Durham E-Theses Some aspects of Jansenism Moreton, H. A. V. How to cite: Moreton, H. A. V. (1962) Some aspects of Jansenism, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/9923/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk H. A. V. M 0 R E T 0 N SOME ASPECTS OP JANSENISM M.Litt. Thesis, 1962 CONTENTS i^BBEVIATIONS, and NOTE IHTHODUCriON i - xiv PART ONE Janeenisin in Itence TEE EARLY STAGES 1 The Lettres Frovinciales 5 GALLIGANISM AND RICHERISM: part sources of Jansenism 11 THE SEOOND JANSENISM 25 Pasquier Qiesnel 26 Guy Drappier 41 Nicolas le Gros 50 EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE COUNCIL OP EMBRUN, 1727 56 AN EXAMPLE OF OPPOSITION TO THE COUNCIL OF E3IBRUN AND TO THE REFUSAL OF SACRAMENTS 76 THE PARLEM3n'S AND JANSMISM: THE REFUSAL OF SACRAMEin?S (a) During the episcopate of Archbishop Yintimille, 1729^46 85 (b) During the episcopate of Archbishop Beaumont, 1746-81 105 OONaUSION OF PART ONE 140 PART m) Jansenism in Italy FREIfCH INFLUENCE ON THE MOVEMENT 145 NEW niSOOVERIES ABOUT THE JANSENISIS IN NORTH ITALY 173 THE WORK OF JANSENISTS IN ROME 182 SCinOHE DEI RICCI, 1741-1810 202 RIOCI AS BISHOP OP PISTOIA AND HIATO 223 THE SYNOD OP PISTOIA, 1786 234 OONGLIBION 241 APEENUX A A note on certain documents 244 APPENDIX B Jansenist miracles and convulsions 253 BIBLIOGRAPHY OP TORKS CONSULTED 264 INDEX 275 ABBREyiATIONS AND WORKS PREQUEMTLY CITED . (For full details see the bibliography, pp. 264-274) A. & D. Fistoia, Synod of, Actes et decrets du concile diocesain de Pistoie de 1786. 1788. Cat. Hist. Pavie de Pourq^uevauz. Catechisme historique et dogmatique. 1750-68, 5 vols, D.T.C. Dictionnaire de theologie catholique. 1903 - 15 vols. Index in progress. N.E. Nouvelles Ecde'siastiques, 1728-1802, 26 vols. Gazier. Gazier, A, Histoire generale du mouvanent Jansaiiste. 1923-4. 2 vols. Preclin, Pre'clin, E. Les Jansenistes du xviiie siecle. 1929. NOTE Spelling and accents in French - more especially from Italian quotations - may often appear to be incorrect, but the. original has been copied. INTRODUCTION Many contributing causes led to the French Revolution - social, political, philosophical and financial. Religious problems also played their part.and became inteimingled with other causes. Among the many religious controversies of the I7th and I8th centuries, Jansenism is the most important, partly because it was one of the most pennanent. Usually Jansenism is thought of as a purely theological problem - a heresy in the minds of many - dealing with the problems of Grace, predestination and the Nature of Man, showing itself as a stzuegle with the Jesuits and resulting, in the early stages, in the suppression of port-Royal, the headquarters of the movement. Professor Abercrombie (l) has dealt veiy fully with the theological and historical problems of Jansenism in its earliest phase up to the destiuction of port-Royal in 1709. This very valuable book takes us to the end of the I7th century, a Iqgg cry, it might be said, from the Revolution. But, says Abercrombie, (2) "the enemies of Jansenism were human and impatient; and in their efforts to exterminate every trace of Jansenism they aroused a dispute which ensured the continuance of that heresy for another century and a half," It is generally admitted that religious quarrels had a bearing on the Revolution, The bitter quarrels between the Jansenists and the Jesuits, and especially the publication of the Bull Uhigenitus, dealt a bitter blow at religion and weakened the sense of authority. In the 'cahiers' collected in preparation for the calling of the States General there is general denunciation of the religious orders and the iugher clergy, the States General was summoned, no progress could be made because the three Orders - Clergy, Nobles and the Third Estate - would not meet as (1) Nigel Abercrombie, The Origins of Jansenism. O.U.P. 1936. The great woik of Ste-Beuve also ends with the destiuction of port-Royal. C.A.Sainte-Beuve, port-Royal. 3rd ed. Pans. 1867. 4 void. (2) ©p.cit. p.301. 11 a single voting chamber. Progress was made only when some of the clezgy left their own Order to, join the Third Estate. It was this flefection of the clergy which really started the French Revolution. Many of the clergy held Jansenist opinions; their influence can be seen in the Ecclesiastical Committee where the prevailing opinion was Jansenist and which drew up the Constitution Civile du Clerge" which caused such havoc to the French Church. If the English bibliography on this movement is small, (apart frcxa wozks on Pascal) the French bibliogzaphy, on the other hand, is enormous. The great difficulty for the student is that the early books are rare and difficult of access. One is greatly indebted to the National Central Library for its help, to the ease with which microfilms can be obtained frcsn the Bibliotheque Nationale of Paris, and to the invaluable Bodleian Library. Further study revealed additional difficulties. At the outset one was warned by so experienced a writer on Jansenism as preclin that there was much difficulty with regard to bibliography. The first of the difficulties, he says (l) is the disperaion of the sources, "le premier obstacle, tout techni• que, quelque difficile a suimonter qu'il soit, pourra ^tre vaincu par des chercheurs patients, que ne rebuterent point de longues annees d'efforts employes a depouiller les richissimes depots de la Bibliotheque Nationale, de la collection Gazier, des bibliotheques de Sens, de Troyes et d'Auxerre". There are other difficulties. The Bodleian Library has much Jansenist and anti-Jansenist niaterial. So many of the large number of pamphlets and documents are anonymous and frequently undated. They could be studied much more objectively if one knew the exact date and the circumstances. The writers are usually extremely partial and one is apt to draw wrong infer• ences. This is so, for example, with the religious communities; if the superiors were often favourable to Jansenism it does not follow that the whole order was favourable; or, on the other hand, if the superiors were hostile, the order itself might be favourable. (l) E, Preclin. I.es Jansenistes du xviiie siecle et la Constitution rAvile du Gleree". Paris. 1929. iii Carreyre, a well documented writer on Jansenism admits that hardly any diocese escaped some jansenist influence, though, of course, much would depend on the actvial bishop. It is said, for example, that the municipal library at Troyes is rich in Jansenist woiks because Bossuet's nephew was bishop there from 1716-1742 and was very favourable to the Jansenists; his diocese was a refuge for those exiled from other dioceses. There exists at Sens a large amount of material from the opposite point of view. Some writers consider Jansenism as a 17th century movement, having little or no connection with the Revolution at the end of the 18th century or with the stirring events in Italy in the 18th and 19th centuries. It is true that one of the outstanding Jansenists - Jascal - has a peimanent interest for us and his Provinciales and the Pensees have beccme classics. But although it is also tiue that the first passionate wave of what we might call 'pure' Jansenism fades towards the end of the 17th century, its woik is nevertheless carried on into the 18th, though under different aspects. Its influence persisted, especially among the lower clergy and maiiy of the laity and it is the purpose of this essay to trace these move• ments up to the time of the suppression of the Jesuits and also to make some reference to the influence of Jansenism on Italian struggles. Theology (l) will not figure more than is necessary in a work which is meant to be historical; but to ignore theology completely would make it impossible to understand Jansenism. It is commonly said that Jansenism owes its origin to the book Augustinus which was written by Jansen, or Jansenius, Bishop of Ypres, published in 1640, two years after the author's death and condemned, WoAev Jesuit influence, in I653f thus giving rise (l) For the theology of Jansenism: Jean Laporte, La Doctrine de Port- Royal. La Morale. Paris. 1951-2. 2 vols, and J. Baquier, Le Jansenisms; etude doctrinale. Paris. 1909. iv to the famous contreversy of the 'pive Prepositions'. This theological position was accepted by Jensen's friend jean Duvergier de fficuranne, usually knovm as the Abbe' de St.Cyran, who was the director of the monast• ery of Port-Royal des Champs, The abbess of Port-Royal was Angelique Amauld, whose brether, Antoine Arnauld was a friend of St,Cyran. Through these, Port-Royal became involved in the contreveraies of the period and this was particularly so after the publication of Ainauld's woik De la Frequents Consnunion, in 1643. But to say that the Jansenist movement owes its inception to Jansen is to misunderstand the religious and theological situation of the period, Gazier, (l) in the intreduction to his well-infomed volumes on Jansenism says that to write the history of Jansenism is to believe in a phantom.