gion and reafon, of truth, equity and honour, in the human

heart.

Voltaire," that he figned one of the great misfortunes of France." It proved indeed the last act of his life, for immediately he fickened and died.

The lying spirit of Popery has-been in every nation the fame. How many promifes did Mary queen of Scots give her reforming fubjects? how many treaties did he make with the Lords of the Congregation, thofe noble affertors of civil and Chriftian liberties, merely to deceive them to their ruin, all of which fhe inftantly broke, telling them," that princes were not always obliged to "keep their engagments, especially when made to heretics." Did not like wife the other Mary of England engage to protect the Proteftants, and promife to use no force in matters of religion, which fhe forgót as foon as he was eftablished on the throne, and those who were the first to believe her, and efponfe her cause, were among the first whom the committed to flames; the priests making her believe that he never would have a child unless the rooted out all the heretics of the kingdom).And did not James II. on his acceffion to the throne, give assurances, that he would preferve the government in church and ftate? How religiously he kept his word all the world knows.

If it was yet needful to recur to the examples of individuals many of thefe might be produced. The inftances of John Hufs and his fellow martyr Jerom of Prague are well known: both of them came to the council of Conftance in confequence of a safe conduct granted them, yet both of them were put to death by the order of the council. The former, particularly, had the emperor's protection with him expreffed in the most full and ample manner, allowing him to go and return in fafety; notwithstanding which he was feized imprisoned, condemned, degraded by the council, and burnt alive by the authority of the fame emperor, And after his execution the council eftablished this example into a law, by making the decree of which we formerly gave the substance; declaring," that whereas there were several, who privately and openly blamed "the emperor, and even the facred council, faying or infinuating, that the fafe "conduct granted to John Hufs the herefiarch, had been unworthily violated, contrary to all the rules of honour and justice, although the said John Huls "obftinately oppofing (as he did) the orthodox faith, rendered himself un"worthy of any fafe conduct and privilege, and neither according to the law "of nature, divine and human, ought any faith or promife to be kept, if it is

to the prejudice of the Catholic faith; the facred fynod declares by these "prefents, that the faid emperor has done with regard to John Hufs, what he could, and what he ought to do, notwithstanding his fafe conduct.". Another remarkable inftance of almoft equal bafenefs and perfidy, though not fo commonly known, we have in the cafe of Mofes Charas, a physician of great reputation in the last century, whofe phyfical writings were tranflated and admired through all Europe. But having the misfortune to be a Huguenot he was obliged to fly his country, in confequence of the edicts made in France 1680, prohibiting any of that religion from exerciting that function or any other. He retired into England, where he was honourably received by the king; and having continued five years there, went over to Holland, and prac

heart. It has driven men and nations to act, even in a' visible

tised in Amfterdam, with much efteem. The Spanish ambaffador there, from the opinion he had of his superior skill, endeavoured to engage him for the fervice and affistance of his master, whose health was then very infirm. But the doctor scrupled to comply through the terror of the inquifition: but the ambaffador relieved him of his fears, affured him of protection, and carried him and his family with him to Madrid. Yet, though a foreigner drawn thither purely on a design of public utility in the way of his profeffion, though taken under protection, and confiding in the faith of his Catholic Majefty, in whofe palace he was employed, he had not continued long there, before he was delivered up to the inquifition, and dragged, at the age of 62, to the frightful prifons of that tribunal, where he remained four months, and from thence would doubtlefs have been brought forth to the fire, if he had no, to fave his life, abjured his religion. Thus he was rewarded for his benevolent endeavours to fave the life of a Catholic king! Bafnage, Hift. de la Relig. etc. 1.. ch. 74 Leger. Hift. etc. 1. a. D'Aubignè Hift. Univ. 1. ii. ch. 9. etc. All. Geogr. vol. ii. Meteren, l. 3. Furieu, Seafonable advice to all Proteft. in Europe, p. 62 etc. Lefna Excidium. Clark's Martyr. Erskine, Confiderat. on the fpirit of Pop. p. 14. etc. Heifs, Hift. de l'Emp. 1. 4. Hiftorical Collections, v. 2. Hiftoric. Regifter for 1720, No. 18. Jurieu. Apol. I. ii. Memoir. de Castelnau. Addit. de Laboureur, l. 7. Noue, Difc. polit. et milit. Mezeray. Benoit, Hift. de PEdit, etc. Volt. Siècle, etc. tome. 2. du Calvinisme. Hift. of Scotl. and Engl. Popery always the fame, pref. p. 10. Moreri, Dic. Hift.

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* After the treaty made by the emperor' with Charles XII. of Sweden at Alt Ranftadt in 1707, in which were fome things favourable to the Proteftants, Pope Clement XI. wrote a letter to the emperor, of the following tenor; "We do by these presents denounce, and by the authority given to us by Al"mighty God, we declare, that the forefaid articles of the faid treaty of Alt "Ranstadt, and the other things contained in it, which hurt the Catholic faith, the divine worship, the falvation of fouls, the ecclefiaftical authority, "jurisdiction and rights whatsoever, and in what manner foever, with all, and every present and future confequences of them, have been from the very beginning, are now, and for ever fhall be null and void, etc. and that no one "is bound to obferve them, or any of them, even though they have been of"ten ratified and confirmed by oath."-The fame Pope wrote to the Abbot of St. Gall in' Switzerland concerning his treaty made with the Proteftant canton of Bern in 1718, telling him," that he and his fucceffors were not bound "to obferve the articles of that treaty, any more than if they had never been "agreed to:" Juxta illarum literarum tenorém, pro comperto habeas; te fucefforefque tuos ad ea'que in prædicta infaufta tra&atione conventa fuerint, obfervanda, perinde ac fi nunquam conventa fuiffent, nullo modo teneri.

"

that not

To which we shall fubjoin part of a Bull of Urban V-" Urban bishop, "fervant of the fervants of God, etc. Truly it has come to our ears, "only our dearly beloved fon in Chrift the illuftrious Winceflaus, king of the "Romans and Bohemia, but also his father, Charles emperor of the Romans of

vifible contradiction to their plaineft interefts. It has ex

1

tinguished

"famous memory, did, either conjunctly or feverally, enter into certain confe. "deracies, engagements, leagues, and conventions with divers kings, princes, "etc. and that fome of thofe kings, princes, etc. either at that time or afterwards, became open fchifmatics or heretics, and were separated from the "unity of the holy Roman Church, although they were not declared by us to "be fo.-Therefore we, confidering that fuch confederacies, engagements, "leagues and convent ons,, made with those who had become fchifmatics « or heretics, are rash, unlawful, and of very deed null (although perhaps they were made before the lapfe of thofe perfons into fchifm or heresy) notwithstanding they may have been confirmed by oath or promife, or the apo "ftolic fanction, or ftrengthened by any other authority whatever;—we, being "defirous to obviate the danger of fouls, as well to the faid king, as to all "others whom it does or may concern, do therefore, by these prefents, strictly prohibit them from keeping thofe confederacies, engagements, leagues, or "conventions in any part, themselves, and from allowing them to be observed by others in any manner, etc." Acta Eruditorum, 1727, p. 199. Pop. alw. the fame. Rymer's Phadera, vol. vii. p. 352. Second Let. to Mr. G. H. p. 71. * Those princes, who, in obedience to the See of Rome, have girded up their loins to extirpate heretics, have feldom reaped their rewards in this world; but have bestowed their pains, exhaufted their treasure and ftrength, depopulated and impoverished their kingdoms, and fometimes loft their crowns, merely for the chimerical gains and golden crowns of paradife, promised to them by the mitred impoftor. Perfecution is ever at variance with the civil intereft and profperity of nations, and all who employ it do it to their own hurt. It gives not only a deadly wound to the peace and stability of a kingdom, but to the arts, to trade, and manufactures, and all that makes a people great and happy.

་་

The violence used in matters of religion in the low countries under Charles V. destroyed more than 50,000, befides thofe who left the country and fled to other places. Sir William Temple fays, that many Proteftants had come hither being driven from France, Germany and England, by perfecution, who in a little time filled the country, but especially the cities with new inhabitants, who being in favour with the people, because of their doctrine and piety, as well as for the riches and other advantages brought them, their numbers greatly en creased; but no fooner was their religious liberty restrained, than they began to withdraw, and diffipate as fast as they came; upon feeing this the governors thought it best to fufpend the execution of the bloody laws;-and particularly all foreign merchants were declared to be exempted from the inquifi ion. Philip, the fcourge of Europe, made the yoke more grievous, the evil effects whereof were foon fenfibly felt. Upon the approach of Alva and his army, the trading people left the country in fuch numbers, and with fuch precipitation, that, as the Governess informed the King, above 100,000 of them went off in a few days with their effects.-Strada fays, that 30,000 foreigners came to England and fettled there, which were banished again in Mary's days; besides a great number of the natives to the unspeakable lofs of the public. In Elifabeth's

2

inguished the strongest sentiments of nature, and the moft

common

Elifabeth's time, the liberty granted to the Flemings and other refugees brought over again great numbers, to whom many confiderable cities of the nation owed the origin of their riches, trade and greatnefs, as Norwich, Colchester, etc.

Philip II. a beaft of prieftly burden, after having been employed the greater part of his reign in a kind of religious wars and croifades, and in scattering abroad Rome's vengeance, had, in the end, nothing but loffes and disappointments for his reward; having weakened and dismembered, the empire, and impoverished his treasures without any substantial advantage. He spent in France alone, during the short reign of Charles IX. 4,000,000 of gold, against the Huguenots: and from the year 1585 to 1593, 6,000,000, at the leaft. The league, first and laft, is faid to have coft him a roo,co0,000 of livres, from which he never derived the smallest compenfation. A little before his death, he declared to the prince his fon who fucceeded him, that from the year 1565, be had spent on the civil wars of France, those in the low countries, and in his other enterprizes of the fame nature, more than 594,000,000 of ducats, without having made any conquest or acquifition except that of Portugal, which was of small account and yielded no lasting advantage.

The long civil wars of France, before the fettlement of the edict of Nantes, coft the kingdom, in 12 or 15 years, the lives of a million of people, and redu ced it to the brink of ruin; that it had nearly become a province to Spain, if the arms of Henry and the Protestants had not in the end prevailed. The bad effects of the impolitic violations, and repeal of the edict upon the temporal peace and profperity of that kingdom were long and severely felt. Befides the new civil broils which they occafioned, they drove away great multitudes of useful members of the state never to return. The author of Politique du Clergé de France, printed in 1681, declares, that, in the course of 15 years preceding, the fevere arrets of the king had banished 60 or 80,000. All the frontier provinces were greatly depopulated, as Normandy, Picardy, Champagne, &c. When the church of the Proteftants in the city of Amiens was condemned, and taken from them, the greater part of their merchants removed to other countries, with their money and effects to the amount of 12 or 15,000 lives, But this was nothing to the great desertion and depopulation which enfued, when all their temples were razed, their ministers banished, and none but dragoons left to be their spiritual instructors, whose word was Death or mass. Yet, when thus used at home, they were prohibited under the pain of the gallies for the men, and confifcation of body and goods for the women, from attempting to fly abroad. Yet no authority or precautions could prevent multitudes from feeking that poor confolation. Every country, where they could have access, fwarmed with refugees. In three weeks time 17,500 perfons were reckoned to have paffed unto Lausanne. "In vain" (fays a writer, no friend to Calvinifts) ચંદ્ર were orders given to guard the frontiers, and all the coafts, against those who thought it a duty to fly. Near 50,000 families in three years time left the kingdom, and were afterwards followed by others. They carried with them

65 among

common and prevalent feelings of humanity*. It has induced

?

among strangers the arts; the manufactures; riches. Almoft all the north of Germany, a country before wild and void of induftry, affumed a new appear"ance from the numbers tranfplanted thither. They peopled whole cities, "The stuffs, the laces, the hats, &c. which formerly were bought of France, "were manufactured by them. One quarter of the suburbs of London was " entirely peopled with Frenchmen, workers in filk: others carried there the "art of finishing chryftals, which was then loft in France. The gold is yet to be found very common in Germany, which the refugees difperfed there. "Thus France lost about 500,000 of inhabitants, a prodigious quantity of fpecie, and, above all, the arts with which her enemies were enriched. Hol"land hereby gained excellent officers and foldiers. The prince of Orange ❝ had entire regiments of refugees. Some of them fled as far as the Cape of Good Hope, and fettled a colony in that extremity of the earth. In vain "were the prifons and galleys filled with those who were apprehended in their "flight. What could be done with so many unhappy persons confirmed in their belief by their fufferings? How fend to the galleys lawyers, and infirm << old men. Some hundreds were embarked for America. At length the "counsellors imagined, that, when emigrations should be no longer prohibited, "fewer would emigrate. But in this they were again deceived; and, after "the paffes were opened, they were fhut again to no purpose."

But all this to an orthodox Romanist will be accounted no lofs at all, seeing what is loft to the ftate is gain to the church. A court commiffioned by the emprefs queen of Hungary, in 1751, to inquire into the growth of Lutheranifm, announced to fome who were lying in irons for the profeffion of that religion, "That the queen would rather that the land fhould bear thorns and thistles, * than that it should be ploughed by Lutherans." Furieu, Apol. l.ii. cb. 8. Meter. f. 30. Sir Will. Temple, Remarks, &c. Strada, decad. i: Essay concernTM ing the Power of the Magijir. &c. ch. vii. § 6. Remarq! fur la Sat. Menip. p. 362. Franc. le Petit, Hift. des Païs bas, t. ii. 1. 8. Politique, &c. p. 199. Quick, Synod. p. 146. Voltaire, Siecle, &c. tome ii. du Calvin, p. 209, &c Confiderat. on the Spirit of Pop. p 15.

4

It has been obferved by fome, that, in the countries where the Inquifition is eftablifhed, the fpectators behold the execution of those condemned by it with every mark of joy and fatisfaction, instead of testifying the least pity or commi feration. These fad spectacles are reforted to by persons of every age, sex, and quality, from the prince to the peafant; many coming from 'a great diftance to have the pleafure of attending them: a farce or a bull feaft is reckoned a dull entertainment in comparison with an auto da fe. Yet the same spectators will be affected with the ufual fenfatious, in as high a degree as any other people, at the public execution of ordinary malefactors. The emperor Sigifmund, who had protected John Hufs, went fo far into the fpirit of the Conftantian' council as to declare before it, concerning the opinions maintained by Hufs, That there was not a fingle one among them that did not call for the punishment of fire-and that he would with his own hands kindle the fire to burn him,

"if