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. XXIV.

Sollicitations for permission to print our Writings. Visites to the Cardinals of the Congregation to present them our Writing of the Distinction of senses, and thank them for being present at our grand Audience. Congratulations receiv'd thereupon from their Emi∣nences and others. Calumnies made by M. Hallier and his Collegues against our Doctrine, and signify'd to us by Cardinal Rapaccioli.

WEE made no Journal when we writ the foregoing Letter, and therefore onely mention'd in general our principal Visits from the day of our audience to that of our writing it; but now to continue the same order to the end which I have hitherto held in this Narration, I must give a more particular account of those Visits and the principal things which pass'd therein.

Tuesday May 20. being the next day after our audience, we went in the morning to Cardinal Spada. We tender'd to him our thank and our ex∣cuses for the time which the favorable hearing he gave us the day before had cost him. He answer'd us very civilly that that time was well employ'd, and that 'twas not possible to be weary of hearing people speak so well as we did. The Abbot of Valcroissant made him a brief Account of all the Writings which we had presented to the Pope, and told his Eminence, that were the connexion of all these Propositions with Effectual Grace to be de∣monstrated of each in particular as copiously and clearly as we could do it, had we but one to handle at a time, it would be far more conspicuous and appear with greater lustre and evidence then it could the day preceding, when we were oblig'd to speak of all at the same time in haste & few words, and only to give a general Idea of all our thoughts and pretensious in this Affair. The Cardinal askt whether we had presented all our Writings? We answer'd him that we had presented all as far as the first Proposition inclusively, and should pre∣sent others according as we should be heard, and could proceed in the explication which we were to make viva voce of those already presented, and in the discussion of the whole Affair. We told him also, that we wisht we could have had Copies ready of all those which we had presented to the Pope, to present to their Eminences; that we had endeavor'd it as much as possible; but the most we could do, was to provide Transcripts of the Distinction of senses, as that which was to be pre∣suppos'd to all the rest, and fit to give the first Mo∣del of our thoughts upon all the Propositions (and at the same time we presented one to Cardinal Spada) till we could bring the rest to his Emi∣nence, as we hop'd to do shortly, and in a manner much more commodious to him and every one else then Manuscript Copies, if we could obtain permission to print them upon the conditions men∣tion'd in our memorial to the Master of the sacred Palace, which we related to his Eminence. The Cardinal answer'd, that 'twas not the custome to print Writings touching affairs which passe in the H. Office. But presently recalling what he bad said of the H. Office; 'Tis true, said he, this cause is nor there, but it comes near the matters which are transacted there. We insisted upon the necessity of this Impression, and the better to inform him of the conditions whereunto we re∣strain'd our selves in this demand, I read to him our Memorial to the Master of the sacred Palace. After he had heard it, we took leave of his Emi∣nence, who spoke nothing further about our Im∣pression, although he accompany'd us with a countenance more free and pleasant then ordi∣nary.

The Ambassador had desir'd us the foregoing E∣vening to dine with him this day, that we might discourse more at leisure of the passages of our Audience. We went accordingly, and in the af∣ternoon had a very conference. I read to him the last Memorial presented to the Pope, and the o∣ther to the Master of the sacred Palace. He offer'd to take the latter, and speak to the Pope about it on Friday. We thankt him for his obliging Pro∣posal, and being I had only a foul draught of it, I told him I would bring him a Copy on Thurs∣day.

When we were return'd home, we understood that the General of the Augustines had been there to see us, and that he was accompany'd with three or four principal Fathers of his Order, to congra∣tulate us for the great successe we had had in our Audience, whereof he had been a witness; to thank us for all that we had spoken in defence of S. Augustin and his Doctrine; and to testifie to us how greatly he and his whole Order accounted themselves beholden to us for it. But though he found us not at home, yet the extream satisfaction which he receiv'd from our Audience, and his im∣patience to express the same to us, caus'd him to come again accompany'd with the same Fathers on Wednesday the 21. in the morning. I was gone abroad, but my Collegues were still in their lodg∣ing and receiv'd this obliging and agreeable Visit. I doubt not that many remarkable things were spoken in it; but being I was not there, and writ down nothing which they then told me, I cannot remember any particular besides the great satisfaction they all four had in having seen this General and his Fathers so well pleas'd with us, and animated for our cause.

I was gone in the mean time to Cardinal Bar∣berin, to tell him something of our Audience upon the way to la Minerve whether I design'd to ac∣company him. At la Minerve I found nothing but congratulations for the good success of our Audience. F. Reginald among others told me, that having enquir'd news thereof of the Master of the sacred Palace, this good Father told him that we had spoken audacter, modestè, doctè, piè, Confidently, modestly, learnedly, and piously. My Collegues, as we had agreed, met me at S. Louis whether we went to visit Cardinal S. Clement together, partly to ac∣quaint him with what had pass'd before the Pope, and partly to give him a Copy of the Di∣stinction of senses, whereby he might see how conformable our Sentiments were as well to those of his Order, as to those of the Church. We did so, and this Cardinal lookt upon us, (as he told us expresly) as the sole persons who had the means and liberty to defend the Catholick faith at this time, so unworthily distress'd by such a multitude of people who ought to interesse themselves in its behalf as well as we. When we left him we went to Montecavallo, from whence M. Manessier being indispos'd, was forc't to repair home. Ne∣verthelesse we visited Cardinal Pamphilio without him, & gave his Eminence thanks for the favorable hearing he had given us, and for his attention to what we spoke. He answer'd us, That 'twas a very delightful thing to hear people who spoke so well as we did. We presented him a Copy of the Distinction of senses; and as we were going to tell him of the other Writings which we had presented to his Holinesse, he told us that he had seen them all (Perhaps 'twas at the moment of their delivery to the Pope) We signify'd to him our design to print them, what reasons oblig'd us thereunto, and upon what conditions we had re∣quested permission for it from the Master of the sacred Palace. He answer'd us, he would speak to the Pope about it in the Evening; whereupon I told him, I would bring him a Copy of our Me∣morial touching that matter, to the end himself and his Holinesse also might therein more distinctly see the reasons and conditions of our demands. At the end of Vespers I carry'd him a Copy, which he receiv'd with great courtesy, and assur'd me again that he would not fail to speak of it to his Holinesse in the Evening.

But before we went to Vespers, we had time to visit F. Luca Vadingo, who made us a compendious recital of all that we had spoken before the Pope. He profess'd great approbation of it, and told us, he believ'd we had chang'd his Holiness's thoughts, cogitationes sanctitatis suae. He said, The report of the great successe of our audience was already spread throughout Rome; That in the morning he had seen two or three Cardinals, amongst others Pimentel, who told him that the business was rela∣ted to them very much to our advantage; That this last said he should have been glad to have heard us; That it was affirm'd to him by some, speaking of us, that egregiè se gesserunt, and that he an∣swer'd his Eminence, that it might be said, maximè egregiè. That he wisht he were acquainted with the Ambassador, that he might go to congratulate with him for the glory of this action, because in∣deed we had done honor to France.

From F. Vadingo we went to accompany the Ambassador to the Vespers of the Ascention. As we were going before him into the Chappel, F. Celestin was coming forth, and told me, as he pass'd by and saluted me with a pleasant counte∣nance, Monsù De la Lane mi diede la l' altro giorno, mi rapi il cuore, Monsieur de la Lane put life into me the other day, he ravisht my heart. Ha∣ving heard Vespers, I carry'd Cardinal Pamphilio a Copy of our Memorial to the Master of the sacred Palace, as I said above. And afterwards, M. de Valcroissant, F. Des-mares and my self went to vi∣sit Cardinal Barberin, with whom we spent about half an hour.

Upon Ascension day, after Masse, I went to Cardinal Pamphilio, to know whether the Pope allow'd of our Impression, to the end we might set about it the next day. The Cardinal was already retir'd; ann I desir'd his Maistre de Chambre to tell him the business of my coming to him. He went and spoke to his Eminence, and came back and told me, che nero haveva altra riposta. I en∣quir'd the meaning of this word: He told me, that either his Eminence had not yet spoken to the Pope, or the Pope had resolv'd upon nothing. Coming from Montecavallo, I met Monsignor d' Ornano, who took me up into his Coach and car∣ry'd me to my Lodging. By the way, he told me, that un tal signor mineti told him, that the Pope was marvailously satisfy'd with our Audience, e∣specially with the Abbot of Valcroissant's Speech.

In the Evening I carry'd the Ambassador a Copy of our Memorial to the Master of the sacred Pa∣lace, as I had promis'd him, and I told him what Cardinal Pamphilio had undertaken to do for us in this Affair, and therefore desir'd him to speak to him about it the next day when he saw him. As for the Pope, I left it to the Ambassador to speak what he thought fit to his Holiness, since Cardinal Pamphilio had promis'd to speak to him about it himself. But I desir'd the Ambassador, that what∣ever he pleas'd to do, he would procure us Licence for our Impression by the next day, that we might set the Printer to work forthwith; and also that

he would assure the Pope, that in the ensuing Con∣gregations we would abridge all things as much as possible, and be as little tedious to his Holinesse, the Cardinals and Consultors as could be, as we had done in some measure in our first audience, of the length of which no body complain'd; but on the contrary, every one testify'd extraordinary satisfaction. The Ambassador seem'd well pleas'd with this great successe, and askt me, whether it was not good counsel which he gave us to appear and be heard; because, had we persisted in refu∣sing to be heard except in presence of our Adver∣saries, this had never hapned: whereas appearing as we had done, they who heard us knew what we said to them, and moreover saw what necessity there was of hearing us contradictorily. I told the Ambassador that we expected this from Gods mercy and the Pope's justice; and that when it came to passe, the things which we had to say would become more apparent; and that if our Adversa∣ries had been present at those which we had al∣ready spoken, they would have been more evident then they were; because had we spoken any one thing untrue, our Adversaries might have accepted against it; and withal been oblig'd to assent to such as they could not contradict. That in like manner were we present at their audience, designed to be within few dayes, they would be oblig'd to abstain from many calumnies and falsities which otherwise they would take the liberty to utter; or in case they ventur'd to speak the same in our presence, we should be able to make them and the whole Assem∣bly sensible of their injuriousnesse in speaking so. The Ambassador told me, he would take occasion to tell the Pope all this, and that if his Holinesse thought good, he might cause both sides to appear in this manner

M. Manessier's indisposition continu'd still, and we continu'd our Visits without him. After we had accompany'd the Ambassador to his ordinary audience on Friday May 23. we went to Cardinal Ginggi's appartment. We thankt him for the time and patience which he had afforded to our audi∣ence, and after an obliging and affable answer, he fell to speak of F. Adam's book, whose exorbi∣tances he could not sufficiently comprehend. He askt us, whether the Ordinaries of places did not provide against such disorders? That their duty oblig'd them to remedy the same. We answer'd him that it hapned so sometimes; as when F. Bri∣sacier's book against the purity of the Doctrine and Manners of the Abbey of Port-Royal was con∣demn'd, and when the scandalous Chronicle of the Fueillant was suppress'd; but we also mention'd the difficulties and obstacles which sometimes obstru∣cted this course of justice. We spoke concerning the Impression of our Writings; the Cardinal un∣derstood the thing as if we desir'd the same liberty wherewith other books are ordinarily printed; but to undeceive him in that conceit, I read to him the conditions of our Request mention'd in our Me∣morial to the Master of the sacred Palace.

From thence I return'd to the Pope's Presence-Chamber; the Ambassador stay'd with his Holi∣nesse till half an hour after twelve. I accompa∣ny'd him to Cardinal Pamphilio; and as I return'd with him in his Coach, he told me that the Pope said, we had spoken to his Holinesse about our Im∣pressi••, but the word Impression sounded some∣what ••h; that it was a thing of consequence; that h•• ••ould consult with the Cardinals about it; that t•• Festivals must first be over, and then it should 〈◊〉〈◊〉 taken into consideration. As for Car∣dinal •…•…mphilio, the Ambassador told me, that his Emine•• ••e would readily have consented to it, had it depe•• ••ed on himself.

Car••al Cechini, one of the five deputed for our Co••regation, could not be present at that which 〈◊〉〈◊〉 held before the Pope; by reason of his misund••tanding with his Holinesse, which still continu•• We visited him this day in the after∣noon, ••ounted to him all that had pass'd, and gave hi•• copy of the Distinction of Senses, as we had ••e to the rest. I shall mention here by the way, ••hat to the end these Copies might be as authenti••as so many Originals, we subscrib'd them all and ratify'd them with our accustomed Seals. C••dinal Cechini told us, he was sorry that he could 〈◊〉〈◊〉 be present at our audience; and in reference the Propositions which had been ad∣vanc'd ag••ist S. Augustin, concerning which we spoke to ••m, he told us, that that was it which touch'd hi•• and gave him the greatest trouble; Est id, sa••he, quod me auget & me urget maxi∣mè. We ••nswer'd him, that we hop'd shortly to present hi•• all our Writings, having demanded I permission 〈◊〉〈◊〉 print them; but as for M, de Velcro∣issant's spe•…•…h, being it was not to be printed with our Writi•…•… is, we presented him a copy of it; which he r•…•…eiv'd with many expressions of satis∣faction.

From this Visit we went to Cardinal Rapaccioli, to whom we ••elated the passages of our audience; he thankt us and told us that his being at Rome was only acc•…•…ental, that he had studied there mat∣ters only so 〈◊〉〈◊〉 as to satisfie his curiosity, and not to judge of th••m; and nevertheless to tell us what he thought of ••he Propositions, he said, he ac∣counted them he those pictures which represented on one side an ••ngel, & on the other a Devil; which are lovely if b•…•…eld one way, and affrighting if consider'd anot••er. That the same might be said of these Propo•…•…ions, by reason of their good and bad senses; Th••t we had the unhappinesse, that although we h••d not their bad senses, yet people that held them ••ere join'd with us; and in case those people pr••v'd the cause that the Propositi∣ons were condemn'd by reason of such bad senses, yet we, who dis•…•…en'd the holding of them, should not be condemn'd I diverted this Cardinal as much as I could from th••s belief, and assur'd him that what he newly spoke was a mere calumny & an ar∣tifice imploy'd by our adversaries for the more ea∣sy obtaining of the condemnation of the Proposi∣tions, to the end they might make what use thereof they pleas'd; that in truth no Catholick in France held the Propositions otherwise then we did. He told us our Adversaries having been lately with him, complain'd to him, that Women began to alledge in confession that they had not power to resist a temptation. We answer'd him that this was another calumny contriv'd to render a holy doctrine odious and ridiculous; that yet were this abuse of it as true as it was false, never∣thelesse the doctrine and the truth ought not and could not receive any prejudice from it. Whence

we took occasion to tell him that all these •…•…ings evinc'd the necessity of establishing such Con∣gregation as we demanded, wherein the a•• ••gati∣ons of either party against the other in pre••ce of them both might be carefully examined, a•• nei∣ther of them venture to speak things in •…•…e air, which could turn onely to their own co••sion, when the other had full liberty to defer•• them∣selves according to the ordinary way of ••stice; and nothing might be admitted upon wil and ca∣lumnious suggestions, but onely what s•…•…uld be justifi'd by good proofs. The Cardinal•• ••d, such a Congregation was a thing much to be v•…•…t, but he fell still upon his first conceit, namely the bad senses of the Propositions procur'd their ••ondem∣nation, the same would in no wise hu•…•…us who maintain'd them not. Whereupon we ••ere fain to reiterate to him three or four several ••nes, that there was no ground to speak of a con••mnation in this affair by reason of the bad senses ••not one∣ly because the Propositions were advan•• by the Prosecutors of their condemnation pu••osely to make advantage thereof against the t••th, and for that these bad senses were not held I 〈◊〉〈◊〉 any Ca∣tholick; but also because it was requisit•• to consi∣der the truths whereof they were ca••ble, and which were hidden, obscur'd and im••gned un∣der them. He also mention'd a proje•• for the H. See to find out a medium in which ••e parties might agree. Whereunto we answe••d that in∣deed 'twas a good thing to bring parts to a just temper and to reduce them thereunto ••om vicious extremes; but when but one of them 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in such vi∣cious extreme, and the other is alread•• in the mid∣dle, the latter must be left in its pl••e, and only the other reduc'd. For example, if ••here be two men, the one covetous and the ot••er prodigal; they ought both of them to be redu•…•… to the mo∣deration and middle management o•• the Liberal; but when one is liberal and the ot••er covetous, we must not talk of reclaiming both of them to a medium, but leave the liberal in his station, since he is already in the middle, and r••uce the cove∣tous to it who is remote from it. That thus since by God's mercy we have been so •…•…ppy as to hold the middle, wherein the Catholici•• faith is found, which we defend against declar'd h••reticks as well as against the Jesuites, 'tis a goo•• work to com∣pare the one with the one with the other, and en∣devor to reduce each of them to t••e middle where∣in we are; but if we be compa••d with either of them, a medium between us cannot in justice be propounded. Upon which occasion we did not for∣get that excellent passage of S. Augustin in his se∣cond book ad Bonifacium, cap. 2. touching the re∣proaches which the Pelagians o•• ••st upon the Catho∣licks of being Manichees, which we apply'd to the Jesuites and the Calvinists by changing the names: Desinant ita{que} Pelagiani Catholicis objectare, good non sunt, nec ideo si velint h••beri amabiles, quia odioso Manichaeorum alversantur errori, sed merito se agnoscant odibiles, quia suum non aversantur er∣errorem. Possunt enim duo errores inter se esse contra∣rii, sed ambo sunt detestandi quia sunt ambo contrarii veritati. Nam si propterea sunt diligendi Pelagi∣ani, quia oderunt Manichaeos, diligendi sunt & Manichaei, quia oderunt Pelagianos. Sed absit ut Catholica mater Ecclesia propter alterorum odium, alteros eligat amare, cum monente at que adjuvante Domino debeat utrosque vitare, & cupiat utrosque sanare.

In the course of the Visites which we made since our audience, we had been twice or thrice to wait upon Card. Ginetti without effect. On Sunday May 25. we went again, and found him with Card. Colo∣nia. He was to go abroad as soon as he had recon∣ducted this Cardinal; and therefore when he de∣parted, we presented our selves below to Cardinal Ginetti to give him our thanks. But he would not speak with us till we were gone up and sealed in the ordinary way. We had no sooner begun our thanks, but he told us it was his part to thank us; That he should be glad to hear us a hundred times; that we spoke with vivacity, ingenuity, clearnesse and freedome. Li sentirci volentieri cento volte; hanno parlato con vivacità con spirito, con chiarezza, con franchezza. Whereto he added some other obliging termes which I did not remember. We presented him a Copy of the Writing of Distincti∣on of senses, and told him we hop'd to present him all the rest printed.

Leaving him, we went to the General of the Do∣minicans, and gave him likewise a Copy of the above said Writing; by which we told him he should see, that if after that explication we were in any danger of being condemn'd, the doctrine of S. Thomas, which was that of his Order, would run the same fortune, as well as that of S. Au∣gustin. He said, he had done his utmost to in∣tervene in our affair, but the Pope had absolute∣ly hinder'd him, because he would not meddle with the controversy which Clement VIII. had left undecided; that he omitted nothing that lay in his power to further our cause, but having been in∣terdicted to intervene in it, they could not appear in it, and durst not speak. He told us Cardinal de Medicis spoke to him for a Copy of our Wri∣tings to send to the Duke of Florence. To which we answer'd that when they were printed, we would give him one both for that use and for any other he pleas'd. He said it was a strange thing how extraordinarily well pleas'd the Pope was with the Congregations held before him; and that when Prince Justinian acquainted him with what the Pope Paid at Signora Olympia's Palace upon the day of the Annuntiation, he said his Holinesse us'd these words; Non potete credere il gusto ch' hal∣biamo in questo Congregationi. Le faremmo durare tre ò quattro altre hore, se non, &c. You cannot believe, (said the Pope) what pleasure we take in these Congregations. We would have them last three, or four houres longer, were it not for the sake of the good old men who are standing all the while.