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to difguft the popish fuperftitions. They speak of the Invocation of Saints with contempt; and boldly condemn the excefs of it, and call it Idolatry, when they fpeak of it in private. They with Images were banifht from their Churches, that it might not be a fcandal and an offence to us: They begin to confefs, that there was no neceffity for the taking away the Cup. They acknowledge, that a man may be faved without Indulgencies, by the fole merit of 4. Chrift. They would restore the reading of the Holy Scriptures to the People, They fupprefs the Authority of the Pope, and fpeak of it with fcorn. They defpite his Thunders; and if he begin to murmur, they talk as loud, or louder than he: They indeavour to eftablish this Doctrine, that under pretence of Religion, or for the prefervation of it, 'tis not permitted to fubjects to take up arms: They mollify and fweeten all the Doctrines of Popery. I have taken notice of this in another place, and again obferve it, this cannot hold long, this ftate and pofture of the Papacy is vio lent. Since it is freely confeft, that the adoration of one God is fufficient without that of Saints and Images, they must fhortly conclude, that for things unneceflary they ought not, to fcandalize one half of the Chriftian World, and fhut the Gate against the Jews and the Mahometans. Never were there fo many in the Church of Rome as now, who acknowledge the vanity & impurity of their Superftitions. Every man hath the liberty of his own thoughts; but I profefs, that to me these are great prefages of the approach of the last work of God, for the establishment of his Kingdom, and the ruin of that of Antichrift.

My fpirit was in this frame, when this last and great Perfecution in France began. I therein took notice of feveral Characters, that confirmed me in

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the belief that we were in the last times of the Period of 1260 years,and that this is the laft Perfecution spoken of in the 11th Chap. Revel. And when they shall singular have finiht their Teftimony, the Beast who afcendeth Characters out of the bottomless Pit, shall make war against them, fent perfe and shall overcome them, and kill them. And their cution, which pre dead Bodies shall lye in the street of the great City three fage that is days and a half. For there are fo many things fingu- laft. lar and irregular in this Perfecution, that without prophaness and a denial of Divine Providence, we cannot but acknowledge the hand of God therein. 'Tis fingular and more than ufual, whether we confider the Author's of this Perfecution, and the manner of it; or whether we confider the Subjects that fuffer it, and in what manner they suffer.

As to the Perfecutors themfelves, There is First a Prince, who hath the chiefeft obligation to us for the Crown he wears, which entred into his Family by the perfon of his Grand Father; a Prince, to whom we have always paid obedience and fubmiffi on, without the leaft fhadow of Rebellion: a Prince for whom we preferved the Crown in his minority, and who hath not fcrupled to teftify that we did fo: a Prince, who is wife and understanding, as to his cwn Interefts, and thofe ofthe States of Europe, who yet in defpite of his own Intereft, hath done all that which the House of Auftria would have dictated to him to do if the had imployed her Emiffaries in his Council: who deftroys his own Subjects, who makes innumerable Male-contents; who throws eternal feeds of rebellion and war in his ownDominions, who disobliges his Proteftant Allies, and alienates them in fuch a manner almost as never to be reconciled. The Proteftant States and Princes have been always the principal Allies of France, Swede, Denmark, England, the Low-Countries, the Switzersz

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Switzers, and the Proteftant Princes of Germany. These are they that have fupported it, when the Houfe of Auftria threatned the liberty of all Europe. And thefe are they who affifted France, to humble the House of Austria fo low as now it is, and confequently that have advanced France to that point of Grandeur fhe is now at. But Time will fhew how great a wound France bath now made in the heart of all her ancient Allies.

We fee already that this Perfecution makes the difcord and diffention cease that was between the Proteftants, and brings them nearer an union and reconciliation than before. God will let us see something farther of that kind. However,it must be confeft, that there is fomething therein, which is not to be understood by man,that fo wife a Court fhould violate all the rules of good policy, which is the Soul of States, and the fpring of all their motions.

If we look upon the Clergy, that seems to have been the Sollicitor of this Perfecution, it will appear no lefs extraordinary. "Tis not an Ignorant and fuperftitious Clergy, as was that of the laft Century. Thefe are understanding and knowing perfons, Men of learning and prudence, freed from the ridiculous affectation, and prejudice of a Monaftic Spirit, who have little zeal for the Romish Ceremonies who flight their worship, at least for the most part of it; who have much knowledge of the Truth, and at the bottom but very little Religion Ina word, they are fuch, as know very well that we are not in the wrong, or at least, that altogether and in every thing we are not: Nevertheless, they perfecute us more cruelly, than the moft furious Monks, or inraged Inquifitors have ever done. They act therefore against their own light, which is fo far very ftrange and furprizing. But what is more astonishing, they

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act against the moft facred Principles oftheir Reli gion. There is nothing among them more venerable than the Sacraments, and nothing esteemed more criminal than the violation of them.To adminifter the Sacrament of Pennance, to give abfolution to a Sinner, to an Heretick who is not penitent, who faith and declares openly, without hiding or concealing it, that he perfeveres from his very heart in his fin and Herefy, and never renounc't it, but by constraint and violence; to give, I fay,abfolution to fuch a man, according to the definition of their loofeft Cafuifts; 'Tis Satriledge to give the Sacrament of the Altar to a man, that profeffeth he believes nothing of it, and acknowledgeth nothing there but meer Bread; 'tis a Sacrilegious Communion. Should it not affect the Hearts, and even the Imaginations of thofe perfecuting Bishops and Priefts, to think of the innumerable Sacriledges that by this means are every day committed? They abfolve a multitude of wretched People, who proteft that by meer force and violence, they were conftrained to fign the abjuration of their Religion, and to get out of the hands of a thousand Executioners, who devour'd and deftroyed 'em, and gave them no reft day or night. The Priefts and Bishops who abfolved them, know well enough that they are Impenitent and Heretiques, and perfevering in their Herefy; nevertheless, they give them abfolution. Moreover, they bring them to their Altars by force and violence; they must be confeft; they muft defire the Sacraments, and they are given them. In the mean time, they know, that they deteft and abhor from their very hearts, as a meer Idol, that which is given them to eat and worship as a God. So that all these are Sacrilegious Communions, and in plain terms, the most abominable Sacriledge that can be

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imagined: what confcience can we fuppofe thefe men to have, who are guilty of fuch abominations, fo directly contrary to their own Principles ?

But by what name fhall we call the Oath, which they force men to take, and which they have publickly printed, in which the new Converts fwear by the name of God, and upon the H. Evangelifts,that they have willingly abjured, and without constraint or force? And yet the Bishops know, and all the World is acquainted with it, that they have been forc't to this abjuration, by armies of Butchers and Executioners, let loofe upon them. Where are any principles of Morality, even thofe of the greatest latitude, that will perimit this? can there be any more horrible prophanation of an Oath? than which nothing is more facred and venerable.

In what a ftate muft fuch mens Confciences needs be, who force these poor men to commit fo execrable a perjury, and cause the name of God to be ufed, for the afluring the Truth of a Thing, which is moft notoriously falfe? I confefs, Ifhall never comprehend this; and will alway fay, there is fomething in it more than humane, that Men fhould make profeffion of a Religion, and contradict the most inviolable rules of it, openly before all the World. But to what a pitch of Impudence mut they be arrived, who Print and publifh, that no violence at all hath been imployed to make thefe Converfions? All France abounds with ftrangers, who are witneffes of it; the Minifters ofthe Princes of Europe behold it; forreign Merchants fee and know it; An hundred thoufand witneffes, who have themfelves efcapt out of the hands ofthefe Executioners, carry tidings of it to all the ends of the Earth;and yet there are fome who have the confidence to deny a matter of Fact, that was done in the fight of all Ex

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