JESUITS VS THE REFORMATION

Ignacio Loyola founder of the Jesuits

Throughout Christendom, Protestantism was menaced by formidable foes. The first triumphs of the Reformation past, Rome summoned new forces, hoping to accomplish its destruction. At this time the order of the Jesuits was created, the most cruel, unscrupulous, and powerful of all the champions of popery. Cut off from earthly ties and human interests, dead to the claims of natural affection, reason and conscience wholly silenced, they knew no rule, no tie, but that of their order, and no duty but to extend its power. (See Appendix.) The gospel of Christ had enabled its adherents to meet danger and endure suffering, undismayed by cold, hunger, toil, and poverty, to uphold the banner of truth in face of the rack, the dungeon, and the stake. To combat these forces, Jesuitism inspired its followers with a fanaticism that enabled them to endure like dangers, and to oppose to the power of truth all the weapons of deception. There was no crime too great for them to commit, no deception too base for them to practice, no disguise too difficult for them to assume. Vowed to perpetual poverty and humility, it was their studied aim to secure wealth and power, to be devoted to the overthrow of Protestantism, and the re-establishment of the papal supremacy.

When appearing as members of their order, they wore a garb of sanctity, visiting prisons and hospitals, ministering to the sick and the poor, professing to have renounced the world, and bearing the sacred name of Jesus, who went about doing good. But under this blameless exterior the most criminal and deadly purposes were often concealed. It was a fundamental principle of the order that the end justifies the means. By this code, lying, theft, perjury, assassination, were not only pardonable but commendable, when they served the interests of the church. Under various disguises the Jesuits worked their way into offices of state, climbing up to be the counselors of kings, and shaping the policy of nations. They became servants to act as spies upon their masters. They established colleges for the sons of princes and nobles, and schools for the common people; and the children of Protestant parents were drawn into an observance of popish rites. All the outward pomp and display of the Romish worship was brought to bear to confuse the mind and dazzle and captivate the imagination, and thus the liberty for which the fathers had toiled and bled was betrayed by the sons. The Jesuits rapidly spread themselves over Europe, and wherever they went, there followed a revival of popery.

To give them greater power, a bull was issued re-establishing the inquisition. (See Appendix.) Notwithstanding the general abhorrence with which it was regarded, even in Catholic countries, this terrible tribunal was again set up by popish rulers, and atrocities too terrible to bear the light of day were repeated in its secret dungeons. In many countries, thousands upon thousands of the very flower of the nation, the purest and noblest, the most intellectual and highly educated, pious and devoted pastors, industrious and patriotic citizens, brilliant scholars, talented artists, skillful artisans, were slain or forced to flee to other lands.

Such were the means which Rome had invoked to quench the light of the Reformation, to withdraw from men the Bible, and to restore the ignorance and superstition of the Dark Ages. But under God's blessing and the labors of those noble men whom He had raised up to succeed Luther, Protestantism was not overthrown. Not to the favor or arms of princes was it to owe its strength. The smallest countries, the humblest and least powerful nations, became its strongholds. It was little Geneva in the midst of mighty foes plotting her destruction; it was Holland on her sandbanks by the northern sea, wrestling against the tyranny of Spain, then the greatest and most opulent of kingdoms; it was bleak, sterile Sweden, that gained victories for the Reformation.

The Great Controversy, Ellen G. White, pp 234-236.

(Appendix) GC

PAGE 234. JESUITISM.--FOR A STATEMENT CONCERNING THE ORIGIN, THE PRINCIPLES, AND THE PURPOSES OF THE "SOCIETY OF JESUS," AS OUTLINED BY MEMBERS OF THIS ORDER, SEE A WORK ENTITLED CONCERNING JESUITS, EDITED BY THE REV. JOHN GERARD, S.J., AND PUBLISHED IN LONDON, 1902, BY THE CATHOLIC TRUTH SOCIETY. IN THIS WORK IT IS SAID, "THE MAINSPRING OF THE WHOLE ORGANIZATION OF THE SOCIETY IS A SPIRIT OF ENTIRE OBEDIENCE: 'LET EACH ONE,' WRITES ST. IGNATIUS, 'PERSUADE HIMSELF THAT THOSE WHO LIVE UNDER OBEDIENCE OUGHT TO ALLOW THEMSELVES TO BE MOVED AND DIRECTED BY DIVINE PROVIDENCE THROUGH THEIR SUPERIORS, JUST AS THOUGH THEY WERE A DEAD BODY, WHICH ALLOWS ITSELF TO BE CARRIED ANYWHERE AND TO BE TREATED IN ANY MANNER WHATEVER, OR AS AN OLD MAN'S STAFF, WHICH SERVES HIM WHO HOLDS IT IN HIS HAND IN WHATSOEVER WAY HE WILL.'

"THIS ABSOLUTE SUBMISSION IS ENNOBLED BY ITS MOTIVE, AND SHOULD BE, CONTINUES THE . . . FOUNDER, 'PROMPT, JOYOUS AND PERSEVERING; . . . THE OBEDIENT RELIGIOUS ACCOMPLISHES JOYFULLY THAT WHICH HIS SUPERIORS HAVE CONFIDED TO HIM FOR THE GENERAL GOOD, ASSURED THAT THEREBY HE CORRESPONDS TRULY WITH THE DIVINE WILL.'"--THE COMTESSE R. DE COURSON, IN CONCERNING JESUITS, PAGE 6.

SEE ALSO L. E. DUPIN, A COMPENDIOUS HISTORY OF THE CHURCH, CENT. 16, CH. 33 (LONDON, 1713, VOL. 4, PP. 132-135); MOSHEIM, ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY, CENT. 16, SEC. 3, PT. 1, CH. 1, PAR. 10 (INCLUDING NOTES); THE ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANNICA (9TH ED.), ART. "JESUITS;" C. PAROISSEN, THE PRINCIPLES OF THE JESUITS, DEVELOPED IN A COLLECTION OF EXTRACTS FROM THEIR OWN AUTHORS (LONDON, 1860--AN EARLIER EDITION APPEARED IN 1839); W. C. CARTWRIGHT, THE JESUITS, THEIR CONSTITUTION AND TEACHING (LONDON, 1876); E. L. TAUNTON, THE HISTORY OF THE JESUITS IN ENGLAND, 1580-1773 (LONDON, 1901).

SEE ALSO H. BOEHMER, THE JESUITS (TRANSLATION FROM THE GERMAN, PHILADELPHIA, CASTLE PRESS 1928 ); E. GOETHEIN, IGNATIUS LOYOLA AND THE GEGEN-REFORMATION (HALLE, 1895); T. CAMPBELL, THE JESUITS, 1534 1921 (NEW YORK, 1922); E. L. TAUNTON, THE HISTORY OF THE JESUITS IN ENGLAND, 1580-1773 (LONDON, 1901).