Page:Protestant Exiles from France Agnew vol 2.djvu/33



The concluding paragraph of the translation of 1686 is much abridged — it runs thus:—

“However, ’twill be no offence to God or good men to leave this writing to the world, as a protestation made before him and them against these violences, more especially against the Edict of 1685, containing the Revocation of that of Nants, it being in its own nature inviolable, irrevocable, and unalterable. We may, I say, complain, amongst other things, against the worse than inhumane cruelties exercised on dead bodies, when they are dragged along the streets at the horse-tails, and digged out, and denied sepulchres. We cannot but complain of the cruel orders to part with our children, and suffer them to be baptized and brought up by our enemies. But, above all, against the impious and detestable practice, now in vogue, of making religion to depend on the king’s pleasure, on the will of a mortal prince — and of treating perseverance in the faith with the odious name of rebellion. This is to make a God of man, and to run back into the heathenish pride and flattery among the Romans, or an authorising of atheism or gross idolatry. In fine, we commit our complaints and all our interests into the hands of that Providence which brings good out of evil, and which is above the understanding of mortals whose houses are in the dust.” 