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
Now, Mariana never was and never could be a representative of the
Society, for: first sixteen years before the objectionable book
attracted notice in France, namely in 1584, Mariana had been solemnly
condemned by the greatest assembly of the Society, the general
congregation, as an unworthy son; a pestilential member who should be
cut off from the body, and his expulsion was ordered. He was one of the
leaders of the band of Spanish conspirators who did all in their power
to destroy the Society. Secondly, his expulsion did not take place,
possibly because of outside political influence like that of Philip II
and the Inquisition. Nevertheless in 1605, that is five years before the
French flurry, he wrote another book entitled, "De defectibus
Societatis" (i. e. the Weak Points of the Society), which was condemned
as involving the censure of the papal bull "Ascendente Domino." Instead
of destroying the MS., as he should have done, if he had a spark of
loyalty in him, he kept it, and when in 1609, he was arrested and
imprisoned by the Spanish authorities for his book on Finance which
seemed to reflect on the government, that MS. was seized, and
subsequently served as a strong weapon against the Society. Why should
such a man be cited as the representative of a body from which he was
ordered to be expelled and which he had attempted to destroy?
Another harmful publication was the "Monita secreta," which represented
the Jesuit as a sweet-voiced intriguer; a pious grabber of inheritances
for the greater glory of God; enjoying a vast influence with conspicuous
personages; working underhand in politics, and revealing himself in
every clime, invariably the same, and always monstrously rich. The
"Monita" appeared in Poland in the year 1612. It was printed in a place
not to be found on any map: namely Notobirga, which suggests
"Notaburgh," or "Not a City." It purported to be based on a Spanish
manuscript, discovered in the secret archives of the Society at Padua.
It was translated into Latin, and was then sent to Vienna, and
afterwards to Cracow, where it was given to the public. It consists of
sixteen short chapters, of which we give a few sample titles: "I. How
the Society should act to get a new foundation. II. How to win and keep
the friendship of princes and important personages. III. How to act
with people who wield political influence or those who, even if not
rich, may be serviceable. VI. How to win over wealthy widows. VII. How
to induce them to dispose of their property. VIII. How to induce them to
enter religious communities, or at least to make them devout."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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