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of any servile act that the future exigencies of His Holiness might
require. The Roman people, however, turned the cross-bearing
knights into ridicule, calling them Knights of the Foot, and the Pope
saw with dissatisfaction that the order did not prosper. He
determined, therefore, to invest them with fresh dignity, and decreed
that every knight in service should also enjoy the title of Count
Palatine, with the privilege of creating doctors in every department
of science. This succeeded for a time; the knightly Counts were
content to submit their shoulders to the sacred burden, and kiss the
foot they carried; but the sarcasms of the Romans proved more
powerful than the titles and honours of the Pope; the knights began
greatly to disrelish their occupation, insomuch that the successor of
Paul was obliged to stipend his titled porters still more liberally, or
run the risk of not being carried at all.
Another curious fact connected with our subject may here be
related. Pope Sixtus V. had, or pretended to have, a firm belief in the
miracle of the Holy House of Loretto, which was stated to have
occurred shortly before his time. Now many persons, with the Bishop
of Recanati, a town a little way from Loretto, at their head,
absolutely denied that such an event as that the house should have
flown through the air, from Nazareth to Dalmatia, and finally to
Loretto, had ever taken place. But the Pope was determined to
uphold the truth of the miracle, and created an order of knights
expressly to maintain and defend its authenticity; this was in the
year 1586, and the order was named after the town of Loretto.
Every knight, therefore, was bound to draw his sword in its defence,
and to challenge to single combat whoever should venture to
impugn its veracity. They were chiefly selected from the inhabitants
of the province signalized by the event. This order continued in
existence about a century, after which lapse of time, as no one
appeared to think it worth his while to contend with Rome on the
subject of the imposture, it was considered as useless, and was no
longer kept up.
While these knightly orders were instituted on one hand, on the
other, many fresh monastic bodies were established, under new
denominations, and with different dresses; all, however, were
employed by the Church of Rome to uphold her doctrines and her
practice, even to fanaticism. If they were not both equally injurious
to society, the only difference was that the one was dreaded from its
open use of the sword, whilst the other excited fear from its secret
machinations; as servants to the Inquisition they were all obedient
alike.
And now a word or two with respect to these secret machinations
which hitherto, it seems, people have been afraid to talk about. The
monks, whether to their credit or not I leave others to decide, have
proved themselves more doughty champions than the knights;
inasmuch as the latter could never stand against ridicule, whereas
the former have braved and overcome it; they have even derived
strength from it: their disciples, moreover, are expressly taught to
despise it, and through a long course of years a generation of men
has been trained up, who are appalled by no dangers or difficulties,
and are capable of confronting every obstacle, in the service of
Rome.
The first experiment under this audacious system was made in the
13th century, when that knave Innocent III. bestowed on his church
the renowned Order of St. Francis of Assisi. This holy brotherhood
understood better than any other in the whole world how to live well
at the public expense, without any possessions of their own, and
without ever incurring labour or fatigue. The first principle they
inculcate in their order is, that there is no disgrace in the act of
begging. Fratres nostri non erubescant. Clothed with a coarse
garment, bound round their waist with cord, with sandalled feet and
shaven crowns, dirty and greasy, they are truly as lawful objects of
ridicule, to all who behold them, as the grossest cynic was to the
enlightened Athenians. Little, however, do they regard it; there are
even among them not a few who imagine they present an engaging
appearance in their strange garb, and pretend they would not
exchange it for the gayer costume of the cavaliers. The Franciscans
attach so much importance to their dress, that their rules enjoin the
penalty of excommunication to any one who lays aside the holy
vestment, or cuts off the sacred beard. It is considered a mortal sin
for a Capuchin to assume the guise of a Zoccolante, and vice versâ.
This prohibition is equally in force with respect to all the monkish
orders, and the neglect of it is considered as a species of apostasy.
When human beings are reduced to such fanaticism, both in
principle and in practice, it is not to be wondered at if they are
capable of any crime they may imagine it their duty to commit. The
obedience a monk owes to his superior is more absolute than that of
the soldier to his commanding officer, inasmuch as it wears the cloak
of religion; the monk considers himself a spiritual soldier, and his
obedience is based in superstition. Moreover, every monastic
institution is a secret society, and a true monk should have the
genius of a conspirator. He should love his own order before any
other, and be ready to shed his blood in its defence. Every institution
has its own particular saints. The Franciscan sees in St. Francis and
St. Anthony the first saints in the whole world, the most favoured by
the Virgin Mary, and the most fruitful in miracles; and on the other
hand, the Dominican considers his St. Dominic and St. Vincent the
paragons, the ne plus ultra of all sanctity and miracle-working. St.
Dominic is not merely termed holy, he is denominated the most holy;
Sanctissimus Pater Dominicus. Take one of these worthies, then,
stolid by nature and rendered more so by his education, and place
before him any sort of disgraceful work, and see if the Church of
Rome will not be fully satisfied with her disciple.
From these societies the subtle and busy instruments for the
extension of the Papal power have been selected; and by their
means has Rome preserved her influence over the conscience, and
extended her work of proselytism.
The knights, on the contrary, enjoyed too much liberty to remain
long in the service of the priests. It was, therefore, often
contemplated to unite the knightly with the monastic life; thus the
Knights of St. John of Jerusalem considered themselves partly a
military and partly a monastic order. Many professed chastity,
poverty and obedience, and sometimes a fourth vow was added,
that of making war against the infidels. But all this was insufficient
to bring them completely under subjection; a life of still greater
mortification was necessary, in order to humiliate and degrade the
individual, and render him a mere automaton; and this was a life
purely monastic. Whoever professes it, if he be sincere, ought to
possess no faculty of willing or understanding, apart from that of his
superiors; to whatever order he belongs he must bring himself to
the persuasion that there is no hope for him in the mercy of heaven,
unless he be obedient to them; who alone, according to the Romish
doctrine, are responsible for his acts. At the last dread tribunal he
believes it will only be demanded of him, has he been obedient?—
this is all he has to look to; he who gives the order is alone
answerable for its justice or its iniquity. Such is the teaching that
these degraded beings are accustomed to receive. What its results
are we need only look round those countries where it is most
extensively carried on, to determine.
Now these so-called superiors ascend by regular degrees, and at
their head is the Pope himself. An order emanating from him, quickly
extends, by means of these subordinates, into any direction he
chooses, through all its ramifications. Every one knows that his
ministers amount to several hundreds of thousands, all belonging to
the same system, sworn to obedience, and ready to undertake
whatever may be required of them.
I will frankly confess my own private opinion of this organization.
Doubtless it was planned by men of consummate ability. It is a
diabolical invention to effect the greatest possible mischief. And such
was the intention of the three or four popes who had a hand in its
formation. Providentially for society, the succeeding ones were men
of inferior genius, and did not see all its advantages. With respect to
the present time, I should imagine there is little danger, as these
gentry no longer enjoy the same credit as they did formerly.
Moreover, in those countries where papistical doctrines predominate,
the monks are held in the greatest disrepute: at least it is so in Italy,
where they are well known; and I believe the case is the same in
Spain. With respect to France, it is a matter of regret that they have
renewed their former influence in that country, which, since the
revolution of 1850, has become the reproach of Europe. Who would
have believed that she would not only grant an asylum to Jesuits,
but also become their defender and their partizan? It is, however, to
be hoped that such a state of things cannot last long; and that this
nation may at length recover from her delirium. This hope is founded
on the conviction that he cannot in reality but detest the Papacy,
which, at the present juncture, actually excites in the people no
other sentiment than infidelity in everything pertaining to religion.
Now, with regard to England, so great was the enthusiasm of her
Reformation in the fourteenth century, and such was the spirit of the
people, and so firm their laws, that Rome had no longer any hope of
regaining the country she had lost. Had it not been for Ireland, she
would as soon have thought of establishing her empire in Jerusalem
and Antioch, as in London or Edinburgh. Nevertheless, her hopes
once more revived, on perceiving the good effects of her operations
in 1829. The Emancipation Bill, in the estimation of Rome, opened
the door for her return into England; and it was conjectured that in
about thirty years, by adopting every possible means, the "good old
times," such as they were in the early part of the reign of Henry
VIII., might return.
The plan was no secret; in fact, about the same time the Jesuits
renewed their operations. Pius VIII. was pope; a good old man
enough in private life, but a great stickler for the Council of Trent. It
was a serious grief to him that this sacro-santo Council was not law
to the whole world. He was what the Romans call a good Canonist;
indeed he was of opinion that the Canon Laws were the greatest
possible blessing that the bounty of the Deity had ever bestowed
upon mankind. And if such were his real opinion, independent of any
personal interest or bias, no doubt he meant well in maintaining it.
The Catholic Emancipation Act, therefore, quickly inspired him with
the consolatory idea, that he should soon be able to introduce the
Canon Laws of the Council of Trent into this kingdom, which,
according to his view, was already preparing a return to Rome.
 The Congregation of the Propaganda at the same time naturally
fostered the idea of establishing a hierarchy of bishops and
archbishops, in order to govern the Church of England according to
the Romish laws. The project was a daring one, but there was work
to do beforehand. Every colonist, before he plants, begins by
preparing the soil. In like manner England had to be prepared to
receive a Romish hierarchy. I imagine it was in the policy of Pius
VIII. to prepare this ground in a better manner than it has been
done by Pius IX. With another ten years of Jesuitical labour, their
attempt would probably have obtained a better result, at least
according to their own opinion; but it has pleased the Lord to
confound their councils.
In what does this work of preparation consist? The grand secret of
the Inquisition, the labour of the Jesuits, is to employ every means
in their power that is most likely to secure their end. All the world
knows that in the moral code of the Jesuits, which is also that of the
Court of Rome, it is maintained that, provided the end sought be a
holy and religious one, of which they make themselves the sole
judge, ALL means whatever are good and lawful; and the reason,
according to the doctrine of Thomas Aquinas, is, that our actions
take their character from the end we have in view. Now the means
employed to prepare England to receive the ecclesiastical hierarchy,
with the Council of Trent, and the Canon Laws, on which her
conversion depends,—the means, I say, are truth or falsehood, as
may best serve; promises and threats, secret gifts, and hidden
treachery; exaggerated praises to their friends, and the foulest
calumny to those they believe to be their enemies. These are the
means which the Inquisition invariably employs, in order to gain its
end.
With respect to preparing England for the late coup de main, it
was deemed expedient to arrange a grand Jesuitical mission to the
two universities of Oxford and Cambridge. How well this mission
succeeded, it is needless for me to bring proof. It is an
acknowledged fact, that a number of clergymen of the Church of
England have seceded to the Church of Rome since the year 1829.
The rise and progress of Tractarianism and Puseyism, and the actual
state of affairs, must be well known to all my readers. How many
good-hearted people in England are now lamenting over the wounds
that have been inflicted on their unhappy Church! God grant that
they may one day,—and that day no distant one,—be healed!
Let us now inquire what the Roman Propaganda has achieved in
this country from the year 1829 to 1850. It established, in the first
instance, four apostolic vicariates, and subsequently, four others.
The first four were entitled, "the district of London, the Western, the
Central or Midland, and the Northern District:" the other four were
established in the year 1840, and received the names of "the
Eastern, Welsh, Lancaster, and York Districts." The eight bishops
attached to these districts carried on their operations under the
immediate directions and superintendence of the Propaganda—the
principal organ of the Inquisition; and their schemes went on quietly
enough, until some among them, more ambitious than the rest, and
not calculating the danger there might be of losing all the fruits of
their previous labour, took advantage of the Pope's weakness, and
the ignorance of the greater portion of the cardinals, and hurried
matters on to the termination of the plot which was not originally
intended to explode so soon. The effect of this precipitation,
however, has been to render their measures for the conversion of
England altogether abortive. Providence, in its all-wise purposes,
influenced a certain Doctor Wiseman, whose ambition of being
created a cardinal had long tormented his soul, to lead the weak
mind of Pius IX. to commit the egregious blunder which has ruined
the whole scheme laboured at by the Romish Church, and the poor
Jesuits, with so much toil and perseverance, to bring to perfection.
I call it ruining the whole scheme, since the object was to go on
secretly with the work, until the fit opportunity should arrive, when
all the preparations should be complete, and men's minds sufficiently
prepared for the denouement. If they could have continued their
Jesuitical operations at the two universities for another ten years,
the doctrines of the English clergy, and the Liturgy of the Church of
England would have become altogether papistic. These delightful
Tractarians, full of affection for the sister church, as they term that
of Rome—full of admiration for the magnificence of her rites and
ceremonies—impressed with respect for her worldly authority, and
with veneration for her assumed apostolic succession, would readily
have bowed to auricular confession, and would have admitted their
belief in the real presence, and consequently in the efficacy of the
sacrifice of the mass. As to the vow of celibacy, there were hopes
held out that the Pope might be induced to modify it; so that there
should no longer be any obstacle in the way of a complete fusion of
the two churches, provided his holiness would recognise the English
hierarchy. Such, until the present outbreak, were the dreams of the
Puseyites.
But instead of all this, the whole affair is lost through the folly of
the Pope and the ambition of Dr. Wiseman! An injudicious bull, in an
unlucky moment, gave premature existence to the famous hierarchy;
and, to complete the blunder, elevated the primate to the rank of
cardinal. Not even in any Catholic country can Rome create a
cardinal without the consent of the monarch, neither can she send
bishops without the permission of the government: otherwise, they
would be speedily sent back. In other Protestant countries, the affair
is settled by treaty; but no such precaution exists with respect to
England: still no pope, who had a grain of sense, would ever have
dared to send to it, in so unlooked-for a moment, and without any
previous notice, a batch of twelve bishops, with a cardinal at their
head! Could a greater insult be offered, or a mark of more supreme
contempt? By it the Pope has turned the English Government into
ridicule, ignored the Anglican Church, and declared that he alone is
the spiritual head of the country, and that he will govern it
accordingly. It is, therefore, assuredly the part of England to give the
Pope a proper reply to his arrogance, and not only to show a just
resentment of the present insult, but at the same time to prevent its
ever occurring again.
Now what has been the conduct of the Inquisition with respect to
England? What has the cabal of Jesuits been about? Whenever
Rome expects to meet with opposition, she invariably has recourse
to indirect means to gain her ends. For example, it is her object to
overthrow the Church of England. She conducts her operations in a
twofold manner,—by endeavouring to pervert its ministers, and by
exciting them to hostilities against the Dissenters. Indeed, the
conflicting spirit between the two parties is greatly aggravated by
the increasing corruption of the clergy. Within the last twenty years
the Church of England has experienced immense losses, without
knowing from what part her enemy assailed her. And now that the
Jesuitism is discovered, what attempts are not made to conceal its
existence! Up to 1850 it was the fashion for the clergy of the High
Church party to profess Puseyism. I have frequently been shocked
by hearing sermons from reverends and right reverends, openly in
favour of Romish doctrines. At the present moment, however, they
are all ashamed of having appeared to favour them. The bishops,
who at first boldly advocated Tractarianism, both in doctrine and
practice, are now as zealous in opposing it, and the journals are full
of their correspondence with such of their clergy as have publicly
been accused of Puseyism.
All this is most skilfully turned to account by the Jesuit
Propaganda, who regularly correspond with, and receive their
instructions from, the Inquisition at Rome. The English bishops,
without being aware of it, have in their train their missionary from
Rome, who, although he may not belong, ipso facto, to the company
of Ignatius Loyola, is nevertheless in essence a rank Jesuit; and may
probably be one of their own clergy, nay, even their own private
secretary. Who shall say such emissaries are not to be found also in
the public offices of the Government, nay, in the very court of her
Majesty, the Queen of these realms? The Jesuits find their way into
the highest society in the kingdom, introduced by foreign ministers,
who place them in families as tutors and teachers of languages. I
myself know several Italians who profess to teach, who call
themselves liberals, in fact, who state that they are my intimates;
and with such pretences they get into respectable families with
whom I am acquainted, who consequently trust to them, receive
them into their houses, invite them to their tables, and allow them to
converse with their children. Many of these are Jesuits, or their
friends, who are recommended by them. It is to be noted that
among the Italians at present in London, who teach their own
language, the partisans of the Jesuits are they who are the most
encouraged, get the most pupils, and receive the highest payment.
So that it frequently happens that the worthless and the ignorant
find abundance of employment, whilst the deserving and the learned
starve, for want of anything to do.
The Jesuits secretly spread the most atrocious calumnies against
those who oppose them, whilst others they load with extravagant
praise. For example, there are a few Italians here in London, who,
like myself, have, through conviction of its errors, abandoned the
Church of the Popes and the Jesuits. We are all of us loaded with
abuse, and persecuted in every possible manner; I in particular am
the butt for all their shafts. According to their representations, I
have been guilty of all imaginable crimes, but of these crimes no
proof whatever is offered; even witnesses suborned for the purpose
have failed to establish them. For my own part, I have treated my
slanderers with disdainful silence; others, however, have taken up
my cause. A Cardinal, who is at the head of these calumniators, has
had the lie publicly given to him. Any but a Cardinal or a Jesuit
would have been indignant at such an accusation.
I mention these things to show what is the work of the Inquisition
now going on in this country. Here they cannot imprison men, or
torture them, or burn them alive; still they have lies, calumnies, and
treachery to resort to; they sow discord among families, separate
friends, and everywhere foment dissension and strife. They are
unable to destroy Protestantism in England, but they excite the
various religious sects to wage war among themselves, and then
declare, in the face of all Europe, that the Protestants of England
and Scotland endeavour to destroy each other. How often have I
heard it said in Italy, "Oh! the Protestants cannot exist much longer;
they are perpetually at variance among themselves; they will be
ruined by their own dissensions." But the Divine Providence will
protect them from this fate, however artfully their enemies
endeavour to keep their disagreements alive. Still all this discord has
considerably weakened the Reformers, and retarded their progress;
and if the Jesuits have not succeeded in attaining their desired
object, it is not because their plans were not well arranged, or their
mode of carrying them out effective, but simply because the
Almighty has willed it otherwise.
It is curious to observe with what malignant artifice they arrange
the threads of their meshes. True followers of the Inquisition, they
feign to be strenuous advocates for liberty, and are the first to call
out for it. What was the plea for Catholic Emancipation?—religious
liberty. Unquestionably the Inquisition desires to have religious
liberty in England, in Scotland, and in Ireland; and to obtain it, pays
court to, and unites with the dissenters, who being desirous of the
same privileges, naturally join their votes against the party that
opposes them. But does the Inquisition desire to see the same
religious liberty in Italy, in Spain, or in Germany? No indeed:
throughout the whole of the continent it cements itself in the
strictest bonds of union with every government that oppresses the
people. It sits by the throne of the Emperor of Austria, by the side of
kings and queens, and even of presidents of republics. But in
England, on the contrary, it flies from the Houses of Parliament, and
the palaces of royalty, and betakes itself to the manufactories of
Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool, Bristol, and Sheffield. Upon the
continent it employs every possible means to be absolute, in spite of
the people, while in the British dominions it associates with, and
makes friends of the discontented and rebellious of every
denomination, crying, "Brethren, we are an oppressed people; they
who oppress us, oppress you also. A luxurious and extravagant
court, a weak and improvident ministry, and a parliament where our
masters are our representatives; these are our tyrants and yours.
We are loaded with taxes, which are continually on the increase.
Scarcely can the working man find the means of existence. The
Church swallows up all our profits, and serves no other purpose than
to foment scandal and division. Let us unite our forces, and attack
our adversaries. Liberty is the people's right." Such is the language
of the Jesuits to the Chartists, and such the proclamations of Dr.
Wiseman and Co. in their appeal "to the good sense of the people of
England."
With whom did the liberal party in parliament vote? was it not with
the Catholics? It would scarcely be believed in Italy, that the Jesuits
could induce the liberals of this country to join with them under the
idea of gaining greater liberty, when their real object was to re-
establish among them, as far as it was possible, the power of the
Inquisition, even under the mask of freedom.
It was the Inquisition that, under Gregory XVI., bestowed a
benediction in Muscovy on the troops of the Czar against the
unfortunate Poles, and which, under Pius IX., celebrated the defeat
of the Hungarians by the armies of Austria and Russia. The same
Inquisition, which is capable of any enormity, is at the present
moment on the point of exciting the ignorant and desperate rabble
of Ireland against the British parliament. It would not surprise me to
see ere long the affair of the Sonderbund of Switzerland renewed in
Ireland and in England, occasioned by a few wretched bishops, as it
took place in the former country on account of a few unworthy
Jesuits. The real object of all this disturbance is to introduce into the
country the government of Rome. All might have been prevented in
the year 1815, when the Protestant powers made such haste to
reseat the Pope on the throne, and a still better opportunity was
neglected in the year 1849, when, the Romans having legitimately
deposed the Pope from the government, after his desertion of his
people, foreign powers were allowed to invade the country, and to
bombard Rome and two other principal cities of the state, to restore
to him his justly forfeited temporal power. And could not this
invasion have been prevented? And why was it not done? Was it not
an offence against the Almighty? And will it not be visited, sooner or
later, with the punishment due to it? This question naturally suggests
itself to the minds of those who now, in virtue of their faith, feel
themselves called upon not only to resist and to protest against it,
but also to place every possible impediment to the further progress
of the Inquisition of Rome.
 CHAPTER VII.
THE JESUITS.
The term Jesuit has various significations. It generally means the
followers of Ignatius Loyola, who profess the rules of the Company;
and also those who are in strict friendship with them, who eat their
bread and are supported by them, and who are always anxious to
ingratiate themselves in their favour. These may be considered the
Acolytes of the Jesuits. Moreover, some are called Jesuits who are
even opposed to the sect of Loyola, and are averse to any connexion
whatever with its members; but who still think and act according to
the principles of the Jesuits; they are equally subtle and ambitious,
intriguing, time-serving, deceitful, and hypocritical, in every respect,
as are the Jesuits themselves. The world is full of such persons, and
they are called Jesuits, because they are in reality of the same
school as the sons of Loyola, whose doctrines and maxims they
follow, although they do not profess to be his disciples. It would be
as ridiculous to see a soldier or a statesman, for example, in the
dress of a Jesuit, as it was to see the Emperor Charles V. in that of a
friar; but what would you say on hearing that Jesuitism was more
nourishing among society at large, than even in the Company itself?
Would you not smile to see the present members of the French
Assembly marching as in a procession, each with a Jesuit by his
side? Father A. for example, with M. de Montalembert; Father B. and
M. de Corcelles; Father C. and General Oudinot, the bombarder of
Rome; until we come to the last couple, Father Rootan, and the
President of the Republic, Louis Bonaparte! This sight might make
you smile; but the thought it would inspire, would kindle, as it does
in me, a sentiment of indignation.
In this work I shall have occasion to speak of every description of
Jesuit. Meanwhile, I have a few remarks to offer with respect to
these sons of Ignatius. What part do they take in the Inquisition?
The most active and the most influential. They are its right hand.
Without their aid the twelve Cardinal Inquisitors would sit in vain;
their long and secret meetings every Wednesday throughout the
year, in the great hall of the Minerva, would tend to no effect. Of
what service would be the weekly congregation of about seventy
members of the Inquisition, held in the great hall of the Holy Office,
at the Vatican, every Monday, without the zeal and unwearied
activity of the Jesuits? Apparently they are nothing; in reality,
everything. Among the servants of the Holy Office a Jesuit is never
to be found; rarely among their coadjutors. A Jesuit is never seen
entering the Palace of the Holy Office, or in conversation with an
Inquisitor. It might even be imagined that the Reverend Fathers
were opposed to the institution, or at least that they shunned all
relation and intercourse with it. And so studiously do they keep up
this appearance, that many persons actually believe that the Jesuits
have nothing whatever to do with the Inquisition. Indeed, I was at
one time of the same opinion, till I was fully enlightened on the
subject by a Jesuit himself, and, what is more, a worthy Jesuit too!
one who had been my tutor in the Belles Lettres, in the College at
Viterbo, and whom I met again at Tivoli, in September, 1833.
I was there in the discharge of my duty as Visitor of the
Dominicans, and at the same time availing myself of the salubrity of
the climate, which was beneficial to my health. Accordingly, I was
accustomed to walk every day for some hours in the country. The
good Jesuit was soon aware of my regularity in this habit, and as the
time I selected was invariably the last two hours of the day, he
proposed to me to become my companion on these occasions. I
believe it was the first time that a Jesuit had been seen walking
abroad in company with a Dominican. My former master had
become my friend; and although I had never at all liked the society
of the sons of Loyola, yet I found this one, and another or two of a
similar description, to be honest and worthy men, who, to their
misfortune, had adopted the robe of the Jesuits. I was visited almost
daily by my friend, who came either alone or in company with a lay
brother; we walked out together, and entered into familiar
conversation. One day we spoke about the Inquisition. We were
alone, in that beautiful grove of olives which crowns the pleasant hill
on which stands the town of Tivoli, so well known to Horace.
"How does it happen," said he to me, "that you have never been
embroiled with the Inquisition? Some time ago I was told that you
were Vicar of the Holy Office; but I have since, on better authority,
learned that you were merely Vicar of the Sacred Palace. And I was
glad that it was so,—it would have grieved me much to have heard
that you were an agent of the Inquisition."
"Oh! I had neither inclination nor ability for the office: treachery,
deceit, and malice are the necessary qualifications for its agents. An
Inquisitor must be suspicious, prone to judge amiss, to convert
shadows into substance, and to see everything in the darkest
colours. In the eyes of an Inquisitor every individual is evil, and
deserving of punishment. How could I be led to form injurious
opinions respecting my brethren, when I am naturally disposed to
see things in a charitable point of view, and as far as possible to
make excuses for others? An Inquisitor, besides, is one who is lost to
all sentiments of humanity, without heart or feeling, and more
indifferent than a stoic. God preserve me from the temptation of
ever connecting myself in the slightest degree with the Inquisition."
"As far as I see, then, it appears you have never entertained the
least desire for such an office, I give you joy. The Inquisition is
injurious to the Dominicans, who are prompted by an insane
ambition to become Inquisitors, and this entails on them the hatred
of the whole world. The Franciscans are too prudent to connect
themselves with it. The Jesuits, more cunning than the rest, act as
the monkey did when he made use of the cat's paw to get the
chestnuts."
"How! do the Jesuits meddle with the Inquisition?"
"My dear friend, is it new to you? What would the Inquisition be
without the Jesuits? The Dominicans may call themselves
Inquisitors; but they could not even decline the noun Inquisition,
unless the Jesuits taught them. In fact, what do the Inquisitors
search out? They sit still to receive denunciations. The Holy Office
would be but badly supported if it depended solely on the exertions
and abilities of its own immediate officials. Unquestionably, St.
Dominic, with his cloudy intellect, was an Inquisitor; Peter of Verona,
commonly called Peter the Martyr, was more efficient, but his
imprudence cost him his life. I marvel much that a similar fate did
not befall Domenico di Guzman! He slew, and caused to be slain,
many more than Peter of Verona ever did; of a ruddy complexion,
fierce and sanguinary, he was equally imprudent as his disciple. Far
otherwise was Ignatius Loyola; cautious and wary in all his
operations, and, although a soldier, averse to exposing himself to
danger, he cautioned his followers to use the utmost prudence in
carrying out their measures, and by no means to expose themselves
foolishly to public odium or indignation. I say foolishly, because
what, after all, is the amount of profit, to those who are in the
service of the Inquisition? You, who are a Dominican, understand
this better than I do."
"Oh! it is next to nothing. Our Inquisitors in Umbria and Romagna
receive from the Holy Office in Rome, under the head of 'vestment
money,' the paltry sum of three scudi (about 13s. 6d.) a month;
which they have no means of increasing, unless they can
occasionally pick up a trifle by saying a few masses. The monastery
allows them no other advantage than the ordinary diet of the friars.
Besides, it not unfrequently happens that, on account of the
Inquisitors claiming exemption from the duties of the monastery, the
prior deprives them of what he grants to the other members. In a
visit I once made to the Monasteries of Spoleto, Foligno, Perugia,
and other places, I found the Priors and the Inquisitors in open
dispute with each other. The Priors complained that the Inquisitors
refused to sing in the choir; and the Inquisitors, on the other hand,
were indignant that they had not enough to eat, nor any wood to
burn during the winter."
 "They were not denied what was wanted for an auto-da-fé. I
suppose: but continue your recital."
"Well, these disputes were settled by the Provincial and by myself,
and it was arranged that the Inquisitors should thenceforth sing in
the choir, and be subject to the Prior, as to all the duties of the
monastery; the Prior, on the other hand, was to be considered under
the obligation of treating the Inquisitors with civility, and allowing
them the same advantages as were enjoyed by the rest of the
brotherhood. At Spoleto, the Inquisitor not being inclined to take his
dinner at the usual hour with the rest of the community, the Prior
frequently obliged him to go without any at all. The Inquisitor
complained to the General of the Order at Rome, and he wrote me
word to accommodate the matter between the parties. It was
proposed that a certain sum should be allowed by the Prior, for the
dinner and supper of the Inquisitor. Fifteen baiocchi (sevenpence
halfpenny) were all that was offered by the liberal-minded Prior for
the daily expenses of the Inquisitor, and it was not without much
trouble that I got the sum raised to seventeen baiocchi and a half. I
mention this matter to show how little profit accrues to an Inquisitor,
if the duties of his office are honestly discharged. An Inquisitor once
told me in confidence, that he found it necessary, in order to live, to
abstract a little money occasionally from the office, by augmenting,
in his accounts with it, the amount of his expenses. Another lost his
situation at Perugia, because it was discovered that he had regularly
charged double for the maintenance of the prisoners under his care;
and another, at Faenza, seized upon a poor shoemaker, and
imprisoned him, that he might be obliged to work for him; and when
he wanted his clothes to be mended, he laid hold of some tailor,
whom he shut up till they were done, on pretence that he indulged
in a habit of profane swearing."
"What a shame! How base they become! How degraded is that
faith which requires the support of such a race! The office itself is
too degrading to be exercised by any person of probity or honour. At
one time the Inquisition was greatly enriched by fines and
confiscations; and many spontaneous offerings were made to it by
the rich, who freely opened their purses to get out of trouble. Money
also came in from numerous patents: in short, the Inquisition was
enabled to allow a good salary even to its clerks. But the times are
altered; the Holy Office has lost its credit, and consequently its
officials are bankrupts."
"But how," I suggested, "have the Jesuits become connected with
the Inquisition? We have departed from our original question."
"Doubtless you imagine that the Holy Office is engaged in taking
notice of crimes or offences against religion. It is true, when such
cases occur, they proceed according to rule. But you are not to
conclude that such is the sole occupation on which above seventy
counsellors, and twelve cardinals, with the pope at their head, are
engaged in the weekly meetings. If it be necessary to punish, as
they say, all who deserve it, they ought to begin with unbelievers; in
that case they would find many among the cardinals themselves who
have no belief whatever; and the same infidelity descends
throughout every class of society. But it never happens that any of
them are subjected to punishment; on the contrary, only those
heretics are the objects of attack, who are unbelievers merely as to
some of the doctrines of Rome, although firm in their faith as
regards the doctrines of Christ and of his apostles. Of these,
however, few allow themselves to be seized by the Inquisition. An
Italian who changes his creed generally contrives, before the fact
gets known, to make a pilgrimage to Geneva,[28] and the Holy Office
has to delay its vengeance till its victim can be arrested. Were the
Inquisition to have no other care than to look after heretics, it would
be the same as if the Jesuits were to have nothing else to do than to
attend to their schools for young boys; in which case two-thirds of
the Order might well be dispensed with. It is well known that at
Rome everything opposed to clerical government is considered as
heresy, and excommunicated accordingly; but real heresy is the last
subject to be thought of, or attended to. The principal object of the
Inquisition is to possess itself, by every means in its power, of the
secrets of every class of society. Consequently, its agents enter the
domestic circle, observe every action, listen to every conversation,
and would, if possible, become acquainted with the most hidden
thoughts. It is, in fact, the police, not only of Rome, but of all Italy;
indeed it may be said of the whole world. Now the Dominicans, even
with the assistance of the priests, would be altogether unequal to
this task, were not the Jesuits themselves the secret officials of this
police. The mere government spy is seldom enabled to arrive at the
exact truth: it is difficult for him to get at the secrets of a family; he
is met with counter operations; schemes are laid expressly to
deceive him, and he is frequently put to considerable trouble and
inconvenience to ferret out an affair, without obtaining any final
success. For a long time the Italians, and more especially the
Romans, have learned the art of playing upon the credulity of the
spies, and making them believe things quite contrary to truth. But
nothing of this sort takes place with the Jesuits, to whom no door is
closed, no curtain drawn, no veil or shadow cast over secret or
mystery. What they cannot learn from the men, they ascertain from
the women; what the father will not disclose, the son will reveal;
and what the master of the house may be desirous to hide, the
servant may bring to light. The spy has need of frequent and
lengthened research; whereas the Jesuit arrives at the fact at once.
As has been before observed, the spy is deceived by false
statements, which is not the case with the Jesuit. The confessional
leads to many important discoveries; and where this is insufficient,
much is learned even from the children in the schools. The police
daily sends forth its numerous spies, who disperse themselves
throughout the whole of Rome, and pursue their investigations, not
only by day, but by night also. Frequently, overcome with the fatigue
that the incessant labour of one day has produced, they are obliged
to devote the whole of the succeeding one to a complete state of
rest. It is different with us Jesuits. You know the church of the Gesu.
Every morning at break of day, as the doors are opened, twelve
Reverend Fathers ascend the steps of the sacred edifice, dressed in
their robes and surplices, and seat themselves in their confessional
chairs. Who are they who present themselves at that early hour, to
give an account of their sins? Servants of both sexes, and all the old
men and women who are stirring betimes in the morning,
shopkeepers and workpeople; all those, in short, who are better
acquainted with other people's business than with their own. So that
in less than an hour all the transactions and gossip of the city are
related at these twelve confessionals; from whence, at the
termination of the audience, they are taken home, as you may
imagine, to be examined, discussed, and, with due caution,
registered as cases of conscience, &c.
"What is done in the church of the Gesu, is also done in that of St.
Ignatius, of St. Andrew on the Monte Cavallo, of St. Vitale, and the
other churches belonging to the Fathers of the Company. Frequently
a fact, or a conversation, that is half ascertained in one place, is fully
disclosed and confirmed in another. The cleverest among our body
have the office of confronting those they desire to examine; and
every day they go from house to house, collecting whatever
intelligence of interest may present itself. In this manner we become
acquainted with the most minute and secret affairs of the city. But
our exertions do not end here. We have our nocturnal oratories, as
that of the Caravita in Rome, whither the élite of good society
generally resort. We have besides, as you know, our courses of
spiritual exercises, which are always well attended; the conferences
for the scrupulous, where they worm everything out of them;
friendly visitations, which are never deficient in supplying
information; and of which there are always a vast abundance over
the whole country. Every one who is desirous of place or office,
applies to us. It is impossible to be more courteous or zealous than
we are in proffering our services, and what we ask of the
government for our friends, we naturally succeed in obtaining.
Moreover, we supply families with servants, and change them when
required: consequently, every one is obliged by us, and entirely
devoted to us.
"What I have told you respecting Rome is equally true with regard
to all other places, wherever we are to be found; in Naples, Turin,
Genoa, Modena, Verona, or anywhere else. Look, for instance, at
this little town of Tivoli. No one stirs a foot in it but we are aware of
it; and we have no occasion to go out of our houses for information.
I myself have been here seven years; I have never ascended the
staircase of any house in the place, and yet I am well acquainted
with the affairs of every family that resides here; what they are
doing, what they are talking about, what their intentions are, even
to the most minute matters: in proof of which, the next time we are
walking out together, ask any question of me respecting any person
we may chance to meet, and you shall have copious information."
We were here interrupted in our conversation by two other
Jesuits, who were returning from their walk, and who accompanied
us home.
The next day we met again. My companion was accompanied by a
youth, who had, I believe, the charge of a school. He was also a
Jesuit, and on terms of strict intimacy with my friend. We passed
through the town with but little conversation: the two Jesuits, with
their eyes bent to the ground, appeared to take no notice of the
passers-by; yet I observed they never failed to see when they were
saluted, nor did they ever omit to return the salutation. As soon as
we were fairly out of the town, we began to enter into familiar
conversation.
"Well," observed my friend, "what do you think of our discourse of
yesterday?"
"To tell you the truth, I was greatly surprised at what you told
me."
"You would perhaps be pleased if I made the experiment I talked
of."
"Oh, I am fully persuaded of the accuracy of your assertions.
Besides, I am but little interested in the concerns of this place.
Nevertheless, I will not refuse your offer. But tell me, in the
meanwhile, how is it that the Jesuits, who perform such services for
the Church, are never raised to places of dignity or profit in it?"
"If we had any desire that way, we should soon obtain what we
wished for. We who have the power of disposing of these situations
to others, might easily choose for ourselves. Had any other person
than yourself asked the question, I should have given him the
answer which our Institution puts into our mouths—'A Jesuit is
sworn to aspire to no ecclesiastical dignity; nor can he accept any,
without a special dispensation from the pope.' But this reply will not
be sufficient for you, to whom I have disclosed so many of our
secrets. I tell you, then, that we should never succeed in our
undertaking of supporting the Church of Rome, unless we kept
ourselves aloof from all her honours and dignities. A man once
placed high in the Church has finished his career. A bishop and a
cardinal serve very well to make a splendid appearance, and that is
all. In the human body, the head governs the members; but in the
moral body of the Church, the case is reversed, and the more active
and influential members govern the head. Thus the bishop is not the
moving power in his diocese, it is his vicar or his confessor. In like
manner, it is his theologians, and not the cardinal, who sway the
congregation; he says Yes, or No, as they direct him. The
theologians and the confessors, then, are really at the head of
affairs, and not the cardinal or the bishop. The pope himself is
subject to the same regulation. I smile when I hear of the pope's
holding a secret consistory. The Romans believe that he is then
actually himself engaged with his cardinals in the discussion of
important matters; whereas the true secret consistory is held by the
General of the Jesuits and his counsellors; and it is by them that
everything is discussed and decided. Now, all this could not be done,
were we not simple monks, and open to no ambition but that of
serving the Holy See."
At this moment some ladies passed us, whom the Jesuits were the
first to salute by taking off their hats: but from the coolness with
which the civility was acknowledged, I saw there was very little
friendship between the parties.
"Can you tell me," said I to my friend, "who these ladies are?"
"O yes, I can tell you not only their names, but their ages too, if
you desire it."
 "Have you ever been in company with them?"
"Never; but that does not prevent me from being able to furnish
you with every minute particular in their biography."
Whereupon he entered into so many details concerning the history
of these ladies, that I was astonished at the extent of his
information; but I was still more surprised to hear the younger Jesuit
contribute his share as well, and even correct some points which the
other had advanced. I had the curiosity to inquire how long this
youth had been in Tivoli, and discovered that he was a Pole, and had
only been six months in the place.
A priest came by, next, and respecting him also we had a full and
minute account. Afterwards the Princess Santacroce passed in her
carriage; my two Jesuits made her a profound reverence, and the
elder of them entertained me with the history of the lady, till we
reached home.
The following day I thought I would engage my chronicler on
some other interesting matters, and I led the subject to Rome and
the Cardinals.
"You are acquainted," I said to him, "with the major part of the
Roman cardinals, especially, I suppose, with such as are friendly to
the Holy Office."
"I know them all, both friends and enemies, if not personally, at
least by reputation; and of every one of them I could, if you wished
it, give all the circumstances of their lives, from their birth to the
present day. You may rest assured that a Jesuit, after ten years'
experience, unless he chance to be a stupid fellow, in which case he
is soon expelled from the Society, ought to know far more than the
most expert and practised officer of police. For my own part, I am
conscious that I possess a certain dexterity in these matters; and it
is on this account that I have been sent into various places, and
entrusted with so many commissions. I cannot, however, imagine
why they have kept me seven years in Tivoli, doing nothing but what
my office as professor of moral theology requires, to settle cases of
conscience. Still they have given me my degree (il grado),[29] and I
imagine I shall shortly be called to Rome, to attend to other
matters."
"To be one of the twelve who every morning at an early hour
occupy the confessionals at the Gesu!!"
The Jesuit smiled significantly, as much as to say, "I believe so."
"But tell me, my dear master," I rejoined, "would you not be more
useful in other matters? How well you could impart instruction in
Greek and Roman literature, not only my testimony, but that of all
your other pupils, might be brought forward to prove. You direct the
studies of youth with so much judgment! Besides, that is an
occupation, as I understand it, worthy of a Jesuit. But to go about
spying into other people's affairs, to serve the Inquisition and the
Court of Rome, is an employment that God may perhaps pardon you
for exercising, but society never will."
"My dear friend," replied he, "such is the price at which we are
admitted into the Society of Jesuits. It is necessary to do many
things to which we may be naturally averse, many things contrary to
our nature, and even to our conscience." (And here a sigh betrayed
the anxiety he felt.) "You will perhaps ask, why I remained among
the Jesuits, before I had received my degree? I can understand the
question. But you, who are now a theologian and a preacher, turn to
the 7th chapter of the Epistle of St. Paul to the Romans, where the
apostle laments his own state, speaking of himself: 'For the good
that I would, I do not; but the evil which I would not, that I do;' and
concludes with that memorable exclamation, 'wretched man that I
am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?' I can assure
you that more than once I have proposed to myself to quit the
Society while I had yet power to do so; and then a thousand
thoughts came into my mind:—What will they say of me, if I leave
the Society which hitherto has been as a mother to me? I shall have
to endure the remorse of one who, as it is written, 'has put his hand
to the plough, and has looked back;' and on account of my
dereliction I shall be adjudged unworthy of the kingdom of heaven!
 I desired so much to become a Jesuit, that I abandoned, as you
know, my chair at the Sapienza, and gave up my inheritance to my
brothers; I bade adieu to all the world, and buried myself in this
cloak, which I have now worn for fifteen years. How was it possible
to retrace my steps, to disclaim my own words, to give the lie to
myself? Ah, my friend, I pray you may never repent having assumed
your present habit, that you may never experience the regret I have
endured! But all this has passed away. I am now a Jesuit, fixed in
my vocation. In taking my last vows, I have sworn to die in my
Order. Nothing can now alter my determination."
After this conversation several days passed without my friend's
making his appearance; and I dared not inquire after him, fearing he
might possibly have repented of the confidence he had reposed in
me, and be desirous of breaking off our intimacy at once. I was
however mistaken. He still retained his regard for me; but that which
would have been commendable in any one else, was, it appears, in a
Jesuit, a fault, a weakness, and contrary to the rules of the Order.
The aged spiritual director of the establishment had found the
conduct of my friend to be very reprehensible. This old man was not
himself the Superior, but the superintendent; he was one of the
assistants of the General of the Order, and usually resided at Tivoli,
where he was well known as the celebrated Father Sineo. He was
the oracle of the Society, and was consulted in all matters of
importance. He generally inhabited an apartment secluded from the
rest; like those idols of the Church of Rome which are withdrawn
from the light of day, and shut up in obscure places, to inspire more
veneration; or if placed in a niche, they are covered with a curtain,
to guard them from the profane eyes of the multitude; who would
go crazy, in their senseless adoration, if they saw them always
before their eyes. In like manner, this Father Sineo lived at Tivoli, like
the cuckoo in the fable, who delivered his oracular sayings from his
hole in the rock, to those who went to consult him.
Now, this Reverend Father, seeing the intimacy that subsisted
between my friend and myself, and fearing that he might disclose
some of the secrets of the Company to me, summoned him into his
presence, and told him that it was not befitting that a Jesuit should
be seen more than once, in public company with a stranger to the
Order; that our friendship might degenerate into familiarity, and so
on into mutual confidence, to the danger of the betrayal of the
secrets of the Institution. That, in fact, the General of the Order had
learned that we were every day walking out together; and although
this might not in itself be objectionable, still his Reverence advised
him to break off such a public display. My good Jesuit had
consequently to make a further sacrifice, and deprive himself of this
little solace; he wrote to me on the occasion, assuring me that it was
not from any diminution of friendship on his part if he could not
meet me as usual.
I understood all this perfectly well, and continued my accustomed
walks alone. Still my Jesuit was not forbidden to talk with me in
private, and it was not long before he came to pay me a visit; when
I expressed to him my satisfaction that our conversation had not
been overheard.
"Oh!" replied he, "Father Sineo would not in that case have let me
off so easily. Without doubt, I should have been immediately sent
away."
"I trust they would have done you no further injury," I observed.
"The Jesuits are not like the friars and the nuns," he replied,
"among whom those who transgress have to submit to a public
penance; for instance, a Capuchin who cuts off his beard is obliged
to eat with the cats,[30] until it grows again. But with the Jesuit it
frequently happens that no one knows he is undergoing punishment;
and he himself only perceives he has incurred the displeasure of his
Superior, by finding himself constantly and most ingeniously
thwarted in all his inclinations and wishes. In some cases the
offender is made to change his residence, to leave his country, and
to travel into Asia or America. Moreover, if a Jesuit commits any
great crime, his offence is concealed, in order that no scandal may
attach to the Company; for it desires, more than any other body, to
be esteemed irreprehensible; as if its members were gifted with the
privilege of impeccability. It is moreover always expected that a
Jesuit thus protected by his Company, should consider himself bound
to expiate his crime by the greatest possible show of repentance;
after which he is again taken into favour. Generally, those who are
sent into foreign countries are not allowed to return, until they have
signalized themselves in some praiseworthy manner. It is considered
a great favour to be called to Rome: as it is also a heavy punishment
to be banished from it. For my own part, I have many times
requested to be sent to some foreign country, but I never could
obtain my wish. To tell the truth, I should much prefer a mission to
England. I differ from my brethren in that respect; although a
Roman, the air of Rome, and more particularly of the Vatican, is too
oppressive for my liking."
"Well, for my part," said I, "I never could understand what
business Jesuits can have either in England, or in the United States."
"Still," replied he, "there are many in both those countries, and
many more will follow. It is our desire and our hope, to obtain the
same influence in England that we have in Italy. Protestantism in
that country already inclines greatly towards Catholicism, and will do
so still more, in proportion as the Jesuits gain ground there.
"Our success would be yet more rapid were we not impeded by
other priests and monks, who, in their ignorant fanaticism,
imprudently attack the Protestants, and thus only strengthen their
opposition to the Church of Rome. We, on the other hand, have the
art of introducing ourselves among them without exciting attention;
consequently, without creating suspicion or alarm. Apparently
occupied with our own affairs, we appear to take no notice of those
of other people. We readily associate with them, sit at their tables,
and converse on general topics; we never oppose or contradict what
they may advance. Do they talk of the Bible? we are ready to talk on
the same subject. We always, however, have some strong arguments
in reserve, for which most of them are not prepared; scholastic
doctrines, which the Bible does not disavow, and which are received
with great willingness. So that while, on one hand, we lament that
there should be an Episcopacy separate from Rome, we talk largely,
on the other, on the important doctrine that the Bishops are the
successors of the Apostles; and thus prepare the way for the
conclusion, that the Pope is the successor of St. Peter. In fact, you
will find, that in consequence of this doctrine of Apostolic
succession, the Episcopalians generally entertain a respect for the
Chair of St. Peter, in which the chief of the Bishops is seated.
"The principle being admitted, the consequence naturally follows.
And it is to be noted, that if any one speaks slightingly of the Roman
Episcopacy, the Bishop of London is the first person to reprove him;
and moreover, the English Episcopacy calls that of Rome her sister. It
is not so, however, with the Presbyterians and other sects. The
Church of England retains the two Sacraments of Baptism and the
Holy Supper; both of which, according to their belief, and according
to ours also, confer sanctifying grace, (gratiam sanctificantem,) not
only ex opere operato, but also ex opere operantis, and thus the
minister becomes an advocate, sine qua non, for justification in
Baptism, and for the real presence in the Eucharist. Should a doubt
be expressed as to the sacred character of the minister, or as to the
efficacy of the consecration of a bishop, as practised in their Church;
should their white robes, or their Book of Prayer be criticised, the
same outcry is raised by them, as would be raised by the sandalled
friar, if you ridiculed his tunic, or his legends of St. Francis.
"The state of the case is this: Missionaries in general are
imprudent, and begin by depreciating points which their opponents
most especially hold in reverence. We, on the contrary, take care to
inform them that these matters, inasmuch as they are traditions of
greater or less antiquity, are deserving of consideration; and the
more so, as they come near the traditions of the Apostolic Church of
Rome.
"Do you think the Episcopalian clergy would ever consent to
change their book of prayer? We might as soon be expected to give
up our mass-book and breviary. They cannot therefore blame us if
we are tenacious in keeping to our ritual, liturgy, and other
ecclesiastical observances.
"In the Church of Rome there are canons, whose office we
ourselves deem objectionable; those, for instance, who, for a sum of
money, often of considerable amount, make it their business to pray
for other people, (heaven knows what sort of prayers are those they
mutter in the choir.) Well, in the English Church, every bishop has his
canons, who have the negotium in otio, and otium in negotio, to go
every day into the choir, to repeat twice a-day the same service; and
for this easy task they are well paid in good English pounds sterling.
Suppose now, a canon from St. Peter's at Rome should present
himself at the Cathedral of St. Paul's, or at Westminster Abbey, you
would find that the reverend canons there would receive him with
more courtesy than they would show to either Luther or Calvin.
"Observe now," he continued, "our method of proceeding in
England. We get acquainted with the Episcopalians; our time would
be lost with others; and while we praise their doctrines, we
endeavour to show how near they are to our own. We compare the
respective Churches, their bishops with ours, the canons with the
laws of discipline, the Mass-book with the Prayer-book, the robe with
the surplice, and so on. The only point on which we cannot
assimilate, is our celibacy, and their matrimony; and here we argue
that as that is a matter of discipline, the Church might alter it,
should it be deemed expedient to do so; the pope having the power
to dispense with the observance.
"If any one complains that with us the cup is not given to the laity,
we observe that this, too, might easily be arranged, if there were no
other difficulty. But the clergy of the Reformed Church of the present
day, both ministers and bishops, have for the most part an idea that
the Reformation has taken away much which might have been
retained. They begin to be sensible of a certain dryness in their
worship, without either an image, or the cross; no one knows why
the mitre has been taken from the bishop, and the gown from the
priest. We observe to them, that it would not be amiss to restore
those customs which are harmless. And thus by degrees, in some
churches, we see images set up over the communion table, which
give it the appearance of an altar. And if an image is not allowed, at
least a handsome cross may be painted and gilded, before which the
minister, as he passes, may make his obeisance. The mitre which the
bishops no longer wear on their heads, in sign of jurisdiction, is
transferred to their coat of arms, their carriages, and their plate; and
seeing it thus painted and engraved, the desire naturally arises in
the breast of some of them to wear it also.
"Our priests are wedded to their collar, the English ministers to
their white cravat. If we had the courage to show ourselves in
London in our gowns, I would wager that they also would wish to be
clothed in the long black garb, close to the throat, with a single row
of buttons."[31]
"It appears then," said I, "that your mission to the British Isles is
exclusively to convert their Episcopalian ministers to the Church of
Rome?"
"Not them exclusively, but principally, as being the most
accessible. We do not however altogether lose our time whilst
looking after the sectarians also. In fact, some of us take the
Presbyterians, and those who are called Dissenters, under our
especial care. In ingratiating ourselves with the Episcopalians, they
become sufficiently friendly to evince no great displeasure against
us, if we now and then succeed in leading away one or two of them
from their faith. In short, we have nothing to fear from them, either
in England or in Scotland: so long as we handle them gently, they
never turn against us. But it is very different with the Presbyterians,
the Baptists, the Methodists, the Independents, and others of a
similar class; we cannot deceive them into a belief that their
opinions approximate to ours; everything regarding papacy they hold
in such abhorrence, that, as they express it, they would rather enter
into a league with the arch-fiend himself than with us. How then do
we proceed with them? I have already said it is in vain to think of
overcoming them by argument. Our efforts are directed to sow
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