up thereupon and soon after Printed It shall suffice to signify that M. de Heu Curé of S. Severin M. Chastellain M. Copin M. de Mincé M. Rousse M. Bachelier and M. Brousse joyned with me in the opposition whâ—ch I made against the said election M. Hallier employ'd divers of his friends to the end we might enter into some accommodement with him and we on our part were as desirous thereof as himself so far as the nature and circumstances of the matter permitted and provided we might have sufficient assurance that such accommodement tended to the honour and publick peace of the Faculty as well as to the satisfaction of the parties concern'd The first time he gave me occasion to speak thereof was the 12. of October by a Doctor much his friend and mine who came to me as we were going from a Doctor 's Act that day and told me M. Hallier was prodigiously incens'd against me for that he understood I intended to prosecute in Parliament the opposition I had made against his election to the office of Syndic That M. Hallier had enjoyn'd him to assure me that he was absolutely dispos'd to live in peace with me and to do his utmost for that of the Faculty That he desir'd nothing more then to stifle the divisions arisen upon M. Cornet's enterprise to reconcile the different opinions touching the prepositions made the first of July and to reduce the most exasperated minds to a just temper and mutual concord That he promised in the word of an honest man to use his authority to these ends and to deport himself towards us in his Syndical so well that we should have cause to be glad of him if we would but leave him in quiet and liberty to perform the duties of his place That should he be brought before the Parlament upon the accusation fram'd by me against him we ought to expect from him I particularly all such treatments as are to be fear'd from a man justly provok'd and offended in his honour which was dear to him and which he resolv'd to maintain with the hazard of all other things That we knew well what correspondence and credit he had at Rome to obtain or stop a Bull there against us That he would interest the Pope and the Nuncio in his business That he would stirre up the Clergy of France whose Agent he had been in the last Assembly of the year 1645. That all this put together against the Parliament might be able to balance its authority and make good his attempts That as for me he would destroy me and that informations were promis'd him already against me I could hardly believe all these things did I not take them out of a letter which I writ the next day while they were yet fresh in my memory to one of our common friends whom I thought fit to advertise thereof And here take the very words of my answer to the menaces of M. Hallier I answer'd in summe that I desir'd peace as much as he and had always desir'd it that whatever should happen I would always act my utmost for it but I wish'd a good one safe and honorable That I was not a man to betray weakly the cause of God and the King for a counterfeit peace That all the powers wherewith he threatned me terrifi'd me not in asmuch as I hop'd the justice of my cause and proceeding being known to them they would approve my doings and there would be no division for this cause between them and our Lords of the Court of Parliament That I was sorry that he engag'd in this business but private intorests are nothing to me when the publick are concern'd That whatever he could say or do I would omit nothing of my duty and of what was in my power for the sevice of God and the King and for the defence of Truth and Justice Some dayes after came the festival of S. Vrsula for the solemnising of which all the Doctors of Sorbonne not absent in remote Provinces resort thither together M. the Archbishop of Ambrun was to preach there this year and the Queen was to come thither My chamber was chosen for the said Archbishop to retire into before and after his preaching and accordingly he came thither about nine a clock in the morning Soon after his comming he began to speak to me of the foresaid agreement in a manner something more gentle then that of the above mentioned message and to invite me thereunto by reasons not only relating to particular Doctors and all the Faculty but also to the whole body of the Sate This Prelate may remember that he found it no hard matter to convince me thereof because I was perfectly prepar'd thereunto not only for publick considerations and the desire which he said the Queen had for the agreement to be made but also for that I had my self as great a desire of it as could be imagin'd Neverthelesse all the conference the Archbishop and I had about this matter was terminated in general discourses and we spoke not of any conditions that might be made to that end neither at that time nor in two or three other converses wherein he spoke to me of it again that day There was likewise another person of the Colledge much devoted to M. Hallier call'd M. Segures who spoke to me about it in the same manner too without specifying any conditions thereof and who knew also how desirous I was of it but I did not find that an accommodation was any thing advanc'd by the discourse of either of them whilst they remained within those termes Wherefore the time urging either to conclude it if M. Hallier were dispos'd to do such things as were necessary in order to it or to pursue my opposition before the Parliament in the few days that remain'd thereof to the end to get a Rule of Court therein before our ensuing Assembly of the 4. of November if the publick interests could not consist with the particular aimes of M. Hallier I resolv'd to go the next day to M. Segures to tell him as much and desire him to advertise M. Hallier thereof and withall to propound to him what I desired of him to the end I might have ground to desist from the prosecution I should otherwise be oblig'd to use agninst him and to know after he had spoken with him whether he lik'd the conditions propos'd to him or not M. Segure made several visits to M. Hallier within two or three days during which all prosecutions against him were suspended about the expedients and conditions which were to be taken in order to concluding the said agreement I shall not mention the same here because they are to be set down in a Liste whereof I shall insert a Copy in due place It shall suffice to say that M. Hallier made no difficulty to close with them and to give all the verbal assurances thereof that could be desir'd before persons of honour
the same to the Faculty in the Assembly following which was to be on the first of July M. Guillebert perform'd his Charge and on that day presented to the Faculty a Paper in which he had reduc'd what he found worthy of Censure in the said Libel to three principal Heads The first of which contain'd what F. Veron had there written to destroy Confession The second what he had urg'd against Pennance And the third what he maintained against the authority of Councils M. Cornet made himself likewise in this Assembly F. Veron's Protector as he had done in the former He took upon him to justifie F. Veron in that he oppos'd the Propositions of the Bishop of Ipre which he maintained it would also be necessary to examine if this Libel were examin'd although that which M. Guillebert reprehended therein had no affinity with those Propositions Which also he formally made a request for for fear if the Faculty should examine and disallow the Libel alone it might be a kind of Fore-judgement in favour of those against whom it was written Hereupon M. Pereyret failing not to represent at large as he had done in the foregoing year the length of time and greatnesse of pains it would be requisite to spend in that examination insomuch said he that to do it well Jansenius S. Augustin and sundry other Books must be read from one end to the other and after ten years imploy'd therein there will be no great Progress made The Faculty concluded that for the interest of peace it was fit to forbear examining both F. Veron's Libel and the Propositions opposed I have lightly passed over this affair omitting sundry very considerable Circumstances that I might not stay upon any thing but what makes to my purpose yet Two there are which I cannot passe in silence One that M. Cornet drew up the said Conclusion on the first of July 1648. as he liked himself and when it was read on the first of August following M. Guillebert moved the Assembly that the same might be corrected as being neither true nor correspondent to what he had represented to the Faculty touching the Libel Yet this was hindred by the artifices and slights of M. Cornet The other is a clause annex'd to the said Conclusion importing that if notwithstanding the difficulties which render'd the examination so laborious at that time that it was not to be thought on it should please God to inspire any one to present to the Faculty any Propositions to be examined and decided by them it should be free for him to do so after two months In which besides the manifest contradiction appearing in the thoughts of these people who make semblance of being lovers of the tranquillity of the Faculty and neverthelesse are ready to disturbe the same within two months who at this present judge an examination so difficult which yet they are at the same instant dispos'd to undertake two months after It is visible that they had already in their breasts a setled purpose of attempting the Five Propositions the performance of which they deferr'd till July in the following year only by reason of the broyles of Paris For when the proposal thereof was made in Sorbonne on that day M. the Abbot de l' Isle Marivault Doctor of Navarre told one of his friends from whom I learnt it that M. the Bishop of Rhodez had told him before the Kings departure from Paris on the day of the Three Kings 1649. that the said Propositions had been already shewn him to be censur'd on the first day by the Faculty CHAP. IV. Of sundry things which pass'd in several Assemblies of the Faculty in the same year 1648. touching the number of such of the Mendicant Orders as might be admitted into Licenses and Assemblies IN the same Assembly of the second of May 1648. wherein complaint was made of F. Veron's Libel another seed of division brake forth which was of much longer continuance Almost all the Religious Mendicants Doctors of the Faculty were so link'd to M. Cornet and Pereyret that they had no other rule of judgement in any matter under debate but the opinion of the said two Doctors insomuch that their Suffrages were almost alwayes conceiv'd in these terms Sequor sententiam Domini Pereyret Idem cum Domino Pereyret In acknowledgment of which good offices and to multiply voyces they were so well assur'd of these Doctors conspir'd with such other Secular Doctors as they could draw to their party to get receiv'd into Licenses and advanc'd to the degree of Doctor as many Religious Mendicants as they could introduce above the number prescrib'd by the Statutes of the Faculty and Arrests of Parliament In this Assembly two Jacobins desir'd to be receiv'd as Supernumeraries besides three Cordeliers and another Jacobin who had been already receiv'd as such I signified to the Assembly the Statute which hindred us from doing them this favour and declar'd that if they proceeded to effect it I would oppose it neverthelesse it was carri'd by the plurality of voyces I oppos'd the Conclusion and M. de Roux Doctor of the house and society of Sorbonne joyn'd with me in the opposition We presented our Petition to the Parliament and an Arrest pass'd thereupon whereby the parties that pretended to take benefit of the said Conclusion were summoned to the Court on the first day and in the mean time prohibited to make use of it This Arrest was signified to the Faculty on the third of June and all the Secular Doctors excepting perhaps M. Cornet and his intimates who had consented to do that favour to the said Religious Mendicants only out of complyance and had not been instructed in the matter follow'd joyfully with one voyce the judgement of M. Messier which was That the Arrest was to be obey'd leaving the Religious to present themselves if they thought good before the Kings Ministers and represent to them their reasons if they had any The four Mendicant Orders interpos'd in behalf of their Batchelors who were concern'd in the cause which was pleaded on the eleventh of August The said Arrest was confirm'd and besides it was enacted That without regard to our Petition but in justice according to the Arguments of the Kings Attorney General the Arrests of the year 1626. whereby conformably to the Statutes and other Arrests the number of Mendicant Doctors that might be admitted into our Assemblies is restrain'd to two of each Order should be read every year on the first day of October in our Assembly to the end the memory and performance of the same may be perpetual with injunction to the Dean and Syndic to see to the observation of the same as they would answer the contrary at their peril The University having heard the report of this Processe and consider'd the importance of it concluded on June 13. to interpose therein if need were but the Arrest pass'd without mention made of their interposing or concerning themselves in the
mention the same in answer to those two Arrests of the Council of 8 July and 2 Nov. 1626. which had been signify'd to me anew that day by the Order and at the desire of the Mendicant Doctors Neverthelesse he forbore not in the Assembly of 4 Nov. to oppose those very two Arrests to the injunctions which M. Broussel and Viole us'd to him to see to the execution of those of the Parliament according to the duty of his place But it seems there is no great reason to wonder that M. Cornet so little valued those Letters Patents of 8 July 1631. sixteen years after they had been granted to the University seeing that so soon as they were granted he set himself with all his might to hinder the effect they might have causing himself by a party wholly of Mendicant Doctors to be install'd before the end of three Moneths in the Office of Syndic in which he would not want means to requite the good turns which he should receive from them and to continue the fidelity and correspondence he had sworn with them I shall mention nothing that pass'd in that election besides what I have learn'd from another Letter of M. Fillessac to Cardinal Richelieu dated Nov. 5. 1631. the Copy of which is come to my hands together with the Cardinal's answer And here they follow Another Letter of M. Fillessac Dean of the Faculty to Cardinal Richelieu My Lord ACcording to the command you were pleas'd to lay upon me to give you an account of the election of our Syndic I shall tell you in the first place that God having visited me with his merciful justice by afflicting * * One of his Domesticks had the Pestilence one of my Domesticks I was constrain'd to leave Paris and in my absence on the first of October according to our Statute the election of a Syndic was taken into consideration the term of the former being expir'd In this Assembly fifty Doctors were present But when I return'd to Paris I was desirous to know how the business pass'd Divers Doctors of our Fraternity coming to see me represented to me two considerable defects one in the person the other in the form of the election As to the first they represented him to me as a young Doctor of about five years standing unacquainted with our Statutes Customs and Forms besides which he ha's alwayes been train'd up and instructed by the Jesuites having once purposed to enter into that Society and to that end put himself into their Novitiate where he was indoctrinated for some time and had it not been for a sickness that befell him he would perhaps be now of their Society to which neverthelesse he remains allied by affection And every one knows how little reason we have to be well pleas'd with Them considering the scandalous Libels they have written against us heretofore and those they publish'd lately against our Censure pronounc'd against two Books compos'd by two English Jesuites Now it may here be presum'd that when ever there comes forth such like Papers from the said Society this new Syndic will not fail to crosse the businesse and generally all others relating to that Society as it hath hapned too often which will be a perpetual cause of trouble and division amongst us Our said Confreres make it appear that the Syndic of our Faculty is nothing else but a Censor and what Censure can he passe being ignorant of our Lawes and Customs And besides how will one more antient then himself take in good part any reproof or check from him who hath no credit and authority being a young Doctor As for the second defect of the fifty Doctors present at the election the first of October four and twenty voted it fit to stay till the return of the Dean the other twenty six chose this new Syndic and in this number there were eighteen Religious Mendicants suborn'd by the Nuntio and of them two were interdicted by the Faculty You may consider my Lord if you please that it was never known that his Holiness's Nuntio had any thing to do with our affairs or to attempt to give us Syndics to the prejudice of the Rights of the King the Liberties of the Gallicane Church and the Maximes of France Now if this proceeding be allow'd and this power of the Nuntio confirm'd I think in conscience I ought to discharge my self of the Deanship before I see with my eyes the evident ruine of our Faculty by the losse of its liberty It had been better to have retain'd the former Syndic an antient Doctor very well vers'd in our affairs and who knew how to maintain our discipline These things I have remonstrated to the Nuntio who is obstinate for retaining the new Syndic I conceive it to as little purpose to send M. de Nantes seeing the Abbot of St. Mark your Almoner having come to our Assembly hath declar'd it your intention that the said Syndic be retain'd in his office and perform the duties thereof which neverthelesse seems not to agree with the words of your Letter which speak only of Superseding the businesse till you be more punctually inform'd of the state of it Giving power to the Syndic to execute the place is a confirming of him and thwarting the tenour of the Letter Wherefore it should seem there is no more room left for Remonstrances but much for complaints which I shall continue in my retirement where I shall not cease to the last breath of my life to pray God for your prosperity and health as being Your most humble and obedient Servant J. FILLESSAC Paris 5 Nov. 1631. The answer of Cardinal Richelieu to the foregoing Letter SIR I Have seen the Letter you writ to me in which there are very considerable reasons When we come to Paris I shall be glad that you take the pains to see me that I may advise with you about what will be necessary to be done in this matter In the mean time I can assure you there is no person that desires more to maintain your College in its liberty and procure its advantage upon all occasions then my self who am in particular Sir Your most affectionate to serve you The Cardinal de Richelieu Chasteau-Thierry 15 Nov. 1631. And is it to be wonder'd after this Letter written with so great resentment by so eminent a Dean of the Faculty whose remonstrances were receiv'd and esteem'd by the prime Minister of State whose worth was so highly acknowledg'd by the Commissioners of Parliament when they came into Sorbonne Feb. 2. 1627. that in the draught of their Process verbal they professe to be sorry in behalf of the interest of France that his years were so far advanc'd Is it to be wonder'd I say since this Letter and Remonstrances became ineffectual that M. Cornet hath alwayes had so great an adherence both with the Jesuites and Mendicant Doctors who rais'd and maintain'd him in the office of Syndic and that he hath so successfully
considerable persons touching the Doctrine of Grace A week ago the Queen said before a great company that we should shortly be condemned at Rome The Jesuites say as much to their Confidents and some of them proclaim the same with as great a certainty as if it were in their own disposal Though I know very well that it is impossible for Truth to be condemned by the H. See and though I See not that that which we defend is subject to censure since no person can justifie that the Proposions are held by any Disciple of St. Augustin yet I confess I am something afraid that considering the manner of proceeding held by the Assembly instituted for their examen we may receive some displeasure from it What can we expect from a Consultor who being a profess'd Jesuite is by obligation engag'd to act as our formal Adversary VVhat ought we not to fear from an Assembly in which he who hath fomented the Divisions of Divines hitherto by declaring himself of a party and a Solicitour by the very confession of M. Hallier in our Faculty holds the pen and hath the Office of Secretary And lastly what likelyhood is there that an Affair can be well understood when no hearing is granted to the Parties and when the Communication of their Adversaries Productions is deny'd How can any one know what they would have how judge of their defences But the worst of all is this something will be decreed which shall make nothing to the decision of the present controversie and shall nevertheless be made use of by the Sectators of Molina as a strong determination against effectual Grace Thus Truth will suffer and those who defend it will be persecuted and the Churches troubles continued VVhereas were your writings reciprocally communicated and you allowed audience it would be known wherein all the difficulty consists And as your Memorial is a great overture to Peace since by it you declare that the Propositions are not ours but are equivocally and maliciously fram'd on purpose to involve a good Doctrine in the condemnation of a bad and since you demand only that the several senses may be distinguished with protestation of submission to the Judgement which shall then be pass'd it were an easie thing to resolve peace to the Church by doing justice to those who sue for it All things therefore being consider'd my advice is that you complain to the Pope of that Consultor and that the Secretary and absolutely except against them Also that you request his Holiness to ordain that all which hath been and shall be done till you be heard in presence one side of the other and have had communication of eithers productions be declar'd null as being against all order of justice If you obtain not that which you demand I conceive you may crave his Holinesses benediction and depart as having nothing to do in a place where audience is not afforded you in an affair for which alone you went thither You may come back into France and expect what shall be determined at Rome But since they cannot hurt us without doing extreme wrong to the grace of Jesus Christ if we suffer any thing we will comfort our selves tanquam digni habiti pro nomine Jesu contumeliam pati The interest which we have is common to us with the Disciples of S. Thomas and no less with the H. See whose Doctrine we defend VVe have been wanting neither to Truth nor the H. See and therefore we hope likewise that the H. See will be wanting neither to us nor Truth whereof it is the defence It behooves us to pray very earnestly and expect all from the H. Spirit I am c. Eight days after M. de S. Beuve writ another letter to me which is here subjoyn'd to the foregoing SIR I Do with great reluctancy give credit to the words which the Ambassador said to you since his sentiments can be no other then those of him who sent him which we every day understand to be not advantageous to the cause for which you are at the Popes feet By the last Post I told you what the Queen said before a great presence and since that I hear that the King hath also said that four Propositions of the Jansenists are already condemn'd I can scarce believe that their Majesties spoke this except from the Ambassadors Letters For which reason I must desire you not to trust to what that Lord shall say to you M. the the Official told me he hath learnt from a Jesuite that there are two condemned viz. that concerning the Possibility of the Commandments and that concerning the death of Jesus Christ I answer'd him and all such as have spoken to me as affrighted with these rumors That it behoved to expect the Bull which I was certain would be advantageous to us For either his Holiness will distinguish the senses and then our opinion will be approv'd it not being possible for the Doctrine of the Effectualness of Grace to be condemn'd or else he will not distinguish them and then he will pronounce nothing against us since we hold them good but in one sense alone and not absolutely VVhether by writing or by speaking In the name of God let it be declar'd 1. That we are not the Authors of them 2. That being fabricated of equivocal and captious terms they include sundry senses which we detest 3. That we do not and never did pretend to maintain them saving in the sense of Effectual Grace necessary to to every good action I know not how what M. Hallier hath said to you can agree with what he writes hither He spoke to you about taking a new lodging and yet hath given notice to M. de S. Malo that he is upon his departure and shall speedily come back into France His arrogance do's not surprise me I have known him too long to be scandalized at it I pray God reform him yet more within then without M. le Moine gives out here that F. Annat hath left him his Memoires upon the Five Propositions and so you see he is the Truckler under that good Father I am gald the Dominicans bethink themselves of stirring it is their duty It shall be a secret amongst us till you allow us to speak of it I am not far from your conjecture touching the Popes designs in this affair Is it true that the examination of M. d' Ipre's book is taken in hand at Rome If so it were to be wisht that the Doctors of Lovain would make haste I have sent you the right Title of F. Annats Book and without doubt it is the same which you obstructed there There is nothing to be done as from the Parliament touching the permission for its Printing The discourse about the retractation of M. d' Amiens at his death is ridiculous I am c. Another particular friend of mine who was likewise Doctor of Sorbonne and was at that time in Normandie writ one to me December
it will be a diverting your Eminence from the care of the great affairs which exercise you when we beseech you to read the Writings which we present to you and to employ some time in examining with great care the whole Cause in question there being nothing in the whole Church more considerable for the honour and reputation of Innocent X. then this affair concerning the grace of Jesus Christ The reading of all things which have pass'd in this Difference will encrease your Eminences vigilance and care because you will find how justly their designes are to be suspected the beginnings wherof are full of so many intrigues and deceits Neither the canvasings nor the solicitations of our Adversaries nor the ostentation of the favor of the Grandees of the Times nor the false Protestations which they make to defend the Faith and uphold the dignity of the H. See will be capable of shaking you because you will fear on one side their surprising his Holinesse as they have already many times endevor'd and on the other you will be lead to suspect that cause of in justice which hath needed so great a number of subtleties to support it As much as our Adversaries have plac'd their hope in humane artifices in winding and captions subtleties of words and in termes which they have invented to vilifie and disparage our persons so much have we taken care to establsh our hope only in the assistance of God's grace in sincerity and upright dealing in the integrity of the H. Apostolick See and in the the equity of Innocent X. We hope therefore my Lord that you will employ all your credit with his Holiness to promote the Congregation which we have demanded of him as being the most advantageous means of ruinning all kind of Deceits of clearing truth and procuring peace and which all the world as well as we conceiv'd establisht before we had the honour to present these Writings to him to the end the whole Church may know and posterity one day relate how prevalent simplicity and fair dealing truth and justice were under the Papacy of Innocent X. when he was assisted with the Counsels of a Cardinal who was the emulator of his Glory as well as Heir and successor of his name And although in all these things our own interest is lesse imported then that of the H. See and we could be quiet henceforward if we were not mov'd with the concernments of truth the H. See and the spouse of Jesus Christ and the peace and edification of the Faithfull neverthelesse all these these things make so sensible an impression upon our minds that we shall consider as a signal benefit all the offices which your Eminence shall do for us with his Holinesse towards procuring the successe of a demand so just and necessary We are My LORD Your Eminences Most humble and obedient servants Noël de la Lane Doctor in Divinity of the Faculty of Paris and Abbot of Nostre Dame de Valcroissant Lovïs de S. Amour Doctor in the sacred Parisian Faculty of Divinity of the House and society of Sorbonne Lovïs Angran Licentiate of the same sacred Faculty of Paris and Canon of the Cathedral Church of Troies March 7. 1653. Sunday March 9. with the Letters from Paris I receiv'd the Advertisement of F. L ' Abbé so injurious to S. Augustin and the H. See and by which that Father so manifestly discovers their design against S. Augustin's doctrine I thought fit to shew it to as many persons as I could that so the evil purposes of those Fathers might be more and more known especially it coming to Rome so opportunely the day before the first Congregation was to be held before the Pope Amongst others I went to show it to Cardinal Spada and the General of the Augustines and left Copies of it with them adding more largely by word of mouth what was written to me concerning it I found the General of the Augustines shut up to study against the next day's Congregation Yet I was admitted to speak with him and he told me that they did not yet precisely know what would be treated of the next day before the Pope whether all the Propositions or only one but it behov'd them to prepare for all and leave themselves to be govern'd by Grace Monday the 10th the Congregation was held before the Pope in the afternoon All that I could learn concerning it was that the Pope first made a short discourse declaring that he intended not that in any thing which might be done in the progresse of this affair the doctrine either of S. Augustin or S. Thomas should be prejudic'd 2. That the Consultors had more time and liberty to speak then they expected And 3. That it lasted two houres and a half Wednesday the 12th I repaired to see Cardinal Barberin before his going to la Minerve but met him coming down staires He took me into his Coach and askt me the same question which we had done eight dayes before Why we did not declare that we held no other opinions then the Thomists I answer'd him as I had done formerly But the same day he told the General of the Dominicans as I heard on Friday following that we refus'd to subscribe the sufficient Grace of the Thomists because haply in my discourse I had said that although we acknowledg'd those Graces which they styl'd sufficient yet we could not agree to use that Terme being those Graces were not truly sufficient for the Action in regard whereof they were so call'd though effectual for their proper Effect nor that they were given generally to all the world without excepting any person as some of their modern Authors have taught but not all either the best or the most ancient Now I wonder'd much that such a discourse by the by could serve his Eminence for a ground to tell that General seriously and without distinction that we deny'd to subscribe the sufficient Grace of the Thomists when it was propounded to us as if it had been propounded seriously that we migbt make a solid Declaration and as if we had absolutely deny'd those sorts of Graces In the afternoon I had accidentally a long converse with M. Joysel all the particularities whereof to avoid prolixity I shall not here insert but take notice only of three or four First speaking of the Congregation which we su'd for he said it was not according to the Custome of the Church but a thing unheard of and never practis'd and that they had above forty passages or examples to oppose us with in that point Secondly I speaking to him of the Writings which they deliver'd to the Consultors and F. Annat lately printed 〈◊〉 first he deny'd it Thirdly when I affirm'd the same so confidently that he could not doubt but I had certain intelligence thereof he confess'd it adding that it matter'd not whence a good thing were taken And Fourthly when I told him that this shew'd their correspondence wiih the
presented and maintain'd in our Writing Whence he concluded that the Controversie was not about the five Propositions as they appear'd That we do not defend them in their universality and ambiguity which he repeated twice or thrice at several times That therefore to follow the steps which S. Augustin's disciples had alwayes troden since this Dispute according to the first Memorial presented by us to his Holinesse at our first coming to Rome and the demands which we had made eight moneths ago in our first Information de facto we presented to his Holinesse a Writing wherein were contain'd on one side in clear terms the Catholick senses or particular Propositions which we and all S. Augustin's Disciples maintain'd and had alwayes maintain'd and on the other side the sentiments both of the Calvinists and Molinists touching the matter of these Propositions That we desir'd of his Holinesse an examination and judgement of these sentiments That Calvin's opinion was not the thing in controversie between us that we held him for a Heretick as well as our Adversaries do That the two others were those alone in contest That we were ready to demonstrate viva voce and by writing in presence of our Adversaries that our sentiment is most Catholick most agreeable to S. Augustin and altogether indubitable in the faith That on the contrary that of the Molinists is Pelagian or Semipelagian as it hath been already judg'd contradictorily in the Congregation de Auxiliis held by the Popes Clement VIII Paul V. of holy and glorious memory He added That to judge of the Propositions as they are contested between Catholicks 't is necessary to distinguish the senses and make an expresse and particular judgement thereof This he justify'd by the words of the Letter of the Prelates by whom M. Hallier pretends himself commission'd because those Prelates demand a clear and expresse judgement upon the Propositions such as may clear the Truth regulate the present contests amongst Catholicks touching this matter and produce peace in the Church And therefore that although by occasion of these Propositions there is a dispute between Catholicks yet seeing the controversie is not about the ambiguous Propositions as they are fram'd by the Molinists but about the different senses which we presented and are alone in question the Truth cannot be clear'd nor the Controversie terminated but by an expresse judgement upon these several particular senses or rather upon the Propositions exempted from all equivocation as we presented them and upon the contradictories of them which needed to be solemnly and fully examin'd in order to a judgement thereof by a solemn and express Decree as was done by the two Popes Clement VIII Paul V. in their Congregation touching the same matter He said that whereas M. Hallier and his Collegues give out that they are sent by Prelates to sollicite a Censure of the Sentiments or Propositions maintain'd by us they abuse their Letter and intention That those Prelates are as much for us as for M. Hallier since by occasion of the Propositions we demanded in your name as well as they a clear and express judgement such as may regulate our Contests and produce a full and lasting peace in the Church It was not hard to justifie My Lords that you demanded likewise an express judgement upon the distinction of senses and upon the particular Propositions for it appears sufficiently by your Letters and by our first Memorial Then he shew'd the justice of this demand inasmuch as the matter in controversie could neither be judg'd of nor the differences touching these points of Doctrine terminated any other way Secondly Because it is necessary to judge of the sense according to which our Adversaries impugne these Propositions since 't is that of Molina's sufficient Grace which is a source of impieties errors and heresies as 't is easie to make good by the sixty three Errors or Heresies which we deduc'd from it by necessary consequence and plac'd at the end of our Writing of Effectual Grace He demonstrated that the controverted sense of the Propositions is that of Grace Effectual by it self necessary to every good action since all the impugners of the Propositions either by Writing or Teaching impugne them in the sense of Effectual Grace as on the contrary all the disciples of S. Augustin who have writ or taught before or since the contrivance of these Propositions maintain only the pure sense of Effectual Grace nor can other doctrine then that touching the said Propositions be found in any book Here he read the different senses of the Propositions which you have seen in the Writing which we sent to you the last week and pronounc'd word for word all that is contain'd in the three Columes both the different Propositions and our qualifications or judgements of them After the reading of each Proposition which we defended he succinctly shew'd the connexion of it with Grace effectual by it self as it is in the Preface of our Writing of Effectual Grace which we likewise send you He concluded with our most humble instances to his Holinesse that he would please to judge of those controverted senses and said as 't is contain'd in the end of our Writing or Declaration that being perswaded that the senses or particular Propositions which we presented and defended contain'd the principal grounds of the Christian faith and piety we should alwayes believe and maintain that sense or those Propositions to be Catholick till his Holinesse by a solemn judgment condemn'd that particular sense i. e. those particular propositions which were fram'd and defended by us which we conceiv'd he would never do He spoke a full hour upon the writing of the distinction of senses and about an hour and half upon all the rest When he had done F. Desmares according as we had agreed together began to speak and after a short Exordium he said that having clearly reduc'd the Propositions as we defended them to the sense of Effectual Grace necessary to every good action that having show'd that the Propositions contrary according to the sense of our Adversaries contain'd the sufficient Grace of Molina and that having affirm'd that our senses are Catholick and indubitable in the doctrine of S. Augustin and on the contrary those of our Adversaries Pelagian or Semipelagian 't was necessary in the first place to justifie to his Holiness that Grace Effectual by it self is the true Grace of Jesus Christ and the certain belief of the Church This he began to prove and first succinctly set forth the order and senses of writing of Effectual Grace together with the contents of the four Articles In the first whereof he said we demonstrated by sixteen principal arguments drawn out of S. Augustin's works against the enemies of the grace of Jesus Christ that Grace effectual by it self necessary to every good action is according to that H. Father the certain belief of the Church oppos'd to the heresy of the Pelagians and Semipelagians That
fraudulent practises of our Adversaries prove them the Authors of the Propositions which they have obtruded upon us require an act thereof declare that although they be not ours yet we conceive that they way have a very Catholick sense in which we undertake to defend them Demand that judgment be pass'd upon this sense Accuse our Adversaries of Impostures and delusions accusing them of troubling the Churches peace by prosecuting tho condemnation of the Propositions in the sense of Effectual Grace and add that if it pleases the Pope to receive them as accusers it may be permitted you to impeach their doctrine as pernicious and erroneous This is requisite Sir if you expect to have justice done you Men may speak high when they demand nothing beyond the Rules of sincerity and Truth c. However Sir Supposing the Pope resolv'd to pass such a Bull as the Molinists speak off yet if you be heard he cannot but grant you two things whereof one concerns our Persons and the other the Doctrine As to our Persons We are oblig'd to let the whole Church and posterity know that we are not the Authors of the Propositions but they were maliciously forg'd by our Adversaries to make us odious by being charg'd with them Your first Memorial presented to his Holiness is to this effect And concerning the Doctrine That the sense of the Necessity of Grace effectual by it self is a Catholick sense free from all Censure and that alone wherein we defend the Propositions If these two conditions be added I shall be contented and the Church will have peace Vpon any others we shall be so far from enjoying a calm that on the contrary we shall fall into a higher storm of dissention then before We shall be oblig'd to make known the sincerity of our intentions we shall complain of the wrong done us and Posterity shall be inform'd of the truth of things Be pleas'd to consider upon all this and remember that I have long ago told you that upnn this decision will depend the reviving of Richerism in France whereof I am greatly afraid c. An other Doctor of Sorbon a very able and moderate person to whom I had often writ during the time that we desir'd our Lords to send us two or three persons more to help us in the managing of the matters especially in the conferences which we expected to have before the Pope the Congregations to desire him to be one of the number because I judg'd him very fit for it return'd the following answer to my invitation May 31. Sir I Have receiv'd three Letters from you almost altogether though they be of very distant dates One is of the 30th of September The supply you have receiv'd by the arrival of the persons who are gone to joine with you may serve for answer to a good part of what you writ to me and expect from me If I perform not to you or rather to Truth the same service which they are going to do 't is neither through want of zeal or affection or else I understand not my self Proportionably to my knowledge of Truth increases the honour and esteem I have of it and I learn to know my self in it which renders me alwayes more backward to speak or treat of it for fear of hurting it whilst I think to defend it especially when I see not my self plainly engag'd therein Although to defend it that is to withstand the violences and stratagems of those who go about to oppress it shewing openly their unfaithful dealing their calumnies and the injustice of their proceeding seems to me more easie and lesse hazardous because this consists more in matters of fact then in Questions and Controversies But to pretend to examine it to clear it to commit it to the dispute and censure of its enemies and to submit it to the judgement and determination of persons whom you hold suspected and who in their best construction never had the light and knowledge which is necessary for the comprehension of the matters in question which are very difficult and for the most part very remote from humane sense and reason as the same is corrupted by sin and to distinguish them from the apparences of Truth under which Errors are oft-times hid all which is necessary in order to pronounce upon and fully determine the questions at this day in controversie so that there remain no seed of future combustion This is that which I find most difficult dangerous and much above my abilities 'T is neither expedient nor necessary to define these questions in the Church they are already sufficiently defin'd for such as seek the Truth without passion and interest And others will not stand to what shall be now determin'd in case it be conformable to Tradition and contrary to their new opinions Believe me Sir if you please 't is neither timorousness nor indifference that detains me 't is rather the respect and love which I have for the Truth Had I less knowledge and experience of the state of the present affaires perhaps I should be more bold and I know not whether I should do better However should I fail in something I hope God will not impute it or else easily pardon it whilst I keep to keep to his Lawes the guidance of the Church and the common rules of prudence humane and divine Adoring always with all submission his extraordinary wayes by which he absolutely effecteth whatever he pleaseth and how he pleaseth sometimes even by means and ways wholly contrary to those which he hath establisht If it be a kind of little miracle as you say that he on whom the judgement of your affaires depends hath at present an inclination to be inform'd thereof whereas formerly he was troubled to hear the same mention'd no doubt you will confess that there needs another much greater miracle whereby he may in a little time have the understanding and conduct which is necessary for pronouncing certainly and conformably to the Truth and Tradition upon Questions so difficult and embroyl'd by the mixture of humane reasonings as those are whereof you seem to demand the decision I have formerly told you my mind upon this Point and the occasion leads me to tell it you again here I could not sollicite and demand the definition of the affaires which you manage and of the Propositions whereunto your conference is reduc'd If God hath thought fit to make use of you to hinder the truths of Grace and S. Augustin's Authority from receiving any prejudice or disparagement I account you very happy and cannot but honour your zeal and fidelity in upholding them against the attempts and artifices of their enemies but I believe 't were the best you could do for the present if you could stop affaires at that point not to be overcome is to triumph in these occasions and the confusion which your enemies would have in seeing themselves fallen from their pretensions all their cabals without effect