1802.) 
tell you how it fhall be: go to-morrow to 
Schwitz, tell the judges both your reafons 
and mine, and then there will be no need 
for me to go.” ‘* Well,”? faid the other, 
“<if you choofe to truft your caufe to me, 
I will manage it as if it were my own.” 
Matters thus fettled, Frantz went to 
Schwitz, and told the judges his own 
reafons and Gafpard’s as well as he could, 
--(for the inhabitants of the canton did 
not enjoy the advantage of having lawyers 
in thole days, and were obliged to plead 
their caufes themfelves). When fentence 
had been pronounced, Frantz came again 
to Gafpard; **Gafpard,” faid he, ‘the 
field is your’s, I congratulate you, neigh- 
bour; the judges have decided for you, 
and I am very glad the affair is finifhed.”’ 
And Frantz and Gafpard were friends 
ever afterwards, Ibid. 
JOSEPH SAURIN’S CONVERSION, 
Few narrations of the kind are more 
interefting, or afford more matter for 
reflection, than that given by Jofeph Sau- 
vin of his hiftory and converfion, in his 
Account of the remarkable procels between 
himfelf and Rouffeau the poet. 
Jofeph Saurin was the fon of a Protef- 
tant minifter in France, and was brought: 
up to the fame vocation. He left his 
native country on account of religion, and 
fettled in Switzerland, where he married a 
lady of good family,and fettled asaminifter. 
His inquiries appear to have alienated him 
from therigid fyftem of Calvin; and, when 
the bigots to that fyftem cbtained an 
injunttion for all minifters’ to figa a for- 
mulary of faith, he employed much art 
and influence to procure an exemption 
from this obligation. For a confiderable 
time he was able to impofe upon. the 
confiltory by a fecret declaration which did 
not amount to the profeffion. required. 
Ait length the artifice was difcovered, and 
a {form was gathering round him. The 
intolerance manifefted in thefe proceedings 
probably gave him the firft difeut with 
the church to which he was joimed; but 
that this fhould have the effect of difpofing ’ 
his reafon to agree with the Roman Ca- 
tholic fyftem, may be well doubted. It is 
more likely that he was rendered indifferent 
to all particular fyftems, which, of courie, 
would incline him to concur with that 
which was the moft powerfully fupported, 
from the Port-folio of a Man of Letters: 
$05 
He commenced that kind of examination 
which is preparatory to a converfion. 
He opened a correfpondence with the cele- 
brated Boffuet, the famous converter of 
his time. The prelate, doubtlefs flattered 
with the idea of gaining over a Proteitant 
migiiter, who was alfo a man of Jearning 
and abilities, ftrongly urged him to a_ 
perfonal interview. Saurin accordir,ly 
came to Paris under a feigned name, and 
refided for fome time with Boffuet, who, 
after fuch a ftep, could find little real 
difficulty in finifhing the bufinefs. Saurin 
has mentioned one argument employed by 
the prelate, which is perhaps the, moft 
curious inftance upon record of the advan- 
tage obtained in controverfy by a high 
tone of authority., ‘* You acknowledge,” 
faid be, **that a re-union of the Chriftian 
church is abfolutely neceflary,—but it is 
perfeétly abfurd to fuppofe that the Ca- 
tholic church can come to the fchifmaties, 
whence it demonftrably follows that they 
muft go toher.”’ Saurin affirms that this 
argument had extraordinary weight with 
him; yet it appears furprifing that, even 
though he was fo incautious as to admit 
the neceffity of uniformity, he fhould be 
moved by a confequence which could only 
be maintained by a controverfial bully, 
whe had previoufly difcarded every princi- 
pie of moderation and equity.. What, in 
faét, can be more impudent in any procefs 
of argumentation than to-fay ‘TI fet out 
with a refolution of conceding nothing to 
you, and therefore, if we are to come to 
terms, it muit be by your conceding every 
thing to me.’’ Such, however, has really 
been the language of the Papifts in every - 
attempt to bring about a_ conciliation 
between them and the Proteftants. ae 
Saurin was converted and penfioned ; 
but he always lay under the fufpicion of 
religious indifference, which the nature 
of the argument to which he fubmitted 
feems to juftify. As he was a geome- 
trician, indeed, a mode of reafoning drawn 
from the laws of fumber and motion 
may be fuppofed to have exerted peculiar 
influence over his mind; ¥et even his 
defender, Voltaire, infinuates that he fa- 
crificed his religion to his intereft, and 
that Boffuet was made the dupe of a pree 
tended conyerfign, 
4Dz PRQ- 
