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The Huguenots formed in 1530 as a version of the Reformed Church in France which was the home of the staunchly-violent “Holy Roman” `Catholics (persecuted/murdered thousands of Waldensians etc). This reformed movement in France followed German Lutheran reforms and the Swiss Reformed Calvinists. John Calvin himself was a Huguenot refugee who fled to Switzerland where he would become a key figure in the Swiss Reformation.
1. Like Calvin, the Huguenots taught a priesthood of believers without intervention of clergy, but rather faith alone (Luther) and believed in “sola Scriptura” the Bible alone. Grew in numbers and influence.
2. 1662, Francois, Duc de Guise a staunch Catholic attacked unarmed Huguenots in worship killing over a hundred people.
i. The Huguenots formed an army to fight for their right to exist: cf. Waldensians, Hussites.
ii. 1662 slaughter sparked the “Wars of Religion” which would ravage France for 30 years. Unfortunately, the violent Catholics would win out and the Huguenots were persecuted in similar fashion to all previous Bible-believieng Christians under Catholicism.
3. Gaspard de Coligny – Governor of Picardy & Admiral of French Navy fought against Protestants in 1519, then converted in 1550 through the Bible and the works of Luther and Calvin.
i. Was a great friend of King Henri II of France and eventually his daughter Catherine de Medici who allowed him to preach about religious freedom in France.
ii. Catherine (acting Regent of France for her minor son Charles IX, even backed Coligny as a broker for peace between protestants & Catholics & his plans to plant a protestant colony in America.
iii. Coligny became fast friends with her son King Charles IX & Catherine resented it and betrayed Coligny, hiring an assassin to kill Coligny – the plot barely failed.
iv. She then convincing her son that Coligny and his Huguenots were attempting to overthrow the French government. to which he ordered they all be slaughtered.
v. 1572 – St. Bartholomew’s Day massacre, Coligny was the first to die among thousands of Huguenots
Henri de Navarre – flip flopped as a Protestant and a Catholic –
i. Henri married Catherine’s daughter Marguerite – and was held in “royal” custody because of his flip floppiness. He escaped, fled back to Navarre and re-converted and joined the Huguenot armies.
ii. Charles the IX, King of France, daughter of Catherine and butcher of Huguenots died and left 3 heirs: Henri III, Francois (both cousins) and the royal husband of his sister, Marguerite: Henri of Navarre.
iii. 1584 Francois died and Henri III declared Henri of Navarre, the Huguenot Protestant, the heir presumptive over the French population which was 90% Catholic.
iv. 1589 – Henry III is assassinated and Henry IV is excommunicated by Pope Sixtus V.
v. Catholic French give birth to a cow – and the wars of religion start whereby, Henri de Navarre (now Henri IV) led his Huguenot army against Paris but could not break it.
vi. 1593 To win Paris, Henri IV, you guessed it, converted back to Catholicism which contradicted his earlier quote that said “Religion is not changed as easily as a shirt.” Alas, the flip flopper returns. This ended the infamous “Wars of Religion”.
vii. 1598 Henri IV – signed the “Edict of Nantes” which declared a general amnesty for the Protestants and granted the Huguenots existence as a separate state within France
viii. 1610 Henri IV was assassinated by an over zealous Catholic (Like Henry III had been)
ix. 1685 Louis XIV would revoke the Edict of Nantes and new persecutions would arise.
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