condemnation I told him also that we had demanded that before passing of judgement they might be clear'd of all equivocal and doubtful terms and reduc'd to several clear and determinate sences upon which we might give our Declarations before the Congregation and in presence of those who persu'd the censure of them c. He accounted all this perfectly just and necessary and requisite to be press'd and that it behoov'd us to renew our instances for it farne nostre proteste I answered that this was the chief point of our affair and a thing of great justice I desired him likewise to assist us to obtain it if he came in place where he had any power But to the end it might not appear that he did it upon our recommendation I conceived it were good that he did us the courtesie upon the first opportunity whilst it was not yet known that he had any correspondence with us He replyed that he would do it willingly and in this first interview he spoke in all points as an intelligent and equitable person The rest of this week we made no considerable visit Only we went to our particular Friends to take their advice about certain things which we thought to do and which I shall relate hereafter in the time and order that they were done During all the time that pass'd since the presenting of our two Writings and their Summary to the Cardinals design'd for our Congregation we caus'd to be transcrib'd by a good Copist a very fair and correct Copy of them to present to the Pope VVe caus'd the same to be bound up in the best Vellum with the Pope's armes stampt in gold upon the cover The three Writings together compos'd a small volume in Folio about an inch thick In the beginning of this Book and before all those Writings we plac'd an Epistle to the Pope whereof take here the Translation Most Holy Father YOur Holyness having by your goodness and your justice establisht the Congregation for examination of the grand questions concerning Grace we thought fit before all things to compose two Writings which we present to your Holiness one whereof contains what hath pass'd in the affair under debate and the other concerns S. Augustin's authority VVe fear not most H. Father but your Holiness will approve this proceeding since we tread in the steps of Celestin I. Clement VIII and Paul V. doing nothing but what they did in a case altogether like Thus we take for our rule the first and the last judgement which the H. Apostolick See hath pronounc'd touching this Contest and the way whereof we make use to end it is to follow both its antient Decisions and those which it hath made in these latter ages Soon after S. Augustin's death some Priests of France found fault with his writings and troubled the peace of the Churches by undiscreet Questions whereupon Prosper and Hilary had recourse to Celestin and reported to him what was publisht in France against the said Father They complain'd that some Priests in France went about still to call in doubt that which had been prov'd in the Writings of S. Augustin confirm'd by the Popes Innocent Zozymus and Boniface and establisht by Councils and they demanded that before all things the H. Apostolick See would repress the temerity of those French and confirm the doctrine and authority of S. Augustin This care of Prosper and Hilary receiv'd commendation from the mouth of Celestin and taking from the Priests of whom they complain'd all liberty of detraction he ordained that the authority and doctrine of S. Augustin should remain inviolable in the Church Molina having had the boldnesse in Spain to renew those antient complaints made of the Priests of France and once again to make head against the same S. Augustin and this new doctrin being accused to the H. See in which Clement VIII presided at that time this H. Pope would not have that Cause examin'd before him till he had first ordained that the authority of S. Augustin should be approved according to the Constitutions of his Predecessors and his doctrine consider'd as a rule by which all controversies touching the assistance of God's grace ought to be examined and Pope Paul V. afterward ordained that the same thing should be exactly and religiously observed Yet there are found at this day most H. Father New Censors amongh the Priests of France who to defend Molina's doctrine have had the presumption to rise anew against S. Augustine who trouble the peace of the victorious Church by Questions which they borrow again from the School of those Authors already condemned and who call in doubt the principal Articles of Christian Grace and of the doctrine of that H. Doctor 'T is for this cause that we are come to your Holiness in the name of some of the most illustrious Bishops of France who with a pastoral care watch for the peace of the whole Church the honour of S. Augustine and the dignity of the H. Apostolick See VVe have complained of the Propositions which have been invented to prepare ambushes for the doctrine of S. Augustine and for your Holiness And to the end they might be examin'd and this whole affair fully and perfectly cleared we have su'd to your Holiness for the erection of a Congregation in which both sides might be heard vivâ voce and by writing Your Holiness hath accordingly establisht it and they have appointed us to pre-present our Writings to them VVe have therein first related to your Holinesse and the Congregation what hath been acted in reference to the Propositions in doing which we have follow'd the example of Prosper and Hilary commended by Pope Celestin discovering by what means and artifices S. Augustin's authority is encounter'd and with what excessive boldness the Jesuites by an unheard of conspiracy attempt to destroy it under pretext of these equivocal and fallacious Propositions In the next place we have defended the best we could S. Augustin's authority which is assaulted in so dangerous a manner and hath receiv'd so great wounds and we have prov'd it by the Tradition of the whole Church namely by the testimonies of twenty Popes fifteen Councils and threescore and ten Fathers and Divines of great reputation Which we have done to the end your Holiness and the Congregation might understand on the one side the justice of our complaint and observe on the other how necessarie it is to expresse the temerity of those Censors And to the end your Holiness might have the goodness to practise from the entrance of this contest the same that Pope Celestine did heretofore and Clement VIII since in occasions perfectly like to this for the defence of S. Augustine's doctrine and authority and to support it with a new recommendation we have conceiv'd that before all things we ought to summon our Adversaries to acknowledge the authority and doctrin of that Saint not only with unprofitable and ineffectual words or deceitfull elogiums and
prayses full of disguisement and fiction but by solid and express approbations till your Holinesse shall have establisht it your self according to the example of your Predecessors by a publick Definition against these few accusers who can scarce be repressed any other way which is the onely and most profitable remedy that can be made use of for the peace of the whole Church VVe know most H. Father that there is no practice or endeavour omitted by our Apversaries to hinder the effect of so just and necessary a Demand we know that there is nothing in the world which they fear so much as to be constrain'd to subscribe as they ought to the authority of S. Augustin or to see your Holiness treading in the steps of Celestin I. Clement VIII confirm it anew repress the temerity of these Censors and give for rule of this controversie a Doctrine that hath been establisht for so many ages because assoon as they shall be oblig'd to admit the same against their wills or shall see your Holiness solemnly confirm it they will be out of all hope of prevailing against the Propositions under the obscurity of which they aim only at the condemnation of S. Augustin according to their form'd design although they affect not to express his name Your Holiness will hear with wonder that after having openly attaqu'd S. Augustin's doctrin with their utmost strength both by themselves and by the help of the Jesuites whose defenders and confederates they are they now openly proclaim their submission to it They will have the boldness to profess themselves publick Panegyrists and defenders of that Father even in presence of your Holiness But their doing thus will be only to palliate the contempt they have of him with feigned respect and to free themselves from blame it will be only to avoid the punishment of the insolence wherewith they outrage him it will be only to hide the aversion which they have for his Doctrine under the commendation which they give to his Person it will be only to diminish the care which is to be had in these controversies in examining which are the true sentiments of that H. Father and to make it believ'd that it is not concern'd in the Propositions which have been presented to your Holiness since themselves who impugn them profess to follow the doctrine of that Father and so reverence his authority to the end that having avoided the condemnation of their temerity by such feigned and captious elogiums of S. Augustin and got off without being oblig'd to subscribe to any thing or your Holiness having ordained them so to do they may with their Partisans thence forward reject his authority with more boldness than ever condemn his doctrine and continue to banish it from their Schools as Calvinistical and dangerous especially in case your Holiness should be induc'd under some pretext to condem the Propositions because they will not fail afterwards to make the censure fall upon S. Augustin and indeed they would have some ground for their doing so These are the designs of our Adversaries and we doubt not but they will be of no force with your Holiness whom they have not been able to surprize hitherto whatever slights they have made use of since if that unhappiness should happen it would be an exposing the principal Inheritance which the H. See possesses as by succession to pillage and depredation a transporting of it by the hands of the Churches own children to its enemies as no doubt it would come to pass by the contempt of S. Augustin's authority and doctrine it would be a nullifying the authority of all the Fathers it would be totally to exterminate the antiquity of doctrine and venerable Tradition it would be to abolish the respect which is due to the Decrees of the H. Apostolical See it would imply that the Church hath unjustly condemn'd the enemies of Grace it would give occasion to believe that the H. Council of Trent favoured the Pelagian Hereticks and gave new forces to the Calvinists In fine it would give ground to say that your Holiness hath made but little account of all the antient Decrees which your Predecessors Innocent Zozimus Boniface Celestine Sixtus Leo Gelasius Hormisdas and others have pronounced in favour of S. Augustin or rather that you abolisht them It must be confess'd most H. Father that these things are of great importance and seem almost incredible but besides that they are evidently manifested to such as shall read these two Writings which we now present to you they will be more visible and conspicuous in the whole sequel of this affair and we are ready to convince our Adversaries thereof Your Holiness will no doubt foresee dangers so extreme and imminent you will hear complaints so necessary you will take time to inform your self fully of a cause so important and your pastoral vigilance will apply it self with no less wisdome integrity and justice to this great affair which is of high consequence to the whole Church to the H. Apostolick See to the Faith and Christian piety then to all the other affairs of the same Church VVe know that God hath as one of the principal effects of his favour given us in our dayes such a Pastor that if it hapned sometimes that your Holiness cannot be advertis'd of the importance of things yet when you are so you cannot but ordain all that is requisite in justice reason and equity and we know likewise that all that we say is so certain and considerable we know that the whole Church is reduc'd to so great extremities by all the contrivances of our Adversaries in this contest that your Holiness would before now have provided for so urgent a necessity if the true state of this affair had been sooner lay'd open to you which it hath not been till the present Nevertheless what ever great promise we seem to engage our selves to here we dare confidently affirm that we shall give most clear and indubitable proofs thereof provided the Congregation which your Holinesse hath establisht obtain its full and entire effect and time and place be allow'd us to convince our Adversaries in their presence vivâ voce and by writing 'T will then be that your Holiness and the whole Roman Church shall really know that 't is not without Cause that we have laid open to you the greatness of this danger and that our complaints have been neither false nor frivolous when we brought them to the H. See and to the Supreme Tribunal before which S. Bernard hath taught us that no person ought to draw any advantage from falsehood We are Most H. Father Your Holiness's most humble and most obedient Servants and Sons Noel de la Lane Doctor of Divinity in the Faculty of Paris c. Louis de Saint-Amour Doctor of the Sacred Faculty of Paris c. Louis Angran Licentiate of the same Sacred Faculty c. Perhaps it will be thought strange that we have spoke
in the second we summarily layd open the tradition of the whole Church or the sentiment of all the Councils H. Fathers and principal Divines since S. Augustin to the present age for confirmation of the same truth That in the third were contain'd the Decisions pass'd contradictorily by the Congregation de Auxiliis in presence of the Popes Clement VIII and Paul V. by whom Molina's doctrine of sufficient Grace was declar'd heretical and Pelagian and the contrary sentiment of Grace effectual by it self judg'd the constant doctrine of S. Augustin and the certain faith of the whole Church That we were ready to make good this truth by the acts of the Congregation whereof we had seen the Originals and extracted from them what we alledg'd Lastly that in the fourth Article were contain'd sixty and three heresies or impieties deduc'd by necessary consequence from Molina's sufficient Grace whereby it appear'd that this new novel opinion overthrows the principal grounds of faith and Christian piety the authority of the H. See and the Council of Trent the validity of Tradition and the perpetual subsistence of one and the same faith in the Church and is fit onely to supply advantages to hereticks to oppose the Romane Church After this the Father explicated what we understand by Grace effectual by it self and by sufficient Grace subject to Free-will Then he began the first argument drawn from the prayers of Church and told his Holinesse it was a great Providence of God which had caus'd him to choose the day of Rogations a day consecrated by the Church particularly to prayer for our justifying before him the faith of effectual Grace or the truth of Jesus Christ by the prayers of the Church He handled this argument with as great plainnesse and force as could be wish'd and concluded with a necessary consequence drawn from what he had proved that according to the expresse words of the Council of Carthage and Pope Innocent I. the dogma of Molina's suffcient grace is sacrilegious impious pestiferous execrable and worthy of all kinds of anathema Sacrilegum impium pestiferum exitiale omni anathemate dignum as you will see my Lords by reading that argument in the Writing of Effectual Grace Moreover he more forceably encounter'd the common opinion of the Jesuites For after the reciting of those terrible words of Innocent I. against the Pelagians out of his Epistle to the Council of Carthage he apply'd them by a necessary consequence which he had before demonstrated by several invincible arguments to the defenders of Molina's sufficient Grace And 't is a thing my Lords very worthy of remark that before his Holiness in a publick Congregation and a Jesuite being present the doctrine of that society was so vigorously and resolutely impeach'd and so plainly accus'd of so many heresies and that after this was done vivâ voce we left the same with his Holinesse in writing persisting to require that those Fathers might be oblig'd to appear and answer and that yet after all this they remain'd without reply and silent We doubt not my Lords but these Fathers would immediatly have sought to purge themselves to the Pope of so capital an accusation and pursued against us the reparation of this extreme injury were they not conscious to themselves of holding a new doctrine which they cannot justifie if they should be obliged to acknowledge S. Augustin for their Judge as they cannot refuse him before the H. See and were they not perswaded that all which we spoke against them is very true and easy to be made good they ought for the sake of injur'd truth and their Societie's reputation of which they are so jealous to have made some defence were it not that they fear'd to be publickly convinc'd and to draw upon themselves a new condemnation of their errors after that of the Congregation de Auxiliis But however so long as they appear not to defend themselves it will be a great blame upon their Molinistical opinions and an ignominy which they will never wipe off before intelligent and equitable persons From this argument drawn from the prayers of the Church the Fathers proceeded to the second taken out of S. Augustin's book De Gratia Christi and especially from these words in chap. 10. Hanc debet Pelagius gratiam confiteri si vult non solum vocari verum etiam esse Christianus He shew'd by sundry passages of that book that by this Grace no other can be understood besides that which is effectual by it self Whence he concluded that Molina and our Adversaries impugne that Grace which is necessary according to S. Augustin to be confess'd by him that would be truely a Christian Night came and constrain'd him to break off He spoke about an hour and half so that this audience lasted about four houres His Holinesse was so extremely attentive all the while that certainly God encreased his strength in so great an age and enabled him to preserve so great a presence of mind for so long together And indeed we were much encourag'd thereby to represent to him what we had to say Their Eminences were likewise very attentive The Divines seem'd all to take carefull notice of every thing All the while we were speaking his Holinesse said not a word to us but suffer'd us to proceed without asking any question or any wise gainsaying what we alledg'd Having ended we went to kisse the Pope's feet and present our five Writings to him The first contain'd a hundred Propositions of the Jesuites against S. Augustin The second is that of the Distinction of senses The third is that of Effectual Grace The fourth is touching the first Proposition The fifth is an answer to sixty Testimonies of S. Augustin which M. Hallier and his Collegues presented in reference to the first Proposition By this answer we convinc'd them of having alledg'd all those Testimonies either falsly and unfaithfully or impertinently and perversly and we draw all our answers from the same places whence the Testimonies themselves are taken We send you My Lords a Copy of all these Writings In the last place we desir'd his Holiness's permission for printing a limited number of them here only for the conveniency of examination His Holinesse answer'd us that he would consider of this Request and see whether it were expedient After which we askt his Holinesse when it pleas'd him that we should appear again to continue the handling of what we had enter'd upon in this first Audience He answer'd us that he had not yet thought of it but he would consider upon it We reply'd that however we beseecht his Holinesse to remember the assurance we gave him that we were ready to continue what we had begun and to do any thing that he should appoint in order thereunto and after receiving his benediction we withdrew half an hour within night You see My Lords how we have manag'd the matter in this first Audience and with what sincerity we have acted in
Faith concerning the grace of Christians may be said by a special priviledge to be the Faith of the Roman Church 'T is also for this reason that S. Augustin its greatest Doctor and Defender next the Apostle never was oppos'd concerning this matter but the Roman Church ardently undertook his defence and attributed his doctrine to it self as its own and as its peculiar inheritance according as a a In a Discourse which this Pope made in the first Congregation de Auxiliis held before him in the Vatican March 20. 1602. S. Clement VIII speaks And certainly 't is not without ground that the Apostle gave this first Church of the World such sublime instructions of the mysteries of the Grace of Jesus Christ since it is the fruit of his blood the bond of God with men the spirit of Jesus Christ and Christian Religion and that which truly establishes the new Law and the Gospel This Grace is not that which is taught by those who retain only its name to avoid the indignation and scandal of the faithful should they deny it absolutely but 't is that which was in question between S. Augustin on one side fighting in the name of the Church and Pelagius and his followers on the other that as S. Augustin saith writing to Pope Innocent the first b b Epist 95. which the Christian faith teaches and publishes to be proper and peculiar to Christians that c c De gratia Christi cap. 10. which the Catholick Bishops were wont to read in the books of God and to preach to God's people that d d Q. q. contra Jul. cap. 40. which Pelagius ought to acknowledge if he would not only be call'd a Christian but be truly one and lastly that as he saith in another place upon which are supported the principal fundamentals of Faith and Christian Piety which will subsist as long as it stands and be in danger to be overthrown when it is shaken Wherefore when in these last times some have attempted to overthrow the true Grace of Jesus Christ they conceiv'd nothing more expedient to advance their design then to dilacerate as e e Contra collatere in Epist ad Rssinum S. Prosper speaks in dilacerating S. Augustin with outragious words the most learned of all the Fathers in the Doctrine of the Church and the most powerful Defender of the grace of Jesus Christ then to weaken the authority of his Writings which impugn the error of the Pelagians and to despoil him of the belief which he hath in the minds of the faithful they who form'd so unhapdy a design not doubting as the same S. Prosper saith again to be able at length to overthrow all the authorities Which uphold the purity of the doctrine of Grace if they could once beat down with all their Engines of Pelagianism this strong and potent Tower which serves for defence to the truths of Faith This enterprise against the Grace of Jesus Christ hath proceeded so far that in regard of the close union of S. Augustin with S. Paul in what concerns this matter we see that at this day the Enterprizers fear not to attaque them both together by daring to accuse them of having pass'd even into Excesses For at the same time that the five Propositions in question were contriving for the overthrow of S. Augustin's doctrine F. Adam a Jesuite printed a Book in which he flyes out with no less fury against S. Paul himself then against S. Augustin having the boldnesse to maintain therein that either of them leaving themselves to the blind impetuosity of their temper have gone beyond the bounds of the Truth and Faith Is it then to be wonder'd that this Jesuite who treats Apostles and Prophets in this manner has had the boldnesse to declare S. Augustin's doctrine impious and heretical But who can without horror see pronounc'd against this great Saint without any palliation the most outragious Censure that can be imagin'd This Book so injurious to S. Paul and to other Canonical Writers and chiefly to S. Augustin hath been printed publisht with the approbation of their Provincial of Paris and three other Divines of their Society and receiv'd with a publick joy of all the Jesuites in France What then ought not to be fear'd M. H. F. from the enterprises of this Society For if to discredit S. Augustin they dare assail S. Paul because 't is from that Apostle that S. Augustin deriv'd what he writ what remaines but that they rise up against Jesus Christ himself since 't is from him that S. Paul learnt what he teaches us of the mystery of Grace Behold M. H. F. whereunto tends their design who in reference to the belief which ought to be had in Christian Religion touching Grace follow not the traces which are show'd us by the Church but measuring these mysteries by their own sense judge of them rather by conjectures and seeming reasons then by the perpetual and most certain authority of the tradition of the Church 'T is not M. H. F. by vain Imaginations but by invincible proofs that we shall manifest to Your H. this publick Conspiracy of the Jesuites form'd against S. Augustin Behold in my hands above a hundred Propositions against that Saint drawn out of several books made since 50 yeares by the Jesuites which shew that the boldnesse wherewith they assault him encreases daily in such sort that they incessantly charge him with new greater outrages We know M. H. F. that though our Adversaries have and do still testifie to manifest an aversion against S. Augustin yet they make semblance of reverencing his authority and dare commend him even in presence of your H. and boast themselves to be his defenders and disciples But this is onely to put a colour of feigned respect upon their real disdain and carrie it more free from blame 'T is onely to avoid the punishment of the insolence wherewith they outrage him 'T is onely to hide their aversion of his Doctrine under the Commendation of his person 'T is only to dimish the care which in these contests ought to be taken for examining which are the true sentiments of that H. Father and to make it believ'd that the same are not concern'd in the Propositions which have been presented to your H. because they who oppose them make profession of following the Doctrine and revering the authority of that Father that so avoiding the condemnation of their temerity by such feigned and fallacious elogiums of S. Augustin and the obligation of subscribing any thing in this matter by your Holinesses order they and their partisans may reject his authority with more boldnesse then ever condemn his Doctrin and continue to banish it out of their Schools as Calvinistical and dangerous especially if it happen that your H. be led under any pretext to condemn these Propositions because they will not fail afterwards to reflect the censure of them upon S. Augustin as a
reply'd that it should be when his Holiness pleas'd but we conceiv'd it our duty to testify to him that we should be always ready to appear as often as it pleas'd his Holinesse to summon us As I presented our Writings to the Pope which contain'd between five and six quires of paper he offer'd to take them with his own hand and Cardinal Spada arose from his seat and came to ease the Pope of that trouble but at the same time I laid them upon a little seat on the Pope's right hand and Cardinal Spada onely helpt me to place them better yet by this advance he got a more commodious situation for hearing what we said to the Pope for being very near him we spoke sufficiently low In giving him these Writings I told his Holinesse it would be needful to let them be seen by my Lords the Cardinals the Divines then present and such other as his Holinesse pleas'd that several Copies of them were requisite which it was impossible to supply by the help of Scribes who committed a thousand faults that to prevent all these inconveniences we had presented a Memorial to the Master of the sacred Palace to desire his permission for their printing only ad hunc effectum that our Request seem'd to him equitable enough but that it being an Affair wherein his Holinesse himself was employ'd the Master of the sacred Palace thought not fit to do any thing in it unlesse his Holinesse were first consulted and that it were done by his privity and order that the Master of the sacred Palace was there present that if it pleas'd his Holinesse to signifie his allowance thereof and tell him that it might be done with the conditions propos'd by us which we conceiv'd just we should be much bound to his Holinesse for the favor The Pope answer'd us that he would think upon it and let us know what he should judge expedient We reply'd that we should attend his orders and be ready to obey him in this and all other things We kiss'd his feet he gave us his benediction and we withdrew The Copy of this last Memorial which we presented to the Pope with our five new Writings here follows together with that which we presented to the Master of the sacred Palace To our H. Father Pope Innocent X. A Catalogue of all the Writings which were hitherto presented here in the Affair of the five Propositions by the Doctors defenders of S. Augustin MOST HOLY FATHER T Is some moneths ago that we presented to Your Holinesse two Writings with their Abridgement The first of which is the first Information in reference to fact against M. Hallier and his Collegues and it concerns what pass'd touching the businesse of the Five Propositions from July 1. 1649. to July 11. 1652. where we discover a great multitude of the foul dealings and ambushes of our Adversaries The second Writing is the first Information touching matter of Right against the same Adversaries and it concerns the authority of S. Augustin which we prove by the whole Tradition of the Church At this day M. H. F. we present five other Writings to Your Holinesse The first is the first part of the second Information as to matter of fact against the Jesuites and it contains above a hundred Propositions against the authority of S. Augustin drawn out of their books The second comprizes in few words the distinction of the several senses whereof the Five Propositions are capable and the clear and true sentiment of our Adversaries of the Calvinists and Lutherans and also our own touching the same matter The third contains the second Information as to matter of Right namely that which concerns Grace Effectual by it self which is the point whereunto this whole Controversie is reduc'd and we shew that Catholicks can in no wise question this grace principally upon this sole consideration that 't is impossible to deny it without establishing at the same time that which is contradictorily opposite to it to wit the Molinistical Grace subject to Free-will and without approving by consequence sixty either Errors or Heresies which necessarily follow from it The fourth contains the third Information as to matter of Right and concerns the first Proposition now in contest which we shew is firmly establisht upon the holy Scripture the Councils and Fathers and particularly upon S. Augustin and S. Thomas The fifth contains the fourth Information as to matter of Right and the explication of about sixty testimonies of S. Augustin which we found to have been employ'd in a namelesse Writing by M. Hallier and his Collegues against the first Proposition And in the refutation of the said Writing we convince them of having advanc'd nothing at all that makes against us but many things unfaithfully and without ground We heartily submit all these Writings M. H. F. to the correction of the H. Roman Catholick and Apostolick Church and to the iudgement of Your Holinesse and we most humbly beseech Your Holinesse that they may be communicated to our Adversaries when you shall think fit namely to the Society of Jesuites and to MM. Hallier Lagault and Joysel as also to the most learned Divines when Your Holiness hath already heard us speak touching the five Propositions and to all others to whom Your Holiness shall think good to shew them to the end that if the one or the other conceive that there is in our words or writings any thing either worthy of correction or false or obscure or dubious it may be shew'd to us in presence of your Holiness and that it may be permitted us either to explicate the same or prove it by competent reasons or else amend it according as Your Holiness shall think fit that so Your Holiness may be fully assured of the truth or falshood of the thing and of its importance We most heartily wish to Your Holiness all kind of prosperitie and that God may prolong the course of your yeares by giving you even some of ours Signed Noel de la Lane Doctor of Paris c. and Abbot of Valcroissant Toussaint Des-mares Priest of the Congregation of the Oratory Louis de S. Amour Doctor of Sorbon Nicolas Manessier Doctor of Sorbon Louis Angran Licentiate of the same sacred Faculty of Paris c. The Memorial presented by us to the Master of the sacred Palace for obtaining permission to print our Writings speaks thus in the Translation THe most R. F. Master of the sacred Palace is most humbly petition'd by the French Doctors defenders of S. Augustin to consider that the prohibitions of printing any thing touching the matter de Auxiliis concern books and other works intended to be expos'd to sale and publish'd indifferently to all the world but they extend not to Writings which are to be presented in private to the Pope Cardinals and other Divines to whom his Holiness shall think fit to have them communicated for their instruction in an Affair which is to be examined before his presence
Patriarch VVe have the more hope that he will do this because we speak of the Patriarchal See of Aquileia which the Soveraine Pontifs his H. Predecessors stile the first after the See of Rome He will not therefore suffer a member so important so considerable and so neer himself to remaine injured by the malignity of the times if this member be found alive and innocent since were it languid or infirme he would not faile to comfort heal and recover it as God commands him by his Prophet To conclude most Serene Prince we have judg'd this way the most easie and ordinary and that which may put an happy end to our distresses and the many mischiefs wherewith we are threatned Because the Soveraine Pontifs as S. Gregory that great Pope oftentimes did whose judgements are inviolable Laws in the Church to defend the innocence and estimation of good Prelates or else to condemn the scandalous who would live contrary to the H. rules have from time to time convok'd Councils by authority whereof they have maintain'd their innocence and reputation of good Prelates and chastised the temerity of bad stopping the mouths of all the world And if our H. Fathers have assembled Councils to this end the same thing will be done more easily without any inconvenience to the Church now the most general and perfect Council is assembled that ever was since that of Nice It being equitable both in regard to the nature of the affair which was not brought upon the stage at this time without some mysterie and in consideration of the interests of your Serenity and lastly in respect of the particulat qualities of the most R. Patriarch and his family that his cause be examin'd and terminated by the judgement and authority of our H. Father and the H. Council VVhich if it be not done in this favourable occasion former examples tell us that we must look to remaine to our damage in a perpetual pernicious irresolution worthy of compassion in it self and of the H. Council's favour to which in Case of need we are willing to repair in order to manifest our faith our charity and our necessity and that of our whole Province and we hope to find there by the help of your Sublimity all the favour and assistane which shall be needfull to so just and honest a cause as ours As for our selves most Serene Prince being we have perform'd this duty with the utmost integrity and with singular belief and firme hope that God will from above blesse our endeavours we beseech you to accept of our Zeal and humility and to favour our humble requests which imply nothing but affection and respect to the most R. Patriarch our Pastor and well beloved Father with the same judgement and Charity wherewith your Serenety hath continually and unanimously cherished him and declared him worthy of all favour and of the greatest dignities which you will the rather do because we imitate our Prince in our good desires and laudable intentions whilst we embrace what you have first solemnly approv'd by your most grave and wise judgement We have no intent in all this to defend the cause of our Patriarch which is known to you and all the world as if it needed our defence We agree with what S. Augustin saith that the best cause is that which is approv'd without needing to be defended that the best establisht justice is that which is not supported by words but by the strength of Truth Nor do we aime to deliver him from oppression this belongs to God and to Princes whom he hath particularly commanded to deliver the oppressed But the onely scope of all this discourse and writing is to render an eternal testimony of our respect to your Serenity besides all that hath been spoken more amply and prudently by our Collegue After which we have no more to do but to recommend our Pastor our Country the safety of it people and our selves to the Clemency of your Serenity whom we pray God to preserve in perpetual felicity The last day of July MDLXIII The most Illustrious and Reverend Legats and Presidents of the Sacred Council of Trent have by Apostolical authority chosen the Fathers under written to deliberate with them concerning the abovesaid Letters and Apologie namely whether the same be heretical or supected of heresie or so explicated scandalous to the end they may give their judgements thereof The most illustrious Cardinal the Cardinal of Loraine and Cardinal Madrutio The most illustrious Ambassadors the Arch-Bishop of Prague The Bishop of Five-Kirke the Bishop of Primistelot and the Bishop of Auxbourg The Arch-Bishops of Granada Brague and Rege The Bishops of Eureux Sees Conimbra Segovia Modena Livia Arras Campagna Theano Ipre Namur Leon Tortosa The Abots of Clacivaux Auxbourg The General of the Augustines All which Fathers diligently examin'd the said Letters and Apologie and gave their opinions thereof The Sentence of the most Illustrious Cardinal of Lorraine touching the abovesaid Letter given to the most illustrious and Reverend Legats of the Council I Have read the Letter of M. John Grimani Patriarch of Aquileia dated the 17th of April 1549. to his Vicar of Oudenay in the Church of Oudenay and his Answers touching certain Propositions extracted out of the same Leter which your most illustrious and Reverend Lordships caused to be deliver'd to me in your own presence by the Notary of the Council And having first invok'd the name of Jesus Christ and taken the Counsel of some very learned persons French Divines and particularly of those whom the most Christian King sent to this H. Council to the end that might be assisted and helpt by their learning in so weigh y a cause And having after hearing them diligently examin'd the Writtings of the said Patriarch I declare that I have found nothing in the above mention'd Letter which is heretical erroneous or scandalous or suspected of heresie or error That if some thing of obscu ity be found therein which may give suspition to such as are not sufficiently skill'd in these matters the same may be all clear'd and resolv'd by reading the answer of the said Patriarch as accordingly I conceive it clear'd and resolv'd Wherefore I judge the said Patriarch free from all suspition of heresie error or scandal The same Cardinals Letter to the Pope Most H. Father I VVas lately call'd by M. M. the Prelates with twenty five most learned and grave Fathers chosen out of all Nations to be present at the judgment of the Patriarch of Aquileia concerning the accusation charg'd upon him touching matter of faith upon occasion of a certain letter which he writ to his Vicar of Oudenay Although the Question were very difficult yet after a diligent examination made thereof it was found to be clear not onely of heresie error or scandal but also of suspition and consequently the most R. Grimani was adjudg'd innocent by general consent and without the contrary sentence of any person
1646. my time of Licentiate being accomplish'd and the Ceremonies of conferring Degrees deferr'd till after Easter I thought fit to employ that interval of time in a journey to Italy invited thereunto by the company of M. de Souvré Chevalier of the Orders of the King and first Gentleman of his Chamber and of M. the Abbot de Bassompierre now Bishop of Xaintes and of some other persons of quality whom I had the honour to know at Court M. Bourgeois Doctor of Paris and M. Duchesne an antient Professor in Philosophy were then at Rome by Order of my Lords the Bishops who had licenc'd the Book Of Frequent Communion to defend the same against the prosecutions us'd by the Jesuites there to get it censur'd During the short abode I made there M. Bourgeois and M. Duchesne told me the Book Of Frequent Communion was wholly acquitted but the Jesuites had turn'd all their forces against another Book to which That had given occasion namely that Of the Greatnesse of the Roman Church Neverthelesse that they conceiv'd they had so clearly evidenc'd to divers Cardinals the validity of the passages of the said Book which establisheth in the two Princes of the Apostles S. Peter and S. Paul the Authority in question that they believ'd it now out of all danger of Censure In these very termes I inform'd of this matter divers of our Confreres who requested intelligence thereof at my return which was in the moneth of August the same year And in September following having receiv'd the Doctor 's Cap the first time I had the honour to enter into the Assembly of the Faculty which was 1 Octob. 1646. M. Cornet then Syndic acquainted the Faculty that the Nuntio had told him that certain Manuscript Gazettes or Mercuries were come to his hands from Rome which spoke two Doctors there who pretended to be Delegates from the Faculty for the maintaining a Book as Orthodox which undertook to shew That there may be two Heads in the Church Of which he advertis'd the Faculty in regard of their concernment therein and intreated them to declare to him whether they had sent the said Doctors to Rome for the defence of such Book This proposal was made after a manner so odious and captious against the said Book that M. Chastellain who was friend to M. Bourgeois and was satisfy'd of the goodnesse of the Book defended by him at Rome in which also he knew it was not maintain'd That there may be two Heads in the Church conceiv'd that enough would be done both for the Book and for M. Bourgeois if it were declar'd to the Nuntio That no person of the Faculty had so much as heard speech of any Book written to that purpose and accordingly he nominated M. Pereyret and some other Doctors to carry this answer to the Nuntio This disowning of an Imaginary Book was very well pleasing to the enemies of the True Book which M. Bourgeois defended For they saw well it would not be difficult for them to involve the true one in it So this advice was universally assented to though with different ends and aims My turn of suffraging came not till the last but I did not forbear to give some intimation of the ill use I fear'd would be made of this Declaration which when I saw ratifi'd by the Conclusion of the Faculty speaking after the Assembly with the Doctors to whom upon the assurance given by M. Bourgeois and M. Duchesne I had signify'd that I conceiv'd the Book out of danger of Censure I told them that after this Declaration of the Faculty I judg'd the Censure would indubitably follow and believ'd two Moneths would not passe before its appearance Moreover because I saw the reputation of M. Bourgeois and M. Duchesne unjustly impeach'd I gave such a testimony of them in this Assembly as I believ'd I was bound to do being so lately return'd from Rome where I had seen as I assur'd the Assembly that they took not upon themselves the quality of Delegates of the Faculty that all people of honour that knew them look'd upon them as sent by those of my Lords the Prelates of France who had given approbation to the Book Of Frequent Communion and that none but framers of Gazettes or Mercury-mongers could speak otherwise of them However upon that Gazette which came to the Nuntio and from him to the Faculty the Conclusion pass'd M. Pereyret went to visit him according to the commission given him so to do and although he had receiv'd none to leave any thing in writing with the Nuntio yet he declin'd not to give him a Memorial of what he said to him which he drew up as himself pleas'd without communicating any thing thereof to the Faculty The term of publishing the Decree of the Inquisition of Rome which appear'd against the mention'd Book consequently to the Declaration of the Faculty was longer then I imagin'd it would have been for it was deferr'd till the 25th of January the following year 1647. being the very day of the Conversion of St. Paul which I cannot but observe here because I doubt not but it was design'd by the authors of the Decree Some time after this Decree came into France to the Nuntio with command from the Pope to cause it to be printed and sent to the Ordinaries of places by which order and for which purpose it was printed by Sebastian Cramoisy I shall mention no other particulars of this Decree but what are in the Speech of the deceased M. Talon Advocate General whereof and of the Arrest which follow'd it I had a Copy which I shall insert here to preserve the same to posterity though they have been printed since in flying and perishing pamphlets A Speech deliver'd in the Grand Chamber by Mons Omer Talon Advocate General on Friday 10 Maii 1647. Gentlemen VVE receiv'd on Wednesday an order from the Court to make inquiry concerning a Bull printed a few dayes since and a Sentence issued forth by the Provost of Paris on Monday last whereby he hath condemned a small Writing and Book containing one sheet of Paper which Writing is contrary to the authority of the said Bull. Moreover the same day we heard what pass'd in the presence of the Queen touching the same affair where you were pleas'd Sir addressing himself to the first President to expresse the sentiments of the Company and their reasons for opposing the enterprise of the Popes Nuntio who goes about to establish a new Jurisdiction in this Realm After which discourse the Queen having called us and heard from our own mouths something of the particulars of this affair and afterwards conferr'd of it with M. the Cardinal Mazarin M. the Chancellor gave us to understand that there was a difference to be made between a Bull issu'd by authority of the Holy See for the printing and publishing of which there is the King's Privilege and one set forth by the Mandate or Certification of the Nuntio who makes
no part of the Bull. Whereupon Gentlemen to tell you our thoughts concerning this Bull we have found in it three things especially to oppose First that there ha's been printed in France publish'd and endevour'd to be executed a Decree of the Congregation of the Inquisition of the Holy Office and that it hath been intitul'd Decretum Sanctissimi D. N. D. Innocentii divinâ providentiâ Papae under pretence that the Pope assisted and was present at that Congregation For in France we acknowledge the authority of the Holy See and the power of the Pope head of the Church common Father of all Christians We owe him all sort of respect and obedience This is the belief of the King eldest Son of the Church the belief of all Catholicks and of all such as are within the true Communion But we acknowledge no Authority nor Jurisdiction of Congregations held in the Court of Rome which the Pope establisheth as seems good to himself But the decrees and arrests of these Congregations have no authority nor execution in this Kingdom and when upon occasion of contentious businesses such decrees have been presented as in the matter of Dispensations Nullity of Vowes translation of Religious persons and the like the Court hath declared such Briefs null and abusive with a salvo to the parties to have recourse to the ordinary wayes that is to say in the Chancery in which Acts are expedited in the Name of our Holy Father the Pope in whose person the lawfull authority resides And for what concerns matters of Faith and doctrine they ought not to be determin'd in these Congregations except by way of advice and counsel not of power 'T is true in these Congregations are censur'd Books suspected of Heresie and bad doctrines here is made the Index Expurgatorius which encreases every year and here have sometimes the Arrests of this Court been censur'd as namely the Arrest issu'd against Jean Chastell the History of Thuanus the Liberties of the Gallicane Church and all others which concern the preservation of the sacred persons of our Kings and the establishment of Regal Jurisdiction Now were the Decree in question and others of the like nature publisht and authoriz'd in this Realm it would be in effect to receive the Inquisition into it and that for this Remark which seems to admit of no answer The Congregation write themselves Generalis Vniversalis Inquisitio in Vniversa Republica Christiana adversus Haereticam pravitatem hence they assume a power of making process against the Kings Subjects and think they have a right to do the same against Books printed within the Kingdom Wherefore having examin'd the Title of the Decree issued from the Inquisition in the aforesaid terms which testifie a pretension to Universal authority we thought our selves oblig'd to notifie the same to the Court that we might make our protestations thereupon according to the duty of our Offices The second thing we observ'd is the Mandate or Certification of the Nuntio to the King's person at the foot of the said Bull wherein he styles himself Nuntio to the Kings person and the whole Realm of France which is a Title unusual and extraordinary for the Nuntio performing the Office of an Ambassadour in France and being capable of executing no other it follows that he hath no other in this Kingdom besides that if he thought fit to speak of the Kingdom he ought to have mentioned the Kingdoms of France and Navarre it being certain that the omission of the latter is ordinarily affected and that not without design There is a second observation to be made upon this Commission and it consists in one word viz. That the Nuntio saith he receiv'd the Pope's command to cause the said Decree to be printed Now Printing being a thing purely temporal and relating to policy cannot be allowed but by the authority of the King or his Magistrate The third Consideration ariseth from that he saith That the Original of the Decree aforesaid remaineth in the Records of his Nuntio's Office which manner of speaking agrees not with our Customes because the Nuntio hath neither Court nor Records in France no more than the Ambassadors of other Princes or than the King's Ambassador hath when he is at Rome In the last place he hath added That this Bull shall be sent to the Bishops and Archbishops within his Nuntiature as if the Office of Nuntio had any certain and limited Territory Now in as much as this manner of speaking is a new and springing incroachment we think there is reason to provide against it This Speech was follow'd by an Arrest compris'd in the following words An Extract of the Registers of the Parliament of 15. May 1647. THis day the Court having deliberated upon the Remonstrance and Arguments of the King's Advocate General contain'd in the Registers of the tenth of this Month concerning a certain Paper entituled Decretum Sanctissimi D. N. D. Innocentii X. divinâ providentiâ Papae adversus propositionem istam Sanctus Petrus Sanctus Paulus sunt duo Ecclesiae Principes qui unum efficiunt libros in quibus ista propositio asseritur defenditur printed at Paris by Sebastian Cramoisy the King's Printer in ordinary this present year 1647. at the end of which is the Copy of an Instrument made at Paris on the thirteenth of March last signed Nicholaus Archiepiscopus Athenarum whereby the said Archbishop of Athens stiles himself Apostolical Nuntio to the most Christian King and the whole Realm of France and declares that by special Mandate of his Holyness given at Rome he hath caused to be printed the Copy of the said Decree according to its Original kept in the archives of his Nuntiative to send the same to all the Ordinaries within the said Nuntiative and others to whom it might appertain which is an innovation and incroachment upon the authority of the King wherfore the aforesaid Decree made in the Roman Inquisition on the 25th of January last and other Bulls and Briefs having taken into consideration The said Court prohibits and forbids all Archbishops and Bishops their Vicars and Officials Rectors and Deputies of Universities to receive publish or put in execution the Decrees and other Acts of the Congregation of the Inquisition of Rome as also any other Bulls or Briefs whatever without the King's permission confirm'd in this Court. Provided nevertheless that the supplying of Benefices and ordinary Dispatches concerning the affairs of particular Persons which according to the orders of this Realm and laws of State are obtained in the Court of Rome be not included in the abovesaid Prohibition Moreover this Court hath ordained and doth ordain That all the Copies of the said Decree of the Inquisition bearing date on the 25th of January last shall be seiz'd on at the sute of the Attorney General and brought to the Bar of the said Court to be suppressed Also it forbids all Persons to have keep or retain any Copy of the same
cause This last Arrest of the eleventh of August was signifi'd and read in the Assembly of the first of September But it was so far from being executed by the Religious Mendicants that on the contrary not only they but also divers Secular Doctors sway'd by M. Cornet became together opposers of its execution They were summon'd to the Court upon this opposition and September 3. appeared at the Palais with the said Mendicants to the number of eighteen amongst whom were MM. Pereyret Morel le Moine Amiot Grandin Bail Denis Guyard and others The Mendicants were heard by their Speaker Fryer Bernard Guiart a Jacobin and the Secular Doctors by M. Pereyret The Result of the day was that they should be heard more at large about their causes of opposition on the first day after the feast of Saint Martin but in the mean time the abovesaid Arrests should be observ'd Which yet they were not in the Assembly of the first of October though the said Result was declared there and notwithstanding all the instances M. de Roux and I could use to procure the execution of the same On the contrary there arose new resistance on the part of the Mendicant Doctors and those Seculars who joyned themselves in the cause with them Of this M. de Roux and I having made new complaint to the Court of Parliament another Arrest pass'd on the 27. of October by which it was again enacted that the aforesaid Arrests should be observed that to that end MM. Viole and Broussel should with one of the Substitutes of the Attorney General repair to the Assembly of the Faculty which was to be held on the fourth of November following and that what should be done and ordained by the said Counsellors should be executed notwithstanding any oppositions or appeals whatsoever but without prejudice to the same On the fourth of November following the said MM. Broussel and Viole accompanied with M. Becheser Dean of the Substitutes of the Attorney General and M. Boisleau Clerk of the Court and two Ushers repair'd accordingly to our Assembly in the Sorbonne There they caus'd all the Arrests I have spoken of above to be read by M. Boisleau and afterwards added sundry arguments and injunctions to oblige the Mendicant Doctors to obey those Arrests and M. Cornet to procure the execution of the same according to the duty of his place But neither the Mendicants nor Cornet yielded to any thing said to them or enjoyned by Broussel and Viole but on the contrary they and some other Secular Doctors made replyes to them very little respectfull which obliged them after signifying their displeasure therewith to professe that they would charge them with a verbal Processe for it and inform the Court of the disobedience they found to their Arrests in this Assembly Hereupon they arose and by name forbad M. Cornet to continue the Assembly after their departure judging the same unlawfull because there were in it more then two Mendicants of each Order However he did not forbear to continue it after they were departed Divers Doctors to the number of above fifty amongst whom were M. Messier Dean of the Faculty at present M. de Heu Curé of S. Severine M. de Mincé M. Hennequin M. the Curé of S. Roch M. Duchesne of Sorbonne M. Breda Curé of S. Andrews M. Dabes M. Sachot M. Renier and several others who were not suspected of any adherence to the doctrine decry'd for new to purge themselves from the reproach they conceiv'd the resistance offer'd to the Arrests of the Court in the face of the Commissioners sent by it to cause them to be executed deserved after the Assembly declar'd that they were so far from bearing a part in such resistance that on the contrary their will and intention was to observe the said Arrests and that they accounted it very important for the glory of God the honour of the Church the preservation of the authority of the Pope and other Ecclesiastical Prelates the service of the King and State of France the peace and perfect liberty of the said Faculty in all its resolutions and conclusions concerning doctrine as also for its policy and discipline that the above-mention'd Arrests should be maintain'd kept and executed inviolably as the words of the Writing run sign'd for that purpose by them on 4. November 1648. and the dayes following The purpose of MM. Broussel and Viole was to make report to the Court of all that pass'd in the Assembly before the first of December following to the end the Court might as they thought fit take for whatever course they should find necessary to be obey'd and get their Arrests put in execution But so great a number of unusual and strange things pass'd in the Assembly that M. Broussel who besides his slownesse and ordinary exactnesse was incumbred with multiplicity of other affaires had not perfectly framed his Processe verbal before the end of November and could not make report of it in the few dayes which pass'd till the first of December when the Parliament had assembled again after the feast of Saint Martin Thus was the Report deferr'd till the month following But in the mean time M. Cornet made his I mean the conclusion or relation of what pass'd in our Assembly of the fourth of November which he drew up according to his own pleasure to cause it to be read according to custome in the Assembly of the first of December which was accordingly done but it was so full of falsities and calumnies that M. de Mincé complain'd of it and desir'd a copy of it of M. Bouvot the Register of the Faculty who deliver'd him one forthwith and that M. de Roux and I thought our selves bound to present a new Petition to the Court against the injurious words M. Cornet had put into his relation or conclusion to our dâ—sadvantage wherein we beseech the Court to ordain them to be ras'd and expung'd that by doing this the said conclusion would be reform'd and reduc'd to the termes of the Processe verbal drawn up by the said MM. Broussel and Viole referring our selves moreover to the Court for meanes to hinder M. Cornet from using hereafter such like falsifications and enterprises as we complain he had us'd since our first opposition of his designs to multiply more and more Religious Mendicants in our Faculty This request was suddenly follow'd by another which M. de Roux and my self found it requisite to present against a Libel compos'd and dispers'd by the Mendicant Doctors in which we complain'd were contain'd many things scandalous and opprobrious not only against our selves and the antient Doctors who joyn'd with us in prosecuting the execution of the Arrests against the Notaries that made the Processe verbal of what pass'd in the Assembly of the first of September and against the Usher of the Court who made that of the first of October but also against the honour and respect due to the Court and its Arrests But
was entitl'd De Controversia inter Jansenistas Anti-Jansenistas which he told me as since too I have had certain proofs was made by F. Morel an Augustin Doctor of our Faculty at the request of M. Albizzi who desir'd him to draw up a Memoire for him of the state of the Controversies In that writing he represents us under the name of Jansenists as people spirited with nothing but passion and hatred against the H. See and who have no other aime but to overthrow and ruine its Authority That this Aversion is the original of all the Disputes arisen about all the contested points of Doctrine That they have not ventur'd to write concerning Grace frequent Communion and the like but to have occasion thereby to discredit the must zealous Defenders of the H. See by causing them to passe with the people for Ignorants who have corrupted the Sentiments of the H. Fathers and are tainted only with Semipelagian and Pelagian errours that so they may afterwards securely say what they please of that sacred Authority to destroy it when its Defenders are become without credit and esteem That for this it was that there was such endeavours us'd to exclude them the Religious or Fryers Mendicants from the Assembly of the Faculty by restraining them to the number of two of each Order That for the same end there were purchas'd with ready mony Doctors Preachers Batchelors Students in all the Universities and Cities of France that so not only in publick occasions but also in familiar Conferences they might gain the multitude and inspire into them not only their sentiments touching Grace and Predestination but also the hideous Maximes which they maintain against the Sacraments of the Altar and Pennance and against the Authority of the Council of Trent That we were possess'd of the hearts of severaol persons of quality rich and potent who liberally furnisht vast sums of mony to supply the expences necessary to be made for the carrying on of such pernicious designes That we have in sundry places Seminaries and Assemblies of Sectators who wholly apply themselves to contrive meanes to bring the same to passe That 't was for this end that we complotted right or wrong to maintain the Tenets of Jansenius because they are very proper thereto That neverthelesse finding we did not advance so much as we wisht in this affair by the works compos'd touching Grace we could no longer retain the venom which we had conceal'd a great while against the H. See and the Church but at length vomited it forth by publishing the books of frequent Communion and of Tradition concerning Pennance in which we accus'd the Church of being corrupted and pretended our selves to be its Physitians and Reformers That we alwayes hinder'd by all sort of ways the Bulls of Popes from being received into the Diocesses or by the Faculties and that when the sleights us'd for that end succeeded not we had recourse to other wayes so far as to stir up seditions when we were able to do it and judg'd the same necessary That in fine all this being unprofitable Rage and Fury led us to revive and maintain by all wayes all the ancient Errors and scandalous Principles concerning Grace and the Sacraments which the Popes have heretofore condemned That 't was for this reason that those of the Faculty whose hearts were firm to maintain the authority of the H. See and to stop the Current of calamities and disorders these beginnings of which threatned the whole Church seeing themselves without comparison the greater number in respect of those who were enemies of the said Authority chose out as the most scandalous amongst many others Propositions which we dispers'd among the people those which M. Cornet produc'd in the Faculty to get them censur'd in the general and without having regard whether they were advanc'd by Jansenius by M. Arnauld by the Jesuites or by any other whatsoever That moreover the H. See ought extremely to take heed of giving ear to those Jansenists because they are mingled and united with the Richerists that is with the sectators of the Doctor nam'd Richer who writ so much against the Ecclesiastical Monarchy and because their whole faction strives after and endeavours nothing with more ardor then to debase the Authority of the H. See Wherefore this zealous Intelligencer and faithful Counsellor having in the same Paper noted in particular the names of some of those whom he suppos'd culpable of these factions and designes and the names also of some others of the principal servants of the H. See who withstood the same concludes at length with his advice which he proposes with some seeming moderation saying that the readiest Expedient in this affair would be to impose silence to every one Yet really persisting in the good characters which he gave of us and perswading the Pope to treat us with all the distrust and caution that can be us'd with an open enemy and to overwhelm us every day with new Bulls and Decrees to reduce us to obedience but to deal with the others as with his well-beloved Children and most faithful servants and to provide as much as possible for their interest and satisfaction But though this be extracted out of the said writing word for word yet it is hard to apprehend it for such as it is without reading it And therefore though it be something long I have thought good to place it among the Pieces which I shall add to this Journal therein to shew a Model of the disadvantageous Characters of us and our intentions inculcated to the Pope and his principal Officers thereby to render us suspected and odious and to incense them against us And by this example it may be seen how the Popes are sometimes very ill-inform'd of the truth of the things which are related to them 'T was a good Religious Fryer Doctor of Paris of the order of St. Augustin of whom a sincere account of those Disputes in France was desired This Writing thus pen'd by him was imparted about as coming from him and as a work rare faithful and secret and this rais'd a curiosity in every body to see it All that read it gave perfect belief to it there was no body at Rome to contradict it and when I was arriv'd there though I was nam'd particularly in the said Writing yet they for whom he drew it were oblig'd to such secrecy as would have kept them from telling me any thing of it though they had otherwise desir'd it So that it had its course freely through Rome as no doubt many others had of which I could never discover any thing and this had remain'd unknown to me as well as the rest of like nature had it not been for the cordial kindnesse of this good Priest who gave it to me having by chance got it himself It was confirm'd to me that it came from F. Morel by M. the Archbishop ............ the Pope's Sacristan who was chosen out of the
but the same Jansenists were agreed with the Dominicans as to the main namely the Effectualness of Grace and its necessity to all good actions On the 13th I found F. Malgaires at the Ambassadors house he askt me whether I could lend him fot two or three hours the Book of S. Fulgentius which was newly publish'd by a Jesuite of Dyon I told the Father that instead of two hours I would lend it him for three days I askt him what news of F. Hilarion and what he said to our affairs He told me that F. Hilarion would not further open his sentiments in reference to the Propositions that he had given you seal'd up to the Pope two years ago next November and that he would speak no more thereof which I mention not in this place but as a new testimony in confirmation of what I said before of the manner how they were propos'd to the Pope and how the Divines consulted upon them delivered their judgements viz. at the same time that the false Censure of the Faculty was carried to Rome and the first President made a Truce between us and our Adversaries at their instigation for so much time as was requisite to let that false Censure have its full effect Tursday October 17. I had a second audience of the Pope in which I presented to him a Letter which the Bishop of Grasse now of Vince had written to him But before I relate the particularities of that audience I think it not impertinent to insert here some Letters which I received from Paris and which shew with what intentions my LL. the Bishops who interposed in this affair and we conjontly with them acted therein CHAP. XI Letters from Paris confirming the Resolution of the Bishops to do nothing but in a regular Congregation where Divines might argue on both sides I Received many at this time but all breathed the same spirit with these subjoin'd which I have selected not by way of preference before the rest but for that they have more connexion and correspondence to the matter which the Series of my Journal puts into my hands The first of those Letters is dated 14. July 1651. and contains these words Sir I send you by this Post the Letters which my LL. the Archbishop of Tholouze and the Bishop of Grass have written to the Pope You may please to present the same to his Holiness and use all imaginable endeavours with him to procure the effect with them and particularly in the point which ooncerns a Congregation like that which was erected in the time of Clement VIII and Paul V. I am charg'd to tell you that you must represent to his Holiness that those Propositions have been fram'd by the Adversaries of St. Augustine 's disciples on purpose to confound them and blemish the honour of that great Doctor of the Church or if you cannot have audience of his Holiness they intreat you at least to acquaint the Examinators that the Propositions are not in any Author that they were never advanced by the Disciples of St. Augustin that to this present the Disciples of Molina have not been able to verifie it nor ever will since in all their Writings which they have published to render the Propositions invented by themselves cdious they have said nothing that verifies it That the Pope ought not to deny the Disciples of St. Augustin the conference which they demanded in the Assembly of December 1. 1649. since the same is according to the Rules of the Church and to what hath been formerly done in presence of Popes and authorised by them That they are ready to depute for that conference as many Deputies as his Holiness shall please and that the said Deputy shall set forth by order of my LL. the Prelates who writ the Letters which you presented to the H. Father They are all prepar'd for the journey My Lords have also commanded me to desire you to represent in their names to our H. Father or to the Commissioners who examine that the judgement which they render upon the Propositions before the Parties be heard will serve only to augment the Disputes since the Propositions being capable of very different senses whereof one is Catholick and the other is not some will say that they are condemned only in the Heretical sense others will contest that they are condemned absolutely and so people will not know what to make of them which will cause great trouble to the Church and undoubtedly much diminish the respect which ought to be had for the authority of the H. See c. The second is of the same date written by one of the Deputies design'd to be join'd with me who speaks in the end of his Letter in these words In the mean time while you expect us use all possible endeavours that nothing be pronounced upon the Propositions But you see they will do it and there is no way to help it then you must endeavour to get three things done viz. that it be declared expresly 1. That they mean not to lay any blemish upon the Doctrine or Authority of St. Augustine which the H. Father requires to be reverenced by all the Faithful 2. That there is no purpose at all to impeach Effectual Grace by it self necessary to all good actions and to all the good motions of the Will which regard Salvation 3. That there is also no design to damn the Propositions according to the connexion which they have with the same Doctrine of Effectual Grace by it self necessary to all the good motions of the Will c. The third of those Letters is from the same person who writ the first to me as from the Bishops and in this which was writen on the 25. of August he spoke in these terms I received your Letter of the 31. of July on Sunday last I shew'd it to my Lords They gave mecharge to tell you that they are very glad to know what Cardinals they are to whom the Pope hath given Commission to view and examine the Five Propositions and they hope that as they are very just persons they will contribute all their Power that his Holiness may grant to the persons whom they shall send a Conference or Congregation de Auxiliis to defend the Catholick sense of the said Propositions against all those that mantain they are Heretical and worthy of the greatest Anathemaes My Lords expect that the proceeding will not be so quick in this affair which is the foundation of one of the greatest Contests that ever was in the Church c. The Deputies will set forth the next day after the Nativity of our Lady Their Commission imports That they confer not in secret about the Propositions but demand a publick Conference The Latin Writing which I send you hath been drawn according to the order which you gave me My Lords are porswaded that nothing can be more plain concise and nervous then that little Tract They are confident the Jesuites will
never be able to say any thing against it at least openly either in a publick regular conference or by Writing Indeed in secret it is certain they may speak all that they please but it cannot be legal or valid in the Judgement of any Court whatsoever My Lords have given me charge to tell you that they have no other design in their Letters and the Commission which they have given you but to preserve in the Church the Authority of the great St. Augustin and the Veneration that is due to his Doctrine which the Church hath made her own They do not consider this Doctrine because it hath been recited by the Bishop of Ipre they say it is considerable only upon the account of its being St. Augustines and that M. d' Ipre cannot pass for the Author of any opinion because he hath advanced nothing of himself but all that he hath said he drew out of that great source of light So that in this affair they have no regard at all to Jansenius but solely to St. Augustin The Bishops of Flanders may if they think fit send their Deputies to beseech the Pope to cause Jansenius to be examined thereby to take from his Adversaries the pretexts which they daily make use of to calumniate him by calumniating the Doctrine of his Book My Lords will never consider the Bull against Jansenius but as provisional and made only for a Political purpose For whatever the Jesuites say they will never make it believ'd that the sayd Bull importeth any thing else but a Prohibition and not a condemnation Those Fathers do all they can to make good what they say by the word damnat which is us'd in reference to the Doctrine of Bavis which the Pope is there made to say that he reneweth in his Book intitled Augustinus But there is no strength in this inference because if the Examiners of Jansenius 's Book had found manifestly that he renewed the Doctrine of Bavis undoubtedly they would not have suffered only the word Prohibit to be put in the same place where it is and not rather have put in that of damnat They would not have pronounced against it after the same manner as against the Thesis of the Jesuites There is no rational man but yields to all this and is of the same sentiment that I send you touching this Article My Lords much wonder that there are found persons whom God seemeth to have plac'd in his Church for the deciding of matters of Faith and regulating the manners of the Faithful who yet think 't is a persecution rais'd against the Jesuites to oppose them touching Sufficient Grace They say that such Grace is directly opposite to the faith of the Church that it wholly destroyes the belief of Original Sin and evacuateth the adorable value and victorious power of the death and cross of Jesus Christ that it the foundation of Libertinism and Impiety that it destroyes Prayer and Christian Humility and that it puts our Salvation in our own power c. How is it possible that Catholicks can finde what to blame in so lawful an opposition the want of which hath through a just judgement of God for reasons which we know not brought the doctrine of the Church at present into a lamentable condition and reduc'd the undaunted defenders of this faith to be worse treated then Hereticks It is very necessary that you press this point home All this hath no reference at all to Jansenius All my Lords which are here cannot brook the ill treatment us'd to the Houres since it apparently disparageth the Authority of the H. See and exposeth the same to the laughter of Hereticks But that which surpriseth them more is that the Jesuites whom they know very well to be the Authors of that blow given the Church instead of hiding their malice and temerity and hindring all speech of that affair do all they can to move the Archbishop of Paris to blast those Houres publickly To which purpose they employ'd the Nuntio too who solicited the said Lord for the reception of that Decree aend hath given him an extract of a Letter sent to himself from Rome containing the reasons for which the Houres were put in Indice Expurgatorio I send you the Copy of that Extract c. He writ so but the Extract was left behind upon his Table and he sent me word that all the prosecutions of the Jesuites and the Nuntio against the Houres could prevail nothing at all upon the Archbishop so that they were sold and esteemed no lesse after that Decree of Rome then before The fourth of these Letters which I mention here to represent more punctually the sentiments which people had at Paris touching the transactions at Rome in this matter was dated Septem 29. In which after earnest injunction by order of my said Lords to omit nothing in my power for the obtaining of the Congregation which they esteemed so necessary for the fitting discussion of the matter of the five Propositions it was prescrib'd me from them That in case the said Congregation were denyed and after long patience and continual solicitations sufficiently testifying the ardour of my zeal nothing were granted but a slight audience in which the points in Dispute could not be throughly examin'd I should no longer deliberate but declare that my Commission required that the parties might be heard in the manner that Clement VIII and Paul V. heretofore heard the Dominicans and the Jesuites in the solemn Congregation de Auxiliis which not being granted I had order to take leave and retire CHAP. XII An Audience of the Pope Octob. 17. A Letter of M. the Bishop of Grasse deliver'd to the Pope at that Audience I Told the Pope in the first place that I had sigfy'd to my Lords the Bishops whose Letters I had presented to him with how great gentlenesse towards me and esteem for them he had receiv'd the same and what assurance he had given me at that time that no decision should be made upon the Five Propositions before such things as they intended to represent by persons sent hither for that purpose had been well consider'd That the same Bishops were joyful to understand the order that he had given to some of the Cardinals to apply themselves particularly to the study of those matters to the end they might be of the Congregation which would be establisht to discuss them and that there were three Doctors upon the way coming to join with me to inform his Holinesse more largely then I could do alone of the importance of this Affair But I had scarce ended this speech when the Pope began to speak and told me that I ought to remember that he intimated two things to me which were not to be thought of one was the resuming of the Bull of Vrban VIII and the other entring into an examination of the matter de auxiliis That as for any thing else he had told me nothing should be done
University about some Bulls and Decrees of Popes pass'd upon surprise and without cognisance of the cause as also with that which some took to say that the Faculty had subscribed the condemnation of those Propositions because that the plurality of voices had resolv'd to intervene in the cause of the Irish before the Parliament in reference to Discipline though a great number of Doctors of the same Faculty had declar'd contrary to the plurality that they adher'd to what the University had done against the said Irish The Cardinal took all very well and assur'd me again that he would take very great care that there might be no surprise here and that truth might be the rule of all things I made a visite likewise to Cardinal Spada to acquaint him with the retardment of our Deputies to which he onely return'd these foure words as he rose up Questi viaggi sono longhi Those journeys are long The first visite which I made in November was to the Ambassador to waite upon him to Chappel on All Saints day The solemnity of the day did not hinder him from asking me as he came forth of his Chamber what newes of our deputies I told him the condition of their journey and he reply'd that he believ'd the Pope would let all those problematical things alone so long as he liv'd I answer'd the Ambassador that I feared so and that the Pope had signified very much of such an inclination in an audience which I had of his Holiness during a small journey which he the Ambassador made to Tivoli of which I should be glad to give him an account at his first convenience Whereupon the Ambassador reply'd that we must see one another in one of the next ensuing dayes In the afternoon after Vespers were ended I visited F. Mulard who read a Letter to me which he had receiv'd from M. Hallier the most remarkable thing that I perceived in it was that though two Doctors of the contrary party as he call'd it were set forth on their own accord to come to Rome neverthelesse They viz. who deputed F. Mullard did not think fit to send others I told F. Mulard that M. Hallier was mistaken in saying those two Doctors were set forth on their own accord He answer'd me that he had order to give out so upon all occasions and to advertise M. Albizzi thereof This discourse oblig'd me to make a visit on Friday morning to M. Albizzi I told him that I had acquainted him at my first arrival at Rome that the Bishops whose Letters I had presented to the Pope intended to send other Doctors to sollicit the effect thereof joyntly with my self and that those Doctors would arrive in the moneth of October That that moneth was past and the Doctors not yet arriv'd but to assure him thâ—… had not spoken it without being certain of wâ—at I said I was come to advertise him that I had a letter from Lyons of the 30th of that moneth by which it was signified to me that they were set forth to continue their journey to Rome That they had met with some obstruction in the way but I hoped they would neverthelesse be at Rome within a little-time M. Albizzi answer'd me roughly in these words Vengano o non vengano al mese d' Octobre di Novembre di Gennaro di Febraro questo non importa Let them come or not come either in October November January or February it matters not We never said continu'd he in Italian with the same air that we gave them till the moneth of October or November The H. See is not resolv'd to receive any party in an affair of doctrine as this is If they are minded to say any thing it will hear them if it think good tanquam aliquos e populo these were his words They have no charge to come hither they come of their own heads I interrupted him here to tell him that they did not come of their own heads but they were sent by the Bishops He reply'd that what I said was not true questo non è pur vero and that he was as well inform'd thereof as my self I answer'd him that whosoever had told him the contrary was a lyar è mendace He maintain'd that he knew it full well and that he had good intelligence for it I reply'd that whosoever gave it him deceiv'd him He answer'd What if it were the Nuntio I reply'd that if it were the Nuntio he had not said true he must needs have been ill inform'd Ho said he I warrant he would speak true Do you think that the Ministers of the H. See send false intelligence to it And do you think said I when I have in my hands a Procuration drawn in good form and the Nuntio saith I have not that I do not see and am certain that the Nuntio is mistaken But I said M. Albizzi will say that it is a false one And besides added he suppose they have a procuration from four Bishops what is that against fourscore I answer'd him that one alone was sufficient and that it was sutable to the order of the Church and the interest of the H. See to hear him and see what he had to say for the service of the Church and the H. See He reply'd that those Bishops and all of us as many as we were should do well to obey the Bulls and live in peace That as often as any went about to attempt any thing against the H. See there was mischief follow'd upon it That in France they had offer'd to find fault with many things that are practis'd at Rome that they talkt there of Reformation and that they had set up a Reform'd Religion I asked who had done all this He answer'd me Dio benedetto 't was God I reply'd that he said true because 't is said in Scripture Non est malum in civitate quod non fecerit Dominus but I askt him who had done it because I had never read nor heard anywhere that the Bishops of France had fail'd in any thing of duty towards the H. See He answer'd that there was nothing seen daily in France but enterprises against the H. See that nothing was heard spoken of but the Liberties of the Gallicane Church which were so many revolts against the Apostolical authority Qu' un tal Marca havesse fatto un libraccio il piu cattivo That a certain Marca had made a kind of book the most wicked that had been heard of a long time That indeed he since sung a palinodie palinodia and for that reason was made a Bishop That there came to Rome about four or five years ago one Bourgeois he meant M. Bourgeois with another nam'd Duchesne as the Deputies whom I expected would come hither upon their own private authority to have the face to maintain heresies But if he Albizzi could have been believ'd that Bourgeos sarebbe stato fatto priggione that Bourgeois should have been arrested
as for himself it was not necessary to speak to him di questa robba of those things but I must advertise M. Albizzi of them whose office it was to take care thereof I reply'd That I had inform'd M. Albizzi of the same but I was oblig d also to inform his Eminence thereof as I had likewise done the Pope himself As I was proceeding further the Cardinal made shew of going to rise up from his seat and therefore I was oblig'd to rise from mine which when I had done I told him that the Congregation whose Erection I came to sollicite conjointly with other Doctors that were shortly to arrive at Rome was very just and very important for Truth the Peace of the Church of France the Honour of the Holy See and the preservation of its authority The Cardinal answer'd that I must not doubt but the Pope would have all imaginable care of an affair of that quality In the afternoon I lighted upon a book at a Book-sellers Shop intitled Gemma sententiarum S. P. Augustini de Auxiliis selectarum ex omnibus tomis libris ipsius Patris Augustini a fratre Nicolao de Gracchis Romano Ordinis Eremitarum S. Augustin Mag. Doct. in S. T. J. V. Professor Ad sanctiss Dominum nostrum Vrbanum VIII P. M. Romae apud Andream Pheum MDCXXVI superiorum permissu I bought several of those Books though it was not of the most commendable for it self but because in the few sentences therein extracted in very few words out of S. Augustin there were a good number which suted with the Catholick sense of which the Propositions were capable and having been dedicated to Vrban VIII and printed with permission of superiours in the year 1626. and ever since publickly expos'd to sale in Rome till the year 1651. without any complaint having been made thereof there was great apparence that neither Clement VIII nor Paul V had impos'd perpetual silence upon the matter de auxiliis as the Pope and many besides him endeavoured to perswade me On Thursday morning I went to visit Cardinal Vrsin I shew'd him our Latin Manifesto and gave him an account how our inducement to procure the impression of it was to let the whole Church now the Catholick senses which we maintain'd in the matter of the five Propositions and which oblig'd us to endeavour to hinder their condemnation for fear those senses might be involv'd in the same and it might be extended and applyed thereunto by the very Contrivers of the said Philosophical Discourse which we had to this purpose the Cardinal acknowledg'd that the Jesuites had strangly corrupted Divinity and amongst other examples that he alledg'd thereof he mention'd two Jesuite Authors nam'd Pelissarius and Amicus who taught That one might kill a man that was ready to slander him though he were a Religious or Monk perhaps not by giving him a wound with a Sword or Pistol but by a way that seem'd to them more gentle and moderate namely by starving him per subtractionem ciborum He told me also that the Jesuites offer'd to undertake the defence of those Authors of their Society before the Congregation of the Index whereof he was a member but that they were condemned there At the end of this Conference he pray'd me when I should have any other Books Latin or Italian touching the matters which were the subject of our Contestations with those Fathers to lend the same to him to read On Sunday Novemb. 12. I was at a Divinity Act held at the Augustines who invited me thither There I saw answer and dispute well amongst others F. Alvarez a Fryer of the Order of the Dominicans and Professor in Divinity at la Minerve The names of others I do not remember On Tuesday November 14. I went to the Ambassadors whilst he was hearing Mass I had heard it before Cardinal Barberin arriv'd at the same time and I went with him into the Ambassadors Chamber expecting till Mass were ended but it was then but beginning The Discourse I had with the Cardinal in the interim was only concerning the Book of Frequent Communion and the purity wherewith it behoveth to approach that holy Table When the Ambassador came to us he saluted him very pleasantly threatning to tell F. Mulard that he had found him with me which signified that there needed no more to make his Eminence pass for a Jansenist in the opinion of that Cordelier I dined that day with the Ambassador who after many several discourses of Moral and Christian matters as well during Dinner as after told me that he lately saw in F. Mulards hands a Letter signed by M. Pereyret and many other Doctors touching the matters in contest This gave me occasion to reiterate to him the request which I had formerly made to him for a sight of M. Halliers whereof he had given me hope and also to beseech him to let me see this new one if he could assuring him that on my part I had nothing that I would keep secret but contrarily should be always ready to produce all to the publick light and particularly to such as might find themselves interested therein But I could never get a Copy or so much as a sight of those Letters either by this means or otherwise On Wednesday Novem. 15. afternoon I went to Cardinal Barberin I found F. Mulard coming out thence with a Letter and a written paper which he held in his hand I pray'd him to let me see that Paper he refused to do it but yet condescended so far as to open it It was very fairly written and contain'd four pages I cast my eye upon the Title and there read these words An sitâ— sopienda quae jam fervet Jansenistarum controversia imposito utrique parti silentio which was a sufficient Item to me having gotten a Copy of it afterwards that this man was made use of to distribute and impart here and there such kind of Writings which were works of darkness wholly fill'd with calumnies and falsities as well as that of F. Morel F. Mulard told me that he was going to carry that which he had in his hand to Cardinal Spada with intent after he had read it to bring it again to Cardinal Barberin I recovered that Writing afterwards as I shall relate in its due place but I shall here set down what I found it to contain The design of those who caus'd it to be dispers'd was to show that it behoved not to impose silence to the two parties but to condemn Jansenius They prov'd it 1. because said they Jansenius was already condemned by the Bull of Vrban which declares that he renews the Doctrine of Bavis It hath been seen in several places of this Journal even by the acknowledgement of Cardinal Barberin that there is nothing more false then this pretension the said Bull being but provisional 2. Because if Silence were impos'd it would be no longer lawfull to say that the Commandements are
veneration of that glorious Doctor I say the scourge of Hereticks by whose mouth and pen during twenty years of his life the Church triumphed over its enemies and still triumphs after his death so that while the saving and victorious grace of Jesus Christ is in question the cause is not only S. Augustin's but that of the Church Now most H. F. whereas the summe of the difficulties which arise in this cause is principally to know what is the sense of S. Augustin undoubtedly nothing is so necessary in the Church as the discussion and judgement of that true sense since if your Holinesse should suffer people to continue to expound it in several manners the authority and doctrine of that great Father so often approved and commended by the Church and by the supreme Pontifs Innocent Zozimus Boniface Celestin Sixtus Leo Gelasius Hormisdas Felix John Gregory Clement Paul and others would receive a mortal wound be shatter'd and made to jarre with it self and become expos'd hy means of fallacious Propositions to the Censure of those who have seen hitherto that it was an attempt equally rash and unprofitable to impugne the same under the name of S. Augustin which your Holinesse easily judges would be the most prejudicial thing in the world the most injurious to the supreme Pontifs the most offensive in reference to the Holy Doctor of Grace and the most destructive to holy and sacred Tradition Your prudence and your goodnesse therefore most H. F. will be pleas'd to grant in behalf of the grace of Jesus Christ that favour to the Bishops which they request that quiet to the Faithfull which they wish and that comfort to good men which they desire and to our most humble supplications the accomplishment of our hope that by this means the Faith may be cleared Truth establisht Christian Vnity strengthned sacred Tradition preserv'd the honour of the Church maintain'd in the maintaining of the authority of S. Augustin and that all may conspire to the upholding of the Majesty and Soveraignty of the H. See and the Roman Church from whence as from a plenteous fountain flow the streams which water other Churches as that Pope sometimes said who first bore the name which your Holinesse doth And lastly that by these so important reasons the Church may have the comfort to see your Holinesse happily accomplish what that H. Pope begun and that what God did in Innocent I. by his grace and for his grace he may do the same in Innocent X. and that it may be a part of the glory which by committing to you the guard of his divine flock he hath reserv'd to your Holinesse to whom we in the quality of true sonnes of the Church Priests Doctors and Deputies of our LL. the Bishops of France wish at this beginning of the year an accomplish'd felicity and for whose health and prosperity we daily offer our Sacrifices to his Divine Majesty M. Brousse pronounc'd this discourse very deliberately and pathetically according to his usual way and quickned it with as much vigour as the modesty and the submission befitting one that speaks to the Pope and the place so little distant from him and so private wherein we were could permit The Pope heard him with great gravity and attention and when he had ended the Pope answer'd in Italian and made a discourse of about the same length with this of M. Brousse The substance which we could recollect of the Popes answer was not much different from what he had said to me in the two other audiences which he gave me alone He told us that he would not have us speak of Jansenius at all Non voglio che sia fatta mentione di Jansenio in nissuna maniera Those were his words That when his book first came forth what in it concern'd this affair was diligently examin'd That after such examination it was thought meet to make the Bull of Vrban VIII which was publisht upon this occasion and by which the reading of Jansenius's book and the Theses of the Jesuites which treated of this matter was prohibited that as to the publication and execution of that Bull sundry difficulties were made but they were never sound of moment enough to hinder the execution of the same Thar the prohibitions made formerly by the Popes to write and dispute of those matters de Auxiliis were not made without great necessity and cognizance of the cause That Clement VIII and Paul V. his Predecessors after they had taken very much pains and spent much time and study upon this subject and after they had assembled the most able Divines who likewise labour'd very much in it at length all they could do was to impose a perpetual silence in these matters upon the Divines of both sides That the best course was to keep to that and not renew at this day those old disputes which could not be terminated in those times and consequently not to speak of establishing a new Congregation de Auxiliis That as for the doctrine of S. Augustin there was no scruple but it ought to be follow'd and embrac'd in the Church as it had been in all times in singular esteem and veneration but the question was who were they that truly embrac'd it That when the Deputies of the Faculty of Lovain came to Rome to defend the book of Jansenius they said the same things that we do of the doctrine of S. Augustin and the authority it ought to have in the Church That it was to that alone which they adher'd and that Jansenius adher'd to the same but after his book had been examin'd and compar'd with the doctrine of S. Augustine they who were employ'd therein at that time found that Jansenius held Propositions very different from the sentiments of S. Augustin That all the world pleaded that authority and doctrine and every one drew it to his own side but it could not favour all That every one construed it as he was inclin'd and understood it after his own way but it behooved not to stick so close to things and words but to consider with what exaggeration and Hyperbole S. Augustin and other Holy Fathers of the Church may have spoken in some cases as also not to rely and build upon what they may have sometimes said in the heat and vehemence of discourse as upon the words of Scripture The Pope in speaking all this extended it more to other Fathers then to S. Augustin and took his rise from what had been done by others to tell us that the same might also have been done by S. Augustin but indeed he spoke it with much hesitancy and rather to make the answers and objections to us which possibly had been suggested to him by M. Albizzi or others imbu'd with the Jesuits principles then as being himself perswaded thereof Wherefore his discourse leaving sufficient room for a reply M. Brousse told the Pope in Italian as the Letter relateth which he writ the next day
take cognizance in a Council of the Questions upon which they desire a Judgement from the Pope and if the Doctors should desire them that they would hear them first and consider their Reasons and Remonstrances upon the matters to be decided they would grant them that favour and appoint the Divines to appear that so they might hear what they had to say from whence we concluded that in demanding his Holiness's Judgement they could not but approve that he should first hear the parties who presented themselves according to your request We shall endeavour my Lords to contribute what lies in us to the advancing of so important an affair protesting to your Lordships that in imitating your zeal and following your orders we aim at nothing in this Controversie besides the clearing of truth in one of the principal mysteries of Faith and Christian Piety besides the peace of the Church and the defence of S. Austin 's Authority and Doctrine which hath always been in so great Veneration in all the Church of France which found its first Defenders there in S. Prosper and S. Hilary which being afterwards impugned hath been maintained by Caesarius Archbishop of Arles and by all the Fathers of the Council of Orange by Avitus Archbishop of Vienne and by all the Holy Fathers who liv'd at that time in fine which hath had for its Protectors in the nineth Age the SS Remigius Florius Prudentius and so many other Saints and in general all the Fathers of the Councils of Valence Langres and Toul assembled from the greatest part of the Provinces of France We read in S. Prudentius Bishop of Troy who was so famous in his Generation for Learning and Piety one of the fairest testimonies of all Antiquity for the Authority of S. Austin's Doctrine touching the matter of Grace wherein that H. Prelate seems to address to all the Bishops of France at this day what he then writ to Hincmarus and Pardulus Hoc primum saith that H. Father praecipuéque vestram sinceritatem monens postulans ut doctrinam Beatissimi Patris Augustini omnium absque ulla dubietate undequaque doctissimi Sanctarum Scripturarum autoritati in omnibus concordissimam quippe nullus Doctorum abstrusa earum scrupulosiùs rimatus diligentiùs exquisierit veriùs invenerit veraciùs protulerit luculentiùs enodaverit fideliùs tenuerit robustiùs defenderit fusiùs disseminaverit vestri Pontificatus tempore commento quolibet impugnari non permittatis quando tanto coelestis gratiae munere donata existit ut nullo cujusquam conamine ullatenùs evelli possit cùm eam Apostolicae sedis sublimitas totius Ecclesiae Catholicae unitas auctoritate concordissimâ approbarint ac roborarint adeo ut nullus ei singulariter verum Vniversitati Ecclesiae Catholicae cum ea in ea queat anniti Si enim adversam fidei Orthodoxae in quoquā conspiceret nequaquam eam Romanae Ecclesiae Antistes Venerabilis Innocentius cum totius Orbis Episcopis suscepisset neque praedictum Patrem memorabilem suarum Epistolarum communiter privatimque officiis affecisset neque successor ejus Zozimus eodem tramite concurrisset neque Bonifacius ejusdem Apostolicae sedis Praesul Epistolas Pelagianorum sibi delatas ei ad respondendum misisset aut responsionem ejus quatuor libris editam probabiliter atque honorabiliter suscepisset Coelestinus quoque memoratae Urbis Episcopus quid contra Gallorum insaniam super eo ejusque doctrina senserit ex auctoritate Apostolica Decretorum suorum scita declarant Can it be doubted then my Lords but the H. See will in its Judgement upon the five Propositions concerning Grace confirm the Authority and follow the doctrine of great S. Austin approv'd and receiv'd by all the Popes that have spoken of it and which we find at this day at Rome in general esteem and most high Veneration Ought we not to pray to God that Innocent the Tenth may at this time happily terminate what Innocent the First so well began touching the Authority and Doctrine of the same S. Austin and ought we not my Lords to hope that all the Faithful who shall understand that things are preparing thereunto by the establishment of a Congregation will with a spirit of truth submission and peace await the Oracle of the H. See and that the troubles excited amongst them about those Questions will be calmed by degrees to the edification of the Church for the good and honour whereof we beseech God to preserve your Lordships with all the respect and esteem which we ought to have for your Sacred Persons My Lords Your Lordships most humble and most obedient Servants De Latane Abbot of Valcroissant De Saint-Amour Angran Rome July 15. 1652. On Tuesday the 16th I had occasion to go to our Printer and as I return'd I went to F. Guerin whom M. Hallier and his Collegues had visited that very morning Among other things M. Joysel had complain'd to him that I reported them to be the Emissaries of the Jesuites I never had such a thought themselves had done it more then I but I would fain know what they were else considering the confederacy and perpetual correspondence they had with those Fathers of which I had at my departure from this visit a fair proof from the Bishop of Bethleem who came the same morning to see us for he told us he had visited those Gentlemen before his coming to us and found them all three with three Jesuites at their lodging laying their heads together But to go on with what F. Guerin inform'd me he told me M. Hallier had said to him all would have been as well as possible could be if we would have forborn as himself did to drive the Jesuites upon the matter of Moral Theology That it was highly advantagious to himself towards the justification of his present actings that he had formerly been the sworn Enemy of those Fathers That speaking of M. Arnauld he said he had taken the liberty to set forth divers Positions in his book of Frequent Communion whereof he was afterwards oblig'd to make explications of which he gave two instances First That Satisfaction is necessary before Absolution And secondly That Priests have power as well to bind sinners as to loose them Now to judge what reason M. Hallier had to make these complaints it is good to observe here by the way that M. Arnauld never thought of the first and the second is very true Quorum remiseritis peccata remittuntur eis quorum retinueritis retenta sunt in the Gospel of S. John Chap. 20. v. 23. F. Mariana din'd this day with us He told us M. Hallier complain'd that he found many Jansenists at Rome so he call'd all such as gave not a blind belief to his discourses and had a sound and serious respect for S. Augustin's Doctrine and truly all Rome was full of this sort of Jansenists This afternoon we went to the Palaces of the Cardinals Spada Ginetti and Cechini to
put the case of things as well as you can desire and in better than there is hopes of seeing them For leaving you to find Persons capable to propose manifest and maintain the truth befittingly in a regular Conference I think you will not be backward to confesse that there is not the least likelyhood of finding Judges sufficiently intelligent in these matters sufficiently well affected to Truth and sufficiently proof against all sorts of interests to pronounce in its favour when they have discover'd it And if they were truly such undoubtedly one of the Parties would except against them or elude and prevent their Judgement These matters have been agitated examin'd and determin'd too in in abundance of the most important questions and difficulties by the authority and oft time in the presence of two great Popes very learned and of upright intentions And you know what hath been the issue of those Conferences which lasted many years You are far from seeing your affairs in so fair a way and if you promise your self a better issue thereof I attribute it to your zeal and the affection you have for the cause you manage which makes you build too much and ground the hopes of your justly desired successe upon the good reception that hath been shewn you and the fair words and promises which are given you Yov will permit me to mind you that that coyne is very current in the world and more in the place where you are than in any other 't is that wherewith all payment is ordinarily made and many times where there is least will and power to give the promises are largest VVe have a very fresh example hereof and in the same affair that you are solliciting at present in M. Sinnic and M. Bourgeois who prosecuted the same before you All the world knows how they were receiv'd well heard courteously how they had sundry audiences of the Pope who receiv'd their requests and remonstrances by word of mouth and by writing who gave them good words and made them still hope from his Holinesse all that could be hop'd from a common Father of all the Faithfull M. Sinnic was invited and treated magnificently by Cardinal Barberin who made him the goodliest promises in the world at what time in all probability the design of remanding him home was already projected and accordingly was effected shortly after All the Proposals of accommodation made to you touching the B. of Ipre's book the Doctrine it contains and the Bull that hath been made to fulminate against it seem to me as suspitious as the promises that are given you and are of much more dangerous consequence You know Sir by experience in some general and particular Assemblies of the Faculty in which you were present how all people easily hearken to such accommodations how it is easie to be inveigled to remit something of the interest of truth in such cases either by surprize or by weakness cover'd with the pretext of peace and how such accommodations and modifications are prejudicial to the truth These are wounds which prove afterwards irremediable because they are made by those who profess to defend it and in this they injure it more then they who openly impugne it and are its greatest Enemies I confesse to you I could never read without pity and I speak it too without any indignation the Objections and Proposals made to you about the B. of Ipre's book and the Bull and that which most amazes me is that they who made those Objections and Proposals pass for persons very intelligent and well-affected towards the truths of Grace For to reply that M. d' Ipre intending to justifie some Propositions of S. Augustin's found among those of Balus which have been condemned and desirous to reconcile the Authority of the H. See and of the Bull which seems to condemn them saith Haereo 't is but to quarrel with that great Lover and Defender of S. Augustin and Indict him for a word and for a word very well spoken and which shews his great moderation amidst his great knowledge and the incomparable zeal he had for the truth How frequently doth S. Augustin use the same manner of speech or like it in his works when he meets with some difficulty even against the most important mysteries and certain principles of Faith How often hath he remain'd in such dubitation while he enquires the manner and way how original sin is contracted not to mention abundance of other difficulties in which he scruples not to declare his perplexities and his modesty goes sometimes so far as to acknowledge and confess his ignorance in certain cases If it be demanded how the Eternal Father begets his Son how Jesus Christ gives us his Body in the Eucharist how that Body can be the Life and Food of our Souls If abundance of other questions be put touching our Mystery touching the Articles of Faith touching the difficult places of Scripture to reconcile passages together which seem contrary one to another who is there of the Doctors Antient and Modern that continuing firm in what the Faith teacheth us concerning those Questions not only saith not as M. d' Ipre Haereo but confesseth not that he cannot render a true reason of what he believes and remains all his life in that ignorance And shall it then be taken ill that in a very difficult and intricate Question or Fact in which some unskilful or ill-meaning persons have gone about to set the Authority of the Pope against that of S. Augustin pretending to subject some Propositions of this Doctor of the Church to the censure of the H. See M. d' Ipre who hath labour'd with as much and more diligence and fidelity then any one whatever upon this point upholding S. Augustin's Doctrine without injuring the authority and respect which is due to the H. See should say at the first view of this affair so intricate and so difficult to disintangle Haereo They who frame these complaints against that great Prelate and they who wonder and suffer themselves to be over-aw'd when they hear them shew they have no great understanding in the Doctrine of the Church and S. Augustin nor much stedfastness in what they know thereof And though they cover their accusations with the Authority of the H. See yet I can tell you with assurance that they have not or at least their proceedings argue not so much zeal nor so pure and disinteressed respect for the Head of the Church or the Church it self as M. d' Ipre hath had and testifi'd in sundry important occasions both by his actions and by his writings Other particulars wherewith he is charg'd flow from the same Fountain and are no less unjust then groundless If he hath written concerning the matters of Grace since a prohibition of the H. See he is not the only man that hath done so but 't is he alone that hath written in that manner that he hath done having only reported the
of the same year 1649. the false Censure which they publisht throughout all France and sent to Rome under the name of the Deputies of the Faculty what was done in the Parliament October 5. which we intimated rather then set forth at large and concerning the patcht Peace which was made in the Faculty in December The Theses which M. Hallier sign'd as Syndic in which the first and third Proposition in the sense wherein we held them were maintain'd in Sorbonne with his approbation Jan. 1650. The Letter which M. de Vabres procur'd to be subscrib'd by a multitude of Bishops the Subscriptions beg'd here and there in all Societies what was done upon this occasion in the affair of the Irish the false deputation of F. Mulard and other things done at Rome from the time of our arrival till July 11. 1652. when the Cardinal Roma gave us notice of the Congregation One thing also we observ'd in this writing which I have not so expresly related above namely that all these enterprizes were design'd to procure by such scandalous and oblique ways the destruction of S. Augustin's Doctrine which they veil'd under the obscurities of these equivocal Propositions contriv'd purposely to deceive Wherefore we concluded this writing requesting most humbly that to the end all things might be done in this affair without fraud and confusion before the examination of the Propositions were proceeded to they might be alter'd and reduc'd into the several senses whereof they were capable in such sort that they might be free from all equivocation and that the Catholick sense which they contain'd and we alone held might be distinguisht clearly and plainly from the erroneous sense in which they may be understood all that I relate of this Conclusion is nothing but a faithful Translation that the senses being thus distinguisht and separated into several Propositions we might declare which were those which abhorr'd anathematiz'd and had always anathematiz'd with S. Augustin the Council of Trent and the whole Catholick Church That our Adversaries might be also oblig'd to keep the same course and govern themselves in such sort as to what they should argue and write against us that there might be no question between them and us of the senses which we had once condemn'd and declar'd that we acknowledg'd false but only of those according to which we maintained the Propositions to be Catholick and pertaining to the Faith of the Church by which means the dispute between them and us would be clearer and shorter and all ambiguity and fallacious subtilty being retrencht it would be more easie and safe to pass Judgement upon them We declar'd further by anticipation that we purposed not to maintain the Propositions in any other sense then in that which we should demonstrate to be suitable to S. Austin 's Doctrine Could any offers in the world be more equitable and Christian and could the same be refused by such as had the least sentiments of charity either Christian or Civil But to follow my Translation we added that being the whole authority of S. Austin's Doctrine was founded only upoÌ„ the testimonies given to it by the Supreme Pontifs and the whole Church and therefore ought rather to be styled and accounted the Dâ—…ctrine of the Supreme Pontifs and the whole Church than S. Austin 's 〈◊〉 the end 〈…〉 remain safe and intire in the Church as it 〈…〉 been and secur'd from all impeachment in reference to those who dar'd to lift themselves up against it to the end also to establish between our Adversaries and us a principal and certain rule of all the 〈◊〉 which 〈◊〉 should have both by speech and writing 〈◊〉 the Propositions such as had been lately establisht by Clement VIII and Paul V. Lastly to give our Adversaries place to clear themselves if they thought good of the reproach charg'd upon them by us of having attempted to destroy it We summon'd them to declare by an authentick Writing that they acknowledg'd for true and indubitable as we maintain'd they were the Propositions following I. That any Doctrine Proposition or Opinion touching the matter of Grace Free-will or Divine Predestination which shall be found to be S. Augustin's or necessarily or evidently coherent with his Doctrine cannot in any wise be condemn'd either of Heresie or Error or with any other kind of Censure whatsoever II. That never any Doctrine or opinion of S. Augustine hath been condemn'd of Error by any Popes or approved Councils III. That the Council of Trent hath not defined or taught any thing that is contrary in any sort to S. Augustin's doctrine touching Grace IV. That all that S. Augustin hath held against the Pelagians and Semipelagians as a certain and Catholick Doctrine ought likewise to be held for such as likewise nothing ought to be held which is contrary to that Doctrine V. That to affirm that S. Augustin's Doctrine touching Grace is uncertain contrary to its self exorbitant obscure harsh unworthy of the Clemency of God little suitable for edification of the Faithfull or any thing else of that kind is injurious to Popes Councils Saints and generally to the whole Catholick Church VI. That presupposing the H. Scriptures and the Definitions of Popes and Councils the Doctrine of S. Augustine touching Grace is a most clear and certain rule by which the Propositions in question and all other generally whatever concerning Grace Free-will and Divine Predestination may be examin'd with certainty and also by right ought so to be These six Propositions we demanded that our Adversaries might be oblig'd to acknowledge together with us for true and indubitable and to let them and our Congregation know that we made not this Demand without reason but for the clear and plain stating of Principles upon which both sides were to build and proceed we presented to them the second Writing which as I said above was the First Information concerning matter of Right and was thus intituled The Tradition of the whole Church in reference to the Authority of S. Augustin 's Doctrine This second Writing was larger than the first and contain'd eminent Testimonies touching this matter of more than twenty Popes of as many General Councils National or Provincial and of above sixty either Saints Fathers of the Church or illustrious men or Divines or Religious Orders or famous Universities who during the space of twelve Ages had approved and commended this Heavenly Doctrine as well in the Greek Church as in the Latin And we answered also in the said Writing to all the Objections that the Jesuites are wont to make against the Authority of that H. Doctor And because we are advertis'd that when Writings presented at Rome to Congregations hapned to be somewhat long the custome was sometimes to draw Summaries or Abridgements of them for the ease of such as were to read them and that either to give them beforehand a Model of all the Contents of such presented Writing or to help them to recollect the
shock for him because besides that he saw his eldest son whom he had by his first wife depriv'd of his imployment he had several others of an age which required providing for by his second wife Wherefore when he receiv'd the news of this disgrace he complain'd at first very high in the Popes Presence-Chamber but some of his friends minding him not to shew any resentment as well in respect of the Pope as not to injure his Children further and for the consideration of his reputation in regard of the Publick and particularly of his Envyers who would be the more joyful for his sensibility he alter'd his Note and fell to say that the Pope was Master of his own places which it was not expedient to leave always in the same hands that his Son was yet young enough and that indeed no other reason ought to be inquir'd of what was done then the pleasure of him who did it VVednesday the 15. I went in the afternoon to see some book in the Library of Car. Barberin but finding no body there I went to the Ambassador whom I accompani'd in a Visit which he was going to make being returned from which he took me into his Chamber to discourse about the state of our Affair I told him we could not recede from the demand we made in the beginning for a Conference and reciprocal Communication of writings with our Adversaries for the reason whereof I alledg'd the importance of preserving in the Church that custome and liberty because it was ever judg'd the most facile and sure recourse of those who defended the faith against the errors of its opposers which I confirm'd by the example of S. Hilary the History of whom he had read the day preceding in his Breviary The Ambassador was mov'd with it but attempted to find some difference between that case and ours because S. Hilary made that offer and demand before the Emperor who was not instructed in those matters and could not judge of them and that we were before the Pope who had authority to judge of them and whom we ought to presuppose instructed in those things were there nothing but the light and assistance which he receiv'd from the H. Spirit I answer'd the Ambassador that the difference of these circumstances was nothing to the substance of the example which I brought because it was only to let him see that the confidence wherewith a single man well instructed in the verity of the Faith demanded to confer publickly with an Army of its Opposers suffic'd to maintain it and confound them But to take away the foundation of this difference I produc'd to him the example of the Council of Trent which though it had no less authority to judge nor light then the Pope and though the assistance of the H. Spirit was no less promised to it then to the Pope yet conceiv'd a Conference between the opposite parties about a matter to be so useful and proper for clearing it that it always practis'd it before it pass'd decrees Then I proceeded to the reasons which render'd it more necessary and shew'd that it was much more due to the suit which we made for it both in our names and in those of the Bishops who sent us being of a Degree in the Church considerable enough to oblige the Pope not to deny what they demanded with so great instance and respect since had they appointed it themselves in their own Diocesses they had Authority so to do We discours'd long about this point and at last coming to speak of the Concernment which the King took in this business I represented to the Ambassador that it was not his Majesties interest to have a huddled Decree made at Rome which might excite trouble in the Church and his Kingdom and give him a pretext to persecute his Subjects who though render'd suspected were most affectionate to him but that his true interest was to procure the passing of one against which there might lie no cause of blame according to the accustomed forms of Ecclesiastical judgements and which might produce Peace amongst Divines by a solid clearing of the Truth That I conceiv'd also that the King ought to beware of rendring himself so easily the Minister of a Decree obtain'd by surprise of which the Obtainers might make use for the oppressing of the Truth and its Defenders because though the Calumnies disperst of them at the Court and the false Impressions given of them to their Majesties had inclin'd them to look upon those people as the Object of their Aversion yet other occasions might come to pass in which Decrees might be made not so agreeable and advantageous to the service and contentment of their Majesties as this appear'd to them and to the execution whereof it would be pretended at Rome that they were no less oblig'd and whereunto perhaps they would be necessitated by extraordinary ways of which there were but too many examples The Ambassador told me that most of the world held all this affair to be nothing on our side but a Cabal I answer'd that this might indeed be said of us as it might have been of S. Hilary and those twelve or fourteen Bishops who retir'd half a days Journey from Rimini to a little Town which at this day bears the name of la Catolica the Catholick after so great a number of other Bishops had subscrib'd a Confession of Faith which destroy'd the Faith of the Church and that if the H. See came to pass a judgement in our favour as I doubted not it would if it examin'd things and decided them it would be manifested that it was no Cabal The Ambassador reply'd that there was a suspition of us at Court and that it was believ'd that we only sought protractions to the end that while the affair remain'd undecided the number of our Partisans might still increase and our party be strengthned Hereupon I laid open to the Ambassador as well as I could our sincere Intentions and particular interests that things were handled and dispatcht the most speedily that could be Yet I told him there was this difference between our Adversaries and us that they desir'd to hasten the Decision for the confounding of all things by precipitating them under the pretext of the blame which they charg'd upon us of seeking to retard them but for our parts we were so desirous to promote them in such manner that the speed used therein might not hinder their being examin'd with convenient leisure and attention I likewise told the Ambassador the whole contents of our two Memorials of which there was nothing but he judg'd reasonable I spoke in general of the notorious falshood I had observ'd in the Writings M. Hallier presented to the Consultors touching Pelagius's Confession of Faith which he cited knowingly as a work of S. Augustin or at least relying upon the honesty of the Jesuites from whom he receiv'd and presented them without troubling himself so much as to
H. See since we accounted it a visible effect of the divine vigilance that it pleas'd God to inspire the Bishops of France with the thought and care to advertise his Holinesse of the conspiracy which was made against the Doctrine of S. Augustin and the Church which we undertook to justify before his Holinesse in presence of our adversaries by unreproachable witnesses and invincible proofs That if it pleased his Holinesse to bring it to the tryall we hop'd he should understand our sincerity and their foule dealing that this might be known by the sole reading of the sixty passages of S. Augustin which they produc'd against the first Proposition whereof there was not one but was a proof either of their ignorance or unfaithfulness some being alledg'd impertinently others misconstructed and some mutilated and corrupted as we were ready to demonstrate in presence of our Adversaries and to convince them thereof before the H. See You alwayes suppose said the Pope that you have adversaries to encounter 't is not so The other Doctors who are here to have judgement upon the five Propositions call not themselves your parties nor desire to be heard contradictorily We answer'd they must needs be our parties because they produce objections against the Doctrin which we maintain to be Catholick But besides your Holinesse will give us leave to say that we account all such our Adversaries and parties who impugne S. Augustin's authority and Doctrin Now these are visibly impugn'd and that by the Doctors who forg'd the five Propositions by those who prosecute their Censure with them but principally by the Jesuites whose books printed with the approbation of superiors and publick declamations tend utterly to ruine the Establisht authority and Orthodox Doctrin of that great Saint 'T is no wonder if our adversaries demand not of your Holinesse to be heard contradictorily in presence of S. Augustin's disciples they fear to be convinc'd of subverting a Doctrin whose defenders have so often found a sanctuary in the H. See which hath Canonis'd it by its Decrees Hence it is than employ at this day all their artifices and intrigues to keep your Holinesse from obliging them to defend themselves before you from the just accusations which we have to charge upon them and their pernicious Doctrin But reply'd the H. F. there 's no need of entring into disputation with those you call your parties 't is no Law-Processe that is in debate but the determining of Propositions This suffices to produce peace to the Church and we hope the Contests rais'd about these five will cease as soon as the H. See shall have spoken as it hapened in the Controvesie touching the authority of S. Peter and S. Paul Should I appoint such a conference as you ask disputes would be infinite Divines would come here from all parts I will speedily end this business without noise After using all the diligences I think necessary to understand it throughly 't is not to be doubted but the H. Ghost will communicate such light to me as I shall need to judge thereof according to truth Here we took the Liberty to say We most humbly beseech your Holinesse to adde one diligence to all those which you have us'd namely the establishment of a a solemn Congregation wherein the important truths in question may be clear'd and confirm'd The Orthodox doctrin of S. Augustin is at this day in contest our adversaries imagine the same by the bad sense which they put upon the five Propositions whose Censure they presse and sollicite to the end to disparage by the conseqences which they shall draw from thence the authority Catholick sentiments of that H. Doctor of grace We have many things to represent to your Holiness against our Adversaries both matters of fact and upon the several senses of the Propositions This cannot be well done but in their presence when they may contradict us and reflect the falshood if we alledge any and we also make good exactly and without exception all that we have to produce against them We shall shew in that Congregation that the belief of the Jesuites touching the five Propositions tends to overthrow the foundations of Christian Religion The demand which we reiterate to your Holiness in the name of our L. L. the Bishops to be heard contradictorily is legal conformable to the practice of the Church authoriz'd by the H. Fathers and allow'd by the Predecessors of your Holinesse What will the Faithful say when they see the H. Father deny the Sons of the Church all S. Augustin's disciples a thing most just not wont to be deny'd to any person not even to Hereticks And what will Posterity say when it shall know that Bishops of France could not obtain of the H. See after long and urgent sollicitations that which ordinary Priests have obtain'd without difficulty The Pope answer'd that all these considerations had been represented to him already that 't was to no purpose to repeat the same things that 't was our part onely to consider whether we would be heard before him without our adversaries and without disputes or no that in case we would he offer'd to receive our writings and hear us with patience and benignity as much as we pleas'd quanto vorrete We reply'd again that we were loath to be importune to his Holinesse but the affair committed to us being of extream importance oblig'd us to reiterate our most humble instances for obtaining a means which we conceiv'd necessary for the right treating of it In fine perceiving the Pope press'd us to answer precisely we thought it our duty to say to him H. Father we desire withall our hearts and most humbly demand the audiences which your Holinesse offers us but we demand them alwaies with the just and legal conditions which we have expressed and which are imported by our Commission the limits whereof we may not exceed Whereupon finding our H. Father not disposed to grant us a conference and that neverthelesse he pressed us to appear before him to represent the things whereof we desir'd to informe him we insisted no further but pray'd him to permit us to report to our Collegues what it pleas'd his Holiness to propose to us to the end we might all together testifie the submission and respect which had for his Orders In this disposition my Lords we left his Holinesse The same Evening we had certain notice of the draught of a Bull upon the five Propositions we know not whether it be to condemn them in general or in particular or whether it be onely to deprive the parties of Liberty to dispute of them by imposing silence to both yet 't is most likely to be for condemning them in some manner However it be all consider'd we have conceiv'd my Lords that we are oblig'd to appear before the Pope when it should please his Holinesse to send for us and hear us in presence of our adversaries In the first place to the end to
to be accounted as our Judges we enter'd into the second Antichamber with them and sate down by them Here we stay'd near half an houre expecting the comming of the Cardinals and in the mean time doubting whether at our introduction to the Pope we should go to kisse his feet because we knew not in what posture we might find him I proposed doubt to a Chambelain of honor who could not absolutely resolve it but intimated that if we had done it when we saluted the Pope first he did not judge it necessary in this case neverthelesse so further satisfaction he refer'd me to the Maistre de Chambre and he to M. Albizzi But having no mind to consult the latter about any thing we resolv'd to do as we should see expedient A little while after the coming of the Cardinals the Consultors were call'd and enter'd one after another according to their Seniority Soon after we were call'd and advertis'd to leave our Hats behind us We found the Assembly in this order being in the secret Antichamber which is but a narrow place The Pope sat in a Chair like that in which he usually gives audience but so plac'd towards the door that at our entrance his Holiness's face was directly upon us at the distance of about ten paces One pace distant from his Holiness's Chair were on each side two Benches with backs of carved and painted wood capable of three persons In the midst a Turquy Carpet was spread upon the floor and at a little distance from thence was a Table at which M. Albizzi who otherwise stood kneel'd down to write when he pleas'd The four Cardinals sat upon the Benches with their Caps on Cardinal Spada sat first on the Pope's right hand Cardinal Ginetti next to him on the same side Cardinal Ghiggi on the other side right over Cardinal Spada and Cardinal Pamphilio opposite to Cardinal Ginetti But their order was as in a Circle beginning from the Pope's right hand Cardinal Spada being the first Cardinal Ginetti the second Cardinal Pamphilio the third and Cardinal Ghiggi the fourth The same order was observ'd among the Consultors They stood all successively according to their degrees beginning from the Pope's right hand round to his left and F. Tartaglia who was the last in degree stood nearest his Holinesse's left hand The square made by the benches and persons thus dispos'd was open on the side of the door right against the Pope and was just large enough to receive my Collegues and me all five in a row The Abbot of Valcroissant stood in the middle of us in a direct line to the Pope F. Des-mares on his right hand I on his left M. Manessier on the right hand of F. Des-mares and M. Angran on my left Being thus rank'd at the edge of the Foot-Carpet we all made a Genuflexion and at the same instant the Pope made a signe with his hand to us to rise up and spoke this word to us Proponele say what ye have to say The Abbot of Valcroissant having taken breath when he began his Oration made another genuflexion as he pronounc'd Beatissime Pater and we all with him We rose up immediately and he continu'd his Oration gravely and deliberately and animated it in a very sprightly and agreeable manner I subjoin here a most faithful and exact translation of it An Oration pronounc'd before the Pope by the Abbot of Valcroissant MOST HOLY FATHER THere is nothing more reasonable and just as Possessor an African Bishop sometimes said to Pope Hormisdas then to have recourse to the Head when the members are sick to the end to draw from it the strength which they need in their languishment For who can have more care of the soules which are subjected to him or from whom can greater support be expected to confirm the tottering Faith then from his successor who having first sat upon the Apostolical Thrones heard Jesus Christ himself say to him with his own mouth Thou art Peter and upon this Rock I will build my Church We are oblig'd M. H. F. to represent to Your Holinesse by how many Artifices and secret Ambushes some persons employ certain obscure equivocal and maliciously contriv'd Propositions to undermine the Church at this day by assaulting and endangering the doctrine of S. Augustin touching the Grace of Jesus Christ so often approv'd by the H. See and authoris'd without discontinuance by the universal consent of the whole Church Upon which we shall speak M. H. F. with the now assurance and confidence for that we speak before the H. Apostolick See and before the Roman Church which being founded upon the immobility of a Rock preserves with invincible constancy and intire purity the unshaken firmnesse of its Faith and Doctrine without ever suffering that to be violated which it hath once confirm'd by its approbation and whereof it hath declar'd it self protectresse We have then the advantage of speaking before the Roman Church concerning the doctrine and authority of him who hath always had the supream Pontifs for approvers admirers and defenders and alwayes found so powerful protetection from them as often as complaint hath been made to them of such as impugned wounded oor despis'd his authority and doctrine Now haply is never came to passe that the authority and sentiments of that H. Father were more dangerously invaded then at this day but certainly never more maliciously or with more artifice Yet we praise God M. H. F. for that the danger is pass'd since those ambushes are discover'd For to have given the Romane Church knowledge of them is to have dissipated them and it being advertis'd of the danger wherein S. Augustine's doctrine is there remaines no doubt but the same will be secur'd and authoris'd as much as ever But this our confidence in the H. Apostolick See is further augmented because besides the authority of S. Augustin so powerfully establisht the doctrine in question carries a priviledge with it which is wholly peculiar to it self For though there be none of the Truths of the Catholick Faith whereof this first See of the World is not the illustrious Depository neverthelesse it attributes to it self by proper right the care of preserving the Grace of Jesus Christ inasmuch as according to what S. Augustin observes in his sixth Letter to Sixtus 't is principally to this Church that the great Apostle S. Paul spoke and taught the mysteries of the Grace of God which is given us by Jesus Christ our Lord. And the same S. Augustin in another Book shewing at the same time both that the Grace of Jesus Christ ought to be preacht throughout all the earth and that this Church is the head of all others with these words This great Apostle hath shown the power of Grace principally in his Epistle to the Romanes to the end that the preaching of the heavenly Doctrine might passe from this prime City of the World into all places of the Earth Which manifests that the
the necessity of handling this Doctrine is set forth and the connexion of the Five Propositions as understood by us with the same briefly manifested THere are two principal foundations which comprize the whole Controversie and Doctrine of Grace whereof the first is S. Augustin's authority and doctrine touching the matter of Grace and the second whereunto all his doctrine is reduc'd is the necessity of Grace Effectual by it self and predeterminating to every good action We have already made good the first of these foundations in the Writing which we have presented touching S. Augustin's authority which is prov'd by the Tradition of the whole Church The second is now to be establisht to proceed orderly in this Dispute concerning the contested Propositions But lest it should be objected that we come not to the point in question we have thought fit to make some remarks first to show most clearly how necessary it is to examine that doctrine before all things 1. 'T is impossible to terminate the great Contest rais'd among Catholicks touching the matter of Grace without examining the Opinion which is the capital principle and original of all difference Now this Principle consists in that there are some who call in doubt and impugne the doctrine of Grace effectual by it self necessary to every action All the difference between our Adversaries and us as to doctrine hath no other source but this here it begins here it ends and all the combustions and stirs rais'd about this matter come only from this diversity We agree in many things and the first ground of division is that our Adversaries ascribe the using of Christs grace to Free Will whereas we attribute it to the efficacy and vertue of the Grace it self Upon this depend all the other questions in dispute and there is now no other considerable controversie among Divines saving that some hold Grace effectual by it self necessary to every action and others deny it Wherefore this Point ought first to be handled since after it is once judg'd there will be no more ground of dispute and till it be none can be remov'd 2. Our Adversaries had no other aim in forging these equivocal Propositions but covertly to overthrow the doctrine of Grace effectual by it self necessary to every action as it is held by S. Augustin and for a full discovery of their design it suffices to consider that there is not any of the Propositions expos'd to Censure but hath a most manifest connexion with Effectual Grace according as we explicate and defend them That of all the arguments which they produce there is not one whose force consists not in destroying Effectual grace if there be such as have really any force and lastly that of all the works which have been publisht in defence of the Propositions as we understand them there is not any whose principal scope is not the defence of the same Effectual Grace 3. Moreover There is so visible and necessary a connexion of that Grace with the Propositions thus understood that so long as that shall subsist they will subsist also as its destruction woud be their ruine so that we defend not any of them but so far forth as it hath a necessary connexion with Effectual nor do our Adversaries impugne any of them but to destroy the same Grace as for proof we are now going compendiously to demonstrate The Connexion of the Five Propositions as the same are defended by us with Grace effectual by it self succinctly demonstrated THE FIRST PROPOSITION as it is maliciously taken out of its true place and presented to Censure Some of Gods Commandments are impossible to just men even when they will and endeavor according to their present strength and the Grace which should render the same possible is wanting to them THE FIRST PROPOSITION in the sence wherein we hold and defend it Some of Gods Commandments are impossible to some just men who will and endeavor weakly and imperfectly according to what strength they have which is small and weak That is to say being destitute of the effectual aid which is necessary to will fully and to do these Commandments are impossible to them according to that next and compleat possibility the privation whereof puts them in a state of inability to perform those Commandments effectively And they want the Grace whereby it is needful that those Commandments become proximately and perfectly possible to them or they are unprovided of that special assistance without which as the Council of Trent saith A justifyed man cannot persevere in the Righteousnesse which he hath receiv'd that is in the observation of Gods Commandments We maintain and are ready to demonstrate that this proposition pertains to the faith of the Church is indubitable in S. Augustin's doctrine and hath been defin'd by the Council of Trent THE PROPOSITION contrary to the first and defended by our Adversaries All Gods Commandments are always possible to the just by the grace which is subject to Free Will when they will labour according to their present strength And the Grace which is proximately necessary to render the Commandments effectively possible is never wanting to them to act or at least to pray We maintain and are ready to demonstrate that this proposition taught by Molina our Adversaries is Pelagian or Semipelagian because it destroyes the necessity of Grace effectual by it self to all good works And thus it hath been declar'd in the Congregation de Auxiliis held at Rome under Clement VIII Paul V. The Connexion of our Proposition with Effectual Grace THe Grace of Jesus Christ effectual by it self is necessary to every action of piety Therefore the first Proposition is true in the sense wherein we present and maintain it because if Grace effectual by it self is necessary to an action of piety as a principle requisite before the same be perform'd then when it is present to us we do the thing for which it is given and when we do it not it is not present to us otherwise it would not be effectual by it self and not only we act with it but also without it we cannot act proximately and with all accomplishment necessary to action For whoever hath not all that which is previously necessary to another thing as a principle cannot do that thing proximately and with the utmost accomplishment necessary to do it And hence the first Proposition which we have presented and defended necessarily follows For it happens sometimes that some just men being press'd with a great temptation make weak and imperfect attempts to perform some Commandment and yet perform it not Therefore in these cases they have not that great and effectual Grace which is necessary to the performance of it or as S. Augustin faith They have not a Grace so great as to be sufficient for performing that Commandment they have not the strength most effectual for overcoming the temptation otherwise they would surmount the temptation and perform the Commandment and
may spread no further 't is requisite to apply the Iron and the Fire to this sore For what can be more wicked and heathenish more remote from our holy Religion and more opposite to the first of Christianity Is there any thing more deadly to souls more apt to thrust them into a precipice and more likely to expose them to all kind of dangers They thereby highly declare themselves themselves enemies of the Catholick faith they publish their ingratitude for the benefits which they have receiv'd from God and care not to be worthy of our Communion since they have polluted it by publishing such errors They have absolutely abandon'd our Religion For there is nothing whereunto our profession more obliges us and all our daily prayers to God tending only to implore his mercy how can we endure them who teach such errors What strange error is that which blinds them Do not they deserve to be plung'd as they are in such grosse darknesses 'T is fit to root them out of the midst of us they are to be driven far from the Church that the evil may be kept from taking more root in our bowels and by spreading further become incurable What this Gangrene hath corrupted is to be cut off from what remains sound in the body of the Church to the end the strength of so dangerous a poyson reach not to the parts which are not yet sick and that the flock may remain sound by the separation of the sheep infected with this cruel pestilence Now wherefore M. H. F. doth this great Pope speak with so much heat against those Hereticks unlesse because they dared to affirm that men have no need of Effectual Grace for the performing of Righteousnesse overcoming of sin and observing of Gods Commandments For he accuses them throughout the said Letter of denying that assistance of God which we pray for and consequently of taking away the necessity of prayer But the succour which we ask and obtain by prayer is effectual by it self and cannot be understood after any other manner as I have most clearly prov'd Consequently the cause of his condemning them as Hereticks and declar'd enemies of the faith and Christian piety is because they affirm'd that we have no need of the grace of God effectual by it self for the accomplishing the Commandments surmounting temptations Now this is the very same which the Molinists teach and maintain at this day whilst they hold their sufficient Grace subject to Free-will and I shall further presse them with this Argument which shall be the conclusion of all that I have hitherto spoken The cause why S. Augustin the Fathers of the Council of Carthage Pope Innocent I. and the whole Church condemn'd the doctrine of the Pelagians as impious heretical sacrilegious is for that it follows from thence that the Grace which the Church begs of God by her prayers is not necessary in order to doing good Whence it appears that every Doctrine from whence the same consequence may be drawn is likewise heretical sacrilegious and worthy to be strucken with Anathema But it follows from the Molinistical doctrine of sufficient Grace subject to Free-will as to its use that the grace which the Church asks of God by her prayers is not necessary in order to doing good since as I have shewn by invincible proofs the Grace implor'd by the Churches prayers is effectual by it self and it followes from the doctrine of sufficient Grace subject to Free-will is not necessary to doing good Therefore it follows from the doctrine of Molinistical grace that the Grace implor'd by the Churches prayers is not necessary to doing good and thus by manifest consequence the doctrine of Molinistical grace subject to Free-will ought according to the judgement of S. Augustin all the other Bishops of Africk Pope Innocent I. and the universal Church to be accounted heretical sacrilegious and worthy to be struck with Anathema I purposed M. H. F. here to end this so long Dispute at this time for fear of being tedious to Your Holinesse but judging by the gentlenesse and extream goodnesse wherewith You do me the honour to hear me that You give me full liberty of speaking and will not be displeas'd that I employ what remains of this day in bringing new proofs I shall endeavor to show by a second testimony of S. Augustin the truth of the same Proposition which I have undertaken to prove and which is the subject of all the present Contest namely that Grace effectual by it self is necessary to all actions of piety 'T is the subject which that great Saint handles in the book De Gratia Christi wherein he represents so clearly and with such lively colours what is the true Grace of Jesus Christ to the end that the same may be distinguisht from that false Grace which Pelagius endeavor'd to establish by his disguisements and artifices But that the testimony of this great Light of the Church may have as much weight and authority upon Your Holiness's mind as it deserves I conceive requisite to give Your Holinesse a brief account of the occasion of S. Augustin's writing that Book 'T is therefore to be observ'd as Ecclesiastical History and that Book it self teach us that Albinus Pinianus and Melanius so Illustrious among the Romans for their birth quality and piety that none surpass'd them in Nobility Dignity and Riches going out of devotion into Palestine and there finding Pelagius exhorted him to condemn in writing the evil opinions whereof he was accus'd whereunto he scrupled not to condescend in hope that by pronouncing a false Anathema upon them and making a disguis'd and artificial profession of faith he might attract to himself persons of so great authority and cause all the world to judge him innocent not only of the crime but likewise of the suspition of Heresie See the words which he writ I anathematise those who affirm or believe that the grace whereby Jesus Christ came into the World to save sinners is not necessary not only in all places of the earth but also in every moment and in all our actions And I acknowledge that all they who endeavor to abolish or oppose it fall into eternal condemnation Assoon as Albinus and Pinianus had this confession of Pelagius's faith in their hands they sent it to S. Augustin and desir'd him to send them his judgement upon it He answer'd them that Pelagius spoke like a Catholick and yet was much to be distrusted because he hid his poison under the ambiguity of the word Grace thereby the more easily to deceive such as took not the more heed thereunto And upon this occasion he expresly writ a whole Book concerning the grace of Jesus Christ and sent the same to them wherein he descries all Pelagius's artifices unfolds all the ambiguities of his words teaches what is to be understood by the words Jesus Christs Grace and what Grace that is which Pelagius ought to confesse necessary to
them to that purpose in the dayes following We declar'd to their Eminences our purpose to appear before the Pope and that the Pope had given us order by the Ambassador to be in readinesse by the first dayes of the week ensuing Tuesday evening the Ambassador passing by our lodging advertis'd us that the Monday next was the day appointed and that we must be at the Pope's Palace by 20 a clock that is about three after noon Accordingly we repair'd on Monday to the Pope's Palace in Mont Quirinal and were call'd for a little after three a clock and introduc'd into the Pope's presence On each side of his Holinesse's Chair were two Benches upon which the Cardinals sat Spada and Ginetti on the right hand and Pamphilio and Ghiggi on the other The thirteen Divines of several Orders whose names M. de S. Amour signify'd to you by his Letter January 27. stood bare-headed on each side behind the Benches M. Albizzi Assessor of the H. Office was there also to perform the Office of Secretary Besides these no other persons were present at this Assembly At our entrance we made our accustomed genuflexions to his Holinesse who gave us his benediction and made a sign to us to rise and begin We stood in the space between the two Benches right against the Pope it being just capable of us all five afront The Abbot of Valcroissant began and show'd in general the importance of this Affair in a speech of about three quarters of an hour We speak nothing of what it contain'd because we send you My Lords a Copy of it as it was pronounc'd After his speech was ended he spoke of the two first Writings which we had presented the last year the former whereof is concerning what hath been acted about the affair of the Five Propositions and the other is touching S. Augustin authority He spoke succinctly some principal things of the former Writing to let his Holinesse understand the foul dealings frauds and the conspiracy of our Adversaries against S. Augustin by contriving and presenting to our Faculty those captious and equivocal Propositions But conceiving it more material to say something concerning the main businesse of doctrine in this first Audience he did not think fit to be particular in laying matters of fact open to his Holinesse and therefore proceeded to the Writing concerning S. Augustin's authority wherein we shewd that nothing is so much establisht in the Church as this Authority since we justifie it by above two hundred Testimonies of twenty Popes fifteen Councils threescore and ten Fathers of the Church or illustrious Divines of all Ages and the reception of the whole Church with unanimous and universal consent He laid forth the reasons which oblig'd us to deliver this Writing first in imitation of S. Prosper and Hilary of France when they came to Rome against the Priests of Marseille and to tread in the steps which we saw markt out in the first judgement which was made touching S. Augustin under Pope Celestine the first and in the last examen which was made under Clement VIII He added that we did not insist upon proving more largely this authority of S. Augustin being perswaded that his Holinesse was willing that the doctrine of this Saint should serve for a Rule in this whole Dispute of Grace according to the Ordinances of his Predecessors Reserving therefore to speak more at length of what had been done in France upon occasion of the Five Propositions when it should be expedient in the progresse of things and supposing the authority of S. Augustin receiv'd and establisht as we had agreed together M. de Valcroissant proceeded to the Writings then to be presented and told his Holinesse that to let him see that we complain'd not unnecessarily of the Jesuites outrages against S Augustin's authority we had one Writing to present to him into which we had collected above a hundred Propositions against S. Augustin drawn out of the books of Jesuitical Writers since Molina that above fifty of them were publish'd within these last four yeares and that 't was a great evidence of a conspiracy against S. Augustin in the contrivance of the five Pelagious Propositions that F. Adam a Jesuite at the same time was preparing a bloody work against S. Augustin which came forth on the first of January 1650. with the permission of the Provincial of Paris and with the approbation of three Jesuites Divines M. de Valcroissant read to his Holinesse those Propositions of F. Adam wherein the express doctrine of S. Augustin is plainly handled as Heretical and Calvinistical and S. Paul and other Canonical Writers accus'd of having been exorbitant in their Writings and gone beyond the bounds of Truth through humane weaknesse from which as that Jesuite saith They were nor free You may judge My Lords with what astonishment his Holinesse and their Eminences heard these horrible injuries of that Jesuite against S. Augustin which carried to reprehend S. Paul himself and the Prophets He also read this Proposition which is in a book printed at Paris three moneths ago Expecta tantisper Lector brevi loquetur Roma quid senserit Augustinus aut quid sentire debuerit Which as you see My Lords implyes that the Jesuites expect shortly at Rome the condemnation of S. Augustin's Doctrine In the next place M. de Valcroissant explicated the Distinction of Senses and caus'd his Holinesse to observe with how much sincerity the proceeded in this Affair by declaring plainly what we rejected and what we held touching all the Propositions He remonstrated first that they were fram'd by the Molinists in equivocal terms capable of heretical senses thereby to expose them to Censure and afterwards reflect the same Censure upon Grace Effectual by it self and upon S. Augustin's Doctrine to which the Propositions are reducible by being explicated in the particular senses which they may admit as we had done that we were not the authors of those ambiguous Propositions That they could not be shewn in any book in the direct terms wherein they are conceiv'd excepting the first which is mutilated and maliciously separated from the words that precede and follow it which being added to the Proposition as it is found in the Author from whom it is taken is not only not capable of any evil sense but is the Catholick and Apostolick doctrine of S. Augustin and the Church That it cannot be found in any works Latin or French publisht in France within these four yeares that they have been defended purely as they are express'd but that on the contrary it hath alwayes been declar'd that in the generality of their terms they are susceptible of heretical senses and may according to those senses be condemn'd generally as heretical and that never any other sense but the Catholick alone which they admit hath been maintain'd that is to say none ever absolutely maintain'd these five general Propositions but the particular Propositions expressing the Catholick sense of them which we
Engines on work and redouble their pursuits after that first audience to deprive us of time and power to dispell all those shadows by the Light of Truth This is the particular reason My Lords which caus'd them to urge the speedy publishing of the Decree and they were not contented to alledge this reason in their visits to the Consultors and Cardinals but they mention'd it also in their Writings which by good hap came to our hands though communication of them could never be obtain'd They endeavor in these Writings to insinuate this wicked false conceit to all such as shall read them they impute such opinions to S. Augustine's disciples as are held neither by us nor any Catholick in the Church and they labour to confute what no body ever controverted Thus My Lords having suggested this false conceit both in their Writings and secret Sollicitations they easily prevail'd that to prevent the holding of the Propositions in the Heretical and Calvinistical senses in which they said many held them in France and to extinguish this new pretended heresie which was nothing but a vain fantasm of which they rais'd a fear in the Court of Rome it was necessary for the good of the Church to condemn them But you know My Lords that no Catholick Doctor or Divine of S. Augustin's disciples in France ever accounted these Propositions other then ambiguous equivocal and captious fram'd about four years ago by one of Molina's subtilest Partisans as also that the two first of them were censur'd by S. Augustin's disciples in the Tract intitled Considerations and in the Book Of Victorious Grace as admitting three senses all three heretical and each of the other one heretical sense You know My Lords that we never held the condemn'd Propositions in the formal terms whereof they consist That in the first Memorial which we presented to the Pope when he gave us Audience upon our coming to this City we demanded of his Holinesse that the senses which were in controversie might be distinguisht and that the examination and judgement which was sollicited to be made upon the Propositions might be made upon the said senses That in our first Information in facto representing to his Holinesse and their Eminences the state of the Controversie we declar'd that the Dispute was not at all concerning the Propositions as they were presented And lastly that in the publick Audience we had before the Decree was made we renew'd the same Declarations to his Holinesse and profess'd sudry times that without insisting upon the Propositions which our Adversarries had maliciously contriv'd we defended only the Catholick senses or the particular Propositions fram'd by our selves in perspicuous terms and reduc'd to the pure doctrine of Grace Effectual by it self as S. Augustin hath defended the same in all his works against the Pelagians and Semipelagians Whereby you see My Lords most evidently that not only the Pope's Constitution which pronounces upon the Propositions in their general ambiguity purposely affected to make them obnoxious to Censure and his Holinesse's formal Declarations that he had no intention to prejudice S. Augustin's doctrine which is no wise different from the particular and most Catholick sense which they admit and we defended alone in France and at Rome but also the Writings of our Adversaries who have imputed to S. Augustin's Disciples errors and heresies which they never held justifie that those Censures cannot fall but upon those heresies and errors and that the Catholick sense explicated by us to the Pope in such express and formal terms remains without impeachment and as Catholick as ever it was For 't is beyond all doubt that this sense of Grace Effectual by it self is that of S. Augustin which if there were ground to question our Adversaries needed only to desire a publick Audience of the Pope to demonstrate to his Holiness in our presence either that this sense in which we maintain the Propositions is not that of S. Augustin or else that S. Augustin's doctrine is not that of the Church but the light and evidence of so many express passages of this great Doctor and the secret force of Truth which is terrible to all its opposers hath made them fear to enter into Conference with us touching thts subject in presence of his Holinesse or the Cardinals They were contented My Lords as we have before observ'd to tell them in their secret sollicitations as we discover'd they did at first in their secret Writings that we who were deputed to Rome by Catholick Archbishops and Bishops defended S. Augustin at Rome but others defended Calvin in France which you know they publisht formerly in France by many Libels and false reports against all S. Augustin's Disciples in general And therefore this calumnious Accusation which they fram'd at Rome before the Decree is at this day our justification after the Decree and his Holiness's formal Declaration It remains then My Lords That they can be no other then the publick Enemies of S. Augustin and the H. See who dare pretend that the Propositions are condemn'd of heresie in the proper and particular sense defended by us before his Holinesse and explicated in our Writings since the Pope by the Oracle of his Speech vivae vocis oraculo as they speak in this Court vouchsaf'd to declare to our selves That he intended not to prejudice S. Augustin whose Doctrine having been approv'd by so many Popes cannot be condemn'd of heresie without overthrowing the Authority of the H. See Ecclesiastical Tradition and the perpetual succession of one and the same doctrine in the Church nor without violating the Respect which is due to his Holinesse who would hereby be accus'd of contradicting himself since he hath declar'd in sundry occasions and particularly to us since the publication of this Decree That he meant not to touch Grace Effectual by it self nor the Doctrine of that great Saint and we have already noted that his Holinesse made the same expresse Declaration to the Ambassador sundry times who as we have before said writ this very day to the Court to inform their Majesties thereof All these considerations My Lords have caus'd us to blesse God since this Decree That his Holy Providence brought us into this City to the end that by the Distinction we made in presence of the Head of the Church of Truth from Error when we had the honour to speak publickly to him before the Constitution and by so true and important a Declaration as he was pleas'd to make to us since the same in our last Audience the Censure of Error might be hinder'd from falling upon the Truth and it might not be attributed to Innocent X. contrary to his express intention that he design'd to condemn by his Decree or at least by his silence the Catholick Apostolick and Roman Doctrine of the grand Master of Grace which his Predecessors for twelve hundred years together have admitted approved commended and Canoniz'd by their formal words and most solemn
Decrees and that he rejected as impious and heretical the most Catholick and Augustinian sense included in the first of those Five Propositions which you know My Lords was so fully and clearly defin'd by the Council of Trent Can. 22. Sess 6. where it saith That the Righteous eannot persevere in the Righteousnesse which he hath receiv'd without special assistance And before by Innocent I. when writing to the Council of Carthage he pronounces these excellent words recited in the Letter of S. Celestin to the Bishops of France a a Caelestinus Epist ad Episcop Galliae cap. 6. As we are victorious in temptations when God succours us so we must necessarily be overcome when he ceases to help us Necesse est ut quo auxiliante vincimus eo iterum non adjuvante vincimur For were it thus My Lords should we not have cause to cry out with Saint Prosper who defended the same Doctrine of S. Augustin which we defend at this day Then Innocent the first who so worthily fill'd Saint Peter's Chair is fallen into Error ERRAVIT ergo Innocentius Petri sede dignissimus But we hold our selves more happy My Lords in that it hath pleased God to make us instrumental to hinder the victorious Grace of his Son and the invincible Doctrine of his Church from being overthrown by the attempts of humane presumption and we acknowledge that if our weak interposition hath contributed any thing towards the diverting so great an evil this effect is due only to the generosity of your zeal the Authority of your Orders and the uprightnesse of your Directions Not but that we believe My Lords that Molina's Disciples who by above a hundred Propositions which we extracted out of their Books and presented to the Pope declar'd even before the Constitution open VVar against S. Augustin although they disclaim this boldnesse in Companies where they are reproacht with it at Paris and in this City will publish their false Victory everywhere and put a false construction upon the words of the Decree which speaks not of S. Augustin and upon the expresse intention of the Pope who hath so often declared the esteem he hath of the admirable and divine Doctrine of that great Saint 'T is fit My Lords That as this whole Affair hath had no other original on their part but an unworthy Artifice in prosecution whereof they have for these four years thought in the Censure of certain several and equivocal Propositions a suppott of their new Doctrine of Molina first hatcht in the Church but about seventy yeares ago so it should be terminated with impostures and delusions unworthy of Divines and Catholicks and with imaginary triumphs But we hope My Lords that all intelligent persons and well-affected to the divine interests of Jesus Christ's Effectual Grace and to the true honour of the H. See and the Church which ought to be precious to us will easily discern the general and equivocal sense from the certain and particular that which we have rejected as heretical from that which we maintain'd as Catholick that which is express'd in the Constitution from that which is not express'd in it and lastly the false and most unjust pretensions of passionate men from the true and most commendable intention of his Holinesse It remains My Lords That we prepare our selves to depart from hence to morrow morning and we beseech you in the mean time to continue to us the honour of your good will and to believe that as the sole love of Truth and the defence of S. Augustin's sacred Doctrine which our adversaries have endeavor'd to involve amongst errors that they might also involve it in a Censure caus'd us to undertake this long voyage so it will render us more and more submissive to your Orders and Authority which we shall alwayes respect most heartily and as much as they ought who are My Lords Your most humble and obedient Servants De la Lane Abbot of Valcroissant Des-mares Priest of the Oratory De Saint Amour Manessier Angran Rome June 16. 1653. CHAP. XXVIII M. Hallier and his Collegues desire an audience of the Pope to complaine of the publick joy we testifi'd in Rome for the Declaration made to us by the Pope at our taking leave of him which his Holinesse again confirmes to them The General of the Augustines gives us Letters of Association to his Order The Ambassador in a letter to the Count de Brienne Secretary of State gives the same account of the manner wherein we spoke of the Propositions and the Pope condemn'd them that is declar'd in this whole Relation IT would be hard for me to expresse what comfort we receiv'd from the so advantageous declaration in favour of S. Augustin's doctrine and effectual Grace which the Pope made to us in this audience The joy which appear'd in our countenances testifi'd the same to all that saw us go abroad and 't was a remarkable accident that M. Hallier who was in the Pope's Presence-chamber when we came forth from his Holinesse receiv'd at that very moment the first mortification by it But he receiv'd more by the noise which this declaration of the Pope made immediately in Rome as well through our care to publish it as through the satisfaction with which those who lov'd our cause and persons the number of whom was very great communicated so agreeable newes one to another Being there remain'd very few dayes before our departure which we determined to be on Monday or Tuesday following we took occasion to tell it to all those friends and persons of greatest respect of whom we were oblig'd to take leave before our going away and we did it as particularly as the scantnesse of time permitted to the end we might have them as witnesses in case of need to certify that they heard us publickly and openly proclaime it before our departure and that when the abovemention'd letter which we intended to write to the Bishops should be seen in France our ordinary calumniators might not alledge that it was a feigned thing invented at pleasure to delude the world and secure us in some measure from the condemnation of our opinions which they boasted to have obtained We related it not only to those whom we went to visite but to many others of our acquaintance who occasionally meeting us congratulated us for what they had heard others speak advantageously of it and desir'd us to confirm to them our selves and particularly relate to them what had been told them but in grosse The report of the applauses which we received and the publick joy which we testified hereupon to all the world so vehemently confounded M. Hallier and his Collegues that they thought themselves oblig'd to go and complain thereof to the Pope on Monday following to the end it might please his Holinesse before our departure by some mortification to quash the advantages which we took from the said Declaration already and might afterwards take they said to the prejudice of
those who were not suspected to favour Jansenius had of the Constitution may be seen by this Letter of F. Morin Priest of the Oratory and one of the most learned men that have been of that Congregation 'T is inserted in the Letter of another Father of the Oratory who having consulted with F. Morin communicated his answer to one of his friends by which means it became very publick and fell into my hands since my return Take it at length The Letter of F. Souvigny to his Friend July 24. 1653. I am well satisfy'd with your perfect submission to the Decrees of the H. See I acquiesce therein with the same resignation But having taken time to examine Tradition concerning Grace and seriously study'd the Popes Constitution I have at length perceiv'd that S. Augustin's Disciples are rather humbled before the ignorant then condemn'n before capable and dis-interessed persons Many reasons incline me to this belief especially the Churches interest to preserve to her self the Authority of S. Augustin of his Disciples S. Prosper c. and not to abandon it to the Huguenots and embrace the protection of the upstart Contriver of Scientia Media The Molinists by what I alwayes perceiv'd make not so great account of verity as victory but the Holy Church neither loves nor deserves conquest but in regard of Truth Yet I would not make an Idol of my own conceit nor espouse it rashly without consulting more knowing persons then my self for fear of mistaking in an Affair of such importance which consists in taking the true judgement of his Holiness and the right sense of the Propositions Wherefore I writ to F. Morin and desir'd him to clear my doubt either by approving or disabusing my apprehension I never preacht concerning these knotty matters and F. Morin hath lately publisht something against some Maximes of the Jansenists in which regards we are less to be suspected he of engagement and I of temerity and I believe his testimony ought to be more authentick and my belief less culpable Behold therefore his answer to my question and the copy of his Letter F. Morin's Letter Assoon as I had read the Popes Bull upon this famous Question and having understood eight dayes before how the Jansenists argu'd four hours together before his Holiness deliver'd Writings to him and publickly juridically signify'd that the Five Propositions contriv'd by their enemies were ambiguous and admitting divers heretical senses and one Catholick that the heretical senses were those of the Calvinists the Semipelagians and the Molinists for F. Morin understood hereby the senses of the Semipelagians and the Molinists in the Propositions and that the Catholick sense was that of S. Augustin and their own and that not contented to have said and declar'd this they also distinguish'd and laid open those several senses to the Pope in Writing After I say I had consider'd all this I concluded forthwith and told all those who shew'd me the Bull that the opinion of the Jansenists was not condemn'd by it but there was a strong presumption in it against the opinion of the Jesuites and one as great for approbation of that of the Jansenists For the Pope in condemning the Five Propositions of heresie hath done no more but confirm'd the Censure before made of them by the Jansenists who are at Rome They condemn'd the opinion of the Molinists of heresie in presence of the Pope and the Consultors and the Pope who heard it in a judicial way spoke not a word to the contrary 'T is therefore to be presum'd that he approves the sentence which the Jansenists pronounc'd against the Five Propositions to the prejudice of Molina Moreover they told the Pope juridically that the interpretation which they gave according to their own sentiments is Catholick and S. Augustin's Doctrine the Pope speaks not a word hereupon and derogates not expresly by his Constitution from their interpretation therefore he approves it for in such case he is oblig'd to speak concerning the same and not leave us to mistake Therefore his silence is to be taken at least for a presumptive approbation Add hereunto that after the publishing of the Bull at Rome the Jansenists went to take leave of the Pope by whom they were well receiv'd and commended and he assur'd them that he had in no wise intended to condemn S. Augustin that Vbi est Augustinus ibi est Ecclesia and that he had as little design'd to prejudice Grace Effectual by it self and after a long Discourse he gave them his Benediction and many Indulgences All which hath been written not only by themselves but also by the Ambassador who testify'd the same in Letters to his Eminence Cardinal Mazarin and the Count of Brienne Secretary of State This is my judgement of this Bull and I have declar'd it several times to such as have spoken to me about it Some alledge that the Pope saith the Propositions are taken out of Jansenius's book but the words in the beginning of the Bull shew that he only repeats things as they were presented to him Now such relations made by Princes are not conclusive according to either Law as we are taught by the Title of Concordat in the Pragmatick Sanction de sublatione Clementinae C. litteris On the contrary it falls out many times that a violent presumption is equivalent to a definitive sentence Extra de Praesumptione cap. Offerte mihi Therefore this Bull being consider'd by any person vers'd in the Law will in my judgement appear more disadvantageous to the Jesuites then to the Jansenists Hactenus R. P. I. M. You see here 's a strange a a F. du Louvigny's Conclusion Cooling-Card for the Molinists who triumph under the shroud of popular ignorance and dare not present themselves to the Popes face to justifie against the five Doctors that they wrongfully accus'd them of heresie before the Throne of S. Peter which they ought to do if they were as well skill'd in the knowledge of the Saints as in the policy of the world c. CHAP. IV. Of our Voyage from Venice to Paris and our passage through Suizzerland BEing the feast of the Assumption was near when we receiv'd the first Letter at Venice which oblig'd us to return into France we resolv'd to passe this Festival at Padua and depart from thence in the afternoon We prepar'd all our Affairs accordingly We thankt the Ambassador for his civilities we bid adieu to our other friends and the above-mention d M. du Pui coming to see us again desir'd me to take a Letter with me for Mr. Vbric from whom I had brought him one above three years before We departed from Venice two or three dayes before that of the Assumption and from Padua on that day at four a clock in the afternoon We continu'd our Voyage to Zuric without any interruption and during the day of Rest which the Venetian Messengers use to take there I went to visit M. Vbric as well
dum hesterna Ludovici Molinae commenta in antiquissimis fundatissimis Augustini documentis quaerunt vano poenitendo labore seipsos fatigant novitatem suam in ipsis visceribus orthodoxae vetustatis indagantes Quae omnia Sanctae Sedis correctioni ac judicio subjicimus Subscriptum Romae die Lunae XIX Maii anno MDCLIII Thus sign'd with Paraphs Natalis de Lalane Doctor Facultatis Parisiensis Abbas B. Mariae de Valle-crescente Tussanus des Mares Presbyter Congregationis Oratorii Domini Jesu Ludovicus de Saint-Amour in sacra Facultate Parisiensi Doctor ac Socius Sorbonicus Nicolaus Manessier in sacra Facultate Parisiensi Doctor ac Socius Sorbonicus Ludovicus Angran ejusdem sacrae Facultatis Parisiensis Licentiatus ac Insignis Ecclesiae Trecensis Canonicus Apologetical Memoires in behalf of the Rector Deanes Proctors and Deputies of the Vniversity of Paris Mention'd Part. 3. Chap. 9. Against the Enterprise of certain Irish for the most part Students in the Vniversity THough the University of Paris ought to prepare it self to suffer continual persecutions so long as its Peace and Liberty are eye-sores to its Enemies nevertheless the quality of the persons lately imploy'd to divide it is a thing of sufficient wonder and 't was scarce credible either that a small number of Irish circumvented by strange Artifices could raise against it the Syndic of the Theological Faculty or that so many Doctors could be brought to favour so temerarious an enterprise But since it findes it self in so deplorable a passe as to be put to uphold its Authority against its own children and to render an account of its proceedings yet it hath this consolation in its disgraces that if it speaks for its non justification 't is before the Parliament of Paris that is to say before that August Tribunal which hath for many ages been the protector of its rights liberties and privilidges and it hath no reason to fear that the Court will account it as a crime that had a zeal so full of moderation and prudence to repress an Innovation which it could not have suffer'd without conspiring at the same time against the Churches discipline and the Kings Authority The representation of the matter of Fact without colours or artifices will be sufficient to stop the mouths of its adversaries and being alwayes a cordial cherisher and lover of peace it had rather justify it self before all the world by the innocent force of its reasons then say all that it might alledge against the violence of its most unjust adversaries I. A faithfull Narrative of all that pass'd in reference to a Declaration of the Irish and of the true motives which induc'd the University of Paris to stop their interprises by an exemplary Decree 'T Was not credible that after the Archbishop of Paris the most August Clergy of France assembled at Paris a year before and the famous Faculty of Divinity forbore upon important reason to passe any judgment upon the questions concerning the matter of Grace any should have with extreme importunities sollicited a Decision of certain Irish students in the University of Paris as if the doctrine of the Church depended on their judgment or as if this unjust appeal gave them a new jurisdiction Neverthelesse the Rector of the University of Paris heard the astonishing newes of such a design He was inform'd that these Irish sollicited by certain Ecclesiasticks who are thought to be in some credit at Court had consulted in several assemblies held to that end by them to make some doctrinal declaration concerning the controverted opinions about Grace and this new project oblig'd him to use all precautions necessary to stop the progresse of it For which end having notice of an Assembly then held in the chamber of Nicholas Poetus an Irishman Batchelor of Divinity and Professor of Philosophy in the Colledge of Lysieux and that they were upon the point to determine certain Questions of Grace he caus'd one of the Beadles of the University to warn them on Febr. 3. to abstain from such kind of Conventicles and not to presume to pronounce any doctrinal judgement Their speedy departure from the abovesaid Batchelor's chamber seem'd to imply at first that the command was given to obedient persons but they who inveigled them into the businesse determin'd to effect that with lesse noise which did not succeed in those assemblies and they run from door to door to get the subscriptions of particular persons to three or foure copies of a Declaration which was presented to them ready drawn and which contain'd a judgment upon the five Propositions touching the matter of Grace Such urgent solicitations made to strangers whom their domestical Afflictions reduc'd to many hardships prevail'd with some of these Irish to hearken to those promis'd them assistance onely upon this condition and of twenty six who subscrib'd there was onely one Doctor of Divinity two Batchelors and two Masters of Arts all the rest having no rank nor degree in the University of Paris and some of them having scarce studied Philosophy or Grammar The Rector being inform'd of this secret negotiation could not without betraying his Magistracy but complain of this enteprise against his authority He gave notice of it to the Deans of Faculties and the Procurators of Nations and the ordinary assembly held at his house on Saturday the fourth of March he represented to them how important it was to hinder such Conventicles from being held in the Colledges of the University and to punish those who contrary to his expresse prohibitions and without having either authority or degree to passe any Judgment in matters of doctrine were neverthelesse so bold as to pronounce upon Propositions which the Faculty of Divinity had Judg'd expedient not to meddle with when the same were presented to it in the assembly of the first of July to be examin'd that the Archbishop of Paris and the whole Clergy of France assembled a year before in that capital City of the Kingdom had likewise refus'd to define any thing upon that matter He gave them further to understand that this Declaration contain'd things extremely prejudicial to the authority of the University of Paris and notoriously injurious to the rights and priviledges of the Kingdome and Gallicane Church Lastly he told them that of these Irish he had order'd four who were of the body of the University to appear before the Assembly to speak for themselves in the business and to produce all the Copies of the Declaration by them subscrib'd The Deanes of Faculties and Procurators of Nations having agreed to hear the Irish before further proceeding they were call'd into the Assembly and after the reading of the Declaration to them they all acknowledg'd that they had subscrib'd the same apart and without having examin'd it in common that no copy of the three or four which they had sign'd remain'd in their hand but they had given one to M. Vincent General of the Priests of the Mission and
resolv'd to make an example of them they proceeded therein with so much prudence and moderation that they cannot be accused either of excesse in their chastisment or of precipitation in their conduct To begin with the Declaration 't is no Hyperbole to say that it wounds the peace of the Church and particularly that of the Faculty that it is contrary to Ecclesiastical discipline and policy and of very dangerous consequence in reference to matters of Doctrine that it is contrary to the Arrests of the Court of Parliament and injurious to the Faculty in reference to the Five Propositions which it qualifies as suspected of heresie that it violates the Arrests of the Court destroyes the rights of France ruins Royal and Soveraign Authority in what regards the power of Popes whose temporal power it establishes ovet things lastly that it is against all kind of formes and equity As the University hath neither judg'd nor pretended to judge of the matter of doctrine as it hath said nothing in its Decree concerning the truth or falsehood of the Five Propositions of Grace contain'd in the declaration of these Irish so hath it not any design either of approving or disapproving the same Propositions whether consider'd in themselves or according to the several senses which they admit But it looks upon them as Propositions about which there is great contest between Catholick Doctors and the Faculty thought fit not to pronounce and of which there hath not been any Judgment of the Church since they were first set on foot And indeed were the Propositions really such as the Irish determin them to wit suspected of error and heresie yet their enterprise were intolerable and of very pernicious consequence to the Church because they have made a new Declaration of the points of Doctrine in contest and drawn an unreceiv'd and unheard-of Profession of faith without having any authority in the Church I. He must be ignorant of all the Ordinances of the Realm as well as of all the lawes of the Church who doth not know that it pertaines not to any private person to make private conventicles wherein to consult about judging of doctrine drawing declarations of faith to cause divers copies of the same to be subscrib'd and put into the hands and disposal of others Yet thus the Irish began their enterprise They assembled at the colledge of Lisieux in the chamber of M. Nicholas Poerus and there resolv'd upon subscribing the Declaration This matter of Fact is evident by the signification made to them in the Rector's name by the grand Bedle of the Nation of France Now the attempt is the more worthy of punishment in that these strangers ought to have had more sense of the hospitality given them by France then to do that amongst us which is not permitted them in any place of the earth II. It is not lawfull for any private person to make any new declaration or profession of Faith nor to subscribe it otherwise every one might take the same licence and take upon them to subscribe such as are contrary one to another And so the Church would be divided by an infinite number of different professions of Faith and the particular persons who made them without any Ecclesiastical Authority would wholly extinguish all the marks of the unity of Faith which makes all the Faithfull but one and the same Religious Body III. The same course might be practis'd in all sort of matters and when there is no publick allowance to write or regularly examine or appear as Divines before the Tribunals of the Church about points of Doctrine contested between Catholick Doctors the weakest in knowledge but strongest in intrigues and credit might have recourse to these negotiations of darknesse in order to promote their opinions and by this means render themselves absolute Masters and supreme Judges of Doctrine by making others subscribe the condemnation of what Tenets themselves dislike They who hold a doctrine most complying and favorable to the genius of the world and humane interests will take this course to authorise their sentiments to enervate the vigor of Ecclesiastical discipline and to corrupt the purity of manners in Christianity They likewise whose hearts are envenom'd against the temporal power of our Kings and burn with continual desire to subject their Crowns to the temporal power of the supreme Pontifs will have recourse to this artifice for the upholding of a doctrine which they cannot retract the antient sentiments of the University and Faculty of Divinity shall be betray'd by the iniquity of this practice The bare description of this proceeding is sufficient to display the injustice and pernicious consequence of it IV. 'T is easy to verify that most part of those who subscrib'd are utterly ignorant in the matters whereof they judge Of twenty seven one and twenty have neither title nor degree in the University and of these 21 there are 12 students in Divinity and 7 students in Philosophy the five rest are two Batchelors and two Masters of Arts who indeed have been examin'd for the Degree of Batchelor but never kept their Act and there is but one single Doctor of the Faculty of Paris M. Richard Newgent What Ecclesiastick how ignorant soever will not undertake to make the like Declarations in all matters of Doctrine whether in reference to faith or manners if this enterprise be suffer'd and not exemplarily punisht in these Irish Scholers IV. The Declaration of the Irish particularly examin'd chiefly in what relates to the power of Kings I. WE may see by the bare reading of this Writing that 't is a forme of Profession of Faith and a doctrinal Declaration and should we go no further then the preface these Irish might seem very considerable persons and of great Authority in the Church Do but consider this magnificent beginning Cum nova dogmata in his calamitosissimis temporibus a quibusdam doceantur praedicentur typis maudentur c. Nos infra scripti huic periculo mature pro Viribus occurrere proponentes c. Could the H. See or the Archbishop of Paris the Clergy of France speak with more authorithy if they were to make decisions and may it not be said upon considering the style of these Irish that every one of them is a Pope or at least a Bishop Certainly if the Faculty of Paris were oblig'd to give their judgment upon these matters it would use other words and not these expressions which denote power Who then can endure that simple scholars should use such strange language And what is more ridiculous then the boldnesse wherewith they say they will seasonably remedy the mischiefs which appear risen in the Church by the divisions concerning the matter of Grace Do's it belong to students of Philosophy and Divinity to judge and pronounce that new doctrines are taught in the University of Paris to judge of Professors of Divinity who are their Masters and do they know what a new doctrine is II.
for so many Ages in this Realm are expresly condemn'd and all persons who interpose or favour them and all Secular Judges who receive and take cognizance of them are Excommunicated Now what could the Rector do in this case when complaints were made to him of this Declaration and attested Copies thereof deliver'd to him by those who had seen the Original and the Subscriptions Could he be as he is the Guardian of the Discipline of the University of Paris and Head of that Renowned Body and remain in silence the meanest graduate and most careless of all men Should not he acquaint the Deans of Faculties and Procurators of Nations therewith But if after he hath done his duty therein and the deed is evidenc'd by Confession of the Complices shall the University which can no longer be ignorant of so dangerous an enterprise neglect to repress it by the just severity of its Decree Shall it not take a course to nullifie such a Declaration and punish those who subscrib'd it unless they revoke and renounce it But if the Rector were capable of so soft and stupid patience what would the University say And if the University were so regardless of the Rights of the Crown what would the King what would the Parliament of Paris say IV. If we will go further and search into the secret of this affair we shall see that none of all these words were inserted without design To which purpose consider but what persons they are who have the chief hand in this intrigue 'T is plain on one side that the Jesuites were the promoters of it and that the Declaration of the Irish was contriv'd by those Fathers who always retaining the poyson of their evil Doctrine against Kings spread the same in all places where they come and on the other 't is as clear that M. Hallier Syndic of the Faculty was in the plot of this Declaration since he became the Defender of it contrary to the duty of his place And as this Doctor hath sign'd in one of the Commentaries of Corn. a Lapide the Jesuite the doctrine of Sanctarel a Jesuite likewise so he desists not from those pernicious Tenets but favours them upon all occasions in his Signing of Theses He hugs himself for the publick opposition and reproaches charg'd upon him by some Doctors of the Faculty because this renders him more considerable in the Court of Rome and indeed he hath no other aim both as Syndic and as Doctor then to diffuse Sanctarellisme where he can insinuate it handsomely 'T is left to the Parliaments wisdome to judge whether it be fit to suffer these Monopolists longer and whether it be not expedient to inform against the Authors and Complices of this Declaration that they may be punish'd as those deserve who make publick Conspiracies against the Interests of the Crown V. Firmiter Statuimus say these Irish promittimusque nos semper adhaesuros omnibus Decretis ac Statutis summorum Pontificum nominatimque iis quae lata sunt a Pio V. Gregorio XIII Urbano VIII Innocentio X. contra Bain Jansenium eorumque sequaces What a bold thing is this for Irish Students in the University of Paris to promise by a publick act that they will adhere particularly to a Bull contrary to the Liberties of the Gallicane Church which the Faculty of Divinity would not receive and which was never Register'd in the Parliament Is this a fitting course when legal considerations and weighty reasons keep the Magistrates or Universities from receiving some Bull in France Shall this License be taken to oblige private persons by their Subscriptions to Declarations to receive that as an Authentick Piece which whole Societies have refus'd to admit not through any aversion to the Church whose power will always be Sacred to Magistrates and Doctors but upon the urgent necessity of withstanding the incroachments of the Roman Court What force will the Laws of Realms have What will the Authority of the Parliament serve for Who will not slight the Resolutions of the University of Paris and of the Faculty of Divinity if this way be practis'd of Authorizing and causing to be receiv'd into France all sorts of Bulls and Decrees If we grant impunity to this example nothing will hinder but as much may be done in reference to those Bulls which directly wound the Regal Rights and Authority and which tend to overthrow the Fundamental Laws of the Realm Certainly there is no proceeding more unjust or which more deserves to be repress'd by the care of the Magistrates VI. Insuper promittimus say the Irish nunquam nos defensuros ullas propositiones de errore aut haeresi suspectas c. praesertimque sequentes 1. Aliqua Dei Praecepta c. We expect that these Scholars tell us what Authority Power or Skill they think they have to determine so positively and brand with suspition of Heresie five Propositions upon which neither the H. See nor the Clergy of France nor the Archbishop of Paris nor the Faculty of Divinity have pass'd any Judgement When the said five Propositions were propos'd to be examin'd the Faculty not only refus'd to judge of them but by common accord and consent concluded in the Assembly of December 7. 1649. that it was not necessary to Examination or Judgement of them And whereas a Writing under the name of some Doctors deputed for that purpose was spread abroad by which these Propositions were determin'd Erroneous those very Doctors who were Commission'd to make their report thereof being cited to the Parliament disown'd the publication of that pretended Censure or that they had qualifi'd the same in that manner and pass'd their word to do nothing in the business directly or indirectly till the Court had taken order in it which publick Protestation was follow'd with the Arrest of Octob. 5. 1649. forbidding all further proceeding Now is there any greater boldness then that of these Irish and must not he have renounc'd all sense of Honour who can like that Students of Divinity and Philosophy determine condemn and reject these Propositions under their hands and hold Conventicles for passing Judgement upon them though without all examination When was it ever known that Doctors were silenced and Scholars allow'd to speak as Judges upon questions important to the whole Church Did the Faculty resolve to hold its peace for no other end but that it might give attention to the Oracles and Decisions of these Irish VII They will say by the mouths of their Partisans what was said for them in the Assembly of the Faculty by M. Hallier who defended the Declaration of the Irish in all particulars together with their manner of proceeding According to the subtilty of this famous Divine they will say 't is a private Declaration of some particular persons who promise not to maintain a doctrine which seem'd bad to them or was represented to them as such not that they pretend to make any Censure or doctrinal Judgement upon it
But this defence is too weak and there must be something more solid alledg'd to cassate a Decree of the University For it hath been said before that these Irish cannot speak in that manner unless they were persons of Authority in the Church To declare that new doctrines are taught that they have resolv'd forthwith to redresse so dangerous a mischief to determine Propositions and brand them as suspected of heresy is not this to passe a doctrinal judgment whether could the enterprise of these Irish go farther 'T is well known that they pretend not to passe a juridical censure nor are they accus'd of so doing but they are accus'd of making and signing a Doctrinal Declaration and a new form of profession of faith without having degrees authority or skill for that purpose Now if that reason which they alledge by the mouth of M. Hallier one of their most zealous apologists were a receivable justification who might not lawfully do the same Who might not make doctrinal Declarations in every matter and professions of faith of a new stamp in order to get them sign'd by all sort of private persons Ecclesiasticks Laymen Seculars Regulars Learned ignorant men and women For according to the reasoning of that Syndic it will be free for every one to declare and signe what he thinks and judgeth upon matters of faith and 't is in the liberty of all particular persons to oblige themselves even under their hands to maintain and teach what they think fit and without countervening the Laws of the Realm and Constitutions of the Church to make Conventicles and Assemblies in order to league themselves together by the publick confederacy of the same opinions and upon mutual engagement to maintain this doctrine and to condemn or reject another And yet they who do thus need not pretend to make juridical Censures as Prelates or Faculties do nor to passe judgments which others are oblig'd to follow Certainly they who reckon the greatest confusion that can be introduc'd into the Church as to faith an manners and indifferent thing may answer in this manner and slight all the sad inconveniences which are natural sequels of so strange a proceeding But such as apprehend that this licence would in a little time produce as many different professions of faith as there are persons cannot approve a course which tends to cause the same mischiefs in France in point of Religion which now make England a theater of division and a sink of all heresies and errors imaginable VIII But lastly 't is very false that this Declaration of the Irish is a private one Cetainly 't is as publick as such a thing can be Six or seven and twenty persons assemble together several times all signe the same writing in three or four Copies which they send into all parts This Writing is so little secret that it is complain'd of to the Rector The very persons who sign'd it caus'd divers copies of it to be printed In fine the Jesuites who set a work the chief springs of this engine have already alledg'd it as an authentick piece Triumphus Catholicae veritatis p. 415. in a book publisht April 1. So that if this Declaration be not publick 't is hard to say what is Mean while M. Hallier who saw and knew all this forbore not to perswade the Faculty that it was onely private and in stead of considering that were what he said true yet being so illegal and injust as it is it cannot come to publick knowledg without being abolish'd He hath us'd all his endevors to maintain before the whole Assembly of the Faculty so unjustifiable and unreasonable a pretension V. That the Rector Deans of Faculties and Procurators of Nations had right to pronounce the judgment in this case which they did AFter having pretended that the Irish might of their own private authority subscribe a new Declaration of Faith their partisans had no other expedient to crown so great injustice but to dispute the jurisdiction of the whole University over its own members and to ravish a right from it which it enjoy'd from its first foundation I. But the Parliament of Paris the perpetual guardian of its priviledges will not endure that jurisdiction to be question'd which it hath alwaies had of regulating punishing and correcting those who offend against its constitutions and discipline This authority hath been preserv'd in it in all reformations from time to time particularly in the last which was made in the first year of this Century by the authority of that August Senate II. If the Gallicane Church be maintain'd in its liberties Recherches de Pasquier l. 3. c. 16. 't is the University of Paris which hath alwayes upheld the same amongst other societies 'T is well known what important services it perform'd for it in the time of S. Lewis Id. c. 18. what care it took to preserve the exemption from Tenths in France when Gregory XII Benedict XIII and Alexander V. contended for the H. See how vigorously it upheld the cause of all France under the Pontificate of John XXIII Moreover the Rector is particularly entrusted to see that nothing be done against the liberties of the same Church which are nothing else but the common right in which it hath always preserv'd it self and 't is founded upon Custome and Arrests for defending the Royal power and Authority Upon this account he makes complaint to the Parliament where any Decree of Rome contrary to the liberties of this Church comes to his knowledge Upon this ancient right was the verification of the Cardinal d' Amboise's Bulls oppos'd by him in the Universities name in full Parliament And lately complaint being made to that Court by him of a Decree of the Roman Inquisition publish'd at Paris the Kings Counsel highly commended him for his good service to the King and Crown III. 'T is certain that the Declaration of the Irish is illegal contrary to the Policy of the Church to the discipline and rules of the University that it violates the peace of the Theological Faculty and the Conclusion which it made not to examin or judge of these Propositions 'T is injurious to the Arrests of Parliament both in reference to the Prohibitions 'T is injurious to the Arrests of Parliament both in reference to the Prohibitions made to the Faculty of doing any thing concerning them and to the Arrests against Sanctarel and others and it invades the sacred authority of our Kings and the lawes of the Realm Whence 't is manifest that the Rector Deans and Proctors had right to cassate the said writings and since they who subscrib'd it are subject to the Universities discipline of which they have the honour to be members it hath right to punish them if they revoke not their signature to exclude the Scholers out its Colleges and debar them of their degrees The Doctor amongst them being a member of the University as well as the rest is also subject to the jurisdicton of
the Master of the sentences understood it And predestination is here taken absolutely not for it effects neither is Free-will therefore destroy'd but operates in its time and place freely meritoriously and without coaction as I speak clearly concerning the same in my said VVriting so farre as the scantnesse of the time permitted Nor do I deny that the goodnesse of God who hath purposed to shew mercy or not to shew mercy as I have noted in my Tract is the cause why God predestinates or reprobates And lastly I do not reject the use of Free-will which serves to the obtaining of sanctifying grace when God gives the same to the predestinate to the end that using it well he may merit glory VVhich being so it may be truely said that predestination depends onely upon the promises which God hath made to us Nor will there be any contradiction in this although predestination should be taken here for its effects which draw their original and their force from the merits of Jesus Christ which grace conferres upon us in consequence of the Promises made to those that believe in him What I say concerning the promises we learn out of the 11th and 36th chapter of Ezekiel the 32d of Jeremiah and many places of S Paul's Epistles and S. Peter teaches us that all things which appertain to life and godliness are promised and given us by the almighty power of God so that good works themselves are part of the promises which God hath made to us I will give you an heart of flesh saith the Prophet and will take away the heart of stone and will cause you to do c. He hath given us a strong assurance of his promises God is become our debtor because he hath pleased to make his promise to us VVe have therefore in the H. Scripture a most ample witnesse of the Divine promises Yet do not these promises destroy Free-will or hinder from concurring meritoriously to good works S. Augustin in the third Treatise upon S. John is of this opinion That life Eternal is given us onely by grace which would be false if S. Augustine's words were not consider'd with reference to the original of this life because they would take away meritorious works And S. Paul Life Eternal is a grace of God and grace for grace VVhich place he understands and expounds as the grace which God hath done us in Electing us to eternal life being the cause of the grace which he doth us in giving us good works which may merit the same This opinion therefore doth not exclude Free-will which as I said before is establish'd in my Treatise much lesse good works but rather includes and requires above all things both Free-will and good VVorks III. PROPOSITION Speaking of the Reprobate that he cannot be saved because he is the Son of perdition as our Saviour saith The Son cannot disclaime the nature which he hath receiv'd from his Father and therefore Jesus Christ saith Ye are of your father the Devil because ye do his works and these are properly they whom God never beholds in Jesus Christ with an eye of mercy ANSWER Our Saviour call's the perfidious and obstinate sons of perdition all that time the Jews were murderers and persecutors of the truth VVhich place I alluded to and called them sons of perdition because our Saviour so term'd them Ye are of your father the Devil because ye do his works I say the same and no more But they who are not destinated simply and properly to eternal life nor written in the book of life although they may appear to be the Children of God neverthelesse they are the Children of the Devil by imitation and not by substance as S. Augustin speaks This I said in reference to their last end of damnation and final impenitence which God foreknows and alwayes foreknew most certainely I said that God never looks upon them with the eye of his mercy though a most just and incomprehensible judgement as I said it was in Judas whom Pope S. Leo in his Sermon of the Lords passion calls an inconvertible man that is one who could not be converted This is the scope at which my words referre not to certain intermediate things not to the justification of the present life in which they may be for some time and during which God sundry times beholds Judas and other reprobates with his eye of mercy namely when they do well and are upright IV. PROPOSITION God doth not elect us onely to relinquish and leave us in the hand of our own Counsels because he well knows into what condition we would soon bâ—ing our selves but in consequence of his election he makes appear in due time all the gifts which were comprehended in his Election ANSWER If I knew sufficiently where the doubt concerning this fourth Proposition lyes perhaps I should better explain my mind My intention was to say that God bestows many gifts upon the Elect who by peculiar love are under the divine care as is seen by the following words where I say that God prepares a right or good will for us according to the testimony of the Apostle 'T is God that works in us to will and to do and the rest which followes to which I referre Therefore God doth not leave his Elect destitute without Grace nor in the hand of their own counsels Nor do I design hereby to contradict the saying of the VVise-man in any wise for it would be ridiculous so to do Deum reliquisse homâ—nem in manu consiliorum suorum But all that I intended to signifie by it is that God leaves not Free-will in his Elect without assisting it by his Grace and that it being assisted thereby happily performes all the things which are enumerated in my Treatise S. Augustin patronizes this opinion in abundance of places And I desire the Reader not to believe that I here make Free-will to be necessitated or compelled for this would be an injury to truth In the same Treatise I dispute against such as follow the false lights of a perverse spirit and reason in the model which they forme to themselves of the holy gift of predestination whilst through negligence and malice they referre the greatest liberty of Free-will assisted by God to a shameful and damnable necessity contrary to the expresse doctrin of all the Doctors and principally of S. Augustin which Father is the most terrible to those kind of people VVherefore I conclude with the truth received in the Church and with the authority of the same S. Augustin That predestination doth not take away Free-will but rather establish it as I have said expressely in my Treatise to which I referre the Reader V. PROPOSITION And in like manner cannot prevaile against the structure built with living stones which is the H. Church and the determinate number of the Elect. ANSWER In this Proposition those things which precede and follow in my Treatise must be considered because otherwise naked and
mutilated clauses beget obscurity In confirmation of Predestination and its strength I cited the divine authority of S. Paul to the Ephesians where that instrument of the H. Ghost layes open all the benefits which God hath prepared for the Predestinate His words are clear and gave me occasion to say as I did that Satan cannot prevaile against the structure built with living stones which Edifice is the H. Church and the determinate number of the Elect. And what I said herein is grounded upon the Parable taken out of the mouth of Truth it self Who knows not as S. Paul saith that the Devil hath no power against God's Elect Neverthelesse 't is not to be deny'd that the Devil sometimes prevails against the Elect for indeed he often prevails through their negligence and corruption But what is this to my expression which hath reference to that oracle of S. John chapter 10. My sheep shall never perish My Father which gave them me is greater then all and no man is able to pluck them out of my hand Therefore against these Predestinate who are the Subject of my Treatise I said Satan cannot prevail in that manner which our Saviour and other holy and Catholick Authors understand yet do I not therefore inferre any necessity or compulsion upon the Free-will as if it acted no more then a piece of wood or a stone I onely toucht this matter by the way and could not speak more largely off it in so little time which was the cause that speaking of this Edifice built with living stones I called it the Church and the determinate number of the Elect yet not excluding the Universal Church which would have been the discouse of an extravagant and senseless person denying the clearnesse of divine light since we are oblig'd to acknowledge and believe firmely the H. Catholick Church diffused throughout the whole world under one Head in Heaven Jesus Christ as S. Paul saith and under his lawfull Vicar who is another Head on the Earth of the same Universal Church But I thus term'd the H. Church the structure built with living stones because it may be so call'd although this Church be invisible since S. Augustin calls it so in the fifth book against the Donatists and S. Bernard upon the Canticles chap. 23. and 68. The Elect are gather'd into this Church by faith charity and the Sacraments as in the visible and militant Church the Elect and the other Faithfull are united by the same bonds and although some of them depart from charity yet if they fall not from the Catholick faith they cease not to be and to remain in the same Church VI. PROPOSITION And to enable us to do it he hath left his H. Spirit in the Church which with a secreet but powerfull fire burnes up what ever it findes impure and superfluous and more and more enflames the hearts of his Elect with holy and chast desires so that they become most purified when they are cleansed from the pollutions of this world ANSWER I proceeded in declaring the blessings and favours of God upon the Elect since the H. Spirit is given to them for the purging away of their sins and inflaming their minds with pure thoughts which are the source of the good works which flow forth to the sanctifying of God so that they become most purified Which truth is not to be understood of all the Predestinate but we must believe that this is effected in some who may become most pure according to the state of the present life may advance happily from vertue to vertue as S. Paul notes in his Epistles S. Augustin useth the same word in his first book de Trinitate when he saith that the most purifi'd minds purgatissimae mentes are able to behold the Supreame Good I say most purifi'd as to the affections of the will and not onely as to the thoughts of the mind quantum ad affectum non selum ad intellectum as S. Bonaventure expounds it But to conclude how I might say this S. Thomas must be consulted in scripto quarto super quartum sententiarum where he speaks of Purgatory and explaines what it is to build upon the foundation wood and stubble he that compares the works of the perfect with those of the imperfect and saith that venial sins are burned by the favour of charity and that we must not say that these sins are the wood and stubble built upon the foundation because they remain not habitually in them adding that they are secure and their remaines nothing to be purged in them Now this my opinion does injury to no body because 't is delivered with a condition and comprehends not all the Elect as appears manifestly by the sequel and explication of the word and should it comprehend them all though I have not affirm'd so what hinders but that I may say that the Elect may become most purified in the same sense that S. Paul saith there remaines no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus and when he requires of a man who would be a perfect Christian to put off the old man with all its lusts VII PROPOSITION These are Consequences drawn by those who will not give God the honour which is due to him or those who would divide what belongs to Christ alone and know not the abundance of his mercy which hath been exhibited to us in the death of Jesus Christ who willing to show us the misery of our desperate bondage hath shew'd in himself what is the true liberty of his Children and taught it with his own mouth when he saith If the Son make you free you shall be free indeed ANSWER I had before rejected the false Consequences which they attribute to Divine Predestination because things of the greatest truth may be perverted by such Consequences But now to detest the pride of men who extolling the strength of nature more then they ought pretend to do good works without the assistance of grace I speak against those who knowing not what they are without grace render not to God all the thanks which they ought Now 't is to God alone that glory is to be ascribed because the universal Church sings thus after S. Paul To God alone the immortal and invisible King be honour and glory But to understand how I spoke this there is no more necessary but to consider rhe following words in my treatise where I cite the H. Gospel If the Son make you free you shall be free indeed I say once again that 't is to God alone that glory ought to be given nor can any place of Scripture be found wherein this wholesome confession doth not shine The books of the Prophets are full of it and the whole Scripture teaches us nothing else Moreover from this holy and true acknowledgement all blessings arrive to us the soul falls to reform it self when it humbly considers and sincerely acknowledges before God it own poverty and nakednesse without