Disclaimer: This is not meant to offend Catholics, or anybody for that matter. I was inspired by a story I heard about a Protestant pastor named Enjolras in World War II who smuggled Jewish children out of France. Anyway I was thinking about him, and somehow came to the idea of ProtestantReformation!Enjolras. I have some dear friends who are Catholic (and Protestant friends) and I love them very much :) the point of this fic is not Catholic vs. Protestant, but religious freedom in general.

The entire world came to a stand still as Martin Luther nailed the 90 thesis to the wall of the church. The entire power structure of the Middle Ages has been called into question as the modern age was being ushered in. Chaos took to the streets as Catholics and Protestants. The Catholics were the traditionalists of the day, but at this time corruption crept into their church. The Protestants challenged the traditional roles and the divine right theories, and insisted on justification by faith. As countries aligned themselves, France choose the Catholic side. Once a country choose a side it was unheard of to challenge the side of your country- although some rebels tried, they rarely succeed.

It is here we meet a remarkable group of students. In the backroom of a cafe in Paris, France there were eight students exploring the new philosophies. The laymen were not allowed to read scriptures; if they were it was a certain death for them. However, Enjolras managed to grab a Bible out of a church that was being burned to the ground. Flipping through the pages Enjolras read "We live by faith, not by sight." Smiling to himself, the blond handed the Bible to Combeferre
"Isn't it wonderful Combeferre? Christ came to save us, we do not need to pay indulgences to make the church wealthier- we come to God ourselves!"
"Yes it is Enjolras, but the Catholic Church is not evil. They are good people who have just lost their way." Combeferre frowned.
"I'd say we need a completely new church though, one where the people have more of a say and less centralized into one authority," Enjolras replied.

"Enjolras! We can not just create a new church. Did you see what happened in Spain? All of those deaths for nothing, but the pride of some trying to create their own church."
"But some times it may be painful, the old must come down for the way of the new." As Enjolras closed, the door started jiggling. Combeferre hid the Bible below the table for fear it was the authorities. Courfeyrac entered the room. "No fear mes amis, it is I- and I brought a friend, Marius Pontmercy."

Marius smiled. "Greetings," he said, shaking the Les Amis hands.

Bahorel was flipping through the Bible and made an interesting remark. "I believe we do not choose God but God chooses us, how arrogant it would be to say we have to choose God. When in reality it is his Holy Spirit working through us."

Enjolras indignantly looked across the table. "But look here in Romans it says 'That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.' God is not a dictator like the king may be, God will never force us to get saved- we have to choose him, he does not choose us."

Bahorel grumbled, "But Enjolras, do you really think with all of our sinful nature that we can actually ask for forgiveness?"

"Yes I do." Enjolras said plainly. "We may be sinners, but we also have good inside of us because we are created in the image of God."

"Excuse me, I have something to say," Marius pipped up. The whole room looked towards him. "I believe the pope is a great and good man, why are we rebelling against him? Can't we trust what he has to say about the Bible? What is greater than having such a wise head over us?"

"Religious freedom, the right to believe what we want. We may die but we will die for the freedom of others." Combeferre replied. The room was silenced.

Feuilly changed the subject to break the awkward silence. "I have felt such a burden for the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth lately. Such a great empire, and they seem pretty open to new ideas- at least I hope they are, if I earn enough money from my fan making business, I would love to travel there to perhaps give them the news about this book- the Bible being available for the common man to read."

"Perhaps the common man may not yet know how to read Feuilly, its only us students at the seminary that do," Joly replied

"True, but those who can read have a duty to spread the knowledge to others." Feuilly said, "I pray that some day knowledge shall be available for all."

"In the future," Enjolras muttered "we would not have to worry about being thrown into jail for our beliefs. In the future all ideas shall have equal say in the public forum- and no ideas being persecuted for being new; in the future I believe liberty shall be the law of the day. Education can help us accomplish these things, yes! Education! Freedom! The more people know the more free we shall be..." His lips fell silent, as Combeferre started highlighting some passages in the Bible, that calm spring night gave way to debating, arguing and dreaming.

the words of a future hymn "Once To Every Man and Nation" would fit well here;

truth forever on the scaffold...

but that scaffold sways the future, and beyond the dim unknown- standeth God within the shadow keeping watch over his own