A True Recipe

to myself: O divine and admirable goodness of God! Would to my will that we held the works of Thy hands in such reverence as the Prophet teaches us in this Psalm! And from then on I thought to depict in some great painting the beautiful landscapes that the Prophet describes in the aforementioned Psalm; but soon after, my courage was changed, seeing that paintings are of little duration, and I thought to find a suitable place to build a garden according to the design, ornament, and excellent beauty, or part of what the Prophet has described in his Psalm; and having already figured said garden in my mind, I found that by the same means, I could build a Palace or amphitheatre of refuge next to said garden, to receive the Christians exiled in time of persecution, which would be a holy delectation and honest occupation of body and spirit.

I find you very far removed from all common opinion in two instances: the first is because you say that it is required to find a mountainous place to build a delectable garden; and the other, because you say that you would also like to build an amphitheatre of refuge for exiled Christians: which I cannot take in good part, considering that we have Peace, and also that we hope that soon there will be freedom to preach throughout all of France, and not only in France, but also throughout all the world: for it is so written in Saint Matthew chapter 24, where the Lord says that the Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in the universal world, as a testimony to all nations. This is what makes me say and assure that there is no longer a need to look for Cities of refuge for the Christians.

You have very poorly considered the sentences of the New Testament: for it is written that the children and elect of God shall be persecuted until the end, and chased, and mocked, banished and exiled: and as for the sentence that you have brought written in Saint Matthew, it is true that it is written that the Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached to the universal world; but it does not say that it will be received by all, but it does say that it will be a testimony to all, that is to say, to jus-