nt, and then threw it into
the river.

_From the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes, to the French Revolution in
1789._

The persecutions occasioned by the revocation of the edict of Nantes,
took place under Louis XIV. This edict was made by Henry the Great of
France in 1598, and secured to the protestants an equal right in every
respect, whether civil or religious, with the other subjects of the
realm. All those privileges Louis the XIII. confirmed to the protestants
by another statute, called the edict of Nismes, and kept them inviolably
to the end of his reign.

On the accession of Louis XIV. the kingdom was almost ruined by civil
wars. At this critical juncture, the protestants, heedless of our Lord's
admonition, "They that take the sword, shall perish with the sword,"
took such an active part in favour of the king, that he was constrained
to acknowledge himself indebted to their arms for his establishment on
the throne. Instead of cherishing and rewarding that party who had
fought for him, he reasoned, that the same power which had protected
could overturn him, and, listening to the popish machinations, he began
to issue out proscriptions and restrictions, indicative of his final
determination. Rochelle was presently fettered with an incredible number
of denunciations. Montaban and Millau were sacked by soldiers. Popish
commissioners were appointed to preside over the affairs of the
protestants, and there was no appeal from their ordinance, except to the
king's council. This struck at the root of their civil and religious
exercises, and prevented them, being protestants, from suing a catholic
in any court of law. This was followed by another injunction, to make an
inquiry in all parishes into whatever the protestants had said or done
for twenty years past. This filled the prisons with innocent victims,
and condemned others to the galleys or banishment. Protestants were
expelled from all offices, trades, privileges and employs; thereby
depriving them of the means of getting their bread: and they proceeded
to such excess in their brutality, that they would not suffer even the
midwives to officiate, but compelled their women to submit themselves in
that crisis of nature to their enemies, the brutal catholics. Their
children were taken from them to be educated by the catholics, and at
seven years made to embrace popery. The reformed were prohibited from
relieving their own sick or poor, from all private worship, an