times the other read to this laundress; and they were surprised to
find that she was instructed by the Lord Himself in all they read to
her, and spoke divinely of it.

Those friars sent for this woman, and threatened her much if she did
not leave off prayer, telling her it was only for churchmen to pray,
and that she was very bold to practice it. She replied, that "Christ
had commanded all to pray," that He had said, "What I say unto you I
say unto all" (Mark 13:33, 37), without specifying either priests or
friars; that without prayer she could not support her crosses and
poverty; that formerly she had lived without it, and then was very
wicked; that since she had been in the exercise of it, she had loved
God with all her soul; so that to leave off prayer was to renounce her
salvation, which she could not do. She added that they might take
twenty persons who had never practiced prayer, and twenty of those who
were in the practice of it. Then, said she, "Inform yourselves of the
lives of both sorts, and ye will see if ye have any reason to cry out
against prayer." Such words as these, from such a woman, one would
think might have fully convinced them; but instead of that, it only
irritated them the more. They assured her that she should have no
absolution till she promised them to desist from prayer. She said that
depended not on her, and that Christ is master of what He communicates
to His creatures, and of doing with it what He pleases. They refused
her absolution; and after railing at a good tailor, who served God with
his whole heart, they ordered all the books without exception, which
treated on prayer to be brought to them. They burned them with their
own hands in the public square. They were very much elated with their
performance; but all the town presently arose in an uproar. The
principal men went to the Bishop of Geneva, and complained to him of
the scandals of these new missionaries, so different from the others.
Speaking of Father La Combe, who had been there before them on his
mission, they said that these seemed as if they were sent to destroy
all the good he had done. The bishop was forced to come himself to that
town, and there to mount the pulpit, protesting that he had no share in
it, and that these fathers had pushed their zeal too far. The friars,
on the other side declared, they had done all they did, pursuant to the
orders given them.

There were also at Tonon young women who had retired together,