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
Spain had also acquired possessions in other parts of South America,
and the methods of colonization adopted by the two Governments were
substantially the same. Charles V of Spain and John III of Portugal
were both religious fanatics, and although their chief purpose was
to obtain wealth from the mines of America, each of them professed to
desire, at the same time, the civilization of the natives. Hence, as
this could not be accomplished without the influences of Christianity,
all the expeditions sent out by them to the New World were accompanied
by ecclesiastics, and were therefore under the patronage and auspices
of the Church of Rome. The controlling idea of the period was that
the Church and the State should remain united, so that wheresoever
the latter should obtain temporal and political control, the former
should be constantly present to decide and direct everything
pertaining to faith and morals; that is, to keep both the State and
the people in obedience to the Church. With these objects in view,
missionaries were sent out by the Church with the first Spanish and
Portuguese adventurers, and every step was avowedly taken in the name
of Christianity. So deeply was this sentiment embedded in every mind
that the memory of some favorite saint was perpetuated in the names of
nearly all the newly-established cities. These missionaries were taken
mainly from the ancient monastic orders--the Dominicans, Franciscans,
etc.--and had been regarded by the popes for many years as not only
the most faithful, but the most efficient coadjutors of the Church in
the work of extending Christianity over the world. We have elsewhere
seen that the Jesuits did not sympathize with this belief, and that
Loyola had urged upon the pope the necessity of creating his new
society upon the express ground that these ancient orders had become
both inefficient and corrupt. When the New World, therefore, was about
to be opened before them, the followers of Loyola endeavored to seize
the occasion to supplant the monkish orders, if possible, and take into
their own hands exclusively the dissemination of Christian influences
among the native populations. In this respect the Jesuits displayed
more zeal for their own success than for that of the Church, and
made the cause of Christianity secondary to their own interests. The
history of their missions in South America will abundantly show this,
as it will also display their insatiable ambition and unparalleled
superciliousness.
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