beacon lights of history-iii-2-第44部分

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stood；　these　stood：　when　the　living　creatures　were　lifted　up；　the

wheels　were　lifted　up　over　against　them；　and　their　wings　were　full

of　eyes　round　about；　and　they　were　so　high　that　they　were　dreadful。

So　of　the　institution　of　Ignatius；one　soul　swayed　the　vast　mass；

and　every　pin　and　every　cog　in　the　machinery　consented　with　its

whole　power　to　every　movement　of　the　one　central　conscience。〃



Luther　moved　Europe　by　ideas　which　emancipated　the　millions；　and

set　in　motion　a　progress　which　is　the　glory　of　our　age；　Loyola

invented　an　agency　which　arrested　this　progress；　and　led　the

Catholic　world　back　again　into　the　subjections　and　despotisms　of

the　Middle　Ages；　retaining　however　the　fear　of　God　and　of　Hell；

which　are　the　extremes　of　human　motive。



What　is　the　secret　of　such　a　wonderful　success？　　Two　things：　first；

the　extraordinary　virtues；　abilities；　and　zeal　of　the　early

Jesuits；　and；　secondly；　their　wonderful　machinery　in　adapting　means

to　an　end。



The　history　of　society　shows　that　no　body　of　men　ever　obtained　a

wide…spread　ascendancy；　never　secured　general　respect；　unless　they

deserved　it。　　Industry　produces　its　fruits；　learning　and　piety　have

their　natural　results。　　Even　in　the　moral　world　natural　law　asserts

its　supremacy。　　Hypocrisy　and　fraud　ultimately　will　be　detected；　no

enduring　reputation　is　built　upon　a　lie；　sincerity　and　earnestness

will　call　out　respect；　even　from　foes；　learning　and　virtue　are

lights　which　are　not　hid　under　a　bushel。　　Enthusiasm　creates

enthusiasm；　a　lofty　life　will　be　seen　and　honored。　　Nor　do　people

intrust　their　dearest　interests　except　to　those　whom　they

venerate；and　venerate　because　their　virtues　shine　like　the　face

of　a　goddess。　　We　yield　to　those　only　whom　we　esteem　wiser　than

ourselves。　　Moses　controlled　the　Israelites　because　they　venerated

his　wisdom　and　courage；　Paul　had　the　confidence　of　the　infant

churches　because　they　saw　his　labors；　Bernard　swayed　his　darkened

age　by　the　moral　power　of　learning　and　sanctity。　　The　mature

judgments　of　centuries　never　have　reversed　the　judgments　which　past

ages　gave　in　reference　to　their　master　minds。　　All　the　pedants　and

sophists　of　Europe　cannot　whitewash　Frederic　II。　or　Henry　VIII。　　No

man　in　Athens　was　more　truly　venerated　than　Socrates　when　he　mocked

his　judges。　　Cicero；　Augustine；　Aquinas；　appeared　to

contemporaries；　as　they　appear　to　us。　　Even　Hildebrand　did　not

juggle　himself　into　his　theocratic　chair。　　Washington　deserved　all

the　reverence　he　enjoyed；　and　Bonaparte　himself　was　worthy　of　the

honors　he　received；　so　long　as　he　was　true　to　the　interests　of

France。



So　of　the　Jesuits；there　is　no　mystery　in　their　success；　the　same

causes　would　produce　the　same　results　again。　　When　Catholic　Europe

saw　men　born　to　wealth　and　rank　voluntarily　parting　with　their

goods　and　honors；　devoting　themselves　to　religious　duties；　often　in

a　humble　sphere；　spending　their　days　in　schools　and　hospitals；

wandering　as　preachers　and　missionaries　amid　privations　and　in

fatigue；　encountering　perils　and　dangers　and　hardships　with　fresh

and　ever…sustained　enthusiasm；　and　finally　yielding　up　their　lives

as　martyrs；　to　proclaim　salvation　to　idolatrous　savages；it　knew

them　to　be　heroic；　and　believed　them　to　be　sincere；　and　honored

them　in　consequence。　　When　parents　saw　that　the　Jesuits　entered

heart　and　soul　into　the　work　of　education；　winning　their　pupils'

hearts　by　kindness；　watching　their　moods；　directing　their　minds

into　congenial　studies；　and　inspiring　them　with　generous

sentiments；　they　did　not　stop　to　pry　into　their　motives；　and

universities；　when　they　discovered　the　superior　culture　of　educated

Jesuits；　outstripping　all　their　associates　in　learning；　and

shedding　a　light　by　their　genius　and　erudition；　very　naturally

appointed　them　to　the　highest　chairs；　and　even　the　people；　when

they　saw　that　the　Jesuits　were　not　stained　by　vulgar　vices；　but

were　hard…working；　devoted　to　their　labors；　earnest；　and　eloquent；

put　themselves　under　their　teachings；　and　especially　when　they

added　gentlemanly　manners；　good　taste；　and　agreeable　conversation

to　their　unimpeachable　morality　and　religious　fervor；　they　made

these　men　their　confessors　as　well　as　preachers。　　Their　lives　stood

out　in　glorious　contrast　with　those　of　the　old　monks　and　the

regular　clergy；　in　an　age　of　infidel　levities；　when　the　Italian

renaissance　was　bearing　its　worst　fruits；　and　men　were　going　back

to　Pagan　antiquity　for　their　pleasures　and　opinions。



That　the　early　Jesuits　blazed　with　virtues　and　learning　and　piety

has　never　been　denied；　although　these　things　have　been　poetically

exaggerated。　　The　world　was　astonished　at　their　intrepidity；　zeal；

and　devotion。　　They　were　not　at　first　intriguing；　or　ambitious；　or

covetous。　　They　loved　their　Society；　but　they　loved　still　more　what

they　thought　was　the　glory　of　God。　　Ad　majoram　Dei　gloriam　was　the

motto　which　was　emblazoned　on　their　standard　when　they　went　forth

as　Christian　warriors　to　overcome　the　heresies　of　Christendom　and

the　superstitions　of　idolaters。　　〃The　Jesuit　missionary；〃　says

Stephen；　〃with　his　breviary　under　his　arm；　his　beads　at　his　girdle；

and　his　crucifix　in　his　hands；　went　forth　without　fear；　to

encounter　the　most　dreaded　dangers。　　Martyrdom　was　nothing　to　him；

he　knew　that　the　altar　which　might　stream　with　his　blood；　and　the

mound　which　might　be　raised　over　his　remains；　would　become　a

cherished　object　of　his　fame　and　an　expressive　emblem　of　the　power

of　his　religion。〃　　〃If　I　die；〃　said　Xavier；　when　about　to　visit　the

cannibal　Island　of　Del　Moro；　〃who　knows　but　what　all　may　receive

the　Gospel；　since　it　is　most　certain　it　has　ever　fructified　more

abundantly　in　the　field　of　Paganism　by　the　blood　of　martyrs　than　by

the　labors　of　missionaries；〃a　sublime　truth；　revealed　to　him　in

his　whole　course　of　protracted　martyrdom　and　active　philanthropy；

especially　in　those　last　hours　when；　on　the　Island　of　Sanshan；　he

expired；　exclaiming；　as　his　fading　eyes　rested　on　the　crucifix；　In

te　Domine　speravi；　non　confundar　in　eternum。　　〃In　perils；　in

fastings；　in　fatigues；　was　the　life　of　this　remarkable　man　passed；

in　order　to　convert　the　heathen　world；　and　in　ten　years　he　had

traversed　a　tract　of　more　than　twice　the　circumference　of　the

earth；　preaching；　disputing；　and　baptizing；　until　seventy　thousand

converts；　it　is　said；　were　the　fruits　of　his　mission。〃*　　〃　My

companion；〃　said　the　fearless　Marquette；　when　exploring　the

prairies　of　the　Western　wilderness；　〃is　an　envoy　of　France　to

discover　new　countries；　and　I　am　an　ambassador　of　God　to　enlighten

them　with　the　Gospel。〃　　Lalemant；　when　pierced　with　the　arrows　of

the　Iroquois；　rejoiced　that　his　martyrdom　would　induce　others　to

follow　his　example。　　The　missions　of　the　early　Jesuits　extorted

praises　from　Baxter　and　panegyric　from　Liebnitz。





*　I　am　inclined　to　think　that　this　statement　is　exaggerated；　or；　if

true；　that　conversion　was　merely　nominal。　　In　any　event；　his　labors

were　vast。





And　not　less　remarkable　than　these　missionaries　were　those　who

labored　in　other　spheres。　　Loyola　himself；　though　visionary　and

monastic；　had　no　higher　wish　than　to　infuse　piety　into　the　Catholic

Church；　and　to　strengthen　the　hands　of　him　whom　he　regarded　as

God's　vicegerent。　　Somehow　or　other　he　succeeded　in　securing　the

absolute　veneration　of　his　companions；　so　much　so　that　the　sainted

Xavier　always　wrote　to　him　on　his　knees。　　His　〃Spiritual　Exercises〃

has　ever　remained　the　great　text…book　of　the　Jesuits；a　compend　of

fasts　and　penances；　of　visions　and　of　ecstasies；　rivalling　Saint

Theresa　herself　in　the　rhapsodies　of　an　exalted　piety；　showing　the

chivalric　and　romantic　ardor　of　a　Spanish　nobleman　directed　into

the　channel　of　devotion　to　an　invisible　Lord。　　See　this　wounded

soldier　at　the　siege　of　Pampeluna；　going　through　all　the

experiences　of　a　Syriac　monk　in　his　Manresan　cave；　and　then　turning

his　steps　to　Paris　to　acquire　a　university　education；　associating

only　with　the　pious　and　the　learned；　drawing　to　him　such　gifted　men

as　Faber　and　Xavier；　Salmeron　and　Lainez；　Borgia　and　Bobadilla；　and

inspiring　them　with　his　ideas　and　his　fervor；　living　afterwards；　at

Venice；　with　Caraffa　（the　future　Paul　IV。）　in　the　closest　intimacy；

preaching　at　Vicenza；　and　forming　a　new　monastic　code；　as　full　of

genius　and　originality　as　it　was　of　practical　wisdom；　which　became

the　foundation　of　a　system　of　government　never　surpassed　in　the

power　of　its　mechanism　to　bind　the　minds　and　wills　of　men。　　Loyola

was　a　most　extraordinary　man　in　the　practical　turn　he　gave　to

religious　rhapsodies；　creating　a　legislation　for　his　Society　which

made　it　the　most　potent　religious　organization　in　the　world。　　All

his　companions　were　remarkable　likewise　for　different　traits　and

excellences；　which　yet　were　made　to　combine　in　sustaining　the　unity

of　this　moral　mechanism。　　Lainez　had　even　a　more　comprehensive　mind

than　Loyola。　　It　was　he　who　matured　the　Jes