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

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only, but its symbols also; nor the Gospel without<br />

the loss <strong>of</strong> idolatry, substance and symbol. Nor can<br />

these symbols return without the old ideas<br />

return<strong>in</strong>g <strong>to</strong>o. Hence Ranke tells us that the first<br />

<strong>in</strong>dication <strong>of</strong> a reaction aga<strong>in</strong>st the Reformation <strong>in</strong><br />

Germany was "the wear<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> rosaries." This may<br />

enable us <strong>to</strong> understand the ardor <strong>of</strong> the French<br />

iconoclasts <strong>of</strong> the sixteenth century. Of that ardor<br />

we select, from a multitude <strong>of</strong> illustrative <strong>in</strong>cidents,<br />

the follow<strong>in</strong>g:--On one occasion, dur<strong>in</strong>g the first<br />

war <strong>of</strong> religion, news was brought <strong>to</strong> Conde and<br />

Coligny that the great Church <strong>of</strong> St. Croix <strong>in</strong><br />

Orleans was be<strong>in</strong>g sacked. Hurry<strong>in</strong>g <strong>to</strong> the spot,<br />

they found a soldier mounted on a ladder, busied <strong>in</strong><br />

break<strong>in</strong>g an image. The pr<strong>in</strong>ce po<strong>in</strong>ted an<br />

arquebuse at him. "Menseigneur," said the<br />

Huguenot, "have patience till I have knocked down<br />

this idol, and then I will die, if you please."<br />

Footnotes:<br />

1. The orig<strong>in</strong> <strong>of</strong> this word has been much<br />

discussed and variously determ<strong>in</strong>ed. In both<br />

<strong>France</strong> and Geneva the Protestants were called<br />

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