The Reformation in France was marked by severe persecution and martyrdom of Protestant believers. It began in the early 16th century with figures like Jacques Lefèvre d'Etaples, who emphasized a return to Scripture and translated the Bible into French. John Calvin, born in Noyon, France, became a key figure in the French Reformation. After fleeing persecution, he wrote his influential Institutes of the Christian Religion and helped organize the first French Reformed church in Geneva. The growth of Reformation in France was significantly impeded by the country’s strong Roman Catholic traditions and royal politics. French kings, claiming quasi-sacred status, saw it as their duty to suppress heresy. This led to conflicts between Catholics and Huguenots (French Protestants), culminating in a series of religious wars from 1562 to 1570. Despite persecution, the Reformed church in France held its first synod in 1559, establishing a confession of faith and constitution written by Calvin. The French Reformation was characterized by its resemblance to primitive Christianity in faith, charity, and the number of martyrs it produced.

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