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The Wars of Religion 329 time down to our own day. The establishment of this Index of Prohibited Books was one of the Council's most famous acts. 554. Results of the Reform of the Catholic Church. Al- though the Council of Trent would make no compromises with the Protestants, it took measures to do away with certain evils of which both Protestants and devout Catholics complained. The bishops were ordered to preach regularly and to see that only good men were ordained priests. A great improvement actually took place better men were placed in office, and many practices which had formerly irritated the people were perma- nently abolished. 555. Ignatius Loyola (1491-1555). The Catholic Church was further greatly strengthened by the rise of a powerful organiza- tion pledged to the support of the Pope and the Catholic teach- ings. This was the " Society of Jesus/' or Jesuits, founded by a Spaniard, Ignatius Loyola. In 1538 he had summoned his fol- lowers to Rome, and there he received the sanction of the Pope. Loyola had been a soldier in his younger days and, therefore, laid great stress upon absolute and unquestioning obedience. Not only were all the members of the new association to obey the Pope as Christ's representative on earth, and to undertake without hesita- tion any journey, no matter how distant or perilous, which he might command, but each was to obey his superiors in the order as if he were receiving directions from Christ in person. The admirable organization and incomparable discipline of this society were the great secret of the later influence of the Jesuits. 556. Activities of the Jesuits. The members were to pledge themselves to lead a pure life of poverty and devotion. A great number of the members were priests, who went about preaching, hearing confession, and encouraging devotional exercises. But the Jesuits were teachers as well as preachers and confessors. They clearly perceived the advantage of bringing young people under their influence; they opened schools and seminaries and soon became the schoolmasters of Catholic Europe. So successful were their methods of instruction that even Protestants sometimes sent their children to their schools.