The SECRET Instructions of the Jesuits [WC Brownlee] (NotebookLM Deep Dive)

Episode Transcript
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(00:00):
Welcome to the Deep Dive, where we slice through information
overload to bring you the most compelling insights.
Glad to be here. Today, we're plunging into a
truly extraordinary and frankly controversial historical
document. It was published back in 1857,
and it purports to reveal the hidden playbook of one of
history's most, well, enigmatic and powerful organizations.

(00:23):
We're talking about the secret instructions of the Jesuits.
It's a fascinating journey, definitely, maybe unsettling
too, into this world where allegedly power, piety and this
unparalleled strategic thinking all intertwined.
A. Relentless pursuit of influence,
it sounds like. That's how it's framed.
This document, Secret Instructions of the Jesuits, by

(00:44):
WC Brownlee, a Doctor of Divinity.
It claims to unveil these hiddendirectives, the rules that
supposedly guided the Society ofJesus for centuries.
So our mission today is to unpack the intricate details,
the really startling claims found within this very specific
text. We'll explore its historical
context, dive into the argumentsthe author makes for its
authenticity. Which is a whole story in

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itself. Exactly.
And most importantly, lay bare the explicit instructions it
alleges were secretly followed by the Jesuits.
Now, to be clear, this isn't about validating historical fact
outside of the document itself. No, that's crucial.
It's about understanding what this particular source says, the
vivid picture it paints, right, and the deeply provocative
insights it offers into how people back then perceived power

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and manipulation. It's a window into that mindset.
So prepare to have your understanding of ambition, maybe
organization itself, stretched to its limits.
This 1857 publication, you know,it came out of an era of intense
religious and political feeling.A real pressure cooker.
Right, so we're looking strictlyat the author's interpretation
and the claims made within this specific historical text.

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What it says happened. OK, let's begin at the very
beginning with the originator ofthe Jesuit order, Ignatius
Loyola, as he's described in oursource.
His story is, well, quite a transformation, isn't it?
It is indeed. The text tells us Loyola started
as a soldier. He was wounded in 1521 serving
Ferdinand the 5th of Spain, and during his confinement, the
story goes, he seemingly only had access to the lives of the

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Saints. That was it.
Just that book. According to Brownlee, yeah.
And this, he claims, was the pivotal point.
It turned Loyola's mind from a quote military enthusiasm to
ghostly fanaticism. Fanaticism strong.
Word very The source even describes him assuming the name
and office of Knight of the Virgin Mary, pursuing a course

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of the wildest and most extravagant adventures, and he
compares him to a good type of the future Don Quixote.
So a soldier turned spiritual zealot, almost a caricature in
this telling. But how did this intense
personal transformation lead to founding a whole new order, the
Society of Jesus, in 1540? That's only 11 years after, as
the author points out, the Christian Church has sort of

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split and the name Protestants emerged.
Well, the author claims Loyola went to Pope Paul the Third.
He submitted his plan, his constitution for this new
monastic order, and he assured the Pope that the whole
framework was given to him by animmediate revelation from
heaven. A Direct Line to God,
essentially. That's the claim presented.
The source suggests Loyola felt this claim was necessary quote

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to be on a footing of equality with the other orders.
Brownlee notes that, according to a doctor stilling fleet he
cites, every order of monks and nuns in Rome has been ordained
by visions and inspirations fromheaven.
So playing by the established rules of divine justification in
a way. Presented as a strategic move,
yeah. Yeah.
Legitimizing this new thing by linking it to divine will and

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the existing precedence. OK, but despite these divine
claims, the Pope, according to the document, hesitated at
first. He wasn't immediately sold,
right? So what ingenious moved did
Loyola allegedly make then? How did he overcome this papal
reluctance? Well, Loyola, sensing this
hesitation, conveniently had, asBrownlee puts it, another
convenient inspiration. He added a fourth vow.

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You know, on top of the usual 3 chastity, poverty, obedience.
This new 4th vow was absolute subservience to the Pope.
Absolute subservience. That sounds intense.
It wasn't a minor addition. It meant doing whatever he
enjoined and go on any service he wished and into any quarter
of the globe, unquestioning obedience anywhere, anytime.

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And the source explicitly statesthat Pope Paul the Third could
not resist this, especially, youknow, with the Reformation
happening, which had, quote, convulsed his seat and shaken
his empire to the foundation. So this vow made the order
uniquely useful to the Pope right when he needed loyal
agents most. Exactly.
It's presented as a perfectly timed strategic masterstroke.

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It aligned the order directly with the Pope's immediate
political and religious needs, and that led to its confirmation
and, as the source puts it, being sent out to invade the
world. Invade the world?
That's a dramatic shift from traditional monasticism, isn't
it? How did this new mission
fundamentally differ from what other monastic orders were doing
according to this document? The text draws a really sharp

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contrast. Traditional monks, it says,
profess Turkey, tire from the world and macerate the body.
You know, focus inward. Right asceticism.
But the Jesuits, as depicted here, set out to conquer the
world. To the Pope, their goal wasn't
personal holiness for its own sake.
Instead, their stated aim was quote and universal dominion
over the souls and bodies of mento bind them as vassals to the

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Pope's chariot wheels. Universal Dominion.
That's ambitious. Hugely, the document
dramatically describes them as the soldiers of the Pope.
They knew no law but the will oftheir general, no mode of
worship but the Pope's dictate, no church but themselves.
They were, in this portrayal, basically an army.
An army with a singular worldly purpose.

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People conquest. And right from the get go,
Brownlee source paints a pictureof extreme methods, really
remarkable flexibility in how they approached conversion and
what are some of the most striking examples given,
especially say with the Chinese.The document claims they were
extremely indulgent to their heathen converts and for the
Chinese, it alleges a truly shocking allowance was made they
allow them to continue the worship of their ancestors.

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Seriously, ancestor worship. That's the claim.
The only requirement, according to the source, was to give to
these deceased Chinese the namesof the Roman Saints, such as
Saint Peter's, Saint Paul, St. Mary.
So just slap a Saint's name on the ancestor shrine.
Essentially, the text states these the converts had on their

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lips while their hearts homage was given to their ancestors,
and Brownlee's stunning conclusion from this is that
they converted them by stealth and save them by deception and
idolatry. It's presented as a stark
example of the ends justifying the means, even if it meant
compromising or religious beliefs as the author understood
them. That completely reframes the

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idea of conversion. It suggests an extraordinary
level of pragmatism, or maybe cynicism.
What does the document imply? Was the thinking behind such a
flexible approach? It implies A philosophy where
gaining nominal legions, gettingpeople in the books, sort of
superseded doctrinal purity. And the text offers even more
astonishing anecdotes when discussing their dealings with

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indigenous populations. Like where?
Among the Indians of our great West, the source alleges, they
not only suppress the truths of Christianity, but devise the
most infamous fictions and falsehoods.
Such as? Well, the document recounts one
Jesuit reportedly telling a native chief that Jesus Christ
was just such a one as he would have admired.

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He was a mighty chief, a valiantand victorious warrior who had,
in the space of three years, scalloped an incredible number
of men, women and children. Scalloped Jesus Christ.
That's the shocking claim reported in the Source.
And another Jesuit, this time inthe East Indies, allegedly
produced a pedigree of himself in which he clearly demonstrated

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that he was a lineal descendant of Brahma.
Descended from Brahma. Good grief.
These are presented as blatant, almost cartoonish deceptions
illustrating the alleged lengthsthe Jesuits would go to gain
influence, completely twisting their message to fit the
audience's existing beliefs or, well, prejudices.
So this initial sketch, this origin story as told by

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Brownlee, it sets a really powerful tone.
It depicts A deeply strategic, sometimes shockingly
manipulative foundation for the society.
What's the overarching picture painted here?
Ultimately, what this document asserts is that the Society of
Jesus, from its very inception, wasn't conceived as the
traditional monastic order at all.
It was, in this view, a meticulously engineered

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instrument of papal conquest. 1 willing to employ radical
deception and moral flexibility to achieve universal dominion.
That's a truly unprecedented ambition for a religious order.
It immediately positions them assomething different, something
potentially dangerous, defined by its ambition, its
adaptability, and its alleged willingness to compromise

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doctrine for practical gain. This early portrayal really sets
up the whole narrative of calculated deception that the
rest of the text aims to unveil.OK, so Brownlee's document
really emphasizes that unlike other papal orders, the Jesuits
were structured under a quote, strict military and despotic
government. How did this unique, seemingly
absolute command structure actually function according to

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our source? Well, the text details that
Loyola remember the old wounded soldier based the orders, laws
and discipline directly on his military experience.
Makes sense given his background.
Right. So like a military chief, their
general was chosen for life, andto him every member was sworn on
the cross to yield an implicit obedience.
The description is pretty stark.The Jesuit, like the soldier,

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yielded his body and soul and wishes and desires to his
general. Body and soul.
That's the language used. The individual, according to the
source, had no right to consult a friend or exercise even his
own judgement. The general's will was his will.
He must go wherever their chief residing at Rome should dictate,
be it into Asia or Africa or anyportion of the globe.

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No questions asked. Exactly.
The document even states he put no questions.
He has no reasons. The general was his sovereign
God. He sailed with sealed orders.
It paints this picture of an organization built on
unquestioning, total submission to a single unseen authority, a
kind of human machine. And almost chilling portrayal of
absolute subservience. But then the document takes an

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even darker turn. It suggests this obedience
extended to truly shocking acts,which the author presents as
directly sanctioned, even required.
What exactly does the text claima Jesuit must do under the
general's command? This is indeed where the
accusations become really chilling.
The document explicitly states aJesuit must teach not what he

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believed to be right. He had no choice of his faith.
He must believe as his general regulated his heart and soul and
conscience. And then it says he must do any
deed and joined on him, asking no questions.
He was not to shrink from any deed of blood.
Any deed of blood. That's incredibly strong
language. It removes any personal moral
agency you see, placing it entirely on the General's

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command, a truly despotic vision.
As the author sees it, the individual is just an
instrument. And this is where the historical
accusations really explode in this text.
What specific examples does the source provide of these alleged
deeds of blood and political interference that flowed from
this obedience? The document claims Jesuits were
enjoined, commanded to send thisSpanish Armada to overthrow

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England, to blow up the English parliament with gunpowder.
That's the Gunpowder Plot connection.
With the garnet, right? Yes.
Garnett, the Jesuit chief who the text claims was later
sainted as Saint Henry in Spain.It also alleges they were
enjoined to assassinate King Henry of France or shoot the
Prince of Orange, or even poisonPope Ganganelli, which we'll

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come back to. So regicide, Assassination
attempts. And more.
It also alleges they enjoined Charles the 9th to perpetrate
the Saint Bartholomew Massacre, and Louis the 14th to revoke the
Edict of Nance, and cover fair France with blood and havoc, and
fill the nations with the lamentations of her miserable
exiles. The text notes that if a Jesuit

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failed, he tried again and again, stopping not short of his
aim until it was accomplished, or he died on the rack like the
assassin of the King of France, or was well sainted like
Garnett. These are incredibly grave
charges presented as fact in this text.
They paint a picture of an organization willing to use
violence and political subversion on a massive scale.
Certainly the picture Brown Lee is painting.

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Yes, a secret army waging covertwar across Europe.
But for such an organization to wield that kind of influence, it
must also have had significant financial power, right?
Especially over the papacy it supposedly served.
What does the document say aboutthe general's control of funds
and, maybe even more shockingly,his alleged sway over the Pope

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himself? Well, the general, the source
states, didn't just command absolute obedience.
He also had the uncontrolled right of receiving and
dispersing their immense funds. He also quote made every
nomination to office and removedanyone he chose without
assigning any reasons to anyone.Total financial and
administrative control. OK, but power over the Pope?

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How did that allegedly work? The document makes this
astonishing assertion for although nominally under the
Pope's power, the Society exercised an unlimited power
over the Cardinals and even overthe Pope.
Money and Jesuit craft overcame all and enslaved all.
Money and craft enslaved the Pope.
That's the claim the text uses avivid analogy stating they did

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with the kings of France did to the Pope.
They flattered and caressed the successor of Saint Peter while
they tied up his hands and chained him in his chair of
Saint Peter. It portrays a society that,
despite its vow of subservience,effectively controlled the
papacy through wealth and, well,cunning manipulation.
So the general was sovereign even over the Pope in this
portrayal, and the internal structure of the society itself

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sounds like a finely tuned, almost omnipresent machine,
according to this document, Likea global surveillance network.
Indeed, the whole society was divided by their general into 37
provinces. And what's particularly telling
is the claim that a register laybefore him, containing the
character of each novice and of each fully initiated member.

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His talent, his tact, his activity, his defects,
everything relating to him. A.
File on everyone. Pretty much this, the source
claims gave the General an accurate view of each instrument
in each field, ready for every emergency in task.
It speaks to an almost totalitarian level of internal
surveillance and control, ensuring every single member was

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optimally deployed for the society's strategic aims.
This level of detail in their internal organization, the
surveillance, it brings us to that really memorable quote,
doesn't it, from Brewster's Edinburgh Encyclopedia.
It's just perfectly encapsulatesthe alleged ubiquity and
frankly, the insidious nature oftheir influence as described
here. Yes, it's a powerful image.

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The history writer in Brewster'sis quoted saying the Jesuits had
missionaries for the villages and martyrs for the Indians.
Thus a peculiar energy was imparted to the operations of
this most singular society. And then the famous line.
The Jesuits are a naked sword whose hilt is at Rome, but it's
blade is everywhere invisible until its stroke is felt.
Invisible until its stroke is felt.

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Wow. Yeah, What's fascinating here is
how this document frames their pervasive influence.
It's not presented as a visible,overt power structure.
It's something hidden everywhere, striking when you
least expect it. IT projects this worldview where
the society's ambition extended to covert control, achieved
through absolute obedience, vastresources and a strategic

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application of force, both direct and indirect, a hidden
hand shaping world events. OK, so this pervasive reach,
this invisible blade, as the quote says, it extended deeply
into society, particularly, according to our source, into
education. What was their alleged strategy
there? How do they aim to shape future
generations? The text claims they soon found

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their way into schools and sought most anxiously to gain
the education of children, especially of Protestants.
Targeting Protestant children specifically.
That's what Bradley asserts, andtheir explicit maxim as cited in
the document, was a very, very long game strategy.
Quote. Give us the education of the
children of this day, and the next generation will be ours.
Ours in maxims, in morals and religion.
That's chilling if true. Controlled schools control the

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future. It suggests A fundamental
understanding, at least as perceived by the author, that
controlling the minds of the young is the absolute, surest
way to control the future direction of society.
A truly foundational, generations spanning strategy.
Did they stop at primary education though?
Or did their alleged infiltration extend further into

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higher academic and even religious institutions?
Not at all, according to the source.
It states they found their way into colleges, into theological
institutions, as at this day in Oxford and other places.
Oxford. That's the claim in this 1857
text. It highlights this alleged
systemic infiltration at all levels of learning, aiming to
shape intellectual and religiousthought directly from within.

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They even, according to the document, pretended to be
converted and to enter into Protestant churches.
Pretended to convert. Yes, being found, it says, in
the Reformed Church in France and Holland, where they
allegedly caused grievous and fatal divisions by false
doctrine. This is presented as a
deliberate tactic so discord we can rival religious groups from
the inside out. And the text even includes that

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intercepted letter you mentionedto back up one particularly
striking claim about their methods.
This really drives home the alleged deceptive nature of
their infiltration tactics. Yes, the source cites a letter
supposedly from the Jesuit confessor of the king of England
to the Jesuit confessor of Louisthe 14th of France.
In it, he apparently stated how admirably our people imitate the

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Puritan preachers. Wow, so mimicking their
opponents? This document presents that as
clear evidence of their hidden infiltration even into the ranks
of the Old English Puritans, adopting the outward appearance,
the style, the very mannerisms of their opponents to gain trust
and influence from within kind of religious espionage.
The level of adaptation they allegedly exhibited just for the

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sake of gaining ascendancy. It's also quite striking in the
text. It suggests this chameleon like
ability to blend into almost anyenvironment.
The source claims they adapted themselves to all kinds of
character. It specifies this remarkable
adaptability. With the Jew, they were Jews to
gain their object. With the infidel, they were
skeptics. To the immoral they were the
most liberal and indulgent untilthey gain the absolute

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ascendancy over them. So be whatever you need to be to
get control. That's the implication.
This, the text explains, allowedthem to found their way into
King's courts and Queen's boudoirs, providing confessors
to the chief crown. Heads of Europe, England, France
and the Waldenses under the House of Savoy are specifically
cited at it as places that felt this to their cost.

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This paints A vivid picture of extreme moral flexibility, just
sacrificing principles for perceived strategic advantage.
It certainly does. The Abbey Boilo is quoted in the
text as saying with great truth that they are a sort of people
who lengthen the creed and shorten the moral law.
Lengthen the creed, Shorten the moral law.
Catchy. It suggests A pragmatic, almost

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ruthlessly results oriented approach to morality as
presented by the author. Their alleged willingness to
wink advices where property and power were to be gained by a
show of morals really underscores this supposed
flexibility. It portrays them as masters of
ethical compromise for the sake of gaining power.
And it wasn't just men operatingin these spheres of influence,

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was it? The source mentions female
Jesuits, indicating an even broader, more comprehensive
approach to infiltration than one might initially think.
Correct. The text describes these female
Jesuits as pursuing the same course, with the young and
tender sex making vast numbers of converts to their sect.
These Jesuit nuns, the document alleges, were different from

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traditional nuns. How so?
Well, it says they did not wastetheir energies and exhaust their
pious emotions in dungeon cells in the graded prisons.
No, they were out of door missionaries.
Out in the world. Exactly.
They were known by names like Sisters of Charity or Sisters of
the Heart, names the author called sentimental and imposing.
The document then dramatically calls them female soldiers

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invading the sanctity of families, carrying captive silly
women laden with iniquity and ignorance.
Female soldier, it continues. They fought among females, as
did their desperate male brothers among the males in the
community. This reveals the alleged
comprehensiveness of their methods, encompassing all
segments of society, even genderroles, ensuring in this

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portrayal that no corner was left untouched in their
purported quest for total influence.
OK, so this organization depicted as so insidious, so
pervasive, it certainly gained power rapidly, according to
Brownlee. But the source also details
these periods of intense pushback, even outright
abolition. What was their growth trajectory
like, according to the document,leading up to these conflicts?

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The text highlights their truly astonishing growth in 1540.
Remember, Loyola had only 10 disciples.
Just 10. But just 48 years later, in 16 O
8, they had grown to UN quote appalling number of nearly
11,000. 11,000 in less than 50 years.
That's explosive growth. It is, and before the English
Revolution of 1688, the documentstates, they had obtained the

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direction of the schools, academies, colleges and
universities in all the EuropeanCatholic continent.
Furthermore, they had the address, the skill to have their
members installed, confessors tothe kings of Spain, France,
Portugal, Naples, Austria, Sicily and the regal Duke of
Savoy and every leading Prince and noble in these kingdoms.
So embedded at the highest levels across Catholic Europe.

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It portrays a swift and seemingly unstoppable ascent to
positions of immense influence. But as the author claims, their
wild, ambitious and bloody career ultimately raised
innumerable enemies. Who are some of their fiercest
opponents mentioned in the text?And what was the impact of this
opposition? The Jansenists are specifically
named as their deadly enemies inFrance, and the author

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attributes significant impact toPascal's provincial letters.
Pascal, famous philosopher. Right, the text says.
His letters were written with inevitable good humor and in the
most elegant style, and they attracted all scholars and
politicians to their dangerous morality.
There are atrocious principles in politics.
Brownlee asserts that these letters had inflicted a blow on

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the Jesuits, from which they never recovered.
So public exposure through literature was a key weapon
against them in this view. That's how it's presented, yes,
this literary exposure was seen as a critical factor in their
eventual temporary downfall, at least in France.
And this widespread opposition ultimately led to their official
dissolution in several countries.
What were the severe, really sweeping reasons assigned by the

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French parliament for taking such a drastic action back in
1762? The French parliament, when
dissolving and abolishing the order in 1762, assigned truly
damning reasons, the document states.
Their doctrines were found, to quote, destroy the law of
nature. They break all the bonds of
civil society by authorizing theft, lying, perjury, the

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utmost licentiousness, murder, criminal passions, and all
manner of sins. Wow, that covers pretty much
everything. It's incredibly comprehensive.
Furthermore, the Parliament concluded that these doctrines,
moreover, root out all sentiments of humanity, they
overthrow all governments, excite rebellion, and uproot the
foundation and practice of religion, and they substitute

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all sorts of superstitions, irreligion, blasphemy and
idolatry. So the charge was basically that
they were a threat to civilization itself, both
secular and religious. Exactly.
Those are sweeping condemnationsalleging that the Jesuits as an
organization posed A fundamentalthreat to both civil society and
core religious principles. Though they're incredibly

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sweeping condemnations, portraying the society as this
force of utter corruption, did other nations follow France's
lead after that? Yes, the text states.
Their overthrow in Spain was sudden and complete.
Happened on March 31st, 1767 at midnight.
Midnight raids. Apparently a strong cordon of
troops surrounded the six colleges of Jesuits in Madrid,

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seized the Fathers, and before morning had them conveyed on the
way to Cartagena, and the same prompt measures were pursued
towards every other College in the Kingdom three days later.
A coordinated takedown. Absolutely.
The author emphasizes the sweeping nature of these
actions. In a word, Kingdom after Kingdom
follow up the same course of measures against these
intolerable enemies of God and of men.

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The source even provides A staggering statistic.
They had been banished either partially or entirely, no less
than 39 times from the differentkingdoms and states of Europe.
39 times. That's persistent opposition.
It speaks volumes about the level of fear and animosity they
apparently generated, at least according to this account.
And even the Pope himself abolished them at one point,

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didn't he? With a chilling prediction,
according to this text, that really suggests the extreme
measures the society was believed capable of, even
against the highest authority intheir own church.
That's right, in 1773, Pope Clement the 14th, also known as
Ganganelli, abolish the order entirely as a sect no longer to
be endured by man. Strong words from a Pope.

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Very the text then quotes him directly as saying It will cost
me my life, said he. But I must abolish this
dangerous order. And did it according to the
source. The source claims it absolutely
did. He died of poison within a few
days of the time thus announced by their agency.
Poisoned by the Jesuits? A Pope.
There's the explicit claim made in this document.

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His dying words, as stated here,were I am going to eternity, and
I know for what I This alleged act of papal assassination by
the Jesuits is presented as the stark, horrifying culmination of
their purported ruthlessness andpower, willing to eliminate even
the head of their own church to protect their interests.
But the story doesn't end there.Despite the papal condemnation,

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the alleged regicide, the multiple expulsions, our source
describes an almost incredible restoration, a resurrection of
the order. Yes, it's quite the comeback
story as told here. Despite being dissolved and
abolished, the text claims they still kept up privately.
Their organization, their general, apparently resided
publicly in Rome during the whole interim period from 1773
to 18 O one. So they never really went away.

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Not according to this account. They were then restored for
political reasons by Emperor Paul of Russia in 18 O one.
The author interjects here saying this seems almost
incredible, but this bad man andinfamous emperor needed the
support of the worst of all the Roman Catholic orders.
Ouch. Strong opinion there.
Very The King of Sardinia followed suit in eighteen O 4

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barely for similar reasons. And then the Pope himself, Pope
Pius the 7th, restored them to full power in 1814.
This brings up that fascinating point about people
infallibility, which the source doesn't shy away from using as a
critique. Doesn't.
No, it leans right into it. In 1814, Pope Pius the 7th
restored them to their full powers and prerogatives in all
particulars. He called on all people,

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Princess in Europe, the powers in South America, and all Popish
establishments to afford them protection and encouragement.
Why? Because they were the Pope's
right arm and the superior and most successful instruments of
extending Catholicism and pulling down all heresies.
The. Pope's right arm again.
Right back in Phaedra, and what's particularly highlighted
is Pius the 7th assertion that this his act is above the recall

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or revision of any judge with whatever power he may be closed,
basically defying all the powersof all civil governments on the
earth. And this act of restoration
coming from an allegedly infallible Pope directly
contradicts the abolition by another supposedly infallible
Pope, Clement the 14th. The source really hammers that
contradiction. It does, and quite pointedly,

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Brownlee highlights this paradoxdirectly.
The revival of the Order of Jesuits by Pope Pius the 7th, in
the face of the bull of another equally infallible Pope, who had
condemned them and abrogated them as a most pestiferous and
infamous sect, exhibits a poor specimen of people, unity and
infallibility. So using their own doctrine
against them in a sense. Exactly.

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The source concludes this historical overview by quoting
the London Christian Observer, stating that Jesuitism is a
public nuisance and anyone unleashing it is chargeable with
high treason against the common interests and happiness of the
human family. What's fascinating here is how
the document uses this contradiction, these cyclical
patterns of condemnation and restoration, not just to

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chronicle events. It uses them to discredit the
people system itself, portrayingthe enduring power and perceived
threat of the society through their very ability to rise
phoenix like from the ashes of widespread condemnation.
OK, so this whole historical sketch, this dramatic rise and
fall and rise again, it sets thestage for the real core of our
deep dive today. The document itself, the secret

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instructions. How, according to the source,
did these alleged secrets, this very codex of the laws of
Jesuitism, supposedly come to light?
It wasn't easy, was it? No, definitely not.
The author notes that the secretinstructions formed a codex of
the laws of Jesuitism. But, and this is key, they were
not allowed to be made known even to many members of a
certain class of Jesuits. The Society in this portrayal

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operated in these distinct layers of secrecy, different
levels of initiation into their true aims and methods.
Layers, you say? How precisely were these layers
described in the document? What kind of members populated
each level of this alleged secrecy?
Brownlee claims there were at the core the bold, daring bad

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men to achieve desperate deeds and take off their enemies by
steel or bullet or poisoned chalice.
These knew something that othersdid not.
The enforcers, basically. That's the implication.
Then there were disguised agents, men in mask who also
possessed knowledge not impartedto the rank and file.
Following them were the shrewd, crafty, courteous, and most
polished man who courted nobles,insinuated themselves into the

(30:20):
favor of Princess kings, and rich widows and young heirs and
heiresses. These had their instructions
from their general sort of smooth operators.
But then there were those who were deliberately kept in the
dark, and this is where the alleged deception becomes really
apparent. According to the author, this
seems like a crucial point for the document's claims of
authenticity, this idea of calculated ignorance.

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Yes, absolutely crucial. This is where the alleged
deception truly becomes clear. The text describes fine
scholars, decent, steady, serious moral men who were not
at all LED into the secret of certain instructions the.
Good Jesuits, so to speak. Exactly.
These men, the source says, weresent out as traps to captivate

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the serious, the unsuspecting, the religious.
They taught that the Society mingled in no politics, sought
no riches, kept strictly their vow of poverty.
Their sole object, these apparently ONS Jesuits
proclaimed, was by the help of Heaven to convert the world and
put down Protestantism and all heresies.
So they genuinely believe that. That's the key.

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The source asserts that because these men were not initiated,
they could with an honest conscience deny and even swear
on the cross that no such instructions were ever given or
ever received. The initiated Jesuits, the ones
peeling the strings, would then push forward these decent,
amiable, moral and trustworthy men to declare to the world that

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no such rules ever existed. Plausible deniability built
right into the system. Precisely this, the author says,
throws light upon the mystery and contradictory statements.
It provides this built in mechanism where genuine
ignorance on the part of some members served as a shield for
the alleged activities of the inner circle.
So a built in mechanism for plausible deniability using

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genuinely ignorant members as a shield.
How then, according to the source, were these supposedly
hidden rules eventually discovered and more importantly,
recognized as authentic? It was an immediate right.
No, the document states. These secret instructions were
not discovered fully to the Christian public until some 50
years after the dissolution and expulsion of the society.

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So quite a delay. However, it argues that all
ranks of men, papal and Protestant, who had studied the
Jesuit movements, intrigues and conspiracies were intimately
acquainted with their practices.So people already had a sense of
how they operated. That's the argument.
Hence, when the Book of Secret Instructions was finally
discovered and published, everybody at once saw the

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evidence of its authenticity. They had been long familiar with
their conspiracies and practices.
Here was the exact platform and model of all their acting.
'S like finding the blueprint after seeing the building.
Exactly the analogy the text uses.
It compares it to an architect'smodel on paper, corresponding
perfectly with the finished house.
The author claims it was uselessfor the Jesuits to deny them,

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given that they're cunning craftand deed and atrocities
prescribed by these rules were blazoned in the memories of
Princess, nobles, ministers and people.
Their actions allegedly spoke for themselves and matched the
instructions. OK, but beyond just this
anecdotal recognition, it fits what we already suspected.
What concrete evidence for theirauthenticity does the source
present? Are there earlier mentions or

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physical copies cited? Yes, several key pieces are
highlighted. As far back as 1624, the
University of Paris apparently charged the Jesuits with being
governed by secret laws which were neither allowed by kings
nor sanctioned by Parliament's. So accusations existed long
before the text was found. Right.

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And a Roman Catholic Bishop of Angelopolis wrote in 1666 that
the superiors of the Jesuits do not govern them by the rules of
the Church, but by certain secret instructions and rules
which are known only to those superiors.
Then the critical discover, according to the text, occurred
during those civil prosecutions in France involving merchants
and Jesuits and Market Nico. That case made their official

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constitutions public, but the secrete Manita, the secret
instructions, were found maybe 50 years later.
And who supposedly wrote them? The text claims they were drawn
up by Laudyez and Aqua Viva, whowere Loyola's immediate
successors as general of the order.
And the physical proof? Actual manuscripts.
The document details those as well, including that incredibly

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self referential instruction about denial, doesn't it?
Yes, it does. The source points to a
manuscript copy located in the British Museum, printed in
Venice way back in 1596. This copy apparently contains
the secret instructions at the end, entered as the author
speculates, no doubt by some leading and fully initiated
Jesuit for his own use. And right at its close, there's

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this earnest caution and an injunction that is truly
remarkable. What does it say?
Quote, Let them be denied to be the rules of the Society of
Jesus, if ever they shall be imputed to us.
Wow, deny everything built rightin.
It suggests A preemptive strategy for denial built right
into the alleged instructions themselves.
Then, the source says, the firstcopy was discovered in the

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Jesuit college at Peterbourne inWestphalia when Duke Christian
of Brunswick seized the college and gave its library to the
Capuchins. Who are not exactly friends of
the Jesuits. Right.
So the Capuchins found the text and made the discovery public.
A second copy was later found inPrague, and both of these
copies, according to Brownlee, also had the preface containing
that same injunction. If these rules fall into the

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hands of strangers, they must bepositively denied to be the
rules of the society. There's even that story about
the bookseller John Shipper, right, Which really underscores
the alleged attempts by the Jesuits to suppress this
document once it started circulating.
Yes, that's in there too. John Skipper, A bookseller from
Amsterdam, apparently bought a copy in Antwerp and reprinted

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it. When the Jesuits found out, they
demanded it back. A Jesuit in Amsterdam, upon
hearing it was the secret instructions, reportedly
shrugged up his shoulders and, knitting his brow, said that he
saw no remedy but denying that this piece came from the
Society. Just deny it.
But then the author claims the Reverend Fathers however thought
it more advisable to purchase the whole edition, which they

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largely did except for some few copies which allowed it to be
reprinted later. A suppression attempt,
essentially. And the weight of academic and
church endorsement as presented by the author further bolstered
the documents claims of authenticity in the eyes of its
proponents. Doctor Compton, who is the
Bishop of London, published an English translation of the

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Secret Instructions back in 1669.
The author Brownlee states the Compton's character is a
scholar, and Divine is a sufficient guarantee that he
would never have given his name and influence to sustain a work
of dubious authority or calculated to mislead the
public. And the 1857 edition we're
looking at, our source material is explicitly stated to be taken

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from a later London translation published in 1723, based on
Compton's work. So the authenticity of the
secret instructions, at least asargued by the source, rests on
this combination of, let's say, circumstantial evidence, fitting
past actions, specific historical finds like the
manuscripts, and contemporary endorsements from figures like
Bishop Compton, despite the Jesuit denials.

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That's the case Brownlee makes, yes.
OK, So what does the preface to the instructions themselves, the
actual text within Brownlee source, tell us about how these
rules were meant to be handled? This really seems to solidify
the claims of deep secrecy and calculated deception.
Doesn't. It it really does.
The preface, as translated in the document, opens with a

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pretty chilling directive. These private instructions must
be carefully retained and kept by the superiors in their own
hands, and by them be communicated only to a few of
the professors. Only a few need to know basis.
Absolutely, it specifies that even when they're divulged to
non professors members not fullyinitiated, if it benefits the
society, it must be done under the strictest ties of secrecy

(38:07):
and not as rules committed to writing by others but as deduced
from the experience of him that dictates like verbal tradition
almost. And it even restricts where
initiated members can go if theyleave.
Yeah, the preface explicitly states that since many of the
professor's must necessarily from hence be acquainted with
these private advices, the society has therefore, from

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their first establishment, taking care that no one who is
in the secret can be take himself to any other order but
that of the Carthusians. Why?
Because of their strict retirement and inviolable
silence, which the Holy See supposedly confirmed basically
trapping the secret knowledge within the Order or sending them
somewhere they can't talk. And the ultimate chilling

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instruction about outright denial, which we saw mentioned
in the manuscript notes, is reiterated right there in the
preface itself. Absolutely.
It's spelled out clearly. The greatest care imaginable
must be also taken that these instructions do not fall into
the hands of strangers for fear out of envy to our order.
They should give them a sinisterinterpretation.
But if this which God forbid should happen, let it be

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positively denied that these arethe principles of the society,
and such denial be confirmed by those of our members who we are
sure know nothing of them. Using the ignorant members as
witnesses again. By this means, and by
confronting these with our public instructions, printed or
written, our credibility will beestablished beyond opposition.
It also advises superiors to carefully and warily inquire

(39:35):
about any discovery by members and to dismiss him if he is
suspected of incapacity to keep such important secrets.
The very existence and alleged content of this preface right
there in the document seems designed to validate the claims
of deep secrecy and calculated deception.
It shows this purported foresight to manage public
perception and deny any incriminating evidence that

(39:57):
might leak out. It's remarkably self-contained.
OK, now let's actually open thisalleged playbook itself.
Let's explore the detailed methods outlined in these secret
instructions for gaining power and wealth, starting with
Chapter 1. How the society must behave
themselves when they begin any new foundation.
What were the initial steps prescribed for infiltrating a
new community? Well, the instructions are
immediately very practical and on the surface quite benevolent.

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Members are told it's of great importance to appear agreeable
to set forth the end of the society, which is described as
seeking occasions of doing good to their neighbors as to
themselves. So project an image of service.
Exactly. This translates into very
specific actions with humility. Discharge the meanest offices in
the hospitals, frequently visit the sick, the poor, and the

(40:41):
prisoners, and readily and indifferently take the
confessions of all. Why, that the novelty of such
uncommon and diffusive charity may excite in the principal
inhabitants and admiration of our conduct, and forcibly draw
them into an affection for us. It's basically a strategy of
public service, used as a means to gain trust and affection.
Win hearts and minds through good deeds initially.

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So a very public, benevolent face to gain that initial
acceptance. But what about money and land,
especially given the earlier claims about their immense
funds? How did the instructions advise
handling property acquisitions? How did they maintain an image
of poverty while secretly building wealth?
The document advises extreme caution regarding property at

(41:23):
their first settlement. Let our members be cautious of
purchasing lands, but if they happen to buy such as our well
situated, let this be done in the name of some faithful and
trusty friend, a proxy buyer. Hiding ownership.
Right, and to further hide assets and maintain the more
colorable gloss of reality for their supposed poverty, any
purchases adjacent to their colleges are to be assigned by

(41:46):
the provincial superior to colleges at a distance.
The result? It becomes impossible that
Princess and magistrates can ever attain to a certain
knowledge what the revenues of the society amount to.
It reveals this deliberate strategy of obfuscation, making
their true financial holdings impossible to track.
And the instructions even specify a very particular and

(42:07):
apparently lucrative target for these hidden funds, don't they?
It's mentioned right there in Chapter 1.
Yes, Section 7 states unequivocally, Let the greatest
sums be always extorted from widows by frequent remonstrances
of our extreme necessities. Extorted from widows explicitly.
That's the word used. It also mentions that only the
provincial superior should know the real value of the revenues

(42:28):
and the main treasury back in Rome be always kept as an
inviolable secret. This systematic targeting of
vulnerable, often wealthy individuals, especially widows,
and the absolute imperative of financial secrecy, it's a
recurring theme we're going to see throughout these alleged
instructions. OK, beyond just acquiring
wealth, the document also details how to leverage

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influence from those who might not be rich themselves but hold
sway in other ways. What did the alleged playbook
advise for working their way into and then preserving A
familiarity with Princess noblemen and other powerful
figures? This seems like the core of
their political influence strategy.
Yeah, Chapter 2 is all about this.
The first instruction is incredibly direct and ambitious.

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Princess and persons of distinction everywhere must by
all means be so managed that we may have their ear, and that
will easily secure their heart. Their ear get their hearts.
By which way of proceeding, all persons will become our
creatures, and no one will dare to give the society the least
disquiet or opposition. The goal here isn't just
influence, you see. It's presented as aiming for

(43:32):
absolute control, making these powerful individuals entirely
beholden to the society. And the methods prescribed for
achieving this are quite accommodating, particularly
regarding morality. Extremely accommodating, the
text states that ecclesiastical persons gain a great footing in
the favor of Princess and noblemen by winking at their
vices and putting a favorable construction on whatever they do

(43:54):
A mess. It even sites specific examples
like contracting of marriages with their near relations and
kindred. So turn a blind eye to sin.
Even facilitate questionable marriages.
That's the instruction, Jesuits are told, to encourage such
inclinations by promising easy papal dispensations, justifying
it all by the common good of mankind and the greater
advancement of God's glory. A purported willingness to

(44:17):
compromise on religious doctrinethen just to gain access and
influence in these Royal Courts.And the manual even instructs on
how to obtain intelligence from within the royal households
themselves, ensuring they have an inside track on the most
powerful individuals. Yes, due care must be taken to
Curry favor with the minions anddomestics of Prince and
nobleman, whom, by a small presence and many offices of

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piety, we may so far buy us as by means of them to get a
faithful intelligence of the bent of their masters, humors,
and inclinations. Thus, will the society be better
qualified to chime in with theirtempers.
So using gifts and piety to essentially turn servants into
informants. It's presented as a
sophisticated intelligence gathering operation, exploiting

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personal relationships for strategic information.
And the use of confessors in thestrategy is particularly
highlighted, emphasizing moral flexibility to attract
penitence, especially powerful ones.
Exactly In directing the consciences of great men, it
must be observed that our confessors are to follow the
opinion of those who allow the greater latitude in opposition
to that of other religious orders.

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Why? That their penitence, being
allured with the prospect of such freedom, may rarely
relinquish them, and wholly depend upon our direction and
counsel. Offer easier penance, get their
loyalty. It suggests A deliberate
strategy offer more lenient interpretations of sin, thereby
attracting the powerful who might find other confessors too
strict and thus making them dependent solely on the Jesuits

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Council. And the climax of this chapter,
chapter 2, is really stark. Let all with such artfulness
gain the ascendant over Princessnoblemen and the magistrates of
every place, that they may be ready at Arabic even to
sacrifice their nearest relations and most intimate
friends. When we say it is for out
interest and advantage complete control.
The alleged playbook also details how to manage the

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society's image when competing with other religious orders and
how to secure property, particularly from existing
churches. What strategies are outlined
there for asserting their superiority and acquiring
assets? Well, Jesuits are instructed to
demonstrably convince Princess and others in authority that our
order contains the perfection ofall others, accepting only their

(46:29):
canned and outward austerity of life and dress.
Basically, we're the best minus the rough edges.
Undercutting the competition. Right.
If another order claims preeminence, judge was supposed
to assert their shines with the greatest luster in the Church of
God. They are told to diligently
canvas and remark the defects ofother orders, and then gradually

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published to our faithful friends, but always with
prudence and a seeming sorrow, like spreading negative gossip
with feigned regret. And particularly aggressive when
it comes to rival schools. Very aggressive far greater
efforts must be made against those who attempts setting up
schools for the education of youth, and places where any of
our members do the same already with honor and advantage.

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Princess and magistrates must betold that such rival schools,
unless timely prevented, will certainly prove mill series of
tumults and sedition, and that no society but ours is qualified
for discharging an office of so great importance.
Physically only we can teach properly.
Everyone else causes trouble. And acquiring church property?

(47:30):
How did they allegedly go about that?
They're told to importune bishops and prelates, persuading
them to draw existing monasteries, parishes, priories,
patronages, foundations of Masses and religious places into
our clutches, essentially using influence to absorb the assets
and positions of other religiousentities.
Now perhaps the most disturbing sections, Chapters 6 and seven,

(47:50):
describe what sounds like a chillingly comprehensive
playbook for acquiring wealth, specifically from rich widows.
We saw the instruction earlier, but these chapters go deep.
What are the key strategies detailed here?
This is indeed a highly methodical, multifaceted
approach. The instructions outline how to
meticulously select the right members, older, agreeable to

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target these widows, then how togain the widow's trust, often
through flattery about the society's merits, how to isolate
her from outside influences likefamily, suitors or even other
religious orders, often by encouraging her to set up a
private Chapel at home. Keep her close, cut off others.
Exactly and subtly manipulate her spiritual devotion and
personal choices. This includes actively

(48:33):
discouraging remarriage by finding fault with potential
suitors or proposing one she dislikes.
The ultimate aim, disturbingly, is presented as systematically
stripping her of her assets. This is often done through
spiritual coercion, promising eternal merit, escape from
purgatory, even canonization, until she eventually quote gives
up all they have to the society and be contented to live upon

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such allowance as we from time to time shall think they have
occasion for. Living on an allowance from the
society after giving them everything.
Wow, so spiritual promises explicitly tied to material gain
for the society. And this alleged manipulation
extends to their children as well, doesn't it?
Chapter 8 outline strategies forinducing the children of these

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widows to embrace a religious life, often within the society
itself. This is about securing the next
generations assets and influences isn't it?
Yes, it's presented as a very long term and frankly
disturbingly manipulative plan aimed directly at the children.
Mothers are instructed, according to this text, to treat
their children harshly, even from their cradles, by plying
them with reproofs and frequent chastisements.

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Instructly, daughter. Treat them harshly.
Why? To make them desire escape
potentially into a religious life, daughters are to be denied
the common dress and ornaments of their sex, promised very
plentiful portions only if they become nuns, and constantly told
by their mothers about the many inconveniences attending
everyone in a married state. The goal described is to make

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daughters tired by leaving such a life with their mothers, and
let's turn eagerly towards a religious state controlled by
the Jesuits. And the sons?
How are they targeted? For sons deemed fit for our
turn, Jesuits are instructed to converse familiarly with them,
introduce them to the college, show them everything with the
best face to entice them. This includes showcasing the

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pleasant aspects of Jesuit life.Gardens, vineyards, country
seats, and villas where those ofour society pass an agreeable
life. They're told of our travels into
several parts of the world, of our familiarity with Princess,
and critically, alongside the allure, they're to be terrified
with denunciations of eternal punishment unless they accept of
the heavenly invitation. Carrot and stick, essentially.

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And there's even a strategy for getting sons to join against
their parents wishes. Yes, if an only son is
resistant, let no means be omitted for the bringing him
over to the society and freeing him from all fear of his
parents. He is too persuaded.
It is a call from above and shown how acceptable A sacrifice
it would be to God should he desert his parents without their

(51:01):
knowledge or consent. If successful, he's whisked away
to a remote college. If there are both sons and
daughters, the plan is even morecalculating.
Let the daughters be first disposed of in a nunnery, and
afterwards let the sons be drawninto the society when they're
got into possession of their sister's effects.
Unbelievable. Consolidating the entire family
fortune. Finally, Chapter 9 Details of

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increasing the revenues of our colleges.
What does this reveal about the ongoing general strategies for
increasing the wealth of the society as a whole?
This seems like the overarching financial goal.
Yeah, this chapter really reinforces that constant focus
on wealth accumulation. It explicitly states that no one
should be admitted to the last degree, the final profession of
vows, so long as he shall have an expectation of any estate

(51:45):
falling to him, unless there areother overriding important
reasons. The primary reason given the
increase of this society must beregarded for ends known to the
superiors. Wealth is presented as a key
criterion for full membership and advancement.
So prioritize potential inheritances.
Seems so publicly the society claims poverty, but secretly

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they're instructed to possess stable goods, ensuring they're
not an encumbrance upon the people.
Confessors dealing with the wealthy are told to with great
seriousness inculcate this notion that while we administer
to them in divine and spiritual things, they at least shouldn't
return contribute to us of theirearthly and temporal.
They're instructed to never slipped of receiving from them
whatever is offered, and if a promise is delayed, they should

(52:31):
prudently remind the penitent. And what if a confessor isn't
effective at this of fundraising?
But should any confessors, either of noblemen or others,
seem the least negligent to put in practice, these rules, let
him at a proper opportunity be removed, and put another more
fit in his room. Failure to procure funds is
grounds for removal. The text even laments past

(52:52):
failures. We're counting that several
young widows being snatched awayby sudden death did not
bequeathed to us their valuable effects through the negligence
of some members who did not takecare to accept of them in due
time. It's presented as a business
failing. It even suggests borrowing money
strategically to gain assets later.
Yes. A particularly cunning method
described is for superiors to borrow money on bond of some

(53:15):
rich persons who are our friends, and when it is due,
defer the payment thereof. Afterwards let the person who
lent the money, especially in time of dangerous sickness, be
constantly visited, and by all methods wrought upon to deliver
up the bond. Guilt them into cancelling the
debt. By this means we shall not be
mentioned in the deceased's will, and yet gain handsomely
without incurring the ill will of their heirs.

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Clever if ruthless. And the society could even
engage in actual commerce trade.Yes, that's explicitly
mentioned. The society may also
advantageously traffic under theborrowed names of some rich
merchants, our friends, but never without a prospect of
certain and abundant game. And this may be done even to the
Indies, which hitherto, by the bountiful favor of God, have

(54:00):
furnished us not only with souls, but also plenteously
supplied our coilers with wealth, so using proxies for
profitable trade justified by divine favor.
The source portrays this as an extremely detailed, multifaceted
and often ruthless approach to consolidating wealth and
influence from every possible angle.
OK. So beyond acquisition and

(54:20):
external influence, the secret instructions as presented here
also delve into rigorous internal discipline and how to
handle those who might leave or oppose the society from within.
Chapter 10 covers the private rigor of discipline.
What does this reveal about their methods for internal
control? These sections outline very
clearly who should be dismissed,particularly anyone who

(54:41):
alienates devotees or friends, especially wealthy ones, from
the societies, churches or influence.
Don't bite the hand that feeds you, essentially.
Also anyone who diverts alms even to their own poor relatives
or shows a greater affection to their near relations than to the
society. This last one is framed as a
plain demonstration of an unmortified mind, directly

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contrary to the required thorough mortification.
These individuals are to be discarded as enemies to the
society. But not directly right to avoid
complaints or bad press. Exactly.
The process described is designed to force them out
without making it look like an expulsion.
They are not to be kicked out immediately.
Instead, they are first be restrained from hearing

(55:23):
confessions, be played and perplexed with exercise of the
most servile offices, be obligedto perform such duties, to which
it is evident they have an utteraversion.
Let them be removed from higher studies and honorable
employments, and harassed with chapters and public censures.
Let them be debarred of recreations.
Make their life miserable until they quit, till by such rigorous
methods of chastisement they become impatient and murmuring

(55:45):
against us. Let them then be dismissed as
persons not mortified, whose badexample may be pernicious to
others. They're basically managed out,
portrayed as spiritually unfit, not having the true spirit of
the society. And this harsh treatment extends
to those who question the society's financial dealings
too. Yes, let such also be dismissed,

(56:07):
who make a scruple of acquiring riches for the society and set
forth as persons too much in love with their own opinions.
Any questioning of the mission, especially the financial part,
is framed as individualism and lack of obedience.
They are to be compelled to conform to implicit obedience,
and those who show affection forother orders, the poor or their
parents, are flagged early and disposed for this mission, since

(56:29):
they're not likely to prove any service to the society.
Loyalty must be absolute and solely directed inwards.
So what happens to those who areexpelled or leave under this
pressure? How does the society, according
to these instructions, control the narrative and neutralize any
potential threat from former members who might spill secrets?
Chapter 11 is all about managingthe fallout.

(56:50):
Since dismissed members do frequently very much prejudice
to society by divulging such secrets as they have been Privy
to, their attempts to do so mustbe obviated or prevented first
before dismissal. They are to be prevailed upon to
give it under their hands and swear that they never will write
or speak anything to the disadvantage of the order, a

(57:11):
kind of non disclosure agreementsworn underoath.
What if they break that oath? Then the superiors are
instructed to keep records of their evil inclinations,
failings and vices, often gleaned from confessions which
can be produced before noble menor prelates to prevent their
promotion. Basically blackmail material.
And then there's the act of discrediting campaign right?
Let it be immediately published through all our colleges that

(57:34):
such and such are dismissed, andlet the general causes of their
expulsion be highly aggravated. All members are advised to keep
no correspondence with them if strangers mentioned the
dismissed person. Jesuits are instructed to
unanimously affirm in every public place that the Society
expels, none without weighty causes, spewing out as the sea

(57:54):
all its dead carcasses, A unified front of condemnation.
The text even directs members toartfully insinuated causes for
the person's I'll will against the Jesuits, that their
ejectment may appear to the world with a more commendable
grace, spin control. And if misfortune befalls the
dismissed member, their sad fate, or any untimely or
miserable end they might come to, is to be industriously

(58:17):
aggravated by members implying its divine punishment for
leaving the Society. The goal stated is clear.
It is all together for the interests of the Society that
the dismissed should be entirelykept under.
Neutralize them completely. Chapter 12 details who should be
kept and favored in the Society.This essentially defines the
ideal Jesuit from the Society's perspective.
According to this text, what arethe key criteria for attention

(58:41):
and advancement within this demanding structure?
Well, unsurprisingly, diligent laborers whose industry is
equally bent on promoting the temporal as the spiritual
interests of the society, are always held in the greatest
esteem. It explicitly mentions
confessors of Princess and widows, preachers, professors,
and crucially, whoever are Privyto these secret instructions.

(59:03):
Knowing the secrets makes you valuable, or perhaps too
dangerous to let go. And the old members?
Even those impaired in strength and decrepit with age, if they
contributed temporally in the past, are to be made use of to
pry into the actions of the other domestics acting as
internal spies, and they should scarce ever be dismissed.
At least we bring an I'll reputation upon the society

(59:23):
keeping up appearances. What about the noble or rich
recruits? How are they treated?
Those distinguished, either for their parts, nobility or riches,
are initially to be caressed, sent to Rome for studies, and
let nothing be denied them untilthey formally surrender their
effects to the society. But when once we have got them
to do this, the instruction continues.

(59:43):
Oblige them then to mortification like the rest.
Once the money's secured, the special treatment ends.
Chapter 13 focuses on how to pick out young men to be
admitted into the society and inwhat manner to retain them.
This really builds on the earlier points about
infiltrating education systems. What are the most striking
aspects of this recruitment process described here?

(01:00:05):
The utmost prudence is to be used to pick young men of a good
genius and agreeable personage and noble family, or at least
such as excel in some one of these potential and connections
are key. They're to be specially favored
in Jesuit schools, prepossessed in our favor, shown all the
attractive aspects of Jesuit life we discussed earlier, the
travel, the influence, the pleasant surroundings, and again

(01:00:27):
terrified with denunciations of eternal punishment unless they
accept of the heavenly invitation.
And the secrecy from parents is re emphasized here too.
Strongly, they are to be strictly cautioned not to make
the least discovery of their call to any intimate friends,
not Even so much as to their parents, before they are become
one of us. The rationale given is

(01:00:48):
interesting. This allows them freedom if they
change their mind, fall off, butalso gives the society leverage
if they stay, preventing parental interference.
And there's that point about making the rules seem easy.
Yes, if difficulties are raised due to the tenderness of their
age, recruiters are told to explain the easiness of our
institution, pointing out it contains not anyone rule whose

(01:01:10):
non observance would be the Commission even of a venial sin.
This presents a remarkably lenient, almost lacks
interpretation of their own rules specifically designed, it
sees to attract young, perhaps hesitant recruits by downplaying
the demands. Chapter 14 outlines reserved
cases and causes of dismission from the society, going into
some disturbing detail about howcertain grave offenses are

(01:01:31):
handled internally, particularlythose of a sexual nature or acts
against the society itself. Right.
Besides certain specific sexual sins with the sodomy,
effeminacy, fornication, adultery, etcetera, the
Commission also of any heinous or dance against the society,
its honor or interest, whether through zeal or otherwise, are
listed as definite causes for expulsion.

(01:01:53):
How are these handled if discovered through confession?
The protocol described is complex.
If such sins are confessed sacramentally, the confessor is
instructed not to grant absolution until the penitent
promises to reveal the matter tothe superior outside of
confession. The superior then determines the
course of action to the common good of the society.
If the crime can somehow be smothered, kept secret, penance

(01:02:16):
is given. If not, the member is to be
expelled as soon as possible, though the confessor's caution
not to inform the penitent that he is in danger of it.
Keep them in the dark until the last moment.
And there's that specific troubling protocol if a woman
confesses an affair with a Jesuit.
Yes, she is not to be absolved until she reveals his name to
the Confessor in squares, never to reveal it to anyone living

(01:02:36):
without our consent. This protects the Jesuit member
above all else, and if two Jesuits sin carnally together,
the instruction is chillingly pragmatic, the first that
discovers it be retained and theother expelled.
However, the retained 1 is then to be so mortified and plagued
with such intolerable disciplinethat he's effectively forced out

(01:02:56):
later anyway, preventing future risk.
And the notorious Moran clause regarding cardinal toled.
This highlights an alleged racial or ancestral exclusion
tied directly to absolute loyalty.
The document claims that becauseCardinal Tollett, allegedly of
Jewish or Moorish descent, did not observe the required vow to
always favor the Society and confess only to Jesuits, The

(01:03:18):
order obtained from the Holy Seethat no moron descended from the
perfidious race of Jews and Muhammadans, who will not oblige
himself to perform such a vow, should never for the future be
admitted among us. But immediately expelled as a
most virulent enemy, though a person of ever so great fame and
reputation, a stark requirement of absolute loyalty enforced
even through alleged ethnic exclusion.

(01:03:40):
Chapters 15 and 16 detail conduct towards nuns and female
devotees, and also how to outwardly feign a contempt of
riches. What does this speak to
regarding both their pervasive influence and the careful
maintenance of their public image?
Well, confessors are instructed to gain the affection of
governesses in nunneries, not just for confessions, but to
preach there too. Why?

(01:04:01):
Because rich abbesses are capable of being very
serviceable to us, either through their own or the
interest of their parents and friends, allowing the society to
get an acquaintance and work themselves into the friendship
of almost the whole city throughthese convent networks.
But they didn't want their own female devotees joining those
convents. No, Jesuit female devotees are

(01:04:22):
to be forbidden from frequentingnunneries, lest they be most
taken with that kind of life, and we thereby be balked in our
expectations of what they have, meaning they're expected
inheritances or donations. Instead, they are encouraged to
become those out of door missionaries.
We discussed presenting it as a more edifying, publicly visible
path that keeps their assets potentially available to the

(01:04:45):
Society. And feigning contempt for
riches. How did that work?
The text advises sometimes refusing small and treisling
alms, though of such as are thoroughly attached to our
interest, we must readily acceptwhatever they give us.
This creates an appearance of not being greedy, of swallowing
nothing but presence of value. It also state burials in their

(01:05:05):
churches should be denied to persons of a base character,
even if they offer payment, again, to prevent the world
surmising that we hunt after riches by the numbers of the
deceased. And generous donors, like widows
who gave everything, are actually to be treated more
rigorously in discipline, lest people should imagine their
greater indulgence proceeds fromour hopes of secular advantages.

(01:05:27):
It's all about managing perception.
Finally, Chapter 17 of the methods of advancing the
society. This sounds like a grand
summation, the overarching strategy integrating all these
tactics. It really does outline the
ultimate goals. All members are told to always
act with humanity, even in things of trifling moment, or at
least to have the outward appearance of doing so.

(01:05:48):
For by this means, whatever confusions may arise in the
world, the Society of necessity will always increase and
maintain its ground, maintain stability through a veneer of
decency. They're also to earnestly
endeavor so to shine. And they're learning a good
example that other religious maybe eclipsed.
Attracting the common people outshine the competition.

(01:06:10):
And this extends to a broader political strategy, doesn't it,
Aiming for deep political entrenchment and even
manipulation? Yes, very much so.
Let kings and Princess be kept up in this principle that the
Catholic faith, as matters now stand, cannot subsist without
the civil power. This makes rulers dependent on
the Church and by extension, theJesuits.
The document then directs Jesuits with caution and

(01:06:31):
secrecy. We foment and heighten the
animosities that arise among Princess and great men, even to
such a degree that they may weaken each other.
Divide and conquer. So actively stirring up
conflict. That's the instruction.
And if reconciliation seems likely between these weakened
parties, the Jesuits should endeavor to be the mediators,
positioning themselves as promoters of universal good in

(01:06:53):
order to secure the chief benefices and performance in the
Church by way of compensation for our services.
Play both sides to gain power. The ultimate aim as outlined
here is truly astonishing. Complete ecclesiastical and even
temporal control seems to be theend game described.
The text is explicit the Societyshould aim to draw all cures and

(01:07:13):
cannonships into our possession,aspired abbesses and bishoprics.
It even suggests it would entirely tend to the benefit of
the Church that all bishoprics and even the apostolical see the
papacy itself should be hooked into our hands.
Especially should His Holiness ever become a temporal Prince
overall. Control the papacy.
Control the world, essentially. That's the vision laid out.

(01:07:33):
It promises that then a golden age will go hand in hand with a
universal and lasting peace and the divine blessing of
consequation. Attend the Catholic Church, a
Jesuit LED utopia achieved through these means, and the
final stark goal is chillingly pragmatic.
Finally, the Society must endeavor to effect this at least

(01:07:56):
that having got the favor and authority of Princess, those who
do not love them, at least fear them.
If not loved, be feared. And to really hammer home the
alleged core morality underpinning these instructions,
the book includes an appendix filled with shocking quotes
attributed directly to Jesuit authors by Branley.
He presents these as evidence oftheir actual ethical framework.

(01:08:16):
These are truly remarkable, evenstartling claims presented by
the author as direct quotes. For instance, a Jesuit named
Lemoyne is quoted as saying a Christian may deliberately
discard his Christian character and act as other men in those
things which are not properly Christian, allowing A separation
between faith and action. And even justifying heinous acts
under divine command. Yes, Aragona, cited as

(01:08:36):
commenting on Thomas Aquinas, isalleged to have stated by the
command of God it is lawful to murder the innocent, to rob and
to commit all lewdness, because he is Lord of life and death and
all things, and thus to fulfill his mandate is our duty.
A claim that God can command acts universally seen as
immoral. And some of the most politically

(01:08:57):
charged assertions, going so faras to justify treason and
rebellion against non Catholic governments.
A Jesuit writing under the name Philipater, in response to an
edict, is quoted by Brownlee as affirming that all theologians
and ecclesiastical lawyers affirm that every Christian
government, as soon as they openly abandoned the Roman
faith, instantly are degraded from all power and dignity by

(01:09:17):
human and divine right. All their subjects are absolved
from the oath of fidelity and obedience which they have taken,
and they may and ought to drive such a government from every
Christian state as an apostate, heretic and a declared enemy to
their Republic. A theological justification for
overthrowing Protestant or non Catholic rulers.
There are even claims of justification for murder and

(01:09:37):
theft that seem to defy conventional morality attributed
directly to Jesuit theologians in the appendix.
Yes, the list presented is quiteextensive.
Henriques is quoted, If an adulterous priest is assailed by
her husband kills the man in hisown defense.
He is not criminal. Amicus is cited.
Priest may kill those who hinderhim from taking possession of

(01:09:57):
any ecclesiastical office. Escobar apparently states it is
lawful to kill an accuser whose testimony may jeopard your life
and honor. Molina is quoted.
Priests may kill the lady to preserve their goods, and
Cardenas and Taberna are allegedto have justified servants
secretly stealing from their masters if they judge their
laborers worth more than the wages they receive.

(01:10:18):
And the obligation to truth itself seems to become
conditional based on these quotes presented by Bramley.
Taberna is quoted asking, Is a witness bound to declare the
truth before a lawful judge? No, if his deposition will
injure himself or his posterity,or if he he a priest, for a
priest cannot be forced to testify before a secular judge.
These alleged moral precepts as presented by the author suggests

(01:10:41):
an extreme interpretation of doctrine and loyalty attributed
to the Jesuits, where self preservation, the Society's
interests, and clerical privilege seem to override
universal moral laws like honesty and the sanctity of
life. Finally, the document reminds us
of those early historical judgments that seem to resonate
with these alleged principles, bringing it full circle.
It concludes by noting that at avery early period after the

(01:11:04):
establishment of the Order of Jesuits, the civil and
ecclesiastical authorities of France proclaim that the Society
was dangerous to the Christian faith, disturbers of the peace,
and more fitted to corrupt than to edify.
What's fascinating here is the sheer breadth and depth of these
alleged principles as presented in this single source, and how
they connect directly, in the author's view, to the detailed

(01:11:26):
strategies laid out in the secret instructions we just
explored. Brownlee implies a direct causal
link between these shocking moral maxims and the alleged
practical, manipulative strategies outlined in the
secret instructions. 1 justifiesthe other in his presentation.
Hashtag tag outro. We've truly taken a deep dive
today into the extraordinary andoften deeply disturbing claims

(01:11:47):
contained within WC Brownlee's 1857 publication, The Secret
Instructions of the Jesuits. Yeah, it's quite a document.
From Loyola's initial vision that's portrayed here to the
alleged strategic manipulation of individuals, wealth and power
across entire nations, this document paints a chilling
picture. An organization operating
supposedly with layers of secrecy and a purported

(01:12:10):
philosophy where the ends justify almost any means.
This historical text, whatever its ultimate factual accuracy,
offers a really compelling insight into how the Society of
Jesus was perceived, certainly by its fiercest critics, as this
highly organized, relentless force operating with remarkable
adaptability in this singular focus on achieving universal

(01:12:30):
dominion, even if it meant deploying, you know, highly
questionable tactics and a very flexible moral code.
As detailed within this very specific source, the document
clearly frames the Jesuit order for his contemporary readers as
a constant underlying threat to civil society and traditional
religious ethics. It's a remarkable example of how
historical narratives, especially conspiratorial ones,

(01:12:52):
can shape our understanding of power and influence, perhaps for
centuries. As we close this deep dive,
maybe consider this provocative thought.
In a world still awash with information and disinformation,
how do alleged secret instructions like these continue
to resonate? Why are we still fascinated by
them? That's a good question.
What does our enduring fascination with these kinds of

(01:13:13):
hidden plans and secret societies reveal about our own
anxieties? Are anxieties regarding hidden
power unaccountable control, both in the past and maybe even
in the present? These narratives, right
Regardless of their historical accuracy, they seem to highlight
this persistent human concern about power that operates in the
shadows and the lengths some people or groups are believed to

(01:13:34):
go to achieve their aims. They definitely invite us to
question appearances, don't they?
To consider what might really behappening beneath the surface.
And that's a theme that, well, it remains incredibly relevant
today. Thank you for joining us on the
Deep Dive. We hope this exploration has
given you a shortcut to being well informed about the contents
of the specific controversial text, and maybe spark some new

(01:13:55):
questions for your own deeper exploration.

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