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.

Concerning an antient Manuscript which came to my hands touching an Affair of Mr. Grimani Patriarch of Aqui∣leia, whereby I found that the foun∣dation of all the matters in question bad been examined and decided by the Council of Trent.

DUting these Conjunctures there befel me an oc∣currence as considerable in its kind, which had much more reference to our Affair then that whereof I have given so long an account. It was a Manuscript of no small age, containing a little Collection of some Pieces which treated of an Affair debated and determined in the Council of Trent, about the same matters for which we were in contest with the Jesuites; and it was de∣termined by a general consent of all the Commissi∣oners to whom the Council referr'd the judgement of it, perfectly according to our sentiments. On the second of April 1652. I caus'd the same No∣•…•…ries who verifi'd our History of M. Pegna, to de∣clare their judgement of the quality of this Manu∣•…•…ipt, having made two Transcripts thereof com∣par'd by them with the Original, to make use of in time and place: To which purpose I caus'd a description to be made of it as it was when I pre∣sented it to them, that so I might make it be known for the same which accidentally was fallen into my hands.

There was question in this Affair concerning a Sermon made in the year 1550. at Oudenay by a Dominican Fryer name'd F. Leonard native of the same City which is in the Continent that belongs to the Repub. of Venice, whether the Patriarchal See of Aquileia hath been trasferr'd since the destru∣ction of that antient and famous City by the de∣scent of Attila into Italy. This Predicator had preacht one of the highest Truths, and in the hardest terms to be digested by humane under∣standing touching Gratuitous Predestination, which gave some scanda•• ••o the people who murmur'd at it. The grand Vicar of this Patriatch (whose name was Grimani, of one of the illustrious fami∣lies of Venice) nevertheless thought not fit to act in any sort against the Predicator to constrain him to make amends for the scandal which he had given, without first giving notice to, and take∣ing orders ftom him whose grand Vicar he was. The Patriarch Grimani having receiv'd Letters from his grand Vicar, conceiv'd himself oblig'd to answer him; but he was so far from find∣ing cause to proceed against the Predicator, that on the contrary he judg'd the Propositions ad∣vanc'd by him very true, certain and Catholick; the reasons whereof he deduc'd at large in his an∣swer, which he took principally from the H. Scripture and the works of S. Augustin. When the grand Vicar had receiv'd this Answer, he caus'd it to be publisht to all the people of Oude∣nay, and recorded in the publick Registers of the City, wherewith every one was edifi'd and satis∣fi'd. Some twelve or thirteen years after, namely in the year 1563. some persons, enemies to the peace of that City, as well as to Christian Truths explicated unto them by their Patriarch, who was a very learned and pious Bishop, began to sow amongst the people Complaints against his Letter; they drew Propositions out of it to the number of eight, which they accus'd of Heresie: In fine, they rais'd so much division in the minds of the City of Oudenay and the adjacent Region, that to hinder the troublesome consequences of those be∣ginnings of disturbance and misunderstanding, they sent Deputies to the Republick of Venice, to pray that State to interpose its Authority and Re∣commendation to the Council of Trent which was then assembled, that the cause of their Patriarth might be discuss'd and decided; that his Homily (so they call'd his Answer to his grand Vicar) might be there read & examin'd; and if it were true and Catholick, they might be suffer'd to enjoy the Truth explicated by him to them in peace and qui∣etness; but if it were false, that it might be con∣demned.

I believe this Patriarch had been nominated to a Cardinals Hat by the Republick of Venice; that people who aim'd to cross his promotion, rendred him suspected of Heresie to Pope Pius IV. by the extracts of his Letter which they delivered to him; that the same waa debated of in the Con∣gregation of the H. Office; and that the Apology

which he writ in behalf of his Letter against those Extracts had been carried thither also: but because this was not really clear by the pieces before me, I dare not affirm it as the rest which I have already said, and am going to adjoyn.

Accordingly the Ambassadors of the Republick Of Venice represented to the Council the neessity of making a solemn deputation for examining the an∣swer of that Patriarch to his grand Vicar, and the Apology made by him about the Propositions ex∣tracted out of it. It was the last day of July in the year 1563. that this nomination of Deputies was made in the Council who were in number twen∣ty six, namely two Cardinals, four Ambassadors, four Archbishops, thirteen Bishops, two Abbots, and one General of an order. They examin'd both of those Pieces; they made their report of them the thirteenth of August following in a Congrega∣tion which lasted six hours, where they spoke all their Sentiments, which they said were not theirs alone, but also of the Divines of their Nation, with whom they had conferr'd in this matter. And all agreed unanimously that it was so far from be∣ing true, that any word in that Letter and Apology was Heretical, that on the contrary there was no∣thing in them but what was taken from S. Augustin, S. Prosper, S. Bernard, S. Thomas, and other H. Do∣ctors: Which I account the more considerable, because the foundation of all the doctrine which we held, and of all the Christian truths which we were to defend in case of the Propositions in question, is manifestly contain'd in that Letter and its Apo∣logy; and consequently besides other proofs which we may alledge thereof in all ages, we have this ad∣vantage that this very doctrine was authoris'd in the last Council by a general consent of all those whom the Council commission'd to examine it, and by the unanimous suffrages of all the Divines of Christendom.

I have in that little Collection 1. The Patriarchs Letter intire. 2. His Apology for it. 3. The Oration of the Deputies of the Clergy, and of the City of Oudenay to the Republick of Venice. 4. The no∣mination, and the names of the Deputies or Commissioners appointed by the Council for this Examination. 5. The Votum of the Cardinal of Lorrain who was one of them. 6. One of his Let∣ters to the Pope about this matter. 7. Another Let∣ter of the Presidents of the Council to S. Charles Borromée about the same affair. 8. The Sentence of the Legates. 9. A Letter of Congratulation of the Republick of Venice to this Patriarch, upon the happy successe which his businesse had had in the Council.

All these Pieces deserve to be here inserted at length, but to avoid such frequent and long inter∣ruptions, I shall reserve them to be annexed to the end of this Journal.