Huguenot Prophecy and Clandestine Worship in the Eighteenth Century : 'The Sacred Theatre of the Cévennes'

Following Louis XIV's revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685, French protestants faced the stark choice of abandoning their religion, or defying the law. Many fled abroad, whilst others continued to meet clandestinely for worship and to organise resistance to government policy, culminating in the bloody Camisard rebellion of 1702-10. During this period of conflict and repression, a distinct culture of prophecy and divine inspiration grew up, which was to become a defining characteristic of the dispersed protestant communities in southern France. Drawing on a wide range of printed and manuscript material, this study, examines the nature of Huguenot prophesying in the Cévennes during the early years of the eighteenth century. As well as looking at events in France, the book also explores the reactions of the Huguenot community of London, which became caught up in the prophesying controversy with the publication in 1707 of Le Théatre sacré des Cévennes. This book, which recounted the stories of exiles who had witnessed prophesying and miraculous events in the Cévennes, not only provided a first hand account of an outlawed religion, but became the centre of a heated debate in London concerning 'false-prophets'. By exploring French protestantism through voluntary testimonies given by Huguenot exiles in London, this study not only offers a rare glimpse of a forbidden religion, but also shows how a long-established immigrant church in London confronted the problems posed by recent arrivals infused with a radical sense of mystic purpose and divine revelation. "Drawing on a wide range of printed and manuscript material, this study examines the nature of Huguenot prophesying in the Cevennes during the early years of the eighteenth century. As well as looking at events in France, the book also explores the reactions of the Huguenot community of London, which became caught up in the prophesying controversy with the publication in 1707 of Le Theatre sacre des Cevennes. This book, which recounted the stories of exiles who had witnessed prophesying and miraculous events in the Cevennes, not only provided a first hand account of an outlawed religion, but became the centre of a heated debate in London concerning 'false-prophets'." Between November 1706 and March 1707, Huguenot exiles in London offered depositions recounting their experience of worshiping at illicit assemblies in the mountain valley of the Cevennes in southeastern France for many years after the 1685 revocation of the edict of Nantes made Protestantism illegal. Cosmos, who is not further identified, uses the 1707 publication of those depositions to reconstruct the outbreaks of prophesying at forbidden assemblies after 1700 and the immediate origins of the Camisard war, which broke out in the region in July 1702. Annotation ©2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR "By exploring French protestantism through voluntary testimonies given by Huguenot exiles in London, this study not only offers a rare glimpse of a forbidden religion, but also shows how a long-established immigrant church in London confronted the problems posed by recent arrivals infused with a radical sense of mystic purpose and divine revelation."--BOOK JACKET Louis XIV revoked the edict of Nantes in 1685 even though peaceful religious co-existence between Protestants and Catholics had been achieved in many communities in France by the middle of the seventeenth century.