'I'he HIS T 0 RY of the PuRITANS. 539 Chap. IV. The famous monfieur Dai!le of Paris, in his letter of March 28, Interwrites to the fame purpofe : - " I know tis reported that the king has Re%num " changed his religion ; but who can believe a thing fo contrary to all ~-J " probability? Nothing of this appears to us; on the contrary we well ~r.Daille's, '' know, that when he has refided in places where the exercife of his re- I-... Chron. " Jigion is not permitted, he has always had his chaplains with him, whoP· 34 · " have regularly performed divine fervice. Moreover all Paris knows " anger the king exprefred at the endeavours that were ufed to pervert •• the duke of Gloucefler. And though tis objeCted, that he never came •• to our church at Charenton, yet as we are bett~r informed of this " than any one, we can teftify, that religion was not the caufe of it, " but that it was upon political and prudential confiderations, which may " be peculiar to our church, for he has gone to fermon in Cam, and fame " other towns ; and in Holland he heard fame fermons from the famous ,, monfieur More, our prefent collegue. Thus, Sir, it is more clear than " the day, that whatfoever has been reported till this time, of the change '' of this prince's religion, is a meer calumny - " Monfieur de L' Angle minifter of the p.rote!l:ant church at Rouen, writ Mr. De 11pon the fame fubjetl: to his friend in Lo11don, more fully to evidence the L' Aoglc'n king's fl:edfaHnefs in the protefiant religion. Thefe letters were printed and induftrioully fpread over the whole kingdom. The king himfelf in his letter to the houfe of commons (ays, " Do " you defire the advancement of the protefl:ant religion? We have by " our confl:ant profeffion and praCtice given fufficient tefl:imony to the " world, that neither the unkindmfs of tbqfe qf the fame faith towards " us, nor the civilities and proteflatiom of' th~(e if a contrary profef– " )ion, could i11 the leafl degree .fiartie us, or make us fiver·ve from it," 'Tis a [UI·prizing refleCtion of Mr. Baxter upon occafion of thefe let- Lift, ters: " Thefe divines (fays be) knew nothing of the fl:ate of affairs in Part Il. p; " England. They knew not thofe men who were to be refl:ored with 216 ' " the king. They pray (fays he) for the fuccefs of my labours, when " they are perfuading me to put an end to my labOI.JrS by fetting up " thofe prelates, who will filence me and many hundreds more. They " perfuade me to that which will feparate me from my flock, and " then pray! that I ~ay be a bleffing to them; and yet (fays he) I am " for refl:onng the kmg, th~t .whe~ we are filenced, and our minill:ry at " an errd, and fame of us lte m pnfons, we may there and in that con- " clition, have peace of confcience in the difcharge of our duty, and the " exercifc of faith, patience, and charity in our' fufferings." Was there ever fuch reafoning as this! But the reader will make his own remarks upon thefe extraordinary paragraph~. • z z z 2
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