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. IV.

Passages at Paris and elsewhere upon oc∣casion of these Contests, signifi'd to me by Letters during the same month of January.

AFter the account of what I could learn to have pass'd at Rome during this first month of the year 1653. I shall present the Reader with some things done and spoken at Paris and elsewhere du∣ring the same time, which I understood by the Letters of some Friends, considerable and unex∣ceptionable persons.

After the Ambassador had told me what M. Hallier shew'd him in a Letter which he receiv'd from the Bishop of Conzerans since nominated to the Arch∣bishoprick of Tholouze touching the Frantick sick∣man and hs uncouth confession, I writ to Paris about it to the Cure of S. Roch and M. de Sainte-Bouve, for satisfaction therein, and that being inform'd my self, I might give the Ambassador a true account of those two stories; and after he knew how apocryphal and forg'd they were, (ac∣cording as I believ'd them) he might no more take notice of and object such detractions and ca∣lumnies to me. M. de Sainte-Beuve sent me an Answer first dated the third of this Month, and here it follows:

SIR,

FIrst wishing you the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ for all this year, I shall tell you that we wonder'd at the pretended Letter of the Arch∣bishop of Tholouse; Whose learning and pru∣dence, in my opinion, destroy the whole Story. What I writ to you concerning him the first of November is very certain; MM. Queras, le Nain, and de la Militiere will make it good when it shall be necessary: nevertheless for more sureness I will get him to speak by his most inti∣mate Friend; I will know whether he is chang'd, or whether he is impos'd upon, and send you word by the next return. As for M. Hallier I can∣not but tremble to see the terrible judgements of God upon him, and the losse of his reputation, which began in the Clergy, in the Assembly whereof he was the Promoter, which continu'd in his Syn∣dicship of our Faculty, and which he is going to complete at Rome. Would to God it might be with the edification of his Soul: but when I consider that he bids war to Truth, and that his negotia∣tion tends only to the persecution of persons of whose probity be is fully convin'd, I confess I am as it were besides my self, and find thereby what it is to forsake God. Pray to him, I beseech you, that he do not abandon me to the de∣sires of my own heart, but make me to know his Truths, and live according to them. I am, &c.

Eight dayes after this Letter, the said Sieure de Sainte Beuve writ me another, which serv'd to clear to me what he had told me in the pre∣ceding concerning the new Archbishop of Tholouse, and contain'd other particular things remarkable, enough to be inserted in this Jour∣nal.

He sent me word, That our Friends at Paris were anxious about what was doing at Rome, be∣cause they heard that the Congregations were held very frequently, and we not admitted to audience; that we our selves knew not their proceedings; but it was nois'd at Paris that three Propositions were already examin'd and condemn'd. He wisht that we would present to the Congregation which acted, a request like the first Memorial deliver'd to the Pope, and therein declare that the Propositions UT JACENT were not ours, that we alwayes condemn'd them in the bad sense which they included, and never pretended to defend them in any other sense but that of the necessity of Effectual Grace; and he believ'd that this would fully secure us. He was not troubled for their being condemn'd, provided that by the same Bull of their condemnation it was declar'd that no prejudice was meant thereby to the doctrine of Effectual Grace; which he judg'd to be in effect a gaining of the Cause for us. He deplor'd the injustice of the whole proceedure

observ'd at this time against S. Augustine's Disci∣ples, against whom every particular interest was made to pass for a point of Doctrine; and amongst others in the business of Caen, which being be∣gun by a very strange and irregular thing which he observ••d, namely, by a Privy-seal Letter compos'd by F. Paulin a Jesuite, and the King's Confessor, in which a Swordman was appointed to watch over the Doctrine of a Professor of Divinity, had many sequels of the same strain. He further took notice of several persecutions and calumnies rais d against us, which the Authors cry'd up for convictions of our evil doctrine; but he added that the main and most important thing was, that he and our other Friends stuck all to the Memorial which we had presented to the Pope; that if it pleas'd him to distinguish the senses of the captious Propositions, they would disapprove those which his Holiness disapprov'd, and approve those he ap∣prov'd, which they knew well to be that of Effe∣ctual Grace. And as for the Argument which the Archbishop of Tholouse's Letter supply'd, he esteem∣ed it as ridiculous as any other; and added that this Prelate ingenuously confessed that the Letter was his; that he writ it to M. Hallier whom he made use of at Rome for the obtaining of his Bulls: that he sent word of things as they were reported to him; but he positively deny'd that he had empower'd him by that Letter or any other to prosecute at Rome any con∣demnation of the Propositions fram'd by M. Cornet, &c.

I do not wholly relate what M. de Sainte Beuve said of the Archbishop of Tholouse touching the sick person of the Parish of S. Roch, referring the Reader for further knowledge of the truth to what the Cure of that Parish writ to me himself the same Tenth of January. His Letter was in these words.

God give you the good day and good year which you sent to me from Rome beforehand, and which arriv'd in time at Paris. As for the main business of yours, I knew nothing, before I re∣ceiv'd it, of the two cases said at Rome to have hapned in my Parish. Upon inquiry touching the sick man, I have found that it is true that about two or three months ago I administer'd to a cer∣tain man desperately sick, and heard the general confession which he made with bitterness and fer∣vency; and for fruits worthy of repentonce, he faithfully perform'd what I appointed him. He re∣ceiv'd also the most holy Viaticum in presence of sundry persons of condition and vertue. One and the other Sacrament being receiv'd by him with great fervency and piety, and great hope in God's mercy and grace, as well of amending if he liv'd, as of his salvation and life eternal if he dy'd. Now God hath prevented him in his mercies, and I took my time well; for the deliration began al∣ready when he receiv'd the Sacrament; but after∣wards he was seiz'd with so great and furious a delirium, that for three weeks or a month he was not capable of any ratiocination; and not only wanted judgement and the use of reason, but being of a hot and boiling temper he utter'd all sorts of words, Blasphemies and Oathes (though when in health no swearer at all) and many times despairingly said, that he was damn'd, and that there was no God for him, and other such language to which a furious Raving in a hot temper is apt to lead a sick man. During this time the Father, Reader of the Jacobines of S. Honore visited him, and 'tis true that he answer'd him as he did every body else, That he was damn'd, and other like; but that he formally answer'd him according to the three Questions contain'd in yours, namely, 1. That he did not believe that he had grace. 2. That he had not so much as the grace of Prayer. 3. That he could not perswade himself that he was one of those for whom Jesus Christ dyed; this, under correction, is very false; and I am certain that had he been learned (as he was not) or been of these Opinions and Do∣ctrines concerning Grace, he was not then in a condition to answer about them so distinctly and formally; and should he have answer'd so, yet the disorder and despair of his answers ought not to be attributed to the Questions of Grace, but purely to his great and high Delirium. Nor do I think that the abovesaid Father so propounded those three points to him; if he did, 'twas very imprudently done, considering the sick-man's condition.

As for the second Case touching the Woman who in Confession said Grace had fail'd her thrice, instead of saying she had sinn'd thrice; it did not happen in my Parish; but yesterday two Jaco∣bines told me they heard that it was in the Con∣fessional of a Sub-penitentiary they knew not whom. So that 'tis but a hear-say; and I will in∣quire more largely of this Case, and of the first too. I forgot to tell you that the abovesaid sick-person is returned to his right judgement and per∣fect health, and lately came to thank me for my ministring to him; and that he never seem'd to me to adhere to those three or other opinions. I will look into the business, and write of it to you more largely. When he visited me, he told me that he remembered nothing at all of what passed, and is reported to have been spoken or done to him by during his delirium.

Though the Bishops who signed the Letter of M. de Vabres, did it onely for particular Engage∣ments, and without any pubick deliberation of the Clergy, yet their great number made M. Hal∣lier and his Collegues take the confidence to speak and act at Rome, as if they had been sent by the whole body of the Clergy of France. But to over∣throw this falshood and presumption when occa∣sion presented it self, wherein we might reproach them with it, we procured an authentick piece at hand to convince them. The Abbot of Val∣croissant writ a Letter touching this matter to the Abbot of Marmiesse, who was then A∣gent General of the Clergy, and returned him this answer.

SIR,

I Received the Letter which you did me the honour to write to me, and sought in our deliberations of the Clergy whether there were any ground for the busi∣ness concerning which you write to me. The Clergy

of France hath not deputed any Doctor to Rome about the Questions which are agitated there. 'Tis true, sundry Prelates no doubt out of a Principle of Charity, writ some time ago a Letter to his Holi∣ness; but it was as a particular thing, and no act of a form'd Assembly. This, Sir, is all the satisfacti∣on I can give to your questions. Be pleas'd to believe me alwayes perfectly,

SIR,

Your most humble and faithful Servant, The Abbot of Marmiesse, Agent General of the Clergy.

I have not yet set down one circumstance of the reasons which the Pope told me he had to hasten to pronounce judgement upon the Propositions, in the audience which I had of him, July 9. 1652. namely, by reason of the Divisions which they ex∣cited everywhere, he having lately been adver∣tis'd that they began to excite some in Poland. I reserv'd it for this place, that I might at once clear it. For some time after, being certifi'd that the Iesuites had imploy'd not only the recommendati∣on and Letters which they had obtain'd for this end from the Emperour, the Kings of France and Spain, but also from the King of Poland: I writ thereup∣on to M. Fleury, the Queen of Poland's Confes∣sor, from whom I received the following An∣swer.

From Grodna in Lituania, January 17, 1653.

SIR,

I Read to the Queen the Contents of your Letter of the last of November. She was amaz'd when she heard that you were assured that the King of Poland had written in favour of the Fathers, and to press the conclusion of our affair, and that his Majesty fear'd that doctrine might spread in his Kingdom. Two dayes after, the Queen told me in presence of her first Physitian, a good Friend of the Fathers, that he had spoken to the King about it, and the King affirm∣ed that he had not written. He said indeed that he had been much press'd to do it, and that within three or four dayes; but alwayes refus'd to write, and would leave the cause to be judg'd without medling in it; that it was not an affair for a King but for the H. See and the Pope. This, Sir, I thought good to write to you, that you may be confirm'd in the knowledge you have otherwise, that the good Fathers employ other weapons than Study and Prayer for advancing their designs, and for the judgement of an Affair wholly Ec∣clesiastical, &c.

'Tis clear by this Letter, that the King of Poland had not written about this matter. Yet the assu∣rances given me at Rome of the receit of his Let∣ters there, were very express; and that which the Pope himself said to me, was a very evident confir∣mation of it; So that it seems doubtfull whether amongst the Arms made use of by the good Fathers to promote theit designs, there was not a suppo∣sititious Letter of the King of Poland, as there had been a False Censure of the Faculty of Divinity of Paris.

Their false Deputy, F. Mulard, was at Char∣tres the same Month; where upon the Eye of the King he visited M. Feron Doctor of the Society of Sorbonne and Abbot of S. Laumer, and told him that he was come from Rome, and should return thi∣ther suddenly with good tackle against the Thomists. That the H. F. would shortly pronounce upon the con∣troverted Propositions, and according to all probabi∣lity in favour of the Molinists. This notice was given by the said Sieur Peron the next day in a Letter to an intimate Friend of his, Doctor of Sorbonue.

M. Brousse sent me word by one of the 24th. That a Friend of his, a considerable Officer of the Queen's, told him that he was present on Monday be∣fore, when the Bishop of S. Malo told her Majesty (no doubt upon the Letters which he had receiv'd from M. Hallier) that three of the Propositions were already condemn'd, and the rest would be so suddenly. That these reports were dispersed abroad, and occasioned many persons of Quality to resort to him for informa∣tion of the truth.

In fine, I learnt by the Letters of this Month, that as Orders were given, and extraordinary en∣deavours used to pluck M. Cordon out of the Col∣ledge of Montaigu, and M. Monassier out of his Chair of Divinity in the University of Caën; so the like had been employ'd to hinder two Fathers of the Oratory from preaching ar Paris in the two Churches where they were retain'd. That M. Ar∣gentier went to the Marguilliers of S. Bennet, to tell them from the Queen that her Majesty would not have F. Des Mares preach there, and that a Let∣ter under the Privy-Seal was sent from the King to F. le Boulx to forbid him comming to Paris where he was also to preach in another Church.