Some Particular MOTIVES OF THE CONVERSION OF PETER FROTTE, HERETOFORE CANON-REGULAR of the Royal Abbey of St. Genevieve at Paris. PRIOR of the Priory and Parish of Sovilly in the Diocese of Meaux. In a Letter directed to Mr. James Benign Bossuet, Bishop of Meaux; formerly Tutor of Monseigneur Le Dauphin. Englished by the Author. And Dedicated to the Right Honourable Sir Thomas Stamp, Lord Mayor of the City of London. And the Honourable Court of Aldermen. LONDON: Printed for Richard Baldwin, near the Oxford-Arr Inn, Warwick-Lane. M DC XCI. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE Sir THOMAS STAMP, LORD MAYOR of the City of LONDON. And the HONOURABLE COURT of ALDERMEN. MY LORD, NO body, I hope, will accuse me of temerity, if I take the boldness to Dedicate to Your Lordship this Discourse; though hereby I have the unhappiness, to interrupt with this little Address of mine, Your more important Affairs. For no wonder if a stranger comes to implore, nay to importune Protection; even his very condition gives him title to it; since every Stranger in a Foreign Country may be looked upon as an Orphan, without particular Kindred, Friend, or Acquaintance, it may be allowed him to have Recourse to the First Magistrate of the City wherein he lives, as to a Public Patron, Friend, and Father. As for my part; My Lord, 'tis true, I am not so abandoned a Stranger, but that I have found some Friendship and Charity, not only among my Countrymen, who are here mere Strangers as myself, but also among the Englishmen. Nevertheless were I not in need of any Protection or Favour, I should be glad of an occasion to give myself the honour of approaching to Your Lordship, to manifest in describing the Hypocritical and Cruel character of an Enemy of Your Religion and Liberty, That I desire hearty the happiness of this magnificent City, of Your Lordship, and of Your Honourable Brethren, who so happily steer it at this time, to its present measure of Peace and Order; to congratulate it for its Loyalty and Love to so Good, so Generous, and so Illustrious a King; to Rejoice and Bless you for Your great Care and Unwearied pains, in Rooting out the Seminaries of Sedition, in supressing Irreligion and Profaneness, and doing what lies in men, for the keeping of the Unity and Concord; in which worthy deeds that you may ever proceed, and be succeeded, by the Blessing and Concourse of Divine Providence, is, and shall be the daily Prayer of Your (RIGHT HONOURABLE) Most Humble and Obedient Servant, PETER FROTTE. Some Particular Motives of the CONVERSION OF PETER FROTTE, etc. In a Letter directed to Mr. James Benign Bossuet, Bishop of Meaux; formerly Tutor of Monseigneur Le Dauphin. Monsieur, I Remained too long in your Church; I have been too long a Witness of her Violences and Cruelties against those whom she injustly calls Heretics, not to understand into what degree of Fury she would have run against me, had I been so unhappy, after my renouncing her Communion, as to fall again into her power. 'Tis, Sir, what obliged me to abandon all what I possessed in France, That I might come into these Countries, where Conscience being free, I could give glory to God, and worship Him according to the rules of the Holy Gospel: I am not ignorant also, what calumnies this same Church of yours is wont to put upon those that separate themselves from her, and especially when they are of my Character: I know she forgets nothing that may cry them down, and blemish their Reputation. This reason engaged me also to make public the true motives of my Conversion, to direct them to you, and to write you this Letter; that all people might know what your simple Priests and Monks are capable of, when they see a great Prelate, who honoured me so long with his esteem and protection, become on a sudden one of my greatest Enemies, and run into Invectives with an Anger unbecoming his Character, as soon as he apprehended I designed to forsake his Church. I do not deny, Sir, and I am obliged to acknowledge, you gave me a thousand marks of your Bounty: This to your Recommendation I own, that I was very welcome at Monsieur Le Pelletier, comptroller of the King's Exchequer; and that Monsieur de Menars, Intendant of Paris, favoured me with his particular Protection. Moreover, though my kindred might have the Honour to be known, and a little considered by Monsieur the Chancellor; your Favour and Authority was not needless to me in reducing to Reason the Inhabitants of Sovilly; which I had not prosecuted in Law, but in Obedience to your Order. You caused me to Preach in your Cathedral Church, and in your Presence, on the most Solemn day of the Year; and my Sermon was not only approved, but also applauded by you. I was welcome not only in your House, but also at your Table and in your Coach: All things were pleasant to me at your Court, and your kindness towards me caused great Jealousy of me in many other good People. 'Tis most certain your favour and affection was so great to me, that you would never believe what several People told you of me, viz. That I neglected the Celebrating of Mass; That I Preached no more; That I was always in the Company of the Protestants; That I compelled them not to obey to your will; That I stayed for nothing but the Prince of Orange's coming into France to Reform my Church; And that at last I overthrew by my behaviour in this Country, all that your Zeal Endeavoured to Establish. My Kindred, which feared for many Reasons I would abandon your Church, informed you of all they knew about that business: My Brother De Lignieres, Colonel, who was long since in your Town with his Regiment, spoke to you of nothing else; if by Divine Providence you had not been prejudiced against all these reports, which yet were really grounded, as you may see now, this unnatural Brother, who hates me only because I reproached him with his Licentious sort of Life, would have sent to me many of his Soldiers to take me up, and would not have spared me more than he did the poor Reform of Daulphiné, when he went thither to Preach so efficaciously, by an extraordinary Mission in Quality of Captain of Dragoons. I must, Sir, Adore here God's Providence, who kept me in midst of these Dangers; who not giving me yet all the necessary light, nor resolution enough to break with you, gave me yet the confidence to remain among so many Enemies, who were long since angry with me: For many years ago, my Kindred, and Canons Regular of Saint Genevieve, being informed from all hands of the liberty I took to speak in particular Conversations, nay, to Preach also publicly against the abuses of the Ecclesiastical power; of the Superstitious Worship; of the Pharisaical Hypocrisy of the Monks, and the Priests; of the dangerous Policy of the whole Clergy; designed often to declare me fool, and to treat me accordingly. How great Happiness, Sir, to be believed fool by the Worldly People, since this folly (as Saint Paul calls it) is the true Wisdom in the sight of God This Intention (I say) so much worthy of your Religion, was not unknown to me; for many threatened me, and others warned me of this danger. Notwithstanding this, as I was not convinced of all the truth I looked for, and was yet entangled in some Errors, I continued as one asleep, in midst of those who contrived my Ruin, and upon the brink of a Precipice: But I was also under the Protection of God, who alone knew the day and the hour which he appointed for my Salvation; he shut your Eyes, and stopped up your Ears for my good; Insomuch, that all the discourses and reports of my Kinsmen, of our Canons of St. Genevive, and of my Parishioners, by which they intended to Ruin me, hindered not you a Fortnight before my escape, to give a very good Testimony of my Manners and Behaviour, before the most Illustrious Persons; I mean, that the 15th. of July last, you told in the Presence of Monsieur Le Duke, the Montausier, of Madam, the Duchess of Uzess his Daughter, and of many other Persons of the first quality, That I was a very Honest man, and my Life and Conversation was very good. This Master Sanlecque, Prior of Garnay, a very Honest man, who was present at this Meeting, related to me. Pray, Sir, be not Angry with him for that, for I never made him partaker of my design: You have said the same to Monsieur de Menars, Intendant of Paris; he himself did me the favour to tell it me, and advised me not to go out of your Diocese, because you were well affectionated to me. I thank you, Sir, that knowing me (as you did) you did me Justice by your Testimonies, and that you added often many Praises, which I was not worthy of. Nevertheless, I must confess, your favours were very dangerous to me: This good will towards me, of a Person of so great merit, deceived me, and imposed upon my mind; and I do not know well whether the fear of showing myself Ingrateful, hath not lessened the difficulties I had about your Religion, and whether it hath not caused me to defer for a while the rendering of my Duty to God. But whilst you defended me without, against men, God attacked me happily within, and broke, by the strength of his Grace, all the impediments which I had set against my own Salvation. He inspired me efficaciously to abandon a Church in which my heart was never contented, in which my Conscience was always grieved, sometimes upon one point of Faith, sometimes upon another, and sometimes upon all controverted Articles. But at last this lucky moment happened, in which God gave me light and resolution enough to accomplish the design I had long since, to renounce a Religion which appeared to me to have many things borrowed from the Jews and Heathens. I caused my goods to be transported into Paris, there to be sold. This removal of my goods was observed by many People, and no body questioned more my design: You yourself being convinced of it, endeavoured to ruin the good opinion you had given of me by public Testimonies. Remember, Monsieur, the indignation you had conceived against me in that time, and your extraordinary change, which obliges me also to change, and to give an answer to your Malice and Fury, as it deserves. How comes it to pass, Monsieur, That the 15 th'. of July you said wonderful things in my praises, and before irreproachable and illustrious Witnesses; and the First day of the following Month, you caused to be reported in my Parish, at Clay, at Lagny, at Meaux, That I took pleasure in nothing but riding on Horseback; That I was fit for a Camp than for the Church; That I was a shame to my Kindred; and that of a long time I had not said Mass but carelessly; That I am a Profane, and an Heretic, a Rogue, and a Bandito. What strange Palinody! Am I then Metomorphized in a Fortnight? No Monsieur, I am no other man; and except the changing of a corrupted Religion into another holy one, I am always the same; I can prove to you, that you need not recant what you have often said in my Praise. For you well know I could have sold my Living at a good rate, especially it being in the good state wherein you were pleased to put it. Many People offered me a great deal of Money for it, but I would not sell the Ministry; the proof of it shall be evident, for he to whom you procured my Living, shall not be disturbed in his Possession. I was willing, Sir, to give you at my departure, this last proof of my good Conscience, and of my Honesty: I do not repent; yet have I acted perhaps too scrupulously; for at least should not I be excusable at my going out of Egypt, to take something of spoil from God's Enemies and cruel Persecutors of his Israel? Especially considering they rob me of all my goods, and often made an unworthy traffic of my Patrimony, of my Liberty, and of my Soul. But if I am always the same in point of Honour, how much are you changed on the same point? from your being Sweet, Gentle, and Affable, you on a sudden became Sour, Angry, not to say Furious; for you are not Contented to declare War against me, by many injuries and wrongs, but also you came to handy-blows; you drive out of my House my Vicar, whom you yourself had approved; you cause my House to be broken open, and plundered all the rest of my goods which I had not yet removed; you endeavoured not only to bereave me of my Reputation and my Goods, but also of my Liberty and my Life. You permit Monsieur de Bellou my Brother in Law, to attack me, first by a Troop of Sergeants, and afterwards by a Provost Armed with your Episcopal Charity, and with your Apostolic Zeal. But at last, since God hath been pleased to deliver me out of your hands, and to guide me into those Countries your Violence cannot reach, never hope to have me in the clutches of your Tyranny again. Nevertheless, I desire to acknowledge your Supreme Power once more in my Life; and to the end I may render to you my last homage, I resolved to acquaint you with the reasons of the change God hath been pleased to work in me; you shall see many motives of it in another * 'Tis not Englished. Discourse directed to you, after I have pronounced it publicly; but I reserved some other to tell you them here privately. You helped me very much, Sir, to my Conversion, with your demeanour: I can't dissemble it, you (if I may so say) edified me by your Scandals. Your Exposition of Catholic Faith, so famous in all the world, made me think you do not believe what you Teach, and you retain the truth in Injustice: This Book a great while ago imprinted in me a bad, but a true opinion of your Doctrine. I could not be a witness of the fits of your Anger against the Reformed of your Diocese, without pitying them, and conceiving some Indignation against you. I could not compare the fashion of your Missions with your Pastoral Letter, Dated on 24th. of March 1686 without being persuaded (as many others have been) you had no sincerity; for you boast in this Letter, That none of your new Catholics have ever undergone any Violence, either in Person or in Goods, ...... and that they came again to you quietly, and voluntarily; you appeal to their own testimony for it. You know it very well (say you.) O Monsieur! How dare you say so? Did I not see with my own Eyes the extreme violence you exercised in Person against all this People, for (except a certain branded Woman of the Lizies Town) whom for Charity's sake I omit to name, and whom you called your Conquest, and carried as triumphantly in your own Coach, to draw others with her as with a Bait; except (I say) this notoriously branded Woman, who perhaps abjured willingly her Religion; all the rest were constrained to do it by the Soldiers whom you caused to pass and repass through your Diocese in the time of your Missions, and by continual Threaten made to them, even in the Sermons you have pronounced at Clay before Monsieur L'Intendant, whom from the Pulpit you called your Second in this Expedition. Was I not a Witness of the power and efficacy of your Preaching, of your Art and Industry in honouring the Ministry, when they carried violently into your Episcopal Palace all the Protestants of the Villages of Nantevil, Quincy, Condé, & c.? For 'tis true, in less than two Hours, you persuaded them of all your Mysteries; but all this quick success came of their being without any Minister to defend them in this Controversy, from this great Episcopal Luster, and Splendour which attended you, and dazzled their Eyes; But more especially from the fierce presence of some Officers of War, whom you never wanted, and who always helped you very much in your design, by sprinkling upon all your Discourses, a great deal of energy and strength, which took them all up in a moment, and constrained them to embrace your Opinions. You presently gave them your Blessing, with a full power of Communicating, after the Roman fashion; thus you bewitched them; but your Charm continued but a little while. For every body knows, That in going out of your Palace, all your converted People abhorred your Violence; we heard them publicly Recant, what you constrained them to Sign in your Chamber: They, methinks, showed enough their Repentance; for a few Days after they met together near Nantevil, to Pray to God, and to beg his Pardon, for the scandal they gave one to another, in surrendering themselves to your Violence. But this occasion manifested also, you are not in the right to boast of your great Sweetness and Kindness (as you do:) since you were transported with so violent Wrath, that you caused many of them to be Condemned to Death. 'Tis true, that calling yourself an Imitator of St. Austin, who was used to take the Criminals out of the hands of the Judges, or caused their Punishment to be diminished; you procured to change the Sentence of Death, into that of the Galleys; but you came short of the Charity of this Holy man; For he was not contented to ask the Magistrates for a simple moderation of Punishing in behalf of the Criminals, when he could obtain for them a free and full deliverance from it. You on the contrary, who over-ru'ld the Sentence (Monsieur L'Intendant, having an order to follow what you should think fit) instead of causing those Innocents' to be wholly delivered from the inflicted Pains, you changed their Punishment into a more insupportable one, the Condemnation to the Galleys being worse than death itself. If this be your kindness, how must we call what you did at Clay? When in obedience to your order Benjamin Good Chirurgeon, was commanded to exercise his profession no more; when according to your Commands, the Widow called Testar, had her Eldest Son taken from her; and in like manner was the woman called Boisseleau taken up for no other reason, but because she was very well versed in her Catechism, and highly encouraged her companions, not to comply with your bad Exhortations: When having caused the Cuirassiers, Commanded by Monsieur de la Chaise, the Nephew of Father de la Chaise, to come to Clay, you got together all the Protestants in the Monsieur D'Herouville his House, and told them, Unless they would Abjure their Religion, and become Catholics, you would bring into their Houses these Soldiers, who would overturn their brains, Make, Sir, make if you can, these actions to agree with what you boast of, viz. That none of the Protestants of your Diocese, have ever undergone any Violence, either in Person, or in Goods, and that they all came again to you quietly. Again, can this be accounted a great Moderation in you, to have procured, That a Physician of the la Ferté sous-jovaire, called Monceau, Eighty Nine Years old, should be thrust into a Monastery, with some circumstances full of Barbarity? That Eight or Ten Dragoons should be sent to a Wood-sellar, called Laviron, of the same Town; That Thirty of them should be Quartered upon Monsieur de la Sermoise, Gentleman of Brie; That his Wife and his Daughter should be taken from him, and put into a Monastery, and thereby notwithstanding Christ's Command, put asunder what God hath joined with the fastest bonds; Call (I say) those actions as you please: But as to what you did at the same Clay, whereof I am witness, in order to pervert Isaac Cochart, sick to Death, Pray Sir, pardon me, and do not accuse me of Passion, if I call it Fury. This (I must confess) made too deep an impression in my Imagination, and too sensibly wounded my heart, not to be forced to reproach you with it in this place. This Faithful Christian, seeing the Church's desolation, and the falling down of his Brethren, feared nothing so much as to si●k with them. He encouraged himself night and day, with God's Word, to Fight the good Fight: He looked upon approaching Death, as upon a sure Haven against your Persecution. He was contented to departed this Life, provided he could carry away his undefiled Faith committed to him, and bring it before the Tribunal of his own Judge. You opposed, Sir, his pious design in a strange manner; we saw you come to this Patient, accompanied with Monsieur L'Intendant, with Monsieur le Lieutenant General of Meaux, bearing in his hand a Letter Signed by the King; the Provost of the Marechaux being present, with a band of his Archers; a Cart was ready at the door for carrying away the Patient, that is, to Kill him. O what Apostleship! Is this the equipage of an Evangelical Preacher? You made to him a long Controversy, full of Injuries; and seeing him constant in his Faith, cried you not out, all transported with Anger, As soon as he shall be dead, let his Body be drawn to an Alloy▪ stall like a dead Dog? You came again to him, you solicited him with Promises and Threaten; you told him you were ready to take from him his dear and only Son, that is, like an Industrious Tempter, you tried him in the most sensible part, and tore his Entrails. Where is then, again Sir, the great kindness and sweetness you boast of? this Cruel Spectacle indeed converted me by little and little. What (said I to myself), is it possible that a Bishop, only to continue in the favour of the Court, should attempt upon the Consciences, which immediately and absolutely depend of God alone? What Apostle, What Churches Father, What lawful Council, ever taught, to establish the Faith in the Heart with violence? The primitive Church used a great deal of Circumspection, before the administering of the Sacrament to those that were suspected of heresy or wicked life. She tried them a long time, that so one might have a moral assurance of their Faith and Holiness; she admitted them not so much as to her meeting; so far was she from inviting them to the holy Table: Whereas our armed Bishop, Monsieur de Meaux, constrains those whom he ought to believe, according to his principles, to be Heretics, Schismatics, and profane Persons, not only to come into his Church, but also to eat what he teaches to be the real Body and Blood of Christ; according to his Doctrine, he gives to the Dogs, what is the most Holy Thing upon the Earth and in Heaven: As Pilate delivered Jesus Christ to the Jews for fear of Cesar; in like manner, Monsieur de Meaux delivers Jesus Christ to his Enemies by an unworthy compliance to his Prince. When these Heretics (said I) have in their profane Mouths the Saviour of the World, they shall insult and mock him, boasting as Pilate in the Gospel, that they have power over him, and that his own Nation and his Prelates, gave them this power, by delivering him to them. O how much more (added I) are the Heretics Respectful for the Holy Signs of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, than Monsieur de Meaux and the other like him, for what they affirm to be Jesus Christ himself! This indeed your behaviour, approved almost of all Bishops, your Brethren, aught to terminate all our dispute about Religion; it is a compendium of Controversy easy to be understood of all men of any sense. I treat you, methinks, indulgently, when I say you do not judge your Eucharist so great a Treasure, as you preach it to be; and that you do not believe Jesus Christ's presence so really in the Sacrament as you declare; for you would not cause the holy Body and Blood of your Saviour, (I dread to speak it, and even to think on't) to be eaten of the Dogs. These, indeed, violent Conversions, which are accompanied with forced Communions, are to me an invincible Demonstration of what you think upon the point of the Sacrament. Is it not better, Sir, for your Reputation, that I prove you in this Writing, you are an Hypocrite, than to convince you to be a notorious Profaner of your most Sacred Mysteries? Therefore admire not, if from henceforth I do believe on that point, nothing else than yourself; but it shall be with this great difference, that I will profess freely all the rest of my Life, the Religion which you keep secret in your Heart; wherein Fear, and Hope, World, and Flesh, detains it in Slavery. I am in the right, Sir, to judge of your Faith, by your Actions; Saint James teaches me, that Faith is manifested so. Jesus Christ himself lets us understand, that we are to distinguish the true Prophets from the false ones, by their Fruits. Pray, Sir, do not accuse me to have made a rash judgement of your Actions; for though it may be solidly grounded on what I said before, I may yet confirm it with what I myself observed in your fine Summer-House at Germigny. I saw you, Sir, there present at the Celebration of Mass, in a very uncomely Habit, and in a Posture unworthy of the Faith you profess; for though you were in perfect Health, and ready for your Dinner; you were nevertheless at the Mass bore breasted, and in a posture fit to assist at the rubbing of your Horses heels, than at the Sacrifice you say is so dreadful, That the Angels themselves tremble at it. Are you then, because of your Episcopal Character, more familiar with Jesus Christ than the Angels? Have you received of him the Title of Favourite, which gives you such Privilege and Liberty? You treated, indeed, your God in a most familiar manner; you lay all along upon a soft Pillow; you had sometimes in your hand, and sometimes upon your head a Ridiculous Cap; you were clad with a lose Nightgown, all ungirt like Horace his Distinctus Nepos; and so you took the fresh air whilst a little Priest hired of you to say Service, made you at least a memorial of your Saviour's bloody Passion: You had not (to be sure) in this posture the countenance of a Christian ready to die for the defence of the Transubstantiation which you would persuade others by fire and sword to believe; But to say truth, as soon as you saw me in your Chapel, where you thought there were but your own Domestics, and most familiar Friends, you were so ashamed to appear before me in such a neglected and unbecoming posture (which you yet judged to be worthy of the real Presence of the Lord) that you ran quickly into your Closet to dress yourself; and than it was I perceived the tenderness of your Conscience, by the fear you showed to have given me a Scandal. But fear no more, Sir; I have already told you, your Scandals were useful to me, and I received enough of them, to be Converted by the Grace of God. I gained something also by the confusion wherein I saw you, at one of the Conferences held from time to time all Summer long, in the Chapel of your Bishopric: There some body made you a strong objection, about some controverted matter, in which you were followed close; to which you gave so poor and so weak an Answer, that you yourself being not contented with it, and sensible of its extreme weakness, you endeavoured to strengthen it by some injuries against the Reformed Ministers, whom you called before all the Company, Miscrable fellows, and Rogues. Those defamations were the strongest part of your solution; and what surprised many People the more, was, that the day before, you rebuked a Priest, for having called a Country man Rogue, and told him wisely, that no Priest ought to have such words in his Mouth. You give, Sir, excellent precepts indeed, but your power and greatness exalts you above them; the Princes of the Church, like you, ought doubtless to have another different Morality from the common People: And it would be a wonderful thing to see a Bishop of the Roman Church, as Modest as a Simple Priest. Whilst I am making you my Confession, I shall tell you some other things that contributed also not a little to my Conversion; It appears, all your Zeal for the Roman Religion, is nothing but policy, and an extraordinary ambition to please the Court, wherein your interests and your hopes are great. For my part, when I consider the demeanour of the French Bishops, as also other Ecclesiastical Superiors; I cannot but look upon you all as upon Stage-Players; and upon your Religion, but as upon a mere Comedy. When the Court commanded you to maintain the Pope's Infallibility, you scrupled not to Anathematise all those who opposed this imaginary Privilege: When the same Court ordered you to dispossess him, you soon deprived him of it; and doubtless you are all ready to restore it him at the first Order you shall receive. But this is no more than what is common to you, Sir, with all other Bishops in France. I had rather to speak of that which is particular, and proper to you alone. Before the Revocation of the Edict of Nants, Monsieur de Meaux, was not so vigorous a Preacher against the Reformed; but since the Court declared, That it would suffer no Religion in France but the Roman; and since the Persecution against the Protestants is come to be in Fashion, Monsieur de Meaux appears at the head of the extraordinary Preachers, and most Cruel Persecutors. Whereas indeed by your Function you are obliged equally at all times to promote the Edification of the People of your Diocese; but you leave this care to your Vicars, when God alone imposes it upon you; and you work only in person, when you have the occasion fit to get the favour of an Earthly King, by obedience to his Order, be it never so unjust. 'Tis then you think your Honour is chief engaged; for what would the Court say, if Monsieur de Meaux, who hath such excellent parts to persuade, do not promote the Conversion of the Heretics? If you do not make good progress in it, you are ashamed, you become angry, as if you would oblige the Almighty, the only Master of the Heart, to let be instilled therein the poison which you pour with so much subtlety and Charm into the Ears. 'Twas doubtless to blot out the shame in which your bad success involues you, That in the Convocation of the Protestants that you called at Clay, in the time of your Missions, and in the presence of Monsieur L'Intendant, you told all the Assembly in the midst of your Discourse, Not they alone were obstinate in their Religion, but that they were in this, like all the other Protestants of France; all the People who were present took notice of these words, and made use of them to their own purpose: A Person of Quality held me by the Arm, and whispered me in the ear, Was there ever a greater extravagancy? Can he have invented an argument less fit to persuade this People? but (added he) Monsieur de Meaux is ashamed of having so slenderly promoted the Jesuits, and the Courts design, and with this Discourse he endeavours to justify himself before Monsieur L'Intendant, to the end that his report and testimony, may keep him in the Court from any Reproach. Seriously, Sir, all this your behaviour sometimes politicly Gentle, sometimes passionately Violent, scarce ever Sincere, and never Christian, shook strongly my Conscience. But (I confess to you) (I served not myself soon enough of your Missions and Sermons; I ought not, since I knew you, to have remained so much as one moment with you under the pretence of any slight difficulties which still possessed me: and the truth is, I put myself in danger of losing the grace of my Conversion, when I delayed so long to accept it. It was perhaps God's will it should be so, in order both to mine, and your Conversion. By God's Grace I led you the way in the Race, be not ashamed to follow me. O how abundantly, would your Conversion make amends for your Scandals! As for me, I am not so considerable in the World, that my Conversion should produce any great effect therein. It's chief, and perhaps its only fruit shall be for me. I was brought up unfortunately in darkness, in the company of Lazy persons; whose society and ill manners kept me unknown. As I consumed unfruitfully the best days of my Life, the rest of them will be perhaps profitable to none. But you, Sir, who appear almost above all with the Splendour of your Dignity, and acuteness of your Wit; with your Learning, and so many other very rare gifts of Nature and Fortune; you may set forth in our days wonderful things in sight of all the World, if you please to employ for the Truth, all that Wit you have hitherto made use of to fight against it. Your Conversion would be Famous, by the enlarging of our Saviour's Kingdom; and perhaps by the sudden decay of the Empire of the Antichrist: I may assure you, That as your dangerous Books hold open the door of the Pit, to many Thousand Souls, whom you keep from their Conversion: Your changing of Doctrine and Religion, opening the Eyes of abused Christians, would introduce them to Salvation. Consider what power God hath trusted you with; Are you not afraid lest he require of you a severe account of it at the dreadful Day; wherein being exposed to the very Truth and Justice, you will not find at the feet of his Tribunal any such Cowards, and Interessed Flatterers, as will render you praises, for the Poison your Books have presented them? I would not be obliged to tax you of being not Sincere; I fear lest this very Reproach should increase in you this bad point of Honour, which makes so many people to perish: But for God's sake look with pity upon your own Soul, and do not Sacrifice it to humane and worldly respects; Time is short, Death is not far off, Judgement approaches, Eternity is at hand; if these dreadful things ought to make an impression upon the minds of the youngest; what effect ought they not to produce in the Soul of a Prelate above seventy Years old? Cast away then this dangerous point of Honour, it is a Serpent which you feed in your Bosom for your own ruin; shall this wicked Honour, this dangerous Reputation that you got in a bad Party, be always dearer to you than Interest of the Truth, than the Salvation of your Soul, than God's glory? Nay, to be sure, in renouncing this worldly Honour, you would find it again, and more abundantly in your Conversion; for those that you abused with your Writings, coming to change in your Company, and by your example, would give you more solid and more true praises, than those which you have hitherto received. The moment of your Conversion would be more glorious to you, even before men, than this long space of your Life which is already past; this precious moment would sanctify and crown all your excellent qualities: I pray God to inspire you with this good design, and give you not only to Will, but also to fulfil it. I am SIR, Your Most Humble and most Obedient Servant, PETER FROTTE. Certificates of the Manners, Doctrine and Conversation, of the Converted Author. The first from HOLLAND. SOme Months ago, Mr. Frotté, heretofore Canon Regular, and possessed of a Living in France, of one of the best Families in Paris, came to live amongst us, and gave proof he had abjured Popery in Switzerland, from whence he also brought an excellent Testimony, and made good here, abundantly all the praises given him in those Countries; having showed, as well by his Writings, as by his Conversation, very much of Wit, Learning, and Sincerity for the motives of his Conversion. We desired to make him stay in this Country; but he finding not how to subsist here honourably, resolved to go into England; and we have given him this present Testimony, that he may he known for a Person of no vulgar Merit. Dated at Rotterdam the 14th. of March 1690. Jurieu, Minister, and Professor in Divinity. Le Gendre, Minister. Phinees Pielat, Minister. Basnage, Minister. Another Certificate from London. THE Acquaintance we have had for these fourteen Months with Mr. Frotté, hath given us a perfect Knowledge of him. We were very glad to experience in him the Character under which the precedent Attestation represents him. He gave us some Proofs of his Dexterity in expounding of the Holy Scripture, and of his Knowledge in Divinity. The Gifts of Preaching he received of God, is not ordinary; it would have been a loss, if he had employed it in the Defence of errors and Idolatry. We were edified also by his Modesty, and good Conversation; and we hope all those that shall know him, will be affected towards him in the same manner. Dated at London the First Day of May 1691. J. Graverol, Minister. I approve this precedent Certificate, which might be made more advantageous without offending the Truth. De Galinieres Pesè, Minister. I approve this Attestation . Brocas of the hands plens, Minister. Another Certificate from Ispwich in Suffolk. WE willingly give this Testimony to Mr. Frotté, That during the space of four Months, in which he resided in this Town, we have never found in him any other Sentiments but what are conformable to the pure Doctrine of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and to the present Government of this Nation; and that as to his Conduct and Behaviour, it hath always appeared most Worthy of his Profession, his Piety and Charity having edified us upon all occasions. We beseech God to continue to him always his Consolations, and the strength of his Holy Spirit in all Trials, through which Providence shall be pleased to make him to pass. Dated at Ipswich the 20th of September, 1691. Fontanier, Minister. De Marraquier, Gentleman. FINIS. A●e Sold by James Langford, Taylor, in Flower-deluce-Court in Blackfriars. 1691. BOOKS Printed for Richard Baldwin. TRuth brought to light by Time; or the most remarkable Transactions of the first fourteen Years of King James' Reign. The second Edition, with Additions. A New, Plain, Short, and Complete French and English Grammar: whereby the Learned may attain in few Months to Speak and Writ French Correctly, as they do now in the Court of France. And wherein all that is Dark, Superfluous, and deficient in other Grammars, is Plain, Short and Methodically Supplied. Also very useful to strangers, that are desirous to learn the English Tongue: For whose sake is addded a Short, but very Exact English Grammar. The Second Edition. By Peter Berault. The Devout Christian's Preparation for holy Dying. Consisting of Ejaculations, Prayers, Meditations and Hymns, adopted to the several States and Conditions of this Life. And on the four last things, viz. Death, Judgement, Heaven, and Hell. Victoriae Anglicanae; being an Historical Collection of all the Memorable and Stupendious Victories obtained by the English against the French, both by Sea and Land, since the Norman Conquest. viz. The Battle, 1. Between. K. Henry II. and Robert of Normandy. 2. At Morleis' 3. At the Rescue of Calais. 4. At Poicters. 5. At Cressey. 6. At Agincourt. 7. At the mouth of the River Seine. 8. At Vernoil. 9 At Cravant. 10. At the Relief of Orleans, with the great Actions of the Lord Salisbury and Talbot. 11. Of Spurs. Dedicated to all the Commissioned Officers of the Maritime and Land Forces. Price stitched 6 d. The Memoirs of Monsieur Deagant: Containing the most Secret Transactions and Affairs of France, from the Death of Henry iv till the beginning of the Ministry of the Cardinal de Richlieu. To which is added, a particular Relation of the Archbishop of Embrun's Voyage into England, and of his Negotiation for the advancement of the Roman-Catholick Religion here; together with the Duke of Buckingham's Letters to the said Archbishop about the Progress of that Affair: Which happened the last Years of King James I. his Reign. faithfully translated out of the French Original. A True Relation of the Cruelties and Barbarities of the French, upon the English Prisoners of War; being a Journal of their Travels from Dinant in Britain, to Thoalon in Provence, and back again. With a Description of the Situation and Fortifications of all the Eminent Towns upon the Road, and their Distance, etc. Faithfully and impartially Performed by Richard Strutton, being an Eye-witness, and a Fellow-Sufferer. The State of Savoy: In which a full and distinct Account is given of the Persecution of the Protestants in the Valleys of Piedmont, by means of the French Councils: As also of the Unreasonable Conditions and Demands that the French King would have put on the Duke of Savoy: And of the just Causes and Motives that induced that Duke to break off from the French Interest, and join with the Confederates: Together with the most memorable Occurrences that have since happened there: As also the true Copies of all the Letters and Dispatches that have passed between them.