The novice, when first received into one of the Jesuit houses, was separated, so far as possible, for two years from his family, and placed under the control of a master, who inspected his correspondence and undertook the full surveillance of his life.  He received cautiously restricted information on the constitutions of the Society, and was recommended, instead of renouncing his worldly possessions, to reserve his legal rights and make oblation of them when he took the vows.  It was not then made clear to him that what he gave would never under any circumstances be restored, although the Society might send him forth at will a penniless wanderer into the world.  Yet this was the hard condition of a Jesuit’s existence.  After entering the order, he owned nothing, and he had no power to depart if he repented.  But the General could cashier him by a stroke of the pen, condemning him to destitution in every land where Jesuits held sway, and to suspicion in every land where Jesuits were loathed.  Before the end of two years, the novice generally signed an obligation to assume the vows.  He was then drafted into the secular or spiritual service.  Some novices became what is called Temporal Coadjutors; their duty was to administer the property of the Society, to superintend its houses, to distribute alms, to work in hospitals, to cook, garden, wash, and act as porters.  They took the three vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience.  Those, on the other hand, who showed some aptitude for learning, were classified as Scholastics, and were distributed among the colleges of the order.  They studied languages, sciences, and theology, for a period of five years; after which they taught in schools for another period of five or six years; and when they reached the age of about thirty, they might be ordained priests with the title of Spiritual Coadjutors.  From this body the Society drew the rectors and professors of its colleges, its preachers, confessors, and teachers in schools for the laity.  They were not yet full members, though they had taken the three vows, and were irrevocably devoted to the service of the order.  The final stage of initiation was reached toward the age of forty-five, after long and various trials.  Then the Jesuit received the title of Professed.  He was either a professed of the three vows, or a professed of the four vows; having in the latter case dedicated his life to the special service of the Papacy, in missions or in any other cause.  The professed of four vows constituted the veritable Company of Jesus, the kernel of the organization.  They were never numerous.  At Loyola’s death they numbered thirty-five out of a thousand; and it has been calculated that their average proportion to the whole body is as two to a hundred.[167] Even these had no indefeasible tenure of their place in the Society.  They might be dismissed by the General without indemnification.

[Footnote 167:  Philippson, op. cit. p. 142.]