He was at a loss[239] at first how to act with regard to the celebration of divine service.  March 30, 1635, he wrote to his brother:  “You have reason to ask how I must act in the affair of religion; it greatly embarrasses me.  It would be an odious thing, and might displease the High Chancellor, to introduce, by my own authority, a new reformed Church:  besides, those, to whom I might apply for a Minister, are of different sentiments from me.  What you propose, that I should hear the Ministers of Charenton, since they receive the Lutherans into their communion, is not amiss.”

We have seen that Grotius, on his arrival at Paris after his escape from Louvestein, had room to be dissatisfied with the reformed Ministers, who, under pretence of his refusing to receive the Synod of Dort, and his attachment to Arminianism, would not communicate with him.  The happy revolution in his fortune made one in their minds, as he writes to Vossius[240].  Immediately on his arrival at Paris in quality of Ambassador from Sweden, he was visited by six of the principal reformed Ministers, among whom were Faucher, Aubertin, Daille, and Drelincourt.  They were not much attached to the rigid sentiments on Predestination:  some even seemed to prefer Melancton’s system to that of Calvin.  Before Grotius had determined in what manner he should act with the Ministers of Charenton, Faucher, Mestrezat, and Daille came on the 2d of August, 1635[241], to ask him to join their communion; which, they assured him, discovered a greater disposition than ever towards an union among Protestants, having lately resolved to admit Lutherans.  “They hoped, they said, that he looked on their Confession of Faith as consistent with Christianity; that they had the same charitable sentiments concerning that of the Arminians; that they had not forgot what he had formerly said, writing against Sibrand, ’that he wondered whether the Contra-Remonstrants would refuse to admit St. Chrysostom and Melancton into their communion, if they should offer themselves;’ that they had read and approved of his Treatise on the Truth of the Christian Religion, and what he had lately written, exhorting Christians to live in peace; that they had written to Holland, to make no more difficulty about admitting the Remonstrants into their communion; and that the Dutch, become more moderate in process of time, would give attention to their reasons.”  Grotius answered, that he was ready to give them public proofs of his willingness to join in communion with them, and that it was not his fault he had not done this sooner:  adding, that if he should go into any Country where the Lutherans, knowing his sentiments on the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, should be willing to receive him into their communion, he would make no difficulty of joining with them:  which the Ministers approved of.

He had not yet determined to go to Charenton on the 23d of August, 1635.  “I weigh matters (he writes to his[242] brother) that I may do what is most agreeable to God, useful to the Church, and advantageous to my Family.”