HE says, That he has assurance from good hands, that the present Persecution does not advance Popery in France; but on the contrary, makes it lose its credit, for the Violence of the persecuters, and the Complaints of the persecuted, hath occasioned many People to en­quire into the Reformed Religion, that would not otherwise have done it: That the seizing of Prote­stant Books hath occasioned their falling into the hands, and the convincing of many Men of Sense, that would otherwise never have seen them: That the people in many Provinces long for a Reformati­on: That there are great Cities of many thousand Inhabitants, where one third of them are enlighten­ed: That within this 15 years there have been more Papists converted in that Kingdom than ever: And that whereas formerly many of their Ecclesiasticks, who pretended to turn Protestants, were meer Li­bertines, it is otherwise now, those of them that come over being generally Persons of great Parts & Piety; and that if the Protestant States were as zea­lous to advance Truth as the Papists are to destroy it, many Popish Ecclesiasticks of Note would de­sert that Church, which be begs Protestant Sove­raigns to take into Consideration.

He adds, That for 40 years the Papists in France have been divided amongst themselves into Moli­nists and Jansenists: That there's a new Sect sprung up call'd Quictists; and that the Socinians begin to grow very considerable amongst them, & have for a long time had footing in many of their most famous Convents. That he is well assur'd, that they gene­rally read Episcopius, whence they drink in Pelagia­nism, and after wards that which the Bishop of Meaux calls a moderate Socinianism, which is confirm'd by M. d. Valone, formerly a Canon of the Monastery of St. Genevive, who hath lately renounc'd Popery, and join'd himself to the French Church at Nuremborg in Germany, he says, in his Book, that in all the Mo­nasteries of the Canons Regulars of St. Genevive, there's a Party who call themselves Scripturists, or the Little Church, and either publickly espouse the Socinian Tenets, or maintain that it becomes great Wits to be for an universal Toleration: That the General, and all the great Officers of the Society, were of the Cabal: That M. de Valone having given Information of this, was thrown into Prison by the General, where he had like to have lost his Life, but being sustained by the Abbot of Ʋrbec, he procur'd an Order by the King to discharge the Abbot of St. Geneviva, and the rest, and that the Society should chuse others in their place.

M. Jurieu adds, That Popery is in a worse Con­dition in France than ever: that it is in the hands either of the Mad persecuting Clergy, who ruine its Credit by their Cruelties, or in the hands of Laicks of no Religion, who Mock at all their Mysteries; and that the number of such is so great at Court, and even amongst the dignify'd Clergy, that it is almost incredible.

Then as to the State of the Protestant Religion there, he says, There are still above a Million of Pro­testants in France; that notwithstanding the last Per­secution is more cruel than the first, the Zeal and Courage of the Protestants is greater and greater; that not only particular Persons, but whole Com­munities have boldly declared they will go no more to Mass; and that they have done thus not only in the Hill Country of Languedoc, Rochell, Saintonge, &c. but in a hundred other places, where they met the Intendants in multitudes, in their best Apparel, as if they had been designed for Victims at the Al­tars, and cryed out unanimously, That they would rather die than go to Mass. That the Intendant Ba­ville, and his Italian Relation Count Broglio, thought to have given a fatal blow to the Reformation at Castres, where they Quartered the Soldiers upon the Protestants to live at Discretion, to exercise all man­ner of Cruelties upon them, to plunder them, and to torment their Bodies, that they should have no rest nor sleep; that they imprisoned and banished those that had distinguish'd themselves by their Zeal, de­priv'd the Parents of their Children, and committed all manner of Barbarities upon them; yet, notwith­standing all this, they had not prevail'd upon more than 7 or 8 Persons to promise to go to Mass, and that the Protestants throughout the whole Na­tion had shewn the like Christian Fortitude, where­as, in the first Persecution, their Defection and weak­ness was but too general.

He takes Notice of the several Methods which have been contriv'd by the Persecutors, to expel the Protestant Religion out of France; as that of a ge­neral Exile; which was oppos'd by some of the great Men, as prejudicial to the Kingdom: And that of a general Massacre; for which Orders were dis­patch'd to the Intendants and Governors of the Pro­vinces; but that the Couriers were re call'd upon the Advice of a certain Grandee. He questions the Truth of its having proceeded so far; but doubts nor of its having been propos'd and debated. And upon the whole draws this Conclusion, That there's no Ground to fear the total Ruine of the Reforma­tion in France; God will compleat his Work, but Lewis XVIth shall never finish his.