SOCIETY
83
SOCIETY
administrative faculties. He too has a council of
"consultors" and an "admonitor", appointed by
the general. Under the provincial come the local
superiors. Of these, rectors of colleges, provosts
of professed houses, and masters of novices are
appointed by the general; the rest by the provincial.
To enable the general to make and control so many
appointments, a free and ample correspondence is
kept up, and everyone has the right of private com-
munication with him. No superior, except the
general, is named for life. Usuall}' provincials and
rectors of colleges hold office for three years.
Members of the Society fall into four classes: (1) Novices (whether received as lay brothers for the domestic and temporal services of the order, or as aspirants to the priesthood), who are trained in the spirit and discipline of the order, prior to making the rehgious vows. (2) At the end of two years the novices make simple but perpetual vows, and, if aspirants to the priesthood, become formed scliotas- tics; they remain in this grade as a rule from two to fifteen years, in which time they will have completed all their studies, pass (generally) a certain period in teaching, receive the priesthood, and go through a third year of novitiate or proliation (the tertianship). According to the degree of discipline and virtue, and to the talents they display (the latter are normally tested by the examination for the Degree of Doctor of Theology), they may now become formed coadju- tors or professed members of the order. (3) Formed coadjutors, whether formed lay brothers or priests, make vows, which, though not solemn, are perpetual on their part; while the Society, on its side, binds itself to them, unless they .should commit some grave offence. (4) The professed are all priests, who make, besides the three u.sual solemn vows of religion, a fourth, of special obedience to the pope in the matter of missions, undertaking to go wherever they are sent, without even requiring money for the journey. They also make certain additional, but non-e.ssential, simple \ows, in the matter of poverty, and the refusal of external honours. The professed of the four vows constitute the kernel of the Society; the other grades are regarded as preparatory or as subsidiary to this. The chief offices can be held by the professed alone; and though they may be dismissed, yet they must be received back, if willing to comply with the conditions that may be prescribed. Otherwise they enjoy no privileges, and many posts of importance, such as the government of colleges, may be held by members of other grades. For special reasons some are occasionally professed of three vows and they have certain but not all the privileges of the other pro- fessed. All live in community aUke as regards food, apparel, lodging, recreation, and all are alike bound by the rules of the Society.
There are no secret Jesuits. Like other orders the Society can, if it will, make its friends participators in its prayers and in the merits of its good works; but it cannot make them members of the order, un- less they live the life of the order. There is indeed the case of St. Francis Borgia, who made some of the probations in an unusual way, outside the houses of the order. But this was in order that he might be free to conclude certain business matters and other affairs of state, and thus appear the sooner in public as a Jesuit, not that he might remain permanently out- side the common life.
Novitiate and Training. — Candidates for admission come not only from the colleges conducted by the Society, but from other schools. Frequently post- graduate or professional students, and tho.se wlio have already begun their career in bu.sine.ss or profes- sional hfe, or even in tlie jiriesthood, apply for admis- sion. Usually the candidate a)>iilirs in per.son lo llie provincial, and if he considi is him a likely subject lie refers him for examination to four of the more expe-
rienced fathers. They question him about the age,
health, position, occupation of his parents, their reli-
gion and good character, their dependence on his
services; about his own health, obligations, such as
debts, or other contractual relations; his studies, quali-
fications, moral character, personal motives as well as
the external influences that may have led him to seek
admission. The results of their questioning and of
their own observation they report severally to the
provincial, who weighs theu- opinions carefully before
deciding for or against the applicant. Any notable
bodily or mental defect in tlic candidate, serious
indebtedness or other obUgation, previous member-
ship in another religious order even for a day, indi-
cating instability of vocation, unqualifies for "admis-
sion. Undue influence, particularly if exercised by
members of the order, would occasion stricter scrutiny
than usual into the personal motives of the apphcant.
Candidates may enter at any time, but usually there is a fixed day each year for their admission, towards the close of the summer holidays, in order that all may begin their training, or probation, to- gether. They spend the first ten days considering the manner of life they are to adopt and its difficulties, the rules of the order, the obedience required of its members. They then make a brief retreat, meditat- ing on what they have learned about the Society and examining closely their own motives and hopes of per- severance in the new mode of life. If all be satisfac- tory to them and the superior or director who has charge of them, they are admitted as novices, wear the clerical costume (as there is no special Jesuit habit), and begin in earnest t)ie life of members of the Society. They rise early, make a brief visit to the chapel, a meditation on some subject selected the night before, assist at Mass, review their meditation, breakfast, and then prepare for the day's routine. This con- sists of manual labour, in or out of doors, reading books on spiritual topics, ecclesiastical history, biog- raphy, particularly of men or women distinguished for zeal and enterprise in missionary or educational fields. There is a daily conference by the master of novices on some detail of the Institute, notes of which all are required to make, so as to be ready, when asked, to repeat the salient points.
Wherever it is possible some are submitted to certain tests of their vocation and usefulness: to teaching catechism in the village churches; to attend- ance on the sick in hospitals; to going about on a pilgrimage or missionary journey without money or other provision. As soon as possible all make the spiritual exercises for thirty days. This is really the chief test of a vocation, as it is also in epitome the main work of the two years of the novitiate and for that matter of the entire life of a Jesuit. On these exerci.ses the Constitutions, the life, and activity of the Society are based, so that they are really the chief factor in forming the character of a Jesuit. In accordance with the ideals set forth in these exercises, of disinterested conformity with God's will, and of personal love of Jesus Christ, the novice is trained diligently in a meditative study of the truths of religion, in the habit of self-knowledge, in a constant scrutiny of his motives and of the actions inspired by them, in the correction of every form of self-deceit, illusion, plausible pretext, and in the education of his will, particularly in making choice of what seems best after careful deliberation and without self-seeking. Deeds, not words, are insisted upon as proof of genuine service, and a me- chanical, emotional, or fanciful piety is not tolerated. As the novice gradiKilly thus becomes master of his judgment and will, ho jfiows more and more capable of offering lo Cod the reasonable service enjoined by St . I'aul, and seeks to follow the Divine will, as mani- fested by Jesus Chri.st, by His vicar on earth, by the bishops appointed to rule His Church, by his more
