of the first Ages? They gave thereby a very great Idea of their Science, and before any of the Catholick Doctors bad taken up the Cudgels to confute them they prejudiced and brought over to their Party an infinite Num ber of People, even of the greatest Note both for their Parts and Doctrine. Well sand good they are no longer thofe Beggars Le Clerc and Pavanes, basth bri,ri esunitnos

THI's Confeffion, my Lord, on the Caufe of the quick and wonderful Progress of the Reformation in France, is extremely fincere from a Jefuity we must be contented there with, and not expect that a Mam oft that Profeffion thould both acknowledge and profess what is just and true. But this is enough, as to the pretended Meannefs of our Origine.Now as few Words on the Afperfions by which they attempt to caft an Odium on our Principles and Conduct. THEY fay, and Father Daniel among others pretends, that bur Religion infpires Men with a furious hatred against all laws ful Powerson They could not fay any thing wvorfe, if fome new Clements, Chastels or Ravaillacs, were to be found among us: But I have repelled that Calumny, and fuffici ently vindicated our Religion in fpeaking of the Affair of Amboife. grip sings 795

Tlay the Civil Wars that have troubled France for fo many years together to our charged But pray, whofe fault was this beWas bitd nats at leafb as much by the Order of the Queen Regent that the Prince

of Condé took up Arms in the firft War, to defend that Princess against the Attempts of the Triumvirate, as from a defire of fupporting the King's Edicts, especially that of January, against the Infringements, of which, both the Parliaments, and other inferior Tribunals, had made themselves guilty; notwithstanding the King's repeated Örders? Were not the next Wars down to thofe of the League, evidently occafioned by the violent Breach of the Treaties; the Roman Catholicks having never made any fcruple to violate in time of Peace, the Articles which they had granted to the Proteftants in order to put an end to the War? Were not the Wars of the League carried on to hinder, if poffible, the Kingdom from falling under a foreign Dominion, and to preferve in the House of Bourbon, the Rights whereof its Enemies intended to deprive it? If, in short, Lewis the Fifteenth were pleafed, like Afuerus, to give a few Moments to the perufal of the Annals of his Anceftors Reigns from Francis the First, he would be convinced, that they never had any Subjects, on the Loyalty of whom they could better depend, than the Hugonots; and that it is to them he himself owes his Crown and Throne, as being defcended from King Henry the Fourth, by his great Grandfather Lewis the Fourteenth. It was the Hugonots who fet King Henry the Great on the Throne; and the Hugonots again who hindred Lewis the Fourteenth from being caft

down

down from it. Can then Father Daniel, with any Decency charge our Religion with infpiring Men with a furious hatred againft all lawful Powers? he, whofe Society publickly teaches and maintains Maxims, that are diametrically oppofite to the Prosperity and Safety of Princes and Monarchies, and has given fo many horrid inftances of it.

THESE Calumnies against our Religion have moved me to write the prefent Hiftory of the Beginnings, Progrefs and Establish ment of our Reformed Religion in France, as well as of its Declining and Downfall, and of the entire Ruin of our Churches in that Kingdom. This firft Volume, my Lord, which I take the liberty to dedicate to Your Lordship, will fufficiently inform all fuch as will read it without prejudice, that the Progrefs of the Reformation in France, is neither owing to the Credit or Power, and much less to the Violence of Proteftants; but only to the Piety, Uprightness and Purity of Manners, of those who embraced that good and found Doctrine. (So that one might have faid of it, during forty years at leaft, what Lactantius faid of the Doctrine of the Gospel, viz. Produce me a Man given over to Injustice, Debauchery, Intemperance, &c. and by the help of a little of this divine Word, Ifball render him juft, chafte, fober, &c.) They will be convinced, that the Progrefs of it was owing to the ftout Refolution and heroic Conftancy of our generous Martyrs for forty years together, who with a VOL. I.

won

wonderful Courage have ftood the hardeft Trials; and loft their Lives in oppofing Error. This is, even by our Adverfaries confeffion, the Glory of our Reformation. This is the golden Age of our Churches. And as the Chriftian Church was never fo pure and untainted, as during the times of its Perfecution under the Tyranny of the Heathen Emperors, and when he was always expofed to fome new inftances of the Cruelty of its Perfecutors; fo the Piety of the Proteftant Churches never fhone more bright, than when they were obliged to hide themselves in the darkest Receffes, and affemble in the Night to pay God their Religious Worship. How great was the fervour of their Zeal, the fimplicity and purity of their Manners, the humility of their whole Conduct, and their Charity towards one another, and with all Mankind! Their very Enemies could not refufe them that glorious Testimony; but thefe happy Difpofitions did not always laft. When they were freed from that kind of Idolatry that confifts in paying a Religious Worhip to Images and Statues, to Croffes, and fmall pieces of Dough, to Saints, the Virgin, and all the heavenly Hofts, they fell into another, no lefs dangerous and fatal, because more refined Idolatry. They have took up the Tabernacle of Moloch, into their very Hearts, Their Paffions, and but too bften made them the Sacrifice of that Charity, which is both the Life and the effential Glory of Christianity. Called unto Liberty,

they

they but too often abused it for an occafion to the Flesh, and giving themselves over to all the Impulfes of that difmal Pride, which breeds nothing but Trouble. Many Protestant Doctors, ftill covered with their own Blood, if I may fay so, have been feen teaching, maintaining and practifing the Maxims of the most uncharitable Intolerance: Many of them, and even whole Proteftant Synods, not confidering that they were no more than the Minifters of Chrift, and Stewards of the Myfteries of God, have anathematized and cut off from the Communion of the Church, their Brethren for whom Chrift died; and that for the fake of Opinions wherein the moft fophiftical Genius could never find any thing contrary to the chief purpose of the Son of God's Miffion, and of his coming into the World; which was to make Men virtuous, and perfuade them to live in this prefent World foberly, righteously, and godly.

I fhall not be too particular, your Lordship being much better verfed than me in this, as well as in all other matters. But I think it beyond all doubt, that fuch Difpofitions in Proteftants, have confiderably ftopped the Progress of Reformation. Its great Principle is the liberty of examining all things, of retaining what is good, and of making an advantage of it. Forcing Confciences, inflic ting Penalties to oblige People to believe, is profeffing Popery again, and renouncing the Reformation, and confequently the Spirit of the

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