I now in the presence of the Almighty God, the blessed virgin

 

Mary, the blessed Michael the Archangel, the blessed St. John

 

the Baptist… and my ghostly father, the superior general

 

of the Society of Jesus, founded by St. Ignatius Loyola, do by

 

the womb of the Virgin . . . swear that His Holiness the Pope

 

is Christ’s vice-regent, and is the true and only Head of the

 

Catholic or Universal Church … I do now renounce and dis-

 

own any allegiance is due to any heretical King, Prince, or

 

State, named Protestant or Liberal, or obedience to any of their

 

laws or magistrates, or officers. I do further declare the doc

 

trine of the Church of England, and Scotland, and of Calvanists,

 

Huguenots, and others of the name of Protestant or Liberal, to

 

be damnable, and themselves to be damned, who will not forsake

 

the same- Ido further promise and declare that, notwithstand

 

ing 1 am dispensed with, to assume my religion heretical for the

 

propagation of Mother Church’s interest, to keep secret and

 

private all her agents, counsels, from time to time, as they in

 

terest me, and not divulge directly or indirectly by word, writing,

 

or circumstances whatever. I do furthermore promise and

 

declare that 1 will, when opportunity presents, make and wage

 

relentless war secretly or openly, against all heretics, Protestants,

 

and Liberals, as I am directed to; extirpate them from the face

 

of the earth; and that I will spare neither age, sex, or condition,

 

and that I will hang, burn, waste, boil, flay, strangle and bury

 

alive those infamous heretics; rip up the stomachs and wombs

 

of the women, and crush their infants’ heads against the walls

 

in order to annihilate their inexecrable race. That when the

 

same cannot be done openly, I will secretly use the poisonous

 

cup, the strangulating cords, the steels of the poinard, or the

 

leaden bullets, regardless of the honour, rank, dignity, or

 

authority of the persons, whatever may be their condition in life,

 

either public or private, as I at any time may be directed to by

 

any agent of the Pope, or the superior of the Holy Father of

 

the Society of Jesus. In confirmation of which I hereby dedicate

 

my life, my soul, and my corporeal powers; and with this dagger,

 

which 1 now receive, I will subscribe my name written in my

 

blood in testimony thereof; and should I prove false, or weaken

 

in my determination may my brethren and fellow-soldiers of the

 

militia of the Pope, cut off my hands and my feet, and my throat

 

from ear to ear, rip my belly open, and sulphur burn therein,

 

.and all the punishments that can be inflicted on me on earth,

 

and my soul be tortured by demons in an eternal hell for ever.

 

In testimony thereof I take this most holy and blessed sacrament

 

of the Eucharist, and witness the same further with my name

 

written with the point of this dagger, dipped in my own blood,

 

and sealed in the face of the holy covenant

 

(Copied from the “Divine Calendar’, Vol. 11., edited by

 

Augusta Cook, and published by Dank and Sons, 1916.)