In Chapters 5 and 6 the Congregation of the Council had a prominent place as exemplifying the interplay of different kinds of rationality. Its archive is rich and the Positiones fondo in particular has been very little explored. A bibliography is supplied at the end of the appendix: though too long for a footnote, it is tiny in relation to the importance of the Congregation's archive, which is now part of the Archivio Segreto Vaticano.

The following documents are explained and analysed at the end of Chapter 6. In them we see a value rationality which provides guidelines for a difficult and distressing case, without imposing a decision either way, the dilemma being whether to adhere to the formal law or suspend it in this particular case. The reasoning is a classic illustration of how convictions shape instrumental rationality.

DOC. 1

Archivio Segreto Vaticano, Congr. Conc. Positiones (carte sciolte) 4 (not foliated)

Beatissime Pater

Exponitur humiliter S.V. pro parte devoti illius oratoris Nicolai Peauger laici Lexoviensis diocesis ex | loco de Bertonville oriundi quod alias ipse orator tunc in vicesimo circiter sue etatis anno ac sub | potestate patris sui nunc adhuc viventis constituti ut voluntati eiusdem patris satisfaceret matrimonium | cum quadam Catharina Doisnel muliere illarum partium filia naturali Nicolai Doisnel laici | dicte diocesis, qua secundo dictus Nicolaus prius incestuose abusus fuerat, in facie ecclesie, servatis | alias servandis, contraxit, quod quidem matrimonium dicta Catharina gratum non habens, virum aversata, | licet cum ipso in domo eiusdem secundo dicti Nicolai per triduum remasisset, illud nunquam consummari permisit, | prout ipsa coram fide dignis testibus pluries publicavit, sed eum e dicta domo post tres dies eiici procuravit, | et lapsis septem circiter mensibus dicta Catharina prolem ex dicti Nicolai patris sui operibus incestuose | procreatam peperit, ac postmodum plures alios liberos edidit, de cuius incestus gravitate et horrore | competens iudex illarum partium admonitus, processu desuper fabricato ac ex illo criminis veritate | et atrocitate comperta, diffinitiva sententia secundo dictum Nicolaum et Catrarinam eius filiam predictam | ab igne comburendos et eorum cineres ad ventum proiiciendos damnavit, sed ipsi ad huiusmodi supplicium | evitandum extra Regnum Francie in fugam versi sunt.