The Huguenots....
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JP Wallace
Puritan Board Sophomore
I'd guess most of the Hugenouts were exiled and assimilated into the local churches where they went - that's what happened over here anyway.
Mostly because they assimilated. Many of them ended up in the English-speaking world and eventually just melted into the churches there. There are Huguenots in my family history, but we wouldn't know it but for the fact that certain relatives are genealogists.
There was a guy who ended up fleeing to some town called Geneva . . .
Daniel Chamier, Jean Daille, Moses Amyraut (the proto 4 pointer), Samuel Bochart, Isaac de Beausobre and James Saurin are just a few of the well-known Huguenots who wrote notable theological works that were widely circulated in Reformation era Europe. Sadly, relatively few of these have ever been translated into English.
Also, while they aren’t usually termed Huguenots in its strictest definition, the Genevan Academy was of course started by the French Protestant John Calvin, and many of its leading scholars were French expatriates as well (e.g. Theodore Beza and Isaac Casaubon).
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On a bit of a side note, I have sometimes wondered how many Huguenot leaders simply went underground, or perhaps even recanted in the face of the severe harassment they were subjected to. For example, after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes by Louis XIV, Protestant clergymen were confronted with the unimaginably cruel and heart wrenching choice of either denying their Protestant faith, or else being forcibly exiled from France without their “older” children (by law, those 7 years and up).
Also, while they aren’t usually termed Huguenots in its strictest definition, the Genevan Academy was of course started by the French Protestant John Calvin, and many of its leading scholars were French expatriates as well (e.g. Theodore Beza and Isaac Casaubon).
---------- Post added at 10:16 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:48 AM ----------
On a bit of a side note, I have sometimes wondered how many Huguenot leaders simply went underground, or perhaps even recanted in the face of the severe harassment they were subjected to. For example, after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes by Louis XIV, Protestant clergymen were confronted with the unimaginably cruel and heart wrenching choice of either denying their Protestant faith, or else being forcibly exiled from France without their “older” children (by law, those 7 years and up).
Jack K
Puritan Board Doctor
Nice. Yes, that's what I was thinking.
Backwoods Presbyterian
Puritanboard Amanuensis
John Girardaeu was the descendant of French Huguenots who came to Charleston, SC.
Miss Marple
Puritan Board Junior
I have heard Paul Revere was a descendant of Huguenots.
From Wikipedia in quoting Phillp Schaff: ''The national Synods at Alençon, 1637; at Charenton, 1645; and at Loudun, 1659 (the last synod permitted by the French government), decided against the excommunication of Amyraut but delimited his views in order to avoid further variance with historic Reformed orthodoxy. He gave the assurance that he did not change the doctrine but only the method of instruction. His opponents allowed that the idea of a universal grace by which no one was actually saved unless included in the particular, effective decree of election, was permissible. In this way hypothetical universalism was sanctioned as a permissible view, along with the particularism that had characterized historic Reformed orthodoxy, and a schism in the French Church was avoided. The literary controversy continued for several years longer and developed a large amount of learning and ability, until it was brought to an abrupt close by the political oppressions of the Reformed Church in France.
This article uses public domain material extracted from Schaff, P. (1876)[6]
Schaff, Philip (ed.), Creeds of Christendom Vol. 1, (Harper & Brothers, 1876) p. 483ff. Public Domain. ''
It seems that the greatest contribution of the Huguenots would be that they permitted 4 point calvinism as within the Confessional bounds (though right at the border) of Reformed confessional Orthodoxy.
The wikipedia article quotes RC Sproul saying: ''Reformed pastor and author R.C. Sproul suggests there is confusion about what the doctrine of limited atonement actually teaches. While he considers it possible for a person to believe four points without believing the fifth, he claims that a person who really understands the other four points must believe in limited atonement because of what Martin Luther called a resistless logic.''Sproul R.C. The Truth of the Cross. Reformation Trust Publishing: 2007 ISBN 978-1567690873, pp.140-142''
From my personal reading I tend to disagree with Sproul. While I agree personally with particular redemption biblically , it does seem that a 4point calvinist can be considered an Orthodox Calvinist. The Hugeonuts seemed to agree as well.
This article uses public domain material extracted from Schaff, P. (1876)[6]
Schaff, Philip (ed.), Creeds of Christendom Vol. 1, (Harper & Brothers, 1876) p. 483ff. Public Domain. ''
It seems that the greatest contribution of the Huguenots would be that they permitted 4 point calvinism as within the Confessional bounds (though right at the border) of Reformed confessional Orthodoxy.
The wikipedia article quotes RC Sproul saying: ''Reformed pastor and author R.C. Sproul suggests there is confusion about what the doctrine of limited atonement actually teaches. While he considers it possible for a person to believe four points without believing the fifth, he claims that a person who really understands the other four points must believe in limited atonement because of what Martin Luther called a resistless logic.''Sproul R.C. The Truth of the Cross. Reformation Trust Publishing: 2007 ISBN 978-1567690873, pp.140-142''
From my personal reading I tend to disagree with Sproul. While I agree personally with particular redemption biblically , it does seem that a 4point calvinist can be considered an Orthodox Calvinist. The Hugeonuts seemed to agree as well.
danborvan
Puritan Board Freshman
Many French Reformed, including Pierre Du Moulin and Andre Rivet, opposed Hypothetical Universalists and Amyraldians. The French Reformed Church actually flourished under the Edict of Nantes (1598–1685). As others have noted, most of their works are not in English, but quite a few have been translated. It would be great to see Banner of Truth or someone else reissue their works like they have the Puritans. There are some fine books on the French Reformed Church and on the Huguenots in exile. For their influence in England, check out The Huguenots of London by Robin Gwynn and The Huguenots in England by Bernard Cottret.
Jason Zuidema (of the ERQ- Reformed Church of Québec) gave a course at PRTS on French Reformed theology that deals with this and the link between the French Reformed and La Nouvelle France. One thing I learned about the the French Hugeonuts was that it was all over the society from the Nobles to the uneducated poor. This was the only country to my knowledge where Reformation ideas touched all the sectors of life in all dimensions of the society without having the backing of the magistrates.
---------- Post added at 02:57 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:52 PM ----------
Jason Zuidema (of the ERQ- Reformed Church of Québec) gave a course at PRTS on French Reformed theology that deals with this and the link between the French Reformed and La Nouvelle France. One thing I learned about the the French Hugeonuts was that it was all over the society from the Nobles to the uneducated poor. This was the only country to my knowledge where Reformation ideas touched all the sectors of life in all dimensions of the society without having the backing of the magistrates.
That is true to an extent, however what it did was isolate Hugeonuts from leaving france and going to their colonies and stop Hugenots from moving in to the noble class. It kept Protestantism at the bottom of the social latter, isolating it from theological education (you wouldn't see a French faculty of protestant theology until Napoleon) and making it hard to catechize and bring up children in covenant homes.
---------- Post added at 02:57 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:52 PM ----------
Jason Zuidema (of the ERQ- Reformed Church of Québec) gave a course at PRTS on French Reformed theology that deals with this and the link between the French Reformed and La Nouvelle France. One thing I learned about the the French Hugeonuts was that it was all over the society from the Nobles to the uneducated poor. This was the only country to my knowledge where Reformation ideas touched all the sectors of life in all dimensions of the society without having the backing of the magistrates.
That is true to an extent, however what it did was isolate Hugeonuts from leaving france and going to their colonies and stop Hugenots from moving in to the noble class. It kept Protestantism at the bottom of the social latter, isolating it from theological education (you wouldn't see a French faculty of protestant theology until Napoleon) and making it hard to catechize and bring up children in covenant homes.
There's a beautiful Hugenot church in Charleston SC. From their website:
This is the only remaining independent Huguenot Church in America. Our church is governed by the Board of Directors and the Board of Elders. Calvinist doctrine, as handed down by the early founders, is very much in evidence today.
Our weekly worship service is conducted in English. It is a liturgical service, adapted from the liturgies of Neufchatel and Vallangin dated 1737 and 1772. Communion services are held periodically and are open to all believers. Since 1950, an annual service in French has been celebrated in the spring.
This is the only remaining independent Huguenot Church in America. Our church is governed by the Board of Directors and the Board of Elders. Calvinist doctrine, as handed down by the early founders, is very much in evidence today.
Our weekly worship service is conducted in English. It is a liturgical service, adapted from the liturgies of Neufchatel and Vallangin dated 1737 and 1772. Communion services are held periodically and are open to all believers. Since 1950, an annual service in French has been celebrated in the spring.
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