There appeared in the press recently details of a new Scottish plan organised by the Roman Catholic Order of the Society of Jesus, or as they are commonly called—the Jesuits. Plans for the extension of the work of the Jesuits in Scotland provide for the opening in September, 1961, of a House of Studies at Wardhall House, Juniper Green, Edinburgh. It is also intended to establish Scotland as a distinct province of the Jesuits in connection with their nefarious activities in Protestant Britain. Rev. James Christie of the Society of Jesus stated that there had been a distinct Scottish unit within his Society from 1560, and onwards for 200 years when it was merged with the English province. The modern movements of this Society can bring nothing but real danger to the liberties and privileges enjoyed by Protestants in our beloved land, if we will not awake and be on our guard against this enemy within our gates. May God arise and scatter these enemies of the Gospel of Christ and of truth and righteousness.
Therefore in order to give our readers who may not be conversant with the history of the Jesuits, some idea of their character and activities, we intend herewith to give some extracts and information from the book—The Jesuits; a Complete History of their open and secret proceedings from the foundation of the Order to the present time. Told to the German people, by Theodor Griesinger. Translated by A. J. Scott—1892.
The Founder of this Society was Ignatius Loyola, the youngest son in a Spanish aristocratic family. He was born in 1491. In youth he was at King Ferdinand’s Court, and afterwards became an army officer. After being severely wounded in battle he became lame for life and otherwise also his former handsome appearance which was greatly admired, was lost. This affected his mind, adversely. At this time he read a book which recounted supposed adventures which “saints” had to go through before they became truly holy. His eccentric nature was greatly impressed, and he determined to do the same. He became devoted to the Virgin Mary, and later went about in rags and filth and at times publicly flogged himself with an iron chain. On one occasion, because of fasting he was unconscious for
eight days. About this time in his life he was supposed to have seen apparitions, probably the effect of delirium. Then he was advised by priests to give up this (what we call) unnatural mode of living, and to devote himself to the service of the heathen. To this he agreed, and added to this the waging of war on the heretical world from his point of view and now sought to gather an army of knights whose supreme head should be Jesus Christ, in order to overcome “heretics,” such as Protestant Reformers and those who adhered to them. Six other men associated themselves with him at this time and they all took a special oath which included the resolve to fight for the Pope and the extension of the Romish faith among “unbelievers,” as Protestants and others were called.
Rules of the Order drawn up in September, 1540, included vows of chastity, poverty, obedience to superiors, and unlimited submission to the Pope. The General or Chief of the Jesuits was elected for life and was endowed with absolute authority, and each member of the Society of Jesus, on his admission gave up his own will and became an instrument merely for the use of the Order.
When the Jesuits became a distinct Order in Europe, one of the original regulations then made was for such members as were appointed “Confessors”: it runs as follows—”The chief aim of all our efforts ought to be to procure the confidence and favour of princes and men in places of distinction, to the end that no one might dare to offer opposition to us, but, on the contrary, that all should be subject to us.” Truly we can discern this Regulation in operation today in Protestant Britain, when members of our Royal Family are repeatedly influenced and engaged to visit the Pope, in complete disregard of faithful and legal protestations on the part of Protestant Churches and Organisations.
The Jesuits also gave guidance on such matters as the following: “The favourites of princes, high and low, female as well as male, must be put under obligation through presents, flattery, . . . so that they may intercede for us with their masters, and give us correct information as to the characters and inclinations of the latter. On the other hand, all servants who have shown themselves to be in any way adverse to the Order, should by all manner of means be removed from the surrounding of the monarchs and their councillors, or be gained over to our side by great promises.”
Another line of things is to be seen in connection with the Jesuits, at the beginning of the 17th Century, about the year 1633. A great controversy and conflict began between them and Dominican monks over the practices of the Jesuits in China. The Jesuits permitted the Chinese “converts” to Romanism to continue to worship Confucius, and the Christianity they taught these heathen was just the old Chinese paganism in another form. The monks went to China in 1633, and were astounded to observe that the Jesuits had allowed these practices. The monks were opposed by the Jesuits. Here are the sons of the Pope in open conflict contrary to what we are told of Roman Catholic
unity. Well, the monks reported to the Pope himself in Rome. But the controversy raged up to 1691; and only then Pope Innocent XII, decided that the Jesuits were entirely wrong. At this time the Jesuits violated one of their vows, because they issued a statement in which they described the Pope’s conduct as heretical, godless and unwise. The Pope was helpless to deal with the Jesuits. From this episode we see this Order arrogating to itself power and boldness by which they even disregarded the authority of the Pope himself. What a deep cleavage between Roman Catholics we have exposed to view in these facts. What a hollow mockery Roman Catholic unity has been and still is.
Later in 1761, the Jesuits made a first class blunder in placing before the Parliament of Paris a copy of the Constitutions of the Jesuit Order. There was a background to this which we need not refer to in this brief survey. Then following upon an examination of the Constitutions, the Parliament of Paris declared this document “as through and through offensive, and such as it was impossible to tolerate in any well ordered State.” It is related that the Jesuits immediately made haste to gather and destroy all the copies they could. People at this same time were also horrified by the books of doctrine respecting Christian morals and moral theology which the Jesuits had hitherto claimed as their own. Grissinger observes in this connection: “There-in were to be read truly horrible things—calculated indeed to make one’s hair ‘stand on end.’ For one could not but see, at the first glance, that here was no question of ‘Christian Morals,’ but of a more than heathenish prudential doctrine, which even allowed, according to time and circumstances, the commission of the worst sins.” The Parliament of Paris further ordered a number of prominent Jesuitical writings to be investigated, and as a result ordered them to be torn up and burnt, on account of their being “entirely subversive of Christian morality.”
A few years after the above happenings, King Charles of Spain waged war on the Jesuits in his own Country; and a resolution was come to, on the 28th February, 1767, to banish, then and for ever, the Society of Jesus, as being generally injurious and highly treasonable, out of all the possessions of the Spanish monarchy. This was carried out and 6000 Jesuits were exiled from Spain at that time and none of them dared to return again to Spain as long as Charles III and his son, Charles IV., governed. No doubt, but they are back to Spain today and holding the people in bondage. And now they are building up their evil organisation in Scotland and bold enough to publicly intimate this through the press.
Later in our own land, the well-known Gunpowder Plot, discovered on the night between 4th and 5th November, 1605, by which it was intended to blow up The Palace of Westminster and those who were to assemble there on the 5th November, was all planned by the Jesuits. Guy Fawkes and others were discovered and executed. But
the Government made known the names of four Jesuit priests who were involved, and called upon the public to deliver them into the hands of the authorities, wherever they might be found.
As we cannot extend this article much more, a final fact of great significance must be recorded. Pope Clement XIV, on 21st of July, 1773, issued a Brief that decreed the abolition of the Jesuit Order. The Order became a scourge and a menace even within the Pope’s own realm; and we give the following short extract from the Brief, quite a lengthy document, viz., “From these weighty motives, on mature consideration, we, in the plenitude of apostolic power, abolish the said Society, suppress it, and dissolve it, and do away with and abolish all and everyone of their offices . . .” Now this is the Society which is endeavouring to lift its black head once more in Scotland, the land of the First and Second Reformation and of Covenanting history.
The blind leaders of the blind who are to be found in all parts of Scotland and the professing Protestant Churches therein have need of a great awakening by the power of the Holy Spirit; that their eyes might be opened to know the Truth as it is in Jesus, so that they might come to instruct and warn the people, in the mercy of God, to turn to the pure gospel of the grace of God in Christ Jesus, and to shun and resist every indication of the slightest trend towards High Anglicanism and Romanism in this land of Scotland, as they would shun and resist the resurgence of the activities of the diabolical seed of Loyola.
Notes Of A Sermon
(preached by the late Rev. Jas. Fraser, M.A., at Hilton, Fearn, on 5th August, 1947).
Text:—”And he spake a parable to them to this end that men ought always to pray and not to faint.” Luke chap. 18, v. 1.
Let us pray.
He is no fool who parts with that which he cannot keep, when he is sure to be recompenced with that which he cannot lose.—Phillip Henry, Life and Times p. 99.