BUSSY-RABUTIN Roger, comte de (1618-1693) militaire... Lot n° 25

L.A. (minute), Chaseu December 8, 1685, to Count d'OLON, his cousin; 3 pages in-4 (small holes and cracks from ink corrosion). He tries to persuade his cousin to abjure Protestantism. After what the bishop of Autun (Gabriel de Roquette) "on behalf of God" and M. de Harlay "on behalf of the King" have told the Count, he reminds him that "Blaise de Rabutin, father of our great aunt Benigne de Rabutin, was of the Catholic, Apostolic and Roman Religion. It was not a hundred years ago that this Blaise lived, and it was about that time that our bisayeul (at most) became of the so-called reformed religion". Bussy-Rabutin doubts that the only "discovery of the truth" was the reason for this conversion; he sees in it "the same reasons of ambition, or of discontent of the Court that the Condés and the Collignis had. If you examine the conduct of all these first Reformers, whether Princes, Gentlemen, common people, churchmen, or people of war, you will find in some worldly interests, for the source of their change, and the love of novelty in others. But when there are some who are persuaded of the truth, [] does it belong to private individuals to reform the Church", this must be done by councils. As for him, if someone proposed to him to change his religion, he would firmly refuse: "I would go to court if I had to", because salvation is at stake "In the name of this same God in whom we believe you and us, I conjure you my dear cousin to listen to all the divine and human reasons which urge you to change. May a false honor not make you obstinate [] This same good spirit which provides you with so many reasons to support your belief, must show you all those that you have to return to us ". Attached are a L.A.S. "L'abbe De Bussy" and a L.S. "L'Evesque de Luçon", 1723-1732, from his son Michel-Celse-Roger de BUSSY-RABUTIN (1669-1736 [AF 1732, 14e f].