Protestantism in France From Death of Francis I to Edict of Nantes - James Aitken Wylie

the device of styling the approaching assembly a
Colloquy. The two parties had a different ideal
before their mind. That of the Romantats was, that
the Protestants came to the bar to plead, and to
have their cause judged by the Church. That of the
Protestants was, that the two parties were to debate
on equal terms, that the Bible should be the
supreme standard, and that the State's authorities
should decide without appeal. Knox, in Scotland,
drew the line more justly; framing his creed from
the Bible, he presented it to the Parliament, just a
year before this, and asked the authorities to judge
of it, but only for themselves, in order to the
withdrawal from the Roman hierarchy of that
secular jurisdiction in which it was vested, and
which it was exercising for the hindrance of the
evangel, and for the destruction of its disciples.
The Protestant Church of France had no Knox.
On September 9th, 1561, this Colloquy--for we
must not call it a Council --assembled at Poissy.
On this little town, which lay a few leagues to the
lyest of Paris, were the eyes of Christendom for the
moment fixed. Will the conference now assembling
138