he new converts are much better off,
being more laborious and industrious than the old Catholics of the
province. The new converts must not be regarded as Catholics; they
almost all preserve in their heart their attachment to their former
religion. They may confess and communicate as much as you will,
because they are menaced and forced to do so by the secular power. But
this only leads to sacrilege. To gain them, _their hearts must be
won_. It is there that religion resides, and it can only be solely
established by effecting that conquest."
From the number, as well as the wealth and education, of the
Protestants of Languedoc, it is reasonable to suppose that the
emigration from this quarter of France should have been very
considerable during the persecutions which followed the Revocation. Of
course nearly all the pastors fled, death being their punishment if
they remained in France. Hence many of the most celebrated French
preachers in Holland, Germany, and England were pastors banished from
Languedoc. Claude and Saurin both belonged to the province; and among
the London preachers were the Dubourdieus, the Bertheaus, Graverol,
and Pegorier.
It is also interesting to find how many of the distinguished Huguenots
who settled in England came from Languedoc. The Romillys and Layards
came from Montpellier; the Saurins from Nismes; the Gaussens from
Lunel; and the Bosanquets from Caila;[32] besides the Auriols,
Arnauds, Pechels, De Beauvoirs, Durands, Portals, Boileaus, D'Albiacs,
D'Oliers, Rious, and Vignoles, all of whom belonged to the Huguenot
landed gentry of Languedoc, who fled and sacrificed everything rather
than conform to the religion of Louis XIV.
[Footnote 32: There are still Gaussens at St. Mamert, in the
department of Gard; and some of the Bosanquet family must
have remained on their estates or returned to Protestantism,
as we find a Bosanquet of Caila broken alive at Nismes,
because of his religion, on the 7th September, 1702, after
which his corpse was publicly exposed on the Montpellier high
road.]
When Brousson was executed at Montpellier, it was believed that
Protestantism was finally dead. At all events, it was supposed that
those of the Protestants who remained, without becoming converted,
were at length reduced to utter powerlessness. It was not believed
that the smouldering ashes contained any sparks that might yet be
fanned into f
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