96.  This I pointed out some time ago to the excellent M Pelisson, to show him that the Roman Church, going further than the Protestants, does not damn utterly those who are outside its communion, and even outside Christianity, by using as its only criterion explicit faith.  Nor did he refute it, properly speaking, in the very kind answer he gave me, and which he published in the fourth part of his Reflexions, also doing me the honour of adding to it my letter.  I offered him then for consideration what a famous Portuguese theologian, by name Jacques Payva Andradius, envoy to the Council of Trent, wrote concerning this, in opposition to Chemnitz, during this same Council.  And now, without citing many other authors of eminence, I will content myself with naming Father Friedrich Spee, the Jesuit, one of the most excellent in his Society, who also held this common opinion upon the efficacy of the love of God, as is apparent in the preface to the admirable book which he wrote in Germany on the Christian virtues.  He speaks of this observation as of a highly important secret of piety, and expatiates with great clearness upon the power of divine love to blot out sin, even without the intervention of the Sacraments of the Catholic Church, provided one scorn them not, for that would not at all be compatible with this love.  And a very great personage, whose character was one of the most lofty to be found in the Roman Church, was the first to make me acquainted with it.  Father Spee was of a noble family of Westphalia (it may be said in passing) and he died in the odour of sanctity, according to the testimony of him who published this book in Cologne with the [177] approval of the Superiors.

97.  The memory of this excellent man ought to be still precious to persons of knowledge and good sense, because he is the author of the book entitled:  Cautio Criminalis circa Processus contra Sagas, which has caused much stir, and has been translated into several languages.  I learnt from the Grand Elector of Mainz, Johann Philipp von Schonborn, uncle of His Highness the present Elector, who walks gloriously in the footsteps of that worthy predecessor, the story that follows.  That Father was in Franconia when there was a frenzy there for burning alleged sorcerers.  He accompanied even to the pyre many of them, all of whom he recognized as being innocent, from their confessions and the researches that he had made thereon.  Therefore in spite of the danger incurred at that time by one telling the truth in this matter, he resolved to compile this work, without however naming himself.  It bore great fruit and on this matter converted that Elector, at that time still a simple canon and afterwards Bishop of Wuerzburg, finally also Archbishop of Mainz, who, as soon as he came to power, put an end to these burnings.  Therein he was followed by the Dukes of Brunswick, and finally by the majority of the other princes and states of Germany.