Continuing with Professor Eakin's lecture:
UNLIKE THE OTHER MAJOR RELIGIOUS ORDERS THAT I'VE TALKED ABOUT, THE JESUITS ARE NEW; THE JESUITS ARE CREATED IN THE HEAT OF THE REFORMATION AND COUNTER-REFORMATION. A SPANISH SOLDIER - IGNATIUS LOYOLA 91491-1556) FORMS A GROUP AROUND HIM IN THE 1530s WHILE RECOVERING FROM VERY VERY SEVERE WOUNDS. HE HAS A RELIGIOUS VISION AND HE DEDICATES HIS LIFE TO SAVING SOULS FOR CHRIST. HE ORGANIZES HIS GROUP IN MILITARY FASHION. SO WHAT THEY FORM IS A COMPANY FOR JESUS. THESE DEVOUT DISCIPLES GO TO ROME AND ASK THE POPE FOR APPROVAL, AND THE POPE CREATES IN 1540 WHAT IS CALLED ORIGINALLY "THE COMPANY OF JESUS" BUT EVENTUALLY BECOMES KNOWN AS "THE SOCIETY OF JESUS" OR THE JESUITS.
BY THE TIME IGNATIUS LOYOLA DIES IN 1556, THE ORDER HAS 1,000 MEMBERS, BY THE EARLY 17TH CENTURY IT HAS 15, OOO.
THE JESUITS ARE THE SHOCK TROOPS IN THE COUNTER-REFORMATION. THEY HAVE THREE OBJECTS; TO BRING THE WORD OF GOD TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE NOT BEEN EXPOSED TO IT; TO FIGHT PROTESTANT HERESY; AND TO EDUCATE.
THE JESUITS BECOME THE GREAT EDUCATORS OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH.
I WANT TO FOCUS ON ONE EXAMPLE. AN EXAMPLE FROM BRAZIL - THE EXAMPLE OF ANTONIO VIERA (1608-1697), WHO IN THE 17TH CENTURY IS IN MANY WAYS THE MOST STRIKING OF ALL THE MISSIONARIES IN THE AMERICAS.
VIERA IS BORN IN LISBON, IN 1608 FROM A VERY HUMBLE BACKGROUND. AT THE AGE OF 6 HIS FAMILY GOES TO BRAZIL. HE RUNS AWAY AS A YOUNG TEENAGER TO THE JESUIT COLLEGE, TO ENTER AND TO STUDY. HE'S ORDAINED AS A JESUIT PRIEST IN 1634. HE COMES KNOWN AS A MAGNIFICENT ORATOR. IN THE 16TH AND 17TH CENTURY THE GREATEST LITERATURE IN PORTUGUESE IS THE EPIC POEM "THE LUCIADS" BY COMOYST.
VIERA IS CONSIDERED SECOND IN HIS WRITINGS AND ELOQUENCE ONLY TO
COMOYST.
AS A YOUNG MAN, TO DO HIS WORK, HE LEARNS THE MAIN LANGUAGE OF THE INDIANS IN BRAZIL. HE LEARNS KIMBUNDO, THE AFRICAN LANGUAGE FROM ANGOLA, SO HE CAN SPEAK WITH THE SLAVES AND CONVERT THEM.
HE RETURNS TO LISBON IN 1641. AND WHEN HE RETURNS IT IS THE FIRST TIME SINCE CHILDHOOD. HE DAZZLES THE COURT WITH HIS KNOWLEDGE, HIS ELOQUENCE, AND VERY QUICKLY BECOMES A CLOSE PERSONAL CONFIDENT OF THE KING, JOHN 4TH. HE BECOMES HIS PERSONAL CONFESSOR. BUT DESPITE THIS LIFE, POWER AND INFLUENCE IN THE COURT, IN 1653, VIERA DECIDES TO ENGAGE IN MISSIONARY WORK AND RETURNS TO BRAZIL, TO THE AMAZON, AND HE IS APPALLED BY WHAT HE SEES THERE.
IN FACT HE LOOKS AT THE EXPLOITATION OF THE INDIANS AND HIS REACTION IS SIMILAR TO LASCASIS; IN ONE OF HIS CLASSIC QUOTES HE SAYS, ABOUT WHAT'S TAKING PLACE IN THE AMAZON, "THE PURPOSE OF THE COLONISTS IS TO CAPTURE INDIANS, TO DRAW FROM THEIR VEINS THE RED GOLD WHICH HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE MINE OF THE PROVINCE."
WITH OTHER JESUITS HE WILL CONSTRUCT VILLAGES, THAT ARE CALLED "REDUCTIONS" - BRINGING INDIANS TOGETHER IN CHRISTIAN COMMUNITIES, IN ORDER TO EDUCATE THEM AND MAKE THEM PRODUCTIVE CITIZENS; IN FACT TO PROTECT THEM FROM THE PORTUGUESE COLONISTS.
EVENTUALLY MORE THAN 50 OF THESE VILLAGES EXIST, WITH MORE THAN 200,000 INDIANS LINKED TO THESE VILLAGES.
VIERA, IN HIS LATER LIFE, WHEN HE RETURNS TO PORTUGAL AGAIN, WRITES SOME PROPHETIC, WELL....AS SEEN BY THE INQUISITION AS HERETICAL BOOKS. AND SO BETWEEN 1663-1667 HE'S UNDER HOUSE ARREST BY THE INQUISITION.
HE EVENTUALLY FREES HIMSELF FROM THE CHARGES, AND WILL RETURN TO BRAZIL AND RESIDES IN SALVADOR FROM 1681 TO HIS DEATH IN 1697, ALMOST 90 YEARS OLD.
VIERA IS JUST A CLASSIC EXAMPLE OF ONE OF THESE VISIONARIES - JESUIT MISSIONARIES, WORKING IN LATIN AMERICA IN THE 17TH CENTURY. BUT THEY ARE EVERYWHERE IN THE PORTUGUESE EMPIRE.
FRANCIS XAVIER (1506-1552) AN EARLY JESUIT, ONE OF THE EARLIEST, GOES OFF AND DOES MISSIONARY WORK IN INDIA, IN THE FAR EAST, IN THE 1540s.
THE JESUITS ARE OPERATING IN CHINA AND JAPAN. THE JESUITS BECOME THE INTER-MEDIATORS IN THE TRADE BETWEEN CHINA AND JAPAN. THE SO-CALLED "BLACK ROBES" - THE JESUITS - ARE VISIBLE AND POWERFUL, EVERYWHERE IN THE PORTUGUESE EMPIRE IN THE 16TH AND 17TH CENTURIES. THEY ARRIVE IN CANADA IN 1611, AND AT THE SAME TIME, THEY ALSO BECOME THE GREAT EDUCATORS IN THE CATHOLIC WORLD. THEY ESTABLISH COLLEGES IN MEXICO CITY, IN LEMAR, IN CORDOVA IN ARGENTINE, IN SALVADOR IN BRAZIL.
THEY WILL DO THIS EVERYWHERE THEY GO. IN THE UNITED STATES ALONE THERE ARE TWO DOZEN JESUIT UNIVERSITIES. THEY ARE THE GREAT EDUCATORS OF THE CATHOLIC WORLD.
..........
TO BE CONTINUED
HERE WE SEE THE ZEAL, DEDICATION, OF THIS ORDER OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH. THEY ARE THE SCHOLASTIC EDUCATORS IN THE ROMAN CHURCH. WE MUST NEVER FORGET THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH HAS ITS PhD PEOPLE. THE WORLD OF DECEPTION IN CHRISTIAN RELIGION IS VAST AND POWERFUL; ALSO IN THE PROTESTANT WORLD WE HAVE THE PhD PEOPLE. THEY ARE WORLDLY WISE AND EDUCATED; THEIR WORDS AND BOOKS SOUND VERY "RELIGIOUS" AND SO DECEPTIVE THAT ABOUT ONE AND A HALF BILLION PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD ARE DECEIVED BY THEM.
YES AS JESUS SAID IN THE GOSPELS HIS TRUE DISCIPLES ARE THE "LITTLE FLOCK" [THE GREEK MEANS "LITTLE, LITTLE" OR VERY LITTLE], AND THE SALT OF THE EARTH. TRUE CHRISTIANS ARE JUST SCATTERED HERE AND THERE LIKE SALT OVER A MEAL.
THE ADVERSARY IS NOT DUMB, HE IS CUNNING, CRAFTY, WELL VERSED AS WE SAY; HE IS ZEALOUS, AND DEDICATED, TO BRING MORE AND MORE INTO HIS DECEPTIVE WORLD OF POPULAR CHRISTIANITY. HE HAS MANY WHO NIGHT AND DAY DEVOTE THEMSELVES WITH EARNESTNESS AND PASSION, TO BRING MORE CONVERTS INTO THEIR POPULAR BRANDS OF CHRISTIANITY. AS JESUS SAID, MANY WOULD COME IN THE LAST DAYS, IN HIS NAME, AND DECEIVE THE MANY.....NOT THE FEW BUT THE MANY!
FOR YOU TO NOT BE DECEIVED YOU WILL NEED TO DO WHAT THE APOSTLE PAUL WAS INSPIRED TO WRITE: PROVE ALL THINGS, HOLD FAST TO THAT WHICH IS GOOD. YES IT TAKES "STUDY" OF THE SCRIPTURES, NOT JUST A CASUAL READING; IT TAKES EFFORT, TIME, TO PROVE WHAT IS THE TRUTH OF GOD. IT TAKES A MIND-SET THAT LOVES TRUTH, WANTS TRUTH; A MIND-SET THAT HUNGERS AND THIRSTS FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS, THAT WANTS TO BE CORRECTED, AND WANTS TO GROW IN GRACE AND KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST JESUS.
IF YOU HAVE THAT MIND-SET JESUS HAS PROMISED THAT THE SPIRIT WILL LEAD YOU INTO ALL TRUTH [JOHN 16]...... NOT ALL AT ONCE, BUT OVER TIME, YOU WILL FIND THE TRUTHS OF GOD THAT HE WANTS YOU TO KNOW AND UNDERSTAND.
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