MANNER IN WHICH FATHERS MUST CONDUCT THEMSELVES PART IV

CHAPTER IV.

OF THAT WHICH WE MUST CHARGE THE PREACHERS

AND CONFESSORS OF THE GREAT OF THE EARTH.

1. Those of us who may be directed to the princes and illustrious men, of the manner in which we must appear
before them, with inclination unitedly "to the greater glory of God," obtaining-with its austerity of conscience, that the
same princes are persuaded of it; for this direction we must not travel in a principle to the exterior or political
government, but gradually and imperceptibly.

2. Forasmuch there will be opportunity and conducive notices at repeated times, that the distribution of honors and
dignities in the Republic is an act of justice; and that in a great manner it will be offending God, if the princes do not
examine themselves and cease carrying their passions, protesting to the same with frequency and severity, that we do
not desire to mix in the administration of the State; but when it shall become necessary to so express ourselves thus, to
have your weight to fill the mission that is recommended. Directly that the sovereigns are well convinced of this, it will be
very convenient to give an idea of the virtues that may be found to adorn those that are selected for the dignities and
principal public changes; procuring then and recommending the true friends of the Society; notwithstanding, we must
not make it openly for ourselves, but by means of our friends who have intimacy with the prince that it is not for us to
talk him into the disposition of making them.







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3. For this watchfulness our friends must instruct the confessors and preachers of the Society near the persons
capable of discharging any duty, that over all, they must be generous to the Society; they must also keep their names,
that they may insinuate with skill, and upon opportune occasions to princes, well for themselves or by means of others.

4. The preachers and confessors will always present themselves so that they must comport with the princes, lovable
and affectionate, without ever shocking them in sermons, nor in particular conversations, presenting that which rejects
all fear, and exhorting them in particular to faith, hope and justice.

5. Never receive gifts made to any one in particular, but that for the contrary; but picture the distress in which the
Society or college may be found, as all are alike; having to be satisfied with assigning each one a room in the house,
modestly furnished; and noticing that your garb is not over nice; and assist with promptness to the aid and counsel of
the most miserable persons of the palace; but that you do not say it of them, but only those who have agreed to serve
the powerful.

6. Whenever the death occurs of any one employed in the palace, we must take care of speaking with anticipation,
that they fail in the nomination of a successor, in their affection for the Society; but giving no appearance to cause
suspicion that it was the intent of usurping the government of the prince; for which, it must not be from us that it is said;
take a part direct; but assembling of faithful or influential friends who may be found in a position of rousing the hate of
one and another until they become inflamed.



CHAPTER V.

OF THE MODE OF CONDUCTING THE SOCIETY WITH RESPECT TO OTHER ECCLESIASTICS WHO HAVE THE
SAME DUTIES AS OURSELVES IN THE CHURCH.

1. It is necessary to help with valor these persons, and manifest in their due time to the princes and lords that are
always ours, and being constituted in power, that our Society contains essentially the perfection of all the other orders,
with the exception of singing and manifesting an exterior of austerity in the mode of life and in dress; and that if in some
points they excel the communities of the Society, this shines with greater splendor in the Church of God.

2. We must inquire into and note the defects of the other fathers (non-Jesuit priests), and when we find them, we
must divulge them among our faithful friends, as condoling over them; we must show that such fathers do not discharge
with certainty, that we do ourselves the functions, that some and others recommend.

3. It is necessary that the fathers of our Society oppose with all their power the other fathers who intend to found
houses of education to instruct the youths among the populations where ours are found teaching with acceptation and
approval; and it will be





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very convenient to indicate our projects to princes and magistrates, that such people will excite disturbances and
commotions if they are not prohibited from teaching; and that in the last result, the damage will fall upon the educated,
by being instructed by a bad method, without any necessity; posting them that the Society is sufficient to teach the
youth. In case the fathers bear letters of the Pontificate, or recommendations from the Cardinals, we must work in
opposition to them, making the princes and great men to point out to the Pope the merits of the Society and its
intelligence for the pacific instruction of the youths, to which end, we must have and obtain certifications of the
authorities upon our good conduct and sufficiency.

4. Having notwithstanding to form duties, our fathers in displaying singular proofs of our virtue and erudition, making
them to exercise the alumni (graduates) in their studies in methods of functions, scholars of diversion, capable of
drawing applause, making for supposition, these representations in the presence of the great magistrates and
concurrence of other classes.



CHAPTER VI.

OF THE MODE OF ATTRACTING RICH WIDOWS.

1. We must elect effective fathers already advanced in years, of lively complexion and conversation, agreeable to
visit these ladies, and whence they can promptly note in them appreciation or affection for our Society; making offerings
of good works and the merits of the same; that, if they accept them, and succeed in having them frequent our temples,
we must assign to them a confessor, who will be able of guiding them in the ways that are proper, in the state of
widowhood, making the enumeration and praises of satisfaction that should accompany such a state; making them
believe and yet with certainty that they who serve as such, is a merit for etemal life, being efficacious to relieve them
from the pains of purgatory.

2. The same confessor will propose to them to make and adorn a little chapel or oratory in their own house, to
confirm their religious exercises, because by this method we can shorten the communication, more easily hindering
those who visit others; although if they have a particular chaplain, and will content to go to him to celebrate the mass,
making opportune advertencies to her who confesses, to the effect and treating her as being left to be overpowered by
said Chaplain.

3. We must endeavor skillfully but gently to cause them to change respectively to the Order and to the method of the
House, and to conform as the circumstances of the person will permit, to whom they are directed, their propensities,
their piety, and yet to the place and situation of the edifice.

4. We must not omit to have removed, little by little, the servants of the house that are not of the same mind with
ourselves, proposing that they be replaced by those persons who are dependent on us, or who desire to be of the
Society; for by this method we can be placed in the channel of communication of whatever passes in the family.



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5. The constant watch of the confessor will have to be, that the widow shall be disposed to depend on him totally,
representing that her advances in grace are necessarily bound to this submission.

6. We are to induce her to the frequency of the sacraments, and especially that of penitence, making her to give
account of her deeper thoughts and intentions; inviting her to listen to her confessor, when he is to preach particular
promising orations; recommending equally the recitation each day of the litanies and the examination of conscience.

7. It will be very necessary in the case of a general confession, to enter extensively into all of her inclinations; for that
it will be to determine her, although she may be found in the hands of others.

8. Insist upon the advantages of widowhood, and the inconvenience of marriage; in particular that of a repeated one,
and the dangers to which she will be exposed, relatively to her particular businesses into which we are desirous of
penetrating.

9. We must cause her to talk of men whom she dislikes, and to see if she takes notice of anyone who is agreeable,
and represent to her that he is a man of bad life; procuring by these means disgust of one and another, and repugnant
to unite with anyone.

10. When the confessor has become convinced that she has decided to follow the life of widowhood, he must then
proceed to counsel her to dedicate herself to a spiritual life, but not to a monastic one, whose lack of accommodations
will show how they live; in a word, we must proceed to speak of the spiritual life of Pauline and of Eustace, &c. The
confessor will conduct her at last, that having devoted the widow to chastity, to not less than for two or three years, she
will then be made to renounce a second nuptial forever. In this case she will be found to have discarded all sorts of
relations with men, and even the diversions between her relatives and acquaintances, we must protest that she must
unite more closely to God. With regard to the ecclesiastics who visit her, or to whom she goes out to visit, when we
cannot keep her separate and apart from all others, we must labor that those with whom she treats shall be
recommended by ourselves or by those who are devoted to us.

11. In this state, we must inspire her to give alms, under the direction, as she will suppose, or her spiritual father;
then it is of great importance that they shall be employed with utility; more, being careful that there shall be discretion in
counsel, causing her to see that inconsiderate alms are the frequent causes of many sins, or serve to torment at last,
that they are not the fruit, nor the merit which produced them.















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CHAPTER VII.

SYSTEM WHICH MUST BE EMPLOYED WITH WIDOWS

AND METHODS OF DISPOSING OF THEIR PROPERTY.

1. It will be necessary to inspire her to continue to persevere in her devotion and the exercise of good works and of
disposition, in not permitting a week to pass, to give away some part of her over plus, in honor of Jesus Christ, of the
Holy Virgin and of the Saint she has chosen for her patron; giving this to the poor of the Society or for the ornamenting
of its churches, until she has absolutely disposed of the first fruits of her property as in other times did the Egyptians.

2. When the widows, the more generally to practice their alms, must be given to know with perseverance, their
liberality in favor of the Society; and they are to be assured that they are participants in all the merits of the same, and
of the particular indulgences of the Provincial; and if they are persons of much consideration, of the General of the
Order.

3. The widows who having made vows of chastity, it will be necessary for them to renew them twice per annum,
conforming to the custom that we have established; but permitting them notwithstanding, that day some honest freedom
from restraint by our fathers.

4. They must be frequently visited, treating them agreeably; referring them to spirited and diverting histories,
conformable to the character and inclination of each one.

5. But that they may not abate, we must not use too much rigor with them in the confessional; that it may not be, that
they by having empowered others of their benevolence, that we do not lose confidence of recovering their adhesion,
having to proceed in all cases with great skill and caution, being aware of the inconstancy natural to woman.

6. It is necessary to have them do away with the habit of frequenting other churches, in particular those of convents;
for which it is necessary to often remind them, that in our Order there are possessed many indulgences that are to be
obtained only partially by all the other religious corporations.

7. To those who may be found in the case of the garb of mourning, they will be counseled to dress a little more
agreeable, that they may at the same time, unite the aspect of mourning with that of adornment, to draw them away
from the idea of being found directed by a man who has become a stranger to the world. Also with such, that they may
not be very much endangered, or particularly exposed to volubility, we can concede to them, as if they maintained their
consequence and liberality, for and with the society, that which drives ensuality away from them, being with moderation
and without scandal.

8. We must manage that in the houses of the widows there shall be honorable young ladies, of rich and noble
families; that little by little they become accustomed to our direction and mode of life;