Hannah Adams

“ Many of the Jansenists were distinguished for their strict piety, and severe moral discipline. They complained of the corruptions of the church of Rome, censured the licentiousness of the monastic orders, and insisted upon the necessity of reforming their discipline, according to the rules of sanctity, abstinence, and self-denial, that were originally prescribed by their respective founders. The celebrated Pascal, and Quesnel, men eminently distinguished for talents and piety, are ranked among the followers of Jansenius. ”

“ They follow the opinions of Jansenius, bishop of Ypres, from whose writings the following propositions are said to have been extracted :—1. That there are divine precepts, which good men, notwithstanding their desire to observe them, are nevertheless absolutely unable to obey; nor has God given them that measure of grace which is essentially necessary to render them capable of such obedience.—2. That no person, in this corrupt state of nature, can resist the influence of divine grace, when it operates upon the mind.—3. ”