A. D. 1685. 619 



\'oltaire [Jje of Louis XIF, V. ii, c. 2] fays, that near 50,000 fa- 

 milies left France in the ipuce of three years, and were afterwards fol- 

 lowed by others, who introduced their arts, manufadtures, and riches, 

 among Grangers : that almoft all the north part of C-ermany (a country 

 hitherto rude and void of induftry) received a new face from the mul- 

 titude of refugees trandated thither, peopling entire cities, wlierc (lulls, 

 lace, hats, (lockings, formerly imported from France, were now made 

 in thofe countries. 



Neither were the protedant cantons of Switzerland lefs kind and 

 bountiful to fuch of thofe good people who took flicker amongd them, 

 by fupplying them with every necellary, and even fettling penfions on 

 them. In a fevv^ months after this revocation, the city of Geneva 

 doubled her inhabitants : yet, led France fliould relent it, her magif- 

 trates were obliged to fend them away again. The landgrave of Hefle 

 Cadel received them in great numbers, and was extremely kind to them. 

 Even the lutheran princes received them kindly, and ereded churches, 

 fchools, and holpirals, for them, particularly the princes of Lunenburgh, 

 the free cities of Germany, the margrave of Bareith, &c. They, in 

 fhort, fpread themfelves throughout every other part of Europe where 

 any degree of freedom or toleration of private judgment in matters of 

 religion was allowed, as in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Livonia, Po- 

 land, and Ruflia. Some even wandered as far as our American colonies : 

 and wherever they were received, they became a fubdantial blefling to 

 their benefadors by improving their trade and manufadures : more- 

 over, many of them having been eminent merchants, fuch of thofe who 

 fixed in England and Holland, fettled correfpondences all over the world, 

 greatly to the increafe of commerce. 



On this intereding fubjed: we can fcarcely judge it a digredion to 

 join with Fenfionary De Witt (in his Intcrcji of Holland') in behalf of the 

 freedom of toleration of religion, ' as being highly conducive to the 

 ' increafe of commerce, preferving our people at home, and alluring 



* drangers to come and fettle with us : for,' adds he, * all civilized peo- 

 ' pie mud be fuppofed to pitch upon fome outward fervice of God as 

 ' the bed, and to be averfe from all other forms ; and fuch perfons 

 ' will abhor even to travel, and much more to refide, in countries where 



* they are not permitted to ferve God outwardly after the manner they 



* like bed. Yet the clergy (almod everywhere but in Holland) having 

 ' a fettled livelihood, which depends not on the poHtical welfare of the 



* land, do, through human frailty, teach and preach up all that can have 



* a tendency to their own credit, profit, and eafe, even though it be to 



* the ruin of their own country.' He then goes on to diew how they 

 perfecute didenters from them, odio thcologico, as he phrales it : ' where- 

 ' as,' adds he, ' all chridian clergymen ought to red fatisfied, according 



* to their mader's doctrme, with enlightening and periuafion alone, and 



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