The Catholic Reformation 161 seeing that even the canons of the apostles forbid them to give to their kindred the property of the Church, which belongs to God ; but if their kindred be poor, let them dis- tribute to them thereof as poor, but not misapply or waste the Church's goods for their sakes : yea, this holy Council, with the utmost earnestness, admonishes them completely to lay aside all this human and carnal affection towards brothers, nephews, and kindred, which is the seed plot of many evils in the Church. And what has been said of bish- ops, the same is to be observed by all who hold ecclesias- tical benefices, whether secular or regular, each according to the nature of his rank. . . . II. The Society of Jesus Paul, the bishop, servant of the servants of God, for a perpet- ual memorial of this matter : ... Of late we have learned that our beloved sons Igna- tius de Loyola, Peter Faber, James Laynez, Claude le Jay, Pasquier Brouet, Francis Xavier, Alfonzo Salmeron, Simon Rodriguez, John Codure, and Nicholas de Boabdilla, priests, masters of arts, and graduates of the University of Paris, and students of some years' standing in theology, inspired, as they piously believe, by the Holy Spirit, assembled to- gether and, forming an association, forsook the allurements of the age to dedicate their lives to the perpetual service of our Lord Jesus Christ and of ourselves and our succes- sors, the Roman pontiffs. Now for many years they have labored nobly in the vine- yard of the Lord, publicly preaching the word of God under a tentative license, privately exhorting the faithful to a good and blessed life and stimulating them to holy thoughts, assisting in hospitals, instructing the young and ignorant in the truths essential for the development of a Christian, and performing all these offices of charity and acts for the con- solation of souls with great approbation in whatever lands they have visited. 278. The first ap- proval of the Society of Jesus by Paul III. (Condensed.)
