The Jesuits, 1534-1921: A History of the Society of Jesus from Its Foundation to the Present TimeCampbell, Thomas J. (Thomas Joseph)
History
The Jesuits, 1534-1921: A History of the Society of Jesus from Its Foundation to the Present Time
Campbell, Thomas J. (Thomas Joseph)
Jesuits -- History
There was no public manifestation of this spirit of schism in the first
years of Aquaviva's Generalship, though in Spain a great deal of
underhand plotting was going on between some of the discontented ones
and the Inquisition. Four persons, however, had caused grave anxiety to
their Superiors, namely: Dionisio Vásquez, Francisco de Abreo, Gonzalo
González and Enrique Enríquez. Following in their wake, came Alonso
Polanco, nephew of the famous Polanco, José de San Julian, Diego de
Santa Cruz, and a certain number of inconspicuous persons whose names it
is not necessary to give. In the background, however, there were two men
of considerable importance: Mariana, whose writings have given so much
trouble to the Society, and José de Acosta. To these Jouvancy in his
"Epitome" and Prat in his "Ribadeneira" add the name of Jerome de
Acosta, but according to Astrain, the two historians are in error both
as to the character of Jerome and his participation in the plot. He was,
indeed, suspected of being mixed up in it, but the suspicion was soon
dispelled, as in the case of Ribadeneira. Manuel López was at most a
suspect, because he was a friend and admirer of Araoz and because,
although the oldest man in the province, he gave no aid to the defenders
of the Institute. When the fight was ended, however, he pronounced for
those who had won.
Meantime Enríquez, by means of false accusations, had induced the
Inquisition to put in prison on various charges Fathers Marcen, Lavata,
López and the famous Ripalda. That tribunal also expelled others from
Valladolid and Castile, and called for the Bulls, the privileges, and
the "Ratio studiorum" of the Society. The findings of the judges were
put before the king, and the Inquisition then demanded all the copies of
the aforesaid documents that the Fathers had (Astrain, III, 376). So far
the inquisitors were safe, but they took one step more which ruined the
plot in which they were conscious or unconscious participators. Under
pain of excommunication they forbade a band of thirty Jesuit
missionaries who were on their way to Transylvania to leave Spain, the
reason being that they endangered their faith in embarking on such an
enterprise. It was the plotter, Enrique Enríquez who suggested this
piece of idiocy. When Sixtus V, who was then Pope, heard of the order,
he sent such a vigorous reprimand to the Inquisition that all the
confiscated papers were immediately restored and the imprisoned
theologians were liberated from jail after two years' confinement.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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