In March 1715, Louis XIV of France (r. 1643-1715) issued a declaration stating that all subjects of the king were also subjects of the Catholic Church. In defiance of the king's decree, Antoine Court (l. 1696-1760) gathered a small group of believers to lay new foundations for Reformed churches in France. Protestant believers continued to meet clandestinely in what was known as the 'Church of the Desert'.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original content at https://www.worldhistory.org/article/2070/antoine-court--the-church-of-the-desert/.