Dragoons desolated a Kingdom and plunder'd above a 100 thousand Families Do we think this method is pleasing to him whom we both own to be the Author of our Faith he has said That he will not suffer Hell Gates to ruine his Church but he has not said he will open Hell Gates for the propagating his Church Now if there were any thing that looks like the Gates of Hell it is the persecutions of France Whatsoever Antipathy there may be between the See of Rome and us we will not believe that the present Pope has had any part or that the Storm has fallen on us from him We know he is a mild Prince and his temper leads to more moderate Councils than those of his Predecessors Moreover we know the Clergy of France do not always consult him in what they undertake and we have had often offered to us what has bin done against Rome to induce us to submit our selves to the King's will in these other matters and how small a deference is paid to its Authority So that we hope the Pope himself considering us still as Men and Christians will condole us and blame the methods used against us had he no other reason than the interest of Religion Perhaps one day it will be our turn to blame that which will be taken against him However 't is certain the Protestants of France are the most fit objects of publick compassion the world ever knew Some sigh and lament under a hard Slavery which they would willingly change for Irons in Algiers or Turke For there they would not be forced to turn Mahometans and might still entertain some hopes of liberty by the way of ransâ—m Others are wandering about strange Countries stript of their Estates separated in all probability for ever from their Parents their Relations and Friends whom they have left in the most doleful condition imaginable Husbands have left their Wives and Wives their Husbands Fathers their Children and Children their Fathers We have seen our Estates vanish in a moment our honest ways of living our hopes our Inheritances We have scarcely any thing left us but our miserable Lives and they are supported by the Charity of our Christian Brethren Yet amongst all these Afflictions we are not destitute of Comfort we if ever any did do truly suffer for Conscience sake the Malice of our Persecutors not being able to charge us with the least Misdemeanour We have served our King and the State with Zeal and Faithfulness We have submitted to the Laws and to Magistrates and for our Fellow-Citizens they have no reason to complain of us We have for Twenty years together suffered with an unexemplary patience all those furious and dreadful Storms aforementioned And when in Vivaretz and Cevennes some have thought themselves bound in Conscience to preach on the Ruines of their Temples illegally demolisht their small number which were but a handful of Men Women and Children has only served to stir up more the Resignation and Obedience of our whole Body In these latter Storms we have been like Sheep innocent and without defence We then comfort our selves in the Justice of our Cause and our peaceable Deportment under it But we comfort our selves likewise in the Christian Compassion shewed us by Forrein Princes and more especially of his Majesty of England who has received us into his Countries succoured and relieved us and recommended our distressed Condition to all his Subjects and we have found in them not only new Masters or the Affections of new Friends but of real Parents and Brethren And as these bowels of Commiseration have been as Balm to our Wounds so we shall never lose the remembrance of it and hope we nor our Children shall ever do any thing by Gods Grace unworthy any of these their protections All our Affliction then is to see our Religion oppressed in the Kingdom of France so many Churches wherein God was daily served according to the simplicity of the Gospel demolished so many Flocks dispers'd so many poor Consciences sighing and groaning under their Bondage so many Children deprived of the lawful Education of their Parent but we hope that at length the same God who heard heretofore the Sighs of his People in the Servitude of Egypt will also hear at this time the Cries of his Faithful Servants We call not for Fire from Heaven We are for no resistance we only pray that God would touch the Hearts of our Persecuters that they may repent and be saved together with us We entreat such a deliverance as he in his Wisdom shall think fitting However 't will be no Offence to God nor Good Men to leave this Writing to the World as a Protestation made before him and them against these Violences more especially against the Edict of 1685. containing the Revocation of that of Nants it being in its own Nature inviolable irrevocable and unalterable We may I say complain amongst other things against the worse than inhumane Cruelties exercised on dead Bodies when they are drag'd along the Streets at the Horse Tayls and dig'd out and denyed Sepulchers We cannot but complain of the Cruel Orders to part with our Children and suffer them to be Baptized and brought up by our Enemies But above all against the impious and detestable practise now in vogue of making Religion to depend on the Kings pleasure on the will of a Mortal Prince and of treating perseverance in the Faith with the odious name of Rebellion This is to make a God of Man and to run back into the Heathenish pride and flattery amongst the Romans or an authorising of Atheism or gross Idolatry In fine we commit our Complaints and all our Interests into the Hands of that Providence which brings Good out of Evil and which is above the Understanding of Mortals whose Houses are in the Dust An EDICT of the French KING Prohibiting all Publick Exercise of the Pretended Reformed Religion in His Kingdom LEWES by the Grace of God King of France and of Navarre to all present and to come Greeting King Henry the Great Our Grandfather of Glorious Memory desiring to prevent that the Peace which he had procured for his Subjects after the great Losses they had sustained by the long continuance of Civil and Forreign Wars might not be disturbed by occasion of the pretended Reformed Religion as it had been during the Reigns of the Kings his Predecessors had by his Edict given at Nantes in the Month of April 1598. Regulated the Conduct which was to be observed with Respect to those of the said Religion the places where they might publickly exercise the same appointed extraordinary Judges to administer Justice to them and lastly also by several distinct Articles provided for every thing which he judged needful for the maintenance of Peace and Tranquility in his Kingdom and to diminish the Aversion which was between those of the one and other Religion and this to the end that he might be in a better
AN ACCOUNT OF THE PERSECUTIONS AND OPPRESSIONS OF THE Protestants IN FRANCE London Printed for J. Norris 1686. An exact account of the Cruel Oppressions and Persaecutions of the French Protestants THE Cruelties exercis'd of late on the Protestants in France do appear so detestable to all who have not divested themselves of Humanity that no wonder the Authors of them use their utmost endeavours to lessen what they cannot conceal Were not this worse than barbarous usage a project of a long contrivance a Man might for Charity 's sake suppose this their palliating it to be an acknowledgment of their own displeasure at it However their boldness is inexcusable who shall endeavour to impose on the World in matters known not by Gazetts and News-letters but by an infinite number of Fugitives of all Conditions who have nothing left but Tears and Miseries to bring along with them into foreign Nations 'T is certainly too barbarous to oppress innocent People in their own Countrey and afterwards to stifle their complaints in other places where they are driven and by this means deprive them of a compassion which the bare instincts of nature never refuse to the miserable Yet this is the course our persecutors of France have held their cruelty must be attended with Impostures that the mischiefs which they have acted may pass undiscovered I think we should be much to blame if we suffer them to go on in this second design as they have done in the first and therefore we shall choose some principal instances whereon we shall make such reflections as thereby to judge with greater evidence and exactness on the whole proceeding And as we shall offer nothing but what shall be perfectly true so we shall advance nothing in our reflections but what all the world of reasonable people will allow To begin with matters of Fact There 's no body but knows that a while after his present Majesty of France came to the Crown there arose in the Kingdom a Civil War which proved so sharp and desperate as brought the State within an hairs breadth of utter ruine 'T is also known that in the midst of all these troubles those of the Reformed Religion kept their Loyalty in so inviolable a manner and attended it with such a Zeal and extraordinary fervour that the King found himself obliged to give publick marks of it by a Declaration made at St. Germains in the year 1652. Then as well at Court as in the Field each strove to proclaim loudest the deserts of the Reformists and the Queen Mother her self readily acknowledged That they had preserved the State This is known by all but 't will hardly be believed though it be too true what our Enemies themselves an hundred times told us and which the sequel has but too shrewdly confirmed that this was precisely the principal and most essential cause of our ruine and of all the mischiefs which we have since suffered Endeavours were used to envenom all these important Services in the Kings and his Ministers minds by perswading them that if in this occasion this party could conserve the State this shewed they could likewise overthrow it should they have ranked themselves on the other side and might still do it when such alike occasion should offer it self That therefore this party must be suppressed and the good they have done no longer regarded but as an indication of the mischief which they may one day be capable of doing This Diabolical reasoning which hinders Subjects from serving their Prince to avoid drawing on themselves chastisements instead of recompences was relish'd as a piece of most refined Policy For as soon as the Kingdom was settled in Peace the design was advanced of destroying the Reformists and the better to make them comprehend that their Zeal had ruined them the Cities which had shewed most of it were first begun with Immediately then on slight pretences they fell on Rochel Montaubon and Milan three Towns where those of the Reformed Religion had most signalized themselves for the interests of the Court Rochel underwent an infinite number of prescriptions Montaubon and Milan were sackt by the Soldiers But these being but particular stroaks and meer preludes which decided nothing they tarried not long before they made appear the great and general Machius they were to use in the carrying on of their intended design to the last extremity 'T will be a difficult matter to give an exact account of these several methods For never humane malice produced such multiplicity of them every day brought forth new ones for twenty years together To take only notice of the chief of them which were First Law Suits in Courts of Justice Secondly Deprivations from all kinds of Offices and Employs and in general of all ways of subsistance Thirdly The infraction of Edicts under the notion of Explications of them Fourthly New Laws and Orders Fifthly Juggles and amusing Tricks Sixthly The animating of People and inspiring them with hatred against us These are the most considerable means which the persecuters have employed to attain their ends during several years I say during several years for what they designed being no easie matter they needed therefore time to order their Engins not to take notice of their Traverses and Interruptions by forrain Wars yet whose success have not a little contributed to encrease their Courage and confirm them in the design which they had against us The first of these means has had an infinite extent We should begin with the recital of all the Condemnations of Churches or suppressions of exercises of Religion and all the other vexations which have hapned by the establishing of Commissaries this was a Snare dexterously laid immediately after the Treaty of the Picenees the King under pretence of repairing the Edict of Nants sent them in the Provinces The Roman Catholic Commissary was every where his Majesties Intendant who was besure a fit man for the purpose armed with the Royal Authority and who was well instructed in the secret Aim The other was either some hungry Officer a Slave to the Court or some poor Gentleman who had usually neither Intelligence requisite in these sort of Affairs nor the liberty of speaking his Sentiments The Clergy had set them up He was their Ambulatory Spirit The Syndicks were received before them as formal parties in all our Affairs the assignations were given in their name the Prosecutions also and as well the Discords of the Commissaries as the Appeals from their Ordinances must be finally decided in the Kings Council Thus in general all the rights of the Churches for the exercises of Religion the burying places and all such dependancies were called into a review and consequently exposed to the fresh pursuits of the Clergy and the ill intention of the Judges In which there was not the least dram of Equity for the Edict having bin once executed according to the intention of him that made it there needed no second touches it being
and I doubt not but they have done it already Some perhaps may make an objection on this occasion which 't will be good to answer which is that as the Edict consider it how we will is become only a Law of State by Henry the Great 's Authority so it may likewise be revok'd and annul'd by Lewis the 14th his Grandson and Successor For things may be ended by the same means they have bin begun If Henry the Great has had the power to change the form of governing the State by introducing a new Law why has not Lewis the 14th the same power to alter this form and annul whatsoever his predecessor has done But this objection will soon be answer'd by considering it's built upon a false principal and offers a falser consequence It is not the single Authority of Henry the Great which has establish'd the Edict The Edict is a Decree of his Justice and an accord or transaction that past between the Catholicks and the Reformists Authoriz'd by the publick Faith of the whole Estate and seal'd with the seal of an Oath and ratified by the execution of it now this renders the Edict inviolable and sets it above the reach of Henry's Successors and therefore they can be only the Depositaries and Executors of it and not the Masters to make it depend on their wills Henry the Great never employ'd the force of Arms to make the Catholicks consent to it and though since his death under the minority of Lewis the 13th there have bin Assemblies of the States General the Edict has remain'd in full force 't was then as we have already said a fundamental Law of the Kingdom which the King could not touch But supposing this were not a work grounded on the bare Authority of Henry which is false it does not therefore follow that his present Majesty can revoke it The Edict is a Royal Promise which Henry the Great made to the Reformists of his Kingdom as well for himself as his Successors for ever as we have already seen and consequently this is a condition or hereditary Debt charged on himself and Posterity Moreover it is not true that Henry the Great has changed any thing in the Government of the State when he gave Liberty of Conscience to his Subjects for this Liberty is matter of right and more inviolable than all Edicts seeing that it is a right of Nature He has permitted a publick exercise of the Reformed Religion but this exercise was established in the Kingdom before his Edict and if he has enlarged the priviledges of the Reformed as without doubt he has he did not do it without the Consent and Approbation of the State and has herein violated nothing of his lawful engagements But 't is not the same with Lewis the 14th who of his own pure Authority makes a real and fundamental Change against the concurrence of one part of his Estate and without the consulting the other hereby violating his own Engagements those of his Kingdom and even the Laws of Nature too In fine if we consider what means have been used to arrive at the Revocation in question how shall a man not ackowledge the State is sensibly interested therein They are not contented to suppress the Religious Assemblies and to null the Protestants priviledges by unjust Decrees but they also send them Soldiers to dispute points of Religion with them They are Sack't like People taken by Assault forced in their Consciences and for this purpose Hell it self is let loose upon them and this is the effects of a Military and Arbitrary Government regulated neither by Justice Reason nor Humanity Can it be thought that France will be at ease in this manner or that wise people will think this an equitable way of governing There needs only another design another passion to satisfie another vengeance to execute and then wo be to them who shall oppose it for the Dragoons will not forget their Office To these two Reflections which respect the French King and his States we may add a third which will have regard to the Interests of Kings Princes and other powers of Europe as well of one as of the other Religion We shall not be much mistaken if we say that they have a common and general concern herein inasmuch as these skilful Artists in misery do as much as they can to trouble the good understanding that is betwixt them and their People We are perswaded that their wise and just Government will in this respect put them beyond all fear but this hinders not examples of this nature from being always mischievous and naturally tending to beget in the minds of the Vulgar who commonly judge only of things in general suspitions and distrusts of their Soveraigns as if they dream'd of nothing but devouring their Subjects and delivering them up to the Discretion or rather the Fury of their Soldiers The greater moderation and Justice that Princes have the less they are obliged to those who furnish people with matter for such dangerous thoughts which may produce very ill Effects Beside is it not certain that the Princes and States of Europe cannot without a great deal of pleasure see France which makes so great a Figure in the affairs of the World and gives them so powerful an influence now put her self in such a condition as that no just Measures can be taken from her For after so scandalous and publick a violation of the word of three Kings and of the publick Faith what Credit can be given for the future to her Promises or Treaties It will not be sufficient to say that they will have no force but what Interest inspires but that they will hereafter depend on the Interest or Capriciousness of a sort of Heady People that will give nothing either to the Laws of Prudence or Equity but manage all by force If they have had the power to do within the Kingdom what they have lately put in execution what will they not do as to Affairs without If they have not spared their own Country-men with whom they had daily Commerce who were serviceable to them will they spare the unknown Will they have more respect to Truces or Conventions of four days Transaction than to an Edict of an hundred years continuance and that the most August and Solemn that ever was which yet they made no other use of then to amuse a People and to involve them more surely in an utter Desolation Methinks they have resolv'd to bring things to this pass That there being no more Faith to be had in France all her Neighbours should be continually upon their Guard against her and the more so when she promises then when she threatens more in Peace then in War so that there is no more hopes of being at quiet but what the Surety of Hostages or the diminution of her Forces can give This being so in respect of all Princes and States in general what may the Protestant Princes and