King Henry IV of France signed in April of 1598 a document known as the Edict of Nantes, where it granted the Calvinist Protestants of France rights. The country at the time was mostly Catholic and the main purpose of this edict was to promote civil unity.
Init was established the separation of civil and religious practices and itrecognized some Protestants as righteous instead of schismatics and heretics,paving the path for future laws on secularism and tolerance.
The edict also offered freedom of conscience and concessions to the Protestants, like the general reinstatement of civil rights and amnesty as well. It also included the right to seek work in any field, including working for the state and to bring grievances to the king directly.
With the signing of the edict, the religious wars that took over France during the XVI century were over.
Unfortunately, this edict was revoked byLouis XIV on October 1685, the grandson of Henry IV. The Edict of Fontainebleauresulted in an increased hostility of Protestant countries that bordered withFrance and a large exodus from Protestant French.
Why was it written?
The Wars of Religion had been going on for far too long, so Henry IV thought that this document would put an end to violence that had taken over France in the second half of the XVI century.
While he had converted to Catholicism to secure his succession to the throne, he had taken up Protestantism before, and he was still sympathetic to the Protestant religion and their cause.
Thedocument was successful in bringing peace and internal unity to the country,but it didn’t really please either religious group. The Catholics were againstthe recognition the Protestants were being given since they still aimed atreligious uniformity, and the Protestants were unhappy because even with theedict, they weren’t equal to the Catholics.
What’s in it?
The Edict of Nantes ismade up of four major texts, where you will find 92 articles based on peacetreaties that failed, 56 “secret” articles that dealt with rights andobligations offered to Protestants, for instance the guarantee by the Frenchstate to protect Protestants travelling abroad from the Inquisition. The lasttwo texts are mostly made up of military and pastoral clauses.
Even though it did give Protestants more rights and privileges, it also upheld Catholicism as the established religion. It also ruled that Protestants had to respect Catholic holidays and abide by the laws of marriage, as well as limiting their freedom of worship to certain geographical areas. It didn’t mention other religious groups, like Jews or Muslims, who at the time were given temporary asylum.
The original Act promulgating the edicthas disappeared, only a shorter text of a modified version exists, written in1599. A copy of the first edict was sent to Protestant Geneva still survives.
Revocation of the Edict
In 1685, Louis XIV renounced the edict and therefore declared Protestantism illegal through the proclamation of the Edict of Fontainebleau. It had very damaging consequences for France, beginning with relentless persecution of Protestants, the exodus of their ministers and the prohibition of Protestants to leave the country.
Theywere tortured and it is calculated that around 400,000 fled France, riskingtheir lives. This exodus meant that many highly skilled and industrious membersof society had to leave, moving to the Netherlands, Great Britain, Prussia orSwitzerland, hence aiding these countries in their own advancement, all of themrivals of France.
