The Acts of Famous National Councils of the Reformed Churches in France, Introduction 2 · Section 32
SECT. XXXII.
This Edict of Nantes alſo gave unto the Reformed the Priviledge of keeping ſmall Schools in all places where they had the Exerciſe of their Religion, and by common acceptation thoſe were always underſtood Leſſer Schools in which Children were taught Latin and Humanity. This was the known received ſenſe of theſe words throughout the Kingdom, and it is thus taken when it doth concern the Roman Catholicks: Yet, by a new Interpretation, this permiſſion was reſtrained to the bare liberty of Teaching to read and write; as if the Reformed were unworthy to learn any more. And this on purpoſe to tire out the Parents, and drive them to this extremity, either not to know what to do with their Children, or be forced to ſend them to the Roman Catholicks for Education.
The Edict gave them Liberty in all places where they had Churches, to inſtruct publickly their Children, and others in what concerns Religion: and this did viſibly eſtabliſh them in the right of teaching them Philoſophy and Theology, eſpecially Theology, becauſe this is nothing elſe but Religion.
Moreover, the Edict of Harry the Fourth had promiſed unto the Proteſtants Letters Patents to be expedited in due form of Law for the Erection of Colleges, in which their Youth might be educated and inſtructed in the Liberal Sciences. For whence ſhould their Churches be ſupplied with Miniſters, if they had no Seminaries, nor Colleges? And yet the Clergy ſuppoſed that the Edict gave no right to the Reformed to inſtruct them in Philoſophy or Theology; nor were they upon this ſuppoſition to have any Colleges. Hence their Univerſities and Colleges were all condemned and ſuppreſſed, that ſo the Miniſtery might be deſtroyed. This was the very ſelf ſame courſe that Julian the Apoſtate took of old to extirpate Chriſtianity.
They had Colleges almoſt in every Province. All theſe are ſuppreſt: They had ſix Academies, one at Die in Dolphiny, another at Niſmes in Languedoc, a third at Pau ill Bearne, a fourth at Montauban in Quercy, a fifth at Saumur in Anjou, and a ſixth at Sedan. This laſt, though grounded on a particular Edict, was ſuppreſſed as well as all the others; yea, and had the Honour to be firſt ruinated. It led the Van to the other Univerſities, and preached to them, in its Rubbiſh, what kindneſſes they muſt expect from the Jeſuitical Councils at Court. They had been very fuitful Nurſeries of many excellent Scholars, furniſhed the Churches with ſome thouſands of able, godly and painful Miniſters. This was the great eye-ſore of the Jeſuits, and cauſe enough for their bigotted Diſciples at Court to procure their Ruine. The Profeſſors in theſe Academies were Men of moſt eminent Learning and Piety, exceeding ſtudious and laborious in their Calling. They read four Lectures every Week publickly, beſides the private Colleges they had in their own Houſes daily: for a number of young Students would combine together to proſecute one body of Controverſies, and the Profeſſor reads to them at home, and they draw up their Theſes and diſpute upon it. We have a world of theſe Exerciſes in the Foreign Univerſities. Their Profeſſors exerciſe their Scholars with publick Diſputations, and ſtrictly examin their Proficiency once a quarter. Their ſtipends were but mean, never amounted to Seventy pound a year; yet they were generally Men as of great parts, ſo of great reputation, and highly eſteemed by their Churches, Synods and the Nobility. I ſhall inſert here a Catalogue of the Prefeſſors in Divinity in the Univerſity of Montauban, from its firſt foundation in the ſixteenth Century unto the year 84. of the ſeventeenth, when the Univerſity was ſuppreſs'd, and all the Profeſſors clapt up in the Priſons of Tholouſe, by a Decree of that Parliament; where they were kept in dureſs till the month of October, in the year 1685. and were then baniſhed the Realm, with all the other Miniſters.
1. Dr. Michael Berault was the Founder of, and firſt Profeſſor in the Univerſity of Montalban in the year 1590.
2. Monſieur Peter Sohuis was his Collegue in the ſame Office, and at the ſame time.
3. Monſieur Daniel Chamier, that great Man, and invincible Champion of the Truth. The Jeſuits could never ſtand before him. He was killed upon the Lord's day, when the City was beſieged, with a Cannon Bullet, in the year 1621.
4. Monſieur John Cameron, that moſt pious Biſhop of Norwich: Dr. Joſeph Hall gave this Character of him, That he was one of the moſt learned Men that Scotland ever bred. He had been formerly Miniſter of Bourdeaux, thence tranſlated to the Profeſſor's Chair of Divinity at Saumur, and laſtly unto Montauban, where he died in the year 1625. But more of him in my Icones.
5. Peter Berault, the Son of Michael, a Son not unworthy his Father, who founded the Univerſity.
6. Anthony Garriſſoles, who died in the Lord, Anno 1651.
7. Paul Charles, though he was called to the Profeſſorſhip in Divinity after Monſieur Garriſſoles, yet entered he into his reſt two years before his Reverend Collegue, viz. 1649.
8. John Verdier, he died in the year 1668.
9. Andrew Martell, he went into exile, with his Brethren, in the year 1685, and was called to be Profeſſor of Divinity in the Univerſity of Berne in Switzerland, where he is yet living. In his time the Univerſity was removed from Montauban to Puy-Laurens in Languedoc, in the year 1660.
10. Anthony Peres was called in to ſucceed Monſieur Verdier immediately upon his death. This very learned and godly Divine died in my Neighbourhood in the year 1686. here in King-ſtreet near Bunhil fields, London.
This Univerſity of Montauban (the firſt and eldeſt Proteſtant Univerſity of France) had ſubſiſted the juſt age of a Man; and then, purely out of a deſign to facilitate its Ruine, it was removed, in the year 1660. to Puy-Laurens.
The Univerſity of Saumur had its foundations ſhaken in the year 1675. though it had a quiet and uninterrupted poſſeſſion of threeſcore and ten years, and was grounded upon the Edict of Nantes, and confirmed by other Edicts of Henry the Fourth, and of his Son and Succeſſor Lewis the Thirteenth. Henry the Fourth comprehended them both in the Gift he made them Anno 1599. And in the Articles of Peace granted by Lewis the Thirteenth to the City of Montauban they were again ratified, and he formally promiſed to continue his Bounty (which in truth was no bounty but a Debt, for the Reformed compounded with his Father to pay their Tithes to the Popiſh Pariſh Prieſts (which they did honeſtly and juſtly) provided the King would allow ſuch a ſumm of 135000 l. in good money) unto them for their Miniſters, Schools, Colleges and Univerſities.
And in his Anſwer to their Bill of Grievances, in the ſecond year of his Reign, and of our Lord, 1611. Article 19. He granted to the Univerſities of Saumur and Montauban, the ſame Priviledges, Immunities, and Prerogatives, as the other Univerſities in the Kingdom enjoyed, according to the will and intention of King Henry the Fourth, expreſſed in his Anſwer to the Bill of Grievances preſented him by the Reformed, Article the Fourth. Yet all theſe Engagements and Obligations, both of Honour and Conſcience, could not contain the preſent King, nor his Council, within any Bounds; But that all the Schools, Colleges, and Univerſities of the Reformed, muſt be diſſolved, diſſipated, and they be utterly ruined.