Some of those who stayed kept their faith without telling others about it, while some prepared to fight back. They eventually created what they called “the Church of the Desert,” with secret meetings in caves or private homes. Those who attended these meetings ran terrible risks. If caught, the women were sent to jail and the men to the galleys.    Leaving the country was also risky. Those who had money could pay a smuggler – a considerable expense, because smugglers placed their lives at risk. After a while, some Huguenots created handwritten manuals with advice on how to expatriate…     Daniel De Superville was a French refugee who was called to minister to fellow expatriates. 

If the sixteenth century was a turbulent time for French Huguenots, the following century was disastrous. What little hope they had nurtured in 1598, when King Henry IV’s Edict of Nantes granted them some rights to worship and participate in the country’s civil life, began to wear out under his son, Louis XIII. If Louis couldn’t outright abolish the edict, he could dissect every decree in order to find ways to condemn the Huguenots over minor details.

For example, he allowed the Huguenots to have their own schools only if these schools were built next to their churches. Since many Huguenot children lived far from their churches, daily attendance was impossible.

The king also put an end to national synods and tried to limit the Huguenots’ communication with Reformed churches outside of France. And, even though the Edict of Nantes allowed Huguenots to serve in the government, Louis simply refrained from appointing them. Other people followed his example, and avoided to hire Huguenots for professional services.

Huguenot homes became favorite places for traveling bands of soldiers who needed a place to stay. Staying at people’s homes was a common practice, and people were expected to give hospitality. But soldiers knew they could take advantage of the Huguenots, mistreating them and stealing their food, and the government wouldn’t do anything about it. In fact, soldiers were encouraged to harass the Huguenots because of their religion.

Eventually, the king gave permission to Huguenot children to choose their religion at the age of seven. If they chose to be Roman Catholic, they would be taken from their families and be placed in Roman Catholic homes at their parents’ expense. He was hoping that children could be easily convinced.[1]

The Huguenot Diaspora

Finally, in 1685, the next king of France, Louis XIV, abolished the Edict of Nantes altogether, depriving Huguenots of whatever rights they had left. All Huguenot churches were closed, and Huguenot pastors had two weeks to either leave the country or become Roman Catholic. If they chose the second option, they received a raise of one-third of their current salary. Most pastors chose to leave. Those who resisted or didn’t leave on time were sent to the galleys for forced labor.

The king forbade those who were not pastors to leave, and sent soldiers to force them to become Roman Catholics. Many managed to leave anyhow. From 1560 to 1760, more than 200,000 Huguenots left France. This was a great loss to their native country, because most of them were excellent workers and had been faithful citizens.

Some of those who stayed kept their faith without telling others about it, while some prepared to fight back. They eventually created what they called “the Church of the Desert,” with secret meetings in caves or private homes. Those who attended these meetings ran terrible risks. If caught, the women were sent to jail and the men to the galleys.

Leaving the country was also risky. Those who had money could pay a smuggler – a considerable expense, because smugglers placed their lives at risk. After a while, some Huguenots created handwritten manuals with advice on how to expatriate.

Most people left by ship, because borders were heavily guarded. To reach the harbors, they often traveled by night and hid during the day. Some died during the trip, from exhaustion, hunger, or cold. Then they had to get used to a new country, find accommodations and, in some cases, learn a new language. Thankfully, they could usually find a French-speaking church, pastored by other Huguenots.

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