In the early part of the seventeenth century there arose in the bosom of the Roman Catholic Church in France a body of persons who taught justification by faith, who revered the Scriptures as the Word of God, who assiduously circulated them, and who, because they held the truth, were bitterly persecuted, although they never left the Church or denied the authority of the Pope.
On the human side, this movement can be traced to two men, Jean du Verger, the Abbot of St. Cyran, and Jansenius, the Bishop of Ypres. The former was educated at the universities of Paris and Louvain and early in life acquired an interest in the Holy Scriptures. It was said that he loved the Word of God “beyond every treasure or precious thing the world contained.” He often remarked that in order to profit by it, Scripture must be read by a portion of the very same Spirit by which it was written. He continually told his disciples they should scarcely read anything else. “The fathers,” he said, “read the Scriptures alone, and we likewise should find all there if we in truth searched them as we ought.” He was, however, well versed in the writings of the fathers. “The Holy Scriptures,” he was wont to say, “had been penned by the direct ray of the Holy Spirit; the works of the fathers only by the reflex ray emanating therefrom.” He had formed a lifelong friendship with Jansenius. They pursued their studies together for some years, always with the great end of bringing their fellowmen to the knowledge of the truth. Esteeming Augustine as one of the most enlightened of the fathers, they paid special attention to his writings. In course of time, Jansenius became Bishop of Ypres, while his friend, the Abbot of St. Cyran, lived at Paris, where he became well-known for his holy character as well as his learning. Many sought him as their spiritual guide. He shunned high society, though highly esteemed, even at Court. His teaching and his influence affected an ever widening circle, and the effects of it were such that many in every rank of society were touched by it. Thus arose, without the establishment of any outward sect, a circle of godly people, instructed in Scripture.
At this time the abbess of the convent of Port Royal, near Paris, a truly converted woman, distinguished for her piety and strength of mind, had effected a striking reform in the manners of her own and several other convents, which had become very loose, like so many of the religious institutions of the time. The Abbot of St. Cyran became director of this convent, and at this period both he and his followers were held in high esteem. The abbess herself delighted in the scriptural teachings thus disseminated. Meanwhile, Jansenius had completed a remarkable work based on the doctrine of St. Augustine. The Plague was raging in Flanders, and the devoted bishop was to be found, personally, at the bedsides of the sick and dying, even attending them with his own hands. In the end he caught the infection himself and died in 1638 when fifty-three years of age.
A number of little schools were founded under the direction of St. Cyran in which the aim was to combine education with true piety. This increased the influence of the movement, and writings appeared which were remarkable for their fervent piety, their learning and their elegant style. Although anonymous, they were quickly attributed to the Port Royalists; people said they bore the stamp of Port Royal. Many came under the influence of St. Cyran and among them were young men from the noblest families in France, who sought retirement from the world and established themselves in an old convent at Port Royal des Champs. Among those who resorted there for prayer, study and meditation was the famous Blaise Pascal. Unlike the religious orders, these persons were bound by no special vows, but among their chief exercises was the study of the Holy Scriptures. Thus occupied and directed by a God-fearing and Spirit-taught leader, they acquired, though still in the bondage of Rome, distinctly evangelical views.
Satan, knowing the danger of such a movement in his very stronghold, stirred up enemies. The reputation of the Port Royalists and the esteem in which they were universally held provoked the jealousy of the Jesuits. The doctrines of Jansenius were attacked and became, for a time, a subject of controversy. The Port Royalists suffered bitter persecution. The Abbot of St. Cyran himself was thrown into prison, and another leader, de Sacy, was immured in the Bastille, where he spent his time translating the Scriptures. The pious nuns of Port Royal were dispersed to other places, and though they enjoyed, for a time, respite from persecution, it was afterwards renewed with greater intensity. Finally, in 1709, Louis XIV, influenced by the infamous Madame de Maintenon, issued an edict for the suppression and destruction of both houses of Port Royal. It fell to the lot of Cardinal de Noailles, a weak man, to execute the vicious edict. The occupants were dispersed to various places of imprisonment, where they remained until the death of the King in 1715. In 1711 the buildings, which had cost a vast sum to build, were razed to the ground. The venomous hatred of their enemies pursued even the dead. The remains of the hundreds who had been interred over many years were torn unceremoniously from their graves and cast into a great pit. A wave of horror and indignation swept over France. The Jesuits, who had instigated the persecution, sunk in the estimation of the public. Their deceitful philosophy had already been exposed by Pascal, and now reports of their having openly encouraged the most infamous practices of idolatry in China came to light. To this was now added the horrible tale of the destruction of Port Royal. The tool of the Court, Cardinal de Noailles, was filled with bitter remorse. He is said to have visited the scene of destruction and uttered there these despairing words, beating his breast: “Oh these dismantled stones will rise against me at the day of judgment. Oh how shall I ever bear the vast, the heavy load?” How insatiable the hatred of the prince of darkness against the children of light! While these scenes were being enacted against Scripture-loving children of the Roman Church, thousands of poor Huguenots were being driven into exile, sent to the galleys or put to death.