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upon me. A young gentleman, which the Captain entertained at his own table, died of grief about some eight days since."

It is needless to make any comments on these affecting facts, they speak for themselves. To the Scottish Christian they will recall similar days and instruments of suffering and woe, of which his forefathers were the victims. The last extract which I shall quote from the Pastoral Letters of Jurieu, contains his own testimony to the indestructibility, in spite of all these desolations, of the real, living, spiritual Church of the Redeemer. Mere nominal Christianity may be overthrown, but it is cheering to think that the Gospel-living Christianity-cannot perish, but lives and grows oftentimes the more it is wounded and crushed.

"I will at this time tell you no more sad news; but, on the contrary, I will comfort you by giving you to understand, that in this general misfortune, wherein the Reformed Church of France sees so many persons, in some sort, fall under the temptation, we have the joy to know that scarce one falls in love with this wicked religion. We have taken care to inquire concerning it of those which came from all parts, and we have caused inquiries to be made upon the places, as much as it is possible for us; but we can assure you, my brethren, as a thing certain, that the hatred of the Roman religion increases every day, insomuch that the persecutors are farther every day from accomplishing their designs than ever. We e may say, without fear of lying, or hyperbole of expression, that this persecution has not gained to the Church of Rome 200 hearty converts; and although I know a vast number of persons have been prevailed withal to make their subscriptions, yet the number of those which have, with a satisfied judgment, embraced their religion, is so small that it does not deserve to be computed but on the contrary, by a surprising marvel of Divine Providence, this persecution has opened the eyes of a great number of ancient Catholics, as they are called. That which we tell you is no conjecture or

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fiction, 'tis that which we know upon good testimony so that it is certain that the Church of God has gained more souls than it has lost. These seeds will bring forth in their time. Every day we see persons arrive here who abjure the Roman religion, and amongst them there are such as are eminent by their merit, by their birth, by their parts, and by their learning. When we know that they will not take it ill, if we name them, we will do it; for 'tis necessary that all the world know it, that the depths of Divine Providence and his judgments may be admired thereby."

Do any, surveying the dread persecution which we have been contemplating, as a whole, ask the question, why God gave up his saints to suffer so long and so severely? The question is a delicate one, and if answered at all, should be answered with humility and caution. We know little of God's reasons. We see the immediate or proximate causes, and that those alleged by Roman Catholics, in the present case, are not the real ones. One party said that it proceeded from the king's zeal for the truth. This is notoriously false, and would be no vindication though it were true. To use the language of Bayle regarding persecution in general, it is nothing" but ferocity, rage, brutal passion, ambition, and principles of a similar nature." In short, it is hatred to the holy Gospel of Christ. As regards Louis XIV., probably the Marquis de Louvois, one of his ministers, described the animating motive pretty accurately, when he ascribed it to royal pride and self-will. "It is the king's pleasure that such as refuse to conform to his religion, should be punished with the utmost rigour." Voltaire confesses that the prevailing spirit of the court at the period was, "that every thing ought

to submit to the will of Louis XIV." But whatever may have been the instrumental, what was the efficient and procuring cause of so much woe? It must be sought for in the character of the sufferers. While God has wise and gracious reasons for every step which he takes in the treatment of his own people,-while He

means to do them good by every stroke which he inflicts, it must never be forgotten that error or sin of some kind lies at the foundation of his afflictive discipline. What was the evil which provoked in the French Reformed? It is to be feared that the comparative quiet which, as a Church, they enjoyed during a considerable part of the reign of the Edict of Nantes, lulled them, as peace at an after-day lulled a greater body-almost all the Protestant Churches of Christendom-into a state of carnal security or spiritual carelessness. Men who were active in days of trial, became relaxed in days of prosperity. Then there must have been a want of correct scriptural principle on the part of many of them. A number of years before the Revocation, not a few ministers-in the course of a year sometimes as many as 20-recanted their Protestantism, and went over to the Church of Rome, moved by such arguments as the doctrine of "apostolic succession" supplies. Very many of the people enlisted, at the same time, as soldiers in the armies of Louis, though it was notorious that his object was, the aggrandizement of the power of France, in order better to cripple the Protestantism of Europe. There must have been something very defective, in point of principle, which allowed Protestants to choose a profession, which not only might bring them into deadly war with brother Protestants, but which raised up a power for the express purpose of crushing their cause throughout the world. Worst of all, the entire Church seems to have been culpable in the low ground which it took in its dealings with the State, contenting itself with asking for mere freedom of worship for its members, instead of holding out before the nation the supremacy of Christ as King of nations, as well as King of the Church, and calling upon men to acknowledge Christ, by renouncing the countenance of idolatry, and recognising the worship of the true God. The ground occupied by the French Protestants, however excellent very many of the ministers and people were, was comparatively timid and selfish. They asked peace and protection for them

selves, which was all proper; but they ought to have asked more they should have pleaded for the honour of Christ. This was the ground which, under the guidance of the illustrious Knox, was occupied by the Protestants of Scotland; and doubtless they conquered in this sign. High principle is always at one with true safety. If the Church honours Christ, He will honour the Church in return. It is not improbable that the narrow and timid views to which I have alluded formed some of the reasons why God visited his people with the rod. He would teach a bolder confidence in himself and in his Son; and probably, had the French Church possessed such a counsellor as Knox, she would have pursued that course.

KNOWLEDGE, DISSOCIATED FROM TRUE RELIGION, UTTERLY UNABLE TO PREVENT OR NEUTRALIZE THE SPIRIT OF PERSECUTION EXEMPLIFIED IN THE REIGN OF LOUIS XIV.

Looking over the long and bloody history of persecution which we have been contemplating, and remembering that a chief part of it occurred, not in a dark and barbarous age and country, but in the heart of Europein the 17th century,-during the reign of Louis XIV., celebrated as the Augustan age of French literature,-it is impossible not to ask the question, Is there any connection, and if so, what connection, between knowledge and persecution? It seems strange that these should coexist in the same place and time. Many imagine that the persecution of others for their religious opinions is the mere effect of ignorance and barbarism, and that, were these removed by the spread of knowledge and refinement, so hateful a crime would speedily disappear; but the case of France and other quarters show that persecution is founded more deeply, not in mere ignorance or barbarity, but in the very nature of unrenewed

man.

The progress of civilization, and the experience. of its inexpediency, may restrain it, or mitigate its features; but it is the spirit of all by nature. It is only true religion which can dispel it; and even the faithful servants of God, from various unfavourable circumstances, may long remain under its influence, in spite of their better principles. Its essence consists in hatred to the Gospel of Christ. Other things-systems philosophical or religious-may be persecuted; but this is accidental. The hatred and accompanying persecution of the Gospel of free salvation, and its adherents, are essential to the character of the natural man.

There can be no question that there were many learned men—much literature-no small general knowledge and refinement in France during the persecuting times which we have been surveying. Any one who has read the Memoirs of Huet, one of the tutors of the Dauphin of France, the son of Louis XIV., and afterwards bishop of Avranches-Memoirs which stretch over a period of nearly 90 years must be persuaded of this. Not a little of the literature and learning might be trifling or useless. There may have been much poetry, which has perished -elaborate editing of ancient authors, who did not deserve such care-large attainments in history and antiquities, which were of no great value-oriental acquisitions, which were not applied to any important purpose; but after making every deduction, hundreds of names could be referred to in most departments of literature and science, ancient and modern, which are highly creditable. The Jesuits then flourished, many of whom were eminent for classical and other attainments. French Academy, too, was founded, and gave a powerful impulse to the pursuit of knowledge. Indeed, the most illustrious names in France are to be found in the age when the Protestants were most severely persecuted.

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The question presents itself, how did these enlightened men-men of large and capacious minds-of great learning-familiar with the past experience of the world,— how did they feel and act toward the injured and

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