THE LIFE OF M. DANIEL CHAHIER
like as David the auointed of God, he triumphed most gloriousiy, by over that Goliah and those Philistine enemies of the Reformed Israël.
Mons»" Charnier served nine years in the ministry and University at Montauban^ and continued in their service till the day of his death. The manner of it was very remarkable. The papists made a great noise at it, as if it had been a most dreadful judgment from God upon him. So they exelaimed against Mons^ Zwinglius. But they might with as just reason hâve condemned Phineas for going to the war against the Midianites, and Abiathar the priest for bringing the Ephod with him unto David the designed heir of the crown when he bore his défensive arms against the tyrannies and persécutions of Saul. But the best of it is their words are no slanders, and could Monsr Chamier hâve gotten their blessing he might hâve missed of God's. For woe unto the ministers of Christ when the whole world shall speak well of them. We do not stand nor fallby man's judgment. Mons^ Chamier was found in the way of his duty , and blessed is that servant, whom when his Lord cometh, He shall find so doing. It is a most abominable untruth, and none olher than untruths could be expected from such authors, that he was arracd with his corslet, sword and leaders staff, and in actual rébellion against his king, and animating his fellow rebels in the battle when a cannon buUet from the Royal camp tore out his bowels, and sent his guilty soûl to expiate his treasons and rebellions in the fiâmes of hell. But passing by thèse outrageous calumnies the brats and boilings of malice and fury, and as far from truth as hell is from heaven, I shall give a faithful and impartial narrative of Mons^ Chamiers' exit out of this world. Ând let an unbiased reader pass his censure on him and it freely.
Lewis, the 13*^ of that name,king of France, instigated by the pestilent advice and counsels of his popish clergy raiseth a furious war againsl his own subjects of the Reformed religion who had served his father (as they did his son the king now reigning) with most unspotted loyalty in their most dangerous circumstances, and set the crowns upon their heads when their roman catbolic subjects had
VIE P£ M» P^Nl^L GBAIIIER, iÇ3
eût été attaqué plus d'une fois par notre Wbitaker, par James et par Charoier, aucun jésuite ne prit les armes contre Charnier; en sorte qu'il attend encore aujourd'hui un adversaire et une répopse, et, pareil à Ds^vid, Toint du Seigneur, il a triomphé très glorieusement dp ce Goliath et des Philistins, ennemis de l'Israël réformé.
M. Charnier servit pendant neuf ans l'Eglise et l'Université de Mour tfiuban, et continua ses fonctions jusqu'au jour de sa mort. U mourut d'une façon tout à fait remarquable. Les papistes firent grand bruit de cet événement, qu'ils voulurent faire passer pour un châtiment de Dieu. Ils en disaient autant de la mort de M, Zwingli. lUiais ils auraient pu tout aussi facilement condfimner Phinéas, pour avoir fait la guerre aux Madianites, et le prêtre Âbiathar, pouf avoir apporté l'éphod à Pavid, Théritier désigné du pouvoir suprême, lorsqu'il dirigea ses forces offensives cqntre la tyrannie et les persécutions de Saul. Mais le meilleur da l'affaire, c'est que leur langage n'çst paç calomnieux, et que si M. Charnier av^it obtenu leurs bénédictions, il aurait perdu celles de Dieu. Car malheur au ministre du Christ dont tout Iç monde parle bien ! L'homme ne s'élève ni ne tombe par le jugement de l'homme. M. Chamier d^fneura dans la voie du ^eyoir; heurpuxle serviteur qui se trouve dans cette voie quand le Seigneur vient le visiter! C'est un mensonge abominable de ces auteurs, desquels on ne pouvait attendre que des mensonges, que de dire qqe |kl. Chamier était sous les armes, en état de rébellion flagrante contre son roi, portant une cuirasse, une épée et un bâton de commandant, çt animant ses complices en rébellion à combs^ttre vigoureusement, lorsqu'un boulet de canon parti du C4mp roy^il lui emporta les entrailles et envoya son âme coupable expier sa trahison d^ns les flammes de Ten-* fer. Mais laissant de côté ces calomnies odieuses, iiUes de l'envie et de la méchanceté, et aussi éloignées de la vérité que Tenfer est éloigné du ciel, je vais donner un récit fidèle et impartial de la manière dont M. Chamier quitta ce monde; puis, que le lecteur sincère Iq condamne s'il croit devoir le faire.
(iO roi de France Louis XIII, excité par les pernicieux avis et conseils de $on clergé papiste, entreprit une guerre furieuse contre ses propres sujets de la religion réformée, lesquels ayaient servi ison père comme ils ont servi son fils, le roi actuellement régnant, c'est-à^-dire avec la loyauté la plys irréprochable dans les circonstances les plus critiques, et remirent la couronne sur l^ur tête, lor^ue leurs sujets ca-
164 THB LIFE OP H. DAMBL CHAHlBR.
struck them off. It is very well known the protestants were not thé first aggressors in this war^ although they had groaned under unmeasurable and insupportable grievances. The many edicts grantod them for securîng their liberties^ property and religion were violated in ail and every one of their articles and conditions. The cautionary towns given them for a refuge against the insults and massacres of their implacable adversaries were taken from them^ and their godly and faithful governors cashiered and banished. Their officers of justice^ judges establisbed in the mixed courts (which consisted of one half papists and the other protestants) are dispossessed and ejected. Their temples in which they worshipped God, and in which the holy Gospel was powerfully and sincerely preached are taken from them, and given up unto the power of the popish prelates^ who either convert them into idolatrous Mass-houses^ or encourage the profligate soldiers to contaminate and profane them. To thèse sacred places tbere are a thousand insolencies committed, the pulpits, seats, forms and benches are broken and together with the holy Bible torn in pièces and bumt to ashes. Other of their meeting places are razed to their foundations and quite demolished. The reformed for not doffîng their hats at processions are cruelly beaten, bruised and wounded. For not hanging their houses and Windows with cloth and tapestry on the festival of Corpus Christifhey are unreasonably fined oppressed and tormented. Their pétitions for redress of their many other most sorrowful grievances are rejected, and for their humble and dutiful complaints of thèse horrible injuries and injustices they are menacedby the king and court with sorcr and severer punishments and their deputies are charged to avoid instantly the court, and not dare to approach the Royal présence, to return from whence they came immediately without delay, and to acquaint their principals that their utter ruin and extirpation is infallibly resolved and designed. For the king m\\ hâve but one religion only, and that shall be the Roman catholic, in his dominions. He had set up the Mass in Bearn which by the authority of bis grandmother Jane Queen of Navarre, and the States of that little principality had been abolished. He restored the exauctorated popish clergy, put them into the full possession of their tythes, glèbes, manors and other lands, lordships and jurisdictions of which they had for high treason been most rightuily dispossessed about three score yearsbefore. The protestant minis-
VtB DK M. DANIRL CHAUIBR. J6S
thoHques romains la leur avaient ôtée. Il est constant que les protestants ne furent pas les agresseurs dans cette guerre^ quoiqu'ils eussent souffert des torts indicibles et insupportables. Les nombreux édits qui furent publiés pour garantir leurs libertés^ leur propriété et leur religion^ furent violés dans tous leurs articles et dans toutes leurs clauses. Les villes qui leur avaient été assignées pour refuge en cas d'insulte et de persécution de la part de leurs implacables ennemis^ leur avaient été reprises^ et leurs pieux et fid^es gouverneurs avaient été cassés et bannis. Leurs, officiers de justice^ les juges établis dans les cours mixtes^ qui se composaient moitié de papistes et moitié de protestants, furent dépossédés et destitués. Leurs temples, où ils adoraient Dieu et où ils prêchaient le saint Evangile avec force et avec sincérité, leur furent ôtés et livrés au pouvoir des prélats papistes, qui les changèrent en idolâtres chapelles ou encouragèrent les soldats débauchés à les profaner. Toutes sortes de profanations furent commises dans ces sanctuaires; les chaires, les tribunes, les sièges, les bancs, brisés et brûlés avec les saintes Bibles, qu'on déchirait en mille morceaux. Les autres lieux publics où les protestants se réunissaient furent rasés dans leurs fondements et entièrement démolis. Les protestants qui n'ôtaient pas leur chapeau devant les processions étaient cruellement battus, meurtris et blessés. Quand ils ne décoraient pas leurs maisons de tentures et de tapisseries à l'occasion de la fête nommée Corpus Cànsii, on les condamnait à des amendes énormes, on les persécutait et on les tourmentait. Les pétitions qu'ils présentaient pour obtenir le redressement de tous ces torts étaient rejetées, et quand ils faisaient d'humbles et convenables plaintes de ces horribles injures et injustices, ils étaient menacés par le roi et par la cour de punitions plus sévères, et leurs députés étaient avertis d'éviter soigneusement de paraître à la cour et de ne point approcher la personne du roi. On leur enjoignait de retourner immédiatement d'où ils venaient et d'annoncer à leurs mandants que leur ruine et extermination totale était définitivement résolue. Le roi, disait-on, ne veut avoir dans son royaume qu'une seule religion, savoir la religion catholique romaine. Il avait rétabli en Béam la cérémonie de la messe, qui avait été abolie par ordre de sa grand'mère Jeanne, reine de Navarre, et des Etats de cette petite principauté. Il y avait rappelé le clei^é romain, qui en avait été expulsé; il l'avait remis en pleine possession de ses dîmes, de ses glèbes, de ses manoirs et autres terres, seigneuries et juridictions dont
idé THE UfÉ OF Ni. ÙANIBL CHAMifaR.
ters are ail of them deprived of their temples and maintenance^ their flocks are driven by the dragoon apostles uiito Mass and forced against their consciences to abjure and renouncfe the profession of our holy religion. The jesuits, à cabal (saith several of my leafned authôrs) ofscelératesand sodomitesj are established in the province without any restriction or limitation of time or number, màny most horrible massacres are committed upon the innocent protestants, no Concessions, no treaties of the king or co«rt are performed, what the papists cannot do by force they do by fraud , eluding and vacating ail fédéral transactions with thetn at their pleasure, violating and disanîiulling the wills of the deceased, robbing the protestant ministers of ail testamentary gifts oblates and legacies, taking away their veVy children from them by notorious violence and educating them against their parehts professed will and consent (to the breaking of their hearts wiih grief and sorrow) in the romish Idolâtrons religion. Thèse and innumerable other insupportable burdens and grievances (especially when they see their brethren and neighbours invaded and assaulted by armies of bloody ruffians and murderers) for which they couldhave no redress, make them stand upon their guard, and according to the principles and dictâtes of the law of nature to take up arms In their own just and necessary defônce against thèse barbarous àggressors. And what could they do lèss for their wives and children, estâtes and consciences, religion and immortal soûls, for their Mlow citizens and felloW Christians, thart to endeavour by ail lawftil |means lo préserve theni* Their king had broken his most solemn oaths and fùndaraental contract which gave him a rightfùl government and authority over them, with them. There was no confidence to be reposed in his oaths and promises. Hereupon being invaded and assaulted (after ail tentatives for peace used had been Ineffectuai and unsuccessful on their parts) they could do no less than préserve themselves as well as théy could from that destruction which was denounced against thôm and was just ready to be executed upon them. Princes Were made for the people, not the people for their princes. God had not created the people as beasts and fishes and Cteeping worms of the earth, the less to be devoured by the greater, the weaker by the stronger. No, they Were mert, reasonable créatures, not to be governèd by their Ruler's lusts, but by the équitable laws of the kingdom» This >^as the true casé and state of the french pro*-
