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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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courage tf £ be people ; > mt tfceywem tipflfcea by Ike < # ffi uj | $ « f miq » i $ ing them in the fugitive life they led , ' and surrounded as th $ y always were by faithful friends , who warned them of
the approach of datiger . Being , then , unable to lay hold p £ the pastors , they determined tp ; seize some of the principal members lifter the meeting of one of theircongregations ; inconsequence , they arrested two citizens of consideration at Nime » one of whom was named Turge > and the other
Fabre , and condemned them to the galleys for having befen present at that reJi * gious assembly . This barbarous yio- * lence gave rise to / an act of filial piety worthy to be made known to posterity : the son of Fabre , seeing his unhappy father about to suffer a punishment which , aged and infirm as he was , would in a cruel manner have hastened
on hia , death , generously offered to ; become his substitute ; his offer was ^ accepted by remorseless power ; nor could his distinguished virtue , virtue that would have been admired by the Greeks and Romans , though idolaters , disarm the blind and inhuman hatred
inspired by intolerance . * The high esteem enjoyed by these two citizens induced their friends and fellowr-protestaiits to make the most urgent remonstrances , and to take every step which the liveliest interest in their fate
could prompt . This was what their persecutors wished ; they hoped that , in oycfer to redeem the captives , they WQpild abandon their ministers , and in this hope promised to restore the pri-SQners to liberty if Paul Rabaut would Qon § e . nt to leave the kingdom , for
which purpose a safe-conduct should be gjmrted him ; they even offered him an advantageous situation as a pastor ] & , ** foreign country . They flattered tj ^ jpgelyea that their offers would effect the removal of Rabaut , or that , if hp
refused them , he , would forfeit his influence . fry resisting the solicitations of th $ numerous friends of the condemned : they were * however , disappointed ; they had * ot anticipated all the courage and devotednesa which ww felt equally by the pastor , the
>¦ . / - . -V ' -- •* . ; ____________ ' ¦ -,- ' . % ffiMs rftct of filial piety has been ex-W * WttJffl , /*< N Fre ^ eb ; theatcc ^ intlw 3 |« Mif : ^ ^^^ fey
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people ip general , find % \ &s pmtimmi Tim ofia-s jus * mentioned were not accepted either by Rabaut , who h&A long consecrated liis repose and his and
very life to the instr ^ ct ^ Qn edification of his flocj : ; or by the pipus pn soners and their friends ^ who attached great importance to the preservation of their pastor .
Availmg himself of a species of safeconduct , Paul Rabaut had at this period an interview with the commandant © f the province , during which the commandant said tQ him : " If you had consented tQ quit the kingdom , those
prisoners , whos 6 fate excites ^ o much interest ^ would have been set at liberty * " Rabaut answered :, " Persecution engenders fanaticism in the persecuted : if well-educated pastors abandon their flocks , fanatics will start
into notice , an < J this the government ought not to wish ; the persecuted would be accused , whilst their oppressors alone would be culpable . " The goveipor appeared struck with the reply .
At the beginning of hia apostolic course , Paul Rabaut took a journey to Paris , with the intention of imploring less severe laws for the Protestants ; for the minds , of men were not then ripe for religious liberty . M . Bechard , his near relative , with whom he had
travelled and by whom he was to be introduced , died suddenly , and Rabaut was left without a companion in that immense city . His courage , however , failed not > he again sought the prince on whose protection his hopes were founded ; but the latter having asked
him some ensnaring questions , he replied in evasive terms , and being rek solvecLopt to compromise Ma character or hi $ principles , he set off the aett day to return to the exercise of the functions in which he delighted . xThat priiice afterwards gave him frequent testimonies of / his esteem .
JUet the oppressions or these timea be compared iwith fch ^ religious liberty established bv the Emperor of the > TftenGh } wb&ok > . pto » mtaf&to the eyes of the friejad of mankind aapoctacleunexampled in the annuls of the Chriatian worlC ; and blessto ga will be pronounced on ! him l ? po > following thei impulse of to , generous ^ ccw ^ ui ^ ng the experience ;^ f vftgM ^ lMtf by his ^ o ^ ialw ^ W if l ^^ T M ^ t&lf&iMfri ^^
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\ d $ BiQgntphical $ &tice if P&t . ¦ $ * $ & # *
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), March 2, 1820, page 132, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2486/page/4/
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