Chapter 2. Loyola’s First Disciples.
Vision of Two Camps — Ignatius Visits Jerusalem — Forbidden to Proselytize — Returns to Spain — Resolves to make Christendom his Field — Puts himself to School — Repairs to Paris — His Two Companions — Peter Fabre — Francis Xavier — Loyola subjects them to a Severe Regimen — They become his Disciples — Loyola’s First Nine Followers, Their Vow in the Church of Montmartre — The Book of Spiritual Exercises — Its Course of Discipline — Four Weeks of Meditation — Topic of each Week — The Spiritual Exercises and the Holy Spirit — Visits Venice — Repairs to Rome — Draft of Rules — Bull Constituting the Society Continue reading The Shadow Government Works for the Antichrist Part 2
Christ’s Death — Zwingli’ s Fundamental Position — Iconoclasts — Hottinger — Zwingli on Image-worship — Conference of all Switzerland summoned — 900 Members Assemble — Preliminary Question — The Church — Discussion on Images — Books that Teach Nothing — The Mass Discussed — It is Overthrown — Joy of Zwingli — Relics Interred.
Instead of a city of prayers and alms, of contrite hearts and holy lives, Rome was full of mocking hypocrisy, defiant skepticism, jeering impiety, and shameless revelry. Borgia had lately closed his infamous Pontificate, and the warlike Julius II was now reigning. A powerful police patrolled the city every night. They were empowered to deal summary justice on offenders, and those whom they caught were hanged at the next post or thrown into the Tiber. But all the vigilance of the patrol could not secure the peace and safety of the streets. Robberies and murders were of nightly occurrence. “If there be a hell,” said Luther, “Rome is built over it.” 