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A23974
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An Abstract of the present state of the Protestants in France
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1682
(1682)
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Wing A140; ESTC R34140
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3,739
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2
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An Abstract of the Present State OF THE Protestants in France HIS Majestie having earnestly recommended the calamitous condition of the French Protestants to the Charity of his Subjects it will be reasonable that some account should be given of the Persecution and Severities used towards those unhappy People which have driven them from their Estates and Country and caused them in so great numbers to seek for refuge amongst Strangers The aforesaid pressures are of two sorts one from the iniquity of the Laws the other from the violence of Men. As to the first Whereas the Protestants of France as a reward for their eminent Services to the Government and Crown were supported by the memorable Edict of Nantes bearing date April 1598. ratified thro the succession of several Kings and in particular by him who now reigns yet of late without any pretence of forfeiture or ill demerit on their part they have been subjected to many severities directly contrary to the concessions of the said Edict and indeed that humanity which is due to all Men even from Heathen Strangers and professed Enemies An instance whereof will be first the Edict of Feb. 28. 1680. whereby in imitation of the Egyptians dealing with the Israelites it is ordered that Protestant Women shall not be delivered in Child-birth but by Midwives and Surgeons who are Papists and they are commanded to Baptize the Children new born who are thenceforth esteemed to be members of the Church of Rome and if when they come to age they shall profess the Protestant Religion will be liable to be punisht as Apostates and their Parents obnoxious for perverting them 2ly The Edict of June 17. 1681. whereby it is ordered that the Children of Protestants shall be admitted to abjure the Religion of their Parents as soon as they shall attain the age of seven Years And it is then put into the choice of the Children whether they will continue with them and be there maintain'd with large allowances such as the Papist Magistrate shall appoint or have the like provision made at the charge of the Parents elsewhere By which offer of licence the Children are not only encourag'd to disobedience and debauchery but rendred the Masters nay Persecutors of their Parents 3ly The Edict of Novem. 19. 1680. which ordains that when any Protestant shall happen to be sick he shall suffer himself to be visited by the Papist Officers and Priests who at their coming remove from him his Friends Relations and Attendants and among themselves interrogate him according to their pleasure and his answers are usually interpreted to be a reconciliation of himself to Popery and an abjuring of the Protestant Religion So that if he die the Family are esteem'd the Children of a Papist Father and so to be bred in that Religion If he survives and continues in the Protestant Religion he is to be treated as a relapsed Heretic 4ly The Edicts of July 9. 31. 1681. which restrain the Protestants from having Schoolmasters to teach their Children who are of their Religion more than bearly to Write and Read and only one is allowed in a whole City and besides this they only may teach who are licenc'd by Papist Officers whereby also their Vniversities are supprest which was the very course formerly taken by Julian the Apostate for the extirpating of Christianity And was the method of the Ammonites to put out the right eyes of the Israelites as a reproach upon them 5ly The Edicts of Novem. 6. 1679. Jun. 11. Aug. 17. 1680 and June 28. 1681. which order the turning of Protestants out of civil and military employments and the disabling trades-men from keeping shops or exercising their Professions Which is in effect to command them and their families to steal or be starv'd 6ly The Edict of Nov. 19. 1680. which Grants to all Protestants who change their Religion a respit for three years of paying their depts laying a prohibition upon their creditors to bring any action against them Which as it is a violent temptation to ill men to change their Religion so it absolutly ruins the credit of others who are no longer trusted the Creditor being insecure of being paid 7ly The Edict of June 1680. which orders that no subject of France of what quality condition age or sex soever now making profession of the Roman Religion may ever forsake it to go over to the Reformed for what cause reason pretence or consideration soever And whosoever shall act to the contrary shall be condemned to make Amendehonourable to perpetual banishment and confiscation of goods Likewise all Ministers of the Reform'd Religion are forbid to receive any Proselyte coming to them from Popery or suffer in their Churches or Assemblies any such under penalty that the Minister shall be depriv'd from ever exercising his function and of the suppression of the Place or Church for ever after Upon which pretence and others as unreasonable for how is it possible for any Congregation to provide that no person formerly of another perswasion should come among them an almost infinite number of Churches have bin demolish'd They are the words of the provincial Assembly of the province of Papists held in the months of March and May 1681. alledg'd as a testimony of the piety of the King So that at this present the Protestants are fain to go to many places 30. or 40. Miles to get their Children Baptiz'd or perform any public act of religious worship And if it happen in case of carrying Children to be Baptiz'd that the Papist midwife hath done that office before then the Parent is accused as Sacrilegious and of rebaptizing a Catholic Infant into heresie 8ly But since mention is made of Amendehonourable as a part of the punishment of a Convert to the reformed Religion it may not be amiss to give some account of it 9ly The person condemn'd to this punishment is to go into some public place in his Shirt with a Torch in his hand and a Rope about his neck followed by the common Hangman and in this equipage as if he were the most Infamous Malefactor he is to ask pardon of God the King and Justice for what he has done That is for leaving a Religion which he believed to be Heretical and Idolatrous and for imbracing the truth and desiring to save his soul he is to be made a spectacle to God Angels and Men. 10ly But over and above all this severity of the Laws there is added the cruelty of Magistrates and violence of Souldiers Against a protestant any accusation is greedily received and severely prosecuted and if after long vexation expence and imprisonment the innocence of the Person accus'd shall be so manifest as not to be dissembled he can hope for no reparation against the Papist false accuser 11ly Nor is the condition of the Protestants in civil causes better than in criminal If any Protestant sues a Papist for the Interest of an estate or debt or complains of being over-rated in