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. XXIII.

The Letter which we writ May 26. to the Bishops who sent us, touching the grand Audience given by the Pope upon the 19th.

WEE departed from this Audience full of satisfaction, and went to give the Am∣bassador the first relation of it, to the end that if he pleas'd he might write into France about it the same day which was the Post-day. Our return home was so late that we had little time left to write into France before the going of the Post more then two words, and were forc't to defer sending the particularities of our Audience till that day sevennight. The Letter which I am going to insert here, will not be a bare repetition of the foregoing account, for the Letter was drawn be∣fore I made that relation, in which my design was to insert such particularities as were omitted in the Letter and not necessary to be mention'd in it at that time, in regard we stood in expectation to send more considerable matters every day. But indeed it seems to me expedient not to omit any thing which may contribute to give the publick and posterity as full and perfect a view as possible, of all that came to my knowledge in reference to this Affair.

MY LORDS,

BY the last Post you receiv'd the first newes of the publick Audience given us by his Holi∣nesse eight dayes ago; we shall now give you the particular account of it. And since we act by your authority, we doubt not but you will be glad to hear a relation of all that pass'd in this occasion by the special assistance which God afforded us there∣in, for the maintaining of the true Grace of his Son before the soveraign Pontiff, and the visible Head of the Church.

By the Letter which F. Des-mares and M. Ma∣nessier did themselves the honour to write to you, you understood our purpose to speak before the Pope when it should please his Holinesse to call us. We mention not here the reasons which ob∣lig'd us thereunto, since they were represented to you by that last Letter. After the said resolution was agreed upon amongst us, we thought fit to go and testifie the same to his Holinesse, according as F. Des-mares and M. Manessier had promis'd him. There having been no Audience during the whole week, we hop'd to have had it on Sunday the 11th, of this moneth. In the mean time the Ambassa∣dor came from Tivoli to his Audience on Friday. We went and gave him an account of the Audi∣ence which F. Des-mares and M. Manessier had had, and signify'd to him that being his Holinesse desir'd to hear us apart from our Adversaries, we were ready to do all that he pleas'd, and intended to declare so much to the Pope on Sunday next. The Ambassador much approv'd our resolution, and told us, that it was the fittest meanes to ob∣tain a contradictory Conference afterwards, in case the Pope were convinc'd of the necessity thereof by what reasons we alledg'd. After his Friday's Audience, he sent for us to come to him on Saturday morning. We understood that he had likewise sent for M. Hallier and his Collegues. We all five repair'd accordingly to him. He told us, that the Pope having spoken to him concerning us, he had signify'd to his Holinesse that we were de∣termin'd to appear before him in what manner he should desire. Whereupon the Pope said it should be very speedily, and that he would hear us one after another, perhaps within a week. He also told us, that he would wait upon Cardinal Pam∣philio to know the Pope's day, to whom therefore it was not necessery for us to addresse, since he un∣derstood our resolution. After our expression of thanks to the Ambassador for his care and our as∣surance that we would be ready against the time, we desir'd him to procure us two or three dayes notice beforehand, which he promis'd us to do. He told us, that M. Hallier and his Collegues were to come to him presently, and he should advertise them also to prepare themselves to speak before the Pope at the first convenient day after our au∣dience. That afterwards possibly we should obtain a conference with M. Hallier, because we might desire of his Holinesse, that some person might an∣swer to what we should say concerning the Pro∣positions, and convince us of what was reprehen∣sible in our Writings; and then either M. Hallier must be the man, or his Holiness must depute some other Divine; but M. Hallier being here con∣cerning this Affair, and having presented Writings against us, 'twas more likely that he would be ap∣pointed to answer us then any other. We answer'd the Ambassador that this was what we hop'd, and that we had such important and convincing things to speak upon the points in question, that his Ho∣liness would see that necessity alone had induc'd us to demand a Conference with so great instance, MM. Hallier and Lagault came to the Ambassador's house just as we were taking leave of him.

F. Des-mares and M. Manessier, having not yet had leisure since their arrival to go to salute the Cardinals nominated for the Congregation, we ac∣company'd them to that purpose in the dayes fol∣lowing. We declar'd to their Eminences our pur∣pose to appear before the Pope, and that the Pope had given us order by the Ambassador to be in rea∣dinesse by the first dayes of the week ensuing. Tuesday evening the Ambassador passing by our lodging, advertis'd us that the Monday next was the day appointed, and that we must be at the Pope's Palace by 20 a clock, that is, about three after noon.

Accordingly we repair'd on Monday to the Pope's Palace in Mont Quirinal, and were call'd for a little after three a clock, and introduc'd into the Pope's presence. On each side of his Holi∣nesse's Chair were two Benches upon which the Cardinals sat, Spada and Ginetti on the right hand, and Pamphilio and Ghiggi on the other. The thir∣teen Divines of several Orders, whose names M. de S. Amour signify'd to you by his Letter January 27. stood bare-headed on each side behind the Benches. M. Albizzi Assessor of the H. Office was there also to perform the Office of Secretary. Besides these, no other persons were present at this Assembly. At our entrance we made our accusto∣med genuflexions to his Holinesse, who gave us his benediction, and made a sign to us to rise and begin. We stood in the space between the two Benches, right against the Pope, it being just ca∣pable of us all five afront. The Abbot of Val∣croissant began, and show'd in general the impor∣tance of this Affair in a speech of about three quar∣ters of an hour. We speak nothing of what it contain'd, because we send you, My Lords, a Co∣py of it as it was pronounc'd. After his speech was ended, he spoke of the two first Writings which we had presented the last year, the former whereof is concerning what hath been acted about the affair of the Five Propositions, and the other is touching S. Augustin authority. He spoke suc∣cinctly some principal things of the former Wri∣ting, to let his Holinesse understand the foul deal∣ings, frauds, and the conspiracy of our Adversa∣ries against S. Augustin, by contriving and pre∣senting to our Faculty those captious and equivo∣cal Propositions. But conceiving it more material to say something concerning the main businesse of doctrine in this first Audience, he did not think fit to be particular in laying matters of fact open to his Holinesse, and therefore proceeded to the Writing concerning S. Augustin's authority; where∣in we shewd, that nothing is so much establisht in the Church as this Authority, since we justifie it by above two hundred Testimonies of twenty Popes, fifteen Councils, threescore and ten Fa∣thers of the Church, or illustrious Divines of all Ages, and the reception of the whole Church with unanimous and universal consent. He laid forth the reasons which oblig'd us to deliver this Wri∣ting first, in imitation of S. Prosper and Hilary of France, when they came to Rome against the Priests of Marseille, and to tread in the steps which we saw markt out in the first judgement which was made touching S. Augustin under Pope Celestine the first, and in the last examen which was made under Clement VIII. He added, that we did not insist upon proving more largely this authority of S. Augustin, being perswaded that his Holinesse was willing that the doctrine of this Saint should serve for a Rule in this whole Dispute of Grace according to the Ordinances of his Predeces∣sors.

Reserving therefore to speak more at length of what had been done in France upon occasion of the Five Propositions when it should be expedient in the progresse of things, and supposing the autho∣rity. of S. Augustin receiv'd and establisht, as we had agreed together, M. de Valcroissant proceeded to the Writings then to be presented, and told his Holinesse, that to let him see that we complain'd not unnecessarily of the Jesuites outrages against S, Augustin's authority, we had one Writing to present to him, into which we had collected above a hundred Propositions against S. Augustin, drawn out of the books of Jesuitical Writers since Moli∣na; that above fifty of them were publish'd with∣in these last four yeares; and that 'twas a great evidence of a conspiracy against S. Augustin in the contrivance of the five Pelagious Propositi∣ons; that F. Adam a Jesuite at the same time was preparing a bloody work against S. Augustin, which came forth on the first of January 1650. with the permission of the Provincial of Paris, and with the approbation of three Jesuites Divines. M. de Valcroissant read to his Holinesse those Propositi∣ons of F. Adam, wherein the express doctrine of S. Augustin is plainly handled as Heretical and Calvinistical, and S. Paul and other Canonical Writers accus'd of having been exorbitant in their Writings, and gone beyond the bounds of Truth through humane weaknesse, from which, as that Jesuite saith, They were nor free. You may judge, My Lords, with what astonishment his Holinesse and their Eminences heard these hor∣rible injuries of that Jesuite against S. Augustin, which carried to reprehend S. Paul himself and the Prophets. He also read this Proposition which is in a book printed at Paris three moneths ago; Expecta tantisper, Lector; brevi loquetur Roma quid senserit Augustinus aut quid sentire de∣buerit. Which, as you see, My Lords, implyes that the Jesuites expect shortly at Rome the condem∣nation of S. Augustin's Doctrine.

In the next place, M. de Valcroissant explicated the Distinction of Senses and caus'd his Holinesse to observe with how much sincerity the proceeded in this Affair, by declaring plainly what we re∣jected, and what we held touching all the Propositi∣ons. He remonstrated first that they were fram'd by the Molinists in equivocal terms capable of he∣retical senses, thereby to expose them to Censure, and afterwards reflect the same Censure up∣on Grace Effectual by it self, and upon S. Augu∣stin's Doctrine, to which the Propositions are re∣ducible by being explicated in the particular sen∣ses which they may admit, as we had done; that we were not the authors of those ambiguous Pro∣positions; That they could not be shewn in any book in the direct terms wherein they are con∣ceiv'd, excepting the first which is mutilated and maliciously separated from the words that precede and follow it, which being added to the Proposi∣tion. as it is found in the Author from whom it is taken, is not only not capable of any evil sense,

but is the Catholick and Apostolick doctrine of S. Augustin and the Church. That it cannot be found in any works, Latin or French, publisht in France within these four yeares, that they have been de∣fended purely as they are express'd; but that on the contrary it hath alwayes been declar'd that in the generality of their terms, they are susceptible of heretical senses, and may according to those senses be condemn'd generally as heretical; and that never any other sense but the Catholick a∣lone which they admit hath been maintain'd; that is to say, none ever absolutely maintain'd these five general Propositions, but the particular Pro∣positions expressing the Catholick sense of them, which we presented and maintain'd in our Wri∣ting. Whence he concluded that the Controversie was not about the five Propositions as they ap∣pear'd; That we do not defend them in their uni∣versality and ambiguity (which he repeated twice or thrice at several times) That therefore to fol∣low the steps which S. Augustin's disciples had al∣wayes troden since this Dispute, according to the first Memorial presented by us to his Holinesse at our first coming to Rome, and the demands which we had made eight moneths ago in our first In∣formation de facto, we presented to his Holi∣nesse a Writing, wherein were contain'd on one side in clear terms the Catholick senses, or par∣ticular Propositions which we and all S. Augustin's Disciples maintain'd and had alwayes maintain'd; and on the other side the sentiments, both of the Calvinists and Molinists touching the matter of these Propositions. That we desir'd of his Holi∣nesse an examination and judgement of these sentiments. That Calvin's opinion was not the thing in controversie between us, that we held him for a Heretick as well as our Adversaries do. That the two others were those alone in contest. That we were ready to demonstrate viva voce and by writing in presence of our Adversaries that our sentiment is most Catholick, most agreeable to S. Augustin, and altogether indubitable in the faith. That on the contrary that of the Molinists is Pe∣lagian or Semipelagian, as it hath been already judg'd contradictorily in the Congregation de Auxiliis held by the Popes Clement VIII. & Paul V. of holy and glorious memory. He added, That to judge of the Propositions as they are contested between Catholicks, 'tis necessary to distinguish the senses and make an expresse and particular judgement thereof. This he justify'd by the words of the Letter of the Prelates by whom M. Hallier pretends himself commission'd, because those Prelates demand a clear and expresse judge∣ment upon the Propositions, such as may clear the Truth, regulate the present contests amongst Ca∣tholicks touching this matter, and produce peace in the Church. And therefore that although by occasion of these Propositions there is a dispute between Catholicks, yet seeing the controversie is not about the ambiguous Propositions as they are fram'd by the Molinists; but about the diffe∣rent senses which we presented and are alone in question, the Truth cannot be clear'd, nor the Con∣troversie terminated, but by an expresse judgement upon these several particular senses, or rather up∣on the Propositions exempted from all equivoca∣tion, as we presented them, and upon the contra∣dictories of them, which needed to be solemnly and fully examin'd in order to a judgement there∣of by a solemn and express Decree, as was done by the two Popes Clement VIII. & Paul V. in their Congregation touching the same matter. He said, that whereas M. Hallier and his Collegues give out that they are sent by Prelates to sollicite a Cen∣sure of the Sentiments or Propositions maintain'd by us, they abuse their Letter and intention. That those Prelates are as much for us as for M. Hallier, since by occasion of the Propositions we demand∣ed in your name, as well as they, a clear and ex∣press judgement, such as may regulate our Con∣tests, and produce a full and lasting peace in the Church. It was not hard to justifie, My Lords, that you demanded likewise an express judgement upon the distinction of senses, and upon the par∣ticular Propositions; for it appears sufficiently by your Letters and by our first Memorial. Then he shew'd the justice of this demand, inasmuch as the matter in controversie could neither be judg'd of, nor the differences touching these points of Doctrine terminated any other way. Secondly, Because it is necessary to judge of the sense ac∣cording to which our Adversaries impugne these Propositions, since 'tis that of Molina's sufficient Grace which is a source of impieties, errors and heresies, as 'tis easie to make good by the sixty three Errors or Heresies which we deduc'd from it by necessary consequence, and plac'd at the end of our Writing of Effectual Grace.

He demonstrated that the controverted sense of the Propositions, is that of Grace Effectual by it self necessary to every good action, since all the impugners of the Propositions, either by Writing or Teaching impugne them in the sense of Effe∣ctual Grace, as on the contrary all the disciples of S. Augustin, who have writ or taught before or since the contrivance of these Propositions, maintain only the pure sense of Effectual Grace; nor can other doctrine then that, touching the said Propositions be found in any book. Here he read the different senses of the Propositions which you have seen in the Writing which we sent to you the last week; and pronounc'd word for word all that is contain'd in the three Columes, both the different Propositions, and our qualifications or judgements of them. After the reading of each Proposition which we defended, he succinctly shew'd the connexion of it with Grace effectual by it self; as it is in the Preface of our Writing of Effectual Grace, which we likewise send you.

He concluded with our most humble instances to his Holinesse, that he would please to judge of those controverted senses, and said, (as 'tis con∣tain'd in the end of our Writing or Declaration) that being perswaded that the senses or particular Propositions which we presented and defended, contain'd the principal grounds of the Christian faith and piety, we should alwayes believe and maintain that sense or those Propositions to be Catholick, till his Holinesse by a solemn judgment condemn'd that particular sense, i. e. those parti∣cular propositions which were fram'd and defended by us; which we conceiv'd he would never do. He spoke a full hour upon the writing of the di∣stinction of senses; and about an hour and half up∣on all the rest.

When he had done, F. Desmares, according as we had agreed together, began to speak, and after a short Exordium he said, that having clearly re∣duc'd the Propositions, as we defended them, to the sense of Effectual Grace necessary to every good action; that having show'd that the Propo∣sitions contrary according to the sense of our Ad∣versaries contain'd the sufficient Grace of Moli∣na; and that having affirm'd that our senses are Catholick and indubitable in the doctrine of S. Augustin, and on the contrary those of our Ad∣versaries Pelagian or Semipelagian; 'twas neces∣sary in the first place to justifie to his Holiness, that Grace Effectual by it self is the true Grace of Jesus Christ and the certain belief of the Church. This he began to prove; and first succinctly set forth the order and senses of writing of Effectual Grace, together with the contents of the four Articles. In the first whereof, he said, we demonstrated by sixteen principal arguments drawn out of S. Augustin's works, against the enemies of the grace of Jesus Christ, that Grace effectual by it self, ne∣cessary to every good action, is, according to that H. Father, the certain belief of the Church oppos'd to the heresy of the Pelagians, and Semi∣pelagians; That in the second we summarily layd open the tradition of the whole Church, or the sentiment of all the Councils, H. Fathers and principal Divines since S. Augustin to the present age for confirmation of the same truth: That in the third were contain'd the Decisions pass'd contradi∣ctorily by the Congregation de Auxiliis in presence of the Popes Clement VIII. and Paul V. by whom Molina's doctrine of sufficient Grace was declar'd heretical and Pelagian, and the contrary senti∣ment of Grace effectual by it self judg'd the con∣stant doctrine of S. Augustin and the certain faith of the whole Church. That we were ready to make good this truth by the acts of the Congre∣gation, whereof we had seen the Originals, and extracted from them what we alledg'd: Lastly, that in the fourth Article were contain'd sixty and three heresies or impieties deduc'd by necessary consequence from Molina's sufficient Grace, whereby it appear'd that this new novel opinion overthrows the principal grounds of faith and Christian piety, the authority of the H. See and the Council of Trent, the validity of Tradition; and the perpetual subsistence of one and the same faith in the Church, and is fit onely to supply ad∣vantages to hereticks to oppose the Romane Church. After this, the Father explicated what we understand by Grace effectual by it self, and by sufficient Grace subject to Free-will. Then he be∣gan the first argument drawn from the prayers of Church, and told his Holinesse it was a great Pro∣vidence of God which had caus'd him to choose the day of Rogations, a day consecrated by the Church particularly to prayer, for our justifying before him the faith of effectual Grace or the truth of Je∣sus Christ, by the prayers of the Church. He handled this argument with as great plainnesse and force as could be wish'd, and concluded with a ne∣cessary consequence drawn from what he had pro∣ved, that according to the expresse words of the Council of Carthage and Pope Innocent I. the dog∣ma of Molina's suffcient grace is sacrilegious, im∣pious, pestiferous, execrable and worthy of all kinds of anathema, Sacrilegum, impium, pestife∣rum, exitiale, & omni anathemate dignum; as you will see, my Lords, by reading that argument in the Writing of Effectual Grace.

Moreover he more forceably encounter'd the common opinion of the Jesuites. For after the reciting of those terrible words of Innocent I. a∣gainst the Pelagians out of his Epistle to the Coun∣cil of Carthage, he apply'd them by a necessary consequence, which he had before demonstrated by several invincible arguments, to the defenders of Molina's sufficient Grace. And 'tis a thing, my Lords, very worthy of remark, that, be∣fore his Holiness, in a publick Congregation, and a Jesuite being present, the doctrine of that socie∣ty was so vigorously and resolutely impeach'd, and so plainly accus'd of so many heresies, and that after this was done vivâ voce we left the same with his Holinesse in writing, persisting to require that those Fathers might be oblig'd to appear and an∣swer; and that yet after all this they remain'd without reply, and silent. We doubt not, my Lords, but these Fathers would immediatly have sought to purge themselves to the Pope of so capi∣tal an accusation, and pursued against us the repa∣ration of this extreme injury, were they not con∣scious to themselves of holding a new doctrine which they cannot justifie if they should be obliged to acknowledge S. Augustin for their Judge, as they cannot refuse him before the H. See; and were they not perswaded that all which we spoke against them is very true and easy to be made good, they ought for the sake of injur'd truth, and their Societie's reputation, of which they are so jealous, to have made some defence, were it not that they fear'd to be publickly convinc'd, and to draw upon themselves a new condemnation of their errors after that of the Congregation de Auxiliis. But however, so long as they appear not to defend themselves, it will be a great blame upon their Molinistical opinions, and an ignominy which they will never wipe off before intelligent and equitable persons.

From this argument drawn from the prayers of the Church, the Fathers proceeded to the second taken out of S. Augustin's book De Gratia Christi, and especially from these words in chap. 10. Hanc debet Pelagius gratiam confiteri, si vult non solum vo∣cari, verum etiam esse Christianus. He shew'd by sundry passages of that book, that by this Grace no other can be understood, besides that which is effectual by it self. Whence he concluded that Molina and our Adversaries impugne that Grace which is necessary according to S. Augustin, to be confess'd by him that would be truely a Christi∣an. Night came, and constrain'd him to break off. He spoke about an hour and half; so that this audience lasted about four houres. His Holi∣nesse was so extremely attentive all the while, that certainly God encreased his strength in so great an age and enabled him to preserve so great a presence of mind for so long together. And in∣deed we were much encourag'd thereby to re∣present to him what we had to say. Their Emi∣nences were likewise very attentive. The Di∣vines seem'd all to take carefull notice of every thing. All the while we were speaking, his Ho∣linesse said not a word to us, but suffer'd us to

proceed without asking any question, or any wise gainsaying what we alledg'd.

Having ended, we went to kisse the Pope's feet, and present our five Writings to him. The first contain'd a hundred Propositions of the Je∣suites against S. Augustin. The second is that of the Distinction of senses. The third is that of Ef∣fectual Grace. The fourth is touching the first Proposition. The fifth is an answer to sixty Te∣stimonies of S. Augustin, which M. Hallier and his Collegues presented in reference to the first Pro∣position. By this answer we convinc'd them of having alledg'd all those Testimonies, either falsly and unfaithfully, or impertinently and perversly; and we draw all our answers from the same places whence the Testimonies themselves are taken. We send you, My Lords, a Copy of all these Wri∣tings. In the last place we desir'd his Holiness's permission for printing a limited number of them here only for the conveniency of examination. His Holinesse answer'd us that he would consider of this Request, and see whether it were expedient. After which we askt his Holinesse, when it pleas'd him that we should appear again to continue the handling of what we had enter'd upon in this first Audience. He answer'd us that he had not yet thought of it, but he would consider upon it. We reply'd, that however we beseecht his Holinesse to remember the assurance we gave him, that we were ready to continue what we had begun, and to do any thing that he should appoint in order there∣unto; and after receiving his benediction, we withdrew half an hour within night.

You see, My Lords, how we have manag'd the matter in this first Audience, and with what since∣rity we have acted in beginning with the Distin∣ction of the senses of the five general Propositions, and presenting to the Pope in words clear and free from all danger of evil sense the five particular Propositions which we maintain, and which are set down in the second colume of our Writing, and the contrary ones of our Adversaries which we oppose, and upon which we desir'd of his Holiness an expresse judgement. We conceiv'd it neces∣sary to leave the whole Writing upon the first Proposition with his Holinesse, to the end he might see that we decline not to enter upon the discussi∣on of the Propositions, and that all the Writings which we have presented, are in order to establish the necessary foundations according to the order which hath been alwayes observ'd by the H. See in the controversies of Grace, and not to avoid the matter in question, or giving Informations up∣on the Propositions, as our Adversaries accus'd us when we presented our first Writings, touching what hath been acted in relation to the Propositi∣ons, and concerning S. Augustin's authority. We shall hereafter present Writings upon the other four Propositions according as we come to treat of them. We have prov'd the first (not in its gene∣ral terms, but reduc'd to the sense which we main∣tain) by so many authorities of the Scriptures, Councils, Popes, H. Fathers of the Church, and particularly of S. Augustin and S. Thomas; and we have so fully and exactly satisfy'd every con∣trary objection, that 'tis impossible, as we con∣ceive, but they which read the said Writing will be perfectly convinc'd therewith.

We have prepar'd a considerable Writing touch∣ing Sufficient Grace held by some Thomists of la∣ter times, for the clearer explication of what we and all other Disciples of S. Augustin held con∣cerning that kind of Grace, and in what sense we admit or reject the Sufficient; and for answer to a Writing intitled Jansenius à Thomistis damnatus, publish'd at Paris under F. Annat's name, and here presented by M. Hallier and his Collegues to the Cardinals and Consultors. But because we have sufficiently clear'd this matter so far as it con∣cerns the Propositions in our writing upon the First, and have justify'd in a peculiar Chapter by above a hundred express passages of S. Augustin, S. Thomas, and all the Popes and H. Fathers, who writ concerning Grace, and of the Councils who have determin'd it against hereticks, and by the very confession of all the Jesuites and other Mo∣linists of these latter Times, That Grace Effectual by it self necessary to an action, gives the next Power to perform it, and that without the same we cannot proximately perform it, which is the sole Point wherein the whole difficulty consists; we have reserv'd this particular Writing of Suf∣ficient Grace to present to his Holiness, after that upon the first Proposition ha's been examin'd; in case there should yet remain any difficulty about such Sufficient Grace, to which the new Thomists have had recourse for the satisfying of Pelagian objections, which may be more loudly refuted by the constant and indubitable Doctrine of S. Au∣gustin and S. Thomas, without supposing a Grace and terming it Sufficient, which sufficeth not to produce the Effect in question, and which for that cause we account not Sufficient in the sense con∣troverted between us and our Adversaries; al∣though otherwise we acknowledge it in its sub∣stance, and rejected it nor after S. Augustin and S. Thomas, but in certain manners which are con∣troverted amongst the Thomist's themselves, as we demonstrate in the said Writing.

After this publick action we went to thank their Eminences for the favorable hearing they had gi∣ven us; and they testify'd to us very great sa∣tisfaction. We see by the blessing of God the Af∣fair in a very good condition, and we hope in the following Congregations so fully to justifie all that we have alledg'd, that his Holinesse shall more and more find, even before he hear us in presence of our Adversaries, that we have no other doctrine then that of S. Augustin and the whole Church; that on the contrary our Adversaries impugne the same, and all their design hath been to destroy it by the artifice of these captious Propositions, that so Molina may triumph over that H. Doctor of Grace and all Antiquity. We conceive, My Lords, they are at present sufficiently fallen from that hope, and will be the further from it accord∣ing as things shall proceed forward and be more nearly examin'd; since after our declaring to the Pope that we are not the Authors of these captious and ambiguous Propositions, contriv'd by the Mo∣linists and presented at their sollicitation, that we never defended them absolutely as they are; that no Catholick holds, or ever held other sense or o∣ther Propositions then those which we presented to him our selves, which are of a middle nature between the two extremes of Calvin's heresie and

Molina's new opinion; that we shall alwayes hold the same for most Catholick till they be expresly and particularly condemn'd by a solemn judge∣ment (which by Gods help will never be) 'Tis cer∣tain, that so long as the H. Father shall not ex∣presly judge of our Propositions in their proper terms and their contraries, the Molinists will not have any advantage; and that if he judge of them, as we hope, no doubt he will approve ours which are wholly Augustinian, and condemn those of our Adversaries, conformably to the decisions of the famous Congregation de Auxiliis.

Having thus began to state the Question, and to lay down our sentiments and the matter in con∣troversie plainly by the Distinction of senses in this first Audience, we shall labour more and more by Gods assistance to clear the whole Controversie with all the care and diligence unto which we con∣ceive our selves oblig'd in an Affair so sacred and important.

We are,

My Lords,

Your most humble and obedient Servants,

• De la Lane, Abbot of Valcroissant.
• Des-mares, Priest of the Oratory.
• ...De Saint Amour.
• ...Manessier.
• ...Angran.