Of Huguenots and things....

We are studying through the book on the right in our Church book study. This week we came to the chapter on the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre. This was the ambush of the French Protestant Church by the French Roman Catholic Royalty.

Click HERE for the wikipedia article on the massacre. In the footnotes of the article I found this link that contains a picture of Catherine de Medici (the queen mother who orchestrated the foul murders) as well as a picture of the Papal medal struck in celebration when the news reached the vatican!

I also found the following quote there by Jacques-Auguste de Thou taken from his book called "History of the Bloody Massacres of the Protestants in France in the year of our Lord, 1572"

"...the streets and ways did resound with the noise of those that flocked to the slaughter and plunder, and the complaints and doleful out-cries of dying men, and those that were nigh to danger were every where heard. The carkasses of the slain were thrown down from the windows, the Courts & chambers of houses were full of dead men, their dead bodies rolled in dirt were dragged through the streets, bloud did flow in such abundance through the chanels of the streets, that full streams of bloud did run down into the River: the number of the slain men, women, even those that were great with child, and children also, was innumerable"

de Thou goes on

"At the same time, but with greater slaughter, were things carried at Rouen, where Tanaquilius Venato Garrugius, the Governor of the chief Nobility of Provence, a man of a merciful disposition, did what he could to hinder it. But at last, not being able any longer to withstand the violence of the seditious, (and especially of those who, the year before, were, by the decree of the Judges, delegated from Paris, proscribed, who hoped that, by this course, they should both revenge the injury offered them, and also obliterate the memory of the Decree), many were thrown into prison, and afterwards 15 Kal. of VIIIbr [September 17]. being called out one by one by the voice of the Cryer, were cruelly slain by those Emissaries, Maronimus a most wicked wretch leading them on. Upon this they set upon private houses, and that day and the day following they fell upon men & women, without distinction, and 500 of both sexes and all ages were slain, and their bodies being stripped, were cast into the ditches at Portam Caletenfem, and their garments all bloudy as they were, were distributed among the poor, they seeking even by these murders to ingratiate themselves with the people. This the Senate was in shew offended at, and began to proceed against the Authors of this fact: but through connivance it came to nothing, the murderers and cut-throats for a time slipping out of the City."

It had to have been an incredibly difficult time for the French believers to live through. However God in His good pleasure was working all things together for good.

How?

Well according to Pastor Joe Morecraft in his sermons on the Reformation dealing with this time period this was the beginning of the end of the doctrine of the divine right of kings. The slaughter of the innocents on St Bart's day was the catalyst for the devolpment of anti-tyranical Protestant thinking that led directly to the American War for independence. One of the most influential books just prior to the war was entitled "Vindiciae Contra Tyrannos-A Defense of Liberty Against Tyrants" (the text can be found HERE) published under the penname of "Junius Brutus" it has been attributed to 2 French Protestants and is a clear articulation of the Christian doctrine of resisting tyrants.

Also the mass exodus of the Huguenots from France gave us some of our most famous statesmen. Over 1/3 of our Presidents are reported to have Huguenot ancestry as well has men like Paul Revere, John Jay, Alexander Hamilton, and Davey Crockett.

I'll quit talking now but I recommend you get the book above - It's been a great jumping off point for teaching the kids - and I recommend highly Brother Joe's sermons I link to below on John Knox and the Protestant Reformation (the last sermon deals directly with the Huguenots).

As Dr. Morecraft says in the 4th sermon, to keep from becoming discouraged during our own trials and dark times we must "look to the rock from which we are hewn." We must know what trials our physical and spiritual fathers have faced and how God cared and led them.

Click HERE for the first sermon on Knox and the Scottish Reformation

Click HERE for second sermon

Click HERE for the third sermon

Click HERE for the fourth

Click HERE for the fifth (the last 35 minutes or so containing the discussion on the French)

Finally one last link to the entire series on the History of the Reformation

Brief Series Overview:

The Reformation comes alive in this fascinating study of its history. In 49 messages, Joe Morecraft covers the most important people and events of the Reformation. Beginning with the Westminster Confession and ending with the lives of many of the Westminster Divines, he covers the Scottish Covenanters, John Calvin, John Knox, Oliver Cromwell as well as some of the Reformation's darkest villains like Bloody Mary and King James I. This series is a must listen for any serious student of church history as well as those who just love the stories of the faithful men and women who worked, many of them suffering great persecution, to return the Church to faithfulness. And a shameless plug for the family business: Own a piece of the Reformation. Visit Geneva Bible Pages.

Of Huguenots and things....

http://pollys-peak.blogspot.com/2007/01/of-huguenots-and-things.html