ADAM. – French Jansenist writer who conceals himself under the pseudonym A. According to some (cf. Reusch, II, p. 890), he was the Capuchin Osmont du Sollier. The work L'avocat du diable, ou mémoires historiques et critiques sur la vie et sur la légende du pape Grégoire VII, avec des mémoires du même goût sur la Bulle de canonisation de Vincent de Paul, in 3 volumes, is included in the Index (29 February 1752).
He defends the conduct and opposition of the Jansenists against two decisions of the Church: the first, that of Benedict XIII, which prescribed (25 September 1728) for the universal Church the Mass and Office in honor of St. Gregory VII. In the fifth lesson of the Breviary there were (and still are) the words: « Contra Henrici imperatoris impios conatus, fortis per omnia athleta, impavidus permanit... ac eundem Henricum... fidelium communione regnoque privavit atque subditos populos fide ei data privavit ». In these passages the Jansenist and Gallican clergy saw an Ultramontane attempt directed against governments, especially against the French government, and prohibited, also invoking the authority of parliament, the recitation of that Office. The mandates of certain bishops against the order of Benedict XIII were condemned by various briefs; and every opposition, including that of the laity, was condemned by a general brief of 19 December 1729. The second question arose from the bull of canonization of St. Vincent de Paul (16 June 1737). The incriminated passage was the one stating that Vincent had been exalted by God with miracles at the very time when the innovators were striving to spread their errors in France, disturb the peace of the Church, and separate the faithful from unity with the Holy See by publishing false and fabricated miracles. The Jansenists saw in this a condemnation of the miracles, loudly proclaimed by them, that had occurred at the Pâris (v.). A. went so far as to call St. Vincent « un infame delatore e un esecrabile mettimale »; and parliament defended the suppression of the bull because, by the example of Vincent, it taught « il ricorso immediato alla S. Sede, favorendo moti impetuosi... tendenti a risolvere per via di autorità le contestazioni che avvengono nella Chiesa ».
Louis XV prohibited every decision and decree against the bull.