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French protestants 'in the Desert'

[PROTESTANTISM - FRANCE].
Relation historique des horribles cruautez qu'on a exerçées envers quelques Protestants en France, pour avoir assistez à une assemblée tenuë dans le Desert prés de Nîmes en Languedoc. On y a ajouté un abregé d'histoire apologetique ou defense des reformés de France qui sert de reponse à l'instruction pastorale sur la perseverance en la foy & la fidelité pour le souverain, de Mr. Basnage dattée du 19 Avril 1719.

Woodcut headpiece and initial.

Woodcut headpiece and initial.



(No place & printer), 1719. 8vo. Later half calf with title lettered in gold and black painted part with stamped shelfmark on spine, marbled boards. Woodcut headpiece and initial. 244 (i.e. 144) pp.

Very rare work describing the horrible prosecutions of the French protestants who assisted the Assembly during the Desert period. In the history of French Protestantism, the expression Desert defines the period of time between the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes (1685) and the French Revolution (1789). Deprived of freedom of religion, far from the cities, hidden in isolated areas and 'deserts' (in the Cevennes, but also in Haut-Languedoc, in Poitou, Dauphiné, Vivarais), the French Protestants were obligated to profess their faith in hiding. The word Desert also had a biblical sense for them, the 40 years the Hebrew people of Exodus wandered in the desert, a place of tribulations, temptations and despair, but also where they would hear the word of the Lord. This chapter of history touches all of France, but specifically the Languedoc region and the Cevennes, where Protestantism was largely established at the beginning of the XVIth century.
The second part of this work, dated July 30, 1719 (pp. 126-44) is written by Jacques Basnage who denounces the rebellion of the Camisards. Jacques Basnage(s) de Beauval (1653-1723) was a celebrated Protestant divine, preacher, linguist, and prolific writer. He studied classical languages at Saumur and afterwards theology at Geneva. He was pastor at Rouen from 1676 till 1685, when, on the revocation of the edict of Nantes, he obtained leave from the king to retire to Holland. He settled at Rotterdam as a minister till 1691, when he was chosen pastor of the Walloon church.
In 1716 Dubois, who was at the Hague for the purpose of negotiating the Triple Alliance between France, Great Britain and Holland, sought the advice of Basnage, who, in spite of the fact that he had failed to receive permission to return to France for a short visit the year before, did his best to further the negotiations. The French government also turned to him for help in view of the threatening protestant rising in the Cevennes. Basnage had welcomed the revival of the Protestant church by the zeal of Antoine Court. He assured the government, however, that no danger of active resistance was to be feared. Faithful to the principles of Calvin, he denounced the rebellion of the Camisards in his Instructions pastorales aux Réformés de France sur l'obéissance due aux souverains (1720), which was printed by order of the Court and proclaimed in the south of France. The contribution by Basnage in this work seems to be a shortened version of Instructions pastorales aux Réformés de France .

Fine copy.- (Upper margin of last four pp. cut short)
Graesse I, p. 307-8 & Brunet I, cols. 691-2 (other works by Basnage)

Related Subjects: 18th Century  French  History  Politics  Protestantism 

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