Contrary to his expectation, this people offered to employ him, the fynod confirmed their choice, and he was again restored to his beloved paftoral labours. Here, the worthy man often faid, he 1662. spent the four happieft years of his life. He loved Montauban, it was the place of his education. He lived in the most perfect union with his colleagues. There was a mutual efteem between himself and the whole church; and here, could he have enjoyed his wifh, here would he have spent the refidue of his days: but providence had greater work for Claude to do.

Marshal Turenne pretended, at first, to be fatisfied with Mr. Claude's answer to The Perpetuity: but, about three years after, his doubts were all revived, yea ftrengthened by reading an answer to it, publifhed by one of his old friends, the author of The Perpetuity. Claude was not fo filly as to imagine that fuch men as the Marshal troubled themfelves with comparing quotations from Greek and Latin fathers. The price of the next blue riband was a question of more confequence to them. However, as the Papifts filled all France with fhouts of victory obtained by this book, and as the Proteftant intereft was affected by this popular clamour, Mr. Claude fet about anfwering this paltry piece. The epifcopal party understood, that fome reformed minifter was preparing an anfwer, they endeavoured to find out whence the news came, and who he was, that dare tarnish the glory of thofe, who were in vogue for the most learned and polite writers of France. At length, it was fuppofed, the hardy animal lived at Montauban, and the old fetter, the bishop, was employed to find him out. This prelate affected great efteem for

1665.

Mr. Claude, and endeavoured by familiar inter views to diminish the distance, that seemed to be between the epifcopal crofier and the pastoral staff. He wanted to know, whether Mr. Claude intended to answer Dr. Arnaud, and he wished to be indulged with a fight of the copy, if, as report faid, there were fuch a thing. Mr. Claude, fuperior to concealment, fhewed him a part of the copy; and although he defpifed the man for imagining he could impofe on him, yet he informed him, that the other part of the copy was printing at Paris. I do not know who this bishop of Montauban was, nor will I look; for it does not fignify, a bishop of France is a French bishop, and a French bishop 1666. is a bishop of France. Prefently down came an order of council to prohibit the exercife of the miniftry at Montauban to John Claude. Mr. Claude obeyed as before, refigned his charge, and went to Paris to get his fufpenfion taken off.

No fooner was Mr. Claude arrived at Paris, than he was informed, that a ftop was put to the impreffion of his book: however, next morning he was complimented with better tidings; for the Jefuits, having just then an occafion to lower the topfail of the Janfenifts, and fuppofing that Claude's book might very well ferve that purpose, procured, without any affection for him, an imprimatur. How happy for good men, that bad ones fometimes fall out!

Nine months was Mr. Claude detained at Paris in fruitless endeavours to get leave to return to Montauban. Although he knew, his was what they called an epifcopal cafe, and that these causes were fo privileged, that every process was fure to be loft, yet his defire to return to his charge, or

at

at least to acquit himself of the blame of negli gence, induced him to try all means in his power. During his attendance here, the reformed church of Paris, which affembled at Charenton, determined to call him to the paftoral office among them, and they had influence enough at court to obtain leave to do fo. It was a bold attempt, at first fight it should seem impracticable, to fettle a preacher in the metropolis, who could not be borne with in a diftant province: but the reformed nobility were politicians as well as chriftians, and they underftood, as well as other men, the doctrine of lucky moments. One of these fell out at this time, and 1666. John Claude was affociated at Charenton with Meffieurs de L'Angle, Daille, and Allix, who, I think, were his colleagues.

Our pastor had not been long at Paris before he 1668. was obliged to take his pen a third time, to answer father Nouet. This Jefuit thoroughly underftood that his own order neither intended to favour the reformed, nor to defert the papal cause in this important crifis, when one of the main pillars of popery was undermined, although they had held back the Janfenifts from propping it up. Mr. Claude's answer to this famous difputant was his favourite book. All the reformed were extremely delighted with it, and particularly with the preface to it. This piece produced no bad confequences to Mr. Claude, as the former had done; for now Jefuits and Janfenifts were formidable to each other, and their brangles were publick benefits.

Mr. Claude, as paftor of the church at Charenton, was placed on the pinnacle of the reformed church of France. Superiority in these churches was not obtained by patents and titles, and habits

and

and hard words: but it was always allowed to fterling merit. Such Mr. Claude poffeffed, and that added to his fituation, attracted the eyes of all France to him. Paris was the fource of all the ecclefiaftical mischiefs, that afflicted the provincial churches; and Charenton was the place, to which they repaired for advice. Our fagacious paftor ftudied the advantages and disadvantages of his fituation. He ftood on an eminence, where he had the finest opportunity of reconnoitring the artful enemy: but this elevated station expofed himself at the fame time to universal inspection. It required peculiar fagacity to diftinguish his object of investigation from a thoufand others, that furrounded it. It called for a fingular dexterity and delicacy of action to avail himself of events as they turned up, and to improve them to the defeating of epifcopal manoeuvres, and to the confirmation of the reformed churches. Indefatigable attention, unremitted exertion, a frank deportment, and an impenetrable depth of thought, a clay-coldness toward fecular things, a heart inflamed with holy zeal, a courage, that nothing could daunt, and a countenance alternately fupple and severe, were all neceffary at this critical conjuncture to the pastor of Charenton, and Mr. Claude poffeffed them all.

Religious liberty was that to the epifcopal clergy, which Mordecai had formerly been to stately Haman. It shared no prelatical honours: but prelates could not be happy while it fat all contented and poor, at the king's gate. Its deftruction was determined. Bifhops prepared poifons, which underling mountebanks difperfed through all the provinces, under the fanction of patents from the

crown.

It is not imaginable, that vigorous religious freedom could expire without violent agonies. All the reformed church in France felt these dying pangs, and uttered lamentable groans. Claude, the meek and merciful Claude, whose tender foul diffolved at the found of every human woe, was doomed to fee his darling die, doomed to refide the last nineteen years of this convulfive scene at the mart of intelligence, Paris, that painful poft of obfervation.

Would my limits allow it, I fhould have a melancholy pleasure in attending this noble foul, though all his various scenes; I fhould follow him in his private studies, his paftoral vifits, his publick labours in churches and fynods, and his attendance on great men. But I must content myself with relating only a few principal articles.

Dr. Arnaud, neither content with his own performances, nor with that of Nouet, once more attacked Mr. Claude on the old affair, perpetuity, and now changed the ground, and pretended to produce proofs innumerable that the Greek church had always held the doctrine of tranfubftantiation. Mr. Claude answered a fourth time; and, as before, the publick did him justice, and allowed his manifeft fuperiority over thefe Port-royal champions. Dr. Arnaud had great advantages over Claude in procuring troops from the Greek pappas. Ambaffadors, Confuls, Miffionaries, all were employed to hire forces, and poor venal Greek bifhops were glad to furnish what they wanted at a proper price. Claude had neither confcience, commiffion, treafure, nor inclination for this kind of traffick, and it was glorious to his caufe to be fuperior to the want of it. Ye infallible, irrefragable, angelical, fe

raphical