among the writers of this corrupt order, than || to acknowledge, at the same time, that, in deto purify the seminaries of instruction from monstrating the turpitude and enormity of the contagion of their dissolute maxims.-Af- certain maxims and opinions of the Jesuits, ter what has been observed in relation to the their adversaries have gone too far, and permoral system of the Jesuits, it will not be dif-mitted their eloquence and zeal to run into exficult to assign a reason for the remarkable aggeration. This we might show, with the propensity that is discovered by kings, princes, fullest evidence, by examples deduced from the nobility and gentry of both sexes, and an the doctrines of probability and mental reserinnumerable multitude of persons of all ranks vation, and the imputations that have been and conditions, to commit their consciences to made to the Jesuits on these heads; but this the direction, and their souls to the care, of would lead us too far from the thread of our the brethren of this society. It is, no doubt, history. We shall only observe, that what highly convenient for persons, who do not pre-happens frequently in every kind of controvertend to a rigid observance of the duties of religion and morality, to have spiritual guides, who diminish the guilt of transgression, disguise the deformity of vice, let loose the reins to all the passions, and even nourish them by their dissolute precepts, and render the way to heaven as easy, agreeable, and smooth as is possible.*

XXXVII. The majority of the public schools || endanger its constitution, or to hurt its interretained that dry, intricate, and captious ests. It will, therefore, be sufficient to give a method of teaching theology, which had pre- brief account of those debates which, by their vailed in the ages of barbarism and darkness, superior importance and their various connexand which could only excite disgust in all such ions and dependencies, may be said to have afas were endowed with a liberal turn of mind. fected the church in general, and to have threatThere was no possibility of ordering matters so, ened it with alarming changes and revolutions. that didactic or biblical theology, which is sup- And here the first place is naturally due to posed to arrange and illustrate the truths of the famous debates, carried on between the religion by the dictates of Scripture, should be Jesuits and Dominicans concerning the nature placed upon the same footing, and holden in and necessity of divine grace; the decision of the same honour with scholastic divinity, which important point had, toward the concluwhich had its source in the metaphysical sion of the preceding century, been committed visions of the Peripatetic philosophy. Even the by Clement VIII. to a select assembly of edicts of the pontiffs were insufficient to ac- learned divines. These arbiters, after having complish this object. In the greatest part of employed several years in deliberating upon the universities, the scholastic doctors domi- this nice and critical subject, and in examining neered, and were constantly molesting and in- the arguments of the contending parties, intisulting the biblical divines, who, generally mated, plainly enough, to the pontiff, that the speaking, were little skilled in the captious sentiments of the Dominicans, concerning arts of sophistry and dialectical chicane. It is grace, predestination, human liberty, and orinevertheless to be observed, that many of the ginal sin, were more conformable to the docFrench doctors, and more especially the Jan- trine of Scripture and the decisions of the ansenists, explained the principal doctrines and cient fathers than the opinions of Molina, duties of Christianity in a style and manner which were patronised by the Jesuits. They that were at least recommendable on account observed, more especially, that the former of their elegance and perspicuity; and indeed leaned toward the tenets of Augustine, while it may be affirmed, that almost all the theolo- the latter bore a striking resemblance to the gical or moral treatises of this age, that were Pelagian heresy. In consequence of this decomposed with any tolerable degree of simpli- claration, Clement seemed resolved to pass city and good sense, had the doctors of Port- condemnation on the Jesuits, and to determine Royal, or the French priests of the oratory, for the controversy in favour of the Dominicans. their authors. We have already taken notice Affairs were in this state in 1601, when the of the changes that were introduced, during Jesuits, alarmed at the dangers that threatened this century, into the method of carrying on them, beset the old pontiff night and day, and theological controversy. The German, Belgic, so importuned him with entreaties, menaces, and French divines, being at length convinced, arguments, and complaints, that, in 1602, he by disagreeable experience, that their captious, consented to re-examine this intricate controincoherent, and uncharitable manner of dis- versy, and undertook himself the critical task puting, exasperated those who differed from of principal arbitrator. For this purpose, he them in their religious sentiments, and con- chose a council* (composed of fifteen cardinals, firmed them in their respective systems, in-nine professors of divinity, and five bishops,) stead of converting them; and perceiving, moreover, that the arguments in which they had formerly placed their principal confidence, proved feeble and insufficient to make the least impression,-found it necessary to look out for new and more specious methods of attack and defence.

XXXVIII. The Romish church has, notwithstanding its boasted uniformity of doctrine, been always divided by a multitude of controversies. It would be endless to enumerate the disputes that have arisen between the seminaries of learning, and the contests that have divided the monastic orders. The greatest part of these, as being of little moment, we shall pass over in silence; for they have been treated with indifference and neglect by the popes, who never took notice of them but when they grew violent and noisy, and then suppressed them with an imperious nod, that imposed silence upon the contending parties. Besides, these less momentous controversies, which it will never be possible entirely to extinguish, are not of such a nature as to affect the church in its fundamental principles, to

pose observations on the other books of the N. Test. Sen the Catech. Hist. sur les Contest. de l'Eglise. t. ii. p. 150.-Ch. Eberh. Weismanni Hist. Eccles. sæc. XVII. p. 588.

which, in the course of three years, assembled seventy-eight times, or, to speak in the style of Rome, held so many congregations. At these meetings, the pontiff heard, at one time, the Jesuits and Dominicans disputing in favour of their respective systems; and, at another, ordered the assembled doctors to weigh their reasons, and examine the proofs that were adduced on both sides of this difficult question. The result of this examination is not known with certainty; as the death of Clement, which happened on the fourth day of March, 1605, prevented his pronouncing a decisive sentence. The Dominicans assure us, that the pope, had he lived, would have condemned Molina. The Jesuits, on the contrary, maintain, that he would have acquitted him publicly from all charge of heresy and error. They alone who have seen the records of this council and the journals of its proceedings, are qualified to determine which of the two we are to believe; but these records are kept with the utmost secrecy at Rome.

XXXIX. The proceedings of the congregation that had been assembled by Clement were This council was called the congregation de Auriliis. From the 20th of March, 1602, to the 22d of January, 1605.

XL. The flame of controversy, which seem. ed thus extinguished, or at least covered, broke out again with new violence, in 1640, and formed a kind of schism in the church of Rome, which involved it in great perplexity, and proved highly detrimental to it in various respects. The occasion of these new troubles was the publication of a book, entitled Augustinus, composed by Cornelius Jansenius, bishop of Ypres, and published after the death of the author. In this book, which even the

dressed to all the members of his order. In this letter the prudent general modifies with great dexterity and caution the sentiments of Molina, and enjoins it upon the brethren of the society to teach every where the doctrine which represents the Supreme Being as electing, freely, to eternal life, without any regard had to their merits, those whom he has been pleased to render partakers of that inestimable blessing; but, at the same time, he exhorts them to inculcate this doctrine in such a manner, as not to give up the tenets relating to divine grace, which they had maintained in their controversy with the Dominicans. Never, surely, was such a contradictory exhortation or order heard of; the good general thought, nevertheless, that he could reconcile abundantly these contradictions, by that branch of the scientia media. See the Catechisme Historique sur les Dissensions de l'Eglise, tom. i. p. 207.

divine knowledge which is called, by the schoolmen,

On the other hand, the Dominicans, although their

suspended for some time, by the death of that pontiff; but they were resumed, in the same year, by the order of Paul V. his successor. Their deliberations, which were continued from September to the following March, did not turn so much upon the merits of the cause, which were already sufficiently examined, as upon the prudent and proper method of finishing the contest. The great question now was, whether the well-being of the church would admit the decision of this controversy by a papal bull; and, if such a decision should seem advisable, it still remained to be considered, in what terms the bull should be drawn up. All these long and solemn deliberations resembled the delivery of the mountain in the fable, and ended in this resolution, that the whole controversy, instead of being decided, should be suppressed, and that each of the contending parties should have the liberty of following their respective opinions. The Dominicans assert, that the two pontitis, together with the congregation of divines employed by them in the review of this important controversy, were fully persuaded of the justice of their cause, and of the truth of their system; they moreover observe, that Paul had expressly ordered a solemn condemnation of the doctrine of the Jesuits to be drawn up, but was prevented from finishing and publishing it, by the unhappy war that was kindled about that time between him and the Venetians. The Jesuits, on the other hand, represent these accounts of the Dominicans as entirely fictitious, and affirm that neither the pontiff, nor the more judicious and respectable members of the congregation, found any thing in the sentiments of Molina that was worthy of censure, or stood in much need of correction. In a point which is rendered thus uncertain by contradictory testimonies and assertions, it is difficult to determine what we are to believe; it however appears exceedingly probable, that, whatever the private opinion of Paul may have been, he was prevented from pronouncing a public determination of this famous controversy, by his apprehensions of offending either the king of France, who protected the Jesuits, or the king of Spain, who warmly maintained the cause of the Dominicans. It is farther probable, and almost certain, that, had the pontiff been independent of all foreign influence, and at full liberty to decide this knotty point, he eminently learned among the followers of the latter, would have pronounced one of those ambigu-expresses his concern, that he is not at liberty to pub ous sentences, for which the oracle of Rome is so famous, and would have so conducted matters as to shock neither of the contending parties.*

||

sentiments remain the same as they were before the commencement of this controversy, have learned to cast a kind of ambiguity and obscurity over their theological system, by using certain terms and expressions, which are manifestly borrowed from the schools of the Jesuits; and this they do to prevent the latter from reproaching them with a propensity to the doctrine of Calvin. They are, moreover, much less remarkable than formerly, for their zealous opposition to the Jesuits, which may be owing perhaps to prudent reflections on the dangers they may have been involved in by this opposition, and the fruitless pains and labour it has cost them. The Jansenists reproach them severely with this change of conduct, and consider it as a manifest and noto. rious apostacy from divine truth. See the Lettres Provinciales of Pascal, lettre ii. We are not, however, to conclude, from this change of style and external conduct among the Dominicans, that they are reconciled to the Jesuits, and that there remain no traces of their ancient opposition to that perfidious order. By no means; for, besides that many of them are shocked at the excessive timidity or prudence of a great part of their brethren, the whole body retain some hidden sparks of the indignation with which they formerly beheld the Jesuits; and, when a conve

nient occasion of discovering this indignation is of fered, they do not let it pass unimproved. The Jansenists are here embarked in the same cause with the Dominicans since the sentiments of St. Thomas, concerning divine grace, differ very little from those of St. Augustine. Cardinal Henry Noris, the most

fish what passed in favour of Augustine, and to the disadvantage of Molina and the Jesuits, in the famous congregation de Auxiliis, so often assembled by the popes Clement VIII, and Paul V. See his Vin

dicie Augustinianæ, cap. vi. p. 1175, tom. i. op

Quando," says he, recentiori Romano decreto id vetitum est, cum dispendio causæ, quam defendo, necessariam defensionem omitto."

* For an account of this famous man, see Bayle's Dictionaire.-Leydecker, de Vita et Morte Jansenii, lib. iii. which makes the first part of his History of Jansenism. Dictionaire des Livres Jansenistes, tom. i. This celebrated work of Jansenius, which gave such a wound to the Romish church, as neither the power nor wisdom of its pontiffs will ever be able to heal, is divided into three parts. The first is historical, and contains a relation of the Pelagian controversy, which arose in the fifth century. In the second we find an accurate account and illustration of the doc

* Beside the authors we have above recommended as proper to be consulted in relation to these contests, see Le Clerc, Memoires pour servir a 1 Histoire des Controverses dans l'Eglise Romaine sur la Predestination et sur la Grace, in his Bibliotheque Universelle et Historique, tom. xiv. p. 235. The conduct, both of the Jesuits and Dominicans, after their controversy was hushed, affords much reason to presume that they had been both secretly exhorted by the pontiff to mitigate their respective systems, and so to modify their doctrines or expressions, as to avoid the reproach of heresy that had been cast upon them; for the Jesuits had been accused of Pelagianism, and the Dominicans of a propensity to the tenets of the protestant churches. This appears, in a more parti-trine of Augustine, relating to the Constitution and cular manner, from a letter written by Claudius Powers of Human Nature, in its original, fallen, Aquaviva, general of the Jesuits, in 1613, and ad- and renewed state. The third contains the doctrine

Jesuits acknowledge to be the production of || nius, and equally distinguished by the extent a man of learning and piety, the doctrine of of his learning, the lustre of his piety, and Augustine, concerning man's natural corrup- the sanctity of his manners, had procured to tion, and the nature and efficacy of that di- Augustine many zealous followers, and to the vine grace, which alone can efface this unhap- Jesuits as many bitter and implacable adverpy stain, is unfolded at large, and illustrated, saries. This respectable abbot was the intifor the most part, in Augustine's own words: mate friend and relative of Jansenius, and one for the end, which Jansenius proposed to him- of the most strenuous defenders of his docself in this work, was not to give his own pri- trine. On the other hand, the far greater part vate sentiments concerning these important of the French theologists appeared on the side points, but to show in what manner they had of the Jesuits, whose religious tenets seemed been understood and explained by that cele- more honourable to human nature, or, at brated father of the church, now mentioned, least, more agreeable to its propensities, more whose name and authority were highly rever- suitable to the genius of the Romish religion, ed in all parts of the Roman catholic world.* and more adapted to promote and advance the No incident could be more unfavourable to interests of the Romish church, than the docthe cause of the Jesuits, and the progress of trine of Augustine. The party of Jansenius their religious system, than the publication of had also its patrons; and they were such as rethis book; for, as the doctrine of Augustine flected honour on the cause. In this respectascarcely differed from that of the Domini- ble list we may reckon several bishops emicans; as it was held sacred, and almost re- nent for their piety, and some of the first and spected as divine, in the church of Rome, on most elegant geniuses of the French nation, account of the extraordinary merit and autho- such as Arnauld, Nicole, Pascal, and Quesnel, rity of that illustrious bishop, and, at the same and the other famous and learned men, who time, was almost diametrically opposite to the are known under the denomination of the Ausentiments generally received among the Je- thors of Port-Royal. This party was also suits, the latter could scarcely consider the considerably augmented by a multitude of perbook of Jansenius in any other light than as sons, who looked upon the usual practice of a tacit, but formidable refutation of their opi- piety in the Romish church (which consists nions concerning human liberty and divine in the frequent use of the eucharist, the congrace; and accordingly, they not only drew fession of sins, and the performance of certain their pens against this famous book, but also external acts of religion,) as much inferior to used their most zealous endeavours to obtain what the Gospel requires, and who considered a public condemnation of it from Rome. Their Christian piety as the vital and internal prinendeavours were not unsuccessful. The Ro- ciple of a soul, in which true faith and divine man inquisitors began the opposition by pro- love have gained a happy ascendency. Thus hibiting the perusal of it, in 1741; and, in the one of the contending parties excelled in the following year, Urban VIII. condemned it by a number and power of its votaries, the other solemn bull, as infected with various errors that in the learning, genius, and piety of its adhe. had been long banished from the catholic church.rents; and, things being thus balanced, it is XLI. There were nevertheless places, even within the bounds of the Romish church, where neither the decisions of the inquisitors, nor the bull of the pontiff, were in the least respected. The doctors of Louvain in parti*This illustrious abbot is considered by the Jancular, and the followers of Augustine in gene-senists as equal in merit and authority to Jansenius ral, who were very numerous in the Nether- himself, whom he is supposed to have assisted in comlands, opposed, with the utmost vigour, the posing his Augustinus. The French, more especially, (I mean such of them as adopt the doctrine of Auproceedings of the Jesuits and the condemna- gustine,) revere him as an oracle, and even extol tion of Jansenius; and hence arose a warm him beyond Jansenius. For an account of the life contest, which proved a source of much trou- and transactions of this pious abbot, see Lancelot's Memoires touchant la Vie de M. de S. Cyran.-Reble to the Belgic provinces. But it was not cueil de plusieurs Pieces pour servir a l'Histoire de confined within such narrow limits; it reached Port-Royal.-Arnaud D'Andilly, Memoires au sujet the neighbouring countries, and broke out with de l'Abbe de S. Cyran, published in the first volume peculiar vehemence in France, where the ab- of his Vies des Religieuses de Port-Royal.-Bayle's Dictionary, at the article Jansenius. Dictionaire bot of St. Cyran,‡ a man of an elegant ge- des Livres Jansenistes, tom. i. For an account of the earlier studies of the abbot in question, see Gabriel Liron's Singularites Historiques et Literaires, tom. iv. p. 507.

of the same great man relating to the Aids of sanctifying Grace procured by Christ, and to the eternal Predestination of Men and Angels. The style of Jansenius is clear, but not sufficiently correct.

*Thus Jansenius expresses himself in his Augustinus, tom. ii. lib. procmial. cap. xxix. p. 65-Non ego hic de aliqua nova sententia reperienda disputo... sed de antiqua Augustini. Quæritur, non quid de naturæ humanæ statibus et viribus, vel de Dei gratia et prædestinatione sentiendum est, sed quid Augustinus olim, ecclesiæ nomine et applausu, tradiderit, prædicaverit, scriptoque multipliciter consignaverit.

The Dominicans followed the sentiments of Thomas Aquinas, concerning the nature and ethcacy of Divine Grace.

The name of this abbot was Jean du Verger de

Haurane.

not difficult to comprehend, how a controversy, which began about a century ago, should be still carried on with vehement contention and ardour.f

The history of this contest is to be found in many authors, who have either given a relation of the whole, or treated apart some of its most interesting branches. The writers that ought to be principally consulted on this subject are the follow ing: Gerberon, Histoire Generale du Jansenisme, published at Amsterdam in 1700; and Du-Mas, Histoire des Cinq Propositions de Jansenius. The former maintains the cause of the Jansenists, while the latter favours that of the Jesuits.-Add, to these, Melch. Leydecker's Historia Jansenismi, and Voltaire's Siecle de Louis XIV. Several books, writ ten on both sides, are enumerated in the Bibliotheque Janseniste, ou Catalogue Alphabetique des Principaux Livres Jansenistes, the author of which is said to be Domin. Colonia, a learned Jesuit.

victory of the Jesuits for some time dubious; and it is more than probable, that the former would have triumphed, had not the cause of the latter been the cause of the papacy, and had not the stability and grandeur of the Romish church depended, in a great measure, upon the success of their religious maxims.

XLIII. It appears from several circumstances, that Urban VIII., and after him Innocent. X., were really bent on appeasing these dangerous tumults, in the same manner as the

XLII. Those who have taken an attentive || Jansenists extremely popular, and held the view of this long, and indeed endless controversy, cannot but think it a matter both of curiosity and amusement to observe the contrivances, stratagems, arguments, and arts employed by both Jesuits and Jansenists; by the former in their methods of attack, and by the latter in their plans of defence. The Jesuits came forth into the field of controversy, armed with sophistical arguments, odious comparisons, papal bulls, royal edicts, and the protection of a great part of the nobility and bishops; and, as if all this had appeared to them insufficient, they had recourse to still more formidable auxiliaries, even the secular arm, and a competent number of dragoons. The Jansenists, far from being dismayed at the view of this warlike host, stood their ground with steadiness and intrepidity. They evaded the seemingly mortal blows that were levelled at them in the royal and papal mandates, by the help of nice interpretations and subtle distinctions, and by the very same sophistical refinements which they blamed in the Jesuits. To the threats and frowns of the nobles and bishops, who protected their adversaries, they opposed the favour and applause of the people; to sophisms they opposed sophisms, and invectives to invectives; and to human power they opposed the Divine Omnipotence, and boasted of the miracles by which Heaven had declared itself in their favour. When they perceived that the strongest arguments, and the most respectable authorities, were insufficient to conquer the obstinacy of their adversaries, they endeavoured, by their religious exploits, and their application to the advancement of piety and learning, to obtain the favour of the pontiffs, and strengthen their interest with the people. Hence they declared war against the enemies of the Romish church; formed new stratagems to ensnare and ruin the protestants; took extraordinary pains in instructing the youth in all the liberal arts and sciences; drew up a variety of useful, accurate, and elegant abridgments, containing the elements of philosophy and the learned languages; published a multitude of treatises on practical religion and morality, whose persuasive eloquence charmed all ranks and orders of men; introduced and cultivated an easy, correct, and agreeable manner of writing; and gave accurate and learned interpretations of several ancient authors. To all these various kinds of merit, the greatest part of which were real and solid, they added others that were at least visionary and chimerical; for they endeavoured to persuade, and did in effect persuade many, that the Supreme Being interposed particularly in support of their cause, and, by prodigies and miracles of a stupendous kind, confirmed the truth of the doctrine of Augustine, in a manner adapted to remove all doubt, and triumph over all opposition.* All this rendered the

It is well known that the Jansenists, or Augustinians, have long pretended to confirm their doctrine by miracles; and they even acknowledge, that these miracles have sometimes saved them, when their affairs have been reduced to a desperate situa

256, tom. ii. p. 107.-The first time we hear mention tion. See the Memoires de Port-Royal, tom. i. p. made of these miracles, is in 1656, and the following years, when a thorn of the derisive crown that was put upon our Saviour's head by the Roman soldiers, cures in the convent of Port-Royal. See the Recueil is reported to have performed several marvellous de plusieurs Pieces pour servir a l'Histoire de PortRoyal, p. 228, 448; and Fontaine's collections upon the same subject, tom. ii.-Other prodigies followed in 1661 and 1664; and the fame of these miracles rose to a great height during the last century, and proved singularly advantageous to the cause of the Jansenites, but they are now fallen, even in France, into oblivion and discredit. The Jansenists, therefore, of the present age, being pressed by their adversaries, were obliged to have recourse to new prodigies, as the old ones had entirely lost their credit; command, by the considerable number they pretendand they seemed, indeed, to have had miracles at ed to perform. Thus, (if we are credulous enough to believe their reports,) in 1725, a woman, whose name was La Fosse, was suddenly cured of a bloody flux, by imploring the aid of the host, when it was, one day, carried by a Jansenist priest. About two years after this, we are told, that the tomb of Gerard Rouse, a canon of Avignon, was honoured with miracles of a stupendous kind; and, finally, we are informed, that the same honour was conferred, in 1731, on the bones of the abbe de Paris, which were interred at St. Medard, where innumerable miracles are said to have been wrought. This last story has given rise to the warmest contests, between the superstitious or crafty Jansenists and their adversaries in all communions. Beside all this, Quesnel, Levier, Desangins, and Tournus, the great ornaments of Jansenism, are said to have furnished extraordinary succours, on several occasions, to sick and infirm persons, who testified a lively confidence in their prayers and merits. See a famous Jansenist book composed in answer to the Bull Unigenitus, and entitled, Jesus Christ sous l'Anatheme et sous l'Excommunication, art. xvii. xviii.-There is no doubt that a great part of the Jansenists defend these miracles from principle, and in consequence of a persuasion of their truth and reality; for that party abounds with persons, whose piety is blended with a most superstitious credulity, who look upon their religious system as celestial truth, and their cause as the immediate cause of Hea ven, and who are consequently disposed to think that it cannot be neglected by the Deity, or left without extraordinary marks of his approbation and supporting presence. It is however amazing, and almost incredible, on the other hand, that the more senists, whose sagacity, learning, and good sense, judicious defenders of this cause, those eminent Jandiscover themselves so abundantly in other matters, do not consider that the powers of nature, the efficacy of proper remedies, or the effects of imaginawhich, from imposture, or a blind attachment to tion, produce many important changes and effects, some particular cause, many are led to attribute to the miraculous interposition of the Deity. We can easily account for the delusions of weak enthusiasts, or the tricks of egregious impostors; but when we see men of piety and judgment appearing in defence of such miracles as those now under consideration, we must conclude, that they look upon fraud as lawful in the support of a good cause, and make no scruple of deceiving the people, when they propose, by this delusion, to confirm and propagate what they take to be the truth.