Answer to De Meauxs Book, Letter
An Anſwer to Monſieur de MEAUX's Book, &c.
SIR,
I Have a long time deſired a ſight of what you have now ſent me. It was told me on all hands, That there was a Writing of Monſieur de Condom's abroad, containing a relation of what paſt, in the Conference I had the honour to have with him at the Counteſs of Roye's; and ſome perſons did even aſſure me, they had heard it read: But ſtill I could meet with no body, capable of giving me the ſatisfaction I lately received by your means. This lays upon me a double engagement, both to return you my thanks for it, and at the ſame time, to gratify the curioſity you have to ſee what I wrote upon the ſame ſubject, the next day after our Interview. M. de Condom having profeſt it was not his deſire, that what paſt between him and me ſhould be publickly talked of, I thought my ſelf under an obligation to confine what I had written, to my own Study; And this hath been hitherto very punctually obſerved by me. But now, ſince he hath thought fit to give out Copies of his, I have reaſon to believe, that in this reſpect he leaves me perfectly to my liberty, and is well ſatisfied I ſhould do the ſame thing with mine. I have too great an opinion of M. de Condom's Wiſdom, not to follow his Example in this particular, and I promiſe my ſelf from his Equity, that he will not find fault with me, for treading in his ſteps.
But becauſe he hath been pleaſed to impart to us that Diſcourſe alſo, which he had with Mademoiſelle de Du…as in private, the day before our Conference, you will think it convenient, that before I tranſcribe my Relation, I ſhould firſt make ſome reflections upon That. Were this a diſcourſe of ſuch a nature, as common occaſions or accidents are uſed to produce, where a man ſpeaks without preparation or deſign, and delivers himſelf with all the freedom imaginable, I confeſs it were unjuſt to examine it ſtrictly, and by rule. But ſeeing this was compoſed by M. de Condom, with a proſpect of obliging Mademoiſelle de Duras to change her Religion, and which ſeems a ſtudied piece; a Diſcourſe, which he hath joyned to the account of our Conference, as a conſiderable part of what paſt in this matter: Laſtly, a Diſcourſe, committed to Writing, upon ſuppoſal that it may be uſeful to others, and, for that purpoſe made in ſome meaſure publick; I cannot forbear looking upon it as a work of premeditation, and returning ſome anſwer to it accordingly. Beſides, that you and I are concerned, as to what Mademoiſelle de Duras hath done, to deſire to know whether ſhe had ſufficient reaſons to forſake your Communion, and embrace the Romiſh; and the examination of this Diſcourſe will be a very proper means of clearing that point to us.
Now it may be reduced to two principal Parts: In the firſt, M. de Condom makes it his buſineſs to ſhew, that the Catholick or Univerſal Church, which we profeſs to believe in the Creed, is a Church thus defined:Conference with Mr. Claude, Page 2, 3. A Society making profeſſion to believe the Doctrine of Jeſus Chriſt, and govern it ſelf by his word: Whence he infers, That it is a viſible Society. He pretends alſo to make it appear, that to this Church, thus defin'd, belong all the promiſes found in Scripture. In the Second, He labours to anſwer an Objection, drawn from what happened to the Church of Iſrael heretofore, in which we often ſee the true Worſhip of God to have been changed and corrupted, and both the People and their Guides to have fallen into Idolatry.
Theſe two Parts, Sir, we will proſecute in order, and by applying our ſelves to what is moſt material in them, will endeavour, by the aſſiſtance of God's Grace, to make the Truth ſo evident, as ſhall remove all difficulties.