XCVI.

God fuffers, that all Powers be contrary to the Preachers of Truth, that its Conqueft may be attributed to the Divine Grace alone.

XCVII.

It happens too often that the Members which are the most holy, and the most strictly united to the Church, are regarded unworthy of being in the Church, or as if they were excluded; but the Righteous liveth by Faith, and not by Virtue of the Opinion of Men.

XCVIII.

The Condition of Perfecutions, and Sufferings, that one undergoes, either as Heretick, Malefactor, or Ungodly, is very often the laft Tryal, and the most meritorious, because it maketh Man more refembling Jefus Christ.

XCIX.

The Infatuation, Prevention, and Obstinacy, of not being willing to examine Things,

or

or to acknowledge an Error or Mistake, change and pervert, every Day, far too many Perfons into an Odour of Death to Death, which God hath plac'd in his Church for to be an Odour of Life to Life; as for Example, Good Books, Inftructions, and holy Performances.

C.

"Tis a deplorable Time, when Men think of honouring God in perfecuting the Truth, and its Difciples: That Time is now come. To be reputed and ufed by the Ministers of Religion, as impious and unworthy of all Converfation with God, as a rotten Member, capable to infect all Things in the Society of Saints, is, to pious and godly Men, a Death more terrible than that of the Body. In vain does any one flatter himself with the Purity of his Intentions, and with Zeal of Religion, in perfecuting, by Fire and Sword, honeft and godly Men, if he is blinded by his own Paffions, or feduced by thofe of others, because he will not examine into the Matter ; we often believe to facrifice an impious Man to God, and we facrifice a Servant of God to the Devil,

CI.

There is nothing more oppofite to the Spirit of God, and the Doctrine of Jefus Christ, than to render Oaths common in the Church, because it is to multiply the Opportunities of

Perjury,

Perjury, and lay Snares for the Weak and Ignorant; as alfo occafions that the Name and Truth of God, ferve fometimes for the promoting of ungodly Designs.

Having, therefore, as well heard by Word of Mouth, as receiv'd in Writing, the Suffrages of the aforefaid Cardinals and other Divines; and having first implor'd the Affiftance of the Divine Light, by private and even publick Prayers appointed to that End; we do refpectively, by this our Ordinance, which fhall perpetually ftand in Force, declare, condemn, and difallow, all and fingular the aboveinferted Propofitions, as falfe, captious, illfounding, offenfive to pious Ears, fcandalous, pernicious, rafh, injurious to the Church and its Practice; not only outragious against the Church, but even against the fecular Powers, feditious, impious, blafphemous, fufpected of Herefy, and favouring of Herefy it felf; as alfo encouraging Hereticks and Hercfies, and even Schifm, erroneous, often condemn'd, and, laftly, alfo Heretical; containing divers Herefies manifeftly tending to Innovation, and principally those which are found in the famous Propofitions of Janfenius, nay, even as taken in that Senfe in which thefe were condemn'd.

We command then, all Chrift's faithful People, of both Sexes, That they do not prefume to think, teach, or preach, touching the faid Propofitions, otherwife than as is contajn'd in this our fame Ordinance: So that whofoever teaches, maintains, or publishes them, or any of them, jointly or feparately,

or

or even treats of them by way of Difputation, publickly or privately, unlefs perhaps to impugn or difprove them; fhall be, ipfo facto, without any other Deliberation, liable to the Ecclefiaftical Cenfures, and to other Penalties appointed by Law, against those that commit the like Offences.

And further, By the express difallowing of the aforefaid Propofitions, we do not by any Means, intend to approve of others contain'd in the faid Book, efpecially, fince in the Course of the Examination, we have found therein, many other Propofitions very like and near of the fame Stamp with thofe that were condemn'd as above, and tainted with the fame Errors; and indeed, not a few, as it were under a certain imaginary Colour of a Perfe cution that is now on Foot, fomenting Difobedience and Obftinacy, and falfely crying them up under the Name of Chriftian Patience; a particular Enumeration of which, for that Caufe, we have judg'd to be both too tedious, and not at all neceffary. To conclude, what is more intolerable, we have found the facred Text of the New Teftament itself damnably corrupted, and, in many Refpects, conformable to another French Verfion at Mons, long ago difallowed; but very much difagreeing and fwerving from the Vulgar Edition, which is approv'd by the Use of so many Ages in the Church, and ought to be look'd upon as Authentick by all Orthodox Perfons; and often, not without the greatest Perversenefs, wrefted into ftrange, foreign, and even. pernicious Senfes.

We

We therefore, by the Apoftolical Authority, and the Tenour of thefe Prefents, do again prohibit, and likewife condemn, the fame Book, inafmuch as by foft Words and Benedictions (as the Apostle expreffes it) that is to fay, under the falfe Pretence of a pious Inftruction, it is exceedingly fuited to feduce the Minds of the Innocent; whether it bears the abovemention'd Titles, or any other, of whatfoever Edition or Verfion it may be, wherefoever, and in whatsoever Language it is hitherto printed, or (which God forbid) may be printed for the Time to come. Even as we do in like manner prohibit and ftrictly forbid all and fingular other Books or Libels, compos'd in its Defence, as well Manufcript as Printed Copies, or fuch like Books and Libels (which God avert) as perhaps may be hereafter fet forth; as alfo the Reading, Transcribing, Retaining, and Ufe of them, among all and fingular the faithful People of Chrift, under Pain of Excommunication, to be ipfo facto incurr'd by thofe that act contrary to this Ordinance.

Moreover, we enjoyn our venerable Brothers Patriarchs, Archbishops, Bishops, and other Ordinaries of Places, as alfo the Inquifitors of Heretical Tenets, abfolutely to reftrain and compel any Perfons whatsoever that contradict or are rebellious, by the aforefaid Cenfures and Penalties, and other Remedies of Law and Fact, calling in, for this Purpose, the fecular Power, if it be needful, to their Affistance.

And our Will is, That the fame Credit and Regard be intirely given to the Transcripts of thefe