The Humble PETITION OF THE Protestants of France Lately presented to His Most Christian Majesty, By the Marshal Schomberg, and the Marquis of Ruvigny,  
A true Copy in French and English.  

SIRE,  
VOs Sujets de la Religion pretendue Reformée se jettent aux pieds de Vostre M. avec un profond respect, pour luy representer le grand nombre de maux dont on les accable coup sur coup, & pour la supplier tres humblement de leur faire ressentir les effets de sa justice & de sa bonté.  
Les Edits des Roys vos predecesseurs, & particulierement ceux de Henry le Grand, & de Louys le Juste, que vostre Majesté a confirmez authentiquement à son heureux avenement à la Couronne, & depuis encore par diverses Declarations, ont toûjours regardé ceux de la ditte Religion, comme faisant une partie considerable des Peuples que Dieu leur av●it soûmis: Comme tels ils estoie●t receus, non seulement aux emplois, aux a●●s & aux mestiers, sans lesquels des sujets ne peuvent gagner leur vie, mais aux charges & aux honneurs, qui sont la marque & la recompence du merite & de la vertu: Ils avoient avec Ja liberté de leur conscience le libre exercice de leur Religion & de leur Discipline dans tous les lieux designez par les mesmes Edits, outre les Commissaires qui estoient authoriscz pour empescher les moindres infractions.  
Il y avoit des Chambres Miparties pour faire que dans tous les tems ceux de la Religion pûssent s'asseûrer d'une justice impartiale, tant pour leurs personnes, que pour leurs biens. Les Gentils-hommes en particulier estoient en droit & en possession de commettre des Officiers soit de l'une ou de l'autre Religion dans leurs fiess. Enfin les supplians jovissoient presque en toutes choses du même bonheur, & des mêmes avantages que les autres sujets de vostre Majesté.  
Il est uray, Sire, que c'estoient des concessions des Roys vos predecesseurs, & de V. M. même; mais des Concessions établies par des dispositions que les mêmes Edicts appellent une Loy perpetuelle & irrevocable, pour entretenir les sujets de l'une & de l'autre Religion dans une parfaite amitié. Les supplians peuvent dire, qu'ils ont toûjours vescu sous la Loy de ces Concessions, & qu'ils n'ont pas eu le malheur de s'en rendre indignes. Ils ont eu au contraire cet avantage que V. M. a eu la bonté de faire des Declarations publiques & solemnelles de l'entiere satisfaction qu'elle avoit du Zele & de la Fidelité que les supplians ont fait paroistre pour son service, dans les tems mêmes les plus difficiles. Cependant, SIRE, sans remonter à ces tems éloignez, combien la condition presente des supplians est elle differente de l'estat où ils estoient il n'y a que quelques années?  
Non seulement ils ne sont plus admis aux charges, comme ils l'estoient auparavant, mais plusieurs ont esté dépovillez de celles dont ils estoient revestus, & dans lesquelles ils auroient toûjours sérvi avec honneur.  
On leur a osté, contre les propres termes de Edict les Consulats mi-partis & les charges municipales dans les Villes mêmes où les supplians sont en plus grand nombre, & où ils ont le plus d'interest en l'administration de la Police, & dans le manîment des deniers qui s'imposent sur eux.  
Ils n'ont plus la même entrée aux moindres fonctions publiques en divers lieux, ni aux arts & aux metiers, qui sont les seuls moyens qu'ont des sujets pour subsister.  
Ils peuvent compter jusqu'a trois cent Temples qu'on a fait demolir en moins de dix ans, quelques-uns même qui estoient nommez expressement dans l'Edict de Nantes, ou compris dans la disposition formelle du même Edict.  
Les Commissaires qui sont toûjours prets à escouter les pretendües contraventions qu'on impute aux supplians, refusent de connoître de celles dont les supplians se pleignent, ou s'ils en connoissent, ils ne prononcent que pour faire des partages, souvent même les Commissaires Catholics rendent des jugements contre les supplians sans la jonction dès Commissaires de leur Religion.  
Ceux qui ne peuvent trouver le repos de leur conscience hors ladite Religion apres l'avoir quittée, & qui veulent y retourner, sont à present exposez aux peines les plus rigoureuses sous le titre de Relaps, & les Ministres & Consistoires à estre supprimez.  
Si d'autres veulent passer de la Religion Catholique à ladite Religion pretendue Reformée, on inquiete ceux de ladite Religion pretendue Reformée à qui ils s'addressent pour s'éclaircir de leurs doutes, ou pour declarer leur creance, & l'on pretend que c'est là une subornation.  
Les Chambres de l'Edict sont non seulement incorporées aux Parlemens, comme l'Edict portoit qu'elles pourroient l'estre, mais esteintes & supprimées.  
Les enfants des supplians, quoy que nez dans leur Religion, leur sont enlevez, avant qu'ils ayent atteint l'aage porté par les Edicts pour declarer dans quelle Religion ils veulent viure: Simo l'on se retire sur cela vers les Intendans de V. M. comme chargez de tenir la main à l'execution des Edicts, ou ils refusent d'en connoistre, ou ils éludent des années entieres toutes les plaintes qu'on leur fait, & les juges ordinaires n'y ont pas plus d'égard.  
On veut reduire ceux de ladite Religion à n'avoir qu'un seul Maistre d'escole dans les lieux même où l'on voit jusqu'a 2. ou 3. mille petits enfants, comme si un seul Maistre pouvoit suffire pour un si grand nombre d'escoliers.  
On a surpris une Declaration pour faire changer la forme de la tenue de leurs Synodes, en y faisant assister des Commissaires Catholics: Ce qui est entierement opposé à la disposition des Edicts, & à la Declaration de Lovys XIII. de l'an 1623. & à l'usage toûjours obserué: & cela même sous des pretextes contraires à l'honneur des supplians, & à la fidelité qu'ils ont toûjours eue au service de V. Majesté.  
Messieurs les Euêques sous pretexte de leur visite pretendent, par un Arrest surpris dans vostre Conseil, empescher l'exercice de laditte Religion des semaines entieres.  
Les Ecclesiastiques allant dans les Temples de ceux de ladite Religion pour écouter leurs préches, imputent aux Ministres des choses qu'ils n'ont point dites, ou prennent aussi des pretextes des termes qu'on ne peut éviter dans les Controverses, pour leur faire des procés criminels devant des Juges animez contre leur Religion, pendant que les mêmes Ecclesiastiques ne cessent de se servir contre les supplians de termes deffendus expressement par les Edits.  
Les premiers Juges des lieux a qui il n'avoit jamais appartenu de connoistre des cas des Edicts, entreprennent, par des procedures tout à fait inouies, d'interdire les Ministres des Provinces entieres.  
Enfin, on vient de publier une Declaration pour empécher que les femmes de ceux de ladite Religion ne se servent que de Chirurgiens ou de Sages-femmes Catholics pour accoucher, afin que les enfans puissent estre ondo yez, ce qui est encore directement opposé à la disposition des Edicts, & aux principes de la Religion des supplians: Leur conscience ne leur pouvant jamais permettre de consentir à cet usage, parce que d'un costé ils ne croyent pas que le baptesme soit necessaire d'une necessité absolue, quand la mort previent les soins de ceux qui sont obligés de le procurer; & de l'autre ils croyent qu'un si grand Sacrement ne peut en nul cas estre administré par des personnes laiques, & que l'ondoyement ne peut jamais tenir lieu de baptesme.  
Tous ces faits, SIRE, & un tres grand nombre d'autres tres considerables, mais qui dans le détail seroient ici trop-longs & trop ennuyeux pour V. Majesté, sont d'une connoisiance publique, on justifiez par les pieces que les supplians ont entre les mains, & même par les Jugements, par les Arrets, & par les Declarations. Tout le monde qui voit l'abbaissement extreme ou les supplians sont reduits, commence de les regarder comme s'ils estoient abandonnez à la haine & à la poursuite de ceux qui veulent leur ruine entiere.  
Il ne se peut rien ajoûter à la consternation generale ou sont tous ceux de ladite Religion dans tous les endroits du Royaume: plusieurs sont déja sortis par crainte ou par necessité, pour chercher leur repos dans les pays estrangers. Le plus grand nombre ne sont retenus que par l'amour qu'ils ont pour V. Majesté; quelques-uns peut estre par la difficulté qu'ils ont à quitter leurs biens & le pays de leur naissance. Tous, SIRE, apres Dieu n'attendent de seureté ni de repos que de la justice & de la clemence de V. M. Elle a toûjours eu la bonté de leur donner accés à sa personne sacrée, & de vouloir écouter leurs justes plaintes, Elle avoit même nomme des Commiss. de son Cons. pour les examiner plus particulierement, & pour en faire le rapport; mais les grandes Guerres que V. Majesté a eues à soûtenir, l'ayant occupée au dehors, les maux des supplians n'ont fait que se multiplier & s'accroistre.  
Maintenant, SIRE, que V. M. jouit avec tant d'éclat des succé glorieux dont Dieu a favorisé ses desseins, & que tous ses peuples s'attendent aussi d'avoir part aux fruits de ses travaux, les supplians esperent de la justice & de la bonté de V. M. qu'elle ne voudra pas distinguer en cela les supplians de ses autres sujets, ni que pendant que les uns seront dans la joye & dans le repos, les autres pleurent & gemissent.  
A ces Causes, SIRE, & que les supplians ont toûjours le même Zele, & la même Fidelité pour vostre service, Plaise à Vostre Majesté, avoir la bonté de faire entendre a Messieurs de son Conseil, aux Presidents, & Procureurs Generaux de ses Parlemens, à ses Intendants & Commissaires executeurs des Loix, & à ses autres Magistrats & Officiers, que son intention Royalle est que les Edicts soyent gardez & executez, ordonner aux Commissaires nommez par V. M. ou autres qu'il luy plaira nommer, d'examiner les memoires & pieces justificatives des supplians, & en informer V. Majesté; & en particulier à Messieurs les Secretaires d'Estat, & de ses commandemens de luy faire incessamment le rapport de celles qui sont les plus pressantes, & dont les inconvenients sont plus grands, pour y estre pourvu selon le bon plaisir de V. M. Et les supplians continueront toûjours leurs voeux & leurs prieres pour sa gloire, & pour la prosperite de sa personne sacrée & de son regne.   

SIR,  
WE your Subjects of that Religion (which we call the Reformed) do with most profound Reverence cast ourselves at the feet of your Majesty, that so we may represent the many aggrievances, which have been heaped upon us, one after another, and may most humbly beg some effectual resentments of the same, from your justice and goodness.  
The Edicts of the Kings your predecessors, and particularly those of Henry the Great, and Lewis the Just, which your Majesty most authentically confirmed at your happy Inauguration, and since by divers and sundry Declarations have always had regard to those of the said Religion, which consists of a considerable part of those people which God hath committed to your charge: And as such, they have not only been permitted to exercise their Employments, and Arts, and Trades, whereby they gain their Livelihood, but also have been promoted to Places of Trust and Honour, as effects of their Merit and Virtue: They have also enjoyed a Liberty of Conscience, by a free exercise of their Religion and Discipline in all places privileged by the aforesaid Edicts, and Commissioners also have been appointed to take care, that there should be no infringements or violations thereof.  
There have been also Courts of Justice consisting of men of both Religions, that at all times the Protestants might be assured of impartial justice both as to their Persons, and Estates. And the Gentlemen particularly had right, to place in their Fee-Farms those of one, or the other Religion, without any difference: In short, your Petitioners enjoyed almost the same freedom and advantages, as the other Subjects of your Majesty.  
It is true, Sir, that these were the Concessions of the Kings your Predecessors, and of your present Majesty, and have been established with such circumstances, as the Edicts themselves call a perpetual and an irrevocable Law, designed purposely to keep your Subjects both of one and the other Religion in perfect amity. And your Petitioners can confidently aver, that they have so demeaned themselves under this Law, and Privileges, as never to have rendered themselves unworthy thereof. But on the contrary have gained this advantage, that your Majesty hath made many solemn and gracious Declarations, testifying the entire satisfaction your Majesty hath conceived of the Zeal and Loyalty of your Petitioners, in times of most hazard and difficulty. And now, SIR, we need not search the Histories of many years, to demonstrate the difference of our present condition, from those times; for it is now but a few years since your Petitioners have not only been made uncapable of being admitted into public Offices, but discharged of those in which they were invested, and in which they had always served with honour and fidelity.  
For contrary to the true intent and words of this Edict, they have taken from your Petitioners the privilege of equally entering with others into the Commission of Consulates, and the Municipal Offices of Towns, even in those very Corporations, wherein your Petitioners are the greatest number, and have the greatest interest in the administration of the Civil Government, and management of that Money which is levied upon them.  
They have not now in many places any admittance to the meanest Office in the Public, nor are they licenced to exercise those Arts and Trades whereby they gain their sole livelihood and subsistence.  
They can reckon up at least 300 Protestant Churches, which in the space of ten years have been demolished, notwithstanding that some of them have been expressly named in the Edict of Nantes, and others comprehended within the limits and sense thereof.  
The Commissioners which are always ready to receive Process against your Petitioners, yet stop their ears to their complaints; and if they do take notice of them, it is with a corrupt and partial sentence, and oftentimes the Catholic Commissioners pronounce Judgement against your Petitioners, without the intervention and assent of those of their Religion.  
Those who have changed from the Protestant to the Catholic Religion, not finding that quietness of conscience which they expected therein, so that they have returned again to their first persuasion, have been exposed to most rigorous penances, under the term of Relapse, and the Ministers and Consistories have been liable to be suppressed.  
If any of the Catholic Religion become Protestants, they presently persecute those to whom they applied themselves for clearing their doubts, or declaring their belief, pretending that thereby they come within the compass of that crime, which is called Subornation.  
The Chambers of this Edict are not only incorporated with the Parliaments, against the express sense of the Edict, but are extinguished wholly, and suppressed.  
The Children of your Petitioners, though born in their Religion, are often taken from them, before they have attained to that age which the Edicts allow them, before they are obliged to declare the Religion which they resolve to profess: And if hereupon they address themselves to your Commissioners, advising them to put in execution the Edict, they either refuse to take cognizance thereof, or else elude it in that manner, that for several years together they take not the least notice of their complaints, nor have the ordinary Judges any regard thereunto.  
They will not suffer the Protestants to entertain more than one Schoolmaster in the Town where they live; and though the Children amount to 2 or 3000 in number, yet they will not allow more than one Master for them all.  
Your Petitioners have been much surprised by a Declaration issued out, for changing the form and tenure of their Synods, by placing certain Catholic Commissioners for Assistants therein: which being entirely contrary to the meaning and substance of those Edicts, and Declaration of Lewis the 13th. set out in the year 1623. and to the custom always observed, hath no other foundation than those pretences which reflect on the honour of your Petitioners, and that fidelity which they have ever professed towards the service of your Majesty.  
The Bishops under colour of their Visitations, and by virtue of an Order of Arrest from your Privy Council, have pretended to suspend the exercise of the Religion of your Petitioners for several weeks.  
The Clergy which have entered the Protestant Churches, to hear the Sermons which are there preached, do object unto the Ministers matters which they never uttered, or take advantage of certain terms which cannot be avoided in Controversy, to form a criminal Process against them before a Judge, who is prepossessed with a prejudice against them; and in the mean time the Clergy do not cease to justify themselves against the Petitioners, by such courses as are expressly forbidden by the aforesaid Edicts.  
The Chief Justices of several places, to whom matters relating to the Edicts did never appertain, do now undertake by unknown methods of procedure, to interdict or suspend the Ministers of whole Provinces.  
In fine, so far are they proceeded, as to make a Declaration, forbidding Protestant women to make use of other Surgeons, or Midwives, than those which are Catholics, that so their Children may be dipped in water by them in case of necessity: which as it is directly opposite to the sense of the Edicts, so it is also to the Principles of that Religion which your Petitioners profess; for their consciences will never allow them to consent hereunto, because that as on one side, they cannot believe that Baptism is of an absolute and indispensable necessity, where death prevents the due care and cautions we use to obtain it; so on the other side, your Petitioners have that just reverence to so great a Sacrament, as not to commit the same to the administration of Lay-people, nor do they believe that such dipping or sprinkling with water, can ever supply the place of Baptism.  
These proceed, SIR, and many more of them very considerable, are more easily mentioned in general, then to be troublesome to your Majesty in a recital of the particulars, which are either notoriously known to the World, or to be justified and made good by Attestations which your Petitioners have in their hands, together with Judgements, Arrests and Declarations. All the World, which observes the low condition unto which your Petitioners are reduced, begin to consider them, as persons exposed to the malice and persecution of those who desire their total destruction.  
Nothing more can be added to the general consternation of those, who profess the Protestant Religion in all parts of your Kingdom; so that many for fear, or for necessity, have been forced to abandon their dwellings, and seek their repose in the Dominions of Strangers: such as remain here, are detained by the love they bear to their Native Country, or by some difficulty they find in the disposal of their Estates; though the greatest number are obliged with an affection to your Majesty and your Government. In all these aggrievances, SIR, your Petitioners have no other defence and protection, under God, than the justice and clemency of your Majesty, by which they have formerly had access to your Sacred person, which hath ever lent a gentle ear to the just complaints of your Petitioners, having nominated Commissioners of your Council particularly to examine their Cause, and make report thereof to your Majesty: but the great Wars which your Majesty hath lately maintained, have diverted this care to greater thoughts, whereby the evils and oppressions of your Petitioners have been multiplied and increased.  
And now, SIR, since your Majesty enjoys the triumph of those glorious successes with which God hath favoured your designs, and that your People expect likewise to share some part of the fruit of their labours: your Petitioners hope, through the justice and gracious goodness of your Majesty, that no distinction shall be made between your Petitioners and your other Subjects, lest whilst some are in joy, and at rest, the others should mourn, and groan under oppressions.  
For which Reasons, SIR, and because your Petitioners have ever entertained the same Zeal and Fidelity to your Service; may it please your Majesty to make known unto the Lords of your Council, Precedents, and Attorneys-general of Parliaments, to Superintendents, and Commissioners executing the Law, that your Royal Will and Pleasure is, that the Edicts be observed and executed; and particularly to encharge such Commissioners as are already named by your Majesty, or shall be hereafter named, that they examine the Memorials, and Papers of Justification, which your Petitioners shall produce, and to inform your Majesty thereof; and especially to the Secretaries of State, that a due report may be made thereof, and of those aggrievances and burdens which are most oppressing, that so your Majesty being truly made sensible thereof, may act therein according to your gracious pleasure. And your Petitioners shall continue their vows, and prayers for the glory of your Majesty, and for the prosperity of your Sacred person, and Kingdom.    
FINIS.  

LONDON: Printed for L. Curtis.