The edict was an early example of freedom of religion in Europe. However, it did not make Catholics and Protestants equal. It said that the Catholic Church was the national religion of France. It only allowed people to be Protestants in certain areas, where they were allowed to defend their own fortress towns. They also still had to pay money to the Catholic Church and have Catholic holidays. Many Catholics in France hated the idea of allowing people to be Protestant, while the Protestants thought that it did not go far enough.