The Footprints of the JesuitsThompson, Richard W. (Richard Wigginton)
History
The Footprints of the Jesuits
Thompson, Richard W. (Richard Wigginton)
Jesuits -- Controversial Literature; Jesuits -- History
Two Jesuit leaders--Campion and Parson--were sent from Rome to give
direction to the movements of the conspirators already there. In order
more effectually to encourage treason and sedition, they "_pretended to
be Protestants_," not being ashamed of this false profession, because
the obligation to practice deception when necessary was instilled
into their minds by Jesuit training, and, on that account, created no
compunctions of conscience. When Parson reached Dover, the better to
practice his disguise, he wore the uniform of an English army officer,
and pretended to be such. In this way he deceived the inspecting
officer, and arranged with him for the safe passage of Campion, whom
he represented as a fellow officer, who would follow in a few days. It
may thus be seen how easy it is to be "all things to all men," when
those who desire to become so have quieted their consciences with the
belief that falsehood and deception may be rightfully employed in
promoting "the greater glory of God." Howsoever incomprehensible may
be the casuistry by which the mind can be brought to this belief, it
is perfectly plain to a Jesuit, and is doubtless explained in their
schools.
It is exceedingly difficult to separate the true from the false in
the history of the times here referred to. The passions of the rival
parties became so intense as seemingly to render agreement between them
impossible, either with regard to facts or conclusions. It may not even
be safe to assume that the truth lies midway between the extremes.
But there is always, in the influences and effects produced by any
given period of time, that which explains the motives and purposes
of the chief actors. By careful investigation of these, we acquire a
knowledge of the philosophy of history. Conducting our investigations
in this spirit, we can not fail to conclude that the interference
with the domestic and internal affairs of England by an alien and
foreign power, was a flagrant act of usurpation, unless the spiritual
authority of the pope gave him rightful jurisdiction over temporal and
political questions in that country. And if he did rightfully possess
this jurisdiction in 1570, when Pius V fulminated his pontifical bull
against Elizabeth, and derived it from the divine law, we, of the
present age, and especially in the United States, can not refrain
from inquiring whether, from the Jesuit standpoint, Leo XIII does
not possess the same jurisdiction derived from the same law? Without
pressing this inquiry here, however, it is deemed more essential to
ascertain still more minutely how far the Jesuits were responsible for
sowing the seeds of discord and civil war in England, when otherwise
Protestants and Roman Catholics might, at the Elizabethan period, have
lived and associated harmoniously together, as they did in Germany
before the Jesuits appeared there. Many intelligent readers of history
fail to give due consideration to the events of this important period.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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