be more assur'd what was his and act without fear of proceeding contrary to his intentions He told us that that was not his meaning but when it should be time to communicate them if the Congregation judg'd it expedient they should be communicated reciprocally at the same time to the end there might be neither advantage nor disadvantage on one side or other acciò non sia nc vantaggio ne svantaggio On Monday the 16th towards evening I went to see F. Melchior who inform'd me that since some dayes they had been much troubled in their Covent about a Thesis which was to be maintained there of which the Doctors our Antagonists and the Jesuites having had notice endeavoured to hinder the Impression by M. Albizzi's means and made a great stirre about it That M. Albizzi for that purpose sent for the Procurator General of their Order to whom assoon as he saw him he made great reproaches for that the Professors of the Covent de la Victoire taught Jansenisme the greatest proof whereof alledg'd by him was that they convers'd with us and for this consideration he threatned them to give them a Mittimus to depart out of Rome That all the day preceding though it were Sunday was employed in goings and commings to and from M. Albizzi about the said Thesis That M. Albizzi had a design to have seiz'd all the Copies that were wrought off but he to whom they belong'd had been more diligent in getting them from the Printer than M. Albizzi had been in sending to take them thence That M. Albizzi seeing himself prevented herein sent to their Covent in the Pope's name to prohibite the Person that had them to part with any of them and afterwards sent order to their Procurator-General with threatning that he should remain responsible for them In fine all this bustle was made against the said Thesis because it was known to be compos'd conformably to the mind and doctrine of Councils S. Augustin and S. Thomas ad mentem Conciliorum Sancti Augustini Sancti Thomae and that it was almost wholly fram'd in their very words F. Melchior told me likewise what diligence they had us'd both in addresses to the Master of the Sacred Palace who licenced the Impression and to Cardinal Ghiggi from whose good will and protection they promis'd themselves assistants in this affair and all that had pass'd therein he related to me more distinctly and particularly than I do here because I set down only the most remarkable things which I writ thus confusedly when I returned home after their visite On Tuesday morning being the 17th we sent up our prayers to God for the eternal rest of the Soul of Cardinal Roma whose death hapned the evening or the night preceding It was a great loss both to the H. See and the Sacred Colledge He was a man of known and generally esteem'd integrity throughout the world He was of very easie accesse very equitable and unmoveable by favour or faction He had a very sedulous care of his Bishoprick of Tivoli and divided himself between the administrations of it and those whereunto he was oblig'd in reference to the Offices he had at Rome with indefatigable pains His charity and liberality towards the poor and his Church were so large that they left him no thought of laying up of treasure upon earth either for himself or any of his kindred and he gave them no part of his Ecclesiastical goods besides one furniture for a Table which he gave to one of his Brothers as he would have given the same he said to any other Stranger if he had not had that Brother to the end he might have in the time of repasts some company and conversation But this is not a place to speak of the particular actions and vertues which render'd him so commendable during the whole course of his life it shall suffice to adde here in reference to our affair that he was more intelligent of and better affected to St. Augustin's doctrine than he ever profess'd to be But I was inform'd above a year before that he studied it with particular affection and that he was enlightned in it by the informations which he caus'd to be given him by a very learned Dominican who had such confidence in me and in the secrecy which he promis'd himself that I would keep for him and the good use that I would make of the knowledg which he imparted to me of the correspondence which he had in this affair with Cardinal Roma that assoon as he had finisht a Writing to give him he shew'd me a Copy of it and when they had conferr'd together about it advertis'd me likewise how his Eminence took and apprehended the matter and in what sort he accounted himself convinc'd of it I kept secrecy herein so faithfully that I never spoke so much as a word of it to my Collegues themselves who only knew that this Cardinal being very pious and equitable it was very advantageous to us that he was Dean of our Congregation But now there is no longer any danger in speaking it I preserv'd and still keep the Copies of those informations which Cardinal Roma believ'd peculiar to himself and lookt upon as his own labour having therein imploy'd that of a man whom he knew very intelligent and impartial whom he otherwise consider'd as his antient friend and who undertook the same by his motion having nothing else in his view but God and the Truth The Propositions in question were consider'd and handled in these Informations as we had alwayes consider'd them capable of several sences very opsite but as pertaining to the faith of the Church when they were purg'd from their equivocations and reduc'd to the sence in which they would be necessary sequels and clear dependances of the Efficacity of Grace This may be seen in those Writings themselves which I have thought fit to place at the end of the Collection because they deserve to be kept to posterity It may be judg'd thereby whether the death of this great and pious Cardinal was not a signal losse to the H. See the Sacred Colledge and indeed to the whole Church it depriv'd us of a considerable Prop both in the Congregation whereof he was Dean and in all other dependances of our affair to which he was sincerely affected and of which he said a hundred times to the Ambassador as well as of that of the Bishopricks of Portugal that it was a shame they were not ended VVherefore his death which according to the judgement we were able to make of it was very unseasonable for us could not but be resented by us with particular sorrow but having consider'd that our affair was more God's than ours that he had not remov'd this prop without secret but just reasons of his inscrutable judgements and that he could if he pleas'd deliver it from oppression and instead of one man whom he took from us give us a thousand others with
without thorough consideration But as for the Cardinals that I spoke of he profess'd to me that either he gave no such order or did not remember it At least he would not own to me that he had given any such I reply'd that I had formerly declar'd to him that we had no design to do any prejudice neither to the Bull of Vrban VIII nor those of Pius V. and Gregory XIII As for the matter de auxiliis the Pope had spoken thereof to me with such aversion and I knew otherwise that hewas so loth to apply himself thereunto that I durst not tell him that Then he must not enter into the examination of the Propositions which had been presented to him because each of them was a necessary dependance thereon and inseparable from it in the sense wherein we affirm'd them to be Catholick for fear lest speaking to the Pope in that manner I might put an invincible obstacle to all the solicitations which I was to make for obtaining the erection of the solemn Congregation which seem'd so necessary to the full discussion and decision of the Controversies which were in the Church between Divines about these matters Wherefore without using the term de Auxiliis I told the Pope that since we had been accus'd to his Holinesse of maintaining the five Propositions presented to him under equivocal terms which afforded different senses whereof onewas Catholick and the other Heretical it was agreeable to justice and tended to the satisfaction of his Holinesse to know that we abhorr'd the Heretical and maintain'd the Catholick and that those senses being distinguisht the condemnation which follow'd would be clear and distinct and could not be attributed to the sense which we maintain'd to be the doctrine and faith of the Church as it was the design of the Authors of those Propositions to do if they obtain'd a Censure befoe the said senfes were cleared and distinguisht Which since it could not be done but in a Congregation establisht for the purpose this induc'd the Bishops for whom I appear'd to desire the same of his Holiness by their Letters and to encharge me with sollicitations to procure the effect thereof The Pope scarce allow'd me time to end this discourse but he told me that after Clement VIII had caus'd this matter to be debated in his presence for a long time by the most excellent men whom he summoned from several places after he had studied them himself with very great care so that as he remember'd some took occasion thereby to say that Clement VIII began very old to study Divinity yet he could not at last decide any thing therein but was fain to impose a perpetual silence both to the one side and the other Imposuit omnibus perpetuum silentium wherefore it behoved to acquiesce in that order and live in peace and that every one in the mean time pray to God for grace to serve him well I answer'd the Pope that Clement VIII notwithstanding all the care he took to examine that matter could not indeed decide it but he had the design to do it and it was only death wherewith God suffer'd him to be overtaken that hinder'd him from deciding it in favour of our side and that the said decision not having been then publisht our adversaries take so great advantage thereof at this day that they do not dissemble that they attempt to overthrow the doctrine of S. Augustin which is also that of the Church The Pope assented to this truth that the Doctrine of S. Augustin was that of the Church but he said We understood S. Augustin one way and our adversaries another I answer'd that greater wrong could not be done to S. Augustin and all the holy Popes who proposed his doctrine to the Faithful as their own then to pretend as our adversaries do that it cannot be known to which doctrine theirs or ours that of S. Augustin is conformable The Pope reply'd that they drew him to their side and we maintain'd him on ours That this was it that was to be judg'd but the discussion of it was a matter of much paines it requiring much labour and time that it was therefore requisite to hold to what Clement VIII had ordained therein namely to remain in silence I answer'd that our Adversaries did not keep it and ceas'd not every day to undermine the faith of the Church insensibly which if they were suffer'd still to do they would utterly ruine it at length That truly it was difficult for me to take the boldnesse to speak thereof with so great instance to his Holinesse but his setvice and that of truth oblig'd me thereunto And if his Holinesse pleas'd but to peruse a little Italian Writing of about two Pages or more which I had made purposely to shew him in particular and almost at one view the evident coherence which those five Propositions taken in the sense which we maintain'd had with Grace Effectual by it self he would clearly discern the ambushes laid for him in presenting those Propositions to him and would remain convinc'd of the importance of this Affair The Pope reply'd that he would not look upon that writing how short soever it were because after having seen that he must see another and then another and so he should by degrees become engag'd in the matter unawares I told him that I had not prepar'd that Writing to discusse the matter but onely to let him know in what manner our Adversaries had acted towards his Holinesse in this affair but the Pope would by no means hearken to what I propounded to him because he still profess'd that he fear'd it would engage him further and oblige him to too great toyles as he knew the discussion of this matter requir'd even of such as had apply'd themselves to that study all their time but much more pains must it cost him then others poi said he to me they are his own words non è la mia Professione oltra che son vecchio non ho mai studiato in Theologia Because said he it is not my Profession besides that I am old I have never studied Divinity Which I beseech those that shall read to take in the same sense that his Holinesse spoke it and wherein I write it that is That he had not studyed Divinity comparatively to the study of the Canon Law upon which he had bestow'd all his time laying Divinity apart as many do at Rome where it seems the several employments which are follow'd and by which advancement is attained require rather a Canonist then a Divine I reply'd then to the Pope that I should be very loth to cause any inquietude to him or engage him to any pains that were not agreeable to his Holinesse but I was oblig'd to make him the instances which I now did because Monsignor Albizzi had told certain persons from whom I understood it that his Holinesse would within a little time passe a Decree upon those Propositions and
of the same year 1649. the false Censure which they publisht throughout all France and sent to Rome under the name of the Deputies of the Faculty what was done in the Parliament October 5. which we intimated rather then set forth at large and concerning the patcht Peace which was made in the Faculty in December The Theses which M. Hallier sign'd as Syndic in which the first and third Proposition in the sense wherein we held them were maintain'd in Sorbonne with his approbation Jan. 1650. The Letter which M. de Vabres procur'd to be subscrib'd by a multitude of Bishops the Subscriptions beg'd here and there in all Societies what was done upon this occasion in the affair of the Irish the false deputation of F. Mulard and other things done at Rome from the time of our arrival till July 11. 1652. when the Cardinal Roma gave us notice of the Congregation One thing also we observ'd in this writing which I have not so expresly related above namely that all these enterprizes were design'd to procure by such scandalous and oblique ways the destruction of S. Augustin's Doctrine which they veil'd under the obscurities of these equivocal Propositions contriv'd purposely to deceive Wherefore we concluded this writing requesting most humbly that to the end all things might be done in this affair without fraud and confusion before the examination of the Propositions were proceeded to they might be alter'd and reduc'd into the several senses whereof they were capable in such sort that they might be free from all equivocation and that the Catholick sense which they contain'd and we alone held might be distinguisht clearly and plainly from the erroneous sense in which they may be understood all that I relate of this Conclusion is nothing but a faithful Translation that the senses being thus distinguisht and separated into several Propositions we might declare which were those which abhorr'd anathematiz'd and had always anathematiz'd with S. Augustin the Council of Trent and the whole Catholick Church That our Adversaries might be also oblig'd to keep the same course and govern themselves in such sort as to what they should argue and write against us that there might be no question between them and us of the senses which we had once condemn'd and declar'd that we acknowledg'd false but only of those according to which we maintained the Propositions to be Catholick and pertaining to the Faith of the Church by which means the dispute between them and us would be clearer and shorter and all ambiguity and fallacious subtilty being retrencht it would be more easie and safe to pass Judgement upon them We declar'd further by anticipation that we purposed not to maintain the Propositions in any other sense then in that which we should demonstrate to be suitable to S. Austin 's Doctrine Could any offers in the world be more equitable and Christian and could the same be refused by such as had the least sentiments of charity either Christian or Civil But to follow my Translation we added that being the whole authority of S. Austin's Doctrine was founded only upoÌ„ the testimonies given to it by the Supreme Pontifs and the whole Church and therefore ought rather to be styled and accounted the Dâ—…ctrine of the Supreme Pontifs and the whole Church than S. Austin 's 〈◊〉 the end 〈…〉 remain safe and intire in the Church as it 〈…〉 been and secur'd from all impeachment in reference to those who dar'd to lift themselves up against it to the end also to establish between our Adversaries and us a principal and certain rule of all the 〈◊〉 which 〈◊〉 should have both by speech and writing 〈◊〉 the Propositions such as had been lately establisht by Clement VIII and Paul V. Lastly to give our Adversaries place to clear themselves if they thought good of the reproach charg'd upon them by us of having attempted to destroy it We summon'd them to declare by an authentick Writing that they acknowledg'd for true and indubitable as we maintain'd they were the Propositions following I. That any Doctrine Proposition or Opinion touching the matter of Grace Free-will or Divine Predestination which shall be found to be S. Augustin's or necessarily or evidently coherent with his Doctrine cannot in any wise be condemn'd either of Heresie or Error or with any other kind of Censure whatsoever II. That never any Doctrine or opinion of S. Augustine hath been condemn'd of Error by any Popes or approved Councils III. That the Council of Trent hath not defined or taught any thing that is contrary in any sort to S. Augustin's doctrine touching Grace IV. That all that S. Augustin hath held against the Pelagians and Semipelagians as a certain and Catholick Doctrine ought likewise to be held for such as likewise nothing ought to be held which is contrary to that Doctrine V. That to affirm that S. Augustin's Doctrine touching Grace is uncertain contrary to its self exorbitant obscure harsh unworthy of the Clemency of God little suitable for edification of the Faithfull or any thing else of that kind is injurious to Popes Councils Saints and generally to the whole Catholick Church VI. That presupposing the H. Scriptures and the Definitions of Popes and Councils the Doctrine of S. Augustine touching Grace is a most clear and certain rule by which the Propositions in question and all other generally whatever concerning Grace Free-will and Divine Predestination may be examin'd with certainty and also by right ought so to be These six Propositions we demanded that our Adversaries might be oblig'd to acknowledge together with us for true and indubitable and to let them and our Congregation know that we made not this Demand without reason but for the clear and plain stating of Principles upon which both sides were to build and proceed we presented to them the second Writing which as I said above was the First Information concerning matter of Right and was thus intituled The Tradition of the whole Church in reference to the Authority of S. Augustin 's Doctrine This second Writing was larger than the first and contain'd eminent Testimonies touching this matter of more than twenty Popes of as many General Councils National or Provincial and of above sixty either Saints Fathers of the Church or illustrious men or Divines or Religious Orders or famous Universities who during the space of twelve Ages had approved and commended this Heavenly Doctrine as well in the Greek Church as in the Latin And we answered also in the said Writing to all the Objections that the Jesuites are wont to make against the Authority of that H. Doctor And because we are advertis'd that when Writings presented at Rome to Congregations hapned to be somewhat long the custome was sometimes to draw Summaries or Abridgements of them for the ease of such as were to read them and that either to give them beforehand a Model of all the Contents of such presented Writing or to help them to recollect the
Discourse not prepar'd like his Oration but only a sequel and proof of it For he further remonstrated that the design of this whole Affair was nothing else but to subvert S. Augustin's authority doctrine To which purpose he made a short recapitulation of our Writings de Gestis and laid open to the Pope's eyes the chief projects of our Adversaries mention'd therein Neverthelesse that it might not be said that he declin'd the main matter by standing too long upon one thing which yet was very important to be known to his Holinesse and so reserving himself to speak more largely both of his Writing and that concerning the authority of S. Augustin's doctrine in another Consideration wherein this matter should be further consider'd he began to give the Pope a General Idea of the five Writings above-mention'd which we were to present to his Holinesse at this time Then returning in particular to the first of those Writings which is the first part of the second Information touching Fact containing a hundred and six Propositions extracted out of the Jesuites Books against S. Augustin he read a great number of them and amongst the rest those out of F. Adam's book in which S. Augustin's doctrine is term'd heretical and Calvinistical and S. Paul and other Canonical Writers accus'd together with S. Augustin of being transported in their Writings bryond the bounds of Truth During this reading M Angran and I observ'd how at every Proposition that was read F. Palavicini hearkned attentively and shak't his head either as approving it or intimating that it was not worth speaking of When M. de Valcroissant had done reading he represented the circumstances of the time at which this book of F. Adam was printed namely at the breaking open of M. Cornet's enterprise of whom he also related with what confidence he had blotted out this Proposition out of a Thesis whilst he was Syndic That S. Augustin's doctrine in the matter of Grace may safely be follow'd But for that I observ'd that this book of F. Adam made great impression upon the minds of some in the Assembly and that M. de Valcroissant for compendiousnesse sake considering the multitude of things which he had to say did not to my conceit sufficiently set forth the circumstances of that book 's coming forth I first offer'd to suggest something to him which he had not observ'd which not taking effect because he could not mind it and speak to I desir'd him to permit me to speak whilst he took a little breath Having made a genuflexion to the Pope I said that I conceiv'd his Holinesse would not be displeas'd to hear me tell him that this book of F. Adam's whence all those horrible Propositions were extracted was printed in the vulgar tongue and very common to be had that its Author preacht the same Maximes in one of the most eminent Parishes of Paris near the profess'd House of the Jesuites before a numerous Congregation the whole Society knowing and approving it I also beseecht his Holinesse to remember the prodigious boldnesse of their Father Labbe mention'd by M. de Valcroissant who dar'd to write that Rome would suddenly pronounce of what opinion S. Augustin was and ought to have been not dissembling that their design was to get him condemn'd by the Constitution which they aim'd to extort from his Holinesse and holding themselves as sure not to misse of it as if they were the masters of his Pen and Tongue or had the supream disposal of those whose ministry they knew his Holinesse us'd in his deliberations and decisions This I press'd with such indignation as the knowledge of the prepar'd Bull animated me to and a sudden design to give the Pope some diffidence of those who were about him and counsel'd him to so sad a resolution All was heard as the rest neither the Pope or any else replying ought thereunto I made a second genuflexion and M. de Valcroissant resum'd his discourse In which he further urg'd to the Pope how great reason we had to summon our Adversaries to acknowledge S. Augustin's authority solemnly by signing the six Propositions at the end of our Writings de Gestis to which he summon'd them again and beseecht the Pope to oblige them to declare themselves thereupon But To enter further into the main of the matter in question M. de Valcroissant left this Writing and pass'd to that of the Distinction of the senses of the Propositions He spoke largely upon the substance of the Preface in which we with all the Bishops of France beseecht his Holinesse to pronounce upon the Controversie between the Molinists and us We read the words of the Letters of either side to show the Pope that the question was not about any Calvinistical or Lutheran opinions which we condemn'd and had alwayes condemn'd nor against these Propositions as they were couch'd under ambiguous terms which render'd them capable of different senses since we were not the authors of them and knew no other authors of them but our Adversaries themselves who contriv'd them thus to involve the Catholick Faith with Error in one condemnation and to put all things in the Church by this means into a general confusion but onely about the Propositions reduc'd to the Catholick senses which we defended and which were those alone that our Adversaries impugned Hereupon M. de Valcroissant read the explication of those senses and the declaration of our sentiments upon each of them as they follow a little below in three columes Which when he had done and declar'd at every Proposition that it was that alone to whose defence we adher'd he made an evident reduction of them to the point of Grace Effectual by it self showing as clear as the day that nothing but the connexion which these Propositions rightly understood and purg'd from their bad senses had with that capital point of the Churches faith and S. Augustin's doctrine in this matter induc'd us to endeavor to prevent an absolute and confus'd condemnation of them in regard of the consequences When he was at the conclusion he spoke something concerning our declaration and protestation to the Pope alwayes to maintain the Propositions reduc'd to the Catholick senses which we defended or rather those senses and Catholick Truths which lay hid under the terms of these Propositions whilst it appear'd not to us that these truths had been expresly condemn'd by a positive and solemn judgement whatever condemnation might otherwise befall the Propositions consider'd in themselves as M. Cornet propos'd them to the Faculty and as they were presented the Pope by the Bishops of France who first writ to him Being this distinction of Senses was read throughout and word for word before the Pope it will be expedient to insert the same here though it was printed since apart as it follows as well in respect of the Titles as Contents and Subscriptions Beatissimo Patri Innocentio Papae X. brevissima quinque propositionum in varios sensus distinctio
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
was not possible to be weary of hearing people speak so well as we did The Abbot of Valcroissant made him a brief Account of all the Writings which we had presented to the Pope and told his Eminence that were the connexion of all these Propositions with Effectual Grace to be demonstrated of each in particular as copiously and clearly as we could do it had we but one to handle at a time it would be far more conspicuous and appear with greater lustre and evidence then it could the day preceding when we were oblig'd to speak of all at the same time in haste few words and only to give a general Idea of all our thoughts and pretensious in this Affair The Cardinal askt whether we had presented all our Writings We answer'd him that we had presented all as far as the first Proposition inclusively and should present others according as we should be heard and could proceed in the explication which we were to make viva voce of those already presented and in the discussion of the whole Affair We told him also that we wisht we could have had Copies ready of all those which we had presented to the Pope to present to their Eminences that we had endeavor'd it as much as possible but the most we could do was to provide Transcripts of the Distinction of senses as that which was to be presuppos'd to all the rest and fit to give the first Model of our thoughts upon all the Propositions and at the same time we presented one to Cardinal Spada till we could bring the rest to his Eminence as we hop'd to do shortly and in a manner much more commodious to him and every one else then Manuscript Copies if we could obtain permission to print them upon the conditions mention'd in our memorial to the Master of the sacred Palace which we related to his Eminence The Cardinal answer'd that 't was not the custome to print Writings touching affairs which passe in the H. Office But presently recalling what he bad said of the H. Office 'T is true said he this cause is nor there but it comes near the matters which are transacted there We insisted upon the necessity of this Impression and the better to inform him of the conditions whereunto we restrain'd our selves in this demand I read to him our Memorial to the Master of the sacred Palace After he had heard it we took leave of his Eminence who spoke nothing further about our Impression although he accompany'd us with a countenance more free and pleasant then ordinary The Ambassador had desir'd us the foregoing Evening to dine with him this day that we might discourse more at leisure of the passages of our Audience We went accordingly and in the afternoon had a very conference I read to him the last Memorial presented to the Pope and the other to the Master of the sacred Palace He offer'd to take the latter and speak to the Pope about it on Friday We thankt him for his obliging Proposal and being I had only a foul draught of it I told him I would bring him a Copy on Thursday When we were return'd home we understood that the General of the Augustines had been there to see us and that he was accompany'd with three or four principal Fathers of his Order to congratulate us for the great successe we had had in our Audience whereof he had been a witness to thank us for all that we had spoken in defence of S. Augustin and his Doctrine and to testifie to us how greatly he and his whole Order accounted themselves beholden to us for it But though he found us not at home yet the extream satisfaction which he receiv'd from our Audience and his impatience to express the same to us caus'd him to come again accompany'd with the same Fathers on Wednesday the 21. in the morning I was gone abroad but my Collegues were still in their lodging and receiv'd this obliging and agreeable Visit I doubt not that many remarkable things were spoken in it but being I was not there and writ down nothing which they then told me I cannot remember any particular besides the great satisfaction they all four had in having seen this General and his Fathers so well pleas'd with us and animated for our cause I was gone in the mean time to Cardinal Barberin to tell him something of our Audience upon the way to la Minerve whether I design'd to accompany him At la Minerve I found nothing but congratulations for the good success of our Audience F. Reginald among others told me that having enquir'd news thereof of the Master of the sacred Palace this good Father told him that we had spoken audacter modestè doctè piè Confidently modestly learnedly and piously My Collegues as we had agreed met me at S. Louis whether we went to visit Cardinal S. Clement together partly to acquaint him with what had pass'd before the Pope and partly to give him a Copy of the Distinction of senses whereby he might see how conformable our Sentiments were as well to those of his Order as to those of the Church We did so and this Cardinal lookt upon us as he told us expresly as the sole persons who had the means and liberty to defend the Catholick faith at this time so unworthily distress'd by such a multitude of people who ought to interesse themselves in its behalf as well as we When we left him we went to Montecavallo from whence M. Manessier being indispos'd was forc't to repair home Neverthelesse we visited Cardinal Pamphilio without him gave his Eminence thanks for the favorable hearing he had given us and for his attention to what we spoke He answer'd us That 't was a very delightful thing to hear people who spoke so well as we did We presented him a Copy of the Distinction of senses and as we were going to tell him of the other Writings which we had presented to his Holinesse he told us that he had seen them all Perhaps 't was at the moment of their delivery to the Pope We signify'd to him our design to print them what reasons oblig'd us thereunto and upon what conditions we had requested permission for it from the Master of the sacred Palace He answer'd us he would speak to the Pope about it in the Evening whereupon I told him I would bring him a Copy of our Memorial touching that matter to the end himself and his Holinesse also might therein more distinctly see the reasons and conditions of our demands At the end of Vespers I carry'd him a Copy which he receiv'd with great courtesy and assur'd me again that he would not fail to speak of it to his Holinesse in the Evening But before we went to Vespers we had time to visit F. Luca Vadingo who made us a compendious recital of all that we had spoken before the Pope He profess'd great approbation of it and told us he believ'd
sine sâ—cramento Mediatoris finire permittatur hanc vitam And to conclude let the 106. Epistle ad Paulinum Episcopum be read and according to the Maximes contain'd in those writings it will appear what is to be believ'd concerning those who belong to eternal life and those who do not because by the authority of this great Saint to whom the Church is infinitely oblig'd every one will bring the most attentive ears and eyes to read and contemplate the verityes of the Holy Scriptures by humbling himself praying God to discover to him the sense of the Scriptures VVherefore since the goodnesse of God hath manifested to us in the Church so many wayes the predestination of the Elect and the Holy Doctors and Preachers amongst the rest S. Augustin that great light and powerfull mawl of hereticks having alwayes acknowledged it I cannot but affirme with them that it ought to be taught and preacht in the Church yet it must be spoken of with wisdom to the end it may be understood without Scandal and embraced because we may contemplate therein as in a living mirror and understand and penetrate by faith the high counsells of God and what he resolv'd from all eternity concerning his Son and his Members both as to remission of sins and preparation of glory for his Elect. By this meanes the spirit of Satan can never draw a consequence as impious as false which was heretofore broacht in the Church by some corrupt members who separated from it and is again reviv'd at this time If God say they hath Predestinated some Reprobated others it will undoubtedly come to passe that the former shall be sav'd and the others damn'd VVhence they conclude that whether they do good or evil their salvation damnation will come to passe by necessity and they make use of these arguments for a liberty of continual sinning since God say they hath already determin'd either to save or to damn them and so they voluntarily give themselves up to be abused by the Devil who transformes himself into an Angel of light that they may extinguish that word and seed by which he must be at length overcome and wholly destroy'd Yet these wretches perceive not that if God hath manifested for his Church the great mystery of Predestination which was hidden from ages passed they ought rather to strive to make the holy calling of God sure by his mercy and the meanes of good works then to shew by their bad that they are sons of the Devil since if natural light teach us that we never ought to offend such a friend as out of charity would to recover our earthly liberty readily put himselfe into our place and bestow his money to repair our misfortunes how can the uncreated light of the Holy Spirit but teach us that being the Son of God dy'd for the Elect and saith they cannot perish it is not lawfull to commit evil wilfully by offending a friend so full of goodnes and a brother so affectionate upon an impious opinion concerning Predestination and like the perfidious Jews to crucifie the Blessed Jesus for our damnation instead of being crucifyed with him for our salvation The faithfull Christian must never make profession of being a sinner but he ought to acknowledge before God and men that he is a miserable sinner and with continual repentance amend his bad life and reform his sins because being become a child of God by regeneration he must never enter into the works of the servants of sin for he that commits sin is the servant thereof and if it happen that he fall sometimes he must rise againe with more vigor and thus every moment become a greater and more irreconcilable enemy to sinne As we see in the world a Child of great quality never betakes himself to the servile offices in his Fathers house which belong onely to the lowest vassals and if it sometimes happens that he put his hand thereunto he presently drawes it away again because he understands what ignominy and dammage would ensue to him in case he should consume his life therein I am come to the conclusion of what I had to say to you concerning these things of which should I go about to speak as much as their dignity requires great labour and study would not be sufficient I mean to exercise one's self and not to manifest the truth which is compriz'd in few words because the Lord hath made a short work upon the earth 'T is sufficient to children that the eternal Father discover his will to them by the least sign because they embrace it presently without many proofes and to the end it may be preserv'd in them he hath not left a more effectual pledge then that of his H. Spirit whom I most humbly beseech to dispel the darknesse of our ignorance and fill the Elect with divine light for which we are bound alwayes to render infinite thanks This is all I have to say to to you The Lord God comfort you From Venice the 17th of April 1549. John Patriarch of Aquileia The Apologie of the most Illustrious Patriach of AQILEIA for the Letter Preceding I. PROPOSITION He hath preserved the seed of his Grace to the end we should not remain unfruitful he hath preserved the H. Spirit for our consolation against errors and the enemies of grace ANSWER The name of the H. Spirit sent by the Father and the Son who is the fountain of truth and in whom I have written those things which are written in my little Tract of predestination being first called upon I explain the first Proposition extracted out of the said Tract and terme these enemies of Grace who of what quality and condition soever they be disparage and despise that free gift of God perverting the holy things of God to the desires of the flesh whom S. Augustine frequently impugnes and whom I thought fit to encounter in that Discourse Moreover I call such the enemies of Grace who I hear write and teach that salvation can accrue to those whom God hath not predestinated And lastly I terme enemies of Grace not onely the Pelagians who live amongst us at this day but also those who are gone and whom S. Cyprian according to S. Augustin's testimony overcame and routed long before they sprung up II. PROPOSITION Predestination is of God only both because the Scripture affirmes the same and S. Paul teaches as much manifestly in this and divers other places as because it depends not upon natural principles being wholly divine and spiritual and depending onely upon the free promise which God hath made to us ANSWER Predestination is from God alone because nothing hath preceded in Eternity God's will predestinating and reprobating Therefore no efficient cause of it can be assign'd besides the divine VVill. It is written in the 9 h. chapter to the Romans Jacob have I loved and Esau have I hated Which place I understand in the same sense as S. Augustin S. Thomas and
senses they have been advanced and maintained to hear the pleadings and arguings of either side thereupon to view all the Books written lately touching the said Propositions to distinguish the true sence of them from the false and ambiguous to inquire carefully into all that hath pass'd in the businesse since the beginning of the dispute and after this to give an account to your Holinesse of all things done and ordained by us in this affair which concerneth matter of Faith that so what were rightly pronounc'd by us about this matter might be confirm'd by your Apostolical Authority But how many artifices may there be to oppresse and overthrow the truth by thus directly addressing to your See before our examining and judging of the cause By what abundance of calumnies may the reputation of our Prelates and Doctors be blemish'd And by how many fallacies may your Holinesse be circumvented and surpris'd in this great affair which concerns points of Faith For on the one side it is visible that they in whose favour our Brethren the Bishops writ to your Holinesse maintain firmly and obstinately that the greatest part of the new Schoole-men is of their opinion and that their Doctrine is most consentaneous to the goodnesse of God and the equity of natural reason On the other side they who adhere to S. Augustin declare not in secret but publickly that the Questions contested about are not now dubious and problematical but that 't is an affair ended and terminated long agoe that they are the received Determinations of antient Councils and Popes whose Decrees are most evident in this matter and especially those of the Council of Trent which they maintain consist almost wholly of the words and maximes of S. Augustine as well as those of the second Council of Orange do Wherefore they professe that instead of fearing either our judgement or yours they have rather reason to desire the same having all ground to promise themselves that your Holinesse being assisted by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost who vouchsafes to guide you when you consult him and to hear you when you pray to him will not in the least thing depart from what hath been determin'd by the H. Fathers that so it may not happen which God forbid that the reputation of the H. Apostolical See fall under the contempt of Hereticks who narrowly observe the least of its actions and words But we have ground to hope that this will never come to passe especially if for retrenching all contest for the future your Holinesse will please by treading in the footsteps of your Predecessors to examine this affair from the bottome and to hear the reasons and defences of either side according to custom Vouchsafe therefore most Holy Father either to let this important dispute which hath lasted divers ages without breach of the Catholick Vnity continue still a little longer or to decide all the Questions by observing the legitimate forms of Ecclesiastical Judgements And we beseech your Holinesse that you will please to imploy all your care and zeal that the interests of the Church intrusted to your Government be not any wise injur'd in this Cause God accumulate many years prosperity and happinesse upon your Holinesse We are Most Holy Father Your Holinesse's most humble Sons and Servants in Christ Jesus Signed thus in several Copies In one Lewis Henry de Gondrin Archbishop of Sens. B. Delbene Bishop of Agen. Gilbert Bishop of Comenge Le Beron Bishop of Valence and Die A. Delbene Bishop of Orleans Bernard Bishop of S. Papoul J. Henry de Salette Bishop of Lescar in Bearn Felix Bishop and C. of Châlons In another Francis Bishop of Amiens In a third Henry Bishop of Angiers In a fourth Nicholas Bishop and C. of Beauvais The friend whom I intreated to come to me accordingly repair'd to the lodging I had taken We consider'd the above mention'd Letters and having discours'd largely of all things I desir'd him to go and confer thereupon with the other person who could not so well come abroad and who did not think meet the delegation should be hastened and to assure him that if the present posture of things at Rome would not bear the prosecution of my affair I was for my own part ready to return back the next morning to Civitá Vecchia and so to Genua by the Gally in which I came and which was to return thither within a few days I entrusted my Letters to this friend who accordingly carried them to that other person and after having confer'd together upon them came again to me the same day I conceive that in case things had been still intire and not yet medled with we three should have agreed to leave them so for some time and wait till mens minds were better prepar'd then at present to receive our Remonstrances and consider the truths which we were to defend in the Sequel of this affair if the first Justice desir'd by us were granted of which there seem'd not to be any doubt being su'd for by persons so eminent among their brethren as those Bishops of France who subscrib'd the letter whereof I was bearer But for that it was not absolutely in our power to act so directly against their orders and intentions without having reasons evidently convincing and perfectly indubitable for so doing and also for that although there were very strong ones to perswade it expedient not to hasten so much the producing of my Letters and beginning the prosecution enjoyn'd me yet there were others too no less powerfull to evince such prosecution both beneficial and necessary We all three judg'd that it ought to be begun we consider'd that the business was in very evident danger whatsoever course were taken and that unless I stir'd in it the ill success would infallibly be attributed to so irregular a managment as mine would be That such ill success was almost inevitable there being already a Congregation establisht which secretly carri'd on the affair and which receiving neither opposition nor information contrary to the conceptions begotten in them by M. de Vabres's Letter subscribed by so many Bishops and other persons who conspir'd and solicited the condemnation aim'd at in writing it would not fall to follow those prepossessions and conclude upon the condemnation That by the high credit and great authority of the persons who interested themselves in the prosecution of the same and in whose power it would be to make such application and use of it as they pleas'd it would cause as much mischief and have as evil consequences in what manner soever it were concluded as if it were so notwithstanding the letters I should deliver and the remonstrances I could make Besides those letters and remonstrances in whatsoever manner they were received and whatsoever regard were had of them might always hinder some of those ill effects and grievous consequences For either the condemnation would be proceeded to notwithstanding my letters and remonstrances and without granting
they had writen to his Holiness concerning an affair of high consequence the effect of which they charg'd me to solicite with all the care and diligence it deser'vd That it was touching the Five Propositions contriv'd and fram'd in obscure ambiguous and equivocal words so as to be capable of several very contrary senses according to the different interpretations which may be put upon them That some of those senses are evidently Heretical others most certainly Catholick and containing the chief Truths of Faith and Christian Religion That the Authors of those Propositions fram'd them in this manner that so under pretext of those bad senses they may get a downright absolute condemnation of them and apply the same afterwards to the Catholick Senses and Orthodox Truths which they include That they did thus because they are possess'd with Sentiments contrary to those Truths and seeing the same so firmly establisht that there is no likelyhood of impeaching them with success should they openly declare against them they had devis'd and fram'd those Propositions to overthrow the said Truths by involving them in one and the same condemnation with the errors contain'd in the said Propositions That M. Cornet was the man that first broacht them proposing them to the Faculty almost two years ago to get them censur'd but a great number of Doctors presently understanding the Artifice and discovering the dangerous consequences thereof both to the publick by some Books publisht against that Attempt and to the Court of Parliament by two Petitions which they were constrain'd to present for stopping its coutse It incur'd the indignation of all sincere and equitable persons that heard of it and was repress'd by an Arrest of the Court which prohibited M. Cornet and all others to pursue it That having miss'd of their design in the Faculty in the year 1649 M. Cornet and such as joyn'd with him conceiv'd the Assembly of the Clergy held the year after might be a favourable opportunity to revive it because the Bishop of Vabres who was ingag'd therein with them and was to be of the Assembly might use such practices as were necessary for it with my Lords his brethren But many of them which were also of the Assembly having well understood the business the memory of which was still fresh and abhorr'd and M. de Vabres having apprehended that if he made the least opening of it there would never be wanting some or other to represent to the Assembly how great and fruitless a stir it caus'd the year preceding how remote it was judg'd from sincerity and honour and consequently how unworthy it would be of their company and so his Proposal would certainly have no effect he durst not attempt to make it Wherefore the business having fail'd in the Faculty and being not thought fit to be set afoot amongst the Clergy for fear of the same success they resolv'd to venture it to the H. See conceiving all the particularities of its odiousness would not be represented there and that no person would set forth to his Holiness what a plot there was upon him to engage the Apostolical Authority in a Censure intended to serve for the upholding of error That they were the more confident of drawing the H. See to such a Determination though it cannot but be shameful to it in the end and beget confusion and greater Disputes in the Church which yet is the only refuge they have in the miserable cause wherein they are ingaged for that they presume the H. See not having any suspition or distrust of those whic◠sollicite it being persons who have ever professed a singular devotion to its interests and service But this as I conceiv'd would cause in the Pope and their Eminences greater indignation against the Enterprise when they should find that its Authors made use of that outside false zeal for the H. See to circumvent it and bring it more easily into the Ambushes which they have prepared against it That they cover'd the same with the authority of some Bishops which they have inveigled thereinto by sundry plausible motives and specious considerations fitted to every one's gust thereby engaging each of them to subscribe a Letter address'd to the Pope for his Holiness's judgment upon the Propositions That the fear of those by whose order I was return'd lest this authority and recommendation of their Brethern should prevail upon the Pope's mind and lest the promoters of this Enterprise should abuse their Letter against their intentions induc'd them to write another to his Holiness by which they advertise him of the prejudicial consequences likely to insue upon his Decision in case he make it before fully examining all the circumstances of the business and throughly searching the bottom of the matter in question Which they conceiving not to be done but in a solemn Congregation in which all the Divines divided about these matters may be heard both vivâ voce and by writing in presence of either side to represent all their reasons and answer those of their Adversaries their just care to prevent the troubles likely to arise in the Church and their affection for the service and interests of the H. See hath mov'd them to beseech the Pope to erect and establish such a Congregation That they hop'd this Request would be well-pleasing to his Holinesse because without such a Congregation it is not possible either to settle a firme peace amongst the Catholick Divines whose concord is so necessary to the Edification of the whole Church or to clear and maintain Truth the defending and supporting of which are the prime duties and most essential obligations of the H. See or to preserve the respect due to its Decrees the authoriry of which ought to be render'd inviolable by using all circumspection and diligence possible in the making thereof I added that what I represented to his Eminence was more largely and clearly set forth in the Letters which I had to deliver to the Pope from my LL. the Bishops who oblig'd me to return and moreover because it was requisite to adde many things by word of mouth for the more ample deducing both to his Holinesse and their Eminences all the particulars and considerations fit to be represented in so great and important an affair one man being not sufficient to performe the same fully and perfectly they would likewise send at Autumne following some Doctors or other Divines that so nothing might be omitted which they conceiv'd they owe to the H. See and the Church in this occasion That nevertheless in the mean time their fear lest this affair might be too much hastned at Rome before the arrival of those whom they intended to send thither and lest his Holiness not being advertis'd of the danger there is in decreeing any thing in it before it be throughly examin'd might grant some Decree upon the Instances made to him for it understanding that I was still in those parts and accustom'd to the heats which are
either this Pope or they that have been before him On the 27th I went again to vis t Cardinal Roma to testifie to him the same fear by giving him assurance of the comming of the Doctors which were to follow me and were preparing to set forth The Cardinal answer'd that they might come with all confidence that for certain there would be nothing done touching this affair before their arrival That the Pope's never hasten'd to define any thing and that the present Pope was more slow and circumspect then any other I intimated to him the distrust I had of M. Albizzi He told me that M. Albizzi was not the Master and advis'd me to treat both with him and others the most peaceably I could The next day one of this Cardinal's friends who was also mine told me that his Eminence profest to him that he admir'd the modest and judicious deportment wherewith I had behav'd my self to that time because he expected nothing lesse from me according to the bad characters given him of me that he knew not whether I would continue to govern my self in that manner but if I did the reports made of me to him were very false and calumnious During my residence at Rome the foregoing Winter I fell into some correspondence of particular friendship with F. le Maire a Jesuite and Secretary for France to his General I conceiv'd my self oblig'd to visit him being return'd which I did on the 28th of July and amongst other things which we discours'd of he ask'd me why we went about to hinder the condemning of the Propositions in themselves which we confesse already heretical in one of the senses whereof they are capable seeing even in that which we account Catholick they are judg'd bad by many Catholicks he meant the Fathers of his Society and their followers and for his reason he told me that Faith was a thing so tender and precious and Heresie so hurtfull and pernicious that there ought to be no scruple of rooting it up from the bottom or of condemning and suppressing whatever may give the least umbrage to it I reply'd upon his very foundation that Faith was a thing so dear and Heresie so detestable that heed ought to be taken of confounding them or using them both alike Wherefore for fear of injuring the Faith by going about to destroy Heresie all the world ought to wish and require that a distinction be made of the different senses whereof the Propositions are capable that so in condemning the bad the good may be preserv'd Neverthelesse he persisted in his opinion and to evince it equitable he alledg'd for instance the Bull of Pius V against Bavis in which it cannot be doubted that amongst those condemned Propositions there are some in terminis S. Augustin's which hinder'd not but that all the world agreed that they were not thereby condemned in S. Augustin's sense So when the five Propositions in question shall be condemned in terminis it cannot be but in their bad sense which will not hinder but that ever afterwards it will be lawfull to revindicate the Catholick sense out of them I maintain'd very stedfastly that his Expedient was not very proper for the clearing of the truth and procuring peace among the Catholick Divines but on the contrary very apt to cover the truth with obscure clouds and to excite most dismal divisions amongst Divines On the 29th I went to visit Cardinal Barberin to accompany him whither he was to go that day and in attendance of the time to set forth he joyned me with the Archbishop of Beneventum and amongst other things that he said shew'd me as a new thing the last chapter of the Letter of Celestin the first to the Bishops of France copyed out in writing upon half a sheet of paper The consequence that he meant to draw from it was That it was not necessary for the Pope to incline to the making of the decision of the matters contested between us and the Jesuits founded upon these words contained in that chapter Profundiores verò difficilioresque partes incurrentium quaestionum quas latiùs pertractarunt qui Haereticis restiterunt sicut non audemus contemnere ita non necesse habemus astruere I told the Cardinal that I was very glad to see in his Eminences hands the extracts of a great Popes Letter which was so advantagious to us and which alone suffic'd to decide all the differences which we had about these matters He answer'd that I ought not to fear that any thing would be done at Rome contrary to the Letter of that Pope I reply'd that it was enough and that I desir'd no more He fell presently to speak of Sufficient Grace to which seeing he invited me I said that I had already several times intimated to his Eminence and now repeated the same again in presence of the Archbishop of Beneventum that we did not at all dispute against that of the Thomists but as for that of the Jesuites it could not according to Celestin's Letter whereof he newly shew'd me an extract consist with the faith of the the Church The time to go forth being come the Cardinal told me as he separated us that it was requisite to think of obeying the Bull and then all would go well On the first of August I went to wait upon Cardinal Spada and to beseech him to tell me whether I might write with full assurance to the Bishops who caus'd me to return to cause the other Divines to set forth in Septemb. whom they determin'd to send in case things were at that time in their integrity and whether I were not mistaken in my confidence that nothing would be done till the arrival of those Deputies The Cardinal answer'd that I spoke of things to him of which he was not the master and besides being secrets he could tell me nothing of them but he believ'd I was not mistaken in my presumption And on this occasion himself put a question to me◠namely Whether there would come also Doctors of the contrary party presupposing that for the discussing an affair before a Congregation it is requisit that there be persons contesting on either side To this I answer'd that there needed not other Doctors to come beside us because the Jesuites who are our principal adversaries are all prepar'd and alwayes present upon the place In the second place I told him what pass'd between M. Albizzi and me and that for the future I saw no likelihood of treating any thing with him whilst he presum'd that all our intentions tended only to the disservice and subversion of the H. See The Cardinal reply'd that he was but a Secretary who had no deliberative voice in their Assemblies and with whom we might have nothing to do or say unlesse we pleas'd On the sixt of August F. le Maire came to repay the visite which I made to him and I wonder at the perusing of this Passage that he was then so quicksighted in things
possible and that the H. Spirit may be resisted But this is ridiculous too it being alwayes lawfull to utter such truths as are certain and not contested by any person 3. Because the Church was already engag'd to find errors in Jansenius Quia jam Ecclesia oppignorata est cùm definierit multas ex Jansenianis Propositionibus esse damnatas damnabiles proinde hujus controversiae materia non est amplius indifferens It appears hence that the principal artifice of the Jesuits hath alwayes been to engage the Pope and the Bishops to make ambiguous Decrees and afterwards to drive them further then they desir'd at first by supposing that it is a thing decided They obtain'd at first a little Decree against Jansenius then they engag'd Pope Vrban VIII to make a provisional Bull into which they procur'd ambiguous words to be slipt By favour of the ambiguity of which provisional Bull themselves have made a Doctrinal Bull of it and at length have begun to seek for errors in Jansenius because as they pretend the H. See hath affirmed there were some in his book 4. Because those Propositions were maintain'd in France which is very false the Propositions having been fram'd by themselves and no person there having ever maintain'n them saving so far as they may be reduc'd to the sense of Effectual Grace which is not to maintain them but to maintain Effectual Grace 5. Because it was meet not to let passe the occasions of confirming to the H. See the possession of defining controversies touching Faith Expedit non praetermitti opportunas occasiones hujus possessionis confirmandae And that this occasion was the more favourable for that the King was ready to cause obedience to be given to the Pope and the Principal persons of the Parliament had likewise declar'd that his Decision should be obey'd It is not improbable but this reason hath been considered as much or more then the rest Lastly to take away all scruples they maintain'd that there was nothing in this controversie that had reference to the controversie de Auxiliis Hanc esse causam Thomistarum Jesuitarum qui dicunt errant toto coelo Nihil proponitur Summo Pontifici de quo fuerit contentio inter illos duos Ordines nihil quod non sit inter ambas familias summo consensu constitutum We shall see in its due place how farr the Dominicans were from this thought When I had quitted F. Mulard I went up to Cardinal Barberin but because he had many audiences to give and I had not much to say to him I continu'd with him but a moment After which I went to visit F. Delbene who told me he believ'd there would be erected a full and solemn Congregation and that when he gave me the advertisement which he did from Cardinal Barberin it was out of the affection which his Eminence had for me and that he had also render'd his Eminence very advantagious testimonies of my deportment and discourse with him in all the conferences that we had had together Yet it is certain that those charitable advertisements gave occasion to the Jesuits to spread the rumor in many parts of Rome that I was already become suspected by the Inquisition which rumor seem'd to me so unreasonable and importune that I was sometimes in the mind to make a free and authentick complaint thereof to those Officers but persons more intelligent then my self in the genius of the Country whom I acquainted with that thought counsell'd me not to do any thing about it but to lift my self above such false reports On Thursday after noon I return'd to Cardinal Barberin and finding that he was gone abroad I went up to the chamber of M. Holstenius I found him with a book in his hands which the Pope had given him a few dayes before at an audience which he had of him wherein he told me his Holinesse spoke very advantagiously of me and that he was well pleas'd therewith As for the Five Propositions he pray'd me not to take it ill if he freely told me his thoughts of them which were that he wonder'd that we would maintain the same absolutely because of the Catholick sense which they might admit notwithstanding the Heretical inherent in them and he spoke as if our intention were not draw out of each of those Propositions a clear and plain Proposition expressing in evident and unsuspected terms the sentiments we had upon each I answer'd him that he had reason to say that it ought to be so done and assur'd him that it was our intention I told him that it behooved to unravell and put into the fire those Propositions and of each to make two whereof one to contain explicitly the Catholick sense which we held the other the Heretical which was worthy to be condemned and then to apply to each of those Propositions so express'd and exempted from all ambiguity and obscurity the judgement which it deserved I told him that if he would take the pains to read the book of Victorious Grace and our Latin Manifesto he should find that we had no other aim then what I had declar'd to him He answer'd me that he would willingly see them and upon occasion he fell to speak of the book intitul'd De Ecclesia praesentis temporis which he accounted highly of I agreed with him as to the goodnesse of the book so farr as it pretended to prove the unity and perpetuity of the Church and as to the stile and manner of expression but as for the false suppositions which it made in attributing to us such opinions as we own'd not thereby to take occasion to impugne them I told him that Author was a falsifier and a wicked person M. Holstenius reply'd as if we were much too blame then that we did not discover those falsities and complain of those calumnies and as if that silence had been an effect of the difficulty we had to manifest our sentiments I answer'd him that we desir'd nothing more cordially then that they were known by all the world for such as they are that we wisht they were written with letters as visible as the Sun-beams that in occasions that seem'd worth it we complain'd of the impostures and accusations invented to blacken us but we had not so many hands nor so much authority and friends as the Jesuites to divulge our books throughout Rome where those Fathers disperst theirs We ended this conference with a new assurance that he gave me more positive and indubitable then formerly that the Pope would not make any new determination telling me that we ought to comply with that inclination of his Holinesse and ought not to presse the H. See further to take part in those contests and become engag'd in the toiles and cares that the discussion of the same required The next day Novemb. 17. I went to carry our Latin Manifesto to M. Holstenius and not the book of Victorious Grace because I
was told by one of the H. Office that he to whom F. Annat's book de Incoacta libertate then under the Presse was committed to read had made his Report of it eight dayes ago that M. Albizzi mov'd there might be given to it not only a Licence for printing but also a kind of Approbation that there was nothing in it contrary to the Faith but the Members of the H. Office considering it was not their Custom M. Albizzi could not bring them to his intended innovation and so the book was only remitted to the Master of the Sacred Palace I went to visit him on Saturday the 19. and represented the Prejudice which the Cause of Grace Effectual by it self would receive by the Approbation which F. Annat endeavour'd to get from the Congregation of the H. Office for the Book he was printing and the advantage which the Jesuites would make of it for the upholding of their Molinistical Grace subject to Free Will which could not be establisht but upon the ruines of many Christian Truths The Master of the Sacred Palace presently agreed with me as to the prejudice which those truths receive from that Molinistical opinion and particularly mention'd many truths that are subverted thereby But he told me that he did not believe F. Annat's book was writ in defence of that opinion That were it so it could not afford any consequence as to the matter of the Doctrine which would not fail to be maintain'd when they came to the Decision but till it were come to that the Pope had prohibited writing of these matters without permission of the Congregation of the H. Office That the said Congregation had given F. Annat such permission and him the Master c. permission to peruse the book and give his consent to the impression That he had done so and could not have done otherwise That those people were Almighty Ognipotenti That he was in an office in which it was necessary to obey By which I saw that we must be contented either to behold that book publisht with whatever advantagious Notes of Approbation it could be authoris'd or else stop its course by our complaint to the Pope against it if we could get audience of him before it came forth CHAP. II. Of the first Audience which we had together of the Pope Jan. 21. 1652. at the end of which we deliver'd to him our first Memorial AT length we obtain'd that so much desired Audience on Sunday Jan. 21. After we had made the usual kneelings at entrance into the Chamber where the Pope was and kiss'd his feet we placed our selves all four before him in a Semicircle and being upon our knees M. Brousse our Senior spoke in Latin to his Holinesse what followeth in the Translation Most Holy Father THE Joy we resent this day is so great that no words are capable to expresse it For what could happen more desirable and more happy to Sons of the Church to Priests and Doctors then to see our selves prostrate before the Common Father of Christians the Visible Head of the Church the Vicar of Jesus Christ and the Successor of S. Peter to kisse his feet and receive a benediction from his hand and mouth So that we doubt not but the sequel of this Year will be favourable to us and the successe of our Commission fortunate since we begin both the one and the other with your Holinesse's benediction Behold us most H. F. at the feet of your Holinesse sent from many most illustrious Bishops of France who excited with an ardent Zeal for the Mysteries and Articles of Faith and animated by their respect to the Holy See and particularly towards your Holinesse have delegated us hither to beseech you in their Name according to the laudable custom of the Church in the like occasions to please to ordain a Congregation for the Examination and Discussion of five Equivocal Propositions fraudulently and subtilly contriv'd and whereof the Authors themselves sollicit a Censure with all kind of artifices to the end that after the Parties shall have been heard in presence one of the other their proofs and reasons reciprocally produc'd subscrib'd and communicated the whole being weigh'd and examin'd as the importance of the matter requireth your Holinesse may pronounce and declare by the supreme authority which you have in the Church what ought to be follow'd and what avoided which is the true sense of those Propositions which we are oblig'd to hold and which the false which we ought to abhorr as we understand by publick and authentick Acts to have been practis'd under Clement VIII and Paul V. of hâ—ppy memory with so great glory to those two great Popes so much lustre of the truth and so great advantage to the H. See Our Confrere here present hath formerly propounded the same more largely to your Holinesse when he had the Honor to present to you the Letters of our LL. the Bishops and therefore I shall not repeat it for fear of being tedious to your Holinesse reserving my self to speak further thereof when your Holinesse shall please to command me For your Holinesse may easily judge by that strength of mind which it hath pleased God to give you of what importance this Suite of ours is for the preservation of truth for unity for peace and for the authority of the Church Forasmuch as the said Propositions being capable of divers senses true and false Catholick and Heretical and having been cunningly fram'd by those who are the Authors of them with design if once they be condemned in general and according to the rigor of the words to attribute to themselves the judgement of such Equivocal Censure and under pretext of defending it to take the Liberty of applying it as they please to all the kinds of senses and so by mingling the true with the false and error with the Catholick faith to excite envy and hatred against many both Bishops and Doctors of very great piety and excellent learning to accuse them to your Holinesse as guilty of spiritual Treason and to traduce them by their injuries and calumnies in the minds of the ignorant common people as they have not been asham'd to do already to the great scandal of all good men In which regard most H. F. there is none but sees how necessary the clearing of those Propositions is for Vnion for peace and for the good of the Church to the end that the parties having been heard on either side all the equivocations and ambiguities of words being unfolded and all the odious cavills dispell'd and rejected falsitie may become sever'd from truth error from the faith and bran from the flower to use S. Gregorie's Words I passe over in silence most H. F. that so I may not abuse the grace which your Holinesse doth me in hearing me that all this dispute concerns the dignity authority and doctrine of S. Augustin whom the supreme Pontifs and the whole Church have alwayes held in so great
is in Jansenius's book Ptopositions condemned by Jansenius that is to be understood as they were condemn'd by the Pope and not otherwise but amongst those which he there condemnes there are some excepted and it was not said that those which were excepted were not the same that Jansenius taught So that the difference not having been made by the H. See there was reason to forbid the book and the reading of it by provision till it were made But yet all that was in it might be true to the least line and yet the said Bull have its full and intire execution Thus this learned Monastick engag'd us to speak much of Jansenius but before we parted we told him let the affaires of that Bishop go as they would it was nothing to us who had nothing to propound either for his defence or against the Bull and that we stuck onely to the affair of the five Propositions in question Of which we gave him the reasons namely the Catholick sense concerning Effectual Grace included in them which we explicated to him He was well pleas'd therewith and acknowledg'd every one for Catholick which we mention'd telling us he believ'd they could be in no danger as to that sense And at last he invited us to come the fourth sunday of Lent to see those rare and precious Reliques which are in that House whereof he is Superior The same day Fryday the 16th we went to visite Cardinal Rapaccioli according as we were advised He professd much desire to be instructed concerning our affair whereof we inform'd him punctually enough and when we told him we were not come for the defence of Jansenius's book but onely for the clearing of the different senses which might be given those Propositions he answer'd that we did prudently because Jansenius malè audiebat Romae That in this affair he should be set aside and the Propositions examin'd without taking notice of him To which we reply'd as we had done in former visites That when the senses of those Propositions were distingush'd and cleared and the Pope had pass'd a particular judgment of them it would be easy to find whether the doctrine of Jansenius upon this subject were Catholick or Heretical onely by comparing those senses so cleared and judged with what is contain'd in the book of that Bishop We also visited Cardinal Ludovisio who heard our account of this affair with great civility Besides the general things which we represented every where else we testifi'd to him that notwithstanding the necessity of it yet we were very backward to bring this new incumbrance upon the Pope besides those which molested him already To which he answer'd that the Pope was not a temporal Prince but by accident that God had not establisht him such but as for matters of Faith and Truth they ought to be his first care We beseecht him to remember the justice of our sute for a Congregation for the discussion of this affair and to favour this sute with his approbation and recommendation in such occasions as he might have to do it He told us that by what we had said he sufficiently understood the importance of it but the same would be more apparent when the Pope had appointed Judges to examine it and if he were of the number he would do all in his power in behalf of truth and justice The Procurator General of the Augustines receiv'd the next visite from us we instructed him soundly and amply of our intentions and confirm'd to him altogether what I had formerly acquainted him with alone The same day I endevor'd to speak with Monsignor Ghiggi but was told some other houre in the day would be more proper then the Evening yet I could not obtain to have one expressely assign'd me because Monsignor they said was not at his own dispose I durst not go thither again on Saturday in regard of the Dispatches for Italy but I design'd that day for some particular visites amongst which one was to F. Dinel the Jesuite we talked much more of the ancient acquaintance which he and I had at Court while he was the late King's Confessor and of the singular good will which he acknowledg'd his Majesty had for me then of the affairs of the time saving that we spoke something about my return and my Commission to Rome of which he acknowledg'd with me the fruit could not be but advantageous to all the world On Sunday the 18th after we had been to accompany the Ambassador to Chappel I went to Monsignor Ghiggi's house but not finding him I return'd thither in the afternoon and stay'd to speak with him till six a clock at night I told him we were constrain'd to have recourse to him for our Memorial by reason of the difficulty and delay of audience from the Pope and the fear lest the book should come forth in the mean time He said it was a matter that did not belong to him yet he had spoken of it to the Pope who told him he had given order that the book should not come forth without having been first well perus'd c. I did not think fit to give Monsignor Ghiggi such an answer as would have been more material then that which I made him I ought to have told him that it was difficult to weigh the consequences of the impression of that book without having first examin'd things to the bottome as we desir'd they might be and the parties heard But having thank'd him for his good office I onely said That with what ever care it might be perused we had to do with people that had many wiles and subterfuges that explicated their writings on way to the Examiners before printing and afterwards understood them another and made what use of them they pleas'd That for instance they took this course to draw the Dominicans into the same complotment with themselves perswading them that they both defended the same kind of Grace which they call sufficient though they knew very well that that which the Dominicans hold besides which learned Divines maintain that there is requisite Effectual Grace to determine the Will to a good action is wholly different from their own which they so subject to the Will as to make the good or bad use of it wholly to depend upon that Faculty Monsignor Ghiggi fell upon the Political reason that there was not to permit either side to print such sort of books and that it was requisite to forbid all the world equally so to do I answer'd that it would be good in the interim but at length it was requisite to manifest which side had reason which defended the Truth and the Faith and so come to a solemn decision which would bring all parties to accord He made great difficulties as to this in regard he saw that while the H. See remembred and consider'd that Clement VIII Paul V. had labour'd so much in these matters without determining any thing it would be loth to reassemble
Secretary had the direction of every thing I reply'd that I was unwilling to go to M. Albizzi because perhaps his Eminence would be better within two or three days and in case his infirmity continu'd it would be time enough then to consider what course to take He was satisfi'd with this resolution and I was very glad of it being loth to come into M. Albizzi's hands sooner then needs must and partly because we might have leisure for the making of other Copies of our Papers to present to the other Cardinals at the same time that we deliver'd the first to Cardinal Roma To which purpose I went to find out divers Clerks or Copists and excepting the time of my attendance upon the Ambassador on Friday the 30th I spent that day and the next with my Collegues in setting our Clerks to work and comparing what they had written Aug. 31. going between four and five a clock in the afternoon to learn tidings of Cardinal Roma I found that he was gone abroad to make a visit hard by wherefore I staid till his return and saluted him as he alighted out of his Coach congratulating him both for his recovery and the hope it gave me that his health would permit him shortly to look upon our Papers and betake himself to all the rest of our affair He answer'd that he was far from being recover'd that he went abroad only by order of the Physitians to take a little air but as soon as it pleas'd God to restore his health he would willingly imploy it in what concern'd us I reply'd that in the mean time we would offer our prayers to God to return it sufficiently for that purpose and certainly it was much our obligation and interest so to do in regard of the understanding sincerity and uprightness wherewith we knew he would comport himself therein CHAP. VI. Of two Conferences held at Paris during this moneth of August between M. de Sainte Beuve Doctor and Professor of Sorbon and F. l'Abbe the Jesuite Other Letters written to us from Paris during the same moneth enjoyning us not to appear but in presence of our Adversaries I Receiv'd news at the end of this moneth of two famous Conferences held at Paris in presence of some persons of Quality between M. de Sainte Beuve and F. l' Abbe the Jesuite touching the subject of a work publisht by this Father in reference to the controversies of the times The Father receiv'd much confusion therein having been convinc'd of foul dealing or little intelligence of the points whereupon they confer'd which were many in number The Letter which M. de Sainte Beuve did me the favour to write to me about it contains so clear and compendious an account thereof that it may be inserted here at length with the satisfaction of those that shall read it and without much interrupting the course of the principal Narration in hand A Copy of the said Letter From Paris Aug. 2. 1652. SIR THe discourse of F. Annat is the common discourse of the Society Those good Fathers publisht here as well as at Rome that the Pope is to pronounce with all speed and when they are told that there is no Congregation yet setled in which the Parties may be heard they answer that his Holiness will not hear any Parties and that their Society hath resolv'd not to enter into a conference either at Paris or at Rome touching the controverted Doctrine This is what F. l' Abbe said to me in the conference I have had with him when he wisht it might be heard privately for fear as he said it might be disown'd by the Society which hath resolv'd not to confer about these matters Nevertheless I think not to offend them if I acquaint you with some of the particulars of it You shall know then that he hath compos'd a book entitl'd Elogium Divi Augustini Umbra ejusdem Tumulus novae Doctrinae Epitaphium Antitheses Cornelii Jansenii Divi Augustini He presented the same to M. Dugue Bagnols to whom he is known for he liv'd long at Lyons and is Procurator General of that Province M. Dugue surepris'd at the sight of those Antitheses committed the same to the perusal of some friends and by them was assured that they were full of falsifications whereupon he repair'd to the Father and engag'd him to a Conference for which I was chosen The day place and hour appointed in the presence of the Abbots Charrier and de Bernai M. M. de Morangis de Beaumont Dugue the Lievtenant Criminal of Lyons de Pomponne and Croisi at the house of M. de Bernai I offer'd to make good five things 1. That the Author in contriving his Antitheses had made use of many Treatises constantly held not to be S. Austin's 2. That it appear'd upon perusal of them that he had no tincture of the reading of that Father 3. That he had corrupted his words shamefully 4. That he had perverted his sense And 5. That he had falsifi'd M. d' Ipre in the places which he cited for his Antitheses both as to the words and the sense I prov'd the former of these 1. Because he cited as S. Austin's works the book De vera falsa Poenitentia that De Praedestinatione Gratia the Hypognosticon the 191 Sermon De Tempore which is Pelagius's Confession of Faith and the book ad Articulos sibi falso impositos and I justifi'd all this by the testimony of Cardinal Bellarmin lib. de Script Eccles in Aug. Hier. which as you see admits of no reply The second Charge I made good by producing two and twenty allegations ill made among the rest the fifth book ad Simpl. The three Operis imperfecti the ten contra Julianum And to make it appear that it was not through errors of the Printing I desir'd the F. to tell me whether they had in their Colledge the third book of the Opus Imperfectum if they had to let me see it He promis'd I should telling me they had the same of two or three Editions The third was prov'd by confronting the places as he cites him with the plain Text and made horrible things appear as for example that he added a Negation to an affirmative Proposition of S. Austin 's c. I prov'd the fourth only by two places the time enforcing brevity the first of which was an objection of S. Augustin which he cited as if it was his answer and the other was the Pelagian Doctrine which he call'd the Augustinian And for the fifth I contented my self with chusing one place out of M. d' Ipre which he falsifi'd in the citing by putting a negative for an affirmative All this convinc'd the Company who demanded of this good Father whether he had any thing to object against me whereupon apprehending that they were desirous to see me act the Respondent as well as the Opponent I declar'd that I was ready to perform that part too and for the subject of
deny it So that to have M. Albizzi for Secretary is to have a person whom we have had all reason to suspect ever since M. Halliers Declaration before the Faculty Moreover Sir every one knows that in Flanders it is loudly complain'd of in Books that M. Albizzi inserted something into the Bull touching M. de Ipre which was not in the sense of the late Pope of happy memory This alone ought to hinder him of being suffer'd to exercise the Office of Secretary without complaint and remonstrance to his Holiness against it Perhaps they will say That a Secretary is neither Judge nor Consultor 't is true but then it cannot be deny'd that he hath very great power in a congregation And besides though he could do no great matter yet it is not suitable to order at Rome especially where all things are done so exquisitly that the very adversaries of the Church are constrain'd to acknowledge the prudence of the proceedings wherewith things are carried there But if Sir they will not do you justice in these points I conceive it will be more expedient to produce nothing then to submit to such a congregation as that which is contrary to the intention of his Holiness And in this case leave them to ordain what they think good we shall very well know how to acquit our selves in all things Let them perplex and intangle the whole matter as much as they will yet it must be reduc'd to three points 1. VVho are the Authors of those Propositions 2. VVhether it be true that they consist of equivocal terms which is the cause that they have sundry bad senses And 3. VVhether they be condemnable according to the sense of the necessity of Grace Effectual ad singulos actus which is the only sense in which we have maintained them hitherto and pretend to maintain them for the future Now being we know that they cannot be condemned in this sense hence it is that we have no reason to apprehend any thing If they will make a Gallimawfry of them it will be easie to let all Europe see both the goodness of our cause and the bad proceedings taken to disparage a Doctrine which they durst not openly condemn Those persons will twice think what they shall do and I can scarce believe that they will contribute to the oppression of Truth and of the persons who defend The Doctors of the Faculty of Paris ought to be more considered then to be sleighted and it is not needfull to alienate the minds of those who have all possible devotion for the H. See which will be done undoubtedly in case they do not do them justice in an Affair which speaks for it self ' I have often said it to M. Duvel and I know not whether he hath told it to the Nuncio There are many persons very little affectionated towards the Holy See who wish that justice be not observed towards us hoping thereby to draw us to their party For my part I hope God will not so abandon me but I know not whether this will not much diminish the high esteem which ought to be had for what proceeds from so venerable a Throne But this Sir is enough touching that point I cannot end this Letter without letting you know that M. de Marca nominated to the Archbishoprick of Tholouse being in court last week said to M. Nain de Beau. Master of the Requests and to M. Queras our Confrere that when he consented to the setting of his name to the Letter sent to his Holiness he did it only at the entreaty of F. Petave and M. Hallier who writ to him about it and that it was never his intention to demand of the Pope a condemnation of the Propositions but only that it would please his Holiness to pronounce upon the present controversies And when the abovenamed persons reply'd to him that the Letter subscrib'd with his name demanded of the Pope the condemnation of the Five Propositions he was amazed at it and desired to see a copy of the Letter which was promised him And accordingly one being found in the hands of M. Lovistre Curée of Mantes where the court then was M. de la Militire tooke upon him to transcribe and present it to him You see Sir how the Prelates have been inveigled and how the Pope is imposed upon when it is represented to him that all the Prelates whose names are at the bottom of that Letter demand of him the condemnation of the Five Propositions as being the causes of all the stir and contentions Moreover these two Gentlemen have had the honour to confer with him about the senses of the Propositions and he acknowledg'd that ours was not condemnable and he said only that his opinion was that whosoever hath Faith hath all that is necessary from God to pray actually and he advanc'd this Doctrine founded he said upon that word of S. Augustin Fides impetrat You may judge by this what sentiment the Thomists have upon this point The Book of F. Martinon came forth here some days ago 'T is a Transcription of all that hath been written against us by our Adversaries but not a confutation of all that we have opposed to their sentiments It hath abundance of evil and unjustifiable Propositions It bears a Warlike title It may easily be rendred a pitiful piece in one printed Quire or a work like to Vulpes capta We are given to hope for one from M. Annat shortly we expect it with joy not doubting but that it will be of use for the manifesting of the Truth I am Sir c. The beginning of this Letter shews the truth of what I said to Cardinal Ghiggi in the andience he gave me on July 23. that I was not hasty to send word into France of such things as might cause dissatisfaction there so long as necessity and our obligation of informing our friends and our Bishops of what pass'd at Rome permitted me to defer or wholly dissemble them VVhen I writ touching this matter to M. de Sainte Beuve the last day of September I said nothing of the delay of communicating our writings nor of the dubiousness signified to us whether it would be granted or no nor of the Memorial which we had resolv'd to present as a more express demand thereof which might knock at the door of justice of the Cardinals chosen by the Pope to render the same to us and which might leave to posterity more express monuments of the prosecutions and unheard-of difficulties whereunto we were reduc'd in case we should one day be oblig'd to acquaint the world with such irregular proceedings I thought it sufficient to tell him only that we were solliciting their Eminences to ordain the Communication of our writings to our Adversaries and to let them know that we were ready to appear at the Congregation when it should please them to assemble it And I us'd this reservedness out of hope that we should obtain justice at
his own to the Bull of Vrban VIII He mention'd expresly these three In praejudicum fidei and that a Cardinal St. Clement making great complaints thereof M. Albizzi had recourse to F. Hilarion as thinking himself a lost man unlesse he help'd him That F. Hilarion having seen the said words said it had been better if they had not been there but since they were so it was requisite to endevour to salve them Wherefore in the Congregation of the H. Office having interpreted them in this sense namely That it was a thing which would turn to the prejudice of the Faith if the Pope's Decrees were not better executed c. Cardinal St. Clement's complaints were ineffectual and M. Albizzi scap'd and got out of the mire But this danger wherein he saw himself and the favourable interpretation by which he escap'd did not render him more moderate in this matter nor dispos'd to confine the sense of the words of the Bull within those bounds On the contrary he extended them upon occasion the most he could it being his interest and satisfaction that they might be verify'd if it were possible and that every one might understand them not only according to the explication of F. Hilarion but also in the rigour of his own terms He would be lookt upon as the legal interpreter of them because he had been the Instrument as himself declar'd in the first Visite which my Collegues and I together made to him having fallen into a passion against those who doubted of the truth of the same Bull and telling us that he could better testifie concerning it then any other because it was himself that pen'd it and caus'd to be added in it that Jansenius reviv'd the Propositions of Baius This passage as well as many others I had omitted in my Journal which one of my Collegues perusing call'd it to mind and sent it to me in a Letter as it it is here transcrib'd F. Petit came to see us in the afternoon He told me that after many Sollicitations which he had made to M. Albizzi in the name of M. Hersent to know what was requisite for him to do that he might be absolv'd from the Excommunication which had been fulminated against him by the Congregation of the H. Office M. Albizzi at length answer'd him plainly That M. Hersent must come to Rome to unsay and retract in a publick Sermon and to preach the contrary to what he had preacht there upon the day of S. Lewis and caus'd to be printed in his Sermon He made this answer and yet he knew that the Congregation of the H. Office had nothing to gainsay either in the sermon by it self or in its relation to the Epistle and to Jansenius F. Petit who did not know him so well as he had recourse to Remonstrances and Prayers representing to him the difficulty of the Journey and told him that M. Hersent inquir'd what behoov'd him to do in the place where he was for obtaining absolution and he would perform it punctually At length M. Albizzi yielded a little and answer'd him with much difficulty grumbling and shaking his head they are the very words of F. Petit's Letter to M. Hersent which fell into my hands since That people must not think to delude and abuse the authority of the H. Office thus which us'd not to absolve such contumacious persons by a Procuratour that therefore M. Hersent must repair to the Nuntio and before him make an Act and a Protestation of his submission and obedience to the H. See and declare that he renounc'd all the sentiments and opinions of the Jansenists That when M. Hersent had sent him such an Act he would then see what was fit to be done for him and endeavour to cause satisfaction to be given him but upon any other terms there was no hope Sunday the 24th we repair'd again to the Pope's Presence-chamber there was but halfe or three quarters of an hour's time for audience which was given to the Nuntio newly return'd from Florence and to the General of the Capucines The General of the Dominicans desir'd one as well as we and told us that he was in the same bottom with us sumus in eadem navi He offer'd to perswade us to present informations to the Congregations held at Cardinal Spada's house but we declar'd to him our stedfast resolution and the necessity under which we were not to proceed further then we had done till we saw a Congregation establisht bona fide with all the conditions wherewith we had demanded and which was resolv'd to proceed according to all the usual and requisite formes The new Sub-Bibliothecary told me in the afternoon that the King of Poland had lately written to the Pope to presse the condemnation of the Propositions and that he more apprehended in his Dominions the divisions which might arise about them then the Wars of the Tartars and Moscovites The new Nuntio was arriv'd there not long before and when he went to salute the Queen she askt him newes of what was a doing at Rome touching this matter He answer'd her Majesty That he knew not in what posture this affair was but assur'd her that he was forbidden to speak of it either by words or by writing An admirable Answer in the mouth of a Nuntio speaking to a witty and intelligent Princesse as that Queen is Wednesday the 27th we went to visite Monsignor Canzoni Bishop of Borgo The Book of Jansenius was lying upon his Table He told us among other things that he could not expresse the astonishment and compassion which he had to see how outragiously that Prelate was decry'd and consider'd as a capital enemy of Religion and the H. See when he remember'd with what general applause and consent in the Consistory whereof himself was then Secretary he was promoted to the Bishoprick of Ipre and that the expedition of his Bulls was granted to him gratis And amongst the reasons why this grace was done to him besides his rare learning he told us that it was consider'd that he had been thrice in eminent Conferences with Hereticks against whom he nobly maintain d the honor of the Church and the verity of the Faith And this remembrance encreas d the grief he had for the persecution done to his Book and his memory After which he fell to speak of the Congregations which were held at Cardinal Spada's house We told him expresly that we expected some of another sort and lookt upon those only as such as might serve for preludes and preparations to those which we demanded Thursday the 28th the Sub-Bibliothecary came to see us and tell us he said some newes of what pass'd in Cardinal Spada's Congregations Neverthelesse all that he inform'd us was that Fâ— Palavicini was sufficiently mortify'd at the last which was held and that he the Sub-Bibliothecary heard from the Antichambre where he was that every one cry'd up his own Sentiment vigorously gagliardamente Friday the 29th we went
rely upon him and that M. Joysel ingenuously answer'd that who had a mind to come came but of his own accord and without procuration from Bishops or any body I told the Abbot that I was glad to understand this particularity Whereupon he went about to retract and excuse M. Joysel saying that perhaps they had receiv'd procurations since he was at Rome But I answer'd him that it was too late to disguise what he had spoken so plainly Thursday the 13th I understood that besides what is above related M. Hallier and his Collegues offer'd the General to confer not only with his Fathers but also with us and that the General answer'd that being that the Pope and Cardinals would not yield to a disputation between us he was loth to suffer one before himself or to be the Mediator of it That nevertheless the General purposed to speak to the Pope the next day and tell him what had pass'd between him and M. Hallier and his Collegues and that if his Holiness thought good that he should set them and us to dispute together to try whether we could close he should do it willingly and account himself happy in being able to contribute to our reconciliation I desir'd him who gave me this intelligence to pray the General not to make any such motion to the Pope because we had no reconciliation of Doctrine to make with them and that as for Conferences it was more expedient to make them in a full Congregation After I was return'd home and given account hereof to my Collegues they approv'd my answer In the afternoon we went to the General and assur'd him again of their design who persecuted the Propositions to make use of their condemnation against Effectual Grace and S. Augustin of which we gave him new proofs and he promis'd us to beware of suffering himself to be diverted by M. Hallier and his Collegues from the Capital point of Effectual Grace which they promis'd him to subscribe being that alone for which himself and we were concern'd After our departure one of their Fathers who had some intelligence of what pass'd in Cardinal Spada's Congregations told us that all went very ill there for the Propositions that nothing was spoken of but their condemnation but because the Pope had given order whatever were done to beware of medling with S. Augustin's doctrine or the matter De Auxiliis they scarce knew what course to take That yet he fear'd our resolvedness not to appear in Congregations but after our own way might exasperate them against us and carry them to extremities We answer'd that we could not hinder them from doing what they thought good yet all they could do could not hinder us from acting as we were oblig'd An other of those Fathers told us that M. Hallier and his Collegues had since their visit to the General endeavoured to defer the Conference design'd to be on Friday till Monday or Tuesday following but the General would not yield to it fearing to lose time whilst it was uncertain what the intentions of those Doctors might be That otherwise they beliv'd they tended to deceive but they should find themselves deceiv'd for either they would subscribe the Propositions as they promis'd in the sense of Effectual Grace and so we should have all we desir'd or else they would not and so manifesting their promises as equivocal and fraudulent as the Propositions they should oblige their whole Order to stand no longer in suspence but engage against them in this affair Omitting some less considerable passages which would cause too great interruption I shall proceed to insert the Relation of the Conference which was held on Friday the 14th word for word as it was given me soon after in Writing by one of the Dominicans A Relation of a Conference between M. Hallier and his Collegues at la Minerve Febr. 14. 1653. and the General of the Dominicans and some Fathers of that Order made by one of those Fathers M. Hallier and his Collegues came to the General of the Fryers Predicants on Tuesday Feb. 11. 1653. The subject of their long discourse with him was That they agreed with the Thomists and admitted Grace Effectual by it self but held also that God gave Sufficient Grace That in this sense they impug'd Jansenius and desir'd of his Holiness in the name of fourscore French Bishops the condemnation of the Five Propositions in the maintaining of which the Order of S. Dominicus was no wise interessed The General would not determine any thing with them saying that the affair was too important to be decided in a moment that he would consult with his Divines about it that nevertheless he protested that he undertook not to defend Jansenius unless in what he taught conformably to the sentiments of S. Augustin whom the Fathers of his Order so vigorously defended under Clement VIII and Paul V. That if it could be known that the interest of that Doctrine was not mingled with Jansenius he would not stir at all but if it were never so little concern'd directly or indirectly he could not but interpose in the business M. Hallier answer'd That they were ready to show both to him and his Divines in his presence that he was not concern'd therein Whilst they were in this debate M. de S. Amour M. the Abbot de Lane and M. Angran came to la Minerve and meeting F. Reginald by whom they understood that their Adversaries were with the General told him that they came to present a Writing unto him which contained the sentiments of M. le Moyne Pereyret and others who prosecuted the condemnation of the Five Propositions F. Reginald answer'd them that it was very important that that Writing were deliver'd to the General before he concluded any thing with those Doctors and therefore sent a Frier of the General 's chamber to deliver it to him and tell him that it was very important that he please to read the few lines written in the Paper VVhich done M. de S. Amour and the others waited till M. Hallier and his Companions were gone After which they were admitted to the General who received them somewhat coldly The same Evening that General call'd for Reginald told him that M. Hallier and his Companions were ready to subscribe and to that purpose were to come on Friday to confer with us and that they were very urgent that F. Reginald might not be there which the General would not yield to and so at length it was resolv'd upon F. Reginald answer'd that great heed was to be taken of surprizes that the Jesuites admitted Effectual Grace that in the Congregations of De Auxiliis they proceeded so far as to affirm that God physically and really moves the VVill before it acts and yet under these fair words they had equivocations which wholly enervated Grace that therefore it was needful to go with great precaution VVhereupon the General commanded him to draw up the Five Propositions in the sense of
call'd before the Congregation they so protested because they saw well that those Questions were not to be medled with The general answer'd him that then it was not without reason that he fear'd and intended to stir and he demanded whether his fear was just and well-grounded M. Hallier reply'd that the F. General 's fear was just and that he did well to fore-arm himself but for their parts it was in no wife their intention to get the opinions of the Dominicans condemn'd Then he proceeded to the second Proposition and briefly explicated it saying that the Thomists admitted Sufficient Grace not only external but also internal which men may resist and do oftentimes resist but Jansenius deny'd them and so there was no connection of the Propositions with the doctrine of the Order of Fryers Predicants As for the third he said that Jansenius affirms that 't is sufficient to make an Action meritorious that it be done without constraint though it be necessary That S. Thomas Qu. 6. De Malo affirms this Opinions heretical The second added that the Thomists affirm the same The third cited some Thomists M. Hallier said that the fourth and fifth had as little relation to the Dominicans opinions because these Propositions were never agitated in the time of Clement VIII and Paul V. After M. Hallier had ended the F. General commanded F. Reginald to speak first and declare his judgement He was the last on M. Hallier's side who said that being thick of hearing he intreated the General to cause him to come nearer and to place him where he might see him Whereupon the Father exchang'd places with F. Nolano But when he began to speak M. Hallier said he could not hear him and therefore the General commanded him to speak lowder Which he did and said that three things were to be suppos'd First that it could not be made an Article of Faith That there is Sufficient Grace common to all that it was a dispute in the Schools that many Authors deny that there is any Grace purely sufficient but that all Sufficient Grace is effectuaâ— for some acts that in this sense Jansenius did not deny it And however Jansenius's opinion were with which he would not meddle It was certain that a decision of Faith could not be made concerning Sufficient Grace especially such as is general because S. Augustin denyes it Nunc autem quibus deest c. as he speaks of Sufficient Grace which he saith is deny'd to some Secondly 'T is to be suppos'd that the Sufficient Grace admitted by the Thomists is very different from that of the Divines of the Society that these latter hold a Sufficient Grace which may be and is determin'd by the Consent of Free-will either present or fore-seen and besides this Sufficient Grace they admit no other necessary to all acts But the Thomists with common consent admit a Sufficient Grace which gives power but is not determin'd by the consent of the Will and besides this Grace they hold that for a man to act he needs another Grace powerful and effectual of it self Thirdly That this Grace necessary to all actions even to the beginning of Faith Prayer and other Good Works causes the will to act infallibly insuperabiliter indeclinabiliter and that independently on Scientia media and the conditional Prevision of God That this being suppos'd the Proposions were true in the sense of such Effectual Grace That in the disputes De Auxiliis the Thomists had answer'd the Objections of the Jesuites who drew all these Five Propositions as absurdities following from the Effectual Grace which the Thomists had explicated by the word of Physical predetermination that it was a Question whether it pertain'd to the first act or the second because it reduc'd the power of the first act into the second act That in the Congregations De Auxiliis several points were disputed of especially Grace necessary for performance of the Commandements and that when the Jesuites objected that if Effectual Grace were necessary the Commandements would be impossible to those who had not such Effectual Grace the Thomists answer'd that they were impossible in sensu Composito but not in sensu Diviso that as S. Augustin in the 42d Chapter of the Book De Natura Gratia distinguishes a possibility which he calls cum effectu and another which may be call'd simplex as may be collected from other places of S. Augustin so the Thomists distinguish two Impossibilities which in the School-terms they call in sensu Composito and in sensu Diviso that accordingly they distinguish that in sensu Composito it is impossible for him who hath not Effectual Grace to observe the Commandements which is as much as to say that 't is not possible for him with that possibility which S. Augustin terms Possibility joyn'd with Effect Possibilitas cum Essectu but they are possible in sensu Diviso that is with a simple and remote possibility or power And therefore he conceiv'd that the first Proposition could not be absolutely and without distinction condemn'd without doing great wrong to the doctrine which the Fathers Predicants had defended in the Congregations De Auxiliis considering also that in the first Proposition Sufficient Aid was explicated in the same manner that many Thomists explicated it viz. in these words volentibus conantibus which ought to be understood of an imperfect will and endeavour proceeding from a Sufficient Grace explicated in the sense of the Thomists As for the second Proposition he said that he conceiv'd that neither could it be absolutely condemn'd without doing wrong to the doctrine of the Thomists because if by Internal Grace we ought to understand Effectual Grace as S. Augustin understands it it is certain the Thomists alwayes held that to speak properly it is never resisted yea that it cannot be resisted though in a sense less proper they confess that it may be resisted that is a man may not give his consent because he who consents consenting freely alwayes reteins a power of not consenting As for the third he said that if by Liberty from Necessity it was understood that to the making of an action meritorious it must be free from all Necessity even that which is call'd Necessity of Infallibility in sensu composito or from Necessity in general and the like then in condemning this Proposition all the Thomists yea all the Schools who admit it will be condemn'd But if absolute or natural Necessity which takes away the indifference of the Object be meant then will Scotus with his School be condemn'd and 't is not convenient to require the condemnation of so famous a School As for the fourth that it depended upon History and that the Thomists alwayes maintain'd in the Congregations De Auxiliis that the Semipelagians err'd in that they would not admit at least for some acts Grace Effectual of it self but only admitted Sufficient Grace which may be determin'd by the Will That therefore if this
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
his Followers hold to be subject to the use of free will Of all which Consequences we offer'd to convince them And we concluded thas 't was easie to see by all these proofs how certain and unmoveable the doctrine of Grace Effectual by it self necessary to all acts of piety was whose ruin the Architects of these Propositions projected and how greatly they had fail'd in the respect and affection which they ow'd to the H. See who endeavor'd to get such detestable and impious Tenets as these necessary sequels of the Molinistical Sufficient Grace approv'd by it For since as we said and show'd in the Preface of this Writing each of the Five Propositions reduc'd to the sense in which we understood them had an undissoluble connexion with Effectual Grace not any of them could be condemn'd but this Grace must be condemn'd too neither could this Grace be condemn'd but the contrary opinion of Molinistical Grace subject to Free Will must be establisht as a Doctrine of Faith nor this Molinistical Grace establisht as de fide but all the other impious and abominable Propositions which we had deduc'd from it by necessary consequence must be establisht too as the Faith and Doctrine of the Church So that to take the matter in its extent the condemnation of each of these Propositions as we maintain'd them carry'd with it the establishment of all those pernicious errors and introduc'd them into the Church We said further that we entreated such as said either that it was free or either side to defend their respective sentiments in this Controversie or that they were enjoin'd silence therein for ever or that it was requisite to make such an injunction and in the Popes power to consider a little with attention what they said Because if it were lawful for either side to maintain their respective opinions then was it lawful to put the Doctrine of S. Augustin in equal ballance with that of Pelagius the Catholick with the Heretical the true with the false that which was the nurse of Christian piety with that which was the mother of errors and heresies That if silence had been impos'd in this matter for ever or could be then the Grace whereby we are Christians the Grace which the Christian Doctrine teaches and publishes for the proper grace of Christians the Grace which the Catholick Bishops were wont to read in the books of God and to preach to their people the Grace which is undoubtedly the true Prophetical Apostolical and Catholick Faith the Grace which was requisite for Pelagius to confesse if he would be a Christian indeed and not only in name This Grace I say must be banisht out of the hearts of the Faithful and out of the Catholick Church We concluded that none could enter into these dismal thoughts but such as had the boldnesse to anihilate the mystery of the Crosse of Jesus Christ and abolish all the mysteries of Christian Religion and who could renounce all kind of respect and love to the H. See for securing the fantasm of the interests and vain glory of the Jesuites The fourth of these Five Writings was alone as big as the four others It was intitl'd on the outside To the B. F. Pope Innocent X. To my LL. the most Eminent Cardinals Spada Ginetti Pamphilio Cechini and Ghiggi To the most learned Divines of sundry orders appointed and to be appointed for the examination of the Five Propositions for the Doctors subscrib'd defenders of S. Augustin Against the society of the Jesuites and against M. Hallier Joysel and Lagault Doctors of Paris acting in the affair of the said Propositions in the name of the Jesuites their own or of any other whatever A third information touching Right wherein the true and Catholick sense of the first Proposition is explicated and demonstated by the tradition of the whole Church The title in the inside was An Information of the first Proposition or rather upon the possibiliey of God's Commandments It was divided into six Chapters each of which comprehended many Articles I shall for brevity sake only speak concerning the six Chapters in general The first Chapter was the shortest wherein we declar'd the right and legitimate sense in which we understood and maintain'd the first Proposition and related distinguisht and rejected the erroneous whereof it was capable We acknowledg'd the bad senses to be many We instanc'd in some but pretended not to mention all The first we said was that it might be understood universally as if its sense were That there are Commandments of God which are impossible to all the just according to the greatest strength which they can have during the whole course of this life And we said that thus understood it was false heretical and condemn'd by the Council of Trent in Luther and Calvin Vniversalis haec est Aliqua praecepta omnibus justis volentibus conantibus secundum praesentes quas habent vires hoc est secundum quaslibet vires praesentis vitae sunt impossibilia Et ita detorta falsa haereesset à Luthero Calvino Concilio Tridentino damnata We said in the second place that there might be a bad sense in these words volentibus conantibus because if they were explicated of a will and endeavor as great as they ought to be then it would be false also though understood in particular of some just men and contrary to the second Council of Orange which defines in Canon 25. that after having receiv'd grace in Baptism all the baptiz'd may and ought by the help and operation of Jesus Christ perform all things necessary to salvation if they will labour faithfully therein In the third place we said that if these words secundum praesentes quas habent vires were understood by comparison of the strength of this life with that of the life to come the Proposition contain'd the heresie of Calvin who saith that Gods Commandments are not possible even with grace during this life but their performance is a thing reserv'd to the future life Fourthly We said that these words sunt impossibilia may be understood of all kind of impossibility de omni omnino impossibilitate and that this was heretical too because 't is certain that Gods Commandments are alwayes possible to the just in many manners cum semper omnibus justis praecepia multis modis sint possibilia Lastly We said that these words deest quoque illis gratia qua possibilia fiant might be understood so as to extend to the whole duration of this life in which case and sense the Proposition was heretical And we declar'd that if it were advanc'd or held in any one of these senses we were so far from defending it or hindring its condemnation that on the contrary we should be the first to condemn it as freely as we condemn'd all their Errors Wherefore to take away all ambiguity and equivocation we reduc'd and propounded it in these clear terms in which alone we
legitimate though in it self lesse proper sense considering precisely the proper and natural signification of the words whereof they consisted And this sole reason caused that these holy truths which we undertook to defend sometimes were more apparent to us through the vaile of the equivocal words obscurities and errors wherewith they were covered then the very errors which the words taken literally included because we knew these errors were no more held by any body in France then at Rome and that onely those truths were aim'd at However if I committed a fault in engaging my Collegues to speak too advantageously of the Propositions taken absolutely yet I shall ever have this comfort with them that in the same Writing wherein we spoke some advantegeous words concerning them as relating to the Doctrine which we maintain'd we most clearly Catholickly explain'd the same as well by declaring expressely that we acknowledg'd no other Authors of them but those very persons who prosecuted their condemnation as by purging them from all their errors and equivocations and making other new ones of them whose senses were clear Catholick and incapable of being render'd suspected of any error by the most malicious interpretation or receiving any impeachment by the most violent attempts of Envy it self For the sense and doctrine maitain'd by us and included in the Propositions of the second colume a little below is that which ought onely to be consider'd and not whether or no we believe that the condemn'd Propositions were either legitimately or else properly and naturally capable of that sense the Question not being whether we too favourably interpreted those captious and equivocal Propositions but whether we maintain'd any sense bad in it self or any erroneous censurable doctrine Wherfore if the Propositions of the second colume to which we reduc'd all that we held in this matter contain onely an Orthodox Doctrine which the Pope hath not touch'd as must needs be granted since 't is no other then the pure Doctrine of Grace Effectual by it self as 't is taught by S. Thomas and all his School it must also be acknowledg'd that how favourably soever we spoke of the condemned Propositions we cannot be charg'd with having maintain'd any error in them And thus though we used all our endeavors that the abovesaid Propositions which the Pope hath condemn'd might not be absolutely condemn'd in regard of the reasons we had against it and the deplorable consequences which we foresaw would ensue from it yet restraining our selves as we did to the sole defence of Catholick truths no lesse opposite to the sentiments of the Jesuites and their followers then to the errors heresies impieties and blasphemies which the Pope has condemn'd in those Propositions taken rigorously and in the bad signification of their termes of which we never were idolaters we condemn'd as well as he nay before he did the same errors heresies impieties and blasphemies which he condemn'd All that we have done since the constitution which we did not before hath been to acquiesce freely in their absolute condemnation assoon as it was once pronounc'd without attributing to them any good sense or maintaining them in any manner under any pretext whatsoever and to cease solliciting his Holinesse to do right in a solemn Congregation upon the complaintt which we had made already and had further to make against the Jesuites But to proceed to the remainder of this Journal During the four dayes which we employ'd in reviewing our Writings I was in great perplexity whether or no I should accquaint my Collegues with the new assurance I had that the Pope's Bull or Constitution was drawn against the five Propositions For one one side the person from whom I receiv'd this intelligence had oblig'd me to secrecy bur on the other being I had understood the same as certainly from other hands to let our affair go on as if we knew nothing thereof and to plead against a prepared decree without advertising my Collegues of so considerable circumstances seem'd a thing very hazardous and daring They had heard the report of this Constitution ever since the fifth of May but because it was quasht of a suddain upon the above mention'd Conference of another Cardinal with Cardinal Ghiggi they counted it wholly false or else grounded upon some imaginary Bull contriv'd by the subtilty of the Jesuites Now this fear being passed and they preparing themselves to appear before the Pope which joy tranquillity and hope to make impression upon his mind by the things which we should speak I fear'd to cool their courage and the ardor of the speakers by telling them such dejecting tidings Wherefore to do nothing unadvisedly I acquainted M. Manassier with it on Sunday May 18 having as much confidence in his secrecy as my own without letting him know from what hand I had it and he was of the same opinion with me namely to let it passe as if we knew nothing of it and leave M. de Valecroissant and F. Des-mares intire liberty of spirit and action against the next day when we were to appear before the Pope The Passages of which are in the following Chapter CHAP. XII Of the grand Audience which the Pope give us May 19. being the first and last which we had of all that had been promis'd us THis morning we got our Writings ready and sign'd them And according to the order given us by the Ambassador we went out of our Lodging to Monte Cavallo about three a clock Where when we came we found some of the Consultors in the two outer Chambers and amongst others M. Hallier's servant who was lately made Priest who came thither openly and without fear of our perceiving that he came to spye what he could discover But we were advertis'd that one of M. Hallier's Collegues hid himself in some place under the staires or came thither a little after us to assure himself whether we would be there which he no soonner understood but went down immediately out of Monte Cavallo leaping alone and clapping his hands and lifting them up to Heaven for joy that we should be heard before the Pope A religious Augustin who saw him go down the staires in that transport conceiv'd that some disgrace had befallen us and went home sad that he might not be witnesse of the disaster but when he afterwards heard the great successe wherewith our audience was follow'd he knew not whereunto to impute that joy An length he understood the cause of it when he saw the Constitution came forth some dayes after this audience judging that our Adversaries must needs have then known that it was resolv'd upon and determin'd and that they conceiv'd our appearing before the Pope would give them ground to report that we were condemn'd after we had been heard We stay'd in the first antichamber where the Consultors were and doubted at first whether we should enter into the second with them but presently considering that they were not
will have the whole advantage and in which 't is necessary that all things be first exactly examin'd and discussed before any certainty can be pronounc'd or establisht Wherefore we cannot sufficiently admire that in the midst of so many occupations wherewith your H. is in a manner overwhelm'd under the weight of the Churches affaires God through a singular providence has inspir'd you with a purpose to examine this important question with so much care and diligence that you may decide it fully after having weighed searcht and consider'd all things and we cannot too much thank his divine goodnesse that he hath pleas'd to increase the strength and confirme the health of your H. and together with this vigor of body and mind in so venerable an old age to inflame you with the same zeale wherewith through his most celestal favour for the deciding of this very cause he fill'd the Innocents Zozimes the Bonifaces the Celestines and other great Popes your Predecessors We confesse M. H. F. and your H. knows sufficiently that this matter is spinose and deserves a long and most attentive discussion Nature which flatters us never ceases to oppose in us the mystery of the grace of Jesus Christ Our Reason seekes meanes on all sides to free it self from that absolute submission which we are oblig'd to have for God it forgets nothing to induce ever our faith to embrace these opinions it insinuates every thing that favours this connatural pride in us S. Augustin himself confesses that without thinking of it he remain'd a long while in the error of the Semipelagians and got not perfectly out of it till after a deep meditation of the H. Scriptures particularly of S. Paul an exact reading of the H. Fathers which preceeded him which hapned but a little after his being call'd to the Episcopacy And therefore 't is no wonder that in all times there have been found so many difficulties and repugnances to cure the minds of the faithfull of the error of Pelagianisme Besides all which M. H. F. there is a determinate resolution for Molina's defence of the whole Society of Jesuites who by their Sermons printed books publick Lectures and many other wayes have mightily endeavour'd to embroile obscure alter and ruine the heavenly Doctrine of S. Augustin touching the grace of Jesus Christ have perverted the minds of so great a number of persons and amongst so many clouds and obscurities 't is difficult to discern the truth and to get clear of the Jesuites Principles and Doctrines which many even Divines too have embrac'd and through custome remain insensibly therein either loth to take the pains which is necessary for their undeceiving or affraid of the shame of changing their judgement or through some other secret and hidden inclination But this difficulty is further increased by the malicious artifice wherewith the Propositions have been contriv'd only for the secret ruining of the true Grace of Jesus Christ by their equivocal expressions The Pelagians as Innocent 1. relates made use of the same artifice when they began to sow their heresie as that H. Pope calls it which was the first that condemn'd it and approv'd S. Augustin's Doctrine Behold in what manner he speaks of them c c In the Epistle to the Bishops of Carthage which is the 91. amongst those of S. Augustin Their words being full of dangerous subtleties they took for pretext of their dispute the defence of the Catholick faith to the end to poyson their mindes whose sentiments were Orthodox by causing them to embrace the bad side and thus they endeavor'd to subvert the Catholick belief of the true Doctrine of Grace This is what the Event will show and your H. will further find that the Bishops who sent us were induced by consideration of the H. See and the defence of S. Augustin's authority and of the grace of Jesus Christ to demand as they do of your H. a Congregation in which the parties may he heard viva voce and by writing in presence one of the other and wherein after reciprocal communication of all their Writings all the points of this controversie may be fully and plainly clear'd by resuming things from their original and examining them a new one after ather But M. H. F. though Nature and Reason are very unapt to comprehend what is the grace of Jesus Christ and though this Doctrine be invelop'd as with so many clouds by the various new inventions of new Divines and by the equivocations and ambiguities of the Propositions in question neverthelesse we dare boldly affirm that albeit this mystery is very profound yet it is not so difficult to understand provided the meanes be used and the rules followed which the Church hath establisht for clearing and deciding the Doctrines of our faith and if according to the Custome of the Church and the H. See practised and confirmed lately in the Council of Trent the H. Scriptures the supream Pontifs the Councils and Fathers particularly S. Augustin as the principal minister and defender of the grace of Jesus Christ be consulted If your H. uses this course we hope you will clearly know that the Doctrine of Grace maintain'd by us is so certain and well grounded that no doubt can remain concerning it For we shall shew your H. so many passages and such clear testimonies drawn out of these sources of Divine Wisdome that we believe our Adversaries cannot solidly refute so much as one of them whereas on the contrary we undertake by Gods assistance that among those which they shall produce against our opinion and the sense wherein we defend these Propositions there shall scarce be one which we will not fully destroy And we here again maintain without fear in presence of your H. and this whole assembly what we have subscrib'd with our own hands in the conclusion of the two writings in forme of Memorials which we have presented to your H. that our Adversaries with all their endeavours cannot forme any objection against the Propositions as we understand them nor propose any argument drawn from the H. Scripture or Reason which we cannot manifest to have been us'd by the Pelagians or Semipelagians against S. Augustin either expressely or in words wholly equivalent and which he hath not refuted by his answers as we hope to destroy theirs by the most powerfull and solid reasons of that H. Doctor Whereunto we shall adde M. H. F. that of all the arguments which we shall produce against them there shall not be one where to it may be said that S. Augustin hath answer'd in any wise so consistent he is alwayes with himself so manifest it is that he favours us so wholly he is on our side and so true and evident it is that the controversie renew'd at this day is not onely the same which was agitated under Clement VIII between the Dominicans and the Jesuites but likewise the very same which was between S. Augustin and Pelagius under your
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
Prosper ad Ruffinum cap. 2. nunc etiam in ipsis his locis in quibus adversus eum querimonia concitatur propitio Deo ad perceptionem Evangelicae Apostolicaeque doctrinae saluberrimis ejus disputationibus imbuuntur quotidie in membris corporis Christi in quantum ea ipse multiplicat dilatantur pro indubitata tanti Doctoris atque adeo Ecclesiae doctrina praedictas propositiones ut a nobis superius expositae sunt perpetuo defensuros quandiu de illis expresse ut supra expositae sunt intellectis prolatum non erit quod a Sanctitate Vestra postulamus solenne definitivumque judicium quo nobis aperte constet eas in sensu quem asserimus Catholicum esse damnatas Quod quidem nunquam fore Deo adjuvante confidimus ut vel ex eo conjicere licet quod jam pridem omnium sermonibus percrebuerit Vestram Sanctitatem ita sibi proposuisse de praedictis propositionibus agere ut ante omnia statuerit suo loco stare illibatam servari debere Sancti Augustini auctoritatem cujus doctrinae potissima pars quasi summa est gratia ex se efficax cum qua praedictae propositiones inviolabili insolubilique nexu conjunctae sunt Quemadmodum videre est in ipso limine scripti sequentis in quo ejusdem gratiae ex se efficacis ad singulos actus necessitas solidissimis apertissimisque demonstrationibus comprobatur Quae omnia Sanctitatis Vestrae correctioni ac judicio subjicimus Subscriptum Romae die Lunae 19 Maii anno 1653. Sic subscriptum Natalis de la Lane Doctor Facultatis Parisiensis Abbas B. M. de Valle Crescente Tussanus Desmares Presbyter Congregationis Oratorii Domini Jesu Ludovicus de Saint-Amour in sacra Facultate Parisiensi Doctor ac Socius Sorbonicus Nicolaus Manessier in sacra Facultare Parisiensi Doctor ac Socius Sorbonicus Ludovicus Angran ejusdem sacrae Facultatis Parisiensis Licentiatus ac insignis Ecclesiae Trecensis Canonicus A COMPENDIOUS DISTINCTION of the Five Propositions touching Grace Presented to the Pope by the Parisian Doctors defenders of S. Augustin and clearly shewing in three Columes the several senses whereof the said Propositions are capable and the Sentiments of the Calvinists and Lutherans of the Pelagians and Molinists of S. Augustin and his Disciples MDCLIII To our most H. F. Pope Innocent X MOST HOLY FATHER THe Bishops of France whose wishes and expectation Your Holinesse professes an intent to satisfie beseech you to passe a judgement upon the Five controverted Propositions which may suffice both to clear and confirm the Truth extinguish differences and restore peace in the Church These Prelates supplicate Your Holinesse therefore to make an expresse decision only upon the things in contest between our Adversaries and us and not upon such whereof there is no dispute question or difficulty The same desire is manifestly set forth in sundry Letters written by all the abovesaid Bishops to Your Holinesse Wherefore 't is the chief duty of our Commission to lay before your eyes what things are disputed on either side to the end you may have perfect cognisance of the present Controversie It is certain that the Contest at this day in the Church touching the Five Propositions is not in regard of a remote and evil sense which may be put upon them and is rejected by us but in regard of a legitimate sense which we defend and of the Catholick Faith which is found contain'd therein 'T is of the Propositions taken thus in the legitimate and Catholick sense that we expect a clear and decisive Judgement To the end therefore that in all this important Affair there may be no place for equivocation or calumny or the artifices of evil minds or any doubts We first lay open to Your Holinesse as briefly and clearly as may be the true and legitimate senses of those Propositions which we maintain and which must be impugned by our Adversaries if they will act against us On one side we represent the errors contrary to the Orthodox senses of the Propositions which are defended by our Adversaries and on the other side the Heresies in like manner contrary to those Catholick interpretations which our Adversaries boast that they impugne whilst they impugne the Propositions without distinction Whence Your Holinesse may behold that we decline neither to the right hand nor to the left but solely adhere to the doctrine of the Church and by consequence equally detest on one side the Heresies and Errors of the Calvinists and their followers and on the other the Heresies and Errors of the Pelagians and those who have succeeded them We openly and sincerely declare to Your Holinesse our judgement touching the opinions of those two Sects in reference to the Five Propositions and nakedly represent our own belief which is plac'd in the middle between the said Erroneous opinions Reserving to their due time and order the proofs of what we assert which shall be as we believe invincible we pretend nothing further at present then to give a clear and compendious draught of the things upon which all the Bishops of France expect and demand the H. See's judgement and to show how Catholick our sentiments are THE FIRST PROPOSITION maliciously pull'd out of its place and expos'd to Censure Some of God's Commandments are impossible to just men even when they are willing and endeavour to perform the same according to the present strength which they have And the Grace which should render the same possible to them is wanting to them The Heretical sense which may be maliciously fastned upon this Proposition which yet it hath not when taken as it ought to be Gods Commandments are impossible to all the just whatever will they have and whatever endeavors they use even although they are induc'd with all the strength that the greatest and most effectual Grace affords Also they alwayes during their lives want such Grace whereby they might accomplish without sinning so much as one of God's Commandments This proposition is heretical Calvinistical and Lutheran and hath been condemn'd by the Council of Trent THE FIRST PROPSITION in the sense wherein we understand and defend it Some Commandments of God are impossible to some just persons who will and endeavor weakly and imperfectly according to the extent of strength that they have in themselves which is small and weak That is to say being destitute of the effectual ayd which is necessary to the full willing and acting these Commandments are impossible to them according to this next and compleat possibility the privation whereof puts them in a state of not being able effectively to perform these Commandments And they want the Effectual Grace which is needful that those Commandments may become proximately and totally possible to them Or they are unprovided of that special assistance without which a justify'd man as the Council of Trent saith cannot persevere in the righteousnesse which he hath receiv'd that is in the observation of God's
maintain and are ready to demonstrate that this proposition which it held by Molina and our Adversaries is Pelagian or Semipelagian because it destroyes the Catholick belief of Effectual Grace necessary to every good work and likewise all S. Augustin's authority And so it hath been declar'd in the Congregations de Auxiliis held at Rome THE FIFTH PROPOSITION fram'd and expos'd to Censure 'T is a Semipelagian Error to affirm that Jesus Christ dy'd or shed his blood for all men without exception of any one The heretical sense which may be maliciously put upon this fifth proposition which yet it hath not if it be taken as it ought to be Jesus Christ dy'd only for the predestinate so that they alone receive true Faith and Righteousnesse by the merit of Christ's death This proposition is Heretical Calvinistical or Lutheran and hath been condemn'd by the Council of Trent THE FIFTH PROPOSITION as understood and defended by us 'T is a Semipelagian error to say that Christ dy'd for all men in particular none excepted so that by his death saving Grace is offer'd to all none excepted and that it depends on the motion and power of the Will to obtaine salvation by such a general Grace without the help of any other grace effectual by it self We maintain and are ready to demonstrate that this proposition pertains to the faith of the Church and is indubitable in the doctrine of S. Augustin THE PROPOSITION contrary to the fifth and defended by our Adversaries 'T is not an error of the Semipelagians but a Catholick Proposition to say that Jesus Christ hath by his death communicated to all men in particular none excepted the Grace proximately and precisely necessary to work or at least to begin salvation and to pray We maintain and are ready to demonstrate that this proposition which is taught by Molina and our Adversaries contains a doctrine contrary to the Council of Trent and likewise is Pelagian or Semipelagian because it destroyes the necessity of Grace effectual by itself to every good work And it hath been declared thus in the Roman Congregations de Auxiliis These M. H. F. are the Propositions for the full explication proof and confirmation whereof we have demanded of Your Holinesse to be heard both viva voce and by Writing These are the points of Doctrine for the discussion of which we are ready to labour and plead with as much brevity as the importance and amplitude of the matter and with as much diligence as the cares and affaires of Your Holinesse will permit In the mean time Your Holinesse by what we have here set forth that there neither is nor ever was any Contest between us and our Adversaries touching the heresies of Calvin and Luther If they anathematize them we do and have alwayes done the same and the question not being now about those heresies they cannot undertake to impugne the same by acting against us unlesse it be to calumniate us to expose the Catholick sense maintain'd by us to the danger of condemnation under pretext and colour of these Errors to substitute in place of the Catholick Faith their Pelagian or Semipelagian sentiments which are contrary to ours and lastly to make current above sixty detestable Errors which we shall show follow by necessary consequence from the doctrine which they would establish M. H. F. We still earnestly reiterate to Your Holinesse the most humble request formerly made bv us with all the Bishops of France that you will passe a clear and decisive sentence upon the matter now in controversie And we protest before your Holinesse that we and all the disciples and defenders of S. Augustin who as S. Prosper sometimes writ to Ruffinus In the several Countries where complaints and accusations are rais'd against that H. Father receive by Gods assistance the Evangelical and Apostolical doctrine being fill'd with his holy and wholsome instructions and grow and spread every day according as it pleases our Lord Jesus Christ to multiply them and increase the members of his body we all protest that remaining firm to the undoubted Doctrine of that great Doctor which is own'd by the Church we shall alwayes defend the controverted Propositions in the sense wherein we have explain'd them if in the solemn definitive judgment which we demand of Your Holinesse there be nothing expresly pronounc'd concernig them in that sense whereby it may be openly declar'd to us that they are condemn'd in the sense which we maintain to be Catholick Which we trust with Gods help shall never come to passe and we have ground to hope so since 't is already diffus'd through the whole world that Your Holinesse hath resolv'd so to act in reference to these Propositions that you have in the first place establisht as indubitable that S. Augustin's authority ought alwayes to have the same esteem it ever had and to be preserv'd in its integrity and also that the principal part of his doctrine and the sum and substance of what that Father hath taught consists in the proposition of Grace effectual by it self with which the abovesaid Propositions are conjoyn'd and united by an inviolable and indissoluble bond as plainly appears by the following Writing in which the necessity of such Grace effectual by it self to every good work is prov'd by very solid and clear demonstrations We submit all these things to Your Holinesse's Correction and Judgement Written at Rome Monday May 19. 1653. Noel de la Lane Doctor of the Faculty of Paris c. Toussaint Des-mares Priest of the Congregation of the Oratory our Lord Jesus Christ Louis de Saint Amour Doctor of the Faculty of Paris c. Nicolas Manessier Doctor of the same Faculty c. Louis Angran Licenciate of the same Faculty c. As M. de Valcroissant read this Writing assoon as he had ended one of the Propositions he went to the third of our Writings which demonstrated the indissoluble connexion of each of them understood our way with Grace Effectual by it self and he extended himself more or lesse in this demonstration according as the matter requir'd and it seem'd requisite for convincing the hearers thereof Although the said demonstration might reasonably have been included in the foregoing Writing as it was in reading yet we thought more fit to make it an Introduction to the Writing of Effectual Grace that so we might avoid the blame laid upon us of entring into the examination of that matter contrary to the Pope's will and therein justifie our selves for so doing considering the necessity there was for it and to show that it was not possible to judge well of these Propositions till that point were decided Now being all that preface was read to the Pope and the connexion of the Propositions demonstrated in his presence it seems fitting to insert a faithful translation thereof in this place AN INFORMATION touching Grace Effectual by it self or predeterminating Grace which is necessary to every action THE PREFACE In which
consequently according to their present strength they have not that next power to which nothing is wanting for performing that Commandment and they want that great and effectual Grace by which the Commandment may become possible to them with a next and compleat power to which nothing is deficient to proceed to action or they want that special help without which as the Council of Trent saith He who is justifi'd cannot persevere in Righteousness i. e. in the observance of Gods Commandments 'T is in this sense only that we defend the first Proposition On the contrary our Adversaries have an heretical sense in impugning this Proposition because they destroy the necessity of Grace effectual by it self to every action of piety For they hold that every just man is alwayes able to perform any Commandment whatsoever because he hath alwayes grace to perform it according as it pleases his Will Now since he doth not alwayes perform it it followes that they believe that the Grace which is necessary for performing it is not effectual by it self Which opinion is heretical and contrary to the true grace of Jesus Christ Therefore our Adversaries hold an heretical sense in opposing the first Proposition that is they defend in an heretical sense the Proposition which is contrary to it THE SECOND PROPOSITION fram'd and presented to Censure In the state of corrupted Nature Internal Grace is never resisted THE SECOND PROPOSITION as we understand and defend it The Grace of Jesus Christ proximately necessary to every act of piety is never resisted i. e. is never frustrated of the effect for which it is effectually given by God We maintain and are ready to demonstrate that this proposition pertains to the faith of the Church and is indubitable in the doctrine of S. Augustin THE PROPOSITION contrary to the second and defended by our Adversaries The Grace of Jesus Christ which is necessary to every act of piety whether of operating or at least of praying is sometimes resisted in the state of corrupted Nature i. e. This Grace is sometimes frustrated of the Effect for which it is proximately given by God We maintain and are ready to demonstrate that this proposition whish is held by Molina and our Adversaries is Pelagian or Semipelagian because it destroyes the power and efficacy of the grace of Jesus Christ which is necessary to every good action And thus it was declar'd in the Roman Congregation de Auxiliis The Connexion of our Proposition with Effectual Grace THe Grace which is necessary to every pious action is effectual by it self Therefore in the state of corrupted Nature the Grace which is necessary to every pious action is never resisted that is it never fails to do the effect whereunto it is given by God proximately either for a weak and imperfect action of the Will and it produces the same effectively by it self or it is given for a great and perfect action and produces the same likewise by it self otherwise it would not be effectual For though small graces are resisted as to the utmost and perfect action whereunto they dispose yet they are never resisted or rejected as to the imperfect action for which they are given and ought to operate proximately 'T is in this sense alone that we defend the second Proposition On the contrary our Adversaries hold an heretical sense whilst they impugne this Proposition because they destroy the power and efficacy of the Grace of Jesus Christ necessary to every pious action For they maintain that in the state of corrupted Nature the internal Grace proximately necessary to every action of piety is sometimes resisted i. e. 't is rejected and depriv'd of the effect for which God gives it proximately because they say it is not effectual by it self but is subject to Free-Will which rejects or submits thereunto as it lists THE THIRD PROPOSITION fram'd and expos'd to Censure To merit and demerit in the state of laps'd Nature 't is not requisite that there be in Man a freedom from Necessity of willing or acting but a freedom from constraint or coaction is sufficient THE THIRD PROPOSITION as we understand and defend it To merit and demerit in the state of laps'd Nature there is not requisite in Man a freedom from the Necessity of Infallibility and necessary certainty but 't is sufficient that he have a freedome from coaction accompany'd with the judgement and exercise of Reason if the essence of liberty and merit be precisely consider'd Although by reason of the state wherein we are in this life our soul hath alwayes such an Indifference whereby the Will can even when it is guided and govern'd by Grace proximately necessary and effectual by it self not will yet 't is in such sort that it never willeth not when it is actually assisted by such Grace THE PROPOSITION contrary to the third and defended by our Adversaries To merit and demerit in the state of corrupted Nature there is requir'd in Man a freedom from the necessity of Infallibility and necessary certainty Or 't is necessary that he have a proximate indifference of acting or not acting whereby the Will being furnisht with all things necessary to act inclines it self sometimes to one side sometimes to the other as it listeth The Connexion of our Proposition with Effectual Grace IF Grace necessary to every action be effectual by it self it by its own strength predetermines the Will after an indeclinable insuperable infallible and perfectly victorious manner to do an action of piety Therefore in all free and meritorious actions there is found a necessity of infallibility which comes from the promotion of Grace and is a consequence of Grace effectual by it self and if this kind of Necessity destroy'd Liberty and Merit it would follow that Grace which is given to perform all free and meritorious actions were not effectual by it self As for those words 'T is sufficient that he have a freedom from coaction they do not signifie that there is not an indifference of power in the merit and demerit of this state for this would be heretical and was never held by any Catholick and therefore this opinion cannot be attributed to us without imposture and calumny but 't is to be understood by these words that this kind of indifference of power in the state of fallen Nature is not that which precisely essentially and formally makes the act which tends to a good end free and meritorious although this kind of indifference be alwayes found as the power to sin in the state of fallen Nature is not the essence of liberty nor part of it and neverthelesse by reason of the state of this life it is alwayes found therein as a sequel of liberty 'T is in this sense only that we defend the third Proposition On the contrary our Adversaries hold an Heretical sense in opposing it because they destroy Grace effectual by it self For they say it is necessary to liberty and merit to have this proximate indifference of
acting whereby the Will having all pre-requisite strength to act turns it self as it pleaseth sometimes one way and sometimes another and consequently they pretend at liberty from the necessity of Infallibility which ariseth from the vertue of Effectual Grace infallibly predeterminating the Will by its own strength is requisite in this state to act freely whence it follows that they destroy the necessity of Grace effectual by it self to every action of piety and thus they hold an Heretical opinion whilst they oppose the third Proposition THE FOURTH PROPOSITION fram'd and expos'd to Censure The Semipelagians admitted the necessity of internal preventing Grace to all good works even to the beginning of Faith And they were Hereticks in that they held that Grace to be such as the humane Will of man might either resist or obey THE FOURTH PROPOSITION as we understand and defended it The Semipelgians admitted the necessity of preventing and internal Grace to begin all actions even for the beginning of Faith and their opinion was heretical in that they held that Grace to be such as the Will obeys or rejects as it listeth i. e. that it is not Effectual Grace We maintain and are ready to demonstrate that this proposition as to the first part which concerns matter of Fact is true and that as to the second it pertains to the faith of the Church and is indubitable in S. Augustin's doctrine THE PROPOSITION contrary to the fourth and defended by our Adversaries The Semipelagians admitted not the necessity of internal preventing Grace to begin every action nor yer to the beginning of Faith nor did they err in holding that Grace to be such as is not Effectual by it self We maintain and are ready to demonstrate that this proposition held by Molina and our Adversaries is Pelagian or Semipelagian because it destroys the belief of Effectual Grace necessary to every good work and likewise all S. Augustin's authority And thus it hath been declar'd in the Congregations de Auxiliis held at Rome The Connexion of this Proposition with Effectual Grace GRace Effectual by it self necessary to every pious action is the true medicinal Grace of Jesus Christ which is proper to fallen and weak men to the end they may will and operate all that belongs to piety This faith is without doubt the true Prophetical Apostolical and Catholick faith as S. Augustin saith in Chap. 2. de Cor. Grat. Therefore the Error or Heresie of the Semipelagians consisted in their denying Grace Effectual by it self to be necessary to the beginning of faith and to other imperfect acts of piety 'T is to be observ'd that by these words And they were Hereticks in holding that Grace to be such as Humane will may either resist or obey nothing else is meant as 't is express'd in the Proposition which we maintain saving that the Semipelagians err'd in holding the Grace necessary to the beginning of faith and other acts of inchoated piety to be such as is not effectual by it self or which the Will sometimes resists sometimes obeys at pleasure There is in the fourth Proposition a question of Fact namely whether the Semipelagians admitted an internal Grace subject to Free-will for the beginning of Faith We shall show that it is so but if once it be evident that they err'd in denying Grace Effectual by it self for the beginning of Faith that question of Fact will be of little importance 'T is in this sense only that we defend the fourth Proposition On the contrary our Adversaries hold an Heretical sense whilst they impugne this Proposition because they deny that the true Grace of Jesus Christ consists in Grace Effectual by it self necessary to every action They deny this to be the Catholick Faith They pretend that the Semipelagians never err'd in this point but on the contrary held the Catholick Faith although they deny'd the necessity of Grace Effectual by it self to the beginning of faith and other imperfect actions of piety Which is impossible to admit without overthrowing the belief of the true Grace of Jesus Christ and destroying S. Augustin's whole Authority and Doctrine THE FIFTH PROPOSITION offer'd to Censure 'T is a Semipelagian Error to say that Christ dy'd or shed his blood for all men none excepted THE FIFTH PROPOSITION as we understand and defend it 'T is a Semipelagian error to say that Christ dy'd for all men in particular none excepted so that Grace necessary to salvation is offer'd to all none excepted by his death and that it depends upon the motion and power of the will to obtaine salvation by that general grace without help of other grace effectual by it self We maintain and are ready to demonstrate that this proposition pertains to the faith of the Church and is indubitable in S. Augustin's doctrine THE PROPOSITION contrary to the fifth and defended by our Adversaries 'T is not an error of the Semipelagians but a Catholick Proposition to say that Christ by his death communicated to all men in particular none excepted the Grace proximately precisely necessary to operate or at least to begin salvation and to pray We maintain and are ready to demonstrate that this proposition held by Molina and our Adversaries contains a doctrine contrary to the Council of Trent and that it is Pelagian or Semipelagian because it destroyes the necessity of the Grace of Jesus Christ effectual by it self to every good work And it hath been so declar'd in the Congregations de Auxiliis The Connexion of our Proposition with Effectual Grace GRace Effectual by it self necessary to every action is the true Grace of Jesus Christ and the Catholick Faith Therefore 't is a Semipelagian error to say that Christ dy'd for all men generally none excepted in such sense that grace necessary for Salvation is offer'd by the merit of his death to all none excepted and that 't is at the disposal of Free-will to receive it without the help of Grace effectual by it self Now this we affirm cannot be held without incurring Semipelagianism because it manifestly infers that Grace effectual by it self is not necessary to every pious action 'T is in this sense alone that we defend the fifth Proposition On the contrary our Adversaries hold an Heretical sense whilst they impugne this Proposition because they say that Jesus Christ dy'd for all men generally in this sense that he hath communicated to them all none excepted the means necessary for their salvation either giving them all the Graces subject to Free-will as well to begin and to pray as to act which is Pelagian since this opinion excludes the necessity of Grace Effectual by it self for all actions of of piety or at least giving them all the graces subject to Free-will for the beginning of faith and for prayer so that every man who makes use of these graces obtains when he pleases and as often as he lists Graces effectual for acting which is Semipelagian because it excludes the necessity of Grace Effectual
those who resist and oppose What do we ask then but that they may be so chang'd as to will that which they were unwilling to to approve that which they disapprov'd and to love that which they withstood Because as the Eastern Church speaks He saves when it pleases him and none resists his will Because as S. Augustin saith Lib. de Cor. Grat. cap. 14. He hath an omnipotent power to lead the hearts of men whether he pleaseth and because as he saith in another place Who is he that can resist God to hinder him from doing what pleaseth him After so many proofs M. H. F. who sees not that this manner of praying consecrated by the universal consent of the Church and confirm'd by the authentick testimony of S. Augustin can in no wise consist with the doctrine of Molina and his indifferent Grace Whatever his Partisans can say or do and whatever subtilties thy may have recourse to they will never avoid the just reproach of having endeavor'd to overthrow all the prayers of the Church Whereof the reason is evident The Church asks nothing of God but what he doth effect Now by their principles God operates nothing in us but the possibility of willng and acting and the encreasing of that possibility But according to the same principles of theirs God operates not in us the very being willing the very determination and application of the will to will faith it self repentance and the effect of love towards God inasmuch as all these are other things then power For accordding to them God works not willingnesse in us but so far as he gives the power and sollicites this power in such sort that we perform all these things by using as seems good to us the grace which is once given us Whence it clearly followes that they wholly destroy the Churches prayers whereby she asks of God not only the Faculty and the power of willing and doing good but besides this she precisely asks of him the will to do it and the action it self which is the effect thereof Will the Molinists say that besides this grace of possibility we have need of some supernatural concourse by which God acting with us operates all actions of piety and that 't is this singular grace which the Church prayes for when she demands power and willingnesse to accomplish what God commands us But being that according to their opinion this concourse how supernatural soever it may be is wholly in our own power by meanes of that sufficient grace above-mention'd just as natural concourse is in our own power in using our natural strength which hath all that is necessary to it to render us capable of doing good What can be more extravagant as S. Augustin speaks that to pray that we may be caus'd to do that which we have already pawer to do and to ask for that to be given us which we possesse already This concourse therefore is not the grace which the Apostle so highly esteems which the Church so importunately implores in its prayers Which may be invincibly prov'd by this one Argument That grace which by the meanes of sufficient grace is intirely in our own power so that we may as we list use or not use it and and which can never be withheld from us by God is not the Grace which the Church implores when she prayes God to take away this heart of stone and give us one of flesh in its stead and to cause that we may will that which we will not consent to what we reject and love what we formerly oppos'd But this concourse of the Molinists how supernatural soever it may be is such as may be made use of or not at pleasure Therefore it cannot be taken for the Grace so ardently pray'd for by the Church Perhaps our Adversaries will say That that which the Church asks of God in her prayers is not the ability to do good or that supernatural concourse which is in our power by meanes thereof but that she prayes him to grant her that ability in times places temper of the body and other circumstances of second causes by means of which he foresees that we will freely consent to his Grace And 't is in this temper that they ordinarily place the efficacy of that grace which they hold But if by this manner of speaking they meant nothing else but that the efficacy of Gods grace consists in a certain degree of love towards God that is to say in a charity greater then cupidity by meanes of which God begins to appear to us desirable and good works for his sake so that we take more pleasure in doing what he commands us then in not doing what he forbids us they would agree with us and there would be no longer dispute between us touching this matter For what else is the effectual and medicinal grace of Jesus Christ according to S. Augustin but a victorious pleasure a sweetnesse and ravishment of divine love which surmounts all the allurements of the flesh and an ardor of charity over-mastering and subduing cupidity But because our Adversaries place not the efficacy of Gods grace in the victory of charity over cupidity but in a certain temperament accompany'd with the circumstances above-mention'd whence it follows that such efficacy is still subject to Free-will and that 't is necessary for God first to sound the heart of his creature that he may see what it will do in such circumstances before he ordain any thing of its conversion This is that which we reject and condemn as profane and maintain it to be in no wise that Grace which the Church prayes for For she prayes God to shed into our hearts such charity the delectation whereof surmounts the delectati-of sin she prayes him to fortifie our souls by his H. Spirit and to ground and root us in charity she begs of him such medicinal grace as may heal our infirmities and give us inward strength she prays him to co convert us to him in whatever estate we be either of prosperity or adversity joy or sadnesse she desires of him to give us the strength never to consent to sin by leaving our selves to be overcome by afflictions allurements or threatnings and lastly she prayes to be enaled with great charity and patience to surmount bll the difficulties and accidents which occur in the acourse of our lives What relation M. H. F. have all these things to the Temper or Constitution whereof we speak Do's he who prayes to God in the manner I have set forth believe that his omnipotent vertue and charity cannot operate conversion in mans heart unlesse by causing those circumstances of times and places to meet with the will of man Let them who are of this mind hear what S. Augustin saith Who is so void of sense and so impious as to say that God cannot change the perverse wills of men and convert those to good which he pleases when he pleases and
S. Augustin were true or no as he would not fail to have done if he had doubted of it since 't was the particular point of the Contest which we manag'd against Molina's disciples For in the same Audience we granted as it hath been alwayes declar'd in all the French Writings publisht and printed at Paris upon this subject before the Affair was brought to Rome that if the Propositions were consider'd only in general and without applying any distinction to them they were susceptible of heretical senses and might accordingly be condemn'd of heresie in this universality as they were censur'd by all S. Augustin's disciples who writ upon them And being his Holinesse gave us this Audience that he might understand the truth of our Sentiments from our own mouths and by the writing of Distinction of Senses which we presented to him afterwards he found that they were so different from the heretical senses which the Propositions generally taken might receive and that they were so reduc'd to Grace Effectual by it self which is the Catholick truth maintain'd invincibly by S. Augustin in the name of the whole Church that he thought not fit to assemble the Consultors again because he intended to pronounce only upon the Propositions as taken generally and not upon this particular point of Grace Effectual by it self in which all the Catholick explications of the Propositions meet as in their Centre and which would need a long Examen and many Assemblies and Conferences like those which were held under the two great Popes Clement VIII Paul V. who undertook to discuss them throughly and for this purpose caus'd them all to be particularly examin'd in the publick disputations of both parties and in their own presence after having declar'd That S. Augustin's doctrine was the Rule by which they would decide this Controversie and regulate their judgements And therefore since the Pope hath declar'd his Constitution that he hath caus'd these Five Propositions to be examin'd by the Consultors the Censure falls only upon the Propositions in general which the Consultors examin'd in general and which we acknowledg'd in our first and only Audience to be susceptible of heretical senses and cannot fall upon the particular explications which we propos'd and establisht in presence of his Holinesse by our Discourse and our Writing since his Holinesse hath judg'd them so Catholick that he made no scruple at all about them nor assembl'd the Consultors so much as once to have their advice concerning the same as an obscure and dubious thing as he did in reference to the Propositions in general but found by his own judgement that they were free from all Censure which he also testify'd to us in the last Audience which it pleas'd him to give us since his Decree inasmuch as he not only reprehended nothing of all that we said and maintain'd in his presence but also declar'd to us as we have already related that he had present in memory all that we had argu'd and approv'd the same in as advantageous and honourable terms as we could hope for And which is yet more he made to us this so favorable declaration not before his Decree when it might be said that his Holiness was not yet fully inform'd and convinc'd of every thing and was not to discover the secret of his Sentiments and intentions which all Judges usually suppress before their sentences but even after his Judgement and his Decree which was the time wherein he was perfectly free and conceiv'd himself oblig'd to declare the same to us with all the sincerity of a successor of S. Peter and of a Vicar of Jesus Christ who is Truth it self You see My Lords by all these eonsiderations that his Holinesse's Censure falls not upon the Five Propositions but inasmuch as they are consider'd according to the bad sense which may be put upon them according to which S. Augustin's disciples rejected them three or four years ago as vehemently as we did in the writing which we presented to the Pope and distributed in this City the next day after our Audience to divers Cardinals and other persons of Note It remains now to observe to you My Lords whence it came to passe that these Five Propositions were consider'd according to the heretical sense that so they might be condemn'd in general which we take one of the most important points and a kind of secret of the Affair 'T was because the Consultors and Cardinals were made to believe that we spoke otherwise at Rome then they did in France where there were persons who held the Propositions in their bad sense and therein publisht a new Heresie condemn'd by the Council of Trent with the errors of Luther and Calvin Cardinal Rapaccioli whom we visited after our publick Audience and carry'd him the Distinction of Senses presented to his Holiness told us among other things concerning this matter That our thoughts and intentions were good and commendable but we had this unhappinesse that many of those who were united with us held the Propositions in the bad senses wherein we profess'd to condemn them that instead of receiving help from those persons they did us great â—hurt and would be the cause of the condemnation of the Propositions but should have this advantage that that condemnation would fall only upon those persons and not upon us We knew My Lords that the Doctors who came hither against us had visited this Cardinal one or two days before and so we had cause to believe that they had infus'd this falsity into him as a most certain truth Wherefore we answer'd him that it was a most malicious fiction and device of our Adversaries the better to obtain their designed Censure and that we could assure him there was no Catholick in France who held the Propositions in any other sense then we do But this conceit was so far imprinted upon his mind as if it had been a certain truth that we cannot think that we have remov'd it although in our Conference we twice or thrice made him the abovesaid answer Whereupon we had propos'd to our selves to undeceive this illustrious Cardinal and with him many other persons according as occasion should have been presented if this Affair had had a longer course as we and almost all Rome besides believ'd it would We hop'd also My Lords to evidence clearly to the Pope the falshood of this conceit in the following Audiences which we expected not being longer sollicitous to disswade him from it in reference to our selves after our first publick Audience at the end of which we have understood since that his Holinesse said These Doctors are not Heretecks as I was inform'd But our Adversaries who fear'd nothing more then these Audiences and durst not appear in our presence to declare their Sentiments plainly as we did ours with the greatest sincerity and clearnesse and to maintain in publick before the Pope the falshoods and fictions which they dispers'd in secret set all their
was directed to M. M. Percheron Doctor in Theology of the Faculty of Paris Arch-Deacon and Grand Vicar of Auxerre And within it contain'd the following words Paris August 9. 1653. Sir I Have receiv'd great consolation by the Letter you pleas'd to write to me of the 3d current for which I thank you with all my heart Touching our Messieurs who are at Rome I have had no newes of them since their departure from thence but I believe by this time they are in France I know not whether M. de la Lane will go to his Abbey of Valcroissant before he come to Paris for he hath business there and he had so resolv'd when we pass'd that way As for the rest I believe you have heard how neither the Jesuites nor M. Hallier would enter into dispute that their intrigues having obtain'd this Bull which sayes nothing but what we said ever since these goodly Propositions were first contriv'd as you will see in the book Of Victorious Grace the Pope before their departure from Rome when they went to take leave of him assur'd them that he had no intention to touch S. Augustin's Doctrine which is inviolable in the Church nor Grace Effectual by it self which is the center of all the difficulties Whereupon our Friends answer'd that they would all their lives defend the same Doctrine even to the shedding of their blood and one of them added that it should be dearer to them then the apple of their eyes The Pope made the same Declaration to M. Hallier with a sensible testimony of the learning modesty and zeal of our Friends insomuch that he said he knew they had liv'd at Rome like Saints He made the same Declaration to the Generals of the Augustins and the Jacobins and also to the Ambassador who certify'd the King of it likewise writ word of it to the Nuntio and we saw the Original of the Letter So that we receive the Bull with joy because the sense of Saint Augustin not being condemn'd as indeed it could not be 't is an evidence of its confirmation after all the intrigues of its enemies and that which kept the Pope from pronouncing upon the Distinction of senses was that he could not do it without condemning Molina which the faction of his Partisans hinder'd For these reasons S. Augustin is more zealously adher'd to then ever the Bull hath only healed mens minds to defend him and gain'd him many disciples who before were indifferent Many Philosophical Acts in the Vniversity contain no other Doctrine touching Liberty Predestination the state of pure Nature the vertues of the Pagans and nothing is heard but Elogies of Saint Thomas and Saint Augustin his Master The Chancellor of the Arts goes every Sunday to give the Cap of Master in Arts to the Respondents and makes admirable Elogies of those two Angels of Divinity Saint Augustin and Saint Thomas The Jesuites misse of their Markets there and lately when in an Act of Philosophy at their Colledge the Regent sayd Transeat to an authority of Saint Augustin he was hiss'd by the Company whereupon some Bishops who were present told him he was an impertinent person and rising up immediately went out and made great complaint hereof to their Rector You see in what condition we are and we thank God this Bull hath yet made no Molinists nor is it likely to make any I believe you have seen the Distinction of the senses of the Propositions which our Friends presented to the Pope However I send you two copies of it in French for your self and M. Verrier because I have it not in Latin but I will endeavor to get one for you upon thr first occasion 'T is a piece which deserves to be kept and which stops the mouthes of the most obstinate Pelagians I hope our modesty and restraint will obtain in time what our zeal could not I am c. The shallownesse of the water in the River which goes from Auxerre to Paris and the contrariety of the wind kept us long from arriving at Paris but we got thither at length thanks be to God in good health towards the middle of September So many things have pass'd concerning the Constitution since our return that if I should undertake a Relation of them I should engage my self upon a new Work or at least add a new Part to this which would be larger then any of the rest Therefore I shall adjoin none of those things which are come to publick light the Memory whereof may be preserv'd to Posterity by the paines of other persons as fit or fitter to transmit the same then my self I should not have taken upon me to collect those which I have related in this Journal had I known any one so well inform'd of them and able to do it so exactly I attempted it because it seem'd a Work reserv'd for me alone and I thought my self accountable for it to God and the Publick I shall keep the same mind in those few things which I shall add of what pass'd since our return to Paris and setting aside all those which are already known to the world and of which it cannot be but some hand or other will one day give a Collection to the Publick I shall speak only of such as are particular to me and whose remembrance might be lost if I should not here briefly set down what I know thereof CHAP. V. Of the particular things which came to my knowledge after our return to Paris A Calumny spread at Rome that we had printed a book at Venice against the Popes Constitution The Pope gives notice to the Consistory of his Constitution and of the submission wherewith it was receiv'd The imprisonment of F. Nolano falsly attributed to the Doctrine of Effectual Grace ONe of the first things that I learnt after our return to Paris was that our Adversaries according to their old practice of calumniating gave out at Rome after our departure from Venice that we staid there so long only to print a Work to which they gave this Title Augustinus à Pelagianis condemnatus in which they feign'd that we term'd the Pope and his Congregation Pelagians because he had condemn'd S. Augustin by his Constitution whereas we took no other care in all places where we found occasion to write or speak of it but to manifest the respect which the Pope had alwayes testify'd for S. Augustin and for his Doctrine of Grace Effectual by it self and that the Pope had real and positive intentions not to prejudice the same in any thing that he did However the same of this Chimerical work was spread at Rome it came even to the Popes eares who was greatly offended with it as indeed he had reason had it been true after the satisfaction which he told us he had receiv'd by all that we defended in his presence and after his so expresse and obliging Declarations to us of his right intentions but he was much offended that
resolv'd to make an example of them they proceeded therein with so much prudence and moderation that they cannot be accused either of excesse in their chastisment or of precipitation in their conduct To begin with the Declaration 't is no Hyperbole to say that it wounds the peace of the Church and particularly that of the Faculty that it is contrary to Ecclesiastical discipline and policy and of very dangerous consequence in reference to matters of Doctrine that it is contrary to the Arrests of the Court of Parliament and injurious to the Faculty in reference to the Five Propositions which it qualifies as suspected of heresie that it violates the Arrests of the Court destroyes the rights of France ruins Royal and Soveraign Authority in what regards the power of Popes whose temporal power it establishes ovet things lastly that it is against all kind of formes and equity As the University hath neither judg'd nor pretended to judge of the matter of doctrine as it hath said nothing in its Decree concerning the truth or falsehood of the Five Propositions of Grace contain'd in the declaration of these Irish so hath it not any design either of approving or disapproving the same Propositions whether consider'd in themselves or according to the several senses which they admit But it looks upon them as Propositions about which there is great contest between Catholick Doctors and the Faculty thought fit not to pronounce and of which there hath not been any Judgment of the Church since they were first set on foot And indeed were the Propositions really such as the Irish determin them to wit suspected of error and heresie yet their enterprise were intolerable and of very pernicious consequence to the Church because they have made a new Declaration of the points of Doctrine in contest and drawn an unreceiv'd and unheard-of Profession of faith without having any authority in the Church I. He must be ignorant of all the Ordinances of the Realm as well as of all the lawes of the Church who doth not know that it pertaines not to any private person to make private conventicles wherein to consult about judging of doctrine drawing declarations of faith to cause divers copies of the same to be subscrib'd and put into the hands and disposal of others Yet thus the Irish began their enterprise They assembled at the colledge of Lisieux in the chamber of M. Nicholas Poerus and there resolv'd upon subscribing the Declaration This matter of Fact is evident by the signification made to them in the Rector's name by the grand Bedle of the Nation of France Now the attempt is the more worthy of punishment in that these strangers ought to have had more sense of the hospitality given them by France then to do that amongst us which is not permitted them in any place of the earth II. It is not lawfull for any private person to make any new declaration or profession of Faith nor to subscribe it otherwise every one might take the same licence and take upon them to subscribe such as are contrary one to another And so the Church would be divided by an infinite number of different professions of Faith and the particular persons who made them without any Ecclesiastical Authority would wholly extinguish all the marks of the unity of Faith which makes all the Faithfull but one and the same Religious Body III. The same course might be practis'd in all sort of matters and when there is no publick allowance to write or regularly examine or appear as Divines before the Tribunals of the Church about points of Doctrine contested between Catholick Doctors the weakest in knowledge but strongest in intrigues and credit might have recourse to these negotiations of darknesse in order to promote their opinions and by this means render themselves absolute Masters and supreme Judges of Doctrine by making others subscribe the condemnation of what Tenets themselves dislike They who hold a doctrine most complying and favorable to the genius of the world and humane interests will take this course to authorise their sentiments to enervate the vigor of Ecclesiastical discipline and to corrupt the purity of manners in Christianity They likewise whose hearts are envenom'd against the temporal power of our Kings and burn with continual desire to subject their Crowns to the temporal power of the supreme Pontifs will have recourse to this artifice for the upholding of a doctrine which they cannot retract the antient sentiments of the University and Faculty of Divinity shall be betray'd by the iniquity of this practice The bare description of this proceeding is sufficient to display the injustice and pernicious consequence of it IV. 'T is easy to verify that most part of those who subscrib'd are utterly ignorant in the matters whereof they judge Of twenty seven one and twenty have neither title nor degree in the University and of these 21 there are 12 students in Divinity and 7 students in Philosophy the five rest are two Batchelors and two Masters of Arts who indeed have been examin'd for the Degree of Batchelor but never kept their Act and there is but one single Doctor of the Faculty of Paris M. Richard Newgent What Ecclesiastick how ignorant soever will not undertake to make the like Declarations in all matters of Doctrine whether in reference to faith or manners if this enterprise be suffer'd and not exemplarily punisht in these Irish Scholers IV. The Declaration of the Irish particularly examin'd chiefly in what relates to the power of Kings I. WE may see by the bare reading of this Writing that 't is a forme of Profession of Faith and a doctrinal Declaration and should we go no further then the preface these Irish might seem very considerable persons and of great Authority in the Church Do but consider this magnificent beginning Cum nova dogmata in his calamitosissimis temporibus a quibusdam doceantur praedicentur typis maudentur c. Nos infra scripti huic periculo mature pro Viribus occurrere proponentes c. Could the H. See or the Archbishop of Paris the Clergy of France speak with more authorithy if they were to make decisions and may it not be said upon considering the style of these Irish that every one of them is a Pope or at least a Bishop Certainly if the Faculty of Paris were oblig'd to give their judgment upon these matters it would use other words and not these expressions which denote power Who then can endure that simple scholars should use such strange language And what is more ridiculous then the boldnesse wherewith they say they will seasonably remedy the mischiefs which appear risen in the Church by the divisions concerning the matter of Grace Do's it belong to students of Philosophy and Divinity to judge and pronounce that new doctrines are taught in the University of Paris to judge of Professors of Divinity who are their Masters and do they know what a new doctrine is II.