The legal boundaries of coexistence: reframing liberty of conscience as a tool of toleration in the French Wars of Religion.

This article examines the contested meaning and political use of "liberty of conscience" in sixteenth-century France, particularly as employed by the monarchy beginning with the 1563 Edict of Amboise during the French Wars of Religion. Contrary to modern interpretations of freedom of conscience as an individual right, the royal policy legally separated conscience from the public exercise of religion, confining religious tolerance largely to private households while reinforcing royal authority and redefining French citizenship beyond Catholic uniformity. This limited toleration constrained both Protestants and Catholics by protecting conscience internally but restricting public worship, framing heresy as sedition, and serving as a tool for pacification rather than genuine religious freedom. The article highlights how this legal framework shaped the governance of a biconfessional kingdom and influenced subsequent edicts, including the 1598 Edict of Nantes, while provoking ongoing debates about the nature of conscience, religion, and political order.