E. Cobham Brewer 1810–1897. Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 1898.
Unigen’itus (Latin, The Only-Begotten).
A Papal bull, so called from its opening sentence, “Unigen’itus Dei Filius.” It was issued in condemnation of Quesnel’s Réflexions Morales, which favoured Jansenism; the bull was issued in 1713 by Clement XI., and was a damnatio in globo—i.e. a condemnation of the whole book without exception. Cardinal de Noailles, Archbishop of Paris, took the side of Quesnel, and those who supported the archbishop against the pope were termed “Appelants.” In 1730 the bull was condemned by the civil authorities of Paris, and the controversy died out.
