Cavendum omnino ne in manus externorum hæc monita deveniant, quia sinistre ea interpretarentur, destinationi nostræ invidentes: quod si hoc accidat (quod absit!) negentur hæc esse sensa societatis, idque per illos confirmando è nostris, de quibus certo constat, quod ea ignorent; opponanturque his monita nostra generalia, et ordinationes seu regulæ impressæ vel scriptæ. Superiores etiam sollicite semper et caute inquirant, an alicui externo à nostris hæc monita prodita sint; nullus etiam hæc pro se, aut pro alio transcribet, nisi conscio generali vel provinciali; et si de asservandis tantis secretis de aliquo dubitetur, in contrarium illi imputetur, et dimittatur. PREFACE. These _Secret Counsels_, the superiors should diligently keep, and preserve among themselves; and only communicate them to a few of the professed, and instil some of them into those who are not professed, when it evidently may be done with much advantage to the society; and then only under the seal of secrecy, and not then as if prescribed by any one, but as the fruits of personal experience; and because many of the professed know these secrets, from their commencement, the _Society_ has especially provided that no one acquainted with them should remove himself to other religious orders, except to the _Carthusians_, because of their perpetual solitude of life and obligatory silence; which the Holy See has confirmed. The utmost care should be taken that these _counsels_ should not come into the hands of strangers, because envying our destiny they would maliciously misinterpret them; but should this occur, which must be prevented if possible, let it be denied that these are the principles of the society, and this denial confirmed by those of us, whom we certainly know to be ignorant of these rules; and let our public instructions, and our rules or regulations printed or written, be set in opposition to them. Let the superiors also, always carefully and cautiously inquire whether these _counsels_ have been made known to strangers by any of us; and also, let none transcribe them for himself or for another, unless by consent of a general or provincial; and if there be a doubt of any one’s fitness to be intrusted with such important secrets of the society, convince him that you confide in him, but drop him. SECRETA MONITA SOCIETATIS JESU. THE SECRET INSTRUCTIONS OF THE JESUITS. CAP. I. _Qualem Societas præstare sese debeat, cum incipit de novo alicujus loci Fundationem._ I. Ut se gratam reddat incolis loci, multum conducet explicatio finis Societatis præscripti in regulis, ubi dicitur Societatem summo conatu in salutem proximi incumbere, æque atque in suam: quare humilia obsequia obeunda in Xenodochiis, pauperes, et afflicti, et incarcerati invisendi, confessiones prompte et generatim excipiendæ, ut insolita in omnes charitate, et rei novitate eminentiores incolæ nostros admirentur et ament.