Christian charity!"

XII. 2.

_Grotius's Religious Sentiments_.

[Sidenote: CHAP. XII.]

To the milder form of Arminianism, Grotius always inclined. During his
embassy in France, he adopted it without reserve. He was soon disgusted
with the French Calvinists. The ministers of Charenton accepted the
decisions of the Synod of Dort, and, in conformity with them, refused,
when Grotius repaired to Paris, after his escape from Louvestein, to
admit him into their communion. On his arrival at Paris, in quality of
ambassador, they offered to receive him: Grotius expressed pleasure at
the proposal; and, intimated to them, that if he should go into any
country, in which the Lutherans, knowing his sentiments on the sacrament
of our Lord's Supper, should be willing to receive him into their
communion, he would make no difficulty in joining them. Thus every thing
appeared to be settled; but the ministers then objected to receive
Grotius as ambassador from Sweden, because that kingdom was Lutheran.
Grotius, upon this, resolved to have the divine service performed in his
house. Lutherans publicly attended it. "We have celebrated," he writes
to his brother, "the Feast of the Nativity in my house: the Duke of
Wirtemberg, the Count de Saxenburgh, and several Swedish and German
lords, attended at it." His first chaplain was imprudent, his second
gave him great satisfaction.

[Sidenote: XII. 2. Grotius' Religious Sentiments.]

Burigni has collected, in the last chapter of his Life of Grotius, a
multitude of passages, which shew his gradual leaning to the Roman
Catholic faith. He produces several passages from his works, which
prove,--

_That_ he paid high regard to decisions of the councils, and the
discipline of the primitive church; and thought the sentiments of the
antient church should be deferred to, in the explanation of the
Scriptures: [047]

_That_, the early reformers were held by him in no great esteem:[048]

_That_, mentioning Casaubon's sentiments, Grotius said that this learned
man thought the Roman Catholics of France better informed than those of
other countries, and came nearer to truth than the ministers of
Charenton:--

"It cannot," says Grotius, "be denied, that there are several Roman
Catholic pastors here, who teach true religion, without any mixture
of superstition; it were to be wished that all did the same:"[049]

_That_ the Calvinists were schismatics, and had no mission