Antoine Marcourt was a Protestant pastor of the 16th century. He was from the French region of

Picardy Picardy (; Picard and french: Picardie, , ) is a historical territory and a former administrative region of France. Since 1 January 2016, it has been part of the new region of Hauts-de-France. It is located in the northern part of France. Hi ...

, and became the first pastor of

Neuchâtel , neighboring_municipalities= Auvernier, Boudry, Chabrey (VD), Colombier, Cressier, Cudrefin (VD), Delley-Portalban (FR), Enges, Fenin-Vilars-Saules, Hauterive, Saint-Blaise, Savagnier , twintowns = Aarau (Switzerland), Besançon (France), ...

. In 1533, he published a satirical work about Catholic practices, such as the cult of

Saints In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of holiness Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual res ...

and pilgrimages, entitled ''Le livre des Marchans'', in a style reminiscent of '' Gargantua'' and '' Pantagruel''. He used the penname "Pantople". The work was published by Pierre de Vingle, who was also to publish the first Bible in French in 1535, called the ''Bible d'Olivetan''. He was the protagonist of the " Affair of the Placards", on the night of 17 October 1534, in which notices appeared on the streets of Paris and other major cities denouncing Mass. A notice was even posted on the door to the king's room, and, it is said, the box in which he kept his handkerchief. Marcourt was responsible for the notices.''Études rabelaisiennes, No 22'', p.117 (in English)
/ref> On January 13, 1535, Marcourt again published a pamphlet entitled ''Petit traité très utile et salutaire de la saincte eucharistie de nostre Seigneur Jesus christ'', "Little Treatise, Very Useful and Salutary, on the Holy Eucharist of Our Lord Jesus Christ." These publications and notices led the king,

Francis I Francis I or Francis the First may refer to: * Francesco I Gonzaga (1366–1407) * Francis I, Duke of Brittany (1414–1450), reigned 1442–1450 * Francis I of France (1494–1547), King of France, reigned 1515–1547 * Francis I, Duke of Saxe ...

, to take a progressively stronger stance against Protestantism and other diversions from the Roman Catholic faith. On January 29, 1535, an Edict was issued taking disposition against Protestants, with a more moderate approach being then taken with the Edict of Coucy on July 16. A stronger and general Edict would order the extirpation of heresy from the kingdom on June 24, 1539. The Edict of Fontainebleau on June 1, 1540 would give authority to regional parliaments, rather than religious courts in fighting against Protestantism. Things would ultimately worsen much more for Protestants in France, as in the Massacre of Mérindol in 1545.

Works

* ''Le livre des marchans, fort utile à toutes gens; nouvellement composé par le sire Pantople, bien expert en tel affaire, prochain voisin du seigneur Pantagruel'', 1533 * ''Articles véritables sur les horribles, grandz et importables abuz de la Messe papalle: inventee directement contre la saincte Cene de Jesus Christ'', 153

* ''Déclaration de la messe, Le fruict dicelle, La cause, et le moyen, pourquoy et comment on la doibt maintenir'', 153

(''A declaration of the Masse: the fruyte thereof, the cause & the meane, wherfore and howe it oughte to be maynteyned'', 154

* ''Petit traité très utile et salutaire de la saincte eucharistie de nostre Seigneur Jesuschrist'', 1535

Notes

{{Authority control 16th-century Calvinist and Reformed Christians