Excerpts and accounts of the prophetic move of the Spirit in France 1688=1702 from the French Book THE SACRED THEATRE OF THE CÉVENNES, BY M. MISSON Translated By Claire Uyttebrouck
First published in London in 1707, this book is a collection of testimonies about the "small prophets of the Cévennes", these young boys and girls, sometimes infants who called the Protestant people to repentance and later on to resistance.
This book highlights a little known prophetic movement which took place between 1688 and 1702 in the South of France (Drôme, Vivarais, Cévennes and Bas Languedoc).
These witnesses, who were also fighters, affirm their unwavering convictions and tell how they became prophetic, and how their prophetic gift leads them to take arms to fight for their freedom of conscience. Many of them went into exile in England, Switzerland, Holland and Germany.
Children Caught up in the Spirit
Suddenly, at the end of the 17th century, in the area of the Cévennes, babies stand up in their crib and call people to repent. Young children of 3 and 5, teenagers of 12, 15 and 17 roll around on the floor and prophesy, announcing the deliverance of the people of Israel (meaning the protestants (Huguesnots) and the destruction of Babylon.
When caught up in the Spirit the children speak the language of the Bible, French, although their mother tongue is the local patois. They can neither read nor write. Children and adults alike don't remember what they said when they "come back", or very little.
Everything starts in the Dauphiné with a shepherdess, in 1688. Isabeau Vincent, 15 years old, speaks with her eyes closed, comments on the Bible and calls sinners to repent. People listen to her. She was arrested, thrown in jail, but she keeps preaching.
In 1689, a young peasant boy called Gabriel Astier prophesies and draws crowds to him. Then it's hundreds of children, sometimes only 3 or 4 years old, who "fall in a state of ecstasy". 9 month old babies prophesy in their crib. Some children prophets are denounced by their parents to the authorities, arrested and thrown in jail. Some of them escape, then are adopted by the Camisard families.
Louis XIV revoked the edict of Nantes in 1685, and since then, the Protestant faith was forbidden. Pastors are deported out of France. Forced, massive conversions to Catholicism begin. Persecutions are fierce and deadly, but the prophetic movement spreads. In the beginning it is entirely peaceful, the "small prophets" (small because of their young age and size) call the people to reconcile, to repent and to a complete breaking off from the Catholic church. Then, in a second stage, prophecy becomes warlike.
Mazel, simple peasant from the Cévennes, is the first one to call people to "holy war", to avenge against the torturing clergy, for they do torture. They have the right to have people hanged, beaten to death or emprisoned for life. It is the Holy Spirit who tells Mazel to take arms, and it's by His revelation that the Camisards get to hear about traitors among them, avoid ambushes, discover conspiracies and hit their enemies. All their decisions are inspired by the Spirit. Thanks to this, a group of simple peasants regularly defeats a trained army.
Prophetic Troops
The leaders among them are the men who are the most prophetic, and at least half of the troops have the gift of prophecy. They don't need watchmen, for it's the Spirit who warns them when there is danger. Some fighters have the gift of prayer and exhortation, others receive warnings for the Church, still others receive specific warnings for specific situations. The more they listen and obey, the more victorious they are. All of them have an incredible zeal for God's glory and totally yield to His will, whether in life or in death.
At the time, the Catholic authorities ignore what is a Pastor. They think it's the same as a Priest. They think that if the Pastor is no longer there to take care of the flock, the sheep will waste away and scatter.
One only has to observe what a Pastor truly is in any given village to see the difference with a priest. The big difference is that Protestants read their Bible every day. The Pastor's role is quite clear: he's the most instructed brother and helps the others to better understand the difficult passages of Scriptures. He's the guide who acknowledges the full autonomy of his brothers' faith and helps them grow into their full potential. Instead of being God's spokesperson like a priest, he's the wise man, the expert of the community who encourages the others.
Responsible for Self
Each person, by reading the Bible, becomes his own priest. The Gospel can be spread without clergy, without religious authorities, without hierarchy. Pastors having been deported, it's the lay people who fill in by simply devoting more time than others to the needs of the church.
Every person is responsible for himself and co-responsible for the community, irrespective of institutions, which is a deeply democratic and indirectly revolutionary concept.
Because "churches" have collapsed, due to persecutions, there are no more no more Pastors and no more fundamental freedoms. So little groups pop up and try to make up for this institutional void.
Prophets say that when they are taken up in the Spirit, it's something wonderful and divine. They start shivering and feeling weak as if feverish, they yawn several times and then fall down. They close their eyes. They stay down for a while, then they suddenly wake up and start prophesying. They say they see the open Heaven, angels, Paradise and hell.
Prophets prophesy not only during assemblies, but also in the countryside or in their houses.
Small assemblies gather 400 to 500 people, major ones 3,000 to 4,000. For several years, they gather in the woods, in caves and isolated places. They all preach repentance, this is a theme found in all testimonies. The Bible is quoted in French by people who cannot read or write, and who hardly know French.
God will Raise More Prophets
When Isabeau, the 15 year old girl, is in prison, she prophesies more than ever. She tells her torturers that they may kill her, because God will raise other prophets who will tell even greater things than she does.
In an assembly, a witness sees a young girl who can hardly read. She says she can't preach, but the Spirit preaches through her. She starts praying and her prayer is so beautiful he thinks he's seeing an angel. Then she sings a Psalm and she sounds like an angel. And then she starts preaching and what she says is so beautiful, so zealous, so full of wisdom that it's obvious it's divine. She quotes the Old Testament and the New Testament as if she knew the whole Bible by heart. She illustrates passages with such accuracy that everyone is dumbfounded. She laments on the state of the church and says "it's due to our sins." Then she comforts the people in an incredibly gentle way and promises mercy, peace, blessings, fulfillment and eternal joy to all those who receive the Lord.
Another witness mentions a girl from Languedoc who receives revelations. When she's in the Spirit, she's capable of saying things about this witness that she cannot know naturally. An angel "stirs her organs and gets her to say what the Spirit orders".
Jean Vernet testifies in 1707 that the first people he saw in the Spirit were his mother, his brother, two of his sisters and a cousin. His mother only spoke French when she was in the Spirit, otherwise she couldn't. While visiting friends, he sees a 14 month old baby prophesying in French, although this child had never said a word before. The baby speaks with a loud voice and calls people to repentance. There are about 20 people in the room and everyone is cut to the heart and weeps. He also hears about an infant not yet weaned who prophesies in the same way. It often happens that these small prophets warn the assembly that they need to break up because soldiers are coming. When they don't heed that word immediately, they are caught, thrown in prison or sent to the galleys.
Thousands of children prophesy, and the Catholic authorities claim they're impostors and they've been taught what they're saying. These children are tortured, flogged, the sole of their feet is burned, but they keep prophesying. They're brought to a Medical School to be examined, and from time to time they're seized by the Spirit and prophesy. It is obvious that those children are totally illiterate and that their discourse doesn't match their age or their level of instruction, as they can quote the Bible and say things they obviously never learnt. They end up being called fanatics.
A Man Named Mazel
As jails are packed with Protestants, the court gives the order to stop making prisoners and to purely and simply slaughter those who still gather together. Only then do the people start to take arms to defend themselves, and only after a man named Mazel received the order from the Holy Spirit to do so.
Thousands of women don't stop prophesying and singing hymns, although they're being hanged by the hundreds. Several witnesses mention slaughtered brothers who "had the honor to suffer martyrdom." Every time, those who are being mistreated, emprisoned and tortured seem full of joy, sing hymns and pray God continually.
Two witnesses tell two different stories where people in the Spirit say that God will destroy Babylon (the Catholic church) and restore His Church. These people can't read and yet they speak a very good French when they speak in the Spirit.
One witness says he went to a place where he was told an assembly was taking place, but when he got there with a few friends, the place was empty. So they prayed to find everyone, a bright light appeared in the sky, like a big star and lead them to where the assembly was, about half a mile away. Another witness says that it was a light in the sky that enabled him to find his way back his regiment of Camisards.
In a home, a witness sees a 6 years old boy fall in the Spirit and prophesy that a part of the great Babylon would be destroyed. Another boy of 8 prophesies that the Protestant faith would be re-established in France. In the assemblies, some people speak what looks like a foreign language, and then someone else "interprets".
A witness says that a young girl of 18 prophesied to him that he would be arrested the next day, but he didn't have to fear because he would be released that same day. That's exactly what happened.
Sometimes, those in the Spirit see armies of angels, at times these angels fight against armies of demons in the sky. It is prophesied on several occasions that God will have fires or lights fall from the sky during the night to blind the eyes of the enemies or to guide His people, and that's what happened.
A young girl falls in the Spirit and prophesies that there will be many ordeals in the land, but a "new world" will arise. She intercedes so that the country will not be struck by lightning, and starts to weep tears of blook. Some people who know her well say that it's not the first time they see her shed tears of blood.
Account of Jean Cavalier, Head of Camisards
Jean says that he joined an assembly gathering in a barn out of sheer curiosity, for the things of God didn't interest him. When he gets there, a little boy is shaking in the Spirit on the floor and he inwardly laughs at him. The little boy then says that there are people in the assembly who only came out of curiosity, with a mocking spirit, and he portrays Jean so accurately that he's ashamed and heads towards the door to leave. At that moment a second young boy falls in the Spirit right in front of the door, which makes it impossible for Jean to leave, and the boy talks about a malicious person trying to leave. Jean is all the more uncomfortable, until he hears another child preach in such a way that it cuts him to the heart and he starts to pray. All fear leave Jean and he asks God to get to know His will. God's zeal falls on him. The child preaches with such conviction that the whole assembly is in tears. He preaches for about 2 hours and nobody misses a minute of it. Everyone knows that the child cannot read, doesn't know any French (although he's preaching in French) and doesn't have the education to say what he says by himself.
Jean is deeply converted by this child's words and weeps profusely when he's confronted to his sins. Then he feels like a hammer blow hitting his chest and fire spreading in his veins and his whole body. He looses balance and falls down. The heat intensifies, the fire increases and he starts to be uncontrollably shaken in his whole body. He remembers his sexual immorality and is convicted of sin like never before. Meanwhile the child keeps preaching and says that he's blessed to have been called by God to be filled up with His grace, and that he needs to thank Him with a grateful heart. The child goes on to say that as he grumbled, God's will is to hold him for a while before receiving spiritual gifts, and in the meantime he needs to pray unceasingly.
Jean goes back home totally transformed, still in tears and sometimes losing balance as if he was drunk. He stays in that state for 9 months. God's hand often touches him but his tongue is still tied. However, God's grace comforts him as he obeys the Spirit who prompts him to pray. He's not at all tempted by sin anymore, or drawn the Catholic religion which he considers to be a farce.
After 9 months of tears and shaking without words, Jean falls into an exceptional state of ecstasy and God opens his mouth. For 3 days he's in the Spirit and doesn't eat, drink or sleep. He only preaches and urges people to repent, and all the people who see him are convinced that it's the Spirit speaking through him.
He then decides to join the Camisards, peasant fighters prompted by the Holy Spirit to fight the King's army which slaughters Protestant men, women and children without mercy. One day he's sitting down at table with his comrades in arms and receives a word of knowledge that there's a Judas among them who intends to poison everyone. Another brother receives a word that the traitor intends to poison the water of the cistern. A third person receives the revelation that the traitor still has the poison on him and will try to hide it or throw it away, but he will be unmasked and exposed.
Jean is Made Prisoner
And indeed, the traitor is confronted by someone who learnt from the Spirit exactly where the poison was hidden, and goes to get it. But they decide to let him live and release him. The traitor then denounces everyone to the authorities and Jean is made prisoner with about 60 of his comrades.
They travel on a ship and find themselves in the midst of a great storm. One of the prisoners receives a word saying that within 4 hours they would arrive safely, and that's what happened.
In the jail where they're imprisoned they see the traitor again. He makes a dream where he falls into a heap of garbage and chokes to death. A few days later he becomes ill, literally vomits garbage and dies.
Some time later, Jean is released from prison although he had been sentenced to life imprisonment. He goes back home. During the Sunday worship, the head of the assembly, brother Clary, is seized by the Spirit and learns that there are 2 traitors in the group who only came to spy, but they will be unmasked. Indeed, the Spirit leads him to the 2 traitors who immediately repent and say it's out of poverty that they were working for the enemy. Clary has them bound. But the Spirit tells him people are grumbling because they believe that if the traitors repented so quickly, it is because Clary is their accomplice. The Holy Spirit then addresses the assembly through Clary and convicts them of their lack of faith. The Spirit says that, in order to show them His power, He's going to put Clary on a stake but he won't be affected. The assembly pleads to not burn him because they don't believe that he's going to survive.
But a stake is built and Clary positions himself in the middle. Someone lights it and the flames are higher than his head. When the flames die down, Clary gets out unharmed, without even smelling smoke in his hair or clothes. Then the traitors are released.
Calling Everyone to Repentance
Another witness tells the story of a young girl, 10 to 12 years old, who falls in the Spirit in the house of a gardener. When she starts talking she tells everyone to keep quiet because in the garden there's a man who could betray them. The gardener goes out and sees a surgeon, a known persecutor, collecting plants for a remedy. Once the surgeon is gone, the girl starts to preach, calling everyone to repentance, which will bring a shower of blessings on all. However, if they keep sinning, the country will be hit by the most terrifying judgments from God. This girl speaks in French, although she's never studied it, and quotes many passages from Scriptures, although she can't read.
A few months later, the same witness sees people rushing to a house as he's walking down the street, he follows them and sees a girl who just fell in the Spirit. She says approximately the same thing as the former girl did and finishes up with a long and beautiful prayer.
A few days later, he goes to visit a young girl, 6-7 years old, accompanied by a priest. She's seized by the Spirit and starts to preach, and the priest can't believe his ears. When she "wakes up", he tries to convince her to tell him who taught her those things, but she claims she doesn't control anything she does or says, it's not her but something that "takes over". The priest realizes that it's ridiculous to see any malice in this child, or in any child preaching or prophesying that way, but because of his position, he feels compelled to say it's by the power of the devil that those children speak the way they do.
Another witness says that it's the village half-wit who preaches best and makes the most beautiful sermons. She cannot speak 4 words of French and is very shy in public. The witness says : "This Balaam's donkey has a mouth filled with gold when the Spirit speaks through her.” No speaker gets to be listened to the way she does, and no audience is more captivated or more moved. Her flow of eloquence is a pure wonder. This woman can control when she falls in the Spirit. When people come to visit her to hear her preach, she just needs to say a short prayer and the Spirit comes to "take over", and the Holy Spirit preaches and prophesies through her.
Another witness tells the story of a young girl of 8 or 9 who regularly falls in the Spirit. At those times, she only breathes through sighs, her breast is heaving and all her body's shaking.
Among the troop of Camisards, Mazel falls into a state of ecstasy and announces the imminent death of one of the brothers during combat. Once he "wakes up", he identifies the brother about to die and advises him to get ready. This brother accepts the news with resignation, and a few weeks later he's mortally wounded by a bullet.
In fact, all the brothers in the troop who are called to die, either during combat or because they will be executed, are warned in advance by the Spirit so that they can say their goodbyes to their family and prepare to glorify God in their death as they have during their lifetime. And the Spirit is by their side until their last breath, which for them is simply a passage from one life to the next.
But most of the time, the Camisards receive words of knowledge telling them they have nothing to fear in combat, and they all come back with incredible stories of bullets being caught between their shirt and their skin without having wounded them. As a result, bullets are as inconsequential as hail to them, and young boys of 12 fight like lions with their sling, just like David with Goliath. But they all live in the most serious purity and discipline, and as the Spirit forbids them to take any spoil, they sometimes burn true treasures.
Kathie Walkers
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