Our history informs us, that, in the infancy of the society in France, the Calvinists used their utmost endeavour to hinder the growth of a body of men raised on purpose to oppose their errors, and to stop the spreading contagion: to this end they dispersed into all parts a multitude of pamphlets, in which the Jesuits were arraigned, as professing a doctrine inconsistent with the safety of his majesty's sacred person; being well assured, that the imputation of so atrocious a crime was the shortest and securest way to bring about their ruin. These libels soon raised a prejudice against the Jesuits in {353} the minds of all those, who had any interest in opposing their establishment in France, and some communities even joined in the impeachment. The crimes, which are now laid to their charge, in the numberless writings, that swarm in all parts of your majesty's dominions, are no other than those which were maliciously forged and published above one hundred and fifty years ago. It is not from such libels as these, that we are to form a just idea or rational judgment of the Jesuits' doctrine or behaviour: such wild and groundless accusations did not deserve our attention, and the little notice we took of them may be a convincing proof to your majesty of the Jesuits' innocence. And, indeed, the inviolable fidelity of the bishops of your kingdom, and their sincere attachment to the crown, is too well known to leave any room for suspecting, that they could be either so blinded as not to discover that, which, as is pretended, is visible to the whole world; or, if they had perceived it, that they should so far have forgot their duty to God, to religion, to your majesty, as to encourage such treasonable doctrine by a criminal silence, and trust the most sacred functions of the ministry to persons convicted of publicly professing the same.