Yet Protestantism still grew; and in 1555 it began to organize itself ; churches were founded on the model which Calvin had framed for Strassburg, and in 1559 a General Synod met, repre senting from 4o to 5o churches. The Government now procured papal approbation for an Inquisition after the Spanish model; but the Paris parlement was not prepared to go so far. Mean while the new doctrines were taken up by some of the higher nobility; they thus acquired the advantage and the disadvantage of becoming both fashionable and political. The execution of a distinguished member of the parlement, Anne du Bourg, for merely protesting against persecution (1559), could be described by an eyewitness as "doing more harm to the Catholic Church than 'co ministers could have done." But the "tumult of Am boise," next year, redressed the balance. The Government, during the boyhood of Francis II., had fallen into the hands of the Guise family ; and a number of Protestant nobles conspired at Amboise to arrest and imprison these unpopular rulers. The plot failed and brought natural discredit upon the religious cause.
A Political Party.—Protestantism was now becoming almost as definitely a political party in France as Catholicism ; therefore, a council was held at Poissy, virtually representing the whole nation, to find a modus vivendi on the basis of mutual toleration. The Protestants were represented by 12 ministers and 20 lay men; the Catholics by six cardinals and 64 prelates or doctors; the king presided, with the queen mother and princes of the blood. The conference failed to effect a compromise between irrecon cilable doctrines; but it was followed by an edict granting liberty of conscience within certain definite limitations. This, however, without fully satisfying the Protestants, was enough to exasperate the Catholics.
In March 1562, the former were holding a religious service in a barn at Vassy, in spite of the edict which forbade their worship in any walled town. The duke of Guise, passing through the town, sent his men to expel them. They resisted, and the soldiers stormed the barn, killing 63 of the worshippers and wounding ioo or more. The example of this "massacre of Vassy" was followed in many other places ; henceforward the Wars of Religion begin, and we can no longer treat the French Ref orma tion as a purely spiritual movement. The massacre of St. Barthol omew was a natural sequel to the tumult of Amboise and the massacre of Vassy. But, before quitting this subject, we must note that the "Presbyterian" constitution owes even more, di rectly, to the French Protestants than to any other source. Their "confession of faith" and their "book of discipline," though founded essentially upon Calvin, have more directly influenced the Dutch, Scottish and American churches, than Calvin's own constitution at Geneva.
When we have thus followed the German, Swiss and French Reformations, we find little that is new in other Continental countries. The Netherlands were well prepared for Protestantism by their busy civic life, their early welcome of the printing-press, their vernacular translation of the Bible and the educa tional work of the Brethren of the Common Life or Common Lot (q.v.; see also GROOT, GERHARD). Luther's writings were wel comed at once; and the Bible was frequently printed in Dutch, Flemish and French between 1513 and 1531.
Charles V. began with public burnings of Lutheran books en masse, and then established the Inquisition (1522). Burnings for heresy began early ; but the emperor's edicts, though severe and frequently repeated, were difficult to enforce in face of the growing opposition. Special severity and peculiar tortures were reserved for the Anabaptists, who were intercepted and slaugh tered in large numbers even when they attempted to emigrate. At last, in 1534, they were provoked to strike back, but with the natural result of severer persecution. Under Philip II., political and religious oppression were intertwined. When, in 1565, he in sisted on the publication of the decrees of the Council of Trent, not in the pope's name but in his own, Holland and Brabant pro tested against this as an infringement of their constitutional liberties. Next year, a confederacy of nobles and leading citizens pledged themselves to resist the Inquisition, and adopted the nickname of Gueux (q.v.) which the courtiers had fastened upon them.