only receive that help of perseverance such as that which was given to Adam but that which they receive is such that perseverance it self is given to them so that they not only could not persevere without that help but with that help they cannot but persevere Now what S. Augustin speaks of Perseverance 't is manifest that he everywhere speaks the same of Faith Repentance and Continence Whence this Argument may be form'd In the same manner that the Church prayes to God for Perseverance it prayes also for Faith Repentance c. But when the Church prayes for Perseverance it prayes for the assistance of Effectual Grace without which we cannot persevere and with which we cannot but persevere Therefore when it prayes for Faith Repentance c. it prays for the assistance of Effectual Grace without which we can neither be Believers nor Penitent c and with which we cannot but be so Pope Celestine in his Letter to the French Bishops confirms the same thing so clearly that the whole eleventh Chapter shews by the prayers mention'd in it what is the faith of the whole Church touching the true and Effectual Grace of God His words are these Besides the inviolable Decrees of the most Holy Apostolick See by which those most Holy Fathers rejected this detestable Innovation whose source is Pride have taught us that we ought to refer to the grace of Jesus Christ both the beginning of a right will in Man and his increasing in holy life and his perseverance to the end Let us consider also the solemn prayers made by the Priests which having been left us by Apostolical Tradition are uniformly celebrated in the whole Catholick Church throughout the World to the end that the form of our prayers may be the rule of our faith For Bishops acting as Ambassadors to God in the name of the faithful committed to their charge plead the cause of mankind in his divine presence and all the Church accompanying their words with sighs and tears prays to God with them to give faith to Infidels to deliver Idolaters from the impiety of their Errors to make known his Truth to the Jewes by removing the vail which is upon their hearts to enlighten the minds of Hereticks by causing them to embrace the Catholick faith to diffuse a spirit of charity into the breasts of Schismaticks to grant repentance to such as are fallen to open to the Catechumeni the door of the mercy of Heaven in the holy regeneration of the Sacrament of Baptism And the effects shew that 't is not in vain and only for form that we beg all these things of God since he vouchsafes by his goodnesse to draw many persons out of all kind of errors and wandrings to deliver them out of the power of darknesse and bring them into the kingdom of his beloved Son and thus to change those into vessels of mercy who were at first vessels of his wrath Which the Church in such sort acknowledges to be wholly God's work that it doth not fail to give him thanks for it and offer to him a song of praises confessing him the author thereof and that 't is he that enlightned the Infidels and converted the sinners But M. H. F. This will appear more clearly by considering the very expressions of the prayers which the Church offers to God throughout all the World by perpetual custome in which it prayes not only for the power to act but also for the will and action it self In this manner it speaks on the sixth Sunday after Pentecost God of all power and might who art the only author of all true good graffe in our hearts the love of thy H. Name cause us to grow more and more in religious piety to the end that thy self cherishing the seeds of vertue which thou hast planted in us the same may be preserved by the pious and faithful care which thou shalt cause us to have thereof And on the eighth Sunday Grant Lord by thy mercy that thy Spirit may inspire holy thoughts into us and cause us to produce holy actions that we who cannot live without thee may by thee be able to live according to thy Will And on the twelfth Sunday Almighty and merciful God through whose grace alone it cometh that thy faithful people do unto thee true and laudable service be pleas'd so to uphold ue that without falling through our weaknesse we may constantly run towards those good things which thou hast promis'd And on the sixteenth Sunday Lord we pray thee that thy grace may alwayes prevent and follow us and mako us continually to be given to all good works And on the Eve of Pentecost Grant Lord that we may be able to subdue our depraved will and accomplish in all things the Righteousnesse of thy holy Commandments And in the secret Orison of the Masse on the fourteenth Sunday Lord convert and draw unto thee our rebellious wills Nothing can more clearly evince that the Grace which moves our rebellious will to return unto God is not subject to Free-will or of such a nature as that it sometimes fails of its effect through the resistance of the will But what motion is that whereby the Church prayes that it may be turn'd to God Certainly 't is not such an inconsiderate and blind motion as that wherewith an insensible Instrument is mov'd but 't is that motion of divine Love and that bond of most sweet and heavenly charity by which God pulls and draws to himself him whom he pleases to render vertuous In which respect there is no fear of our liberty being violated by that attraction and motion how victorious soever it may be For being nothing is done in us more freely then that which is done by Love according to that saying of S. Augustin He who doth any thing willingly alwayes doth it freely How can it ever happen that Liberty should be destroy'd by the cause which produces it in its whole plenitude But I return to the prayers of the Church Now the Church speaks thus in the secret Orison which it makes to God for the gift of tears Cause us to shed tears of compunction for the hardnesse of our hearts to the end we may bewail our sins And in the Post-Communion Lord through thy goodnesse infuse into our hearts the grace of thy Holy Spirit which may enable us to blot out the stains of our sins by sighs and tears Moreover The Church implores the gift of Charity O God which canst cause things to work together for the good of those that love thee stir up in our hearts an ardent sense of thy love that no temptation may be able to alter the holy desires which thou hast inspir'd into ut by thy goodnesse And on H. Friday Let us pray also for the Catechumeni that the Lord our God may open the eares of their hearts And a Little after Let us pray also for the perfidious Jewes that the Lord our God may remove the vail
it or me that therefore I need not be afraid of any rumors or menaces and of this I I might assure our General Upon my mentioning the abuse which the Jesuites made of this Declaration he told me their General had written to their Fathers to forbear doing so That himself had written to F. Annat to that purpose whose printing of his book at Paris Jansenius à Thomistis damnatus he did not approve nor that which he printed de incoacta libertate with the decree and approbation of the H. Office that had no esteem at all of these books but that one of his intitled Augustinus à Baianis vindicatus was a book of great learning whence you may judge how requisite it is to have an answer made to it and seen here The day before I was with Cardinal Ghiggi to complain to him of the threatnings of the Jesuites and assure him that our Congregation would be alwayes obedient to follow the doctrine of the Church and the H. Councils And having also told him that because our Congregation adher'd to the doctrine of S. Augustin and Thomas this gave occasion to the Jesuites to calumniate our doctrine He answer'd me that he had heard nothing of it that indeed he had heard a talk of some union of F. Bourgoing our General with the Jesuites touching doctrine but of nothing besides To which I reply'd that this union was only an union of charity and not of doctrine that we adher'd in Divinity and doctrine to S. Augustin and S. Thomas and should not recede from them in regard his Holinesse had plainly declar'd to have a great respect for this doctrine and that he intended to do nothing against it But the Cardinal answer'd me with sufficient coldnesse that his Holinesse intended not to do any thing against it and that so long as we follow'd the Scholiastick authors approved by the H. Church we should never be blam'd By his discourse I judg'd that he was one of those who had done most hurt to the truth and contributed most to this decision I am inform'd that amongst many other praises which F. Tartaglia gave this Cardinal in a certain company for his wit learning and piety one was that he was the penman of this admirable Constitution in which he said nothing could be added or whereof every word was as so many oracles of the H. Ghost c. I must confesse to you I have been much mistaken in this Cardinal and the credit respect and esteem which I formerly had for him is much abated I forgot to tell you that I found M. Hallier with this Cardinal before me to whom himself and some others of his family made great caresses whereby I perceived that the Molinists were more wellcome there then the Augustinians His Holinesse gave M Hallier this week a Priory of 800. Crownes motu proprio that is to say this Priory which is in Bretegne and known by the name of the Priory de Rieux having been desired of his Holiness by some persons potent in credit of which some were Cardinals the Pope askt what it was worth and being answer'd that it was worth 800. or 1000. Crownes his Holinesse said he would have it for M. Hallier and accordingly commanded the Datary to expedite the same for him This will encrease the number of his Benefices but not of his merit 'T is said He looks for a Mitre as the reward of his glorious labours for defence of the Church They lodge still at the three Kings in a hir'd chamber c. F. Reginald is talkt of to be Divine and Preceptor to the young Cardinal Barberin If his General stirre in it he may have this employment otherwise the Jesuites will obstruct him I wish it him for the benefit which would thereby arise here to Truth I shall adde one reflexion here which I hear was made upon the Censure by a person of capacity viz. he saith he found in a Canonist that when ever his Holinesse us'd the word declaramus in his Bulls and Decrees 't was an infallible token that his Holinesse by such Bull or Decree non constituebat novum jus censuram sed tantum confirmabat stabiliebat jam factum stabilitum licet adderentur ista verba definimus quae semper considerantur ut habentia ordinem ad declaramus And consequently in the Censure of the Five Propositions this word declaramus being repeated at every Censure of every one of the said Propositions 't is an infallible sign that by it his Holiness hath not made a new Censure of these Propositions but onely declar'd or renew'd those which were formerly made against them in the Council of Trent onely in the sense of the Calvinists and Lutherans and no-wise in the sense of S. Augustin S. Thomas or of him whom you follow The Eleventh was of July 18. and contain'd no other newes saving that the Pope was much displeas'd with the Spaniards and amongst other causes thereof complain'd that the Bishops of Flanders refus'd to obey him and contemn'd his authority which he threatned to revenge and made great complaints of it to Cardinal Trivultio in the last audience which his Holinesse gave him Non ho cosa particolare di nuovo salvo che il Papa si da per disgustatissimo da spagnoli è frà l' alhe occasioni del suo disgusto si duole che li Vescovi di Fiandra non obediscano è s' avanxano al dispreggio della sua autorità onde minaccia sissentimenti è nell ' ultima audienza data a Trivulsio fece longa dolianza The twelfth is of the 19th of July written by F. Petit wherein after some private affair he tells me thus As for the Menaces of Jesuites I care little for them by God's help I shall dissipate them without their doing me any mischief Neverthelesse I shall follow your counsel and endevor not to fall out with any person about these matters although I shall have much ado to forbear from quarrelling with those who take advantage of this Censure to say that the doctrine of S. Augustin and Thomas touching grace effectual by it self is censur'd and that you are condemn'd considering that ever since your first arrival and since the Decision the Pope plainly protested the contrary and that you never held these Propositions but with reference to Effectual Grace three days ago I had a brush about it with F. Marinari who asking me news of you fell to tell me that you were condemn'd I could not suffer it but answer'd him that you never held these Propositions otherwise then in the sense of S. Augustin and of S. Thomas and of Grace effectual by it self which his Holinesse profess'd he meant not to prejudice by this decision but I could get no more reply from him saving that they were condemn'd absolutely and without exception of Effectual Grace And when I press'd him to tell me whether S. Augustin S. Thomas and Effectual Grace were condemn'd he
therein with whom he conceiv'd I had some commerce might acquiesce in the extent and with the Glosses and passable conditions with which he told me the said Bull was made and which might be express'd in such Declaration Which was certainly a thought worthy so great and renown'd a Cardinal as well for the honour of the memory of Vrban VIII his Uncle and the execution of his intentions as for avoiding provocation to wrath according to the Scripture expression by the continuance of an obscurity and a studied silence of the most humble children of the Catholick Church most zealous for her and the Holy See and very capable of serving both against their common enemies I remember I accounted it a thing resolv'd upon by the Cardinal and so fully conceiv'd that he having undertaken it the accomplishment must needs follow and they who profess'd some repugnance to the said Bull being as I was confident very ready to imbrace all overtures of peace compatible with the preservation of truth that at my return from a smal journey taken with the abovementioned Gentleman to Civita Vecchia the Alum mines and Caprarola finding a Citation fix'd up against M. Hersent in which I observ'd such words as might exasperate minds affected to S. Augustin I went speedily to the said Cardinal to make my complaint thereof to him and testifie my grief in seeing this new obstacle to the design which he had profess'd of bringing matters to a safe and permanent reconciliation by giving a favorable interpretation to the said Bull. Now this Citation was decreed in the names of the Cardinals Roma la Cueva Spada Ginetti S. Clement Panzirolo Lugo Colonna d' Este and likewise in the name of Cardinal Barberin and it mention'd the Doctrine of Jansenius and of that whereof M. Hersent desir'd the Pope's protection which is no other then that of S. Augustin as a doctrine purely and simply condemn'd although as for that of S. Augustin all the world acknowledg'd it at Rome as a doctrine confirm'd and approv'd by the general consent of the Church in all Ages and although as for that of Jansenius Cardinal Barberin had often told me that such as it was it remain'd still in its integrity and had receiv'd no blow from the Bull of his Uncle But this Citation which was likely to be carried everywhere to the remotest Provinces and which gave a sufficiently plausible ground to all the enemies of S. Augustin and Jansenius to speak otherwise of the said Bull gave also occasion to such as were concern'd for either or both to become alienated and exasperated and brought into dispute the honour of the H. See from whence it was lookt upon as proceeding bearing the names and seals of their Eminences the most considerable members officers and supports thereof The Cardinall seem'd astonisht at what I said to him and answer'd me that he would consider the matter and advertise the aforesaid persons thereof That he remembred that he signed some thing but it was without having had any hand in the businesse That he had been in the Country the week before and indisposed this that all these things were transacted by the Office of the Rota which inserts in these kind of Instruments what seemed good to them and always interprets things to the worst After which he proceeded to speak again of the Bull of Vrban VIII and told me that we ought to handle the same tenderly and not thwart it so directly because that this and others the like were set forth and are to be understood supposing that the books in question contain really the Propositions of which they are accus'd which being matter of fact the Popes may be surpris'd and deceiv'd therein And that in case such Books do not contain the Propositions imputed to them condemnations or rather prohibitions as he told me do not touch them nor lay any blot or prejudice upon them And as for that of Jansenius in particular he added that the Bull of Vrban VIII doth not condemn but only forbid it upon the report made thereof to his Holinesse I testifi'd that I was very glad to learn from his Eminence the interpretation and extent which ought to be given to those Decrees and Bulls but I told him that the Jesuites and their Adherents did not understand the same in this manner nor confine them within these bounds The Cardinal reply'd that herein we ought to be firme and hold them to it I answer'd that that course was taken and is still endevor'd to the utmost but his Eminence might extinguish many contests of no fruit nor edefication if in stead of leaving Divines to wrangle among themselves about such punctilio's he would procure some Decree or Bull from the H. See wherein were made such an open and sincere declaration and explication of those hitherto set forth as his Eminence did now make to me But I could not urge this matter further and the Cardinal haveing caused me to return to what I have above related of the visite given to the Nuntio by the Archbishop of Ambrun and the other Prelates and to what had pass'd in the University touchching the Irish he told me that it were good that the Pope had alwayes about him two or three persons of France and as many of Spaine to informe his Holinesse of the things which pass'd in those remote countries touching doctrine I answer'd him that it would be very good but that besides the difficulties which occurre herein their manner of handling affairs in secret and covertly much discourag'd those that desir'd to send or come thither He reply'd that it was the order which was exactly observ'd amongst them not to reveale any thing of the affaires which they handle daily but that in those which then divided mens minds and whereof we had so often discours'd nothing could be done publickly without reciprocal communication and a Congregation established on purpose for that cause I had the honour to see Cardinal Barberin the Saterday before this conference and to accompany him to the Celestines to a Thesis of Divinity dedicated to him on Saturday 19. March 1651. The Thesis amongst others was upon the matter of Grace and Predestination to Glory which was defended there as done gratuitously and effectually before the Prevision of Merits of which point that of effectual Grace and all the other Christian Truths maintain'd by us in the Five Propositions being clear and infallible consequences I this day took this occasion to make to his Eminence a short reduction thereof to grace effectual by it self the sole thing for whose defense and establishment we were engag'd in exclusion of sufficient Grace subject to Free-will The Cardinal profess'd himself satisfied with the reduction and declaration and told me that he conceiv'd that this was the way to bring affairs to a speedy issue I remembred that at my departure from him when I shew'd his Eminence the Letter of M. de Valence I went to see Lucas Holstenius
but delayes These two new Collegues arriv'd about half an houre before it was time to go and accompany the Ambassador to the Tenebres a ceremony so called of S. Peter Yet I omitted not to go I gave him notice of their arrival and that they intended to have the honour of seeing him at his return He answer'd me that he should be glad to see them and that the Pope would certainly be so too After having accompani'd the Ambassadour to S. Peter's Church I return'd home and M. de Valcroisant Angran and I went along with them to his palace He receiv'd them with his accustomed courtesie and confirm'd to us what he had so often said to me that we should be heard as much as we could wish the Pope having so assur'd him Upon H. Thursday I went again to the Ambassador with F. Des-mares and M. Manassier to accompany him to S. Peter's Church He injoyn'd his Maistre de Chambre to take care of them that they might conveniently see the great Ceremony or rather the several Ceremonies of that Eminent day He had scarce left us but the Pope came forth carri'd in his Pontifical chair he took notice of them very attentively and fixt his eyes upon them all the while his Chair was passing by So that I conjectured the Ambassador had already acquainted him with their arrival and accordingly he told me so the next day I shall not stand here to describe the Ceremonies which lasted all the forenoon but I cannot omit the Ambassador's particular courtesie who in several occasions performed the charge which he had given his Maistre de Chambre having the abovesaid persons near him discoursing with them and causing them to passe before him in such places where the Suisses who kept the doors would not otherwise have permitted them entrance We were all there at the Pope's Quarter above the principal door of S. Peter's Church during the fulmination of the Bull In Coena Domini and the Benediction which he gives afterwards to the people which is a narrow place scarce capable of a quarter of the Cardinals Bishops Ambassadors Princes ally'd to the Pope and the Officers inseperable from the person of his Holiness in this Ceremony which my other Collegues and I had seen the year before But to omit these external magnificences I had in the interval of the Ceremonies an encounter which gave me great satisfaction There was in Cardinal Corrado's Court a learned person of great parts named Il Signor Honorato who having in several places heard talk of the subject of our Contests and the Maximes imputed to us could scarce credit them and for his further assurance took the liberty to visit us long before When he visited us he was full of the conceits and phantasmes of Molinisme and having propounded to us what he pleased concerning the Propositions and heard the answers which we made thereunto ingenuously according to S. Augustins's doctrin he seem'd to us outwardly not averse from them yet as he told us afterwards he was wholly scandaliz'd at them in his mind Nevertheless being we convers'd with him upon the terms of honest liberty and civility he believ'd himself oblig'd to us He esteem'd our persons but deplor'd our errors When he met us he receiv'd and return'd our salutation civilly but he was inwardly much troubled that such honest persons as he accounted us otherwise were so unhappily engag'd in such extravagant Opinions as ours seem'd to him We had a while ago printed our little Volume of S. Augustin and as I was going to distribute some Copies of it I met this honest Gentleman in a narrow place where we were oblig'd to speak together After some discourse I conceived it not unfitting to offer him one If he could have fairly declin'd it he would but fearing to injure the civility and heartiness wherewith I seem'd to offer it he accepted it though with repugnance and regret For some time he kept it and would not read it at length he read it and it was at first an occasion of great perplexity to his mind then of much inquietude afterwards of many tears and prayers and at length the ground of a consolation which surpassed all the rest He told me nothing of all these his secret sentiments till after that he was fully convinc'd of the Truth which he had discover'd by reading those Divine Works which he did in private without the assistance of any person This reading alone so rectifi'd his former mistakes which he hitherto had accounted Orthodox Truths and so convinc'd him the certainty and excellence of the Orthodox Truths which we defended which he had mistaken for pitifull Errors that I cannot express with what humility and resentment he profess'd himself bound to God for it I have seen him since several times so tenderly sensible thereof that tears of joy and consolation have come into his eyes But it was upon this day that he told me the first and most acceptable news of it A while afterwards he brought me twelve Latin Disticks into which he had reduc'd as many prime maximes of the Christian Faith touching Grace which S. Augustin in his 107. Epistle to Vitalis saith Christian Catholicks hold as so many certain rules of their Belief concerning that mystery He shew'd them to me only to see whether he had rightly taken S. Austin's sense but I found those rules so well compriz'd in verse considering the confinement of Poetry and that they were compos'd by a person newly inlightned with those truths that I desired him to give me a Copy of them and have thought fit here to insert it With which I shall also insert a faithful translation of the place of S. Augustin wherein those Rules are to the end the Reader comparing the Disticks therewith may understand them more easily and better judge of this first essay of a man newly reclaim'd from Molinism Because saith S. Augustin by the Grace of Jesus Christ we are Christians and Catholicks we know I. That Children have done neither good nor evil in a life peculiar to them before their birth and that 't is not according to what they have merited in a former life it being impossible that every particular could so merit that they come into the miseries of this life but being born carnally according to Adam they contracted from their first birth the contagion of antient death and are not delivered from the punishment of eternal death which a just Sentence hath past upon all men unlesse they be born again in Jesus Christ by Grace I. Mortuus heu primi contractâ morte parentis Nascor at in Christo vita renata mea est II. We know that Grace is given neither to Children nor to persons of Age according to their merits II. Nulla nec infanti nec adulto gratia quam te Forte putes factis promeruisse datur III. We know that the Grace which is given to persons who have the use of Reason is given to
the reasonablenesse of it telling the other that no dangerous consequence could be feared from it in regard of the praises attributed therein to that H. Doctor by which he said his Doctrine was secur'd The other Cardinal reply'd that those praises were of little advantage to S. Augustin if his doctrine was really condemn'd adding that the Propositions in question were his very doctrin and till their condemnation maintain'd as so many articles of Faith Cardinal Ghiggi answer'd that they were equivocal and contain'd evill sense The other reply'd that they also contain'd Capital truths of the Catholick faith in the good senses wherein they might be understood For proof whereof he began to explain them with admirable facility and clearnesse but Cardinal Ghiggi excused himself from hearing him saying that he had not studied them Whereupon the other said Alas how then can you consent to their condemnation if you have not studied them Cardinal Ghiggi answered I should have studied them had I been da volare oblig'd to give my opinion and Vote concerning them The other demanded if you have not given your opinion how will it be true which the Pope shall say in his Bull that he condemnes them by advice of the Cardinals de Consilio fratrum nostrorum Cardinal Ghiggi answer'd that it would be true by a Council of prudence per un Consiglio prudentiale or otherwise by a Political advice of what was expedient to ordain regard being had to all the circumstances of the affair The other excepted again How can one give a prudential Counsel touching an affair which he hath not studied and sees not to the bottom If this Bull be published 't will be a Bull of the Consultors not of the Cardinals and of Consultors pickt and cull'd by wayes which all the world knowes and the French Doctors are not ignorant of they keep a register of them and if an unfitting Judgement come forth we shall soon see the H. See charg'd with confusion by printed Books in all parts Besides if any obscurity be in the Bull every one will draw it to his own side and this will cause horrible combustions and contest But for all this in summa said my Relator this Cardinal got nothing at all in his conference with Cardinal Ghiggi but very sharp answers from him Non fu guadagnato niente ma sempre acertissima risposta Returning home from the Visit wherein I learnt these passages we deliberated concerning our going altogether that morning to the Pope to deliver him the Letter of Febr. 24. and declare to him that we had been and should be alwayes ready to appear before him whenever he should appoint us Besides the general respect due to the Head of the Church from all the Faithful we consider'd what particular reasons we had for it in the present conjuncture and that the Pope was absolutely determin'd not to hear us at all in a contradictory Conference having so declar'd to our new Collegues that he conceiv'd he had us'd all moral diligences necessary for clearing the Truth that he was perswaded that after those diligences the H. Ghost's assistance of him was infallible and that he was resolv'd to pronounce a Judgement We consider'd the persons who inform'd him from whom he took counsel most of them prejudic'd against S. Augustin's doctrine against us offended with the difficulties we had made to appear before them unlesse on the conditions we demanded and accounting they did us a favour to hear us in the manner which they offer'd seeing that most of the World was become disaffected to us through the contrivances of the Jesuites throughout all Europe especially in France not likely to neglect so favourable an occasion of promoting the dominion which they affect over the conscience and liberty of the Faithful We consider'd that the Bull which was already compil'd against the Propositions could not but give great advantages to our Adversaries and be in their hands like a sword in those of a mad man when once it came forth that having assuredly not been made but by the ministry of M. Albizzi and the assistance of the Jesuites they might easily have slipt into it words of very great consequence beside the Pope's intention from whence the Jesuites might pretend the cause gain'd for their Molina and whose sequels his Holinesse not being sufficiently instructed in these matters could not foresee no more being necessary for his satisfaction saving that it appear'd in general that his intentions were follow'd wherefore we accounted it highly important to stop its publication We consider'd that in one of the Writings prepar'd for us we had our selves done what we beseecht the Pope might be done before all things namely distinguisht the Propositions into the several senses whereof they were capable and clearly explicated them both in the one and the other without equivocation or obscurity Which Writing was necessary to be read and publickly declar'd to the Pope before the Bull came forth to the end that if it absolutely condemn'd the Propositions we might have this authentick proof further that we had not maintain'd them absolutely but only in the Catholick senses whereof they were susceptible We consider'd that we could not have the advantage of making such declaration and protestation before the Pope nor hindering the publishing of the Bull if we still insisted upon being heard in the formes which we had dnmanded because 't was evidently dangerous that the Pope would persist to deny the same to us and without regard to what we had represented to him cause the Bull to be publisht forthwith Which would be of no other advantage to us then that we might complain of being condemn'd after an unheard of manner in defending the best cause of the World But neverthelesse such condemnation would cause great disorder and scandal in the Church We consider'd that the Pope might have good intentions That our Writings were very home that if he gave us time to explicate the same to him and add thereunto viva voce what we pleas'd as he promis'd us the truths which we had to represent to him might make some impression upon his mind stop his purpose against us wherto our Adversaries had drawn him convince him of the necessity of a Conference and consequently move him to appoint one of his own accord without our further demanding it We consider'd that should we be deceiv'd in our hopes this new fashion'd Audience which he would give us not being according to Ecclesiastical lawes and customes and we not accepting it but in regard of the present conjuncture and circumstances above mention'd there would be no great difference between having been heard in this manner and not being heard at all Lastly We consider'd that we accepted not this Audience but only to have the meanes of representing to the Pope that it was not such as we demanded that the accustom'd forms of the Church were not observ'd in it that Ecclesiastical liberty was infring'd by
Predecessor Innocent 1. And your H. shall find not without wonder that 't is renew'd in such manner that our adversaries both in their manner of proceeding and writing imploy the same atifices and the same deceits of those ancient enemies of Grace of which S. Augustin and S. Prosper incessantly complain The Writing alone which they presented to your H. consisting of sixty passages of S. Augustin fully proves with how great reason and justice we frame so important an accusation against them and your H. will become fully perswaded hereof if you permit us to refute in your presence what they have advanc'd in that Writing Your H. shall see that they suppose therin what no body hath taught that they refute what no body hath disputed that the passages alledg'd out of S. Augustin are maim'd or perverted that they maliciously suppresse those which clearly explain his meaning that they attribute to him a sense wholly contrary to his own as the same passages manifestly show And lastly your H. shall see that they are all either falsely or maliciously or impertinently alledg'd that they act without shame or faith before you in this matter of faith that they approach your Apostolical Throne without any reverence and that no other reason leads them under colour of a false respect to reject and decline the Conference which we desired to have with them but because they well know that they cannot avoid being publickly convinc'd of foul dealing and ignorance And consequently we are assured that as much as your H. loves sincerity candor and justice so much will you be mov'd with most just indignation against them But this assurance M. H. F. wherewith the truth which we conceive we maintain causes us to speak before your H. diminishes nothing of the full and intire submission which we shall alwaies have to the judgement which you shall passe as the boldnesse and confidence wherewith they who before us encounter'd the errors sprung up or reviv'd in the Church before the same were condemn'd attaqu'd their adversaries did not hinder but that they were perfectly submissive to the decisions of the H. See and Councils Now being we have no other aime in this affair but to seek the Truth which alone causes us to speak and since we are deputed to your Holinesse by some Bishops onely out of a design to serve the Truth and the H. See as much as we shall be able our desire shall be accomplisht if your H. judge that the honor of Truth and the H. See obliges you to correct or even condemne somethihg of what we maintain and we not onely submit our selves to your judgement but being glad of being corrected we shall publish the same everywhere with joy But if on the contrary your Holinesse findes that we defend the faith of the Catholick Apostolick and Romane Church and that the Jesuites and Doctors who contrived these Propositions designe by the obscurity of their equivocal words to subvert the true grace of Jesus Christ defended by S. Augustin in the name of the whole Church and to banish it out of the minds of all the Faithful and that they are engaged in pernicious errors we expect from Your Holiness's justice and with as much humility as urgency desire that you condemn their errors and establish the Catholick Faith Neither they nor we ought to be spar'd Truth ought to be strongly upheld against us if it appear that 't is we who injure it it ought to be establisht against us in its whole strength This is that which we avoid not but desire Now if our Adversaries have the same purpose of seeking truth and peace they will have no other wishes nor make other demands and Your Holiness will hear the same words from their mouthes as from ours Let neither we nor those engag'd in the same party with us be consider'd but let regard be had only to the Truth the honour of the Church and the dignity of the H. Apostolick See Thus M. H. F. after having implor'd the assistance of the Holy and Indivisible Trinity we are prepar'd to maintain in Your Holiness's presence this so important point of the Catholick Faith and trusting to that same Grace of Jesus Christ our Saviour to the defence and glory whereof we consecrate all our words and Writings we implore his divine illumination that we may be able rightly to understand and explicate the matter in question And it will be great consolation to us that in speaking before him who is the Oracle of Truth what we shall not be able to comprehend in such difficult questions will not as S. Augustin speaks be imputed to the truth which profitably exercises pious soules even when it is hid from them but to our little light which hinder'd us from being able rightly to comprehend them or well explicate what we comprehended And lastly M. H. F. We here make the protestation which S. Augustin saith is the token of a truly Catholick spirit that if it should be so that the sentiments hitherto held by us be not conformable to the Truth we are ready to renounce the same as soon as it shall be discover'd to us and to submit our selves to your judgement as being that of the Vicar of Jesus Christ and of S. Peter's successor Whilst this Harangue was pronouncing the Pope and whole Assembly heard it with great silence and attention the Pope advancing himself a little out of his Seat which was the ordinary manner of his greater attentivenesse Whenever the Jesuites were mention'd by their names he instantly turn'd his head and cast his eyes upon F. Palavicini's and held them fixt upon him as often as any thing a little more vehemently was spoken against them as if he meant to observe that Jesuites countenance or ask him what he had to answer to the charge The Abbot of Valcroissant had his Oration in his hand as the custome is at Rome to fix his memory the better and though he lookt upon his paper sometimes to follow it yet he pronounc'd it all without need of recurring to it At the end of the Oration we all made a genuflexion together M. Manessier and Angran brought some books with them which they laid upon the end of the Benches whereon the Cardinals sat and I had with me the Writings which we had prepar'd to present to the Pope That which contain'd the hundred and six Propositions extracted out of the books of the Jesuites against S. Augustin's authority I deliver'd into the hands of M. de Valcroissant he also gave me his Oration Assoon as ever it was begun M. Albizzi fell to writing and did the like at several passages especially by what I could observe at such as mention'd submission respect and affection to the H. See No doubt he conceiv'd this Oration would not be seen and fear'd lest those words of grandeur and esteeme for the H. See should escape him After M. de Valcroissant had made a little pause he began a
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