doubted but of which he had given assurances to the Synod They forbad Ministers to be the first Aggressors in Disputes of Controversie It seem'd by the Measures that were taken in this Assembly to hinder the Abuse of removing Causes to the Chambres Miparties or Chambers half Protestant half Catholics that Litigious Cavils had made their advantage of their Institution But what was most remarkable of all that there pass'd is that the Brevet for 45000 Crowns for the Payment of Ministers having been given to the Churches but three years before Roni was so little â—zact in paying his brethren that there was due to 'em the Arrears of this Sum for three years Some Months after the seperation of the Synod the King Answer'd some Papers sufficiently Large that had been presented to him of which principal Articles were that the Reformed in Dauphine were Tax'd for the places of their Churches and of their Church-yards that in many places they depriv'd their poor of the General Alms and thrust their Sick out of the Hospitals that at Bourdeaux and Xaintes the Juâ—ats and Judges would have seiz'd upon the Money that was gathered for the poor at the Church-Doors that at Rouen they refus'd the Petitions presented in the Name of a Reformed Church Body or Community that at Orleans and elsewhere they tendred to the Officers at their Admission Oaths to live in the Roman Religion That at Gâ—rgeau the King's Proctor had Depos'd his substitute for the Sole Cause of Religion That at Lions the Chevalier du Guet would by Force accompany the Attendants at Funerals anâ— exacted excessive Fees and those who kept the Hospital of the Bridge of Rhone disturb'd these Funeral Attendants as much as they were able Upon all which they had all they could desire Granted 'em to Wit most severe Prohibitions against continuing to do 'em the same Injuries Nor were their two last Articles less favourably Answer'd By one of which the King was oblig'd to preserve the Churches of the Country of Gex in the same State in which he found 'em when he United it to the Crown and the other that the Reformed might Traffick in all the Duke of Savoys Dominions without fear of being disturb'd for their Consciences The King promis'd to the Inhabitants of the Country of Gex Liberty of Conscience and the exercise of their Religion as to the Rest of his Subjects This was as much as to say that he Granted 'em the Protection of his Edicts according to which the Roman Religion ought to be Re establish'd there and that for the rest things should remain there in the same condition in which they were found Because that was properly the General Rule for Executing Edicts In Effect he re-establish'd the Mass there in some time after and he sent the Baron of Lux on purpose to make this Re-establishment But he left the Reformed Churches in Possession of those Priviledges which they enjoy'd when the Country was yielded to him He refer'd the Reformed for the other Article to the Fifty third of the particulars of the Edict where what they desir'd was intirely Granted ' em At that time there was a Great business a Foot at Rome in which they would fain have engag'd the King It concern'd the Succession of England which the Pope labour'd to have settl'd in the Hands of a Catholie There was in prospect a Prince of the House of Parma and a Church man was sent over into that Island with the Title of Arch-Priest to incline the Catholics of the Country to it The King of Spain would have gotten this Crown for himself or for a Prince of his House and there were Writings dispers'd wherein the Jesuits did Impudently maintain that it was devolv'd to him The Motive of this Intrigue was Queen Elizabeths Age who in all probability 't was thought could not live long It wasnot known how she would dispose of the Suucession But it was well known that she would never leave it to a Catholic Prince And 't was fear'd that the King of Scotland her next Heir coming to the Crown might be capable of doing a great deal of hurt to the Roman Religion if he had an Affection and Zeal for the Reformed He was yet but young and as he had hitherto liv'd under a kind of Guardianship his Genius and his Inclinations were not yet known But they alter'd their measures when they knew how to hit his Humour and they carried things so far that they made use of him himself to endeavour the reducing of England to its former Obedience to the Pope But while they expected that things should come to that the King did not Rellish the Intrigue He gave his hand to the project of reducing this Kingdom to the Catholic Religion and during the rest of his Life he was the Mediator and confident of this design But he was not willing to aggrandize his Enemies by this change The other designs which he had in his Head did not require that there should be no more Protestants in Europe Chaâ—illon the Admiral 's Grandson was taken off this year by a Cannon shot in Ostend besieged by Arch-Duke Albert Never did a young Lord give greater hopes He was born for War and among the good Qualities that are necessary to a Commander he had the knack to make himself belov'd by his Souldiers whose Hearts and Confidence he had gain'd 'T is said that he had so great a Credit in thâ— Army of the Statâ—s that Prince Maurice could not forbear being Jealous Nor was he of less Authority amongst the Reformed of France who lov'd in him Virtues equal to his Fathers and Grandfathers He was continually talking of their Actions and aspir'd to no more then to imitate ' em The most Ardent of his desires was that of being like his Grandfather at the Head of the Reformed and to fight one Battle for their Interest His Merit made him lamented by the King when he heard the News of his Death But when Courtiers who always speak of the Dead or Absent what they durst not of people in a capacity of revenging themselves had drawn to the King what Picture they pleas'd of the Ambition and the Designs of this young Lord he took for a Sign of Prosperity what immediately before he look'd upon as a Subject of Grief It was in this year too that the Dauphin came into the World His Birth gave great Joy to all true French Men who by that saw all the Seeds of War suppress'd which the several pretensions to the Succession might have produc'd But that did not hinder the Spaniards from preparing all occasions of disturbance nor prevented from time to time the spreading of a Rumour that the King having promis'd Marriage to the Marchioness of Verneuil there was a doubt whither the Succession belong'd to the Children of Mary de Medicis There were some Spanish Casuists that made it a Question whether the Dispensation was fairly obtain'd In
their Houses or Places where they shall Inhabit in all other things behaving themselves according to what is specifi'd in our present Edict VII We have also permitted all Lords Gentlemen and other Persons as well Inhabitants as others who make Profession of the Pretended Reform'd Religion enjoying within our Kingdom and Countries under our Obedience High Jurisdiction or full Fief d'Haubert as in Normandy either in Proper in the Vse-fruit thereof in the whole or Moiety or for a third Part To have in such their Houses of the said High Jurisdiction or Fiefs abovesaid which they shall be oblig'd to nominate before to our Bailiffs and Seneschals every one within his Limits for their principal Abode the Exercise of the said Religion while they reside there and in their Absence their Wives or Families or part thereof And tho the Right of Jurisdiction or full Fief d'Haubert be in Controversy nevertheless the Exercise of the said Religion shall be allow'd there provided the abovesaid be in actual Possession of the said High Jurisdiction altho our Attorney-General be a Party We also allow them to perform the said Exercise in their other Houses of High Jurisdiction or abovesaid Fief d'Haubert while they are there present and no otherwise both for themselves their Families Subjects and others who shall desire to repair thither VIII In Houses of Fiefs where those of the said Religion shall not have the said High Jurisdiction or Fief d'Haubert they shall only be allow'd the said Exercise for their Families Nevertheless we do not mean that in case other Persons should chance to come in to the number of Thirty besides their Family either upon the account of Baptism Visitation of their Friends or otherwise they should be troubled for the same Provided also the said Houses are neither within Cities Towns or Villages belonging to Catholick Lords High-Justicers besides our self wherein the said Catholick Lords have their Mansions In which case those of the said Religion shall not be allow'd to perform their said Exercise in the said Cities Towns or Villages except by permission and leave of the said Lords High-Justicers and no otherwise IX We also permit those of the said Religion to perform and continue the Exercise thereof in all the Cities and Places under our Obedience where it was establish'd and by them publickly perform'd at sundry and divers times in the Year 1596. and in the Year 1597. until the end of August all Decrees and Judgments to the contrary notwithstanding X. The said Exercise in like manner shall be establish'd and Restor'd in all Cities and Places where it has or should have been establish'd by the Edict of Pacification made in the Year Seventy Seven Particular Articles and Conferences of Nerac and Flex Neither shall the said Establishment be obstructed in the Parts and Places within the Demean granted by the said Edict Articles and Conferences for Places of Bayliwikes or that shall be granted hereafter though they have been since alienated to Catholick Persons or hereafter shall be And yet we do not intend that the said Exercise shall be Re-establish'd in the Parts and Places of the said Demean which have been heretofore possess'd by those of the the said pretended Reform'd Religion in which it had been allow'd out of respect to their persons or upon the account of the Privileges of the Fiefs in case the said Fiefs be at present possess'd by persons of the said Catholick Apostolick Religion XI Moreover in every one of the Ancient Bayliwikes Seneschalships and Governments holding the Place of a Bayliwike having direct reference without mediation to the Courts of Parliament We ordain That in the Suburbs of a City besides those that have been granted them by the said Edict Particular Articles and Conferences And where there are no Cities in a Borough or Village the Exercise of the said pretended Reform'd Religion shall be publickly perform'd for all such as will repair thither altho the said Exercise were already establish'd in divers places of the said Bayliwikes Seneschalships and Governments excepting out of the said place of Bayliwike newly granted by the present Edict the Cities in which there are Archbishops or Bishops in which case those of the said Pretended Reform'd Religion shall be allow'd to demand and to nominate for the said Place of the said Exercise the Boroughs and Villages near the said Cities Excepted also Places and Lordships belonging to Ecclesiasticks in which we do not allow the said second Place of Bayliwike to be establish'd we having by special grace and favour excepted them Under the name of Ancient Bayliwikes we mean such as were in the Times of the late King Henry our most honour'd Lord and Father-in-law held for Bayliwikes Seneschalships and Governments having immediate reference to our said Courts XII We do not mean by this present Edict to derogate from the Edicts and Agreements heretofore made for the reducing of some Princes Lords Gentlemen and Catholick Cities under our Obedience in what relates to the Exercise of the said Religion the which Edicts and Agreements shall be maintain'd and observ'd for this respect according as shall be specify'd by the Instructions of the Commissioners that shall be appointed for the execution of this present Edict XIII We expresly forbid all those of the said Religion to perform any Exercise thereof either as to the Ministry Government Discipline or Publick Instruction of Children and others in this our Kingdom and Countries under our Obedience in what relates to Religion in any places but those that are allow'd and granted by the Edict XIV As also to perform any Exercise of the said Religion in our Court or Attendance nor likewise in our Lands and Territories beyond the Mounts nor yet in our City of Paris nor within five Leagues of the said City Nevertheless those of the said Religion who live in the said Lands and Territories beyond the Mounts and in our said City and within five Leagues round about it shall not be examin'd in their Houses nor constrain'd to do any thing in respect of their Religion against their Conscience behaving themselves in other matters according as it is specify'd in our present Edict XV. Neither shall the Publick Exercise of the said Religion be performed in the Armies unless in the Quarters of the Chief Officers who profess the same nevertheless it shall not be done in the Quarter where we lodge XVI According to the Second Article of the Conference at Nerac We give leave to those of the same Religion to build Places for the exercise thereof in the Cities and Places where it is allow'd them and those they have built heretofore shall be restor'd to them or the Ground thereof in the Condition it is at present even in those places where the said Exercise is not allow'd them unless they have been converted into other Buildings In which case the Possessors of the said Buildings shall give them other places of the same Price and Value they were
affords us more security to tell it and gives us liberty to rescue it from that darkness where the Terror of Punishment had oblig'd us to conceal it These several Considerations have made me for a long time wish that some person capable of so great a undertaking would give himself the Trouble to compile so necessary a History and to oppose against the Invectives with which the Conduct of the Reform'd have been blacknd for seventy Years together either a genuine and sincere Recital of what has befallen 'em or an Apology for their Actions which have given the greatest advantages to their Detracters I never question'd but that it was greatly to their disadvantage to suffer those to talk alone upon this Subject whose interest it was to delude the World and that one day the Reform'd persecuted with so much violence Injustice Breach of Faith would be expos'd to the sinister Judgments of Posterity if succeeding Ages were not rightly otherwise inform'd of the miseries they have suffer'd than by the Relations of their Adversaries Posterity then would meet with nothing but outragious Panegyricks Hyperbolical Elogies and Studid Comparisons exalting this continu'd inveteracy and this insulting Oppression above the Noblest Actions of the Greatest Heroe's and well might our Off-spring be excus'd for not discerning through these disguises the Innocence of the Vnfortunate of which no Body had been so careful as to preserve good Testimonials 'T is true the Registers of the Council of the Parliaments of all the Iurisdictions both Soveraign and Inferiour are full of Acts the very reading of which alone might serve to prove the Innocence of those against whom they were issu'd forth and that the greatest part of 'em were publish'd with so little precaution that they are rather Demonstrations of their Accusers breach of word and the ignominious compliance of the Judges than any proofs of the Crime imputed to the Parties accus'd But in the first place 't is impossible confidering the present posture of Affairs that any one should undertake to make a Collection of those Acts the very search after which would render the person suspected and 't is yet more unlikely that there will be any body a hundred years hence that will think himself so deeply oblig'd in justification of the Innocent as to take upon him an inquisition which can never prove successful without a great deal of Care Time Labour and Expence Moreover all the World is well acquainted with the Policy of the Roman Church She knows how to suppress what ever may redound to her prejudice There are now an infinite number of Acts not to be found in the Registers which being useful to her at the time when they were made she was afterwards asham'd to have seen By this means she has conceal'd the source of a great many of her Vsurpations She has reduc'd those that fain would dive into the Original of that Corruption which she has introduc'd into all the parts of Religion to a necessi y of romaging all the Libraries of Europe in search of some Monument that might discover the occasions and progress of her Enterprizes And she has had such good luck in several matters of great importance that she has render'd many Certainties almost doubtful and problematical tho she could not succeed so far as altogether to deprive 'em of the Character of Probability and Likelihood which in things that cause the Persons to blush who are upbraided to have committed 'em makes us lawfully suspect that they supprest the most convincing Proofs And thus perhaps it was that she gave her Writers the priviledge to call in question the famous History of that Woman who as they say sate in St. Peters Chair at Rome for several years under the name of John VIII I should have a greater esteem for some Historical Observations that seem to destroy what is averr'd concerning this matter but that I know that Prudence in suppressing the Monuments of shameful Acts and puzzling the circumstances of odious deeds either by falsifying the Date or the alteration of some decisive word is no new sort of Prudence But when I add to this consideration so many proofs more than probable which serve as a foundation to this History I must acknowledge my self almost convinc'd of the truth of it In things of this nature the just suspicion which men have of the bad Credit of the accus'd when they have already been frequently convinc'd of having abolish'd such Monuments by which the truth of things was preserv'd is doubtless an imperfect proof against ' em But when the matter of Fact is farther suported by a multitude of pressing instances and strong presumptions it cannot be deny'd but that imperfect proof may become equivalent to a good Demonstration But not to engage my self in an unprofitable digression I shall only add That the Author who wrote the History of the Reformation of England had more than once sufficient experience of the great care which the Catholicks took to deface the memory of things which they were unwilling Posterity should know that the publick Registers of his Country which ought to have been inviolable were not lookt upon to be so sacred by those who met with any Acts which were not to their advantage I conclude from all this that perhaps a hundred year hence the Jesuits will have taken the same precautions to abolish the memory of those Acts of injustice which they have either committed or advis'd and that they will leave nothing in the publick Registers to give us any knowledge of what past in our days in France as to matters of Religion So that I cannot but think it necessary to prevent the Effect of their Artifices and to publish at least by way of Apology certain proofs of the Innocence of the Reformed and the violated Faith of their Adversaries to the end Posterity may be able to give a more equitable judgment of the matter of Fact that is not be deny'd by either side upon the Invectives of the Accusers and the Defences of the Parties accus'd I had some reason to hope some years since that I should see my desires accomplish'd when I understood that a person whose name is famous all over Europe and whose Writings have enforc'd his very Adversaries to admire his piercing Wit his Exactness his Sincerity and Solidity was about to have undertaken this great Work But having chang'd his mind for some reasons I have been constrain'd to supply his place and to expose my self to ill success in an enterprize so much above my ability since it would have been so proper for so great a Person I shall not go about to anticipate the minds of men in my favour by humble excuses for my rashness nor to incline 'em to pardon the faults I may commit in a Work so laborious as this by confessing before hand that I am not infallible and by declaring that I submit my self to their Censure provided they will be just in