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A38821 The great pressures and grievances of the Protestants in France and their apology to the late ordinances made against them : both out of the Edict of Nantes, and several other fundamental laws of France : and that these new illegalities, and their miseries are contrived by the Pop. Bishops arbitrary power / gathered and digested by E. E. of Greys Inn ... ; humbly dedicated to His Majesty of Great Britain in Parliament. Everard, Edmund.; France. Sovereign (1643-1715 : Louis XIV); France. Edit de Nantes. 1681 (1681) Wing E3529; ESTC R8721 124,201 87

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impossible But though the Stile of this Declaration in which it delivers it self be strange certainly the settlements which it contains are no less and the Passion of the Ecclesiasticks is here manifested without any converture For herein they speak of three sorts of Persons of the Relapsed Apostates and Blasphemers of the Mysteries of the Catholick Religion The two first are condemned to be Banished out of the Kingdom and the Cognizance of the Process to be made against all the three is taken absolutely from the Chambers of the Edicts and attributed intirely to the Parliaments So it is that the Clergy thrust forward and advance alwayes their enterprizes against them of the P. R. R. to throw them at last if they can into despair For in the Month of April 1663. they have gotten a Declaration by surprize against those whom they call Relapsed and Apostates But that said nothing at all of those others whom they call Blasphemers against the Mysteries of the Catholick Religion Afterwards in the Month of June 1665. The Clergy suggested another Declaration to express and fix the Penalty which they would impose upon these pretended Relapsed and Apostates causing them to be condemned unto perpetual Banishment But the Chambers of the Edict were not forbidden to take Cognizance thereof In the end the Animosity of the Clergy being not yet satisfied and fearing they had not yet got force enough to Banish those out of the Realm whose abode in France is to them insupportable they would give them the last blow in 1666. Procuring this Declaration which leaves them no means who shall be accused for Relapsed or Apostates or Blasphemers against the Catholick Religion to bring themselves before the Chambers of the Edict to the end they may find no shelter any where against the ardour of the pursuit of their Adversaries It is easie to shew that in all these Heads the King is imposed on and that they have surprized him in his Religion and Equity Of the Relapsed As for the Relapsed the Ecclesiasticks have given his Majesty to understand as it appears by the first Declaration of the Month of April 1663. That he should not suffer the profanation and impiety of those who for the considerations of Marriages and other like Motives after they had made Abjuration of the P. R. R. and profession of the Catholick Religion turned to their first error And certainly it is true that those who out of an impious and profane spirit Sport themselves so with the Mysteries of R. or that seek only to deceive the World with a dissembled profession and for interests meerly humane are infinitely condemnible and deserve to be punished exemplarily But under this pretence the Clergy by a visible artifice have caused a general Law to be made against those who would return unto the profession of their first belief whatsoever their motive be and although their return be altogether disinteressed and though they have no other end of their change than the repose of their Consciences In this the surprize appears manifestly For is it credible that the King would force by the severity of his Ordinances and by rigorous penalties a person wounded in his Soul to stay against its resentments in a Religion which it esteems not good and wherein it hath no hope to be saved If a man through infirmity or ignorance or by some temptation which dazles his Spirit and surprizes his heart suffers himself to be transported to quit his Religion and afterwards a serious reflection or more ample instruction give him apprehensions and perswade him that he cannot be saved but by re-entring into the Church from which he was departed is it possible that any should desire either to constrain or punish him whilst he acts by this Principle and hath no other motive but the discharge and duty of his Conscience His Majesty knows that of all things in the World Conscience is most free and that the authority of those Soveraigns whose Yoak is born by the whole earth pretend not to have a right to constrain it If St. Bernard had not said it in his time That Faith is to be perswaded and not to be commanded fides suadenda est non imperanda Reason it self hath spoken it enough and the example of the King of Kings affords us thereof a good proof For this adorable master to whom the whole World oweth obedience hath never imployed the Terror of his Thunder nor the greatness of his Authority to oblige men to believe his Gospel He hath not used in this his design any thing but the truth of his Mysteries and the Preaching of his Apostles Faith saith St. Paul Rom. 10. 17. is by hearing and hearing by the word of God he saith not that Faith is by hearing of Declarations nor of Decrees nor of Menaces but of that Divine Word whose perswasion alone is capable to beget it in mens Spirits How then would they put on the King to enforce man by the terror of his Banishments to continue in that Religion which he approves not For what can come of this constraint But only that he should be inwardly of one Religion and outwardly of another that is to say that he should be an Hypocrite Sacrilegious and impious who prophanes two Religions at once who doth violate the one by the thoughts of his heart and the other by the words of his mouth and actions of his body Or to speak more truly he will be a man without Religion For he that serves himself of two Religions at once hath none at all and differs very little from an Atheist The King himself cannot have confidence in him nor be assured of his Fidelity For how shall one believe that his obedience was sincere towards his Prince whilst it is dissembled towards God Finally the Edict of Nantes needs only to be considered for to avouch that the Declaration intituled against the Relapsed can be nothing else than a surprize For it is manifest that that Edict gives an entire Liberty of Conscience without exception to them of the P. R. R. without distinguishing of those that are born in it and those that come over to it betwixt them that have alwayes followed it and those that return after they have quitted it for some time The sixth Article of the Generals expresseth it self in these Terms That we may not leave any occasion of troubles and differences amongst our Subjects We have permitted and do permit them of the said P. R. R. to abide in all the Towns and Places of this our Realm and the Countries under our Obedience without being inquired after vexed molested nor constrained to do any thing in the matters of Religion against their Conscience nor by reason thereof to be sought out in their houses and places where they are pleased to dwell According to this Article then all those that are of this Religion of what sort soever they be may dwell safely and peaceably in their houses and the