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Of the Letter of M. de Vabres; The de∣sign of the Jesuits against the Houres translated into French; How odious at Rome they were whom they call Jansenists.
BEing arriv'd at Rome towards the end of No∣vember 1650. I found Letters directed to me there, the oldest of which were written at Paris on the 7th. of October. They gave me notice of the first discovery made of one penn'd by the Bishop of
Vabres, to move the Pope to condemn the Propo∣sitions which M. Cornet had the year before en∣deavour'd to get censur'd by the Faculty, except∣ing the two last. It was signifi'd to me, that M. de Vabres had canvas'd as much as he could in the Assembly of the Clergy, to get them to subscribe the said Letter; but perceiving at last that if it were brought to the Vote there, it would un∣doubtedly miscarry by the opposition which would be made by the most judicious and zealous Pre∣lates of the Assembly, who very well understood the iniquity and injustice whereof all people of honour had condemn'd M. Cornet's enterprise, still fresh in memory; he resolv'd not to propose it but to particular Bishops, with whom he thought he might prevail, and whose subscriptions he hop'd to make good use of. A Copy of the said Letter was sent me, taken from a printed one which a Doctor visiting M. Hallier found by chance upon his Table: Which shews (said my corespondent) that he must needs bear a part in this businesse, because he is acquainted with the secret of it: Wherefore I was intreated to observe at Rome the most carefully I could, during my residence there, whether this Letter had been sent thither, and how it was receiv'd, because there were many Prelates, very eminent for Learning and Piety, who fore-seeing many sad consequences from the same, would not fail to advertise the Pope to take heed thereto, as soon as they were assur'd that he had receiv'd it. The Copy sent was a Manuscript, and in Latin, as followeth.
Beatissime Pater,
MAjores causas ad sedem Apostolicam referre solemnis Ecclesiae mos est, quem fides Petri nunquam deficiens perpetuò retineri pro jure suo postulat. Aequissimae huic legi obsequentes de gra∣vissimo circa Religionem negotio Sanctitati tuae scri∣bendum esse censuimus. Decennium est •…•…x quo ve∣hementissimis turbis Gallia magno nostro moerore commovetur ob librum posthumum & doctrinam Reverend. Cornelii Jansenii Iprensis Episcopi. Tales quidem motus sedari oportebat tum Concilii Tridentini auctoritate, tum Bullae illius quam Urba∣nus VIII. foelicis memoriae adversus Jansenii dog∣mata pronunciavit, & decreta Pii V. & Gregorii XIII. in Baium edita confirmarunt. Atque hujus quidem Bullae veritatem ac Robur novo diplomate vindicasti; sed quia nulli sigillatim Propositioni certa Censurae nota inusta fuit, locus etiamnum aliquis quorundam cavillis & effugio relictus est. Interclu∣dendum autem penitus speramus, si, ut precamur, Sanctitas tuae quid in hac re sentiendum sit clarè distincté{que} definiat. Obtestamur ergo ut has praeser∣tim Propositiones de quibus disceptatio periculosior ac contentio ardentior est, Sanctitas tua expendat ac per∣spicuam & certam de unaqua{que} sententiam ferat.
- I. Aliqua Dei praecepta hominibus justis volen∣tibus & conantibus secundum praesentes quas habent vires sunt impossibilia; deest quoque iis Gratia qua possibilia fiant.
- II. Interiori Gratiae in statu naturae lapsae nun∣quam resistitur.
- III. Ad merendum & demerendum in statu na∣turae lapsae non requiritur in homine libertas à necessitate, sed sufficit libertas à coactione.
- IV. Semipelagiani admittebant praevenientis Gratiae interioris necessitatem ad singulos actus, etiam ad initium fidei: & in hoc erant Haeretici, quod vellent eam Gratiam talem esse cui posset humana voluntas resistere vel obtemperare.
- V. Semipelagianum est dicere Christum pro om∣nibus omnino hominibus mortuum esse aut sanguinem fudisse.
Experta est nuper Beatitudo tua quantum Apostolicae sedis in Gemini Ecclesiae Capitis errore profligando valuerit auctoritas; continuò sedata est tempestas, atque ad Christi vocem & imperium venti & mare obedierunt. Quamobrem flagitamus, Beatissime Pa∣ter, ut clarâ firmâ{que} de Propositionum istarum sensu prolatâ sententiâ, cui etiam Reverend. ipse Jansenius morti proximus Opus suum subjecit, caliginem omnem discutias, animos fluctuantes componas, dissidia pro∣hibeas, Ecclesiae tranquillitatem splendorem{que} resti∣tuas. Dum haec spes mentibus nostris affulget, Sancti∣tati tuae multos & prosperos annos, saeculorúm{que} bea∣tissimam aeternitatem Rex saeculorum immortalis ad∣jiciat optamus ac vovemus.
Besides this businesse, word was sent me that F. Annat the Jesuit, then the French Assistant with the General at Rome, had written to F. l' Abbé one of his Brethren, that undoubtedly he should obtain a Condemnation of the Excellent Prayers, with the translation of the Hymnes in verse, new∣ly collected and presented to the King by M. du Mont; and that the Calendar afforded him a great argument to get them censur'd: Wherefore I was desir'd to enquire how the case stood, and to do what lay in me to secure the said Book from a blow so unworthy and unjust, and which might give so great advantages to the enemies of truth, and even to them of the H. See.
I answer'd these Letters as one that sufficiently understood the importance of the affaires recom∣mended to me, and who was as zealous for the same as was necessary, and withall as submissive and respectfull to those from whom these orders were transmitted to me: Yet I could not but sig∣nifie the little probability I saw of well acquitting my self thereof, being newly arriv'd in a place where I had little correspondence, where I was likely to be something suspected, where my steps might be watcht, where I had other engagements hindring me from being master of my self, and where the affaires for which I was desir'd to con∣cern my self were very odious. However I pro∣mis'd to do my best therein, and to neglect no op∣portunities. And accordingly I set my self to it, as much as all those circumstances and a weak un∣repaired health permitted: but for all my diligence till the end of this year, I could discover nothing concerning the Houres; and as for the Letter, I only learnt that it had been sent already; and that the F. Richeome the Jesuit, one of the French Peni∣tentiaries at S. Peters, boasted that it was subscribed by fifty Bishops.
He that told me this, was well seen in those af∣faires, and in the whole managery of the persons upon whom the same depended; amongst the things he told me upon this subject, I observ'd these two principal. One, that he believ'd this
Letter could not produce any thing new against Jansenius, because these persons now mention'd knew well that too much had been done already: but as for any thing that came from those who were lookt upon as his followers, they would find no mercy, being ill gusted in this Court; inso∣much that when nothing could be discover'd ill in any writing of theirs, that may of it self deserve to be condemned, yet it is enough for its condem∣nation that it proceedeth from suspected persons. This Maxime made me cease to wonder at the con∣demnation pronounc'd against the Catechisme of Grace, concerning which one had also written particularly to me, complaining that in that con∣demnation the little Book was accus'd of contain∣ing the Propositions condemned by the Bulls of Pius V. and Gregory XIII. though indeed there was none such in it; whereas it but slightly pro∣hibited the Catechisme publish'd by the Jesuits against the former, under the name of a Doctor of Doway, only for that it treated of the matter of Grace, though indeed it contain'd sundry direct Heresies. This prejudice of the Court of Rome against such as were there accounted Jansenists, much abated my desire of representing to some that might impart it to the Masters of the Censures, how unreasonably they suffer'd themselves to be guided by the byas of the Jesuits, being desir'd so to do by one of my friends, to the end this might make them more reserv'd for the future, and bring about the revocation of the said Decree, if it were possible. But this person gave me to understand, that it was not to be hop'd for, (and this was the second thing I observ'd in his discourse) because the Tribunal from whence that Condemnation issu'd, knew not what it was to retract or look back∣wards, being fix'd and immutable in its resolutions, and that when once it hath pass'd any thing, it is never to be brought by any motive in the world to alter it.
As for M. Hersent, he was escap'd from Rome be∣fore my arrival there. I was told that when it was known abroad, the stir and speech about him ceas'd, as if no more had been aim'd at but to constrain him to flye; because otherwise there was both a ne∣cessity and a resolution to clap him in prison. And M. the Bailly of Valencai, then the King's Ambassador at Rome, a person of great gentlenesse and civility, speaking to me one day thereof, said that M. Hersent had several times profess'd while he was in his house, that were it not for that fear, he would willingly have appear'd before the Judges of the Inquisition, to defend every thing in the Sermon he had printed, and for which he was in trouble. That himself had at M. Hersent's re∣quest, several times desir'd of the Pope liberty and security of h••s person for that purpose, which the Pope would never admit of, giving no other an∣swer to his importunities but Vedremo, Vedremo, We will see, We will see. That he conceiv'd the reason was, for that the Pope was very close in these matters, and would not have any speech thereof at all. That himself had often press'd him from the Queen, for an answer to some Questions which he propounded to him by his Majestie's or∣der, but could never bring his Holinesse to declare himself, nor draw one word concerning the same from him, whatever urgent solicitation he had us'd to him. That the Pope acted in all cases with the same reservednesse, and had treated the Capu∣chines in the same manner, (amongst others F. Joseph de Morlaie) who being at Rome, desir'd for quiet of their consciences to propose to him two difficulties before their departure, of which they could never procure any answer or satisfaction. That therefore he did not wonder at the Pope's re∣fusing to grant M. Hersent the liberty he desir'd to speak of such matters. But others told me, that this was not the thing which most exasperated the Pope's mind against him, but his seeming in his Epistle to blame his Holinesse of negligence, touching the doctrine of Grace, his vaunting of his particular fidelity, which he said was so well known to the Pope, and his praising Jansenius; but above all, the answer he made, when instead of delivering of the printed Copies of his Epistle and Sermon, he told those that demanded them, that he had already sent them into France.
This boasting his fidelity towards the H. See, was undoubtedly founded upon the Book of Opta∣tus Gallus de cavendo Schismate, which he had writ∣ten by contrivance with the Nuntio, to shew that the late Cardinal Richelieu tended to make a Schism in France; by which he put himself in danger of being infallibly ruin'd, in case he had been disco∣ver'd: so that 'tis strange, a person that had ha∣zarded himself so far for the interests of the Court of Rome, should be so ill dealt with, and for so little cause. But usually nothing is more hatefull to Grandees, then to be upbraided with the services done them, and they had rather ruine a man then confess th••mselves beholding to him for any thing, especially if himself go about to bring them to such acknowledgement.
There was a Dominican that suffer'd a back∣blow by the disgust taken at the printing of the said Book, namely he upon whose report the Master of the Palace gave permission for it; for he was confin'd in the Covent of Minerva till he should give account how deep he had been in the businesse, and there he remain'd a long time, though it seem'd wholly laid asleep.
From Spain I heard, that the Jesuits who alwaies govern'd the new Queen, had prevail'd with her to desire for her first request to the King her Hus∣band, that the Bull against Jansenius might be com∣manded to be receiv'd throughout all his Estates; but the King being astonish'd at this request, an∣swer'd very wisely, That it concern'd things of Doctrine, which he understood not, that the Doctors were to be consulted about it, and if they judg'd that what the Queen desir'd might be done, he would do it willingly.