Deep Dive into Foxe's Book of Martyrs by John Foxe - From the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes, to the French Revolution, in 1789

The persecution of Protestants in France escalated dramatically under King Louis XIV following the revocation of the Edict of Nantes on October 18, 1685. The Edict, originally issued by Henry the Great in 1598, had granted Protestants significant civil and religious rights. Although Louis XIV initially confirmed these privileges, he grew suspicious of the Protestant minority, influenced by Catholic factions, and began a systematic campaign to erode their rights long before the formal revocation. Upon revocation, the king decreed that no Huguenots would be suffered in his kingdom, demanding immediate conversion. Dragoons were quartered in Protestant homes and used extreme violence to force compliance. Methods of torture included hanging and smoking, plucking out hair with pincers, throwing on fires, lancing with knives, dragging by the nose with red-hot pincers, and sexual violence. Protestants were also economically ruined, expelled from jobs and trades, and their children were taken to be educated as Catholics. Ministers faced banishment, given only a short time to leave or face condemnation for life to the galleys. Conditions in the galleys were horrific, involving being chained to the oar, exposure, beatings, vermin, lack of food and clothing, and the brutal bastinado punishment for refusing to attend Mass. Despite strict guards on borders, approximately 150,000 Protestants managed to escape France. These cruelties were actively encouraged by bishops, intendants, and other clergy. Reformed Theologian GPT: https://chat.openai.com/g/g-XXwzX1gnv-reformed-theologian Patreon: patreon.com/edi_reformed