THE APOLOGIE OF THE REFORMED CHVRCHES OF FRANCE VVherein are expressed the Reasons why they haue Ioyned their Armies to those of the King of Great BRITTAINE Translated according to the French Coppie LONDON Printed for Nathaniell Butter 1628. TO ENGLAND IN HER REPRESENTIVE BODY The High and Illustrious Court of Parliament LORDS KNIGHTS BVRGESSES YOu haue here in all humilitie presented to you the sighes teares of our sister Church of France who is at this present miserably persecuted by the bloodie power and Malice of Antichrist and his adherents as also the naked grounds and motiues why shee ioynes her Armes with those of our Soueraigne in her lawfull Defence and preseruation For although Rebellon be the false pretect yet Religion is the true cause why the Pope by his Champion the French King now seekes her finall raine and extermination Shee now mournes both in teares and blood and breathes forth her wounds and sorrowes to vs in a fainting yea almost in a dying eloquence Shall wee therefore who professe our selues to be the best of Christians and the deerest of Gods Children permit prophannesse to preuaile ore pietie Idolatrie to triumph ore true Religion and the Church of Rome ore that of God if our Religion be theirs must not their dangers and persecutions be ours For what Peace can we haue whiles they are oppressed with Warre or how can our consciences be at rest and tranquilitie whiles theirs are tovmented with all sorts of afflictions and cruelties Can that Church of France be beaten but this of England is threatned or the Protestants of that Kingdome be extinguished but we are Eclipsed yea doe not their feares presage and predict ours and their dangers fatally denounce and portend ours We haue already seene and suffered Gods Church in Bohemia the Paâ—…atinate Selesia and Morauia to bee ruined and shall we not therefore beleeue if that of France goe next that this of England must immediately follow We see the Pope is as bloody in his malice as boundlesse in his Ambition and that with high wrestling and an insulting brauerie he proceedes in his Enuie and power at one time to roote out the name and memorie of Gods Church and Children in all places and Countries of Christendome How powerfully hath he lately preuailed with the Emperour and the King of Spaine and Poland in this bloody quarell who with barbarous hearts and sacrilegious hands haue played their prises in oppressing and de-pressing these Churches in their Countries and now by a policie as subtile as execrable hath likewise drawne the French King to make himselfe guiltie of the same impious and bloody crimes to ruine the Protestants of his Kingdome whose Valours and Fidelities placed the Crowne on his Fathers head and to exterminate those Churches which with so much Pietie and wisedome hee had established in the Meridian of their perfection and glorie The which to preuent and oppose God hath inspired the heart of our Gracious King CHARLES to reach them out the hand and Scepter of his Royall assistance and so to proue himselfe a true Defender of the Faith as well in Fact as Title Knowing therefore that by the Lawes of Honour and Religion we are bound to ayde and asist them and not to suffer the Vineyard of Gods Church to be thus miserably trampled ore and rooted vp by the Champions of Rome and Hell it will be a pious and a Noble worke for you Illustrious Lords and Gentlemen the Great Senators and Elders of our Israell to contribute the meanes as our King hath the Will to the preseruation and building vp of so Religious and glorious a Worke by affecting it tenderly in your selues and by cheerishing it carefully and dearely in the hearts of all the parts and members of this Kingdome For as the Protestants of France call on our King so doth his Maiestie on you who are the essentiall and figuratiue body thereof and God on you all for the speedy and vigorous assistance of this his afflicted Spouse the Church and hee who is the searcher of all hearts the witnesse of all soules and the Iudge of all actions will infallibly iudge betwixt you and him with what true Deuotion and Zeale you performe this part of his seruice and glorie Warres are made as well with Gold as Iron therefore in assisting this our afflicted Sister the Church of France wee must second our words with deedes our promises with effects and our Prayers with our purses Their Enemies are strong and powerfull their afflictions and dangers great so therefore must our assistance be to them They are neere to vs by Cituation but farre neerer in Religion for as their cause and quarell is ours so should the sence and feeling of their calamities and in this sence I may iustly affirme that they are a great part of our selues because we generally belong all to one Church as that Church doth particularly and peculiarly to God As truth is the best eloquence to perswade vs to this assistance so Religion is the best truth and it would bee an act not onely of Impietie but of shame in vs if these our three flourishing Churches of England Scotland and Ireland should not now powerfully assist that afflicted one of France which sues to them for it with teares and prayers But Illustrious Lords and generous Gentlemen my Iudgement prompts mee that I should wrong yours in seeking to perswade your affections to so charitable and religious a worke from which I know nothing is capable to direct or disswade you and in that behalfe I rest hopefull if not confident that you will at least excuse my zeale if not pardon my presumption for proferring vp the sighes and teares of this poore persecuted French Church to your sublime Protection and Patronage or rather to your charitable care and religious consderacion as esteeming it euerie way as worthy of your pittie and compassion as of your knowledge May the sight of her afflictions myseries and calamities teach vs how to preuent our owne May God of his best mercie so operate with our hearts and soules as wee may esteeme and repute them our owne and may England by the Kings royall and your Illustricus example stretch forth her hands to relieue this poore French Church and people so vniustly afflicted and so wrongfully oppressed and persecuted for God and his Cause IOHN REYNOLDS The Apologie of the Reformed Churches of France wherein are expressed the Reasons why they haue ioyned their Armes to those of his Maiestie the King of Great BRITTAINE THERE is none but will iudge that a sicke Patient is extreamely oppressed with his disease when hee frequently takes violent Physicke whereof as yet hee hath his stomach wholy charged and afflicted and therefore loathes and abhorres it were it but onely for the bitternesse thereof Right so wee must confesse that our wronges haue exposed and reduced vs to the last point of necessite since wee are enforced to haue recourse to that remedie wherein wee haue
consolation to our poore afflicted Churches who wept and trembled at so preiudiciall a Treatie and yet notwithstanding laboured with all diligence to a punctuall accomplishment of all things which were conceded and granted by vs to the end that calumnie might not take the least hold of our actions and that there might not remaine the least shadow of pretext to vâ—…e vs as accustomed to wit not to obserue or performe any thing which is solemnly promised vnto vs. To which end the Citie of Rochell contrary to the priuiledge of frontier Townes as also of her owne in particular doth speedily demolish a notable peece of fortification which with much cost and labour it had built and ioyned to her wals They dismist the Earle of Lauall and his troops who had assisted them in their necessitie and in their places receiued the Kings Commissioners whose comming they well knew would proue extreamely preiudiciall to their liberties and their residence to their safetie and in a word from point to point with a scrupulous curiositie they discharged all that they were enioynd to performe The Duke of Rohan likewise dismissed all his Regiments and troopes which had followed him and our swords fell out of our hands in all places where we had drawne them The sorrowfull honour of warre was presently seene changed and conuerted into Bonefires of Ioy for the peace and into publike vowes and acclamations for the Kings long life and prosperity and briefely our Obedience was so intire that the most malicious research of our Enemies could finde nothing whereat either to contradict or scandalize vs. So if we had had to doe with people any way iust or charitable it had beene capable to haue molified their hearts and to haue began to deale and agitate with vs otherwise then formerly they had done and faithfully to haue perform'd what they had so solemnly promised But the onely Article of their Faith which they keepe inuiolably is neuer to keep or performe it to vs and at the very first abord they shewed vs effects therof when we came to inregister and verifie the Edict of Peace in the Parliaments and onely that of Grenoble excepted there was none of them which would absolutely doe it some obiecting one restriction and others alleaging another vntill they came to point and cauill at matters of no moment which vnprofitably shewed the peruersenesse of their auerse natures inclinations As vpon the word of Temple as if the places where we assembled to pray vnto God were Mosques and again vpon that of Ecclesiasticall Assemblies as if they were the Congregations of Pagans or the Synogogues of Iewes But yet we belieued that we had much cause to extoll the moderation of those who haue quarrelled with vs but with words It is easie for vs to suffer iniurie for the loue of him who before vs was in derision called Samaritan howsoeuer that those contemners were wholly vnworthy in the neglect but much more in the violation of the Edict custome in that nature hauing made vs so insensible as we almost disdaine to open our mouthes to complaine thereof But the ill consists in this that the greatest parts of those Modifications which haue bin vsed do derectly concerne our safeties and therefore makes the Kings Declaration wholly vnprofitable This hath beene particularly seene in the Parliament of Thoulouze whose Iurisdiction is knowne to extend vpon the greatest number of those whom necessitie had armed in these last emotions For in two onely Articles they almost anihilated all the substance of the Edict First they placed among causes reserued and execrable the demolition of the Temples of the Romish Churches expresly abolished by the Declaration of the yeere 1622 conformable herein to the Edict of Nantes and also then absolutely verified by them by which meanes the hatred which they conceiue against vs carries them from the shame to be held factious and inconstant But they proceed further for they limit the abolishing of hostilities committed the 5. Febr. 1626 although the Declaration of Peace was not published vntill many dayes after we subsisted in Armes in all places where we were constrained to resume them So in those two turnes of the pen they haue inwrapped vs all in the condemnation preparing the way to all sorts of iniustice and cruelties which they haue since practised and committed vpon vs. And although his Maiestie commanded that these Modifications should bee withdrawne as directly opposite to his intentions and preiuditiall to the publike tranquilitie yet notwithstanding all these reasons this Parliament hath obstinately made good what it formerly so vniustly and so factiously resolued against vs to the great preiudice and blemish of the Authoritie Royall and for a most compleat and intire iustification of our complaints and grieuances not being able to find securitie or safetie in the words and promises of our Prince because what good affection or intents soeuer he retaine for our behalfes those who ought to be the executors of his Royall will and pleasure doe directly combine and band themselues against it as triumphing and glorying in the infringing of his promises These beginnings were not to giue vs hope of any much happy success or if any one intended or expected them experience stayed not long to vndeceaue them the eruptions of the Peace hauing beene so grosly and presumptuously committed with such a violent impetuositie that they feeme to be affected thereto it being impossible to giue it any other interpretation then this Miserie to those who are weakest and vanquished This was manifestly seene and knowne at the refuse which was giuen to our general Deputies to send Commissioners through all Prouinces according as it was inculcated intimated by the Declaration of Peace The necessity of their sending being extreame to the end the Edict might be put in execution where it was infringed and violated To reestablish the exercise of our religion in those places from whence it had been banished To replace in their houses a numberlesse number of poore families which had beene expeled and exiled And in a word to preuent and remedy those disorders which drew with them the licentiousnesse of war and to make vs feele some effects of so many promises which had been made vs. But it is that which no supplications can euer obtaine so as most of the chiefest Churches of the Kingdome haue fainted and languished in miserie that they are so far off that this Peace hath any way improued or bettered their condition as contrary-wise it hath disarmed vs to expose vs naked to all manner of tortures and persecutions The which to approue and iustifie at least 60 poore Churches will vndertake with weeping hearts and voices to whom according to the tenor of the Edict the exercise of their Religion ought to be free and where it was confidently hoped they should haue now beene re-established by the peace they yet haue remained in a pitifull desolation without that all their requests prayers can any way
him to abandon the Church of Rome was throwne into prison where with Geeues and fetters he miserably remained two moneths among the greatest criminals and could not yet obtaine his liberty before he had paid a great sum of money for a fine Another very lately at Lyons after the miseries of a long imprisonment receiued sentence in the same Citie which was confirmed by the Parliament of Paris to goe all the Citie ouer in his shirt bare footed with a halter about his necke and a great burning torch in his hands for hauing declared to one who proposed and enquired of him If he held the Pope to be Antichrist And as euery one knowes that it is one of the Articles of our Faith which we preach in our Sermons and confirme in our Bookes so this sentence giuen against him doth comprehend and enwrap vs all in the same condemnation and adiudgeth vs to the same disgraces and torments The Court of Parliament of Tholouse hath inflamed and armed the Popish Communalties to execute horrible outrages in the Towne of St Paul-Lamata Cuque and other pittifull reliques of forepast burnings All France hath conceiued horrour at the fearefull iniustice vsed against an innocent man in the Isle of Ree To whom his Iudge tearmed Briet a name of abominable memorie hauing suborned witnesses to affirme against him that during the last commotions of An. 1622. he had broken and burnt an Image and therein pronounced sentence of death against him The Court of Parliament of Paris without examining his witnesses who were easily to be conuicted of falsehood and imposture without admitting the reproaches which he gaue them which were more then valable without regarding that if the accusation had beene true that it was an hostilitie committed during the warre and which ought to haue beene abolished and buried by the Edict of peace their passion made them to consent and conforme this vniust sentence so to charge their consciences with the bloud of this poore harmelesse childe of God who constantly expiring his last breath in the middest of fire and flames confirmd his innocency in this action of his death and heauen afterwards discouered it yea this vnfortunate and fatall Image is since found againe and to this day doth subsist to accuse the execrable wickednesse of his Accusers and Iudges which haue lent and held vp their hands to circumuent the whitest candidst innocency that euer was The fury and iniustice was not lesse but the precipitation far greater in the person of one named Roumiou who during the wars was Prouost in the Army of the Duke of Rohan who being at Castres in May 1626. and one of the Consuls of that Towne a very vicious man and wholly sold to our Enemies comming to him occasioning him a paltry drunken quarrell and so outraging and abusing him in the open street necessity obliging him to put himselfe vpon his defence and resistance he was presently seiz'd on by men placed there to the same effect for it was a premeditated quarrell imprisoned sentence as soone giuen whereby he was condemned to the Gallies he threw in his appeale to the Chamber of Besieres but instcad of good Iudges from whose vertue and integritie his innocency might receiue some assistance in an Act so outragious as was offred him he found cruell Tyrants who cherishing the iniustice of his former Iudges aggrauated his crime and their sentence and so pronounced iudgement of death against him which by an vnparaleld example was the very same houre executed so that in all he staied not foure and twenty houres in their prisons it is thevehemency of a strange passion which made them proceede with such celerity where there was question of a mans life and it is far opposite and distant from the moderation of those ancient Iudges which still left thirty dayes between the sentence and execution thereof to the end that if there were any light breake forth for the innocency of the accused they would not haue beene sorrowfull to vnderstand it so late but because they would spare the efusion of bloud and neuer spill it but with compassion and sorrow whereas these are insatiably thirsty thereof And yet we may tearme these Iudges of Besicres modest and temperate in regard of that which was perpetrated lately in the Parliament of Bourdeaux against Monsieur de St Germain a Gent. of marke and quality but extreamely hated of them because he was a man of valor seruice the Baron of Montendre who had a quarell against him and who greatly fea◅'d his generosity courage iudged the passion of this Parliament to be a very fit instrument for the execution of his and so to free him of this formidable enemy to which end he seduced a wretched Priest to become Plaintife a gainst the said Monsieur de St Germain so accused him for robbing of his Church whose witnesses were not difficult to be found out because it wasagainst one of our religion so the informations were framed and dressed against him but with an absolute vnheard of silence and they are put into the hands of a Prouost expresly chosen for such a one which was requisite for such an execution who watching his time surpris'd this braueGentlemā when he least thought or dream'd thereof speedily led him to Bourdeaux where that Parliamēt being extraordinarily assembled without hearing any of his iust alegations and answers presently held him guilty pronoūced sentence of death against him so as in lesse then 8 hours this Iudgement was giuen executed These are the hands which now dispose soueraignly of our liues and thus is our Religion turned imputed to crime and the faith which was giuen vs by the Edict of peace to lures snares the more easily to draw vs to the scaffolds the which we haue not ceased to oregore destaine with our innocent blood euer since that vpon the assurance of this peace we put down our armes and the number is infinite which are daily hunted after for forepast actions so that within the extent and iurisdiction of the Parliament of Thoulouse there are 2000 of vs decreed and commanded to be apprehended for the like causes and there is nothing but flight can warrant them from the bloody hands of th◅se cruell Tyrants We assure our selues there are none except they are more then barbarous who hauing considered all this are not touched in hart with pitie compassion towards vs and that he will not approue our wrongs to be immense and infinit because notwithstanding all these most sacred and inuiolable promises which were made vs we are still tyranized in our consciences oppressed in our honors ruined in our goods our liues continually exposed to the swords of those who hauing them in their hands to doe Iustice doe abuse them in the execution of their hatred against vs. But it may be we would yet support all these outrages and persecutions more patiently if as they are committed against
killing was more mercifull then they would haue him in spilling of our blood sith from thence they haue deriued their Law to vse surious resolutions which all men haue beheld and seene Are they not impudently ashamed to accuse our moate hauing such great beames in their eyes and to calumniat our innocency being guilty of the same crimes Heere therefore let shame and confusion stop their mouthes to the end that we may open ours in the true protestations which we make of our innocency and of â—he inuiolable fideâ—…y whatsoeuer be said of vs which wee will obserue and beare to the King our Soueraigne being wounded in heart through the violence of his bad â—…ruants to be reduced to doe any thing which 〈◊〉 him and are all of vs ready to cast our selues at his feete to demaund his fauour when he will please to receiue vs and to secure vs from their cruelties Or if there be any faithfull Seruant neere his Person we pray him to serue vs as an Eccho that we may make him vnderstand by his mouth how false slaÌ„derous those impressions are which contâ—…ariwise are giuen to him of vs and that in effect after our obedience due vnto God we breath nothing but his seruice and our Religion set apart will therein euer be ready to sacrifice our liues Wherefore wee humbly beseech him to spare our liues and in stead of pursuiâ—…g vs by the violence of his Armes that he will once seriously commaund that we may be better vsed hereafter then heretofore The more powerfully to induce him hereby and so by this meanes to perswade him to regiue a good and perdurable Peace to his Subjects hee shall doe well to draw the picture of the desolations of his Estate to make him see therein so great a delugâ—… of blood spâ—… which properly and truely is his because it is that of his people So much treasure exhausted I meane the sweat and the substance of the Artificer and of the poore labouring Country man who already starue with hunger So many houses beaten downe and dimolished whereof to speake truth it is he that suffereth the decayes and ruincs for that he is Lord in Caâ—… So many ransakings and outrages indeed ought to touch his Royall heart because it is his Kingdome that feâ—…s and endures them and that they are his owne proper bowels which are torne in sunder Let it farther represent vnto him the great aduantage which hee gets by these diuisions and miseries who is the most dangerous Enemy of his Crowne who daily encreaseth his owne Estates and Countries and conquâ—…reth new whiles he spoyleth and ruineth his owne and who mounts to so high and sublime a degree of power that there is no Christian Prince to whom hereafter he ought not to be formidable and France aboue any other hath 〈◊〉 cause to feare him for that all the world knowes how passionately hee hath a long time hunted to possesse it and were it not for any other cause and title thâ—…n that which Nauarre assures him to wit Vsurpation and that it were fit and proper for him And put the case that this apprehension were yet more retired yet let this picture still endeuour to make him â—…ee what a blemish it is to the glory and lustre of his Crowne now to permit all his Allyes so miserably to perish whom his Predecessors so gloriously maintained and defended And what will posterity say of him when they shall vnderstand that the Grisons the King of Denmarke and all Germany shall stoope vnder the yoake of the house of Austria when Lewis 13. sate to the helme of the French Monarchie and that in stead of assisting of them as he was bound by his ancient Alliances confederations by his new reiterated promises that hee hath abandoned them as a prey to the Vsurper and cast away all care to assist them to kindle a fire in his owne proper estate and so to ouer-couer it with flames and ruines Yea let this Picture employ it selfe to take remoue from him all â—…uples of conâ—…ce whereby they 〈◊〉 inflamed flesh d him against vs. because of Religion and so endeuour to make him comprehend that ali Soules belong to God in which regard he is termed the Father of Spirits and for him although it be told him his Sceptâ—…r hath no â—…risdiction Yet say that we were in an errour that it is a disease of the soule which to cure there is none but spirituall remedies that haue efficacy to performe it and that all constraint violence offered to the body is vncapable thereof that it hath ill succeeded to those who haue made triall of these violent cures as the experiences of many of his Predecessors without ascending higher doe but too sufficiently make good and confirme That those who suggest these bloody counsels to him and to tolerate but one Religion doe notwithstanding practise the contrary in their owne Estates The Pope permitting Iewes in Rome Ancona and Auignon although they openly blaspheme against the name of Iesus Christ and the Spaniard said to be so good a Catholique was ready to allow the exercise of our Religion to the Netherlands if at that time there had beene no other differences but that That by all these considerations collected together and others which his wisedome shall dictate vnto him this good Seruant endeuoureth to incline him to giue vs a good Peace whose Ciment may be the inuiolable execution of his Edicts that by the continuance and preseruation thereof this poore Kingdome may reuiue breathe from her former miseries and re-obtaine the happines of her pristine felicity and he also may be now blest of all his Subjects and enioying peace at home may shew himselfe for the defence of those his Allies abroad who yet subsist and erraise the others from the ruines and miseries wherein they are fallen for want of his Royall assistance And hereafter we haue addressed our selues to the person of our Prince wee also inuoke all those who although they are of a contrary Religion to vs are yet people of good consciences and retaine still the hearts and affections of Loyall Frenchmen to the end to speake here in presence of God that if the first can some way consent to so many iniustices and disloyalties which haue beene offered to vs whereby we haue beene wronged and circumuented And if the other make them not to ioyne in pitty and compassion for the miseries and calamities of our common Country wherein it is plunged and precipitated by the enrage and furious desire they haue to ruine vs. What our deare fellow-Citizens will you still permit your selues to be led by the Notes by your Friers who owing their Oathes and Eyes to the Pope and looking with their hearts towards Spaine haue beene the fatall Firebrands and mournefull Torches of our former flames and miseries and vnder the same pretext of those times would now againe enkindle them Doe you not bewaile the Raigne of