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discerning that you only could be the perfons concerned. Common report hurried me into this mistake. But this excufe, which is too good for you, is not enough for me, who profefs to affert nothing without fufficient proof, and never did but in this fingle inftance. I am forry for it; I renounce it, and wish you may reform by my example.

LE T

LETTER XVII.

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Rev. father ANNAT,

Jefuit and Confeffor to the King.

Jan. 23. 1657

Rev. FATHER,

Y

OUR late behaviour made me believe that you wished for a ceffation of arms on both fides, and I was willing to comply with it. But fince that, you have fpawned fo many pieces in a trice, that it feems there is no great certainty of a peace, when it depends upon the filence of the Jefuits. I do not know whether this rupture will be of any service to you or not, but for my own part, I must confess, I am not forry

for

for it, because it affords me an opportunity to refute that common reproach of Herefy, with which all your writings are stuffed.

It is high time that I should put a check, once for all, to that unbounded licence which you take, (and which encreases every day) to treat me as an Heretic. Which you have done in the very laft book you published, in such an insufferable manner, that I might well be fufpected, if I did not make fuch an answer as the nature of fuch a reproach deferves. Amongst abundance of other injuries, which were indifcriminately cast upon me by your fraternity, I muft own, that I flighted even this of Herefy; because my fifteenth letter had answered them fufficiently. But now, truly, you begin to take it a note higher; you make it, and that seriously too, the very foundation of your defence; the only point you infift upon. For you fay, "To give a complete answer to my fifteen "letters, it is enough to fay fifteen times " that I am an Heretic, and being declared fuch, do not deferve to be credited." now, it seems, you take it for granted that I am an apoftate, laying it down as an undoubted principle, on which you build fo confidently. Since then, Rev. Father, you VOL. II.

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So

treat

treat me as an Heretic in good earnest, I will try to make an answer to it in good earnest

too.

You know very well, Father, that an accufation of this nature, is of fuch confequence, that to advance it without fufficient proof, is a most intolerable temerity. Now, I demand what proofs you bring for it? When was I feen at CHARENTON? When have I neglected to go to mafs, or to do the duties which every Christian ought to do in his own parish? When, and in what, have I been seen to unite with Heretics, or to divide from the Church? What council have I contradicted? What papal conftitution have I violated? Some answer must be made, Father, or else -you know what I mean.

But after all, what is your answer? Why it is this, and I defire every body to observe it. You fuppofe first of all, "That the per"fon who wrote the letters, belongs to "PORT-ROYAL"" Then you fay, the PortRoyalifts are declared Heretics, and thence infer, that he who wrote the letters is a declared Heretic. But the force of this accufation, Father, does not fall upon me, but upon Port-Royal: and you charge me with it, only because you suppose me to be one of

them.

them. But I can purge myself of that very eafily, for I only tell you, without any more ado, that I do not belong to them, and for proof refer you to my letters, wherein I faid that I AM ALONE: and in exprefs terms, that I AM NOT OF PORT-ROYAL: as you may fee in my fixteenth letter, which came out before your book did.

You must take fome other course then, to prove me an Heretic, or elfe you will betray your inability to all the world. Why do not you prove that I reject the conftitution by my writings? They are not fo very voluminous; you have but fixteen letters to examine, in which I defy you, and all the world, to find a syllable that looks that way. But, I will let you there fee quite the contrary. For, when I faid for inftance, in my fourteenth, "That "whoever kills (according to your maxims)

any of his brethren in a mortal fin, damns "them for whom JESUS CHRIST died." Have I not plainly acknowledged, that JESUS CHRIST died for those very damned fouls? And therefore, it is falfe to fay "That he "died only for the predeftinated." A doctrine condemned by the fifth proposition.

It is therefore very certain, Father, that I have faid nothing in defence of fuch impious propofitions,

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