The Huguenot Bartholomew Dupuy and his descendants

PERSECUTION OF REFORMERS. 19
and circulated throughout France, in the hope introd.
of arousing thereby vigorous action among the
Protestants, and of inducing the King to refoi'm
the Romish church. Farel himself, in
his characteristic, vehement language, wrote
the **
Manifesto,'' censuring the errors of the
Romish church and especially the Mass, which
was the safeguard of Rome, and the abomination
of the Reformed. The messenger returned
with a supply of them in both forms.
The design did not meet with universal
approval among the Protestants, for some
thought it harsh and would lead to severe consequences.
However, after prolonged deliber- 1534.
ation, they decided to execute it, and the night JJg^^J
of October 23, 1534, was fixed for posting the posted,
placards.
On the morning of the 24th, the Catholics
found the paper posted throughout the city
of Paris and elsewhere, and even the Eang,
who was at Blois, found one affixed to the door
of his own room. The effect though electric
and astounding did not result as was hoped,
for while it electrified the Reformers, it
aroused the Romanists to violence. So numerous
were the Reformers at this time, if they
had had a leader to organize them, they might
have won the day by forcing Francis I. to
conciliate and establish his kingdom in their
hearts. But the undisciplined and unorganized
Reformers without a leader were left to
contend with the disciplined and organized
Romanist in church and state, with the King
at their head. The Romanist proclaimed that
a plot was forming to destroy the kingdom
and religion; and the King incensed that his
own door had been placarded, declared the act
high treason and ordered: ''Let all be seized