A DECLARATION MADE BY THE REFORMED CHVRCHES OF FRANCE AND THE PRINCIPALITIE OF BEARN Concerning their vniust persecution by the Enemies of the Estate and of their Religion Together with their lawfull and necessarie defence Acording to the French Copie printed in Rochell M. DC XXI A DECLARATION made by the Reformed Churches of France and the Principalitie of Bearn Concerning their vniust persecution by the enemies of the Estate and of their Religion Together with their lawfull and necessary defence WE the Deputies in the Generall Assembly of the Reformed Churches of France and the Principalitie of Bearn persecuted by the enemies of the Estate and of their Religion who abuse the Kings mind and conscience seeing that to our great griefe we are constrained by the violence of oppression to haue recourse vnto naturall and lawfull meanes by a necessarie defence to preserue the libertie of our consciences and the safetie of our liues against these our implacable enemies We protest in the name of the said Churches before God and men inuiolably to remaine vnder the subiection of our King acknowledging that he is giuen vs of God to be our soueraigne Lord. And that all the world may take notice that as this obedience next vnto the worship of God is the onely aime of our intention sufficiently manifested by our former fidelitie ingrauen in the pillars of our Estate and in the crownes of our late Kings raised vp againe by our predecessors and our selues notwithstanding the endeuors of our enemies factions also the hatred and persecution which we now endure is raised vp for no other cause by our enemies but for this holy and iust action whereunto they know we are inseparably bound by the rules of our Religion by the example of our progenitors and the right of our owne conseruation First of all then we beseech the King and all true French men as also all Kings Princes and Potentates friends and confederates of the Crowne and generally all men who are touched with the zeale of Gods glorie with commiseration of innocencie troden vnder foote and with griefe for the miseries which at this day threaten France to informe themselues here of our iust complaints that in them they may see the perfidiousnesse of our enemies and their crueltie and which whether we will or no they pull out of our bosome and binde vs to publish for the iustification of our innocencie and to let all such as loue iustice and truth see that the refuge of our defence whereunto we are brought is both necessary and iust our enemies being thrust forward by no other motiue to kindle the fire in this kingdome then to put out the light of our Religion and to ouerthrow the most sure resistance which in the Estate may be opposed to forrein enterprises But because by their wonted subtilties they haue here followed the common course which tends to violence and crueltie making to themselues a way by false accusations to the oppression of a iust cause And for a pretence to inuade vs they haue proclaimed vs rebels and seditious and to spread euery where this accusation they employ the Edicts and declarations of the King and of the Parliaments yea and the mouth of Ambassadours in forrein parts To the end that the simplicitie of those who are least informed either of the hatred or of the power or of the craft of our enemies might not receiue some sinister impression of vs touching the dutie of obedience and fidelitie towards our King and country we will shew here that all the pretences and iniurious crimes wherewith they charge vs are meerly artificiall disguisings borrowed as a veile to couer the outrages done to innocencie For as to inflame the hatred of Kings and the furie of the people against the Gospell they haue heretofore accused the first Christians our fathers in these last times of like crimes namely that they transgressed against the decrees of Cesar moued sedition among the people and did ouerthrow the royaltie of Princes Vnder these supposed accusations they haue caused them to suffer euery where the violence of the sword the burning of fire the crueltie of massacres the futie of warres and the horror of all sorts of exquisite torments It is true that as our fathers were more weake and naked or exposed to a more easie slaughter Religion then was directly charged with these crimes and then they haue persecuted and made open war vpon them for their professions sake But now by a subtiltie fitted to their intentions our enemies haue altered the method They enterprise warre vpon the persons to breake in vpon Relgion And because that after so many perfidious and cruell practises the arme of God hauing raised vs vp as out of our fathers ashes and by the miraculous prosperitie of the late King conducted by our sidelitie vpon the throne of this monarchie the breaches of the Estate being repaired that there might be established a firme peace an Edict was granted vs for the libertie of our consciences and places of safetie to preserue our goods and liues against the violence which the former euils made vs feare for the time to come truly it were now too an apparent violating of peace and they should too manifestly declare themselues enemies of the quiet of France if openly this Edict made in fauour of vs should be reuoked and it they should make war vpon vs for Religion It were also to ingage too many persons in one selfe same cause For these causes to couer their proiected purpose of the ruine of this Estate through ours to arme the King against vs and to destroy vs with greater ease then other wise they could possibly do They haue proclaimed vs rebels and offenders they haue endeuoured to make this cause more particular they call the warre they make vpon vs a chastisement of seditious persons But when we shall haue here made plaine to the eyes of all the world the purpose of those who are authors of these troubles and confusions the long oppression we haue hitherto endured with all patience the euidences of our right in the course we haue held in our complaints and most humble suites made to our King now laid against vs as a crime Lastly the open persecutiō which at this instant they inflict vpō vs by the armies already raised against vs in all the parts of this kingdome where they thinke we are able any way to resist We hope that we shall cleare our innocencie from these slanders shall approue our iust and necessary defence which we vndertake waiting for the help and blessing of the Almightie And finally we shall obtaine fauour and assistance from all such as loue his glorie and the truth and the succour and helpe of whosoeuer they be that desire the conseruation of this poore kingdome Since the most sure stay o◠the Edict for our safetie established by the mightie hand of the late King fell by the stroke of his death the enemies
demand redresse And is there in this any shadow of rebellion against our Prince We assembled our selues to demand iustice of him Had we not need and right to do so We haue already iustified it by the estate of our calamities and the condition of the promises made vs. Haue we passed the limits of complaint If being denied we often returned and diuers times endeuoured to lay downe our most humble petitions at our Kings feete alas who can distaste it or blame vs when we behaue our selues towards our King Gods image vpon earth euen as God him selfe hath commanded vs And because many Deputies out of all the Prouinces desirous to carry backe from the Kings bountie and grace the effect of his good will towards vs continued together is it not a malignant and iniurious pettifoggerie that to authorize a deniall of iustice we should be accused of shadowing the Kings authoritie And for a speciall president for the said deniall our enemies alledge that the Parliament after the presentation of their bils breakes vp and stayeth not for an answer But what proportion is there betweene vs and a Parliament All our demands are particular We demand not that such rules be prescribed vnto the State or such new lawes and orders wherein certainly the Monarchicall authoritie would be disparaged and quartered if the Parliament should do more then aduice But all that we demand is that our burnt Churches may be repaired that the exercise of our Religion let and hindered vs be re-established That Townes giuen vs by the King and taken from vs by violence be restored vs That officers may be admitted That children taken by force out of their fathers armes be giuen them againe and the like Wherein should the Kings authoritie be disparaged if he should command out of hand that in euery one of these points iustice should be done vs If a priuate man to whom an iniury is done may iustly complaine of it and expect iustice from the King why if the if the iniury be done out of hate to a generalitie may not a generalitie do the same Can there be then any greater iniustice then to accuse vs of rebellion and disobedience because we complained and demanded iustice in this sort any greater crueltie then to persecute vs for this cause and make warre vpon vs But this is sufficient to shew that the far fetcht pretexts of our enemies are but coloured subtilties to execute the old designe of making warre vpon our Religion and to plunge France in confusion and trouble Wherefore considering the iustice vrging need we had to haue recourse by our complaints vnto the Kings protection The right and permission granted vs to reassemble our selues to that end in such expresse and solemne termes the failing and breach of promises caused by the fraud of our enemies Their violence in hindring our accesse vnto our King and in causing all our suites to be reiected The iniustice of their accusation and the slanderous crime of rebellion that they impose vpon vs. The disloyaltie of their proceedings coÌ„sidered whiles they temporize vpon the refusall of doing vs iustice that they might take from vs three Townes at once in Viuarez by the fraud of a treatie and breaking their publike faith The inuasion of the whole country of Bearn contrary to such an expresse stipulation and so fully performed on our side And after that to commit such bloodie and inhumane acts of hostilitie And lastly this infamous perfidie considered that vnder the shadow of a Declaration authorized with the Kings sacred name confirmed in all the Courts of Parliament of France promising libertie and safetie by maintaining the Edicts vnto all such as should remaine in their obedience the Towne of Saumur was seized on where the gates were opened with so much obedience and respect vnder expresse and particular promises besides the publicke faith of the Declaration that nothing should be innouated That by a like fraud and trecherie the Towne of Iargeau was at the same time inuaded S. Iohn d'Angely assaulted and now is in expectation of a siege All Protestants disarmed throughout all the chiefe Townes of Normandie to prepare them alas for a more easie slaughter If all these things we say be rightly considered together we doubt not but it will easily appeare that we suffer this persecution for iustice sake and by the hatred of our Religion which a generall conspiracie throughout all Europe now threatneth to destroy Wherefore being forced for the libertie of our consciences and out of loue to our Country to seeke in our selues and towards the friends of our Religion and this State a iust and necessary defence we here yet againe present our selues with teares before our King beseeching him in all humilitie to consider and beleeue that the vowes and ardent desires that we continually powre forth vnto God in our prayers are for the prosperitie of his person and State And that it would please him to remember that our fathers taught by their Religion the true obedience due vnto their King haue neglected the sefetie of their owne liues to further and aduance the labours of Henrie the Great in the recouery of his kingdome perfidiously sold and exposed to the enemie by the very same pretexts of hatred and persecution against our Religion and vs. And that he would vnderstand that we following our fathers steps as heires of their affections haue neuer forsaken the dutie we were borne to nor refused the true obedience and ready seruice that our Religion teacheth vs to yeeld him And would to God Sir that your Maiestie moued with the true interest of your greatnesse and out of your naturall generositie would for the setling of your Crowne and diginitie of your kingdome turne your armes vpon the enemies of your State and vse our fidelitie in the defence of such a cause We will boldly say for our selues that in so glorious an emulation betweene your best subiects we would cary away the prise from them all But we say now with teares of blood and in the bitternesse of grones that teare our intrals that the enemies of your Crowne and person Sir hauing induced you to draw your sword against vs and to bathe it in the blood of your loyallest subiects will vndo both your Crowne and person altogether They are your vndoubted enemies that kindle your hatred against vs to fire your Estate and burie you in the ruines Who hauing cruelly murthered the greatest King of the world your glorious father because he would not hate vs and that his goodnesse and iustice did protect vs as his trustie subiects do now induce your Maiestie to hate and destroy vs to ouerwhelme yourselfe with the fall of this Monarchie And if in this tempest which they haue already stirred vp and which we feele comming downe vpon vs we are constrained for our owne defence and preseruation to betake our selues vnto naturall remedies we here protest Sir before God before you and before all men that our purpose is euermore to preserue your authoritie and the respect of your obedience among vs and that we will do our best endeuours to saue your sacred person and kingdome from perishing God who is the God of mercie and reuenge and who according to the decrees of his counsell sometimes hath powred out his wrath with diuers examples of horror on the heads of Kings and nations risen against him Sometimes hath preserued and reconciled to himselfe the greatest persecutors of his Church grant according to our vowes that your Maiestie secure from all dangers may acknowledge the Religion and fidelitie of those persons whom you now hate and know not In the meane while we call here by our most humble supplications all Kings Princes and Estates interessed in the innocencie of good and faithfull subiects oppressed but especially bound in conscience before God to defend the cause of his truth And request them to prop with their helpe and succour the weake defence that of necessitie we oppose to the many and puissant forces of our enemies who hauing chosen this time of purpose now that they haue set on fire the greatest part of the Estates from whence they imagine we might haue expected succour hope to oppresse vs with greater facilitie But our chiefest trust is in the arme of the Almightie who ouerthroweth the dessignes of nations and blasts the enterprises of people conspiring against Israel And since that for the glorie of his Name we are hated and that to ouerthrow his truth our ruine is sought after we assure our selues that he will make vs feele the same deliuerance that our fathers haue proued by his succour which we call vpon from the bottome of our soules Keepe not thou silence O God hold not thy peace and be not still O God For lo thine enemies make a tumult and they that hate thee haue lift vp the head This is the Declaration of the Reformed Churches of France and Soueraigntie of Bearn by their Deputies assembled at Rochell And in the name of all Combort President Banage Assistant Rodil Secretarie Riffaut Secretarie COurteous Reader I pray thee amend these few faults of moment pag. 3. lin 17. we reade do lin 28. action r. affection pag. 4. lin 35. for r. euen pag. 7. li. 3. for r. on l. 32. thereof by r. of the. Act. 17. 7. The intent of our enemies and the meanes to attain therto What power the Iesuits haue now in France How hardly we are dealt withal Our proceeding by complaint which now is imputed vnto vs as a crime The Assembly of Loudun Promises made at Loudun with permission to meet againe within six moneths in case of â—â—performance The execution of the order of restitution in Bearn anticipated and an alteration made in the country of the suretie and libertie in Religion
with a sword haue bin heard as witnesses to the informations made by the Lieutenant Generall in the iurisdiction of Orleans and that though the cause was referred to the Parliament of Paris yet notwithstanding the Attourney Generall in the same hath let the suite fall That our Pastors haue bin violently expelled the Cities of Bourges and la Chasteigneraye That diuers persons professing our Religion at Chaalons vpon Saonne haue bin chased and banished thence as also out of the Dutchie of Barrois That the places granted vs for the exercise of our Religion neare the Cities of Lyons Dijon and Langres were barred vs. That in those places where the inhabitants haue actually enioyed the said exercise euer since the yeares 1596. 1597. and therefore haue full liberty by the Edict are there molested as at la Chasteigneraye at la Chastre at S. Cyprian la Herle Velus Maussac Langon Bourg de Conde in Normandie at Agiene in Viuarets at S. Marcelin in Forest at la Chaulme in Xaintogne by formall opposition of the Officers at Florence Picusque at Montfort and Puget by the Consuls neare the Towne of Perigueux at Montignac Charente by order from the Seneschal of Angoumois vpon forfeiture of a thousand franks That the education of children hath bin taken away from their fathers of our Religion to instruct them in a contrary as from the Master of Accompts at Paris and by order of the Court of Parliament at Roane in the cause of one Couurechef That many children of the Religion haue bin stolen away by Monks As at Ambrun the son of a citizen at Millaud the sonne of Monsieur Valette at Leytoure a boy of ten yeares old named Francis Aram by the Iesuite Regour the fourth of Ianuary 1620. That our graues haue bin inhumanely violated or the burials hindred in diuers places as at Aix in Prouince at Gordes at Mirabeau at Ongle at Xaintes at S. Georgés of Oleron and in many places of Guienne and other parts with crueltie barbarisme That our poore sicke haue bin cast out of Hospitals or their consciences forced as during the last contagion at Paris in the Hospitall of Saint Lewes where many were violented and all accesse denied our Ministers and Elders to comfort them That the Parliaments to the preiudice of the Courts established haue attributed to themselues the knowledge of our causes as the Parliament of Bourdeaux diuers times and particularly in the businesse of the inhabitants of Mas d'Agenois who thereby haue suffered exceeding great vexations whereof many of them are dead in prison But chiefly in criminall causes as the Parliament of Thoulouse which hauing condemned Iohn de Nasses Register of Montauban to make honorable amends would not giue way vnto an Order from the Councell for the referring of it to the Court of Castres And againe the Parliament of Bourdeaux in the cause of the inhabitants of Tartas who in the surprize of the Castle hauing bin cruelly vsed outraged and expelled haue bin pursued and ill handled in the said Parliament which vpon the recrimination of the mutinous and seditious retained the knowledge of the cause to the preiudice of the Court of Nerac In the Parliament of Aix many of ours haue bin detained prisoners many yeares though their causes were referred to the Court of Grenoble and there retained according to the Edict We desired moreouer that the alteration made in the Cities of Montault Vareilles Tarasson Montgaillard in the Countie of Foix where nothing should be innouated according to the Briefe of 1598. might be repaired That it would please the King to grant vs the Briefe for the custodie of places of suretie with the deliuery of the gouernment of the places in Dauphine To call in the Decree for the restoring of the Ecclesiasticall goods of Bearn That the Towne of Priuas might be put againe into the hands of the inhabitants and iustice done them of the riots violences and outrages committed against them Besides an infinite number of other grieuances publike and priuate too long to rehearse In all the which we found our enemies strength so great that all iustice hath bin denied vs therein and all the answer we could get was an absolute command to breake vp our Assembly But when as the importunitie of the mischiefe and the necessitie of remedie forced vs to haue often recourse vnto his Maiestie Then our Aduersaries began to stile our suite and humble petition reiterated by the name of rebellion that so they might not onely take from vs all hope of iustice but also make vs odious And to open a doore for warre and persecution they obtained a commination of crime to be proclaimed against vs as if it were a crime to complaine threatning aloud our perseuerance with the Kings sword and causing bursall Edicts to be extraordinarily confirmed in Courts of Parliament for preparatiues for warre against vs. The King neuerthelesse out of his naturall goodnes and great inclination to iustice putting by the violence of our enemies promised vs by the Prince his Highnesse and Monsieur de Luynes now Constable who gaue their word to the Lords Lesdiguieres and Chastillon for our better assurance that within six moneths after the day of our separation the citie of Leytoure should be restored vnto vs and the Counsellers receiued into the Parliament of Paris The Briefe for the custodie of places of suretic and the gouernment of those of Dauphine should be deliuered vp vnto vs. And the ouerplus of our complaints fauourably answered and the answers truly executed and that within seuen moneths after the day of our separation the Deputies of Bearn should haue audience vpon that that they had to shew vnto his Maiestie And in case these promises were not performed within the time it should be lawfull for vs to meete againe to re-demand iustice of his Maiestie vpon our grieuances Now because that vpon the condition of these promises vpon the assurance with the which they were set forth vnto vs and vpon the true intent promised in the performance of the same dependeth the maine iustification of our procedure following for the which we are vniustly declared faultie and dealt withall by the rigor of armes let all the world see here vpon what ground we build our sinceritie and plaine meaning and what right we had to reassemble our selues For confirmation of the promise made vs to this purpose we were shewed that it was the very first thing the King on his word promised to his subiects of the Religion since he came to the Crowne The Lord Constable added that his comming in betweene would be worth Briefes vnto vs and happily more The King himselfe out of his owne mouth confirmed it since at Fontainebleau to the Deputies that certified the King of our separation in presence of the Lord Duke de Lesdiguieres who had assured vs as much before Had it now bin lawfull for vs to desire or imagine any better licence then the Kings sacred word the