下载辰思小说免费APP
For，intheinstancesIamnowtoadduce，youwillseecouncilsandpopesrangedononeside，andJesuitsontheother；andyetyouhaveneverchargedyourbrethrenforthisoppositionevenwithpresumption，muchlesswithheresy。Youarewellaware，father，thatthewritingsofOrigenwerecondemnedbyagreatmanypopesandcouncils，andparticularlybythefifthgeneralcouncil，aschargeablewithcertainheresies，and，amongothers，thatofthereconciliationofthedevilsatthedayofjudgement。Doyousupposethat，afterthis，itbecameabsolutelyimperative，asatestofCatholicism，toconfessthatOrigenactuallymaintainedtheseerrors，andthatitisnotenoughtocondemnthem，withoutattributingthemtohim？Ifthisweretrue，whatwouldbecomeofyourworthyFatherHalloix，whohasassertedthepurityofOrigen’sfaith，aswellasmanyotherCatholicswhohaveattemptedthesamething，suchasPicoMirandola，andGenebrard，doctoroftheSorbonne？Isitnot，moreover，acertainfact，thatthesamefifthgeneralcouncilcondemnedthewritingsofTheodoretagainstSt。Cyril，describingthemasimpious，"contrarytothetruefaith，andtaintedwiththeNestorianheresy"？AndyetthishasnotpreventedFatherSirmond，aJesuit，fromdefendinghim，orfromsaying，inhislifeofthatfather，that"hiswritingsareentirelyfreefromtheheresyofNestorius。"Itisevident，therefore，thatastheChurch，incondemningabook，assumesthattheerrorwhichshecondemnsiscontainedinthatbook，itisapointoffaithtoholdthaterrorascondemned；butitisnotapointoffaithtoholdthatthebook，infact，containstheerrorwhichtheChurchsupposesitdoes。Enoughhasbeensaid，Ithink，toprovethis；Ishall，therefore，concludemyexamplesbyreferringtothatofPopeHonorius，thehistoryofwhichissowellknown。Atthecommencementoftheseventhcentury，theChurchbeingtroubledbytheheresyoftheMonothelites，thatpope，withtheviewofterminatingthecontroversy，passedadecreewhichseemedfavourabletotheseheretics，atwhichmanytookoffence。Theaffair，nevertheless，passedoverwithoutmakingmuchdisturbanceduringhispontificate；butfiftyyearsafter，theChurchbeingassembledinthesixthgeneralcouncil，inwhichPopeAgathonpresidedbyhislegates，thisdecreewasimpeached，and，afterbeingreadandexamined，wascondemnedascontainingtheheresyoftheMonothelites，andunderthatcharacterburnt，inopencourt，alongwiththeotherwritingsoftheseheretics。Suchwastherespectpaidtothisdecision，andsuchtheunanimitywithwhichitwasreceivedthroughoutthewholeChurch，thatitwasafterwardsratifiedbytwoothergeneralcouncils，andlikewisebytwopopes，LeoIIandAdrianII，thelatterofwhomlivedtwohundredyearsafterithadpassed；andthisuniversalandharmoniousagreementremainedundisturbedforsevenoreightcenturies。
Oflateyears，however，someauthors，andamongtherestCardinalBellarmine，withoutseemingtodreadtheimputationofheresy，havestoutlymaintained，againstallthisarrayofpopesandcouncils，thatthewritingsofHonoriusarefreefromtheerrorwhichhadbeenascribedtothem；"because，"saysthecardinal，"generalcouncilsbeingliabletoerrinquestionsoffact，wehavethebestgroundsforassertingthesixthcouncilwasmistakenwithregardtothefactnowunderconsideration；andthat，misconceivingthesenseoftheLettersofHonorius，ithasplacedthispopemostunjustlyintherankofheretics。"Observe，then，Iprayyou，father，thatamanisnothereticalforsayingthatPopeHonoriuswasnotaheretic；eventhoughagreatmanypopesandcouncils，afterexamininghiswritings，shouldhavedeclaredthathewasso。Inowcometothequestionbeforeus，andshallallowyoutostateyourcaseasfavourablyasyoucan。Whatwillyouthensay，father，inordertostampyouropponentsasheretics？That"PopeInnocentXhasdeclaredthattheerrorofthefivepropositionsistobefoundinJansenius？"Igrantyouthat；whatinferencedoyoudrawfromit？That"itishereticaltodenythattheerrorofthefivepropositionsistobefoundinJansenius？"Howso，father？Havewenothereaquestionoffactexactlysimilartotheprecedingexamples？ThePopehasdeclaredthattheerrorofthefivepropositionsiscontainedinJansenius，inthesamewayashispredecessorsdecidedthattheerrorsoftheNestoriansandtheMonothelitespollutedthepagesofTheodoretandHonorius。Inthelattercase，yourwritershesitatenottosaythat，whiletheycondemntheheresies，theydonotallowthattheseauthorsactuallymaintainedthem；and，inlikemanner，youropponentsnowsaythattheycondemnthefivepropositions，butcannotadmitthatJanseniushastaughtthem。Truly，thetwocasesareaslikeastheycouldwellbe；and，iftherebeanydisparitybetweenthem，itiseasytoseehowfaritmustgoinfavourofthepresentquestion，byacomparisonofmanyparticularcircumstances，whichastheyareself—evident，Idonotspecify。Howcomesittopass，then，thatwhenplacedinpreciselythesamepredicament，yourfriendsareCatholicsandyouropponentsheretics？Onwhatstrangeprincipleofexceptiondoyoudeprivethelatterofalibertywhichyoufreelyawardtoalltherestofthefaithful？Whatanswerwillyoumaketothis，father？Willyousay，"Thepopehasconfirmedhisconstitutionbyabrief。"TothisIwouldreply，thattwogeneralcouncilsandtwopopesconfirmedthecondemnationofthelettersofHonorius。Butwhatargumentdoyoufounduponthelanguageofthatbrief，inwhichallthatthePopesaysisthat"hehascondemnedthedoctrineofJanseniusinthesefivepropositions"？Whatdoesthataddtotheconstitution，orwhatmorecanyouinferfromit？Nothing，certainly，exceptthatasthesixthcouncilcondemnedthedoctrineofHonorius，inthebeliefthatitwasthesamewiththatoftheMonothelites，sothePopehassaidthathehascondemnedthedoctrineofJanseniusinthesefivepropositions，becausehewasledtosupposeitwasthesamewiththatofthefivepropositions。Andhowcouldhedootherwisethansupposeit？YourSocietypublishednothingelse；andyouyourself，father，whohaveassertedthatthesaidpropositionswereinthatauthor"wordforword，"happenedtobeinRome（forIknowallyourmotions）atthetimewhenthecensurewaspassed。Washetodistrustthesincerityorthecompetenceofsomanygraveministersofreligion？Andhowcouldhehelpbeingconvincedofthefact，aftertheassurancewhichyouhadgivenhimthatthepropositionswereinthatauthor"wordforword"？Itisevident，therefore，thatintheeventofitsbeingfoundthatJanseniushasnotsupportedthesedoctrines，itwouldbewrongtosay，asyourwritershavedoneinthecasesbeforementioned，thatthePopehasdeceivedhimselfinthispointoffact，whichitispainfulandoffensivetopublishatanytime；theproperphraseisthatyouhavedeceivedthePope，which，asyouarenowprettywellknown，willcreatenoscandal。Determined，however，tohaveaheresymadeout，letitcostwhatitmay，youhaveattempted，bythefollowingmanoeuvre，toshiftthequestionfromthepointoffact，andmakeitbearuponapointoffaith。"ThePope，"sayyou，"declaresthathehascondemnedthedoctrineofJanseniusinthesefivepropositions；thereforeitisessentialtothefaithtoholdthatthedoctrineofJanseniustouchingthesefivepropositionsisheretical，letitbewhatitmay。"Hereisastrangepointoffaith，thatadoctrineishereticalbewhatitmay。What！ifJanseniusshouldhappentomaintainthat"wearecapableofresistinginternalgrace"andthat"itisfalsetosaythatJesusChristdiedfortheelectonly，"wouldthisdoctrinebecondemnedjustbecauseitishisdoctrine？Willtheproposition，that"manhasafreedomofwilltodogoodorevil，"betruewhenfoundinthePope’sconstitution，andfalsewhendiscoveredinJansenius？Bywhatfatalitymusthebereducedtosuchapredicament，thattruth，whenadmittedintohisbook，becomesheresy？Youmustconfess，then，thatheisonlyhereticalonthesuppositionthatheisfriendlytotheerrorscondemned，seeingthattheconstitutionofthePopeistherulewhichwemustapplytoJansenius，tojudgeifhischaracteranswerthedescriptiontheregivenofhim；and，accordingly，thequestion，"Ishisdoctrineheretical？"
mustberesolvedbyanotherquestionoffact，"Doesitcorrespondtothenaturalsenseofthesepropositions？"asitmustnecessarilybehereticalifitdoescorrespondtothatsense，andmustnecessarilybeorthodoxifitbeofanoppositecharacter。For，inoneword，since，accordingtothePopeandthebishops，"thepropositionsarecondemnedintheirproperandnaturalsense，"theycannotpossiblybecondemnedinthesenseofJansenius，exceptontheunderstandingthatthesenseofJanseniusisthesamewiththeproperandnaturalsenseofthesepropositions；andthisImaintaintobepurelyaquestionoffact。Thequestion，then，stillrestsuponthepointoffact，andcannotpossiblybetorturedintooneaffectingthefaith。
Butthoughincapableoftwistingitintoamatterofheresy，youhaveitinyourpowertomakeitapretextforpersecution，andmight，perhaps，succeedinthis，weretherenotgoodreasontohopethatnobodywillbefoundsoblindlydevotedtoyourintere
