The secret policy of the Iansenists, and the present state of the Sorbon. Discovered by a doctour of that faculty, who having learnt Iansenisme when he studied divinity, vnder a master that taught it there publickly, has been since disabused, & followes the Catholick party. / Translated out of the French copie.

The third Meanes. An inviolable secrecy & dissimulation.

But because Catholicks of this age, are too clear sighted, to be cozend with the poyson of Calvinisme, when it shall be offerd them they agreed amongst themselves, according to S. Cyrans Maxime, who (was wont to cry, se∣cretum meum mihi propter metum Iudaeorum, id est, Catholicorum;) to hide it so cunningly, that the craftiest of vs all should not find it out. To this purpose they proposed divers ways, to give it the ayre and colour of Catholicisme, amongst others, thes were judged to be the best. 1. To give out that it is Saint Austins doctrine. 2. Not to communicate it to such as are suspected, or neutrals, or adversaries, but in ambiguous tearms. 3. To advance obscure propositions of Predestination, of Grace, of Liberty &c. without explicating them, to draw on the curiosity of such as are lovers of novelties. 4. To persuade the world that they pretend only to reforme the loos doctrin and corrupt manners of the Church. 5. To call their adversaries Pelagians & Semi∣pelagians;

that their disputes may passe only for Scholastical questions. It was for this that Jansenius with so much cunning writt the History of thes Hereticks in the begin∣ning of his Augustinus, and that they stiled their enemies Molinists. Now the reasons of this proceeding are thes. That few are will∣ing to engage in particular quarreis: That all, on the contrary, greedily read the works of opposite parties, to passe their judgment on them. That not being able to remain neu∣trals, they easily side with one of the parties. That they commonly stand for novelty, es∣pecially when it is smoothd over with extra∣ordinary devotion & good language. That the will being once gaind, it is easy to con∣vay the fals lights of their new doctrine into their vnderstanding, because in disputes about Religion, the will commonly governs the vn∣derstanding, as she commands it to submit vnto the obscure truthes of faith. 6. But to catch Catholiks with more ease, in thes pretended particular disputes; they further agreed, to make them passe for the debates between the Thomists & the Iesuits. Did not their Depuries, who argued their cause at Rome, before Innocent X. actually make the Masters of the sacred Palace, & learned Wad∣ding believe it, and were they not afterwards

disabused and checked by his Holines, for vnwarily falling into the Jansenists nets? 7. Though thes meanes are efficacious, yet following the maxime of certain Italians, divide if you mean to raign & the practise of he∣reticks, who raysed warr in Catholicke coun∣tries, the better to settle themselves in the common troubles: they thought it necessary to rayse a spiritual warr amongst Catholicks, to divide them, & set them one against an∣other, that so they might intrigue themselves in the designs, of that partie which could best help them against their enemies. This made the Abbot of S. Cyran write his Book of the Hierarchy vnder the name of Petrus Aurelius, to set Priests & Prelats against Reli∣gious. It was for this that they set vp the questions of Masse in the Parish Church, Confessions at Easter, and of thos that are sick, of the Regulars Privileges, of the right to direct consciences &c. to force some to fall vpon others, and them to defend them∣selves in lieu of joyning their forces toge∣ther to destroy their new doctrine. They did not question but to reap fruit out of thes civil warrs, & to settle their particular opini∣ons, in the heate of thes common disputes. 8. Verily it was no easy matter, to discover so subtle a design: yet they judged this se∣crecy

so necessary that to render it quite im∣penetrable, they resolved 1. To affect a state∣ly and mysterious eloquence, full of proofs stuft with plausible expressions, but of a doubt∣ful & obscure sense. 2. To give two biasses to their designs and opinions, that as occasion should serve they might follow that which was most commodious. 3. Not to trust this secret with above two or three in a Town, & thos of the most capable of their Proselites. 4. To make their assemblies walking abroad to take the aire, when they are to consult a∣bout their affaires. 5. Not to set their na∣mes to their printed Books, that they may disown them, when it makes for the interest of their Partie.