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rope. We read the Arrests; we fee the Ordonnanceš of the Intendants; we fee Woods cut down, and Houfes rafed; we behold twelve, or fifteen thousand Prifoners in all the Prifons of the Kingdom: and yet they tell us, there is no fuch thing as Perfecution. This is one thing which is very fingular in this Perfecution, and which hath no example. I could not read without trembling, what Mr. de Brueys faith in his laft piece, that the fuccefs there hath been of the Methods imployed for the Converfion of the Reformed, make it evident that they were altogether difpofed to receive the Catholick Truth. I know not what thofe difpofitions were as to himself: but I question not but by the fame means to make him turn Turk, and afterwards Heatben, in avery little time.

What Judgement can one make of fuch men as Mr. Brueys,and Mr. Maimbourg, who in the Epiftle Dedicatory to the Life of Gregory I. complements and congratulates the King to this purpose, that he fees the Period of Calvinifm, without having made ufe of any means to bring it about, but those of Grace and fweetness, mild and gentle methods? 'Tis these kind and gracious proceedings that hath forc't perfons of good birth and quality, accustomed to all the beft accommodations of Life, to leave ten, twenty, thirty, forty thousand Livres per annum, to expose themselves to all forts of fuffering and difgrace. Tis these sweet and obliging ways, that hath forc't wo men of every age & quality to come away, difguis'd in the habit of Peasants, fome on foot,fome on horfeback, fome by Poft, fome who were eight or nine moneths with child, in the night, through all the Fatigues of the winter. Ifay once more, that I cannot understand, how men that have any honour to lofe, or at least, who believe they have, can declare that to be falle, which is fo evident and notorious, that nothing

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nothing is more publickly known, or more undeniable. This is a fort of Lying that in my opinion is very perticular. But in the mean while, 'tis an homage paid to Truth and Justice;'tis a confeffion, that fuch Actions are moft black and abominable, because though they are committed in the face of the Sun, they dare not own them; they deny them before thofe who were eye-witneffes of them. No man of honour, after the reading of Mr. Maimbourg's Epiftle to the King, prefixt to the Life of St. Gregory, but muft judge him to be one of the most base and difhoneftWriters in the world. It had been more pardonable, if he had only by the by dropt fuch a falfehood, without infifting on it. But to write a large Epifle Dedicatory on that fubject, to complement the King for the Converfians he hath made, without using any other means than fweetness and Charity, this is to put the most patient Readers out of all patience.

If we confider the manner of this perfecution, it is no less extraordinary; 'Tis new,'tis without example. 'Tis no new thing to condemn people to dye,or to offer incenfe to Idols, and to goto Mafs, tobanifh Chriftians or maffacre them, because they will not joyn in with the Religion that is uppermoft; this hath been seen an hundred times. But I maintain, there was never any thing feen like this Perfecution, which we fee at prefent. They tell People, they will not kill them; on the contrary, "we will, fay they,

that you live, but you fhall go to Mafs, or you "fhall be tortured; you thall be confined within "the Kingdom; you fhall not be fuffered to go "away; if you attempt an escape, you shall be fent "to the Gallies; while you ftay, you shall have fifty Soldiers, or rather Executioners to maintain; if fifty be not fufficient, you shall have an hundred,

with exprefs orders, not to let you alone by day or "night to omit no pillage, no blows, no punish❝ments, no torments, till you have renounc't your "Religion. This, I fay, is what hath never been feen before.

The fuccefs hath made many believe, that this infernal method was the moft happily invented by the Clergy, that could be, to promote the defign of the Converters, and to ruin the Reformation. But I am quite of another opinion; and 'tis one of the moft extraordinary things which I find in this perfecution, that any perfons of good fenfe, fhould believe this to be a likely method to abolish a Religion. The perfecution was well enough begun, in order to the end and defign of the Perlecutors. And had they been contented by little and little to deprive us of our Temples, to banish our Minifiers, to forbid all Affemblies, to leave us in ignorance, and deprive us of all the other advantages which others Subjects injoy the Reformed Religion would have been almoft extinguisht before ten years were over: fuch being the coldnefs and declenfion of Piety, to which the Protestants were already come. But God, who would not that his Truth thould perifh, fuffer'd not that things fhould remain in that pofture. 'Tis well: known, that humane paffions are a great help to Chriftian vertues; The fury which thefe perfonsare now in, who feel this violence, the torment they fuffer in their Confciences, the rage which they are in, for being forced; do all concur to fortify the batred they had of Idolatry, and their love and inclination for the Truth. So that by means of these violent Paffions, the Truth makes the more indelible impreffions on their hearts. He must be very igno rant in the Hiftory of the World, and of the Heart of man, who can think this to be a likely way to extin

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guish a Religion. The means to extirpate an Here , pretended, or real, is to cut off the Heads, to fhed a great deal of blood, and to ftifle the most zealous of them by a massacre: for if you fuffer them to live, and are content only to draw from them a feigned abjuration, you thereby make them irreconcileable Hereticks. Twas by fire and fword the Albigenfes were deftroyed. There is yet another very effectual way of extinguishing an Herefy, which is to take away from them all means of increafe and growth by preaching and inftruction: after this manner the Arrian Herefy was fuppreft by the Emperors. This way they began to take in France for thefe twenty years laft paft, and which could not have failed of fuccefs, as I obferved, if it had been continued. But he must be very blind that can believe, that Perfons, into whofe Heads and Hearts you would force the Truth by blows and violence will not recover themselves again affoon as poffible, and by all manner of ways. But it will be faid, there are other methods used, which you grant to be effectual; The People are deprived of all the means of Instruction, and fo in a little time the Truth muft dye. This would prove fo, if their Confciences were not under fuch a violence as they are; and if that pofture of things could laft long, the Truth would then be extinguifht by little and little. But that state of things is too violent to continue long; and within a few years you will fee the Light of that fire, which is fhut up, without being extinguifht.

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There is another thing very extraordinary in this Perfecution, and wherein the finger of God doth manifeftly appear; that is, the way they have taken in their dealing with the Paftors. These are the men that must be fuppreft, if you would extinguish a Religion because they are capable of recovering

it. Therefore in all former Ages the fevereft part af the storm hath fallen on them; and even in this Age likewife, witness the History of the Perfecutions in Hungary. But here is the quite contrary, the People ruined, and the Minifters fuffered to go free. They muft carry nothing away with them,but their Souls and Confciences are given them as a prey which fo many Laiks would defire and rejoyce to obtain. Thefe banished Paftors carry the account of the miferies of their feveral Flocks into all parts of the World. They are in all the Proteftant Courts of Europe, the unreproveable Witnesses of the violence of the Perfecution: their miferies ftir up compaffion towards the afflicted, and Indignation against their Perfecutors.

Befides this, they are always ready,and kept in rcferve, to return into France, and bring back the Light of Truth again there, whenever God fhall please to open the door. This is fuch a thing as ipeaks plainly, that God preferves them in fafety, in order to his great work, and till then. This is not the effect of the Compaffion of their Perfecutors; for they are deftitute of any, and are cruel to the utmoft degree. 'Tis not a piece of policy neither; for that would have made them fecure the Paftors in fuch a place, wherein they fhould have been condemned to an eternal filence. 'Tis then a fecret Providence of God, which leads perfons farther than they would go,and todo that which they would not have otherwife done: and'tis obfervable, that Bishop Usher in his prophecy doth exprefly take notice of this particular, that in this laft perfecution the Paftors shall be pared, God referving them for the Great work he hath farther to do; which makes me give the more heed to that prophecy.

Laftly, that we may fee how extraordinary this

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