The journal of Monsr. de Saint Amour doctor of Sorbonne,: containing a full account of all the transactions both in France and at Rome, concerning the five famous propositions controverted between the Jansenists and the Molinists, from the beginning of that affair till the Popes decision. / Faithfully rendred out of French. ; A like display of the Romish state, court, interests, policies, &c. and the mighty influences of the Jesuites in that church, and many other Christian states, being not hitherto extant.

CHAP. IX.

Of what pass'd at Paris in this time. The Irish dealt withall. Complaints made by some Bishops to the Nuntio concer∣ning the practises of the Jesuites in getting subscriptions to the Letter of M. de Vabres. The said Bishops deliberate of sending to Rome. A Proposal of a Conference.

ON one side there were persons who went about to all the Monasteries to get subscri∣ptions to the Declarations against the Five Pro∣positions, and so to send the same to Rome, thereby to embolden the Romans to condemn them in confidence of the multitude of those who would approve the Censure when it should be pass'd, they declaring themselves thus for it be∣forehand. Even poor Priests and poor Irish stu∣dents maintain'd by the charity of others were sol∣licited to subscribe thereunto. The Rector of the University who was advertis'd of the novelty and irregularity of this carriage, quash'd it, and reproved all the Complices for it by a Solemn Decree, which was afterwards the ground of great contests and divisions in the Universi∣ty by the canvasings which M. Cornet and his adherents made there, to stirre up against the Rectors decree a great number of Doctors, who impugn'd the same in every thing they could. The history of this must be reserv'd for others who were witnesses of it. This intimation may suf∣fice in reference to my subject.

The care taken by the authors of this Attempt to prepossesse all people at Rome assoon as they re∣solv'd to remove it thither upon its miscarriage in the Faculty, began not to be understood at Paris till about this time; though the design was put in execution the year before. Of which I had a fair proof by a Letter which fell into my hands writ∣ten by F. Nicholaï (a Dominican, Doctor of our Faculty, and one of the Deputies chosen by M. Cornet, on 1 July 1649.) to his General, dated May 23. 1650. He indeavor'd therein to avert him from undertaking the protection of Jansenius, telling him that he wonder'd his brethren were so eager to defend him, Ʋt ita nostri fratres ad de∣fensionem ejus exardescant. The reasons which he alledg'd to this end, were founded only upon the calumnies which that good Father being the Jesu∣ites friend had learnt of them, namely, that Jan∣senius teacheth not only an Effectual, but also a Necessitating Grace like to that of Calvin; Necessi∣tatem in voluntate infert qualem ipse Calvinus. The only truth in the Letter was, that F. Nicholaï con∣fess'd in the beginning that he had not had time to read Jansenius well, neither would he so do; Cen∣sere mihi universim non licet, quia nec percurrere to∣tum libuit nec vacavit; and that he acknowledg'd that when the Five Propositions were first pro∣pounded in Sorbonne, there was no design to at∣tribute the same to Jansenius, but only to judge of them in general. Nec Jansenii tamen vel um∣bra tenus nomen praefixum illis fuit, sed universim tantum propositae illae sunt, ut sine ullo praejudicio cen∣serentur.

On the other side, the Assembly of the Clergy was held still at Paris, and there was no speech in it concerning M. de Vabres's Letter; but the sub∣scriptions of such as were likely to be gain'd, were still secretly pursu'd. The Agents and their man∣ner of proceeding cannot better be discover'd then by a Note written by F. Dinet the King's Confessor to M. Hallier, which fell from M. Hallier's pocket occasionally as he was in Sorbonne, and was taken up by one of our Brethren who sent it to me at Rome. The Superscription of it was thus, For M. Doctor Hallier, Syndic of the Faculty of Divinity at Paris at the Hostel of Villeroy; the Contents thus; Sir, My Lord of Tarbe sent us his subscription the other day. My Lord of Troies his brother is at present in this City, and promis'd yesterday that he would do the like after he had taken advice of some Doctors of your Faculty about it. Have you no one of your friends who may go to visit him? This is from Sir, Your most humble and obedient E. N. S. Sign∣ed Dinet.

All these canvasings and other like proceedings became at length displeasing to other Prelates, who more and more saw a necessity of hindring the evil effects which that Letter might produce, and of taking another course in case the businesse should be brought to a discussion and judgement. M. the Archbishop of Ambrun one of the Presi∣dents of the Assembly, and the Bishops of Va∣lence, Agen, Chalons, Cominge, and Orleans, sent to desire accesse of the Nuntio on Monday Feb. 10. He attended them, and they went to wait upon him, and told him, That it was not by order of the Clergy that M. de Vabres and the rest had written; that this proceeding was not at all liked by them; that they disapprov'd it; that the qua∣lity of Bishops empower'd them to judge of con∣troversies arising within their own Dioceses; that this power was signally infring'd by the Letter which M. de Vabres had written; and that the bu∣sinesse more then any other deserv'd extraordina∣ry care and circumspection. They told him fur∣ther of the danger there was in judging thereof, without having first examin'd it and summon'd the parties. They represented to him what a noise might be made by such a Censure as the said Let∣ter demanded; and above all, what necessity there was that before any thing be done, the Pro∣positions in question should be discuss'd and scann'd according to the places from whence they were produc'd. Lastly, they intreated him to advertise the Pope of this their Declaration, and inform his Holinesse of the things which they had spo∣ken to him.

The Archbishop of Sens was to have been at this visit, but having been hinder'd by some other bu∣sinesse, he went eight dayes after accompanied by some other Bishop to speak with the Nuntio a∣bout the same matter, and to inculcate to him a∣fresh the necessity of the Popes proceeding in this affair with mature deliberation, and according both to the forms requir'd by the Canons, and to the order of Ecclesiastical Judgements.

But the Prelats were not perfectly fatisfy'd with this their diligence; for having left nothing but

words with the Nuntio, they fear'd lest he might forget some of them, or lest the Letter which he was to write thereof to the Pope not being imme∣diately deliver'd to his Holinesse, might first fall into the hands of persons friends to the Jesuites, who in favour to them might either keep it as long as they pleas'd, or not present it to him but when it would be likely to be read in a perfunctory tran∣sient manner, or lastly wholly suppresse it if it might be done conveniently: Wherefore they now took up the first purpose of writing to the Pope that Letter which shall be mention'd hereaf∣ter. But for that the same could not be so soon got ready to be sent and subscrib'd by all those by whom it was requisite so to be, M. de Valence writ in the mean time to the Archbishop of Tholouse (last deceased) all that had been done hitherto, and there was sent to me at Rome from him a du∣plicate of his Letter signed by him, to the end I might shew it to all I thought fit, thereby to stop as much as possible the course of those practices, which were founded upon that of M. de Vabres. The Copy of M. de Valence's Letter to the Archbi∣shop of Tholouse here followeth.

Paris 3. March 1651.

My Lord,

BY reading the Considerations which have been made upon a Letter sent to Our Holy Father by some of Our Lords the Prelates, you may have under∣stood all that hath pass'd upon that businesse. I knew nothing of the said Letter, nor of the whole design, (which was kept very secret) till my comming to Paris, and I have been extreamly displeas'd to see how many artifices are us'd by the Molinists to hin∣der a solemn examination of all the Questions about Grace which are in dispute, (t••e only way as I con∣ceive to procure Peace, and to clear up the truth.) We have here amongst us inquir'd what means were fit to be us'd for remedying the mischief which that Letter may produce contrary to the intention of Our Lords the Prelates who subscrib'd it, and we thought expedient to speak with my Lord the Nuntio, and de∣sire him to write to his Holinesse about it. Accor∣dingly on Monday 22 Febr. my Lords, the Arch∣bishop of Ambrun, the Bishops of Agen, Chaalons, Orleans, Cominges, and my self went to wait upon the Nuntio. We declar'd to him that it was not the Clergy of France which sign'd the said Letter, but only some of our Lords the Bishops did it by them∣selves, and in secret, without speaking thereof to the Assembly; although the Clergy being assembled at Paris, it is an unheard of thing to write to his Holi∣nesse about an affair which concerns the whole Church, and particularly this of France, without acquainting the Assembly therewith.

My Lord Archbishop of Ambrun represented to him the importance of this businesse, and the danger there was in judging of these questions without sum∣moning and hearing the parties; That many things were to be said concerning the Propositions presented to his Holinesse; and that for decision of the same it was requisite to examine and understand exactly all that hath pass'd here about that affair, to see in what sense the Disciples of S. Augustin maintain them; to distinguish S. Augustin's sense first of all, for fear of involving that Holy Teacher of Grace in a Cen∣sure, which would give occasion to our Hereticks of saying, That the H. See condemns that which it hath alwayes approv'd, and that the antient Tradi∣tion of the Fathers touching the points of Grace is deserted in the Roman Church. The Nuntio pro∣mis'd to let his Holinesse know of our visit, and what we represented to him; he testify'd to us that he be∣liev'd his Holinesse would not deliver any Judge∣ment, seeing it was not the Body of the Clergy which writ to him, but only some Prelats by themselves: My L. Archbishop of Sens who was to have gone with us to the Nuntio, having been hindred then, went to him eight dayes after with some other Prelat, and declar'd (as I have understood) that if the procee∣ding at Rome in this affair were not with all the forms requir'd by the Canons, and according to the order of Ecclesiastical Judgements, neither himself nor many other Prelates of France would have any regard for what should be done. We have conceiv'd that besides this, it would be requisite that we writ to his Holinesse, to tell him our minds our selves. To morrow will be sent to you our Letter which hath been signed by eight or nine Prelats. Were there time enough to send into the Provinces (as the other Letter was carry'd about five months) we should undoubted∣ly have a great number of Prelats that would sub∣scribe it. But being we are inform'd that the Busi∣nesse hastens at Rome, it will be requisite to send it thither when you with some others of your Province have sign'd it, and to be contented with the fewer subscriptions by reason of the little time we have. Al∣though I cannot believe that the H. See will be led to pronounce in such a manner upon questions of so great importance, I conceiv'd it would be pleasing to you to understand all that we have done, and that having so great a zeal for sound doctrine, justice, and the dig∣nity ef our Function, you will approve all that we have acted only out of a spirit of peace and truth, and out of the duty of our Ministry. This is from,

My Lord,

Your most humble and most obedient Servant and Brother, LEBERON Bp. of Valence & Die.

But before my receiving at Rome either M. de Valence's Letter or two others which inform'd me of what I have above recited touching the visits to the Nuntio, I received one which had been writ∣ten ever since the 27. of January, in which seve∣ral newes was signifi'd to me: first that there was talk at Paris of a Conference before my L. the Archbishop and some other Prelates and Ma∣gistrats. That it was demanded to have six per∣sons there, and offer'd the Molinists to come in as great number as they would: That M. de Rho∣dez Tutor to the King had been sollicited by F. Paulin his Majestie's Confessour to subscribe the Letter of M. de Ʋabres, and that he refus'd it: That M. de Saint Flour did the like, though extraordina∣rily press'd to it by ths Jesuites: That M. de Vi∣viers confess'd that he had signed it, but that he meant not to cast any blot upon Jansenius or the Propositions, but only desir'd a judgment for the sake of peace; and that the Pope was not in∣treated in that Letter to appoint a Conference, because it was not to be doubted but he would

according to his wisdom call together the most able Divines on either side and make a solemn ex∣amination of the question (which cannot other∣wise be well determin'd) before he pronounce any thing therein: In sum, that this was certainly the mind of most of the Bishops who subscrib'd the said Letter.

The same hand writ to me again on 17. February wherein speaking of the Congregations held under the Popes, Clement VIII. and Paul V. he hath these words;

It must be incessantly incul∣cated to those of Rome that our disputes are wholly the same, and that the Question is solely about Effectual Grace, and sufficient Grace sub∣ject to Free will; and that neither Jansenius nor we further hold the said Propositions then as they are reduc'd to the point of Effectual Grace.