This interesting history deserves to be recounted somewhat in detail. For the special history of Quiet- III.— L L
ism, see the article under that title. Suffice it here to say, that the particular form of it tauglit bj^ Ma- dame Guyon began to spread widely, and to alarm the leading clergy of the Church of France. Bos- suet was soon vigorously enlisted against her. He conducted the controversy against Madame Guj'ou with his usual skill. He, together witli.the bishoji of Chartrcs and abbe Tronson, were appointed commis- sioners to inquire into the doctrines advanced by 31a- dame Guyon. The conferences between the parties lasted for six months. Bossuet was little conversant at this time with mj-stical theolog}-, and at his request Fenelon provided him with extracts from the chief of the mystical writers. The commissioners assembled at Issy, a retired country house belonging to the con- gregation of St. Sulpice. They drew up thirty arti- cles, in which certain alterations were made by Fene- lon, by whom four were added. There was no men- tion in them of ISIadame Guyon or her doctrines, but they were supposed to express the doctrines of the es- tablished Church of France on the principal subjects in dispute. Their conclusion amounts to little more than this, that spiritualism, or an aim at the verj- high- est devotional feeling and communion with God, is not necessary to all, and is liable to abuse. Madame Guy- on immediately expressed her acquiescence in the ar- ticles of Issy. The whole question seemed now to be set at rest. Fenelon, having been nominated before these transactions to the archbishopric of Camljray, was duly consecrated, Bossuet, bishop of Meaux, offi- ciating, at his own earnest request. But Quietism continued to gain ground, and, to stop its progress, Bossuet published his Instruction sur les elats de I'or- aisoji, for which he sought the approbation of the new archbishop ; but Fenelon refused on the ground that the book absolutelj' denied the possibility of a pure disinterested love of God, and that its censures of Madame Guyon were too severe. Thus began the bitter controversy between these two distinguished prelates, which for a long time disturbed the peace of the Chucii of France. Fenelon published his Explication des maximes des saints sur la vie interieure, but not before it was carefullj' examined by the cardinal de Koailles and abbe Tronson, two of the committee at Issy, and bj- M. Pirot, a theologian of eminence attached to Bossuet. These pronounced the Maximes to be a golden work. But no sooner was it published than an uproar was raised against it. In this controversy Louis XIV and Madame de Mainte- non took part against Fenelon. Bossuet had the sup- port of the court, and made vigorous use of all the weapons at his command. Fenelon defended himself with spirit. An appeal was made to Rome. Bossuet artfully brought his influence with Louis to bear upon the court of Rome, and insinuated that Fenelon was, in his own diocese, considered a heretic, and that, as soon as Rome should speak, Cambray, and all the Low Countries, would rise against him. The pope (Inno- cent XII) proceeded cautiously, and delayed his de- cision. In the mean time the friends of Fenelon were persecuted by the court, and he himself was suspended from his office of preceptor to the royal dukes ; but never, amidst all the indignities he sufTcrcd, did he lose the pious serenity of his mind. "Yet but a little while," he says in one of his letters, "and the deceit- ful dream of this life will be over. Wc shall meet in the kingdom of truth, where there is no error, no di- vision, no scandal ; we shall breathe tlie pure love of God ; he will communicate to us liis everlasting peace. In the mean while let us sufl^er ; let us be trodden un- der foot ; let us not refuse disgrace. Jesus Christ was disgraced for us ; may our disgrace tend to his glory." At length the pope appointed a congregation of cardi- nals, who met twelve times without coming to any resolution ; he then appointed a now congregation of cardinals, who met fifty-two times, and extracted from Fenelon's work several propositions, which they re-
FENELOX
530
FENELON
ported to the pope as censurable. Meantime Louis XIV was urging the pope to condemn Fenulon, al- though the jwpe himself was unwilling to come to a final decision. It was difficult to censure Fenelon without censuring some writers of acknowledged or- thodoxy. Holy, too, as Fenelon was, it was con- sidered that to submit to a decision against him was an act of such heroic humility that it could scarce- ly be expected, and that a schism might be caused equal to that of the Reformation. The pope inclined to issue a brief, st;iting the doctrine of the Church, and calling u]ion each party to abstain from future discus- sions, lint even a pope may stand in awe of worldly consequences. Louis XIV, urged on b}' Bossuet, in- sisted upon the condemnation of Fenelon, and the pope at last (March 12, 1G9L') issued a brief, by which twen- ty-three propositions were extracted from Fenelon's work and condemned, "though the expressions used in the condemnation of them were so gentle, that it is evident that if the pope had feared God as much as he feared the French king, Fenelon would have escaped all censure. By this coui-se, the friends of Fenelon were soothed and his adversaries mortified ; and their mortification was increased by an expression of the pope, which was soon in every one's mouth, that Fene- lon was in fault for too great love of God ; his enemies equally in fault for too little love of their neighbor" (Bausset, Hist, de Fenelon, ii, 220).