eby very imprudently furnish arms to their adversaries. I see, he
writes to Vossius[563], that those who have erected new Churches among
us, have followed their own ideas, but have not always advanced the
affairs of Religion."

Salmasius was as zealous for the pretended reformed religion, as he was
become indifferent to Grotius. However they visited one another, but it
was with much coldness. "Salmasius (he writes to his brother[564],
February 10, 1641) came to see me: he is ready to defend the most
outrageous opinions; among others, that St. Peter never set foot in
Italy. It is surprising what a party spirit will do."

Grotius looked upon almost all the Reformed as factious men[565]. He had
no esteem for Calvin; speaking of Cassander, he says he was a very
excellent, and at the same time a very able man, and therefore most
worthy of Calvin's hatred: he advised James Laurentius to read, instead
of Calvin's _Institutions_, Vincent de Lerins. "I hear[566], says he to
him, that you are less seditious than most of your order (that is, the
Protestant Clergy) and that you only suffer yourself to be drawn away by
others: wherefore I will give you one good counsel: read the Scriptures
in the original, the confessions of faith of the ancient Christians,
instead of the Belgic Confession, the Catechisms of Cyril in the room of
Ursinus's Catechism, and the acts of the General Councils, and not those
of the Synod of Dort: you will then easily perceive that Grotius is not
become a Papist, but Laurentius turned a Calvinist." Laurentius wrote
against him: but Grotius took his revenge[567] by silence. He did not
approve of the separation of the Protestants; he thought these new
Churches, these new Rites had not at all contributed to the promoting of
piety. "It is just, said he[568], to reform our manners: but would it
not have been better for us, after reforming ourselves, to have prayed
to God for the reformation of others; and for the Princes and Bishops,
who desired a reformation to have endeavoured to procure it by general
councils, without breaking the unity." A Minister called D'Or, turning
Roman Catholic[569], Grotius discovered little concern at it, and speaks
of it with great calmness in a letter to his brother. "What D'Or has
just done, says he, the learned Pithou did before him: Casaubon was
resolved to do the same had he remained longer in France, as he assured
several persons, and among others Descordes. I would fain, conti