History of the Jesuits: Their origin, progress, doctrines, and designsNicolini, G. B. (Giovanni Battista)
History
History of the Jesuits: Their origin, progress, doctrines, and designs
Nicolini, G. B. (Giovanni Battista)
Jesuits -- History
To exculpate the fathers for having induced the king to undertake the
expedition against Morocco, Crétineau quotes a passage from Mendoza, a
man entirely devoted to the Jesuits, in which he simply asserts, “That
all the Jesuits were opposed to the expedition to Africa.” These two
lines, written long after the event, and by a partisan of the order,
constitute the only proof of their innocence which the Jesuits can adduce.
After such attempted justifications, there can remain no doubt that the
Jesuits wrested the crown from the head of Don Sebastian, to place it
upon that of Philip II. Philip was at that time the friend and the most
powerful supporter of the Jesuits. He was the chief of the Roman Catholic
party—the hope of the Papists—the dread of the Protestants. These
reasons, I believe, induced the Jesuits to accomplish this abominable
treachery. At the death of Don Sebastian, Cardinal Henry assumed the
name of king, and asked from the estates of Portugal that Philip should
be declared his successor. They refused. Philip invaded Portugal. The
Jesuits used all their influence in his favour, excommunicated Don
Antonio de Crato, the legitimate heir of the crown, and placed Philip on
the throne of their benefactors. We must observe, that we believe that
neither the honest and conscientious Borgia nor the old and insignificant
Mercurianus were privy to this treacherous transaction. They were persons
in no way to be trusted with such secrets. It thus happened that the
Portuguese monarchs, who first nursed these sons of Loyola in their
bosoms, found that they had been giving life to a serpent, which now
stung them to the heart. But unfortunately the example was lost; the
Portuguese monarchs continued to submit to the Jesuits, and one of them,
Joseph I., barely escaped falling under the poniard of the assassin hired
by the fathers.
FRANCE.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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