catho-
licism and either conquer her or be con-
quered by her, seems from the present
outlook to be inevitable.
In this counter Reformation the So
ciety of Jesus took prominent, vital
part. One writer defines it as Gin
reality the masterful Spanish spirit of
that epoch, masking its world-grasping
ambition under the guise Of obedience to
Rome" 1t is said that Loyola himself
in asking for papal permission to Or
ganize his society compared it to light
horse cavalry when modified for effec-
tive work in military campaign. He
declared its object and program to be
ready for every emergency that might
arise in the church and to obey impli-
city the orders of superiOrs, no matter
in what guise they might come or what
ever sacrifice they required. In enter
ing the society every man took a
solemn oath of strict and unquestion-
ing obedience to his superior. 1t was
the policy of the society to send men of
one nation as missionaries to those of
another, and to require them to use in
variably the language of their new place
of abode, both in writing and speaking
until they became masters of it. BY
this means all parts of the vast system
into which it eventually widened out
became interchangeable, and the mum
ber of persons eligible to any given part
was largely increased" The govern
ment of the society was a despotism
mitigated only by the fact that the
constitution held over all members,
superior and inferior. But the VOW of
obedience was taken, not to the con-
stitutiOn or rule, as in the older and
monastic orders, but directly to the
general. The general was elected by
the congregations, but it was for life
and with powers lodged in his hands
which greatly exceeded those usually
given to an elective office. By pro-
vision of regular and exhaustive re-
ports made to him, he held in his hands
not only the entire business of the So
ciety in its most minute and distant
ramificatiOns, but the work and the
private character of every man in it.
The admission or dismissal of every
member depended upon his absolute
decree. He had power to scatter his
enemies to the bounds of the earth,
and to gather hrs friends as close as he
wished. The society, therefore, pre-
sents the aspect of an Organically indie
pendent body within the body to which
it had pledged allegiance, and for whose
good it had been Ostensibly Great
ed, 1t was so radically independent,
and so certain of its position that it
refused, from the first, to obey the
Pope whoever he might be that oc-
cupied the papal whenever their
will was contrary to his. Three popes
at least are believed to have been put
to death through Jesuit influence be-
cause of their opposition to the order.
| The mart which the sOpiatv actuaIIv