The Pocket Bible or Christian the Printer

in for the purpose of inspecting the abandoned quarry where the two expected to be able to set up their secret press. The secluded spot was also expected speedily to serv

llock crowned with a cross. Arrived there they descended a st

being this, through which we are about to enter, the other, the issue of a sort of underground gallery, located at the opposite slope of the hill, and t

were dug into the bowels of the earth by the inhabitants of these

place for our friends of the Reformation by placing a watchman at each entrance. The alarm being given from either side, escape could then b

ouble entrance would be a priceless fact.

his pocket for his tinder and flint, while Christian drew out of his pocke

stepped in. They did not light their candle at first for fear it would be extinguished by the wind. But after having groped their way through the dark for a few paces, they struck a light, and presently the feeble flame of the candle threw its light

pening of the gallery that I spoke of to you must be on the ot

everal persons drawing near from the side of the opening through which they had themselves shortly before entered the cavern. As much surprised as alarmed, the first motion of Justin wa

hiding place, wondering with as much astonishment as anxiety who it

ive of the retreat being familiar to him. He walked with difficulty, and he stooped low as he leaned upon a heavy staff much resembling a crutch. Yet he seemed to be a man in the maturity of life. Black, threadbare and shabby clothes outlined his tall and robust stature. A Spanish ruff of doubtful white set off his

of Azevedo, Portuguese; Francis Xavier, a French nobleman; and lastly, Peter Lefevre, a native of th

and mute the six disciples of Loyola fixed their eyes upon their master, not in order to discover his

stone, crossed his hands over his staff, leaned his chin upon his hands, let his eyes travel slowly over his disciples, who, impassive as statues stood beside him, and, after an instant of silent meditation resumed: "My children, I said to you this evening: 'Come!' You

'Come!' We came. Command,

ithout even seeking to ascertain what I

you without reflectin

ing, without inquiri

will that directs them; they do no

r. Lefevre, deposit your bundle at your feet. It contains your sacerdotal vest

is bundle on the ground. The other disciples remained standing, their eyes lowered. Stil

the benches of the University-what was

onately given to the

Inigo of B

k and pusillanimous. My spirit lacked ener

u, John

ive confidence in mys

Rodriguez

, was enough to bring the tears to my eyes. I was kind to all, was ever eager to

Alfonso

d of my vigor of bone and of my intelli

, John L

looked upon any obstruction but to ov

u now? Answer, John Lefevre. To hear

s of your will. We are the body, you the spirit. We are submissive slaves, you the inflexib

effacement? In what manner was the absorpt

our Spiritual Exercises

n. At that juncture the Holy Ghost said to me: 'Devote thyself to the triumph of the Catholic Church. Thy dominion shall extend in the measure of thy faith.' I then asked myself what services could I render the Catholic Church. I looked around me. What did I see? The spirit of Liberty, that pestilential emanation of a fallen humanity, everywhere at war with Authority, that sacred emanation of Divinity. I promised to myself to curb the spirit of Liberty with the inflexible curb of Authority, identically as I had formerly subjugated indomitable horses. The goal being set, what were the means to reach it? I looked for them. I wished first to experiment upon myself, to determine upon myself the extent to which, sustained by faith in the idea a man pursues, he can shake off his former self. Rich by birth, I begged my bre

rance of the reign of

auth

rity of God, visibly incarnated in H

that the spiritual or

have authority over the body also. He who dictate

st the P

mperor of the

m, is to gover

cle

dingly, also belong to the Roma

are by divine right the masters of the nation

hen, the wo

, ma

bstacles to its

mous

are

f all, t

d Loyola impat

y of the bourg

ex

own by the name of

ex

ourge that every day and eve

ex

candalous habits of

las

eness, the insatiable cupidity

s to the absolute rule of the

, ma

to overcome th

irit speaks through our mouths, a

egin with the Kings. What are

r riv

hould t

first s

eater glory and security of the Cathol

ld be pre

bordinated to the Popes? Or, rathe

its subjects to

at pro

mmune spirit of the bourgeoisie; by fanning the hatred of the seigneurs, once

resort for the ri

ger, or

the Church may and has the right to stab a K

y. The King should first be paternally admonished, then excommunicated, then de

authority, and thus places them under the ban of man

sembly of priests and theologians, o

he power thereby fall either into the hands of the nobility and the seigne

be turned against the populace. If the power should fall into the hands of the bourgeoisie, then the populace and the nobility are to be turned against t

er, what will be th

stroyed by the other, only the Catholic C

the end of using these several classes for the overthrow of royal power, and subseque

nce, especially that of their w

expect to be able to di

ns that the larger number of men and women will choose us for their confessors, and will thereby hand over to

dressing his disciples successively, "are my confessor. I say to you: 'Father, it is forbidden, under penalty of ex

s garb in order not to soil it with some disgraceful act, such as going on a pickpocket expedition, or patronizing a gamb

ther, and I desire his death that I may be free of the obligation; or, say, I am the heir of a

eath of his beneficiary, but the cancellation of the debt. My son,' I would answer the penitent, 'you would be committing an abominable sin were you, out of pure wickedness, to

f of acting as go-between in the amours of m

nd indifferent matters, because, in your quality of servant, it is not your will that you obey, but the will of another.[17] As to the thefts that you have committed, it i

self before the penitential tr

not to a homicidal impulse, but to the legitimate call

ering him from ambush. I come to make the admiss

in order to escape the dangers which your enemy might have thrown you into, in that case you have no

d a decision in favor of one of the litigants, i

rendered a decision favorable to the giver of the gift. Could you not, by virtue of y

uently derived large profits from my money. Ha

you will guarantee to reimburse me my capital, and, besides that, to pay me a certain profit, I shall entrust the sum in your hands so that you may turn it to use. But I shall not loan it to you."[22] For the rest, my

having concealed a considerable sum

ase cupidity. But if your purpose was merely to insure to yourself and your f

and of having in that way obtained considerable wealth from m

s, it is true, an illegitimate source. Nevertheless, its possession may be considered

accuse myself of the theft,

unless one is driven thereto by extreme necessity; a

alms sparingly, if at

ertheless, if superfluity is needed by you, you commit no sin by not depriving y

yself of having poisoned the man from whom I

y unworthy means, and even through manslaughter, is legitimate, so

ds, my interest orders me to commit perjury. You ar

ill answer aloud: "I swear before God and man that I have not committed that act," and then you add mentally: "On such and such a day." Or, you are asked: "Do you

yielded to a seducer. I fear the

of your age is free to dispose of her body and hersel

cuse myself of having purloined some moneys from my hu

erything is, or ought to be, in common, you have not sinned by drawing

love ornaments.

without impure intentions, and only in order to satisfy

aving seduced the wif

friend, then you have sinned. But if you seduced her, as you might have done any other woman, you have not outraged friendship.[

you grant absolution for all that human mor

Absolved penitents w

complaisance of your doct

later relinquish to us the absolute education of their children. We will then raise those generations as may be suitable, by taking them in charge from the cradle to the grave; by molding them; by petrifying them in such manner that, their appetites being satisfie

r work will, or may encounte

acred college may call to the pontifical thr

remedy at suc

ety to whose members it shall be strictly forbidden ever to be elected Pope, or to accept any Catholic office, however high or however low the

rganization of that

own members, shall have s

its members to

and servile

hey to be i

! Instruments as docile as the cane in

e theater of the

hole w

s will it divid

the province of England, the province of India, the province of Asia, and others. Each w

organized, what nam

f the Socie

be, dominate the papacy itself, should the latter swerve from the route it should pursue in

he confessor of Kings and lackeys, of the mendicant monk and the cardinal, of the courtesan and the princess, the female bourgeois and her cook, of the concubine and the empress. The concert of this immense clientage, acting as one man under the breath of the Society of Jesus, an

ce, will the Society of Jesus dispose

defended and held scathless by the Society and its adherents. The penitent of a Jesuit will see the horizon of his most ardent hopes open before him; the path to honors and wealth will be smoothed before his feet; a tutelary mantle will cover his defects, his errors and his cr

e faith in the accomp

solute

o you derive

yola, whose breath inspires us; from you

minate the world! And yet

you command, w

s-without other power tha

removes mount

have so often come to meditate in this hollow, this second to that cavern of Manres, where, in Spain, after long years of concentration, I at last perceived the full depth, the immensity of my work. Yes, in order to weld you together in this work, I have broken, bent and absorbed your personalities. I have turned you into instruments of my wil

nt he remained steeped in the contemplation of his portentous am

te his intrepid militia! We the Jesuits!" And addressing himself to Lefevre: "You have brought with you the necessaries for the celebration of mass. Yonder

knelt down and lighted the improvised altar upon which the other Jesuits were engaged in disposing the rest of the requisites for the celebration of the divine sacrifice. It was done before Loyola and his disciples. The voice of Lefevre, as he droned the liturgy, alone disturbed the sile

w, come

his acolytes, leaving behind them the re

they had just had revealed to them. Christian could still hardly believe that Lefevre, one of his oldest friends, and w

his companion; "I have not a drop o

ose fanatics. I doubt not they will come

y here another minute.

issue, which, as you were telling me,

ted. It would be dangerous to enter it without a light

eave him alone. The moment they were about to emerge from the subterranean cavern, their ears were struck by the sound

ed Justin in a low and anxious voice. "Those men have ga

to an irresistible impulse of cur

a solemn silence reigned. Presently the voice of Ignat

r of the Society of Jesus. "Do you s

nded the Jesuits. "We swear

hose empire I parcel out among you, valiant soldiers of the Society of Jesus. Down yonder, towards the north, lie

your will

he Holy Land. To you, Turkey, Asia an

your will

rica and the Indies. To you, the new A

your will

dinia, and the Balearic Isles. To you, Africa, Italy, Spain, Portugal, the islands of

your will

apital of France, a world in itself. To

your will

wn. To work, soldiers of Jesus! To work, Jesuits! The kingdom of earth is ours! To

companions. He doffed his sacerdotal vestments, and approached the improvised altar to gather the sacred vessels. So busied, his hand struck against the chalice, which rolled down and fell behind the rock at the place where the two artisans were crowding themselves from sight. John

t a word, not a gesture betrayed upon his countenance the astonishment and uneasiness into which he must have bee

ions, and whispered a few words into the ear of Loyola. A slight tremor ran through the frame of the latter, who, however, immediately recovered his composure, and whispered back his answe

igin of that in