The Acts of Famous National Councils of the Reformed Churches in France, Introduction 2 · Section 45
SECT. XLV. The Martyrdom of Monſieur Homel, Paſtor of the Church of Vivaretz, in the Province of Sevennes, in the Kingdom of France; who was, with moſt Helliſh Cruelty, broken upon the Wheel at Tournon, a City in the ſame Province, October, 1683.
THE Profeſſors of the Reformed Religion in France having for theſe laſt Twenty Years ſeen the Infraction and Seizure of their Privileges, the Violation and Abrogation of thoſe Royal Edicts that had been formerly granted to them, the ſuppreſſion of their Aſſemblies for Religious Worſhip, the demolition of their Temples, and their poor Children (whoſe Souls could not but be dear unto them) taken away from them by Violence, and hurried into Monaſteries, to be trained up in Idolatry, and groaning under a world of other Miſeries; divers of them in the Provinces of Poictou, Xaintonge, Guyenne, the Higher and Lower Languedoc, Sevennes, Dolphiny and Vivaretz, conſulting together, laid a general Project: about reſtoring their ruinated Churches. One of the Articles concluded by them was, That the 18th day of July, in the Year 1683. their Paſtors ſhould jointly ſet upon the Exerciſe of their Publick Miniſtry, in preaching of the Word, &c. in all thoſe Places where for ſome time before it had been interdicted. Yet before they undertook it they preſented their moſt humble Addreſs unto their King, in which, with the profoundeſt Submſſiions, they proteſted unto his Majeſty their inviolable Loyalty and Fidelity, and only craved this favour of him their Soveraign, that under his gracious protection they might ſerve their God according to his appointment in the Sacred Scriptures (to which they were obliged by all Bonds imaginable) and that they might enjoy the Liberty of their Conſciences according to the former Conceſſions of his Royal Predeceſſors.
'Tis not certain whether this their Petition ever came unto the King's hands. The malicious Popiſh Clergy having blockt up all ways of Acceſs for the poor Proteſtants at Court.
Immediately after this there was a particular Aſſembly held in Vivaretz, in which they came to the ſame Reſolutions of ſetting up the publick Worſhip of God according to the Goſpel. 'Tis true, neither of theſe, not the former nor this latter, were to any effect executed at all, unleſs in the Province of Vivaretz, and ſome certain places of Sevennes and Dolphiny. Yet this their Declaration of their purpoſes coſt them dear; for it brought upon thoſe poor people a Royal Army, who put to fire and ſword whatever, of the Proteſtants they met with, ſparing neither Sex nor Age, butchering them after a moſt barbarous manner, and with extream Inhumanity and Cruelty. Now the Dragoons live at diſcretion, eat up and devour the whole ſubſtance of theſe miſerable Proteſtants. All ſorts of Torments are lawful, ſcarce any unpractiſed; but the greateſt and moſt eſpecial ſubjects of their rage were the Miniſters of the Goſpel. None of theſe that fell into their hands could believe them Men, they found them by woful Experience to be incarnate Devils. The Stories are too many and too large to be here recorded. Yet, Reader, you ſhall have a taſte of one or two.
At a Village in Dolphiny called Bourdeaux, there was a ſolemn day of Prayer and Faſting obſerved by theſe poor Chriſtians, Monſieur St. Ruth, St. Ruth paid the Reckoning at laſt for all his Helliſh Cruelties, at the Siege of Limerick in Ireland, in the Year, 1691. where God's Sword of Juſtice cut him off from doing further Miſchief.Maſchal de Camp, brings in 6000. Dragoons upon them: his Dragoons were three to one of theſe Proteſtants. They are now ſurpriſed, and commanded every Man to lay down their Arms; but knowing that if they did, both they and their Miniſters ſhould be hanged out-right, they refuſed. Hereupon St. Ruth commands his Dragoons to give ſire, and at this firſt diſcharge kills a Multitude of theſe Meeters. However ſeeing no other way but Death before them, ſuch as had eſcaped this firſt Volley, reſolve to ſell their Lives at the deareſt rate, and in their own defence killed ſome of the Dragoons, who fell dead at the feet of their murdered Companions. About Fifty or ſixty broke through the Army, deſigning to ſave themſelves in an adjoining Barn, who all, excepting ſome few, were burnt alive. Thoſe few that endeavour'd their Eſcape were taken, who were every Man of them hang'd without delay by one of their own Party, whom they conſtrained to become their Executioner, and whom alſo they executed afterwards themſelves.
There was among the Priſoners Monſieur Daniel Chamier, great Grandſon to that famous Divine of the ſame name, Paſtor and Profeſſor at Montauban, This Young man was executed after a moſt horrible manner. He was carried to Montelimar, and there broken upon the Wheel. He received fifty Blows of the Iron Bar upon the Scaffold, before they gave him the mortal Blow, and was left alive under thoſe exquiſite torments three days together e'er he died. He endured theſe Cruelties with an exemplary Conſtancy and Fortitude.
Some one had interceded with the Duke of Nouailles for a young Gentleman, not twenty years of age, who had an Eſtate of 30000 Livers; the Duke promiſed him his life, provided he would turn Roman Catholick. This heroick, religious Youth rejecteth the Conditions, he will not buy Repentance ſo dear, he ſcorneth life with ſin, a life bought with the loſs of God, of Heaven, and Glory: He chuſeth therefore death, becauſe he believed and hoped for a better Reſurrection; And, having with his own hands fitted the Halter to his Neck, he ſuffers death joyfully.
But among all the inſtances of theſe Martyrs, this which I am about to relate of Monſieur Homel is the moſt remarkable.
Monſieur Homel was ſometime Miniſter of the Church of Soyon, but when he was executed he was Paſtor of the Church of Vivaretz; He was a Venerable Divine, aged ſome ſixty five Years, whoſe whole Life has been unblameable. He was deputed by his Church and Province unto the laſt National Synod held at Loudun in the Year 1659. This eminent Servant of God was broken alive upon the Wheel at Tournon (where, by the way, Reader, the Jeſuites have a College.) He received forty Blows of the Iron Bar upon the Scaffold. He languiſhed under this Helliſh Cruelty two days together. The very thoughts thereof ſtrike an horror into the hearts of them that hear it. My Author tells me, he trembled, his Hair ſtood an end, at the remembrance of it. Certainly this Miniſter muſt have been guilty you will ſay of ſome very horrid Crime, of ſome unheard of piece of Treaſon againſt his King and Country, for which he ſuffer'd a death far worſe than drawing in pieces by wild Horſes. But he was no Trumpet of Sedition or Rebellion, he was no James Clement, nor John Chatel, nor Francis Ravaillack, to aſſaſſinate his Prince. This holy Man of God abhorr'd ſuch abominable practices. All the crime laid unto his charge, that could be prov'd againſt him, was matter of Duty to God, of Duty to his Church, over which the Holy Ghoſt had made him Overſeer. He faithfully and zealouſly exhorted his Brethren in the Miniſtry to preach the Goſpel even upon the Ruines of their Temples, yet without quitting their All…giance and Obedience to the King their Soveraign. This was all his offence, but his Function was the greateſt. For this he muſt die. But he ſuffers death triumphantly. Died Abner as a Fool? Monſieur Hommel liv'd a Saint, died a Martyr. Some Paſſages of his Martyrdom are fallen into my hands, written by an eye and ear Witneſs of them, which for the Reader's ſatisfaction are here communicated, without addition or alteration.
I count my ſelf happy, ſaid this dying Saint, that I can die in my Maſter's quarrel. What! would my gracious Redeemer deſcend from Heaven unto Earth, that I might be lilted up from Earth to Heaven? would he undergo an ignominious Death, that I might be poſſeſſed of a moſt bleſſed Life? Verily, if after all this, to prolong a frail and miſerable life, I ſhould loſe that which is everlaſting, ſhould I not be a moſt ungrateful wretch unto my God, and a moſt cruel Enemy to my own Happineſs? No! no! the Dye is caſt. I am immoveable in my reſolution. I breath after that Hour. O! when will that good Hour come, which will period my preſent miſerable life, and give me the injoyment of one which is infinitely more bleſſed! Farewel, my dear Wife. I know your Tears, your continual Sighs hinder your bidding me Adieu. Don't be troubled at this Gibbet upon which I muſt expire; 'tis to me a triumphal Chariot, which will carry me into Heaven. I ſee Heaven open'd, …d my ſweet Jeſus with his out-ſtretched Arms ready to receive me; yea, he will receive me, who is the Divine Spouſe of my Soul. I am leaving the World, in which is nothing but adverſity, that I may get to Heaven, and enjoy everlaſting felicity. You ſhall come unto me, I ſhall never any more come back to you. All that I recommend unto you is, Educate our dear Children in the fear of God, and be careful that they ſwerve not from that way preſcribed them in the Holy Scriptures. I have bequeathed them a little Formulary for their Inſtruction, that if ever they be brought into the like condition with my ſelf, they may undergo it couragiouſly: And be confident in the goodneſs of our God, who will ſend them the Divine Comforter to ſtrengthen them in all their Straits and Diſtreſſes. Prepare them for Suffering betimes, that ſo in that great day, when we ſhall appear before the Judgment-ſeat of Chriſt, we may be able to beſpeak him, Lord! Here we are, and the Children which thou haſt graciouſly given us! Ah! I ſhall never have done. Ah! why am I hindred from my departure? why am I kept ſo long in this my earthly Tabernacle? Farewel my dear People, 'tis the laſt Farewel I ſhall ever give you. Be ye ſtedfaſt, be ye fixed! And know, that I never preached to you any thing but the pure Truth of the Goſpel, the true way which leads unto Heaven.
Some one then told him, He ſpake too much. How, ſaid he, do I ſpeak too much? I ſpeak nothing but the very truth. I have neither ſpoken nor done any thing that was in the leaſt offenſive to the Sacred Majeſty of our Auguſt Monarch. But on the contrary, I have always exhorted the People, committed by the Lord unto my charge, to render thoſe Honors which are due unto our King, and have inform'd them, that our Lives and Fortunes are at his diſpoſal, and that we are bound to employ them in the defence of his Eſtate and Crown. But as for our Conſciences, we hold them of our God, and muſt keep them for him.
Then his Judges leaving him, ordered the Executioner to do his office, which he did, breaking his Arms and his Legs. And being then demanded whether he would die a Roman Catholick? He anſwer'd, How, my Lords! Had it been my deſign to have changed my Religion, I would have done it before my Bones had been thus broken to pieces. I wait only for the hour of my diſſolution. Courage! Courage! O my Soul! Thou ſhalt preſently injoy the delights of Heaven. And as for thee, O my poor Body, thou ſhalt be reduc'd to duſt, but 'tis that thou may'ſt be raiſed again a Spiritual Body. Thou ſhalt ſee things that never enter'd into the heart of man, and which are in this life impoſſible to be conceived.
He again addreſſed himſelf unto his Wife. Farewel once more, my well-beloved Spouſe! I am waiting for you. But know though you ſee my Bones broken to ſhivers, yet my Soul is repleniſhed with unexpreſſible Joys.
He utter'd many excellent Matters, which are now ſlipt my memory. Only I ſhall not omit, that he kiſs'd his very Judges, who poured out a ſhower of Tears, being aſtoniſhed at ſo great a conſtancy. His eyes were always lifted up to Heaven. He never gave one Cry for all the Blows that were laid upon him after the firſt. His Life was had in ſingular veneration, and as long as this Earth ſhall continue, his Death will be in admiration.
Let's imitate this Great Man of God, and perſevere unto the end (tho' with the loſs of our Lives) in the true Religion, which is that only that will conduct us to the Heavenly Paradiſe. Amen.
I intended …od willing, to write his Life at large, and to publiſh it ſhortly in my Icones.
N. B. Every Limb, every Member, and every Bone in his Body were broken with the Iron Bar forty Hours before the Executioner was permitted to ſtrike him upon the Breaſt, which gave him, as they call it, Le Coup de Grace, the Blow of Mercy, that Death-ſtroke which put an end unto all his Miſeries.
Before we proceed any farther, I ſhall deſire the Reader to remark,