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. X.

Visites made in the end of Septem∣ber and the beginning of October. A story concerning Clement VIII. Manuscripts of the Congregations de Auxiliis in the Library of the Au∣gustines. Of that whereof I took a Copy there. The Jesuites in vain indevour to draw the Dominicans to their side.

VVHen I quitted F. Mulard on Wednes∣day September 27. at my coming fron M. Gueffier's house, who went to waite upon the Ambassador, I return'd to my lodging to fetch the Preface of the book Of victorious or Prevailing Grace (which had been sent me in sheets) and carry it presently to the Ambassador, according to what he had desir'd me to do, in order to give him knowledge of the state of our Contest by the per∣usal of that Preface when he return'd from his vi∣sits, and to give him time to be in some measure inform'd thereof before the day of his ordinary audience which was to be on the Fryday follow∣ing. I found at my lodging F. Petit, who waited there for me, to tell me that F. Mulard dining the day before with M. the Abbot Testu, said there that M. Albizzi had assur'd him that within a little time the Censure of the five Propositions would be pass'd.

I went to the Ambassador's house, and accompa∣ni'd him to S. Cosme and S. Damien whether he went. He caus'd his Coach to turn on the side of S. John de Lateran, out of the walls of Rome; and having alighted to walk, and to speak to me in particular about our matters, he put many dif∣ficulties to me, which consisted in the Consequences ordinarily drawn from them by such as oppose them with humane wit; and he did it after a man∣ner very pressing, and nevertheless obliging. Whereupon having given him the answers which the Fathers make thereto, I invited him to read all those arguments in the Epistle of S. Prosper to S. Augustin, and also to view the Answers which S. Augustin makes to the same in the book De Praedestinatione Sanctorum; of which I had been but a bad Echo in what I had said to him. The second part of our discourse was touching the submission which we were likely to shew to the Decision which the Pope might make of these matters; and I assur'd him that if he made one after hearing the paties in the ordinary formes of a Lawfull Examination, such as I supplica∣ted for in the names of the Prelats whose Let∣ters I had deliver'd to him, we would shew an absolute submission to such a Decision; but if he made any otherwise, and without having dis∣cuss'd the contested matters in a due manner, we should have as much submission for it as it de∣serv'd, and yet the greatest we could. And to

satsify him of the necessity and justice there was in granting that solemn Examination to the Pre∣lats who demanded it, and in whose names I sol∣licited for it, I related to him with how much in∣stance The Councel of Trent offer'd the same to Hereticks. The Ambassador reply'd, that as for that particular, they did not yield to the Decisions of that Council. I answer'd that they did not; but that was it which took from them all ground of blaming it in that point; whereas if they had demanded such Examination, and it had been deny'd to them, they would have had very just reason to complain thereof. At length I deliver'd to him the Preface of the book Of Victorious Grace, and advertis'd him of what was contain'd in the fifth page thereof in favour of Jansenius, of whom they would not hear any speech at all at Rome. I told him I could have wisht that that passage had been left out, because it alone was enough to incense the minds of the Romans and make the whole book suspected. But I desir'd the Am∣bassador also to take notice of the time in which the book was written, because there was then no thought of any person's coming to Rome in pursute of such Examination; but on the con∣trary there was daily expectation of some precipi∣tated Censure according to the Menaces of the Je∣suits in all places; That at the present we hop'd things would be done upon Cognisance of the Cause and with justice, and therefore declin'd speaking of Jansenius, partly to avoid clashing with the people with whom we had to do, and partly because indeed the interests of that Pre∣lat's book had not affinity with the prosecution wherewith I was encharged; though in the se∣quel the same might be advantageous to it, namely if the doctrine contained therein be conformable to what shall be decided. Concern∣ing the Jesuits, the Ambassador told me, that they prosecuted with all possible eagernesse a judgment uponthe Propositions (without speaking of such examination) that he receiv'd letters every week to do such offices as lay in his power for the pro∣moting thereof, which he did as much as he could, but without injuring any person, and with endea∣vours to bring both the one side and the other to peace.

On Thursday Sept. 28. I learnt two excellent stories from a learned Dominican whom I visited that morning; I shall relate but one of them, as the most appertaining to the matter whereof I am writing. He told me, that Clement VIII. was at first very ill bent against the Doctrine of Grace, by reason of many complaints made to him by the Jesuites against the Dominicans, because these Monks, said the Jesuits, ceas'd not to give them continual vexation, upon the account of School dis∣putes. That at length the Pope, importun'd by their continual sollicitations, and fearing the arising of greater divisions, one day as he was in this im∣patience and apprehension, he sent to the General of the Dominicans, who was gone out of the City upon a Visit, to return to Rome without delay; That the said General being return'd, and appea∣ring at his Holinesses feet, who had him in great esteem in regard of his great capacity and exempla∣ry life, the Pope said to him; Come, good Father, you must give me satisfaction in one thing, you must employ all your authority in it, and if it suf∣fice not, I will joyn all mine. You see how the Coat of Jesus Christ is rent, England, Germany, so many Hugonots in France, so many divisions and schismes on all sides. Is it so, that what is left in the Church cannot live in peace? Take some order speedily and absolutely, and see that the Religi∣ous of your Order do not molest the Jesuites: Extinguish these Scholastick Quarrels, for fear lest they prove one day the cause of greater mis∣chief. The General was astonisht at this discourse, but he answer'd to it with as much vigour as re∣spect, saying, H. Father, if your Holinesse hath had hitherto any confidence in me, you are not mi∣staken, and I would sooner lose my life, then tell your Holinesse a thing that were not true. But I assure you with as great protestation as I am able that it is not an interest of the School that is in question. 'Tis the Cause of Faith that is concern'd. If the opinion which the Jesuites introduce into the Church be suffer'd in it, 'tis a depriving God of his Crown; 'tis no longer he that gives us Para∣dise; he is no longer master of his benefits and his graces; &c. This discourse, and the rest which the General added to it, so affected Clement VIII. that he was desirous to hear the General another time, to learn more particularities about this mat∣ter then he could tell him at this audience; and from that time forward Clement VIII. was earnest to see this General many times in a week, and re∣ceiv'd from him little Memoires, which serv'd him to inform himself therein. At length, when this General had given Clement VIII. the first tinctures of this matter; the Pope lik'd well a request which he made to his Holinesse, namely, that he might present to him some other Divines of his own Or∣der, with whom he might conferr as agreeably and as profitably as with him, and that himself in the mean time might better discharge the nu∣merous affairs attending his Generalship.

I shall not fear to tell who was the Dominican from whom I learnt these particularities, adding here, that a few dayes before he told me this, Pope Innocent X. who sits at this day upon the throne of S. Peter, sending for him about a certain affair, and acquainting him with some of his regrets, said to him, That if it were well known what the Papa∣cy is, there would not be so much seeking for it as there is; That he had so many incumbrances to satisfie all the world, so many things to set right with Crownes, &c. That he was now threescore and eighteen years old; That he was not master of one hours time in the day, to take a little rest; and many other such things. And also speaking to him of M. Hersent's Sermon, he told him, that indeed there was nothing atall in it that deserv'd any Censure. This Dominican was the same, up∣on whose relation and approbation the Master of the Sacred Palace gave the Imprimatur to that Ser∣mon; in one word, it was F. du Four.

On Sunday morning Octob. 1. I visited a Religi∣ous Minime, whom upon occasion I acquainted with our readinesse to yield submission to the De∣cision which should be pass d upon these matters, as I had done to the Ambassador. To which the Father Minime, nam'd F. du Plantet, having told me that the Pope needed not for the making of such Decision to stand upon all these formalities

which I demanded: I pray'd him to tell me the rea∣sons that might hinder the Pope from erecting such a Congregation and legal Examen, because I saw a thousand why he should do it, and none why he should not. He told me three very pitiful ones. The first was, That to hear parties, would very much protract matters in length. The se∣cond, that it might exasperate both things and per∣sons. And the third, that the subtilty of such as should argue against the truth, might be so great as to dazle the minds of the Judges, and circumvent them.

In the afternoon I visited the Ambassador, and went abroad with him to take the air. After seve∣ral discourses, and amongst the rest, about what I learnt concerning Clement VIII. which I have newly related, he told me that he had conferr'd with the Pope about our affair, and that to all that he said to him, the Pope answer'd, That there were Bulls enough already; (he was in the right) That he (the Ambassador) reply'd, that indeed there were already very many; but every one drew them to his own side; that one was desired from him plain, expresse, decisive, that might clear the contests, and bring the Divines and all the Faithfull to peace. (The Ambassador was in the right too.)

On Wednesday Octob. 4. afternoon I went to deliver Card. Spada a Letter from M. d' Angers. He read it through by himself; and all the answer that he made to it then, was to tell me, that he was full of esteem for M. d' Angers, and should alwayes make great account of his Letters. After which I told Cardinal Spada that F. Mulard styl'd himself Deputy from the Faculty; that I knew M. Hallier the Syndic of it had encharged him with some Letters, but could not make him such; and that if the Faculty were advertis'd of it, they would not be well pleas'd, nor suffer this enterprise of M. Hallier's; That I was inform'd that the Nuntio had sent to M. Albizzi some new Piece printed a∣gainst the Five Propositions, which was pretended to be a Censure made by the Faculty; but I assur'd his Eminence, the Faculty never made any; That I knew many impostures and falsities were set on foot by clandestine suggestion; but no notice was given to me thereof; and that this was not the way to be satisfied therein and to know the truth; That if they were unwilling to do it, I did not desire to have the persons declar'd to me that sow'd those falsities & calumnies; for fear of engaging such per∣sons too far, but that at least the particulars wherof we are accus'd and blam'd, might be told us, because perhaps we might bring such evidence as would e∣vince our innocence, and justifie the Candor of our sentiments, and of our sincere respect and af∣fection for the things and the persons to whom endeavours were us'd to render us suspected. And for that I consider'd him as one of the most know∣ing and prudent of the Cardinals, I beseecht him for this favour, hoping that in the mean time that what I said to him would cause him to suspend his belief, and that of others also, as to any thing that might be secretly and craftily suggested to our disparagement. The Cardinal let me speak all that I would upon this matter, and when I had done, he arose up, telling me He would remember what I had said to him.

Monsignor Sacrista about this time brought me to the knowledge of a Father who was keeper of the Library belonging to the Augustines; and recommended me very much to him, to the end that if in their Library (which is publick for all that will, to repair to in the forenoon, and make use of what books they needed) there were any book or ma∣nuscript that I needed for assisting me in the cause I was to manage, which he saw wholly in behalf of S. Augustin's doctrine and authority; he would do me the favour to accommodate me with it. The said Father promis'd me very willingly, and that I might more conveniently see all that he had to shew me, he desir'd me to take the afternoons to come in, because then there would be no per∣son there but our selves. Accordingly I went thither on Tuesday Octob. 10. He show'd me some manuscripts remaining in that Library, of the Congregations which were held under Cle∣ment VIII. and Paul V. For Fr. Gregorius Nun∣nius Coronel who was one of the two Secretaries of those Congregations, and of the Order of Au∣gustines, had privately kept them till his death, after which they were taken into this Library and plac't amongst the rest; That afternoon I copied out one my self, which at first view I conceiv'd worthy of that labour, because I saw at the foot of each page, the subscriptions of the Divines of whom those Congregations consisted. In every of those Pages was seen the resolutions of those Di∣vines against the errors of Molina, and that reso∣lution was subscrib'd with the original signatures of those Divines who set thereto their Ita sentio, and subscrib'd it with their own names. They were but nine at first, and towards the end but eight; and their names were;

• Petrus Lombardus Archiepiscopus Ardmaca∣nus.
• Archiepiscopus Fr. Jo. de Rada Episcopus Pa∣ctensis. [he subscrib'd always thus, begining with Archiepisc. Fr. which is very unusual]
• Fr. Julius Sanctueius Episcopus S. Agathae Gothorum.
• Laelius Laudus Episcopus Neritonensis.
• Fr. Hieronymus Pallantus Episcopus Bizonti∣nus.
• D. Anastasius a Brixia Abbas Farfensis, [who as it appeares by the twelfe of these subscriptions was also one of the secretaries.]
• Fr. Joannes de Plumbino Ordinis Eremitarum S. Augustini Procurator Generalis.
• Fr. Gregorius Nunnius Coronel Secretarius [so he always subscribes himself.]
• Fr. Jacobus le Bossa Religiosus S, Benedict in Francia, & Doctor in Facultate Theologiae Parisiensi

The title of this last calls to my mind, that there was also a Doctor of the Faculty named M. de Creit, who was of those Congregations, as I have seen in some other Manuscripts and Memoires of that time; but what ever cause, sickness or other, hin∣dred him from being of the number of those that subscrib'd the Resolutions of this Manuscript, I found them subscribed only by those whose names I have mention'd. A present Copy of the said Manuscript shall be annex'd to the end of this Journal, that the learned may see what it was, and I doubt not but it is still. I shall only say here before hand, that the Effectualness of Grace by it self, and its necessity to all the good motions of Christian piety, its dominions and infallible power over the Will of man, which nevertheless consists with the perfect liberty thereof; The gra∣tuitous Election and Predestination wh••ch God maketh of men to eternal salvation depending on his pure liberality and mercy, and not on the prae∣vision of their merits, and the good use which they will make of his Grace; The certainty of the eternal Prescience which he hath of all those which shall be saved in all times, founded solely upon that Election, and upon the Power and Vertue of his Grace, and the effectual motion which he giveth it to subdue and subject to itself the most rebellious Wills of those on whom he pleaseth to bestow that Grace, (which is all that we pretend and have ever pretended to defend against the Au∣thors of the Five Propositions, who never invented them but as an Artifice to ruine and stifle those ho∣ly Truths) are very fully and evidently establisht in that Manuscript against the errors of Molina.

I receiv'd that day too a Complement from the Abbot of St. Peter in vinculis, who a little time after was made Archbishop of Manfredonio in the kingdom of Naples; he signified to me, that having understood that I had been several times at his house to see him, he desir'd me to send him word when he might come & visit me. I pray'd him without Ceremony not to take the pains to come to see me, but to do me the favour to expect me on Thursday following▪ which was he 12th. of October. Accordingly I went to see him, and laid open my whole business to him, which he took very well, and seem'd a man of capacity and study, and full of zeal for St. Augustin, and perfectly impartial.

The same day a friend came to me, and brought me the Book intitled Jansenius de Ecclesia, &c. pessimè meritus, of which I made mention above. M. Guiffier had given it to this friend of mine, not knowing what to do with it, and told him F. Mu∣lard presented the same to him, which shows, that that Cordelier had a good number of them to distri∣bute, since he gave them to persons that had no need, and could make no use of them. The day pre∣ceding I receiv'd another visit from a Dominican, who told me, that being two or three days before with Cardinal Lugo, the Cardinal said thus to him, It is necessary that we unite together against the Jansenists, at least in the things in which they thwart both you and us equally, as in Sufficient Grace: whereto this Dominican answer'd (as another did sometimes to F. Annat, who blusht to have made so frivolous a Motion to a very intelligent Divine) that there was much difference between the suffi∣cient Grace held by the Jesuites, and that which is held by the Dominicans. That the pretended Jan∣senists did not oppose any but that of the Jesuites, the good or bad use whereof depended absolutely on Free-Will; but the same Jansenists were agreed with the Dominicans, as to the main, namely, the Effectualness of Grace, and its necessity to all good actions.

On the 13th. I found F. Malgaires at the Am∣bassadors house; he askt me whether I could lend him fot two or three hours the Book of S. Fulgenti∣us, which was newly publish'd by a Jesuite of Dyon. I told the Father that instead of two hours, I would lend it him for three days. I askt him what news of F. Hilarion, and what he said to our affairs. He told me, that F. Hilarion would not further open his sentiments in reference to the Propositi∣ons that he had given you seal'd up to the Pope two years ago next November, and that he would speak no more thereof; which I mention not in this place, but as a new testimony in confirmation of what I said before of the manner how they were propos'd to the Pope, and how the Divines con∣sulted upon them, delivered their judgements; viz. at the same time that the false Censure of the Faculty was carried to Rome, and the first President made a Truce between us and our Adversaries at their instigation, for so much time as was requisite to let that false Censure have its full effect.

Tursday October 17. I had a second audience of the Pope, in which I presented to him a Letter which the Bishop of Grasse now of Vince had written to him. But before I relate the particula∣rities of that audience, I think it not impertinent to insert here some Letters which I received from Paris, and which shew with what intentions my LL. the Bishops who interposed in this affair, and we conjontly with them, acted therein.