PREFACE.

defense of divine truth. One can see in the testimonies given to him what great esteem all the churches in France and the most prominent of their ministers immediately had for him, and with what honor and love he was constantly treated there, despite all the malice and envy of his enemies and the opposition of the wicked, whom he pursued everywhere and who always remained his opponents. Who will not wonder after this that D. KoelmanJacobus Koelman (1632–1695), a Dutch Reformed minister who was initially a supporter of Labadie but later became one of his most vocal critics. speaks of him as he does on page 109 and page 110 of his book, where he seems to cite his [Labadie's] own words, although they are not his. He cites his Declaration written at Montauban in 1650. Yet every faithful soul who reads it will surely feel a holy indignation against one who speaks of such a servant of God as D. Koelman does. The Messrs. Daillé, Drelincourt, Garissoles, Delon, Martel, and so many other teachers and professors in the churches and academies of France have seen and read with approval what Mr. de LabadieJean de Labadie (1610–1674), the subject of this defense and leader of the Labadist movement. wrote in that book, as can be demonstrated. And yet it is from this very source that D. Koelman intends to derive the reasons for the bad and harmful judgment he passes on Mr. de Labadie. It seems he borrowed these from his most public enemies, whose words he cites elsewhere to excuse in the Walloon SynodThe governing body of French-speaking Reformed churches in the Netherlands. what he himself previously condemned therein, in the manner that will be seen in this book. But regarding this, I wish D. Koelman would tell me what opinion he holds, for example, of the Church Father BernardSaint Bernard of Clairvaux (1090–1153). The author is making a comparative argument: if Koelman respects medieval saints who lived under Catholic "errors," he should not judge Labadie for his own past., who lived under the same errors, superstitions, and idolatries in which Mr. de Labadie found himself. He will perhaps say that Bernard guarded himself against them; but we can also answer that if he knew how God's wise and faithful guidance was over and around Mr. de Labadie, he would see that this servant of Jesus Christ, by His grace, guarded himself even more against them.