Louis de Berquin

Louis de Berquin was a French reformer in the 16^th century. He desired to free France from the pope. He started by accusing the divinity professors at the Sorbonne¹ of heresy. When his friends thought that he was about to be arrested, they urged him to make his escape. He refused because he thought that flight would be admitting that he committed a crime.² He was arrested in March of 1529. When one of his friends begged him to ask pardon, he said this: “Truth before all things! We must fear neither man nor torture, but render all obedience to God. I will persevere to the end; I will not pray the leader of this good war for my discharge.”3 He was strangled by order of the court April 22^th, 1529.

1 University of Paris

2 As quoted in J. H. Merle D'Aubigne, History of the Reformation in Europe in the Time of Calvin (Harrisonburg, VA: Sprinkle Publications, 2000) volume 1, p. 432

3 As quoted in Ibid, volume 2, p. 40