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MEMOIR
OF
FELIX NEFF.
LONDON: GILBERT AND RIVINGTON, PRINTERS, ST. JOHN'S SQ'JAEE.
MEMOIR
OF
FELIX NEFF,
PASTOR OF THE HIGH ILPS;
AND OF
HIS LABOURS AMONG THE FRENCH PROTESTANTS OF DAUPHINE,
A REMNANT OF THE PRIMITIVE CHRISTIANS OF GAUL.
WILLIAM STEPHEN GILLY, M.A.
PREBENDARY OF DURHAM, AKD VICAR OF NORHAM.
" There are very few habitations in Dormilleuse which are not liable to be swept away, for there i» not a tpot, in tliis narrow corner of the Valley of Frcssinit-re, which can be coniiidered abitolulely safe But terrible as tlie situation of the natives is, they owe to it their reli|;iu>jR, and perhaps their physical existence. If their country had been more iecure, and more accessible, tliey would have been exterminated, like the inhabitants of Val Louise." — Savr'* Joi'rnal.
LONDON: PRINTED FOR J. G. & F. RIVINGTON,
SI. I-Af t.'H CIIUKCII VAKD, AMI WATKKl.OO I'LACE, I'ALL MAM..
1 H32.
CONTENTS.
PAGE
Introduction • • 1
CHAPTER I.
Neff's Birth and Education — His first Tastes and Occupa- tion— His military Career — Leaves the Army and be- comes a Probationer for Holy Orders — Exercises the Functions of a Probationer in the Swiss Cantons 41
CHAPTER H.
Neff goes to France to officiate at Grenoble and Mens — His Observations on National Churches — The Nature of his Charge at Mens — His laborious Duties — Remarks on the Effects produced by Sacred Music — Neff's Method •with his Catechumens 49
CHAPTER III.
Neff's difficulties as to Ordination — His reasons for not being ordained by the Genevan Clergy — Goes to Eng- land for his diploma — His return to France and rect-p- tion at Mens — His nomination as Pastor of the High Alps — His first visits to the mountain hanikHs of his parish 80
VI CONTENTS.
CHAPTER IV.
PAGE
Description of the department of the High Alps — Restitu- tion of Protestant rights — Organization of Reformed Churches of France — Nature and extent of Neff"s pas- toral charge — Henry Oberlin — Description of the Valleys of Fressiniere and Queyras, and of NefF's parish — The pass of the Guil — Xeff at Arvieux, and in his presbytery at La Chalp — His progress through his parish — San Veran — Pierre Grosse — Fousillarde — The Pastor's mani- fold duties — Neff"s winter journey to Val Fressiniere — Palons — Tlic Rimasse — Dormilleuse — Xeff's description of Dormilleuse, and of the condition in which he found the remains of the primitive Christians there — His peri- lous labours there » 103
CHAPTER V.
NefF organizes Reunions, or Prayer-meetings — His opinion of the necessity of such meetings — Netf 's last exhorta- tion to his flock on the subject — His exhortations ex- amined— An inquiry into the effects and utility of Prayer- meetings — The sentiments of Thomas Scott not in favour of them — Those of Bishop Heber the same — Observations on Family Worship ■ 142
CHAPTER VI.
NefF at Champsaur — His difficulties there — From Champ- saur to Val Fressiniere — His Employments from break of day to midnight — His account of the Consecration of the new Church of Violins — His discussion with a Vaudois Pastor — Wretched condition of the Natives of Val Fressiniere — An affecting Incident — Neff" institutes
CONTENTS. VU
associations of the Bible and Missionary Societies among his Alpines — Passage of the Col d'Orsiere — Progress of his Catechumens at Champsaur — Laments over the levity of some of his Flock — Prevents the appointment of an unworthy Pastor at Champsaur 153
CHAPTER VII.
NefF's method and good understanding with the Roman Catholics — His interview with a Romish Priest — A family sketch — The convert of Arvieux — A death-bed scene — The Mission — Controversies — Anecdote — The Cure — Palons — The shepherdess Mariette 180
CHAPTER VIII.
NefF's self-denial — Reminiscences in Val Fressiniere and Val Queyras — The Alpine Pastor's duties and mode of life — Passion week in Dormilleuse and Val Fressiniere 209
CHAPTER IX.
Keflf's extraordinary influence over his Flock — How ob- tained— His improvements introduced into the condition of the Alpines — Their wretched state previously to his arrival — Proposes to himself the example of Oberlin — The Aqueduct — The Christian Advocate — Neff a teacher of Agriculture — Xeff at the Fair of St. Crepin — Obser- vations *22()
ciiapti:r X.
Neff's caution in the choice of his Catcchists — Neff in his schools — Works at the building of a school-room in Dormilleuse — Establishes and conducts a normal school for the training of catocliists and schoolmasters — The
Vlll CONTENTS.
PAGE
difficulties of this undertaking — The farewell repast — NefF's remarks on the characters of the young men of his adult school, and on tlic effects produced by it — Observations on the state of public instruction in France 246
CHAPTER XI.
NefF's strength faOs — Winter horrors of Dormilleuse — Neff obliged to return to Switzerland — Parting Scenes — NefF goes to the baths of Plombieres — His last address to his Alpine flock — His sufferings and patience — His last hours — His death at Geneva 281
CHAPTER XII.
Review of Neff's character — Its value as an example — His practical wisdom and usefulness — His prudence and caution — His gentleness of spirit — His conciliating manners — Two remarkable traits — Neff compared with Bernard Gilpin, George Herbert, Oberlin, and Henry Martyn — Testimonies to Neff's services 310
Postscript 329
INTRODUCTION
When a volume is sent from the press, containing memorials of persons and places unknown to the world, and the author claims the attention not only of those, who read for amusement principally, but also of the learned and the reflecting, he must expect some such questions as these to be asked : Upon what documents are these statements found- ed ? From wliat original papers are these memoirs composed ? How came the author acquainted with scenes and people, whose history he alleges to be of moment to society at large, but whose names are perfectly new to us ? How has he had access to records, which we did not know to be in exist- ence ? I hope to answer these enquiries satisfac- Ic^rily, and to >Ii()\v t]i;it those, who have extended their raml)h's to some ot* tlie obscurest corners of civilized Europe, or who have been poring over tin; most neglected, dull, and wearisome pages of writers and clironich'rs of (hiys long since, may ttriiig lad- to li^lit w liidi li;i(l escaped notice, ;ind
B
•i INTRODUCTION.
niav illustrate some of the most important sub- jects ill history.
it has l)een my good fortmic to have had op- portunities of examining the treasures of ecclesi- astical liistorv, in libraries rich in such stores ; and the more I have read, the more I have felt con- vinced that the secluded glens of Piemont are not the only retreats, where the descendants of PRIMITIVE CHRISTIANS may be found. Under this term I mean to speak of persons who have inherited a Christianity, which the Church of Rome has not transmitted to them, and who, from father to son, have essentially preserved the mode of faith, and the form of discij)line, which were received, when the Gospel was first planted in their land. I have discovered ample reason to believe, that there is scarcely a mountain region in our quarter of the globe, which is poor, and un- inviting, and difficult of access, where the primi- tive faith, as it was preached by the earliest messengers of tlie truth, did not linger for many ages, after the Romish Hierarchy had established itself in the richer countries, and in the plains ; and moreover, that there are still many mountain districts, where the population has continued Christian, from generation to generation, to the present hour ; Christian, in non-conformity with the church usurping the appellation. Catholic. It was their obscurity and non-intercourse with the world, during the period of almost general
INTRODUCTION. 3
submission to the Romish yoke, which preserved tliem from corruption. Traces of such churches in the Alps, in the Pyrenees, and in the Apen- nines, are clearly discernible in the Canons of Councils and in the writings of most of the Romish annalists and controversialists of France, Spain, and Italy, up to the great epoch of Papal supre- macy in the eleventh century; and the light, which modern researches is casting every year upon the history of nations, helps us to perceive, that the chain, which connects the Primitive and the Pro- testant Churches, is unbroken in various places, where it w^as supposed to have been dissevered. There are very few readers, who do not imagine, that every vestige of the Albigensians was swept from the earth, during the crusades of Simon de Montford, and that the ancient churches of Pro- vence and Dauphine, which formed the stock, on which the Reformed congregations of the south of France were grafted in the sixteenth century, were utterly cut down, root and branch, after the revo- cation of the Edict of Nantes. This, however, was not tlic case : some few remnants were spared ; and families in ttie remote valleys of the Pyrenees, and otflic Aljjs, lia\(' bt^en permitted to experience the promise ol" the |{c(lcciii('r, " \\ licrc two oi- fbi-ce are gatliered togetlicr in luy name, there am I in flie midst of fbein. " 'I'licse ba\(' ])reser\((l liie |)iire kno\Nle(lne wliicli ilirir lordal licis Iraiisniilled to tlieiii, and tile .-cri))! iiial i^reetiii^- " Aipiila
b2
INTUODUCTION.
and Priscillu siilutc you in the Lord, with the Cliurcli which is in their house," has oftentimes been passing from one secluded spot to another, wlien all were supposed to have been dragooned into the service of the Mass. And not only so, but in some few instances, whole communes, or ])arislies, liave refused to submit, even outwardly, to the exactions of Romish usurpation.
The following pages record an example of this.
My belief, that the dreary wildernesses of the Alpine provinces of France might still be har- bouring some of these descendants of the primitive Christians of Gaul, was confirmed by a letter wdiich I received in the winter of 1826, from the Reverend Francis Cunningham, to whom the Protestant cause owes much. His frequent journeys, and correspondence, and his unlimited philanthropy, have put him in the way of knowing much that is going on among all that is truly Christian on the Continent. He w as greatly instrumental in bring- ing the imperishable name of Oberlin under the notice of English readers, and to him my grateful thanks are due, for the first information I received of Neff, and his Christian labours. The letter, to w liich I allude, contained the information that Felix Neff, a young clergyman, w^as then toiling among a people, in Dauphine, so poor, that they had no means of providing salaries for ministers or schoolmasters : and so little favoured by nature, tliat for seven months out of twelve, their land lay
INTIIODUCTION. O
buried iu snow. Two years afterwards Mr. Ciin- iiiugham sent me a paper, drawn up by Netf him- self, describing' the nature of his charge, and some of the difficulties he had to encounter. I now present the substance of that paper to the reader, as an explanatory preface, which will at once put him in possession of some of the circumstances which ought to render the name of NefF himself, and of his Alpines, dear to all who venerate heroic zeal, and devoted benevolence.
*' In those dark times, when the Dragon, of whom St. John speaks', made war w^ith the rem- nant of the seed, which kept the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ, some of those, who escaped from the edge of the sword, found a place of refuge among the moun- tains. It was then that the most rugged valleys, of tlie French department of the High Alps, were peopled by the remains of those primitive Christ- ians ^ who, after the example of Moses, when he preferred the reproach of Christ to the riches of Egypt, changed their fertile plains for a frightful wilderness, l^iit fanaticism still pursued tliem, and neither their p«n erty, nor their innocence, nor the glaciers and j)recipices among which tliey dwelt, entirely protected them ; and the caverns wliicli -<'r\c(l tliciii tor cliin'chc^s, were often wusIhmI w ill) tlicii' lilood. Pi'('\ i(>u<lv to tlic l^'^ol•-
' Ktv. xii. 17. ' !'<■« rcsti's (lis ("Im'licii.s I'liiiiilils.
() INTU()l)r( TION.
Illation, the Valley of Fressiiiiere was the only place in France where they could maintain their ground, and even here, they were driven from the more productive lands, and were forced to retreat to the very foot of the glacier, where they built the village of Dormillcusc. This village, con- structed like an eagle's nest, upon the side of a mountain, was the citadel where a small portion that was left established itself, and where the race has continued, without any mixture with stran- gers, to the present da)^ Others took up their dwelling at the bottom of a deep glen, called La Combe, a rocky abyss, to which there is no exit, where the horizon is so bounded, that, for six months of the year, the rays of the sun never pene- trate. These hamlets, exposed to avalanches, and the falling of rocks, and buried under snow half the 3'ear, consist of hovels, of which some are without chimneys and glazed windows, and others have nothing but a miserable kitchen and a stable, which is seldom cleaned out more than once a year, and where the inhabitants spend the greater part of the winter wath their cattle, for the sake of the warmth. The rocks, by vihich they are en- closed, are so barren, and the climate is so severe, that there is no knowing how these poor Alpines, with all their simplicity and temperance, contrive to subsist. Their few sterile fields hang over pre- cipices, and are covered, in places, with enormous blocks of granite, which roll every year from the
INTUODrcTlON
cliffs above. Some seasons even rye will uol ripen there. The pasturages are, many of them, inaccessible to cattle, and scarcely safe for sheej). Such wretched soil cannot be expected to yield any thing- more than what will barely sustain life, and pay the taxes, which owing to the unfeeling- negligence of the inspectors, are too often levied without proper consideration for the unproductive- ness of the land. The clothing of these poor crea- tures is made of coarse wool, which they dress and weave themselves. Their principal food is unsifted rye ; this they bake into cakes in the autumn so as to last the whole year.
" The revocation of the Edict of Nantes, in 1686, deprived them of their ministers, and we may judge what their condition must have been for many years ; Init still there was ilot a total famine of the Word among them. They met together to read the Bible and to sing psalms ; and although they liad an ancient church in Dormilleuse, they were building a second in La Combe, which was not finished when I first arrived there. Such was their situation wlien Providence directed me to their valleys in iH'ili. They received me most gladly ; they attended my preaching with eager- ness, and gave tliemselves iij) to iiiv giiidaucc in all tliat I undertook for their iii»|)rovemeiil. I'lic limits of this short notice will not j)ermil me to enter into an V detail of iii\ |tri»eee( lings, diirinu' the three years and a hall lliat 1 remained with iheni
8 INTRODUCTION.
I will merely state that my instructions were not unproductive of good ; that many young men have been put in the way of opening schools during the winter ; that the sunday-schools have been fre- quented by adults who could not profit by the lessons given in the day-schools open to younger persons. Up to this period the girls and the women had been almost entirely neglected. With the assistance of subscriptions from foreigners, one school-room has been built, and another is in pre- paration. Several of the inhabitants have shown a strono- inclination to take advantao:e of the in- formation , which I have given them on agriculture and architecture, and in the principles of some of the useful sciences, which hitherto were utterly unknown to them. I have distributed many Bibles, New Testaments, and other books of piety among them, which, I have been pleased to find, were not only received with gratitude, but such as were sold were readily purchased at prime cost. In truth, the religious knowledge communicated to them has been so blessed, that you would not find in any part of France more genuine piety or simplicity of manners. But still it can hardly be expected that this improvement will be permanent, considering their physical, moral, and religious condition, so long as they are without the minis- tration of regular pastors. Up to the present time the Valley of Fressiniere has not a pastor of its own. It is served in connexion with the churclies
INTRODUCTION. V
of Val QuejTas, which are ten leagues distant, on the other side of the Durance, and are separated by a loftv range of mountains, whose passes are not only very difficult, but absolutely dangerous in the winter. The visits of the pastor are, there- fore, necessarily few and at long intervals, and the people are obliged to wait his convenience, until they can have their children baptized, the nuptial blessing pronounced, or any of the church services performed. Moved by the destitute condition of these mountaineers, who are endeared to me, not only by their own amiable disposition, but by their interesting origin, 1 would most willingly devote myself to their service, and submit to all manner of deprivation and fatigue as their pastor ; but the frequent journeys from one church to another, in the Valleys of Fressiniere and Queyras, have been too much for me, and total exhaustion, pro- ceeding from this cause, and from a stomach com- plaint, brought on by living on unwholesome food, have so disabled me, that I am obliged to remove myself for the present, with very slight hopes of ever being so restored as to l^e able to return.
" At this juncture, when respect for the adhe- rents of the primitive doctrines and forms of Christ- iaiiiiy lias manifested itself so conspicuously in Ijchalf of the Protestants of the Valleys of Piemont, I have thought it my duty to give })ublicitv to tlic fact, that their brctlircii of (lie I-'rcncb Alps aic • •(|iially ol»jcct> (tl' iiih'ir>(, and iinicli more in
10 INTRODUCTION.
iliLi'ciit, althoiigli tlicy luive hitherto remained unknown iind unnoticed. It is therefore my intention to pul)lish a history of this church, in which 1 shall not only give a detailed account of its present condition, but shall trace its origin up to the remotest antiquity,"
There was enough in this modest allusion of Neft' to his own labours, and in his generous expression of concern for the Alpines of Dau- phinc, to make me anxious to know more both of this a])ostle of the Alps himself, and of his Hock ; and as I was about to make a journey to the Waldenses of Piemont, I determined to visit the sublime and secluded scenery of the Val Fressiniere, either on my w^ay to Italy or on my return. This resolution was carried into effect, and I had the gTatification of traversing nearly the whole of the mountain region, wdiich is now consecrated to the memory, not only of martyrs of former times, but of an eminent confessor of our own days, who, combining in his individual character the usefulness of the pastor Olierlin, and the devotedness of the missionary Martyn, did spend and was spent in the service of his Redeemer. Neff had gone to his rest a few months only before my arrival at Dormilleuse ; and from all that I saw and heard of the effects of his ministry, I judged that a memoir of his short, but extraordinary career, would not be an uninteresting addition to the christian records of
INTRODUCTION. 11
the age in which we live. Having- explored the scenes where he prepared the children of tlie mountain for the coming of their Lord, and made myself acquainted with the locality of every hamlet within his extensive charge, I hope to be better able to elucidate the present and former history of this Alpine church, than any person who has not enjoyed the same opportunities of picking up information on the spot. The notes of my journey contain many anecdotes of Neff, supplied by those who knew him, and observa- tions on the country and its peculiarities, while its gTand scenery was before my eyes. But still, with all these advantages, I could not have done justice to my subject, had I not been indebted to tlie great kindness of Miss Mary Elliott, of West- field Lodge, for the journals of Neff himself. These form the principal source from which the substance of the memoir w^as drawn ; and if I had been i)ut in possession of all the circumstances relating to those papers, I believe I should have liad to state, that many of Neff's noljle projects could not have been carried into cHect, but for the benevolent friend in Engkmd to wliom liis journals were consigned. 1 liaxc liirl her acknow- ledgments to make to the Rev. Richard Burgess, liritish chaplain at Geneva, for the transmission of a small tract, lately published under the title of " Notice sur Felix Neff, Pasteur dans les Ibiiiles Alpes. Fi-oiii this 1 have enriched llie
\'2 INTRODUCTION.
narrative with recollections, that have been pre- served of Neff's early life and of his dying moments; hut not having" fonnd any trace, either in this " Notice," or in the journals, of his intended history and origin of the church of the French Alj)s, I conclude that Nefi' was disabled by long- illness from carrying his design into effect, and I have therefore attempted to supply the defect, by giving the result of my own researches. I have also filled up the relation with such remarks as naturally occurred to one, who had visited the scene under description, and conversed with the extraordinary race, of whom it may literally be said, " strong is thy dwelling-place, and thou puttest thy nest in a rock."
But before I enter upon the relation of NefF's personal exertions, I must clear the wa}^ by de- scribing the situation of the country where he was the hard-working pastor, and by explaining the nature of the evidence which may be adduced in support of the hypothesis, that his mountain flock are descendants of the primitive Christians of Gaul. This exposition will, in fact, give a synoptical view of the Alpine churches of France from the earliest times.
I. — Situation of the Country.
The scene of Neff "s labours is to be found in liie most elevated region of France ; in the heart of
INTRODUCTION. 13
that mountain territory, which lies between the Rhone and the barrier Alps, which separate France from Italy, and in the same degree of latitude, and within a hundred miles of the Protestant Valleys of Piemont. It is necessary to be minute in describing the exact situation of the country, and to o'ive it both its ancient and its modern designation, because, without this, the reader may fall into the inveterate error, that all Alpine Pro- testants must be Swiss'. Notwithstanding all that has been written lately about those Italian
' So little is known of the Protestants of Dauphine and Pro- vence, and their origin, tliat tlu' following is part of the account given of the massacres at Cabrieres and Merindol, in the six- teenth century, by the author of the life of Francis the First : " The inhabitants of Cabrieres and Merindol had then a great inclination for the doctrines which Luther had so successfully promulgated, and which their neighbourhood to Germany and Switzerland had made these people more intimately acquainted with, than those of the surrounding French district. From being tolerated as they were at first, they began to indulge in that jealous insolence which is common to heretics of all descrip- tions, and not content with pursuing their own system of worship, they attacked that of the professors of the Church of Rome."
The People liere mentioned were not Lulficraus, they were descendants of the primitive Christians of Gaul. Merindol and Cabrieres are not in the neighbourhood of Germany or Switzerland, they are villages on the Durance in Provence, in the south of France. That the victims were not fanatics, that they had indulged in no insolence, and had not assailed the Roman Catholics first, may be learnt from the Roman Catholic hihtorian I)e Thou.
14 INTRODUCTION.
Protestants, tlie Vaiulois or Waldenscs of the Valleys of Pieinont, there is scarcely one person in ten, to Avhoni their history is otherwise well known, who does not yet run into the mistake, that they are natives of Switzerland and not of Italy. Lest any confusion should arise as to the locality of Neff's flock, it must be borne in mind, that they are inhabitants of that province, which is delineated in the maps of ancient Gaul under the name of Gallia Narbonensis. Alpes Mari- timee, and Caturiges, are subdivisions of Gallia Narbonensis, within the limits of which, we shall find the city Embrodunum (the modern Embrun), and the river Druentia, (now the Durance.) These give the exact bearings of the deep glens, in which the ancestors of the objects of our interest took refuge. In the maps of modern France, Embrun and the Durance, will be found in the province called Dauphine, or the Delphinate, and in the department styled " Les Hautes Alpes," or the high Alps, a name which well describes the nature of the country, and its formidable aspect. Ancient historians did not magnify the difficulties of traversing it, when they spoke of the region of the Durance as presenting more impedi- ments to the passage of an army, than any other region in Gaul'. A writer, of the present day^, has represented the march of an army through
' Livy lib. xxi. Silv. Ital. lib. xxxviii. ' Sismondi.
INTRODUCTION. 15
this district to be utterly impossible, unless it be provided with the means of blasting the rocks, of throwing" bridges over the terrible abysses that yawn on every side, and of cutting galleries on the edge of precipices. In one of the latest geo- graphical delineations \ the department is repre- sented as being walled in and intersected by high mountains, whose tops are covered with snow, hav- ing a soil and climate so variable, that if you are making a journey of two short days, you will be in the midst of smiling villages, enjoying a bright sky and a warm sun, and delicious productions of the earth one day, and the next you wdll be shiver- ing with cold, and chilled with the sight of black rocks, or frozen snows, and despairing of obtaining a morsel of food to your taste. The author of a well written little book, entitled "• Hannibars Pas- sage of the Alps, by a member of the University of Cambridge," considers this to have been the region (and De Thou, the historian, was of the same opinion) where Hannibal found the greatest obstacles in forcing his way through the rugged d('])ths, and over the lofty summits, wliich lay in liis line of ii)an;h. " The appearance of tlie Alps (ahitiido uioiiliiiiii, iiives(jiie cd'h) prope immistae,) and tlic savage luid di-eary aspect of every thiiio- animate and iiiaiiiinalc, around fln-ni, absohitcly
' "Tableau Gt'Of^rapliiciuc tt St;iti.sti(|iu' dii Drpaiii'iiu'iit di-s IIuutc'H Alpcs."
16 INTRODUCTION.
torriHed tile Cartliagiiiians. " That wliicli will be tliouglit as much to our purpose as the face of the country, is the character of the people there. The indomitable spirit imputed to their ancestors by ancient historians, has been inherited, from gene- ration to generation, by the mountaineers of more recent times; and the compiler of the " Atlas of Gaul," enumerates them among the most resolute defenders of their liberties K But the most ex- traordinary description of all is that, which is recorded in the pages of De Thou, and for this reason : what De Thou represented the mountain- eers of this territory to have been in the sixteenth century, Neff found them, with very little differ- ence, in the nineteenth ; and I myself saw them in 1829, under circumstances which recalled the French historian's account strongly to my mind.
" Of all these regions the Val Frcssiniere is the most repulsive and wild ; its soil is sterile and un- productive, and its inhabitants are most lament- ably poor. They are clothed in sheepskins, and they have no linen in use, either for their gar- ments or their beds. They sleep in the clothes which they wear during the day. They inhabit seven villages, and their houses are made of stone, with flat roofs, and mud cement. In these hovels
' Atlas Novus Galliae. Amstelodami, IGIJ). " Incola; magni sunt libcrtatis suae assertatorcs et aestimatores. — Militia contra hosteni feroces."
INTRODUCTION. 17
the people and their cattle live together, and they often take refuge in caves when they expect an attack from their enemies, in one corner of which they themselves lie concealed, and, in the other, their sheep and kine. They subsist principally on milk and venison, and their occupation is tend- ing their cattle. The}' are skilful marksmen, and seldom miss either the chamois or the bear ; but fi-om the filthy manner in which they devour the flesh of these animals, they become so offensive to the smell, that strangers can scarcely bear to be within scent of them. Happy in these their scanty resources, they are all equally poor alike ; but they have no mendicants among them, and, con- tented among themselves, they very seldom form either friendships or connexions with others. In this state of squalidness, which causes them to present a most uncouth appearance, it is surprising that they are very far from being uncultivated in their morals. They almost all understand Latin, and are able to write fairly enough. They under- stand also as much of French as will enable them to read the Bil)le, and to sing psalms ; nor would you easily find a boy among them, who, if he were (juestioned as to the religious opinions, which they liold in conmiDii witli llie Waldenses, would not be able to oivc. IVoiii iiicniory, a reasonable account of tlicni. 'i'liey pay taxes most scruj)ulously, and tlio (bitv of doinn; tliis forms an article of tiieir eon- fe.s.siou of failli. I'nl iftliev ;irr |ii-e\tiite(l IVom
18 INTRODUCTION.
making ])avment by civil wars, they lay apart the proper sum, and on the return of peace, they take care to settle with the royal tax gatherers'."
De Thou gives the locality of these Alpines with equal precision. " As you proceed towards the east, from Embrun, the capital of the maritime Alps, wlien vou have travelled about five leagues, tlie Valley of Queyras branches off towards the right, and that of Fressiniere towards the left hand. Between the two the ruins of the ancient city of Rama are still conspicuous. From thence, on the other side of the mountain ridge, a narrow pass is hewn out of the rock, by dint of human labour, and opens a way across some difficult and rugged countr}^, which is still called, by the natives, Han- nibal's road. In the direction towards Brian^on, there is another valley, opening to the left, called Louise, from Louis XII. who gave it his own name, in a moment of compunction for the injuries which he was w^ell nigh about to inflict upon it, instead of the contumelious appellation of Val Pute, which it had received in contempt for the false relio-ion of its inhabitants ^"
This is the Alpine desert where Neff sacri- ficed his life in the cause of pure religion, and its natives are the people, whom he considered to be the lineal and unmixed descendants of the' first con- verts to Christianity, in the mountain province of
' Thuani Hist. lib. xxvii. ' Ibid, xxvii. 9.
INTRODUCTION. 19
Dauphiue, in other words the remains of primitive Christians.
II. — Evidence that the Alpine Protestant Congre- gations of Dauphinc are the remains of the Primi- tive Christians of Gaul.
It was mv original intention to prefix, or to ap- pend to this work, a regular historical detail, and to transcribe such records as I have, in proof of tlie reality of the descent of our Alpines from a line of ancestors, who never worshipped God as they do at Rome, that is, after a manner which Protestants believe that God has forbidden. But when I came to commit my materials to paper, I found they were so voluminous, that it was necessary to re- cast mv plan, and to give an outline only of the argument. My enquiries had led mc through divers literary records of every century, contained in the sheets of Ecclesiastical History, or of Po- lemical Theology ; and in every century up to the second, tracing the vestiges upwards in the line of antiquity, I found myself in the footsteps of Christians, dwelling in tlie Alpine Valleys of Dau- phins, who might claim fellowship with the primi- tive Christians of antiquity, and with the Protes- tants of modern times, in two characteristic points of resemblance: in tlicir rejecting unscriptural helps to devotion, sucli as imag(! worsliip, and iIm' intfrcessinri f»f fm\- but tlif orif Mcdinfor bcKsccii
f 9
20 INTRODT'CTFON.
God and man ; and in their steady resistance of unscriptural authority usurped by the bishops of Rome.
Between the revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 168G, and tlie Edict of Toleration by Louis XVI., it was forbidden to exercise any form of religion in France, except the Roman Catholic; but I have conversed with aged natives of Dormilleuse, Neff 's principal village, who I'cmember the tales which were told them by their fathers and grandfathers, of Vaudois pastors, harboured in their houses, at the risk of their lives, and crossing the Alps in disguise to administer the services of their church to families, to whom the presence of those devoted men was like angels' visits — strengthening the weak, and con- firming the strong. I have also seen Bibles, printed in the seventeenth century, which have been hand- ed down from father to son, ' ' the big hall Bible once their father's pride," and had been concealed from inquisitorial search by being buried in the earth. For the Christianity, not Romish, whicli prevailed in an unbroken line in this partof Dauphin e, during a hundred years before the revocation of the Edict of Nantes, the reader may consult the general and ecclesiastical historians of France, who will place before him articles of synod and confessions of faith, which sufficiently identify the principles of the pri- mitive and those of the reformed churches. These authorities will also tell him, that this province had, at one period, as many as ninety-four Protestant
INTRODUCTION. 'J I
pastors, and a Protestant University at Die, with an array of Hebrew, Greek, and Divinity pro- fessors, and a respectable body of teachers in dif- ferent branches of science and literature'.
The oreat muster in France, and the oatherinti' of those, who determined to vindicate their religious rights, took place between the years 1550 and 1572. The first national synod of Protestants was held in 1559, and in the twelve years that followed, there were no less than seven synods. The places where some of these councils were held, bear wit- ness, that from the centre of the kingdom, to its farthest extremities, east, west, north, and south, the standard of religious independence had been displayed. At Paris, Poictiers, Orleans, Rochelle, Lyons, and Nismes, delegates assembled in coun- cil, and there represented churches which declared themselves reformed and Protestant. But some of these, particularly the delegates from parts of Dauphine and Provence, announced, " We con- sent to merge in the common cause, but we require no reformation, for our forefathers and ourselves have ever disclaimed the corruptions of the churches in communion with Rome."
I have not been al)h' to ascertain the exact num- ber <jf tlic remains of the primitive Cliristians in Daiipliiiu't and Provence between the years 1550 and I57"J : the first being the date when the
' Gallia Rclbrinata, \ ol. 1.
•2'2 INTRODUCTION.
uioiiiitaiu churches of France began to liave rest, and the second the epoch when they were fright- fully wasted by the persecutions, subsequent upon the massacre of St. Bartholomew ; but in the beginning of the sixteenth century, we know that they amounted to 50,000. This enumeration is made in the re])ort of an inquisitorial process issued aaainst them in 1501. The destruction of most of their own manuscripts- relating to their history, at different periods of persecution, was so com- plete, that we should have had but few memorials to produce, had not the documents of their enemies furnished us with indisputable evidence. When the palace of the archbishop of Embrun was taken by the duke de Lesdiguieres in 1585, there was found, among the archiepiscopal archives, a col- lection of papers, containing an account of pro- cesses from time to time against the non-conformists of Dauphine, and these are our authority for many of the statements that have been made. " Not being fully extirpated,'' is the language of the process, " thev betook themselves to the utmost parts of Dauphine, among the Alps, and in the caves of the mountains, places exceedingly diflicult to approach, where more than 50,000 of them did inhabit." The same inquisitorial report, from which this extract is taken, makes mention of previous proceedings against our mountaineers for the same alleged crimes, viz. that " they con- sidered the Roman Church to be the Babylon of
INTRODUCTION. 23
the Book of Revelations, and they believed it to be as efficacious to pray to God in a stable as in a church. For this cause the most reverend pre- lates of Embrun, and the inquisitors, have taken great pains to root them out."
A Papal Bull of this period is another clue to guide us through the labyrinth. This instrument was dated 26 June 1487, and promised the apos- tolic benediction to all who should distino-uish themselves in the work of extermination, against those " inveterate heretics of the dioceses of Lyons, Vienne, and Embrun."' It consecrated the war that was to be waged against them, under the high and holy name of a crusade, and invited all the faithful " to tread them under foot as venomous adders, and to destroy them." This humane recommendation was followed up with zeal coiTesponding with the wishes of the holy Father at Rome.
" The secular power was employed," said the report, " under that valiant soldier the Lord Hugo de Palide, Count of Varax, and Lieutenant of Danphin(', who proceeded against them, on which thcv left tlieir houses and betook them to the holes and secret places of the mountains, and the cliU's of the rocks, for tlieir fortresses."
Perrin gives a most lamentable account of the (■xtirj)ation of the Protestants of Val Louise in 1488. " Wlwii tiic kings lieutenant arrived with his troops in the vallev, none of the inhabitants were found,
24 INTRODUCTION.
for they liad all retired into the caverns on the highest mountains, having carried with them their little ones, and all that they could transport there for nourishment. The lieutenant commanded a great quantity of wood to be laid at the entrance of those caverns, to burn or smoke them out. Some were slain in attempting to escape, others threw themselves headlong on the rocks below, others were smothered ; there were afterwards found within the caverns 400 infants stifled in the arms of their dead mothers. It is believed, as a certain fact, that 3000 persons perished on that occasion in the valley. In a word the religionists there were wholly exterminated, so that from that time forward it was peopled with new inhabitants, and none of the ancient race ever established themselves there again."
A horrible crusade had been carried on pre- viously to this, in the year 1478, when even the ruthless Louis XI. was so disgusted by the cruelties of the inquisitors, and by the confiscations in the valleys of Fressiniere and Argentiere, that he issued an edict to check them. This was dated Arras, May 18, 1478.
Advancing still higher up, into those gloomy ages when it was guilt, for which there was no pardon, to hold religious opinions different from the papal clergy, I find that Perrin, the Walden- sian historian just quoted, had but very limited information, when he spoke of the persecution of
INTRODUCTION. '25
1380 as the first against the uoncoiitormists of Daiiphine. The annals of the prelates of Enibrun ' acquahit us, that in 1360 Gulielmus de Bardis distinguished his episcopate, by directing fierce warfare against the nonconformists of his diocese. Bertrand de d'Eux is represented as covering him::elf with glory in 1337 after the same manner, A hundred years before this, I find Aumarus stain- ing: his crozier in the blood of those who would not acknowledge the supremacy of the Roman pontiff. His immediate predecessor, Bernard Chabert, first carried fire and sword into the plains of Languedoc, by the side of Simon de Montfort, and then pur- sued the Albigensian fugitives, when they thought to take refuge in the fastnesses of the Durance amono; brethren of the same faith. Raimond de Salvagris, archbishop of Embrun in 1210", was equally on the alert against the impugners of papal infallibility. These two last mentioned prelates achieved so much against the moun- taineers, who would not prove false to the creed of their forefathers, tliat it was a saying of the times, that a sufficient (piantity of lime and stone could not be procured, to build prisons for those who were convicted of hostility to the religion of Rome. I liave tlius traced in this Alpine region the pre- valence of the same religious principles at the beginning of tlie thirteenth centurv, which at-
' Gall. Christiana, 'loin. I. ' Ibiil.
26 INTRODLCTION.
tracted Neti's notice in the nineteenth. The Romanists allow that this may be done, but they say that such principles were then new to the Christian world, and that the spirit of enmity against their church, which has since spread over great part of Europe, and which gave birth, as they pretend, to the Waldensian separatists of Spain, France and Italy, and to the Protestant communities of Great Britain, Switzerland, Ger- many, and other countries, was first cherished in the bosom of the followers of Waldo, when they were chased from Lyons in 1172, and fled into the valleys of Dauphine and Piemont. The Wal- denses, or members of the mountain churches, whether of Spain, Italy or France^ (for the term Waldenses means nothing more than natives of mountain valleys,) were not sects : they were true component parts of the body of Christ, and faithful asserters of the truth as it is in Jesus, when others declined from it.
But I am not going now into the theological question, or into the wide field of the general enquiry ; my present business is to connect the Christians of Dauphine, with the Christians of
' The more the remote valleys of the Alps and Pyrenees are visited, and the history of their natives is developed, this truth will emerge into clear and bright light — that the Italian Waldenses, the Albigcnses, the Subalpins of Dauphine and Provence, and the Pyrenean Waldenses, were all independent of each other, and remains or branches of the primitive churches in those parts.
INTRODUCTION. 27
primitive times, and to lix the attention of my readers upon the broad partition wall, which, through the whole of the dark and middle ages, divided certain religionists of this province from those, who consented to receive spiritual law from Rome.
' ' A sect which took its rise from Peter Waldo, in 1172." This is the calumny which has been so long' perpetuated against the churches of the mountains on each side of the Alps. What can we adduce in refutation of it, with regard to the nonconforming churches of Dauphine ? Were there no determined confessors in this province, who opposed themselves to the phalanx of the Vatican, and declared Rome to be Babylon, and her canons and articles of faith and discipline to be unscriptural, before the 3'ear 1172 ? It is the hio-hest satisfaction to fathom amono; the archives of an adversary, and to draw, from the deposi- tories of his documents, evidence to establish our own case. From the same Romish Chronicles', which tell us that the hierarchy of Einbrun was persecuting the congregations of Val Fressiniere, at a period when Perrin (who could find no m<;ntion of it in Protestant annals,) meekly hoped tliat liis l)rctliren of tli(; mountains were unmo- lested, from these we learn that the bishops of Vaison, a dioccBC in the province of Dauphine,
' Ciall. C'lirihtiana.
28 INTRODUCTION.
wore noiniimted and received their investiture, not from the pope, but from their native and petty sovereigns, the lords of the territory. We are even informed by what right they exercised this patronage, namely, in virtue of their descent from Faida, heiress of Gilbert, Count of Provence. The sovereign pontiff fulminated his protests, his interdicts, and his excommunications, when- ever a new bishop was made, as all the popes had been taught to do by Gregory VII. who denounced anathemas against every one, who should venture to have any opinion of his own on matters of re- lisfion. But the maledictions of Heaven were especially proclaimed against all, who should take any part in the distribution of church dignities without papal permission. There was to be no election, no investiture, no conferring even temporalities upon bishops or clergy, but in the name and under the authority of the pontifical seal. Nevertheless in the middle of the twelfth century, thirty years before the alleged origin of any systematic resistance of the will that was to guide all Christendom, we find distinct mention of a series of episcopal elections without any authority from the pope, in spite of the anathemas which were issued to prevent such proceedings. This, however, is only one example — we are directed by other Romish documents to still more convincing witnesses, that the " new sect" of 1172 was a venerable branch of the apostolical stem.
INTRODUCTION. 29
There is a large collection of ancient epistles and documents, published by two Benedictine Monks, Marten and Durand', which the editors state to have been preserved in the manuscript libraries of certain cathedrals and monasteries. In the first volume of this curious publication, there is the copy of a letter addressed to Pope Lucius II. in 1144, in which the writer describes to his holiness the great influence of a religious commu- nity of Dauphine, which had " its divers degrees, its neophytes, its priests, and even its bishops, as we have. It maintains that sins are not remitted by the sprinkling of water only in baptism — that the eucharist, and the imposition of hands administered by our clergy, avail nothing. " " Every part of France," such is the concluding- sentence of the letter, " is polluted by the poison issuing from this region."
Other letters, addressed by the celebrated Peter, Abbot of Clugny, to the Bishops of Embrun, Gap and Die, all in Dauphine, between the years 1120 and 1134, contain pressing exhortations to those prelates to check opinions, which had taken fast liold in their dioceses, and had spread from thence into Gascony and Languedoc.
" ^'ou must -till persevere," said iIk; |)i()iis abbot, " you must root out thi- iniscliicf froui its
' " Veterum Scriptorimi el MDiiuinciitoiuiii Aiiiplissiin;! Cul- Iccti«»." Paris, 1721.
30 INTRODUCTION.
hidino- places', by preaching against it ; but if that will not do, and if necessary, by an armed force."
The third canon of the council of Thoulouse, held A. D. 1119, bears witness to the activity of Christians in the same quarter, who were then *' busily agitating the questions of the real pre- sence, infant baptism, and validity of sacerdotal orders."
These are some of the essential questions of controversy between all Protestant churches, (especially those of the Alps,) and the Romish church, and the records of the eleventh century prove, that even then they were not new to France, and more particularly, that they were not new to the Alpine regions of Dauphine. In 1050, a Romish controversialist complained to the king of France, that Berengarius was re-introducing there that OLD^ matter of difference, the eucharistic discussion ; and in 1025, when some recusants were accused, before a public tribunal at Arras, of holdinjr sentiments such as Neff's churches of Vals Fressiniere and Queyras, and other Protes- tant churches now hold, it came out, in evidence, that they had acquired their opinions of certain strangers from the Alpine borders of Italy ^ !
What then becomes of the Romish fable, that the mountain congregation of Dauphine was a
' " Latibula." Gall. Christiana, Tom. i.
' Labbaei Con. Tom. ix. p. 1061.
' Dacherii Spicilegium, Vol. xiii. p. 2.
INTRODUCTION. 31
new sect in 117*2, when we can thus distinctly trace the existence of Alpine churches, opposed to Rome, in the same province, one hundred and fifty years before ? And what lights were there at that dark period, which would enable poor il- literate shepherds and herdsmen to see their way out of the gloom, into which the ignorance and wickedness of the age had cast men of all ranks and stations? If in 1025 Christian communities could be found, in remote glens and forests, who worshipped God and his Christ without the aid of images, and without any of those adjuncts and helps, to which the Romish churches then had re- course, the probability is, not that they had learnt a new lesson, but that they were practising a very old one, which had been handed down to them from their fathers. Well then, what do we dis- cover in the ecclesiastical or general history of this Alpine province, previously to the period which we have just been examining, which leads us to suppose that religious opinions or practices were then cherished there, which were not in accord- ance with the Romish churches?
Itwas about the middle of the ninth century, that the bishops of f{ome established their pretensions in France : before tliat epoch a certain degree of de- ference was paid to their decisions, wliih- tlu-ir juris- diction was b\ no rmaiis acknowledged, liiil at the v(-ry time wlien tliev were making ra|)id advances towards the object of tiieir ainbiti(»n. (he prchitcs
I
32 INTRODUCTION.
of the sees which lie between the Rhone and the Alps, resisted their encroachments on some very material points. For example, there is a rescript of pope John VIII. complaining, in 877, that the archbishop of Embrun had consecrated a bishop of Vienne, according to the ancient formulary of the Gallic churches, and not in conformity with the ritual prescribed at Rome. And just at the crisis, when the prelates of Dauphine began to be more obedient to their foreign master, the Sara- cens invaded the province, the bishops of Embrun fled, and the see was left many years without its head. This was after the year 916, and thus the remains of the primitive Christians, in the valleys of the Durance, were left many years without the presence of an oppressive and prosel^^tising hierar- chy, at the very time when Romish influence was on the alert elsewhere. When the foreign in- vaders were expelled, troubles of a different kind proved favourable to the independent spirit of the mountaineers. The feudal lords of the territory carried their exactions so far, as to exasperate the citizens of walled towns, who shut their gates against their former masters. To obtain parti zans, the barons granted extraordinary privileges to the occupiers of lands, and brought the rural popu- lation into a state of hostility with the inhabitants of the towns. The Romish bishops and clergy sided with the latter ; so that while they were bringing over to their interests the dwellers in
INTRODUCTION. 33
cities, they were making less progress among the people of the field and the hill-country.
It has heen already observed, that the great distinouishino- marks of the Primitive and Pro- testant churches, is the rejection of all helps to devotion, which have not the sanction of Scripture. The prominent feature of the Romish Church is the adoption of such helps. Image worship is one of these. To show that image worship was a mat- ter of abhorrence throughout the region of our inquiry, in the centuries through which we de- sire to trace the existence of a community pro- testing from age to age against the dogmas of Rome, is a great step towards the accomplishment of our object. In the ninth, eighth, and seventh cen- turies, (still tracking the vestiges of the primitive Christians of the Alpine regions of France upwards, from more recent periods, to the earliest times of their conversion,) there were signal testimonies given in the churches of this quarter of their adherence to forms of worship unadulterated by the introduction of external representations. In the eighth century, Agobard, archbishop of Lyons, wrote a work, which he called " a Treatise on Pictures and Images," and in wliicli he pronounced image worship to be idolatry. A more able refu- tation of the errors on tliis subject has never l)eeii written eitlier before or since. One passage I cannot but transcribe. After citing Deiiteroiioniy iv. 12-15, Agobaivl niake-i this remark on the
34 INTRODUCTION.
sacred text : — " On which words it is to be ob- served, that if the works of God's hands are not to be adored and worshipped, no, not even in honor of God himself, much less are the works of men's hands to be adored and worshipped, in honor of those wlioni they are said to represent ^" Pro- testants will smile to learn, that against this re- mark of Agobard, the popish editors of the publi- cation which contains the Treatise, have put this admonitory note: — " Caute lege," i. e. Read this cautiously.
I must not dismiss Agobard without relating another service which he did to the Christian Church universal, against the corruptions and arro- gances of the bishop of Rome. He strongly main- tained the independence of the Gallic churches, and in two of his works, still extant, he entered into an argument to prove, that the councils of Gaul had full authority to make canons and re- gulations for the churches of Gaul, and that their synods were legitimate, and in possession of ple- nary powers, although there were no papal legates at the session ^
In 794, the Gallic bishops at the council of Frankfort, and among the rest the bishops of Grenoble, Gap, and Embrun, entered their solemn protest against that article of the second council of
' Bib. Patr. ix. 590.
^ Bib. Patr. ix. .VIS. .lustel. Bib. Can. .Tiiris. Pref. p. 23.
INTKODICTION. 35
Nice, whicli was meant to make image worship the law of the Christian churches, and which was sanc- tioned by all the authority that the popes could give it. But the most memorable effort, in defence of images, was resisted by an equally memorable re- jection of them about the year 600. Pope Gregory the First signalized his pontificate by a correspond- ence with Serenus, bishop of Marseilles, which forms a most curious link in the chain of our evidence, as proving, first, that the popes had no jurisdiction be- yond their own Italian see ; secondly, that Rome liad not then gone all those lengths in the error of image worship, to which she has since run ; and thirdly, that the superstitions, whicli were thicken- ing elsewhere, were held in check by the wisdom and piety of Christians in this part of the world. Serenus had given orders for the destruction of some images which had been set up in churches of his diocese. This gave oftence to his brother of the Seven Hills, who addressed a letter to him, not of command, but of expostulation, begging him to think ])etter of the matter, and not to destroy that whicli should be preserved for expediency sake. " Vou ought, at tlie same time," said Gregory, " to caution the people against adoring the images.'' images and jMcturcs then, according to the opinion of pa])al casuists <tf that day, were to l)e iiiiioduced into (■liiir<-h«'S as memorials, but not as objects of worship. \ t'r\' ditliTriit is tin' hniLi'iiagc ot tlir coiiiiciU ol .\i<"c ;iii(l Tmit, iiikI iIk Tfforc ii(»l
I) -J
36 INTRODUCTION.
altooetlier illustrative of tlic unities and uncliano;e- al)leness of the Romish faitli. Sercnus woiikl not tolerate images even in Gregory's sense of their usefulness. He paid no attention to the pontiff's admonition, and for three years Gregory l)ore his disrespect in silence. He then wrote another epistle to Serenus, still remonstrating only with him, and repeating his former advice : " For it is one thing," said the holy father, " to adore an image, and another thing to learn from it what ought to be adored." But Serenus was not to be moved from his righteous purpose : he destroyed all he could find.
As the tone of pope Gregory's letters ' to Sere- nus proves, that Rome exercised no spiritual autho- rity over the Gallic provinces in the seventh century, so does an epistle of pope Innocent to a prelate of the same country, in the year 404, attest, that papal domination was not then established in the transalpine provinces^. Innocent, in this epistle, appears to be exhorting, advising, and persuading his correspondent to adopt the regulations of the Church of Rome ; a clear proof that such regu- lations had not then been adopted, and that the documents of antiquity are against the pretensions of Rome to universal obedience, and to prescriptive sway from the earliest ages.
The records of these more remote ages testify
' Sismondi Concilia Galliae, ii. 431. 449. ^ Ibid. i. 30.
INTROmCTION. 37
equally to the existence of pure Christianity, and of independent church government, in the moun- tain provinces of France. The canons of the council of Orange in 529, at wliich the delegates of the churches of Dauphine were present, differ very little from the Thirty-nine Articles of the Church of England, and are at utter variance with those of modern Rome. The council of Aries, in 314, which represented all the churches of Europe, put forth nothing which a Protestant of the present day could not sign ; and the thirteen bishops of Gallia Narbonensis, (the country between the Rhone and the Alps,) who held a synod, at which Ireneeus, bishop of Lyons, presided, towards the end of the second century, may fairly be sup- posed to have subscribed the same opinions with Irenaeus himself. What those sentiments were, is collected from his works. It is enough for our present purpose to state, that those works have ren- dered it a matter of certainty, that Irena3us held it to be a mark of decline from the pure Gospel to embrace any doctrines, that might want the sanc- tion of Scrij)ture, or to maintain that the Scriptures were unintelligible without the help of tradition, or to assert that Scripture does not form an infallible rule of faith. This apostolical father also de- nounced the use of imago, as a heatlicii abonii- iiatioij, rejected the inxociition or>;iiiifs, sj>ok(' of the profession of celibacy as violence done to naliin', and liffcd lip lii- \(»ic(' against tlic r;i^li ;ittciiij)t
38 INTUOIJUCTION.
ot" Victor, bisliop of Rome, to dictate to foreign cliurclies on the ])aschal controversy.
It is most probable that the Alpine churches of Dauphine were planted while Ireneeus was bishop of Lyons. The vicinity of this mountain region to the cities of Lyons and Vienne — the asylum which it was likely to ofler to the Christian fugitives from the banks of the Rhone, during the persecution of Marcus Aurelian : the fact related by Irenaeus himself, that he learned the dialect of the country ', to enable him to preach to the natives (the lan- guage spoken at Lyons and Vienne was Latin) : the journey which Ireneeus took to Rome, and which must have been undertaken by the great military road, which passed through the very heart of the territory described in these pages ; all these con- cur in persuading us, that the Gospel was first preached there towards the end of the second cen- tury. The evidences, which have been here pointed out to notice, are intended to prove, that as the Gospel w^as delivered to the mountaineers of Dau- phine by the missionaries of that period, so it has been professed by some of their descendants ever since, and that Neff's flock have a just claim to the venerable appellation which he gave to them, '' The remains of the primitive Christians of the French Alps."
In the words of AUix, " May it l>e of use to
' Ncff did the same.
INTRODUCTION. 39
Strengthen the faith of the Protestants, who will perceive from thence, that God never left himself without witness, as having preserved in the bosom of these churches most illustrious professors of the Christian religion, which they held in the same purity, with which their predecessors had received this precious pledge from the hands of apostolical men, who at first planted their churches among the Alps and Pyrensean mountains, that they might be exposed to the view of four or five kingdoms all at once."
MEMOIR OF NEFF,
Src.
CHAPTER I.
Neff's Birth and Education — His frut Tastes and Occupation — His Military Career — Leaves the Army and becomes a Pro- bationer for Holy Orders — Exercises the Functions of a Probationer in the S7viss Cantons.
Felix Neff, the subject of this Memoir, was born in the year 1798, and was brought up in a village near Geneva, under the care of his widowed mother ; and he has added one more to the number of distinguished men, who have owed their first strong impressions to the admirable effects produced by maternal vigilance, and to lessons taught by female lips. The pure air of the delightful region where he spent his boyish days, and the long rambles which he was per- mitted to take in the midst of splendid mountain scenery, not only contributed to form a robust constitution, but to Inspire a taste for the sublime and beaiifiliil, wliicii (lisj>laye(l itself in his cliarac- ter tbroiiiilioiif the whole of his very reiiiarkahle
42 lUKTlI AND liDl'CATION,
career. Even when he was a child, there was no amusement, which the town of Geneva could offer, greater than the enjoyment which he de- rived from following his own more rational and invigorating diversions, by the side of the torrent or the lake. When twelve years old he was invited by a companion to accompany him to some the- atrical spectacle, which was in great favour at the time, and upon his declining to go, he was asked, " Do you think you will not be entertained?" '' Perhaps," said he, "I should be too much entertained."
When his mother had laid the first foundation, the village pastor gave him instruction in Latin, botany, history, and geography. The books which were within his reach were probably but few, and of these, the works of Plutarch, and some of the unobjectionable volumes of J. J. Rous- seau, are said to have had a large share of his attention: the former delighted him, because they made him acquainted with great men, and great achievements, and the latter, because they gave encouragement to his natural taste for scenery. With one of these in his hand, he would scale the rock, or climb the mountain, and spend hours in imagining the useful actions which he might be destined to perform, and the regions which it might be his fate to explore. It would seem that military exploits and scientific research were the visions of his bovhood, and, in the course of this
TASTES AM) OCCUPATION. 43
narrative, it will be found that those early predilec- tions, and the emploj-ments of his youth, when he was oblig-ed to pursue some occupation for his subsistence, proved an eminently beneficial train- ing for the more sacred duties to which he afterwards consecrated himself. The same ardent spirit, and high courage, the same meditative disposition and inquiring genius, the same love of mountain life and scenerj'- accompanied him to the Alpine wilderness ; and the same burning desire to be useful in his generation, found ample gratification, when he became the spiritual shep- herd of a flock, who had none to guide them before he undertook the charge.
When it was time for Neff" to select a profession, necessity or choice, or perhaps both combined, induced him to engage himself to the proprietor of a nursery-ground, or florist gardener, and at sixteen he published a little treatise on the culture of trees. The accuracy and arrangement of this juvenile work, and the proof of deep observation which it manifested, were subjects of no small praise at the time. But the quiet and humble walks of the florist's garden were soon exchanged for tlie bustle of the garrison, and at seventeen Felix entered as a private into the military service of (ieneva, in tlic mcmorabh' Ncai* IS I, 3. '^Pwo years afterwards, lie was loomotcd to tin- rank of eerjeant of artillery, and having raised himself to nf)tic(' l»\ hi- fhcorf'tical and practical knowledge
1
44 MILITAHV CAUKEU.
of mathematics, lie continued to make this branch of science his study during his continuance in the army.
The wisdom of God, in the choice of his instru- ments, was singularly exhibited, when he called Neff to be a minister of his word, and sent him to preach the Gospel to the rugged and half civilized mountaineers of Dauphine. The work of a pastor in the Alps, as NeflP expressed it, when he came to have an experience of its duties and its difficul- ties, resembles that of a missionary among the savages. He had to teach them every thing. He had to show them how to build a school room ; how to use the line and plummet ; how to form levels and inclined planes ; how to irrigate their meadows, and to cultivate their barren soil, so as to be the most productive.
A mere scholar from the university, even an ardent preacher with the whole scheme of the Gospel written in his heart, could not have ac- complished what this extraordinary man did, who, with his thorough knowledge of the Book of Life, possessed also a stock of available information, which was brought from the nursery-ground and the camp.
Neflf was soon distinguished in the corps to which he belonged, not only as an efficient sub- officer, but as a devoted soldier of the cross. The influence, however, which he hourly obtained over his comrades excited a degree of jealousy
PROBATIONER FOR llOLV ORDERS. 45
among the superior officers which was far from being honourable to them. They wished him out of the se^^^ce ; he was too religious for them, and after a few years the serious turn of his mind be- came so marked, that he was advised to quit it, and to prepare himself for holy orders.
During the mental struggles and the investi- gation of his ow^n motives and spiritual condition, which occupied him previously to that important step, his frequent prayer for guidance and illu- mination was to this effect. " Oh, my God, whatever be thy nature, make me to know thy truth ; and deign to manifest thyself in my heart."
After his supplications were heard, and he was fully settled in his resolution to dedicate himself to the work of the ministry, he quitted the army, and placed himself under pious instruction and superintendence, which gave a right direction to his studies and reflections. He read the Bible with earnest prayers to God, that he might so read as to understand the Divine will ; and that he might render every passage in Scripture familiar to his mind, he made a concordance of his own, and filled the margins of several copies of the Old and New Testaments with remarks and memo- randa. Some of these are still in possession of his fricMid-, and an; Iidd in most affectionate estima- tion, and are consulted as the voice of one wiio, being dead, yet sj)eak(!th.
Those who had o|)porfunities of conversinii- willi
46 PROBATIONER IX)K 1I()I,Y ORDERS.
NeH" during' tliis season oi" solemn preparation, relate that his powers of acquirement, and aptitude for abstracted study, were very extraordinary. The exercise of the memory gave him no trouble ; he could repeat whole chapters from Scripture. His conversation, at the same time, was agreeable and easy ; he expressed himself with great readiness, force, and accuracy; but though he spoke often, and always correctly and to the point, yet it was in short sentences, and in few words.
There is a practice in the Protestant churches of Switzerland and France which is extremely beneficial to candidates for ordination. The theo- logical student, after having passed certain ex- aminations, is received as a proposant into the confidence of some of those who exercise the pastoral office, and is employed as a lay-helper, or catechist in their parishes. This custom is as old as the Christian Church, it was the usage of the primitive churches, and cannot but be of the greatest improvement to the probationer. He is acting under the eye of an experienced minister ; he has an example and a teacher before him to regulate his actions and opinions ; he is trying his own strength, and feeling his way, and as- suring himself of his preference and fitness for the sacred work, before the irrevocable step is taken. It is not too late to retire, if he finds himself in any degree unequal to the arduous charge.
These probationers are not ])ermitted to put
PROBATIONER IN THE SWISS CANTONS. 47
their hands to the ark, and to pert'orm services which are strictly sacerdotal, but they instruct the young, and visit the sick, and even preach from the pulpit, at the discretion of the pastor, in whose parish they are thus making their advance towards the ministry \
Nelf seems to have put on his spiritual armour, and to have essayed to go in it, in the year 1819, in the neighbourhood of Geneva, and in the two following years in the cantons of Neufchatel, Berne, and the Pays de Vaud. It was at a very trying crisis, that he officiated in the character I have described, in the latter canton. Lausanne and many of the towns and villages of the Pays de Vaud, were then divided by religious contro- versies, which were carried on with much indis- cretion and bitterness on both sides, but Neff endeavoured to pursue a course which spoke well for his Christian temper and wisdom, " The Lord," said he, in one of his letters from Lausanne,
' " A system of probationary exercise upon a sj)iritual basis, preparatory to ordination, would be a most (k'siral)le appendage to our own National Establishment. In defeet of this advantage, an interval more or less protracted, according to circumstances, and spent in inspection, or initiation into the routine of the Christian ministry, under the sujjerintendence of a judicious and experienced pastor, might prove a commencing era of ministerial usefulness. Opportunities would be afforded of learning, which is the best j)reparation for teaching." — Scniion on Theological Kducation. Hv Dr. Achtins.
48 PROBATIONER IN THE SWISS CANTONS.
^' has opened a wide door for the preaching of the Gospel in this canton, which will not soon be shut, provided that the preachers conduct themselves witli prudence, and are cautious not to agitate any question, which is of secondary importance only, and which, without being directly necessary to salvation, may excite suspicion that some schism is intended."
CHAPTER II
Neff goes to France to officiate at Grenoble and Mens. — His Observations on National Churches. — The Nature of his Charge at Mens. — His Laborious Duties. — Remarks on the Effects produced by Sacred Music. — Neff's Method tvith his Catechumens.
It was in 1821, when Neff was in his twenty-fourth year, that he first exchanged his native Switzer- land for those wilder scenes in France, where the rough places were made smooth, to his fervent spirit, by the hope of being of some use to the Protestants there, who were very ill provided with clergv. He was not yet in orders, but in the dearth of regularly appointed ministers, he had been invited to the assistance of a pastor of Gre- noble, in the same capacity as that which he had held in some of the Swiss cantons, and having remained at Grenoble about six months, his services were requested at Mens, in the depart- ment of the Isere, to supply, as far as might be done, the place of an absent pastor. Here he had many difficulties with whicli to contend. He was a stranger, and an object of su.'^|)ici()n to the local authorities. His office and functions were but ill defined : tlic dialect of the country people was a putois, oi' wliidi flic j-'rciicli --np-
E
50 NEFF AT MENS.
plied Imt very few terms : the tone of his piety was too high for many of those whom it was his dut}' to instrnct, and his sensitive mind was severely wounded in the conflict between his high sense of duty, and his belief that it might be ex- pedient to make some allowances for the weak in faith, to give milk to babes, and not to put new wine into old bottles, but to relax in his demands upon the self denial of those, who were unable to give full proof of religious sincerity. " I often retire to my chamber," he wrote to one of his friends, " ill at rest, and greatly dissatisfied with myself. I reproach myself on the one hand for having betrayed my sacred trust, and on the other hand for being a time-server, and afraid of press- ing my opportunities."
In this letter he complained also of the cold and heartless Christianity which prevailed around him, in consequence of that rage for controversy, which made men think more of other people's spiritual condition than their own. One of the pastors, under whom he was to act, seldom held any re- ligious conversation with his flock, unless it was to discuss the points of diff^erence between Protest- ants and Roman Catholics. But this person soon afterwards began to enter most warmly into all Neff"s views, subdued by the sincerity and earn- estness which he could not fail to discern in him.
1 shall now begin to draw largely from the
OBSERVATIONS OX NATIONAL CHURCHES. ' 51
letters and journals of Neff ; and wherever he is found to express his sentiments with freedom, the language of his own private remarks, and of his confidential communications, will be the best illus- tration of his character and conduct. The follow- ing letter shows, that his sanguine temperament and burning zeal were under the constant control of prudence and discretion. The letter was written to one of his friends, who had scruples of remain- ing in communion with the national church of Geneva, at a time when many of its clergy had avowed Socinian principles, but before it was so deeply infected with error as it is at present.
" Mens, 11 Febnuiry, 1822.
" You ask my opinion as to the proposition which is made, or about to be made, of admitting members into your association without requiring them to separate from the national church. You ought to know my sentiments on this subject. I am not aware of any passage in the Gospel, by which a Christian is obliged to recognize, as a church, a congregation which has no discipline, and which does not even profess the essential doc- trines of Christianity ; nor do I find that there is any authority given to exact that all the brethren should think alike, and surrender their right of jjrivate judgment. Consequently, I maintain, liiatthe Christian is at liberty to sej)arate, but that lie is not obliged tf) (\n so, so loiig as the church,
i: 2
52 NEFFS onSKRVATIONS
to which he belongs, does not formally prevent his seeking edification wherever he is likely to find it, and that she does not openly profess opinions which are anti-christian. On this principle, if one aw^akened is anxious to form an union with the children of God, but is at the same time desirous of continuing his connexion with the national church, either because he considers it an useful institution, which every body ought to agree in preserving, or because he thinks he should lose his influence with certain persons, whose improve- ment he is bent on promoting, and who would be so shocked at his separation, as to refuse to listen to him ; in short, whatever be his reasons, if they be conscientious reasons, and founded on his con- cern for souls, I do not think he ought to be re- jected. I will explain myself more in detail. I have said that national churches ought to be regarded as useful institutions ; in fact, without them, how would the knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ have been preserved in many places, where there have been no true Christians for many ages, and where, according to the principle of your separatists, there has been no church ? What would have become of the Protestants of France ? What would have become of those many families, in different places, who have preserved the Bible, and who have had family w^orship, and who have been in the habit of meeting once a week, or not so often, to hear the word of God ? To whom
ON NATIONAL CHURCHES. 53
would the missionaries be able to address them- selves, and the evangelical pastors ? What would have become of the churches, and of the Sabbath? and where would have been the remembrance of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ 1 and what would have become of the Bible, on the knowledge of which all our instructions depend ? and what would have become of the elements out of which you must now form and restore a spiritual and a living churcli, if the national churches had not subsisted for the ordination of ministers, and for the ministration of the sacraments ? And ao-ain, if all these churches had not subsisted, what would have become of those nominal Christians, whom you cannot admit into the churches which are really Christian ? What instruction would their children have received ? what recollection would have been preserved of the Gospel ? where would have been the Bible Society ? In short, what would have become of those elements, which are sus- ceptible of life, and which, though too often dead, have not ceased to be in the way of learning piety, and of being prepared for the reception of the true Gospel ? I am now stationed in a place, where 1 have better opportunities than most others of forming a judgmcnit upon this subject, if then every true Cliristiau in the visible churches liad absolutely abandoned them (on your principle), what would have bccom*^ of tbein ' W ho woidd \\H\(' been left lo coiifciid a;^aiiisl iinbcliel" in the
54 OBSERVATIONS ON NATIONAL CHURCHES.
academies and in the consistories ? Who would have preached the true Gospel in the churches, where many go merely in compliance with custom, and for nothing else ? Would they not have fallen back again into paganism, and would not every thing that savours of life and truth have been totally lost ? It is necessary then, in my opinion, at the same time that we recognize the right of a Christian to separate, (and .it is often absolutely expedient to do so,) to admit also, that there are many strong reasons to induce a great number of the children of God to remain in connexion with the national church, so long as it does not com- pel them to profess or to teach a lie, and that it does not reject them from its bosom, because they are in union with a more spiritual congregation. Such are my opinions, and I should wish that you would communicate them to our little flock, with the assurance, that I must always regard it as the duty of Christians to be in union with a true church, that they may live under evangelical discipline. I think nothing ought to be insisted upon, as to name or form, but only as to the reality ; and I not onW believe it to be essential, and enjoined by the Lord, but I regard it as an invaluable privilege to be in communion with such a flock, which alone has the means of observing that rigid discipline, in which true separation consists."
1 gather from his journals, that the system which
THE CATECHIST. 55
Neff pursued at this period of his career, (that is to say, before he had consecrated himself to the ministry, according to any regular form of ordi- nation,) while he had as yet no pastoral charge, was to collect as many young people as he could, for purposes of religious instruction. These he called catechumens. At the date of the above mentioned letter, he had as many as eighty cate- chumens; these soon encreased to ninety, the greatest part of whom spoke only the patois of the country, which was a dialect of the old Pro- vencal language, and which he himself was obliged to learn, before he could make himself well under- stood \ There is no regular funeral service among the French Protestants. To supply this defect, when there was a death in a family, NefF used to go to the house, where the body lay, and deliver an exhortation, just before the assembled concourse was ready to bear it to the grave. He also visited the sick, and whenever it was known that he was to be at the bed side of the afflicted, many of the neighbours begged to be admitted, that they might have the benefit of his exhortations. The jju]j)if was ojjcu to liiiu very frequently. At one
' He assembled his catechumens four times a wci'k at liis own lodgings, the girls twice, and the boys twice. He directed them to come prepared with passages by heart, out of the New Testament, and after tliesc had been repeated, he expounded them to hi« young hearers in a manner tliat made a lively iin|)ri's- sion upon their minds. Some were in the habit of attending these catcche»i< il instructions from a distiince of uKjre than tiiree mileH.
56 VIZILI.E.
time he would preach from a text, at another time he would select a chapter, and enlarge upon it in the form of a lecture or paraphrase. He found this latter mode of instruction to be par- ticularly attractive and successful. The simple peasants, who flocked into Mens from the neigh- bouring villages, were grateful to hear a familiar exposition of God's word, and to have an appli- cation made to their own condition or wants, in language which they had no difficulty in under- standing.
Our indefatigable catechist did not confine his labours to Mens, or to its immediate neighbour- hood. Wherever his presence was required, there he went, be the distance what it might. At this time, and in this department, (that of the Isere,) there were about 8000 Protestants, scattered over a surface of about eighty miles square, with only three regular pastors to look after them, one of whom was now absent. When his visits were paid in one direction, his services were required in another, and nothing but a frame of iron could have enabled a person of Neff"s zeal to encounter the toil, which his reputation soon imposed upon him. One of the districts, which he visited with the greatest personal satisfaction to himself, was that of Vizille. Its situation, on the banks of the Romanche, one of the wildest mountain torrents in France, with lofty mountains encircling it on all sides, had great attractions for him. The place, too, where his little flock was folded, had charms
VlZlLLli. 57
of a peculiar nature for his turn of mind. It was a large hall in the gothic castle of the family of Lesdioiiieres. The celebrated constable of France, of that name, was the champion of the Huguenot cause, in his youth ; but apostatized from it, in old age, when antljition and cold worldly calcu- lation oot the better of the more o-enerous feelinos of his earlier days. The present possessor of the castle, actuated by a better spirit, lent his fine baronial hall, as a place of worship, to the Pro- testants, and the congregations wdiich gathered round Neff were so attentive to his lessons of piety, that he always spoke of Vizille as his " dear Vizille." But great as was his fatigue, being constantly on the move from one remote quarter to another, it was the sort of life that he preferred before any charge, which would have kept him in a comparative state of confinement. " A seden- tary or a fixed life," said he, " has no pleasures for me. I should not like to be constantly labouring in one place : I would infinitely rather lead the wandering life of a missionary." Thus, among the diversities of gifts, and among the diflferences of administration, l)y which the manifestation of the Spirit is granted for men's profit withal, tlie Almighty was pleased to raise up a teacher for the natives of the l^cncli Alj)s, whose liabits and tastes exactly suited tli»^ \v;iiiis df n j)«'(»|)lc, wlio 1 1 ad not the licin'fit of a MilHciciif siipjiK ol" rcsidciil pa-tors.
58 VILLAGE EXCLUSIONS.
The following letters give an interesting de- scription of one of his village tours, and of his usual employment.
Mens, April 4, 1822.
" Yesterday, after the service, I went to Gui- chardiere, a hamlet three miles from this place, and 1 returned delighted with my excursion. There are already many signs of the seed springing up among my catechumens. I was lately accosted by several peasant women, one of whom begged me to give her a copy of the prayer, which I had delivered on the previous Sunday, before my ser- mon. I asked her name and residence, and told her to come to me on the following Sunday. She kept to her appointment, and I then gave her the prayer, and with it a little tract containing the pa- rable of the ten virgins , These interviews made me desirous of knowing more of her, and I proposed to accompany her some day to her own village. Yesterday Elizabeth and I set out together for her parents' cottage, and as we walked along, she told me that many of the young women of the neigh- bourhood met at appointed times to practise psalm- singing, and to read the Bible. Upon reaching the village where she lived, which is charmingly situated in the midst of trees, at the foot of a high mountain, and on the edge of a torrent, I was most kindly received by her parents. They said they could not themselves go to church, but that their daughter always repeated to them that which she
VILLAGE EXCURSIONS. 59
had lieard. The old man recounted a history of the persecutions which his own parents and him- self had suffered, and he added, ' In those times there was more zeal than there is now. My father and mother used to cross mountains and forests by- night, in the worst weather, and at the risk of their lives, to be present at Divine service performed in secret, but now we are grown lazy. Religious freedom is the death blow to piety. ' He afterwards talked to me of his unhappiness in having onl)'^ one son left, a young man of eighteen, who was clever, and blessed with a good memory, and had read the Bible, and all the pious books in the house, but who did not believe in the word of God. I read some verses of the fifteenth of St. John, and ex- plained them. These good people pressed me to sta}' w4th them, but I had an engagement to be present at a meeting at Mens, where my young people were to practise psalm-singing, and could only thank them for their kindness."
Ill another place, Neff has given this beautiful description of two villages, where he had the satis- faction of seeing much fruit come to perfection. " These two lovely villages, which are at the foot of Mont Chalet, in a little dell watered by a charming: stream, tapestri(!d witli ricii Ncrdiirc ;iii(l shaded by a grove of bcecli trees, liad often tempted me to extend my walks from Mens in IH'J'J. Tiiey seemed to be tlie peaceful retreat of true pietv, and
60 THE CATECHUMENS.
their humble, moss-clad cottages, appeared to offer a natural tabernacle for the good shepherd, Jesus Christ."
Mens, May 15, 1822.
" Far from having time to write letters, I some- times can scarcely find time to take my meals. May I say, with our Lord, ' My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.' From before Easter I have been visitino- all the hamlets and villages of the parish. I have held meetings nearly in every one, at which there was a good attendance after the labours of the day. When I am in Mens, of an evening I always give a catechetical lecture, or an exposition. Besides this, I have called on all my catechumens in their own communes. The sermons of an evening, and particularly the paraphrastic explanations, are con- stantly well attended. Out of seventy-seven cate- chumens whom I have at present, more than thirty are seriously inclined. Fifteen of those seem to be more or less aware of their true condition, and four or five have found peace in Jesus Christ. Since I have been here, and especially of late, God has given me a facility of expressing myself, an energy, and a degree of boldness, at which I am myself astonished, and which they certainly would not endure in Switzerland. With respect to my health, it is much stronger since I have been constantly on the move and making long excursions, although many of these are very fatiguing, for it often hap-
SACRED MUSIC. 61
pens that I go several leagues, and perform as many as four or five services in one day, especially on Sundays. I have not unfrequently been thus en- gaged, instructing or conversing, from five o'clock in the morning, till eleven at night, and all this without any cough or ailment of the stomach : I have recovered my appetite, and can drink wine at my meals without any inconvenience."'
Neffs journals contain frequent mention of even- ing hours spent in the exercise of sacred music with his catechumens, and other young persons whom he could persuade to attend his instruction in this branch of knowledge. It will appear ex- traordinary to those who have been accustomed to think of France as the land of the dance and song, and whose ideas of mountain amusements have Ijeen formed by hearing airs which go under the name of Savoyard and Provencal, to find our catechist complaining, that the common people of Mens, and the mountaineers of the neighbourhood had not the least notion of music. " They do not sing at all, neither well, nor ill, no, not even sono^s." This was liis remark in 'one of his letters, and with that intuitive knowledge of human nature, and of the chords by whicli if i^ iiiovi'd, whicli so cniiiK'ntly distinguished him, Ik* soon employed himself in giving lessons in psalmody, which iiddcd very substantially both to his own iuHuenee, and to fln^ numbers of those, who expressed a desire to enrol
62 SACRED MUSIC.
themselves in his little company of hearers and learners. I annex his own description of the suc- cessful effects of this device, to combine innocent and rational entertainment with his more grave instructions, and of the manner in which the time thus spent was made to pass agreeably, by diversi- fying the employment, and alternating the singing lesson, and the scriptural lesson.
" Our sacred music meetings, both on Sundays, and on other evenings, are always numerously attended ; sometimes we count above a hundred, and there would be more if we had room for them. On these occasions we have a great deal of singing, both to practise them in the psalm and hymn tunes, and to preserve the inviting name of sacred music meeting. We do it also to prolong the assembly till a late hour in the evening, that they may not be able to go to the dances \ The singing is fre- quently interrupted either by Mr. Blanc (one of the pastors of Mens,) or myself. Mr. Blanc ex- plains some verses of the Bible, which bear upon the verses of the hymn, or enlarges upon any sub- ject which he thinks applicable. There is a sim- plicity in his addresses, and often a cast of humour, which is extremely engaging. Last Sunday even-
' One of NefF's most anxious objects was to put an end to the Sunday games and dances which then prevailed, even among the Protestants, in all parts of France, and he happily succeeded in opening the eyes of many of his young catechu- mens to the profaneness of the practice.
1
ANECDOTE. 63
iiig, perceiving some symptoms of inattention and drowsiness in the party, while he was expounding very seriously, he suddenly exclaimed, ' I see you are tired of this, but before we conclude, I will teach vou something new/ Every body was im- mediately all attention. ' 1 will relate a fable to you," he continued, ' a fable of La Fontaine. There were an ant and a grasshopper living near each other. The ant worked hard all the summer to provide against the wants of the winter ; but the grasshopper did nothing but enjoy herself during the whole of the fine weather. When winter came the idler found herself in very great distress, and applied to her neighbour, the ant, for some food. — What were you doing all the summer? asked the ant. — 1 sung and danced, answered the grasshopper. — Well then, sing and dance now, said the ant.' When they heard this, a smile ran through the room. ' Yes,' said Mr. Blanc, * you may laugh now, but this fable is like the parable of the ten virgins : and since the parables of Clirist send you to sleep, I thought it necessary to disguise them under a more attractive form. The ant represents the wise virgins, and the grasshop- per represents the foolish virgins. Like the grass- hopper, the foolish virgins beg oil of the wise vir- gins, but they refuse to give it, for fear of wanting it themselves. Tlicn comes tlie bridegroom and shuts the door, and wlien the foolisli virgins wish to enfei-, lif sa\ - unto tliciii, ' vcrils- I say unto v'>u, I
C4 PSALMODY.
know you not. Wutcli, therefore, for ye know not, neither the day, nor the hour, when the Son of man cometh.' The tone, with which Mr. Blanc delivered this, produced an irresistible effect."
In remarking" upon Neff's anxiety to promote psalmody, I would observe, that the effect pro- duced by the w^ords, or by the music, or by the combination of the tw'o, is such, that the cultiva- tion of psalmody has ever been earnestly recom- mended Ijy those who are anxious to excite true piety. Tradition, history, revelation, and experi- ence, bear witness to the truth, that there is nothing to which the natural feelings of man re- spond more readily. Every nation, w^hose literary remains have come down to us, appears to have consecrated the first efforts of its muse to religion, or rather all the first compositions in verse seem to have <>rown out of devotional effusions. We know^ that the book of Job, and others, the most ancient of the Old Testament, contain rythmical addresses to the Supreme Being. Many of the Psalms were composed centuries before the time of king David, and it is not extravagant to imagine, that some of them may have been sung even to Jubal's lyre, and w^ere handed down from patriarch to patriarch by oral tradition. Nor did the fancy of Milton take too bold a flight, when it pleased itself w4th the idea that our first parents, taught by the carols of the birds in the garden of Eden, raised their voices in tuneful notes of praise to the
PSALMODY. 65
Creator of all, when they walked forth in the cool of the day to meet their God before the fall. But this is certain, that one of our Lords last acts of social worship on earth was to sing a hymn with his disciples. Few, therefore, can be slow to understand, that if Christ and his dis- ciples broke forth in holy song, immediately after the solemnities of the Last Supper, and just before the Shepherd was smitten, and the sheep were scattered ; and if Paul and Silas sung praises unto God in their prison-house, congregational worship may always be the better for such helps. Add to these examples, the apostolical exhortation to the merry hearted to sing psalms, and the apostolical descriptions of the choral strains which resound in the courts of heaven, and we cannot but feel certain, that the services of the Christian church were cheered from the earliest times b}^ hymns and psalms. " Those Nazarenes sing hymns to Christ," said Pliny, in contempt. We thank him for re- cording the fact. The words of the Te Deum were composed by a native of Gaul, (for the use pro- bablv of one of the churches on the Rhone, or of the Alps) aljout the third century; and at the same period, men, women, youths of both sexes, and even childnii joined in the psalmody of the sanc- tiKirics, in such cordial and liaruioiiioits unison, tliat a fatln-r of the <liiii( li lias well compared the .sound to the loud, Imt not discordant, noise of many wa\e- lMatiii<; against the sea shore.
F
66 PSALMODY.
At the time of the ret'ormation, sacred music, which had begun to run wild, was brought back to its first principles. The melodies of religious worship were rendered more heart-touching, by being set to words in the vernacular tongues, which every body could understand. Luther's hymn, " Great God, what do I hear and see" led the waj^ Henry VIII. hated the German reformer, and all that he did, but he burned to rival him in every thing, and he gave a stimulus to the public taste, by composing words and music for the service of the English church. In France, soon after the middle of the sixteenth century, when it was doubtful whether the nation would become Protestant or remain Roman Ca- tholic, the pathetic tunes and devotional stanzas of the reformers obtained so great an influence over the minds of men, that the music of the temples, as the Protestant sanctuaries were called, to dis- tinguish them from the Roman Catholic churches, became the fashionable melodies of the day. This taste found its way even to the court, and to the great alarm of the Romish party, some of the sweetest and most stirring of the psalms, which had been translated into French metre by Clement Marot, were set to music by Lewis Guadimel, and were constantly in the mouths not only of the Protestant families of the provinces, but of the ornaments of the saloons of Paris, and of the palace of the Louvre. It is said to have been
PSALMODY. 67
quite astonishing how mucli this pious and simple device found favour for the Protestant cause, and induced people, who had never read Scripture before, to search the hoi}' volume out of which those treasures were drawn, which so charmed their ears and their imagination. It is still the practice in most of the mountain churches to make sacred music a part of family devotion, and many of the tunes which Guadimel composed with such success are still sung to the praise of God. I can bear witness to the forcible manner in which these strains, rising to heaven from the lips of parents, children and domestics, quicken piety, and stir up tlie best affections of the heart towards God and man. I have seen and felt the eff'ect pro- duced by them in the humble dwelling of the vil- lage pastor, where none but human voices swelled the notes ; and in the chateau, where the harp and the organ have mingled their fine sounds with the well modulated tones of an accomplished family of sons and daughters. My thoughts, at tlie moment 1 am writing this, are at Chateau Blonay, but most of the voices, whicli I heard there, are now silent in death ! I am thoroughly convinced tliat family worship, and congrega- tional worslii]) lose a great auxiliary to piety, when llici'c is not flic; ])owcr or file inclination to join in psalmody.
Nefi' knew the linnjan heart . when he drter- iiiiiH'd to ciiltiNatc a taste, lor sacred music among
I- 2
68 NEFF MISKEPRE8ENTED.
his Hock ; lie tclt assured, both from experience and observation, that when impressive words are set to expressive music, the effect produced can- not but be both delightful and beneficial to those v/ho take part in them.
The return of the pastor to Mens, whose place Neff was appointed to supply in part, was not favourable to the progress of improvement in that neighbourhood. Having absented himself for a longer period than the circumstances of his case could justify, a question arose as to his re-instate- ment. This produced some party feeling, and the clergyman himself, jealous of Neff's influence, and angry with the consistory for not permitting him to resume his functions at once, raised a cabal against the man, whose anxious object had been to feed and to watch the flock during the shep- herd's absence. The effect of his ungenerous misrepresentations, and of the levity with which he spoke of the catechist's rigid sentiments, was more visible in the town of Mens than in the neighbouring villages, and it wrung from Neff"s wounded spirit a melancholy expression of regret at the falling oft' of many, of whom he had had better hopes.
But it is gratifying to be able to report of the people generally, to whose instruction Neff" de- voted so much of his time and anxiety, that they were not insensible of his merits. The day of his departure was a day of mourning to them, and
NEFF VINDICATED. 69
tlie testimony which M. Bhuic, the other pastor of ]\Iens, bore to his character after his death, and to the success of his labours, is highly honourable to all parties.
Extract of a Letter from M. Blanc, pastor of Mens, dated \st Dec. 1829.
" About five months after the arrival of M. Neff at Mens, more than a hundred persons, principally the heads of families, lamenting that he was not appointed to the station of assistant pastor, petitioned the consistory to retain him under the designation of pastor-catechist, and otl'ered to provide a stipend for him, as long as they should have a farthing left. The consistory nominated M. Felix Neff pastor-catechist on the 1st of June 1822. Every where, in Mens and its environs, the name of our friend was never pro- nounced but with respect; and there were few who did not regard him as a saint, almost exempt from sin. This was a subject of deep affliction to him, because he saw that they attached themselves too much to him personally, and too little to the Saviour wliose servant he was. lie said to me one day with deep feeling, ' They love me too much ; they receive me with too mucli ])leasure ; thc\' eul<)gi/.(.' inc too iiiiicli ; indeed tlie\' do not know me. Diiriirj the space ol iie;ii"i\ two
V('ars, which he >\\r\{\ among- ns, In; did u pro- iligious (jnantitv of good. Zeal lor reli«_iion re-
70 IMPROVRMENT AT MENS.
vived ; a great number of persons beg'an to tliink seriously of the condition of their souls. The Word of God was more sought after, and more carefully read, the catechumens were better in- structed in their Christian duties, and gave proofs of it in their conduct : family worship was esta- blished in many houses : the love of luxury, and personal vanity decreased : almsgiving was more generally practised, and the poor were not so numerous. Schools were opened in different places, and both in Mens, and in our neighbour- ing villages, every body remarks a sensible im- provement in the manners and industrious habits of the Protestants. In short, the numberless labours of Neff, his indefatigable activity, and his instructions, will long be remembered at Mens, and his sojournment among us will be recorded as a sional blessins;."
Amiable and Christian-minded must be the man, who thus bears witness to the labours of his humble brother. Without any unworthy deroga- tion, without the least shadow of envy, the pastor of Mens attributes all the improvement produced in his flock to the labours of a stranger ; of a coadju- tor, whose office was nothing more than that of a catechist ! Great reason had Neff", in his Journals to speak of the singleness of heart, of the pure religious motives which actuated M. Blanc. But before we dismiss this part of Neff"s history, when he was acquitting himself so well as a proposant.
SPIRITUAL CONFLICT. 71
or probalioiicr, in tlic ample field, to which he returned after a short absence, in the character of a regular pastor, it will more fully illustrate the resources of his mind, and explain the mode of treatment w^hich he adopted with his catechu- mens, if I select one of the many sketches which his Journal contains.
" You will, perhaps, remember," said he, in a letter to one of his friends, "■ that in the notice of my first lecture at Mens, I spoke of a daughter of my host, named Emily, one of my catechumens, as being very intelligent, but at the same time extremely devoted to the pleasures of the world. She used to be at every frivolous amusement. Upon one occasion, having understood that she meant to perform a part in a comedy, I signified mv displeasure so plainly, that she gave up her design ; but 1 perceived that it was sorely against her real inclination. While she regularly attended all our private and public services, and particularly our evening meetings, her whole heart was with the world. Her li})s only gave confession of the trutli. Tilings were in tliis state with her when she heard my sermon on Good Friday. She was struck by these words, which 1 repeated more than once : * Go to Golgotlia, and tlieie yoii will see how odious sin istoCiod?' V^v i1m* first time she und(;rstood, in th(! sufferings of our Lonl. the terrible demunds of the holy law of God. in \\ui l>itterness and anguish of lier soul, >\n' ^lied many
72 SPIRITUAL CONFLICT.
tears during the service, and her heart was on fire when she left the church. During the whole of the day her uneasiness increased, though she did all she could to give another turn to her thoughts. She cursed the hour when she had asked God to give her a knowledge of her heart. She continued in this state without disclosing her feelings to any body till the Tuesday morning afterwards. It was in vain that I endeavoured to find an opportunity of speaking to her. She avoided me. Her parents and friends tortured themselves to divine the cause of her disquietude. At last, on the Tuesday morn- ing, I made her search for some passages in my Testament, and in turning over the leaves she found the text on which I had preached. Mat. v. 20. ' It is too true,' said she, ' that our righteous- ness does not surpass that of the Scribes and Pharisees : it is even less than theirs.'
" 'And St. Paul says,' I rejoined, ' that no flesh shall be justified by the works of the law.'
" Upon this she made many objections to the doctrine, not being able to understand how we are excited to good works by it.
" I then read to her the passage in St. Paul's Epistle to Titus, and I reminded her of the exam- ple of true Christians who are rich in good works, although they do not attribute any merit to them. I explained to her the motives of love and grati- tude, which incline them to obedience, and to a renouncement of the world.
SPIRITUAL CONFLICT. 73
*' ' Do you think, 'added I, ' that they, who have such sentiments as these, can find any pleasure in the things of the workl ? '
" 'No,' said she, ' but I do.'
" I then endeavoured to make her perceive how the consideration of the truths of the Gospel ought to make us serious.
" ' It does not make me serious ! ' she exclaimed, bursting into tears.
" ' I return thanks to God for the disposition in which I now find you, for those who weep shall be comforted. Be of good cheer, there is a Com- forter. He, whom Jesus Christ promised to his disciples, will be sent to you also.'
" ' His disciples did his will, but as for me, I do it not, and I have never done it.'
" ' His disciples did not only do his will, they believed.'
" ' Yes, and I do not believe.'
" ' They did not believe as much as they ought, for Jesus reproached them with not having faith as big as a grain of mustard seed. But they did as you ought to do : they asked the Lord to in- crease their faitli.'
** ' But tli(;y, at that time, had a little, and 1 have none at all.'
" Here her tears burst fortli anain, and all that I said aj)peared to have no eiiect upon her. She continued ;ill day in such a melancholy mood as to alarm in r jjarents. She could scarcely utter
74 spiRrn'Aj- conflict.
a word ; she avoided company, and ate scarcely any thing.
'' The next morning she tohl me that she was in the same frame of mind, and when I urged her to tell me what it was which so afflicted her, she exclaimed, sobbing, ' I am too proud, I never can be saved.' 1 assured her that I was rejoiced to find that she had attained this knowledge of her own heart, and then I opened before her all the treasures of the mercy of God in Jesus Christ. But she persevered in objecting the excess of her pride and vanit}'. She could not believe in the glad tidings, she could not believe that her prayers would be heard.
" ' Poor Emily, you are very unhappy at pre- sent, but your sadness shall be turned into joy. The Lord will comfort j'ou.'
" ' But if I should die in this condition ? '
" ' Be not afraid ; I am as sure as I am of my own existence, that God does not light the candle and take the broom, to leave the piece of silver in the dust. He wdll finish the work which he has begun in you. He wdll call j-ou to himself, after he has purified you.'
*' It was in vain that I endeavoured to console her by such discourse as this ; I could not succeed, and I left her with these words. ' My dear Emily, I am very sorry to have to quit you at this moment, but I leave you in the hands of the Lord, who will comfort you better than I can. Go to him
1
SPIRITUAL CONFLICT. 75
\vitli perfect confidence. I recommend you to ac- quaint your mother with the cause of your distress, in order to remove any unpleasant suspicion.' I then parted with her, and went to La Mure, where I preached at one o'clock, and in the evening- I slept at La Baume, near the Drac, where I held a numerous meeting in the house of the mayor of the commune. All the inhabitants of this little village are Protestants ; and not one of them staid at home, even mothers attended with children at the breast, for in the memory of man, there had never been any preaching performed in this place, which is very remote from any road, and has no church near it. The next morning I set out at a very early hour, the maj^or accompanied me as far as the Drac, and I ascended the mountain towards St. Jean d'Heran, to visit a sick person. He was a wicked old man, who had all his life boasted of his irreligion, but the fear of death had softened him. I found him in full possession of his intellect, although he was very near his end. I read to him, and I explained to him the parable of the labourers in the vinevard, and dwelt upon those wlio were liircd at the eleventh hour. He listened, and then made some objections. He did not appear to be persuiMlrd. J |)i-;i\«'(l witli liim. and llicii took my leave, after having addresse< I liim witli ^rcat earn- estness, and I lioj)(! witli affection. I do not know, whether llie Lord, wlio came five or six lioiirs afterwards, found liini elotlied witli tin; while
76 THE PENITENT.
garment, or naked. 1 also visited another sick per- son, whom 1 found much better disposed, and then returned to Mens, to receive my catechumens. In the course of my excursion I did not forget Emily. At one time I felt rejoiced, and blessed God for his dispensation of mercy to her. At another time I was afraid lest this sudden awaken- ing should produce bad effects, especially if her anguish of mind should continue, and effect her health, which is but feeble even now.
*' In the midst of these reflections I arrived at home, fearing to find Emily in her bed, and her parents miserable, but I found her full of joy. * Oh how happy I am,' she exclaimed, the mo- ment she saw me. ' You have not left me in the hands of a severe judge. How gracious the Lord has been ! Oh ! he is rightly called the Saviour : — but what agony ! what sufferings ! Oh ! what he must have suffered ! He who drank the cup of bitterness even to the dregs. Now I un- derstand what he meant to say, when he ex- claimed, ' My soul is full of heaviness, even unto death.' I should never have done, if I were to endeavour to transcribe all the expressions of gratitude and admiration, which poured from her mouth : from that mouth, which heretofore had been full of the attractions of the world. Not only was her language new, but her air and aspect were changed. The vain and self-import- ant deportment had now given way to modesty
THE PENITENT. 77
and sweetness. It was no long-er the same Emily, My first movement was natnrally to bless the Father of Mercies and the Saviour of Sinners."
The reader will be glad to know that the im- provement, which had been now going on for a week, and which had been assisted so judiciously, and with so much tenderness and supplication by her pious instructor, continued until she began to bring forth the fruits of a holy life, and that she remained a faithful servant of her God and Re- deemer.
As an accompaniment to the method used by Neff of gently leading on those, who were slow^ to approach the Lord, I subjoin his account of the language he was wont to hold with those, who appeared to be declining from their devout resolu- tions. " After having been awakened, D
seemed to be on the point of relapsing into her former state. I asked her, what will become of the soul which neglects the means of grace, after having received them. ' It w^ill fall into condemn- ation,' said she, in a faint voice. ' You ought,' said I to lier, ' to know something of this by expe- rience ;' and then I spoke to her of her defection, niid oi" the fate wliicli awaits the branch which does not abide in tlic vine. Yesterday, at the evening catechising. I pnrsiicd a similar course with I., . Slic had rcjjcatcd tlio verse con- taining thos(; words oi.Iesus, — ' Even tlie Spirit of Truth, wliicli the world cannot receive, because it
78 Tin: relapsed.
south liiin not, ncitluT kiioNvetli him, for lie dwell- etli with you, and sludl be with you '.' After she had explained Mdiat is meant by the habitation of the Spirit, I asked her if that Spirit was given for a time only ?
" ' No,' said she, ' He is to abide witli us for ever ^'
" ' But if this Spirit will not depart of himself, may we not lose him V
" She had great difficulty in making any reply. At length she answered in a low voice, and witli tears in her eyes, ' Yes,'
" ' Yes,' replied I calml}^, but with considerable emphasis, ' and you are a proof of it. The Lord has enlightened you with his Spirit. You have been made sensil)le of the weight of your sins ; and the time was, when you found rest at the feet of the Redeemer. You have known him. You had his seal set upon you, and now you have fallen back again into a state of spiritual death. You have only preserved the form of Christianity, by which you may more easily deceive the chil- dren of God ! But beware ! Woe unto him by whom the Son of man is betrayed !' — This apos- trophe had a striking effect upon L , and all
who listened to it."
One of Neff's Journals contains these interest- ing remarks upon the village of La Baume.
' John xiv. 17. " Vcr. 16.
LA BAUME. 79
" For nine months I have made frequent visits to tliis place, but I have been heard without oppo- sition, and witliout producing any positive good. The mayor has received me with perfect frank- ness, and the whole population have listened to me attentively. Lately, however, I have perceived something like signs of life in three or four young persons. At my last visit, when I had finished my exposition and my prayer, instead of going away, as they had hitherto done, at the termina- tion of the service, all the people kept their seats, and remained silent. Full of real concern for these poor creatures, I rested my head upon my hands, and offered up a secret prayer to God in their behalf. They thought I was taken ill, and many anxious inquiries were put to me. I lifted up my head, and said, ' I am not ill, my friends, but I am distressed on your account. I am thinking that most of you have already forgotten tliut whitli you have just heard, and it is this whicli grieves me.' "
CHAPTER 111.
Kejfs difficidties as to Ordinalion — His reasons for not being ordained hif the Gcneixin Clergy — Goes to I'ln gland for his diploma — His return to France and reception at Mens — His nomination as Pastor of the High Alps — His first visits to the mountain hamlets of his jmrish.
Neff had now made sufficient proof of his incli- nation and powers. He had discharged the duties of a probationer and catechist for more tlian four years, and in the course of this ministry, first in his native country, and next in one of the pro- vinces of France, he found, by happy experience, that God had given him both strength and wil- lingness to do his work. He, therefore, took his departure from Mens, in April 1823, with tlie intention of seeking for the imposition of hands, and of devoting himself to the service of the church by a solemn act of consecration. He believed himself to be called, and tried, and he humbly hoped, that he possessed such qualities as were requisite for the responsible station, which he was desirous to fill.
The great difficulty, however, was this. By whom should he be ordained ? By the authorities of the National Cliurch of Geneva, the land of
THE CHURCH OF GENEVA. 81
his birtli ! But these had avowed principles from which his soul shrunk : and he felt a strong- reluctance to derive authority to preach the Gospel from those who, in his opinion, had be- trayed the Gospel, by ceasing to uphold the divinity of Jesus Christ, and the essential doc- trines of the Book of Life. Should he present himself before those seceding pastors of Geneva, who had separated from the national church, and who declared themselves the members of a new church ? A reference to Neff "s letter, on the sub- ject of national establishments, will show that he was likely to have scruples here, and that he was unwilling to take any step, which could be re- garded as inconsistent with his declared opinions on the subject of disorganization. He could not wish, by any act of his, to be impairing the maintenance of the church in w^hich he himself had been baptized, wdiicli had once been the in- strument of much good, and might again, by a reformation within itself, become as illustrious for its orthodoxy, as it then was for its learning.
For further explanation of Neff 's unwillingness to l>e ordaini'd by tlie hands of ministers of the establislied church of his native country, I must hrrc ofler a few statements, touching tlie departure of" tliat cliui-cli IVoiii its aiiciciit |)riiici|»Ic-. l'\)r K€*\<Tal \car> pa-l, a-piiMl. li<»lilc totlic riiiida- nn'Utal doctrines S('ttlc(l at llic period ot tlie lie- forniatioii, and sanctioned by tlie subscription of
(j
82 THE cTirRcii or geneva.
names illustrious in the ecclesiastical history of Geneva, such as Farel, Calvin, Viret, and Beza, has been openly avowed by many of the national pastors. Even the cardinal article of the Christian creed, the divinity of Jesus Christ, which the most distino-uished confessors of every branch of the universal Church have agreed in receiving, from the apostolic times to our own, has been disputed, and the belief of WiclifT, Huss, Luther, and Fenelon, has been publicly controverted from the theological chair of the academy of Geneva. In 1817, the venerable company of pastors took upon themselves to declare, that the following subjects were not to be discussed in the pulpits, viz.
" The Divinity of Jesus Christ." " Original Sin." " The Operation of Grace." " Predestination." From this period the departure from apostolical Christianity has been so undisguised, that out of twenty-two recent elections to pastoral charges, there has been but one minister elected, who has ventured to preach the divinity of Christ. Under such circumstances, it is not to be wondered that Neff felt scruples of conscience, and could not consent to receive ordination in a church, in which it was prohibited to enlarge upon the great mystery of godliness, God manifest in the flesh. Within a few months, some of the brightest ornaments
THE CHURCH OF GENEVA. 83
of the establishment, who have all along refused to be silent upon the prohibited topics, have been deprived of their functions, because they formed the committee of an association, which determined at last to take measures for the revival of the ancient principles of their church, and to institute a school of theology, in w^hich those principles shall be taught. The association has declared its strict adherence to the doctrines, which the Pro- testant churches of Holland, England, Scotland, France, Germany, and Italy, profess with one accord, in their respective articles of faith.
I subjoin the contents of a paper lately circulated by the Rev. Richard Burgess, the English chap- lain at Geneva, in which the lamentable falling off of the Geneva church and academy, and the views of the association are ably stated.
" Tlie decline of the orthodox faith in the ' national church ' of Geneva, and the consequent deterioration in the religious instruction of youth, have, for several years, been subjects of painful interest to the friends of the Protestant cause in Eurojx'. Hitherto, however, they have remained almost passive spectators of the conflict whicli has been carried on between the Unitarian principles of the great hodv ol" ilu; clergy and a few individuals among them, wlio ' have earnestly contended for tlu' faith once (h-livcrcd to the saints :' for the priiifi])h'S of tli(? ' nalioiiai cliurc li," allliough evi- dently to l>e trac(.'d in every act ol its constituent
a 2
84 THE " SOCIETE EVANCjELIQUe" OF GENEVA.
l)0(ly, were not openly avowed, and tlic formal abolition of all creeds kept many persons in doubt as to the real doctrines of the majority of the clergy. At length, a series of publications, emanating from the professor of divinity and other influential members of the ecclesiastical body, have placed the doctrines of that majority in a graduated scale of heterodoxy between Arianism and Socinianism. It then became imperative for such of the clerical and lay members of the ' national church ' as re- tained and cherished the true doctrines, and who conscientiously felt that to be silent any longer were to betray the sacred cause of the Gospel, to form a religious union for their edification, whilst they might maintain their principles and dissemi- nate them amongst their fellow -citizens. A society, called the Societe Evangclique, was accordingly formed, and in a very short time received an ac- cession of more than two hundred members. The committee of the society is composed of three ministers of distinguished zeal and piety, and several laymen of rank and consideration as citi- zens and as Christians, ' strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. ' The great object of the Societe Evangclique is to restore the true and orthodox doctrines of the Gospel (which, through a vain philosophy, have been so long lost) to the Genevan church, and one of the most effectual means for accomplishing this end is the establishment of a theological academy, to train up young men for
NEW THEOLOGICAL ACADEMY OF GENEVA. S5
the ministry in sonnd and ortliodox principles. This institution has ah'eady been set on foot ; the professors engaged are men of distinguished talent, expressing their firm adherence to the doctrines contained in the articles of the church of England and the Helvetic confession of faith."
The three members, to whom Mr. Burgess alludes, Messrs. Gaussen, Merle d'Aubigny, and Galland, were ejected from the church of Geneva, by an act of consistory, dated 11 th October, 1831, and confirmed by the council of state. The al- ledged ofience was the following passage in their circular.
" We have said that this school was indis- pensable ; and it is but too easy to prove the fact. If the youths who go to the academies of France and Geneva to qualify themselves for the ministry of the Word of Life, are there taught the Unitarian doctrines : — if the very truths, for the sake of whicli our professorships were founded, our schools opened, and our institutions formed, are there condemned : — if the studies in tliose schools are not free, that is to say, if tlie pupils attached to the faitli of tlie apostles and refornuirs are not at liberty to follow the instructions which correspond with their faith and satisfy their (consciences : — if pious parents, desirous of devotinn tlicir sons to tli«' iiiiiii-frv oi" tlic ( lospcl, arc coiniicllcd lo coii- denin llirni to consuiiic the luiir best years of their voutb ill -litdic-' wbicli -iilixcil tin- foiiiKbilioii-' of
S6 NEW TIIEOLOCJICAL ACADEMY OF GENEVA.
our faith : — in a word, if it be true that Arianism saps the very foundations of the Gospel, — then assuredly the establishment of a new school of theology was indispensable.
" In thus saying, we are but stating a fact well known to the Church of Christ. Indeed, those who teach the new doctrines in the theological chairs, have themselves proclaimed it in recent publications ; and, while we appreciate the can- dour which has at length brought to light such an evil, we consider it to be obligatory on all Christians, not only to desire, but to labour assi- duously to provide a remedy.
" If, then, we have presumed to propose a remedy, it is because it behoved some one to offer it : and if we entertain the persuasion that God will take this work into his all-powerful hands, it is because it is his own cause, and not ours."
Neff's eyes, in his reluctance to be ordained by clerg}^ holding doubtful opinions, Avould next be turned to the Protestant Church of France, and as he had been a humble Levite in her temples, and hoped yet to serve before her altars, it must have been his devout wish, to receive orders under her sanction. But he was a foreigner, and with- out the process of naturalization, it was not then easy, perhaps not practicable, to be admitted into her bosom.
One door only seemed to be open to him. To go to England, where his name and merits
NEFl- IN LONDON. 87
had been made known through the means, origi- nally, of the Continental Society I believe, and of Mr. Cook, and Mr. Wilks, two eminent dis- senting ministers ; and to ask for a public recog- nition as a devoted servant of God, in one of those independent congregations, whose minis- ters are received in the Protestant churches of France, as duly authorized to preach the word of God, and to fulfil all the duties of the pastoral office.
Neff had no other mode of satisfying his con- science, and of assuming the functions of a minis- ter " lawfully called,"' according to the regula- tions of the country where he looked forward to pursue his professional career. He therefore pro- ceeded to London in the beginning of May, and without being acquainted with a single word of the English language, we find the catechist of the mountains embarking on board a steam-boat at Calais, landing at Dover half dead with sea- sickness, consigning himself to the chances of a night-coach, and arriving in the metropolis on a Sunday morning, with no other aid to help him tlirougli the mazes of a city, (whicli is more em- barrassing to a strant;er than anv other capital in Europe,) tlian ;i (lircclion lo the lioiisc of Mr. Wilks. Aftc)- |)ii/,/.lin<j,' out bis \\:iv lo liis IVicnds
aljodf. jll(l<_iC wliiil liiii-t li;i\(' been Ilis tol'lol-n r<M*Hn<'" MixHi lf;irnin<'' lb;it Mr. W ill\> \\;is nol at bouK', and tbal nobods' in ibf lioiisc could speak
88 NEFl" IN LONDON.
French, Soiuuliow or other the intelligent stran- ger, after many questions put to such passengers as, he hoped, might be able to reply to him in a language he could understand, got a clue, through the labyrinth of streets and lanes, to a French Chapel, where, he calculated, that, as it was Sun- day, he should find somel)ody who could hold in- tercourse with him, and put him in the train of profiting by his letters of introduction. The ex- cellent Mr. Scholl was the preacher at the chapel upon this occasion, and to him NeflP addressed himself after the service with the modest request, that he would direct him to an hotel where French was spoken. The wanderer's delight must have been excessive, when Mr. Scholl kindly accosted him by name, and told him that he was aware of the errand upon which he had come, and that every thing should be done to pro- mote his views. He was placed in comfortable lodgings, and on the return of Mr. Wilks he was introduced by that gentleman to the ministers who were to receive him into their body. But though he received every attention from his new friends, during the interval that elapsed before the puljlic ceremony which brought him to Eng- land, yet one or two only could hold conversation with him, and his time hung heavily on his hands. " My visits," said he in one of his letters, " are very insipid, I cannot talk English, nor they French, and the sooner I can get away, the hap-
A THEOLOGICAL EXAMINATION. 89
pier 1 shall be ; but I will remain as long as I can be forming connections, which may prove useful in promoting the reign of Christ in France."
It was on the 19th of May, 1823, that Neff, to use his own terms, " received a diploma in Latin, signed by nine ministers, of whom three were doctors in Theology, and one was a master of arts, and was ordained in a chapel in the Poultry in London."
The questions proposed to him, in examination, were : —
How do vou know that you have been called by God ? '
What is it which has induced you to devote yourself to the ministry ?
What are the doctrines which you regard as es- sentials ?
To the two first he gave answers, of which the following: is the substance. " I have embraced the vocation of a minister of the Gospel, because the Sovereign Bishop of Souls has implanted an ardent desire in me to preach the Gospel, and be- cause, whenever 1 have directed my thoughts to otlier professions, I have felt my conscience bur- tlieued, and a secret voice has commanded me to announce the kingdom of (lod. Because God has been pleased to ]>]<■>> my labours, and many souls have already Ijeeii brouglit to a know lc(|g«> of the Word, wliich he has permitted me to declare in his name : because he lias graciously opened
90 neff's confession of faith.
many doors to me, and in tlic course of the last two years I have been invited many times, by consistories and churches, so that I shall not enter the vineyard of myself, and without a lawful calling."
To the third question, he replied : — " I do not pretend to penetrate into the secret of God, nor to explain how or why evil entered into the world : but I know that it exists, and that it dwells in our hearts ; that we carry it with us from our birth, and that, excited by tlie example of the world, and the influence of Satan, it reigns in our souls, and makes us bring forth evil fruits to our con- demnation. I believe that in this state man is neither capable nor worthy of having any part in the kingdom of God, but that he deserves the Divine wrath, according to the justice of the Most High. I believe that there does not exist in our- selves, or in any created being, the means of es- caping from this state of perdition, but that God, loving us when we were his enemies, has sent into the world the Eternal Word, by which he made all things, and that this Word dwelt among us, under the name of Jesus, which signifies the Saviour. I believe that this Saviour is our righteousness and redemption, and that his death and atonement have appeased the wrath of God. I believe that the true faith consists in being thoroughly convinced of, and deeply affected by, our state of corruption, and of the justice of our
neff's confession of faith. 91
condemuatioii — in putting our whole trust in the sufferings of Jesus Christ, — and in the righteous- ness which is through Him and of Him. I be- lieve that we are not saved because we love God, but that we may love him, and that if we are saved by faith without the works of the law, we are created again in Jesus Christ to do the good works for which God has prepared us. I believe that, in order to answer this object of our Saviour, it is absolutely necessary that he should write his law in our hearts. I believe that a change of heart is the result of true faith.
" After these principal points, I believe that we ought, in the course of our instructions, 1. To convince men of their guilt by all scriptural and reasonable means : 2. To conduct them to Jesus : 3. To ena:ao;e them to read and meditate on the word of God, and to pray for them that know not the truth. I believe that we ought to announce Jesus Christ and him crucified, without entering into unedifying discussions on points of doctrine contested among- Christians. I believe that it is the duty of a good steward to give to each the nourishment wliich lie requires, milk to l)abes and strong meat to men. Finally, I subscribe, both ill matter of faitli and practice, to the confessions of fjiitli ot" flu; reformed (liurches of France and Swit/erlainl, in the which I was born, and to whicli I desire to dedicate tiie services of my iniiiistrv. '
92 NEFF RETURNS TO DAUPHINE.
Neff lost no time in returning to France, and to the scene of his first labours in that country : but his journey to England had nearly been the means of defeating all his hopes and plans. He was represented to the French government as an agent of England, and when he presented him- self before the prefect of the department of the Isere at Grenoble, to meet any charge that might be made against him, that functionary candidly told him, that the minister of the interior had re- ceived information, that all the preachers not French, and more especially those who had re- ligious connections out of the kingdom, were in the pay of England, and were charged with some political mission. The prefect was at the same time polite and kind in his manner, and strongly advised Neff to take up letters of naturalization, as the best answer to the calumny, and the only way of securing his object in regard to a pastoral ap- pointment.
The reception which the Protestants of Mens gave to their former catechist, on his re-appear- ing among them, would have been felt like a triumphal entrance to any but a person of his gentle and unassuming spirit. They left their shops and their husbandry work to meet him. They crowded round him, some half-stifled him in their embraces, others kissed his hand, others wept with joy, and all signified the sincerity of their affection and respect. When he called upon
HIS RECEPTION THERE. 93
his acquaintances in the villages, similar testi- monies of veneration were displayed.
At St. Jean d'Heran, he was obliged to repress the out-bursting of delight with which he was welcomed. His approach had been announced by somebody who ran before to give the joyful intelligence, '" he is coming," and on drawing near the village, he saw the bottom of the little hill, on which it stands, full of people, who were waiting to greet him. With his usual prudence and good sense, he foresaw that an unfavourable construction might be put upon these public indi- cations of esteem, and he begged one of his friends to go forward, and to request that the honest vil- lagers would return to their houses, where he would visit them successively, and receive their cordial assurances of affection. For eight days, previously to his arrival, the inhabitants of St. Jean d'Heran had been anxiously expecting him, and its population had turned out more than once to hail his approach.
But the cabals, of which some mention has been made in a preceding page, rendered it unad- visable for Neff to remain either in Mens or its iiiiiiK.'diate neighbourhood. The principal inha- bitants of St. Sebastian presented a requisition, in wliicli tliey urged liim to accept tlie office of pastor in tliat commune, and un(h.'rtook to raise his sahiry among themselves, but he declined their generous oflers, for the same reasons tliat
i)4 THE DEPARTMENT OF THE HIGH ALPS.
induced him to remove himself from Mens. Per- haps it was no great act of self-denial to make up his mind to quit the department of the Isere, for though his affections were strongly fixed there, yet his anxious desire to be at the post, where he could most effectually be of use, made him frequentl}^ turn a longing eye towards the section of the High Alps. " I am always dreaming of the High Alps," said he in a letter of the 8th Sept. 1823, " and I would rather be stationed there than in the places which are under the beautiful sky of Languedoc. In the higher Alpine region I shall be the only pastor, and therefore more at liberty. In the south, I should be embarrassed by the presence and conflicting opinions of other pastors. With respect to the description which B — has given of those mountains, it may be correct as to some places, but still the country bears a strong resemblance to the Alps of Switzerland. It has its advantages and even its beauties. If there are wolves and chamois, there are also cattle and pasturages and glaciers, and picturesque spots, and above all an energetic race of people, intelli- gent, active, hardy, and patient under fatigue, who offer a better soil for the Gospel, than the wealthy and corrupt inhabitants of the plains of the south."
At length his ardent wishes were gratified, and while he was staying at Grenoble, in October, 1823, he received intelligence that the elders of
NEFF ELECTED PASTOR OF THE HIGH ALPS. 95
the Protestant cliiirclies of Val Qiieyras and Val Fressiniere had made application to the Consistory in his behalf, and that he might shortly expect to receive his appointment from the president. " To- morrow," says the last sentence of one of his jour- nals, " with the blessing of God I mean to push for the Alps by the sombre and picturesque valley of Loysan." Within a few days after the first news of his intended destination, the impatient minister was on the scene of his future labours, exploring hamlet after hamlet, and forming plans for his conduct in that sacred office, which had so long been the subject of his hopes, and pra^^ers, and hourl}' contemplation. To Fressiniere he first di- rected his steps, next to Guillestre, where he met the elders of Val Queyras, and was hailed as their pastor elect. From Guillestre he lost no time in traversingthe formidable pass that leads to Arvueux. Here all his enthusiasm was called into action by officiating in a church, which had recently been constructed on the ruins of that which was de- stroyed at the revocation of the edict of Nantes. At La Chalp, a hamlet of Arvieux, they showed liini a new cottage, which was just finished for thf residence of the expected minister, and four leagues further to tlu^ east, he found himself at San Veraii, on tlic frontiers of France and Italy, and at flic foot of a snowy ri(l;j,(', win'cli was th«' boundary line hctwccn flic Frcncli Alpine vallcvs. and those of I'ieniont ; l)iif here he shall
1
96 THE MOUNTAIN PARISH.
speak tor liiinselt", in a letter dated Guillestre, Oct. 31, 1823.
'' I have only had a transient view of the churches of Qiieyras and Fressiniere, l)ut they seem to be extremely interesting. I do not think that all the Protestants together, in this section, would amount to more than 600 or 700, and they are divided into six groups, and are at a great distance from each other. In summer these dis- tances are less, because you can cross the mountains ; but in the winter you are obliged to follow the valleys, which greatly lengthen the journey. The country nearer to Brian^on is cold, and Queyras much more so, but there are some agreeable situations. La Chalp, in particular, where the pastor is to reside, faces the south, and is within a vast amphitheatre of mountains, where there is good milk, and excellent meat. The bread and the wine are brought from Brian^on, or Guillestre. Besides his habitation, they supply their pastor with fuel."
But before our candidate, for the most arduous piece of ecclesiastical preferment in Christendom, could be established in his mountain parish, there were many preliminary steps which he had to take. He must receive his diploma from the consistory of Orpierre, and his naturalization from the office of the minister in Paris ; and these doubts frequently crossed his anxious mind. Would the president of the consistory sanction the election
NEFF S LETTER TO HIS MOTHHR. 97
of the elders of the parish .' Woukl the minister of the interior confirm it ? Would the keeper of tlie seals grant liim letters of naturalization ? Would he not be obliged to make many an ex- cursion to Orpierre, and even to undertake an expensive and weary journey to Paris, to press his suit, and perhaps to repeat this more than once ? Still he travelled on in hope, and resolved, until all the formalities could be settled, to take charge of these churches provisionally, and to run the risk of receiWng the government stipend or not, as it might happen. In fact, some of the necessary forms never were regularly obtained ; but the con- sistory, and the elders, and the inhabitants of the communes were so well satisfied that the churches could not be better served, than by this active and right-minded foreigner, that Ijysome management, wliich the higher authorities winked at, he re- mained in undisturbed possession of his cure of souls ; but I have not been able to ascertain, whether or not he received the government stipend, or whether he drew from the funds of the Conti- nental Society only for his subsistence'.
A letter to his mother, written on the lOtli of December, 1823, gives a lovely ])icture of the cheerful and ener<jretic state of his mind, at this
' Since the above was written I liave been informed, tliat Neff did not receive the government stipend, but tliat his salary from the Continental Society, of about AO/. a year, was his principal, if not his sole maintenance.
H
98 neff's first visit to his alpine churches.
period, and contains some touches in it, which re- mind us botli of patriarchal times, and of the apos- toh'cal era of Christianity, when the messengers of the Gospel sallied forth with their scrips and their staves, preaching- as they went, that the kingdom of heaven was at hand ; and when they were received into the houses of the faithful as angels of God, and were ministered unto with all the hospitality and attention of primitive sim- plicity.
" Since my last letter, I have been constantly on foot to the present hour. After having made several visits to my Alpine hamlets, I received a note from Blanc, which urged me to take the letters of the elders of Queyras and Fressiniere to Orpierre, and to lay them before the president of the consistory. I crossed the Col d'Orsiere (pro- bably from Gap) on the 27th of November, and went to our friend Eloi Cordier, who gave me an introduction to the president. On Saturda}^, the 29th, I was at Fressiniere, when the elders added their signatures to those of the principal people of Queyras, and M. Barridon fortified my testimo- nials with the letter, which Professor Bonnard had written to him concerning me. On Sunday, the 30th, I preached at Dormilleuse, the remotest village in the valley, and on Monday morning, at day-break, I set out to pass the Col d'Orsiere again, which separates Fressiniere from Champ- saur, a valley through which the Drac flows. I
THE COL d'oRSIERE. 99
took two guides with me, to assist in the passage of the mountain, which is one of the highest in France, and very seldom practicable at this time of the year. After leaving the village of Dormil- leuse, we walked three hours througli snow, some of which had lately fallen, at the foot of a glacier, and incessantly on the ascent. The sky was clear, and the cold not excessive, although the elevation was so great. In many places the snow was hard, but in some we sunk above our knees. The peasants had protected my feet with slips of woollen cloth tied round my shoes, and we were well provided with provisions and good wine for the journey. Since the first fall of snow this season, which took place in September, only two men had effected the passage of the mountain. We could occasionally track their path, wliich also showed the foot-marks of wolves and chamois, and of some marmot-catchers. When we reached the summit of the Col, we had two hours of rapid descent before we amved at the foot of the snow- line, where we entered the first handet of the Val dOrsiere, near tlie source of the Drac. Here we dined, and mv pfuides took their leave. I con- tinued inv route along the Drac until nightfall, when I I'ortunately came upon tlie higli road l)e- tween (iaj) and (^Jrenoble. The next morning, at the dawn of lin;lit, I nsninod my journey, and where do you tliink 1 turned my stc'j)s ( Can you pncBS ? Towards Mens ! (This was in the direc-
n 'J
100 VISIT TO MENS.
tioii the very reverse of Orpierre, but Neff 's affec- tionate yearnings after his beloved catechumens in that quarter were irresistible.) It was my wish to induce Blanc to fulfil his promise, and to accom- pany me to Orpierre. I walked for five or six hours on the hioh road, and then havino; crossed the Drac, I took to the bye-paths, and towards sunset I arrived at Peyre, at the foot of Mont Chetel, about three quarters of a league from Mens. Paul, the uncle of Peter Baulme, was working near the village, and as soon as he per- ceived me, he left his cart, and ran to meet me. Nothing could exceed his surprise or joy. I then went to Baulme's house. Peter's father and mother, and several of the neighbours were in tlie garden ; they did not perceive me till I was in the midst of them. Their astonishment was as great as that of Paul. The wife of the elder Girard, who happened to be there, ran to call her husband — another person went in search of Peter Baulme, who was looking after the sheep. After supper, a party of the neighbours assembled at Baulme's house, and I discoursed for a long time on the kinodom of God. Our conversation was in the patois. At ten o'clock at night, I proceeded on to Mens, accompanied bj^ Peter Baulme and the elder Desloix. I did not wish to arrive during the day, for fear of the eclat. The door of Pelissiers house was closed for the night. Tlie next day I had visitors in abundance.
VISIT TO MENS AND ORPIERRE. 101
Never did the arrival of a beloved father, who had been long* absent from his family and long expected, produce greater joy. For myself, although I am not easily affected, yet I could not suppress certain strong emotions, on finding my- self once more amono- these dear friends and dear children. Poor Madame Bonnet, my former hostess, on hearing of my arrival, was seized with her old complaint, and was confined to her bed till mv departure. Her temperament would never allow her to bear any great excitement. It was determined that Blanc and 1 should go to Orpierre next day, Thursday ; but in the morning I found myself unwell. These frequent and long journeys had knocked me up. I took a warm bath, and found myself the better for it. Notwithstanding this delav, we meant to have set out the same day, but so much was said to Blanc, that he agreed to stop till the following morning. I, therefore, performed the Thursday service. A large congregation was present, although the country people had not been apprized of my arrival. In the evening 1 held a meeting of our l)rethr(*ii at the Jiouse of Louis Pagen, and at a later hour 1 iield a meeting of our sisters at that of Madame DiiseigiKMir. I meant to liave j)ro- cecd('<l f)ii foot, but llic kind laiiiiK ol" l^dis^icr insisted oil jiiidinu :t |ioii\ loi* me ; and at Miiirise, with IManc bv iiiv si<i<'. mounted on a large grey horse, we were on the road for ( )rpiei-i"e.
102 VIslT TO iMENS AND ORPIERUE.
The interviews with the prefect and with M. D'Ahlcbert, the president of the consistory of Orpierre, were satisfactory, and we have now to contemplate Neff in a new character, as an autho- rized pastor of the department of the High Alps.
CHAPTER IV.
Description of the department of the High Alps — Restitution of Protestant rights — Organization of Reformed Churches of France — Nature and extent of Neff's pastoral charge — Henry Oberlin — Description of the Vallej/s of Fressiniere and Queyras, and of Neff's parish — The pass of the Guil — Neff at Arvieux, and in his presbytery at La Chalp. — His pro- gress through his parish — San Veran — Pierre Grosse — Fous- sillarde — The Pastor s manifold duties — Neff's winter journey to Fal Fressiniere — Palons — The Rimasse — Dormillcnse — Neff's description of Dormilleuse, and of the condition in which he found the remains of the j^rimitive Christians there — His perilous labours there.
Having now brought Neff to his land of promise, and placed him in that sphere of action so suitable to his character, it is necessaiy to fill up the out- line which I have sketched in the introduction, and to delineate the locality and condition of the group of Protestant villages, which constituted his pastoral charge.
The department of tlic High Alps is so called, {"njin its beiiie: within the rej^ion of that branch of the Alps wliich separates France from Italy. The two h)ftiest mountains, on this part of the chain, are Mont Cicnevre and Mont Viso. 'I'Ik- latter is one of flie most conspicuous in I'lnrope, from its elevation and bri«j,lit sno\v\' aspect and conical form. It rises as high as 13,000 lect above the
104 FRENCH IMIUTESTANTS.
level of the sea, and there being no gigantic pin- nacle in the neighl)ourhood which rears his head to the same heiglit as Mont Visoj it appears to be exalted to tlie very sky, and to leave all the other summits in the plains below. As the eye is directed towards Mont Genevre on the left, and towards Mont Viso on the right hand, from Gap, we will say, wliich is nearly the centre of the department, it ranges over a succession of jagged peaks and icy ridges, which seem to be utterly inaccessible to the foot of man. But in the gorges of these mountains, there are spots which the necessities of man have rendered habitable. These, as I have shown in my preliminary re- marks, have been the asylum of families, who have suffered oppression for conscience sake at all periods of persecution, from the persecutions of Marcus Aurelian in the second century, to those of Louis XIV. and Louis XV. In the year 1786, the successor of these monarchs published an act of toleration, and for the first time since the revo- cation of the edict of Nantes (a century before), Christians, who were hot Roman Catholics, were permitted to worship God in public without molestation. But so little intercourse did the in- habitants of this remote and secluded quarter hold with the rest of the world, that I was assured by an aged Protestant of San Veran, a French village, at the foot of Mont Viso, that he and his family did not hear of it till four years after. And many
RESTITUTION OF 1>1U)TESTANT RIGHTS. 105
years subsequently to tliis, the Protestants of the department had no other opportunity of receiving the consolations of religion, according to the ordi- nances of the Church, than that which was afforded them by the precarious visits of the Vaudois minis- ters from the Italian side of the Alps. During the hundred years of persecution from 1686 to 1786, and up to the period of the establishment of a native ministry, these services had been cheer- fully rendered by the pastors of the valleys of Pie- mont, as often as they could ; but the distance and the danger (while it was at the risk of the heaviest personal penalty' to perform these duties,) rendered them necessarily few and far between. At leno'th the consular s-overnment of France, in the year 1802', conferred privileges on the members of the reformed religion, which })roved a new era for Protestantism. The Protestant churches were so far put on a level with the Roman Catholic cliurches, that they were to have an organization sanctioned by the state, and their pastors were to
' The French reformed church, therefore, after the year 1802, became a national, legalized, establislied ehurcli, governed ])y its own laws, and at liberty to follow its own movements. Its ministers were recognized, protected, and paid l)y government, but still in a certain degree the regulations, according to which it was to entitle itself to its privileges, fettered it. After the restoration of the Bcjurbons, a jealous court took care to have it tied fast to rule, and by the technical obstacles whicii were thrown in the way of organization and church Imilding, retarded the progress of Protestantism.
lOG ORGANIZATION OF PHo'l'KSTAN'r CHURCH.
receive sti}3eiuls from the public treasury. But at the same time, it was enacted, that these privi- leges could be enjoyed under certain regulations only. The principal of these were : —
That none but Frenchmen should exercise the ministerial functions.
That no pastoral appointment should take place, except under the seal of a local consistory, and with the sanction of the government.
That a consistory should consist of not less than 6000 souls of the same communion, and might be divided into sections.
That each consistory might have a certain num- ber of pastors — (six, the greatest number,) and that this number should not be augmented without the express permission of government.
That where a consistory had not been established, and there were Protestants enough to constitute one, the heads of twenty-five of the principal families might proceed to carry their wishes into effect, by a requisition to the prefect or sub-pre- fect.
That the discipline of the churches, thus organ- ized, should be the same as that of the reformed churches of France previously to the revocation of the edict of Nantes, and that there should be no change in the discipline, without the authority of government.
That the amount of stipend to be allotted to each pastor should depend upon the population of
NEFFS PARISH. 107
the coiiimune wherein the pastor should officiate, and that 3000 francs should be the highest, and 1200 francs the lowest amount of stipend.
That a house, or presbytery, and garden, might be provided for the pastor, at the expense of the commune, in addition to his stipend.
That the expense of building and repairing churches and presbyteries, should be defrayed by the commune, according to a fixed assessment.
That all persons born in foreign countries, who are descended from Frenchmen or Frenchwomen, exiles on account of their religion, may obtain the rights of French subjects, on fixing their residence in France, and taking the oath of allegiance.
The Protestants of the department of the High Alps were not able to establish a consistory till the year 1805, and though the department is eighty- four miles in lengtli, and fifty-seven in breadth, it has never had but two ecclesiastical sections, or divisions, since the restitution of Protestant rights, to which pastors have been appointed, viz. those of Orpierre and Arvieux. The section of Arvieux (so called because the presbytery is in the commune of Arvieux,) is nearest to the frontier of Italy, and spreads over two civil divisions or arrondisse- ments, — the arrondissement of Embrun, and the anoudissement of Brian(^f)n. This constituted the ixirlsk of Neff : it consisted of seventeen or eighteen villages, occujjving an extent of sixty miles, taken ill a straigiit gcograpliical line from east to west,
108 IIENIIY OBLRLIN.
but nearly eiglitv miles must be traversed through the windings of the mountains, in the journey from one extreme point to the other. Up to the time when Nefl' took charge of this laborious parish, there had been no regularly appointed and resi- dent minister for any length of time together. It had been occasionally served by the pastor of Orpierre, and at one period a son of Oberlin had taken charge of it for a few months. Every thing connected with the name of Oberlin, the celebrated pastor of the Ban de la Roche, is so precious, that it will be a matter of painful interest to the reader to know, that this son of his, Henry, of w4iom mention is here made, fell a sacrifice to his exer- tions amons: the Protestants in the south of France. His dying moments form a beautiful episode in the memoirs of Oberlin, which I gratefully transfer to these pages.
" The immediate occasion of Henry's death was supposed to arise from a cold, which he took in assisting to extinguish a fire that had broke out in the night in a town on his route, as he was making, in 1816, a circuit of 1800 miles in the s^outh of France, with a view to inspect the state of the Protestant churches, and to ascertain the means of supplying them with the Holy Scriptures. The fatigue attending the remainder of the journey, added to the seeds of incipient disease, so shat- tered his constitution, that soon after arriving in his native valley, he was induced to remove to
HENRY OBERLIN. 109
Rothau, instead of remaiiiiiig- at Waldbacli, in order to receive the benefit of his brother Charles's advice, who, in addition to his clerical functions, was a medical practitioner. On perceiving, liow- ever, that the complaint rapidly gained ground, he desired, with the greatest resignation and com- posure, to be conveyed home again to Iiis father's house, that he might die there. So universally was Oberlin beloved, tliat his parishioners seized every opportunity of proving their attachment to him and his family, and on this occasion a truly afi'ecting scene presented itself. No sooner was Henry's request made known in the village, than twelve peasants immediately presented themselves at the parsonage-house, and offered to carry him upon a litter to Waldbach, which is about six miles distant from Rothau. He could not, how- ever, bear exposure to the open air, and it was therefore found expedient to place him in a covered cart, but as it slowly proceeded through the valley, the faithful peasants walked before it, carefully removing every stone, that the beloved invalid miglit experience as little inconvenience as ])o>sil)l(i from jolting over the rough roads.
A few weeks after his airi\ al under the paternal roof, his life, wliidi Iiad promised such extensive uscfidness, drew near its close. Faith min«iled with pious resignation to tlu; will of his licavcnU- I'atlicr, who \\a< tints early pleased to call him to liiiiiself, wa> strikingly exhibited in his last
1 10 THE VALLKY OF QUEYRAS.
moiiK'iits, and on the 16th of Nov. 1817, without a struggle or sigh, he sweetly slept in Jesus."
For want of a regular pastor, the people of Vals Fressiniere and Queyras used to assemble on Sundays in the churches and oratories, of whicli there were six of the former, and two of the latter, and some one or other read the service. Such was the general situation and the condition of the parish which NefF undertook to serve, and in which he first made trial of his strength in the winter season. But before I proceed with my narrative, I wdll run over the names and relative positions of the several villages, inhabited by Neff's scattered flock, reserving the description of them till 1 accompany him to those scenes of his arduous duties.
The valley of Queyras (which communicates directl}^ with tlie Protestant valleys of Piemont by the pass of the Col de la Croix), extending from the foot of Mont Viso to Mont Dauphin, along the whole length of the river Guil, and com- prising the glens which follow the course of the mountain torrents which roll into the Guil, forms the eastern quarter of the section of Arvieux. The Protestant families dwell principally in the com- mune of Arvieux, and its hamlets La Chalp and Brunichard, and in the commune of Molines, and its hamlets San Veran, Pierre Grosse and Fousillarde. They have a church at Arvieux, one at San Veran, and another at Fousillarde. The
1
EXTENT OF KEFf's CHARGE. Ill
distance between the churches of Arvieux and San Veran is not less than twelve miles. The western quarter of the section consists pf the valley of Fres- siniere, and its hamlets Chancelas, Palons, Violins, Minsas, and Dormilleuse, which occupy the banks of a torrent that pours its waters into the Durance, half way between Brian^on and Em- brun : and of the commune of Champsaur, sepa- rated from the valley of Fressiniere by a mountain and glacier. ' In the valley of Fressiniere, there are two Protestant churches, those of Violins and Dprmilleuse ; and in the commune of Champsaur, there is a church at St. Laurent. Sixty miles nearly of rugged road must be trodden, before the pastor, whose residence is at La Chalp, beyond Arvieux, can perform his duties at Champsaur. But besides these two principal groups of Protes- tant villagres, there are two outlvili"* branches of the section, that of Vars, which is eight miles south of Guillestre, or twenty from Arvieux, and that of La Grave, wliicli is beyond Brian^on, and twenty-one miles north ofGuillestre, or thirty-three miles from the ministers presbytery. Suppose, then, that the pastor has fixed his abode at the house \shich is provided for him at La Chalp, in tlie conmiune of vVrvieux, lie. lias a jouriicv of twelve miles before he can reach the scene of liis labours in a western direction, and sixty before he can arrive at it in the opposite (piaiter. lie has alw) a distance of twenty miles towards the soutli,
11"2 ALPINE SCENERY.
and tliirty-thrcG towards the north, when his services are required by the little flocks at Vars and La Grave. A man of Netf's zeal could not but sink under the weight of such a burthen. And who does not glorify God on reflecting, that if the seeds of real piety could spring up in this rugged ground, it is only to the protecting culture of the Great Sower, that any production can be ascribed ! There is a twofold lesson to be learnt in following the steps of a pastor through these wilds. It is well that we should see, how hard some of our brethren work, and how hard they live ; and that we should discover, to our humili- ation, that it is not always where there is the greatest company of preachers, that the word takes deepest root.
There is this difference between the vallej^s of Piemont, and those of Fressiniere and Queyras. The former are for the most part smiling with verdure and foliage, the latter are dark and sterile. In each, alp rises above alp, and piles of rock of appalling aspect block up many of the defiles, and utterly forbid any further advance to the boldest adventurer. But the Italian valleys are so beautifully diversified by green meadows and rich corn fields, and thick foliage of forest and fruit trees, that the eye is perpetually relieved and de- lighted. Add to these the herds of cattle in the pasturages, and the innumeral)le flocks of goats and sheep browsing upon the mountain sides, and
THE PASS OF THE GUIL. 113
skipping' from rock to rock, and you have an animated picture of life and enjoyment which cannot be surpassed. The Piemontese valleys form a garden, with deserts as it were in view : some of them indeed are barren and repulsive, but these are exceptions. On the contrary, in the Alpine retreats of the French Protestants, fertility is the exception, and barrenness the common aspect. There the tottering cliffs, the sombre and frowning rocks, which, from their fatiguing con- tinuity, look like a mournful veil, which is never to be raised, and the tremendous abysses, and the comfortless cottages, and the ever present dangers, from avalanches, and thick mists and clouds, proclaim that this is a land which man never would have chosen, even for his hiding- place, but from the direst necessity.
NefTs Journal has noted the 16th of January, 1824, as the day on which he arrived at Arvieux, to take possession of the hal^tation provided for the pastor of the district. I have stated in more places than one, that a taste for magnificent scenery formed a strong feature in his character, and it never couhl liavc been more gratified tlian on his journey from Gup, through Guillestre to his new abode. The road from the latter is by the pass of tin; riuil, mikI in the w liole range oi" Al|)iiie Bcenery, rich ;i> it i- in the wdiidcrs dl nutiirc, then; is notliing iikhc tcrrildy sublime lliaii lliis mountain j)atli. A liaveUer would be aiii|ilv re-
I
114 THE PASS OF TIIC GUIL.
paid in visiting this region, for the sole })urpose of exploring a defile, which in fact is one of the keys to France, on the Italian frontier, and is therefore guarded at one end by the strong works of Mont Dauphin, and at the other by the fortress of Chateau Queyras, whose guns sweep the entrance of the pass. For several miles the waters of the Guil occupy the whole breadth of the defile, which is more like a chasm, or a vast rent in the mountain, than a ravine, and the path, which in places will not admit more than two to walk side by side, is hewn out of the rocks. These rise to such a giddy height, tliat the soaring pinnacles, which crown them, look like the fine points of masonry- work on the summit of a cathedral : meantime the projecting masses, that overhang the wayfar- ing man's head, are more stupendous, and more menacing than the imagination can conceive. Many of these seem to be hanging by you know not what, and to be ready to fall at the least con- cussion.
duos super atra silex jamjam lapsura, caclentique Imminet assimilis.
Perhaps they have been so suspended for centuries, and will so continue for centuries to come ; but be that as it may, enormous fragments are frequently rolling down, and as the wind roars through the gloomy defile, and threatens to sweep you into the torrent below, you wonder what power it is which
THE PASS OF THE GUIL. 115
holds together the terrifying; suspensions, and pre- vents your being crushed by their fall. Much has been related of the peril of traversing a pass on the summit of a mountain, with a precipice yawning beneath your feet ; but in fact there is no danger equal to a journey through a defile like this, when you are at the bottom of the Alpine gulf, with hundreds of feet of crumbling rock above j'our head. But terribly magnificent as this pass is, and though it must at other times have made a powerful impression on Neif 's mind, his journal does not contain a word either of its grandeur or its terrors. He forced his way through it in the middle of January, when it is notoriously unsafe to attempt the passage. Several travellers lose their lives here almost every year ; but our pas- tor's anxiety to be at his post of duty was the strongest feeling that moved him, and he thought of nothino; but the field of usefulness which was now before him.
On issuing out of the depths of the defile, the fro^^^ling battlements of Chateau Queyras, l)uilt on a lofty projecting cliff", on the edge of the torrent, and Ijacked by the barrier wall of Alps, which at this season of the year towers like a bulwark of ice between the dominions of France, and the king of Sardinia, present a picfiirc of the ludst strik- ing magnificence. Every thing combines to give an interest to the scene. In the; far distance are the snowv peak< of Mont Viso, of da/./.linu: wliito,
I '2
116 ARVIKUX.
and, in tlic foregronnd, tlic rnstic aqneducts, composed in tlie simplest manner of wooden troughs, supported on lofty scaffolding, and cross- ing and recrossing the narrow valley, which form a striking contrast between the durability of the works of God's hands, the everlasting mountains, and tlie perishable devices of men. About a mile and a half, on the Guillestre side, from Chateau Queyras, a rough patli, on the left, conducts to Arvieux : and here a different prospect opens to the view. The signs of cultivation and of man's presence increase : some pretty vales, and snug looking cottages please the eye ; and in one spot a frail but picturesque foot-bridge of pines care- lessly thrown across a chasm, invites the stranger to approach and inspect it. He is almost appalled to find himself on the brink of an abyss, many fathoms deep, at the bottom of which a body of water foams and chafes, which has forced itself a passage through the living rock. The narrow- ness and depth of this chasm, and the extraor- dinary manner in which it is concealed from ob- servation, till you are close to it, form one of the greatest natural curiosities in a province which abounds in objects of the same sort.
Neff followed the custom of those who directed him to his pastoral dwelling-place, and called it Arvieux in his journals. It is not, however, situated in the principal village of the commune so called, but at La Chalp, a small hamlet beyond.
THE PASTORS HOUSE. 117
The church is at Arvieiix, but the minister's resi- dence is, with the majority of the Protestant popu- lation, higher up the valley ; for in this glen, as in all the others where the remains of the primi- tiv^e Christians still exist, they are invariably found to have crept up to the furthest habitable part of it. In the Valley of Fressiniere, the Protestants, in like manner, have penetrated to the edge of the glacier, where they were most likely to remain unmolested ; and again, in the commune of Mo- lines, Grosse Pierre, and Fousillarde, are at the very furthest point of vegetation, and there is nothing fit for mortal to take refuge in, between San Veran and the eternal snows which mantle the pinnacles of Mont Viso.
In the page which records his arrival at the humble white cottage, which had been recently prepared for the pastor, in La Chalp, Neff has not inserted any observation about the comforts or conveniences of the habitation designed for his future dwelling place. It is a small low building, without any thing to distinguish it but its white front; such at least was its aspect when I saw it ; but there was an air of cheerfulness in its situation, facing the south, and standing in a warm sunny spot, which contrasted strongly with the dismal li<)\tl.- of Donnilleuse, where he afterwards spent most of tlie winti-r months. It is most pro- bubh.' tliat h(.' found it totally devoid of every thing which administers to comfort, beyond locality, for
118 LA CHALP AND BRUNICHARD.
a ineiiioraiiduiii, ^vl•itten a few days after his arrival, mentions his having made a journey to Guillestre, for the purchase of some household utensils. Once for all, therefore, I may remark, that the reader, whose notions of the happiness of a pastor's life have been formed in the smiling parsonage, or snug manse, or who has considered it as deriving its enjoyment from a state of blissful repose and peacefulness, has widely erred from the mark in Neff's case. His happiness was to be busily em- ployed in bringing souls to God : he seems not to have set the slightest value on any of the com- forts of a home : or, if he valued them, to have sacrificed them cheerfully to his sense of duty. One of the principal charms in the recital of a good clergyman's life, is the character of the clergy- man at home. But NefF had none of the comforts of this life to cheer him. No family endearments welcomed him to a peaceful fireside after the toils of the day : nothing of earthly softness smoothed his seat or his pillow. His was a career of anxiety, unmitigated and unconsoled by any thing but a sense of duties performed, and of acceptance with God. The commune of Arvieux, and the cheer- ful hamlets of La Chalp and Brunichard, were the brightest spots in his extensive parish ; but they were not the fairest to his eye, for he complains in several of his letters, that the people there were spoilt by the advantages of their situation, and were by no means so well inclined to profit by his
LA CHALP AND BRUNICHAKD. 119
instructions, as the inliabitants of less favoured spots.
The natives of Arvieux itself are almost all Roman Catholics, those of La Chalp and Brunichard are, for the most part, Protestants. There were eight families in the former, and eighteen in the latter, who waited on Neff's ministry ; and two families in a small hamlet between Arvieux and Chateau Queyras, were converted from the Romish to the Protestant faith, b)^ the force of his reasoning, and the consistency of his holy life. His gentle spirit had no relish for that kind of controversy, whose object is the mere triumph over an adversary by the force of argument ; and his success among the members of the other church, which was far greater than was ever known before in the different quar- ters where he explained the word of God, pro- ceeded, in a great measure, from the mild and affectionate manner in which he directed their attention to the only name in whom, and through whom, they might receive health and salvation. The impression which he left behind him, even in this quarter, wlicrc he thought that lie did not per- ceive the most abundant fruits of his ministry, con- tinued to be discerned when I visited Arvieux in 1829, in the amicable relation wliich still subsisted between the Roman Catholics and l^rotestants of the commune. Th<; kindest iut«jrchaijgc of friendly and charitable ofHc(; took |)lHce between them ;
120 A SNOW STORM.
the children of the two churches went to the same schools, and read the Bible together, without interruption ; and a young man, who would not quit my side for a whole day, when he found that I took an interest in his late venerated pastor, spoke of the Cure as a kind good man, whom every body respected.
It was on Friday, the 16tli of January, 1824, that Neff established himself at La Chalp, as the pastor of the section of Arvieux ; on the Monday following we find him, a second time within four days, encountering the fearful pass of the Guil, and on the evening of the same day looking after his little flock at Vars, twenty miles from Arvieux. He remained at Vars on the Tuesday, and part of Wed- nesday, organizing little associations for mutual instruction during his absence. On Thursday and Friday in the same week, he was at his post again at Arvieux, La Chalp, and Brunicliard, catechis- ing the children, and making himself acquainted with his people ; and on Saturday, in spite of a fall of snow, and a storm of wind which swept the valley, he directed his steps towards San Veran, that he might take the earliest opportunity of ad- ministering the public Sunday service in the church, which was situated in the farthest western boundary of his parish, twelve miles from his head- quarters.
" The snow," says his journal, " was from
SAN VERAN. 121
seven to ten inches deep, and the wind, which blew a hurricane, raised and tossed it about in clouds. Not a trace could be seen of the paths, and I was six hours performing twelve miles. But this was the only bad journe}'^ that I have yet made in the Alps, and notwithstanding the exposure, I arrived perfectly well at San Veran, and held a meeting in the evening. The next day I preached in the church, catechised in the afternoon, and assembled some willing hearers around me in the evening, whom I addressed on the one thing needful, so tliat I did not lose a single hour in this commune, during my stay there. It is the highest, and con- sequently ^ the most pious callage in the Valley of QuejTas ; in fact, it is said to be the most elevated in Europe, and it is a provincial saying, relating to the mountain of San Veran, ' La piu alta ou Ti mindgent pan,' i. e. it is the highest spot where bread is eaten. The air is sharp, but though it was the 25th of Januar}'^, the weather was so fine that the snow melted on the ground as it does in April. There are about twenty-three Protestant families here. The men are intelligent, well read in scrip- ture, and very anxious to converse on spiritual su})jects. Some of the women are the same, but lur the most part the females are ignorant, and eon- fined ill tlicir notions. llii'ou<j,Ii llie whole of this countrv. I Iijinc been niueii nratilled h\ my e.\-
' A Kimilar obHcrvatioii was made to lue by more than one VaudoiH pastor in Piemont, on the rehitive degree of piety in the lower and more elevated mountain hamlets.
12*2 SAN VKRAN.
cursions to this place, which I have ah'eady visited four or five times."
The date of these observations was the 10th of February, so that from the 16th of January, in the course of twenty-five days, this indefatigable ser- vant of God had paid four visits, at the least, to his flock at San Veran, having, during the same period, as I shall presently show, displayed an equal share of anxiety for his parishioners in quarters still more distant. It was by these means that he was so successful in winning souls, and having favour with the people : he was in constant intercourse with them, going from house to house ; praying with the sick, discoursing with those in health on religious topics, and inspiring a relish for pious conversation, and instructing the young with all the tenderness and assiduity of a parent. The reception which he met at San Veran, was exactly what might be expected from the descendants of those men, who used to put their own lives in jeopardy by receiving the fugitive Vaudois pastors, when they were obliged to fly from persecution in ' their own valleys, and a day's journey by the pass of Mont Viso, or
' The Protestants of the valleys of Piemont and Dauphine afforded each other mutual shelter, when they were pursued by their enemies. Gilles relates an affecting incident of the refugees from Italy throwing themselves on the protection of their poor brethren of Fressiniere in 1566, who most kindly received and shared their scanty pittance with them, fearless of the double perils of starvation and the vengeance of their connnon foe.
SAN VERAN. 123
the Col de la Croix, brought them to this seclud- ed A-illage. It is so secluded, so fenced in by rock and mountain barriers, that up to this hour there is not a road approaching it, over which a wheel has ever passed. Thus situated, on the very out- skirts of human society, and at a distance from its vices, refinements, and luxuries, its natives rarely quit their own haunts to settle elsewhere, and strangers have no attraction to guide them to a corner, where none of the comforts, and very few of the conveniences of life, have yet been intro- duced. I believe one Englishman only had found his way to San Veran before myself; and when my wife and I entered it, the sight of a female, dressed entirely in linen, was a phenomenon so new to simple peasants, whose garments are never any thing but woollen, that Pizarro and his mail-clad companions were not greater objects of curiosity to the Peruvians, than we were to these mountain- eers. The women gathered round us, and ex- amined first one part of Mrs. Gilly's dress and then another, with an inquisitiveness and admiration, whicli were sufficiently amusing. We saw no symptoms of want, but every thing indicated that the necessaries of life are far from abundant, either in San Veran or the contiguous hamlets of Pierre- Gro.sse and Fousillardc, and that great abstinence at fillies, and moderation always, are re(piired to di.^ciplinc them against the long winters, and the scanty supply of food, whicli result from the cli- mate and soil of a I'cgion, inucli better adapted to
1*24 SAN VEUAN.
the habits of the bird of prey, and the wild beast, than of man.
But San Veran is a garden, and a scene of de- lights, when compared with Dormilleuse, to which the pastor hastened, as soon as he had put things in order in this part of his parish. Here the houses are built like log-houses, of rough pine trees, laid one above another, and composed of several stories, which have a singularly picturesque look, not unlike the chalets in Switzerland, but loftier and much more picturesque. On the ground floor the family dwells, hay and un- thrashed corn occupy the first story, and the second is given up to grain, and to stores of bread- cakes and cheeses ranged on frame-work sus- pended from the roof. But at Dormilleuse, the huts are wretched constructions of stone and mud, from which fresh air, comfort, and cleanliness seem to be utterly excluded. Cleanliness, indeed, is not a virtue which distinguishes any of the people in these mountains ; and with such a nice sense of moral perception as they display, and with such strict attention to the duties of religion, it is astonishing that they have not yet learnt to practise those ablutions in their persons or habita- tions, which are as necessary to comfort as to health. Even among the better provided, for they are all peasants alike, tillers of the earth, and small proprietors, the wealthiest of whom (if we can speak of wealth, even comparatively, on such poor soil,) puts his hand to the spade and
SAN VERAN. 125
hoe witli the same alacrity as the poorest, the same inicleanlincss prevails ; their apartments are unswept, their woollen garments unwashed, and tlieir hands and faces as little accustomed to cold water, as if there was a perpetual drought in the land. I should fear that the excellent Neff, with all the improvements which he introduced into his parish, either omitted, or failed to con- vince the folks there, that cleanliness is not a forbidden luxury, but one of the necessary duties of life.
But though tlieir habitations and their persons are, thus far, likely to leave some disagreeable im- pressions in those, whose sensations have been rendered quick and impatient by English habits, yet the simplicity, amiability, and good manners which prevail among these children of nature, are so winning, and the images and associations that rise up in the mind, in this retreat of Pro- testantism in France, supply such profuse enjoy- ment, and give such a grace, as well as a charm, to any intercourse with them, that it is impossible not to write down the time, that may l)e spent in Sail Vcran and in its contiguous hamlets, among tlie most interesting of one's life. To those who understand tlie j)atois, or to whom it is accurately translated, as it was to us, the poetical and elegant turn wlii( li is given to conversation, by the con- stant us(^ of figures and iii('taj)liors derived from mountain scenery, and from tiie accidents and
1'2() riKRRE-GROSSE AND FOT'SILLARDE.
exposures of Alpine life, enhance the pleasure, and send the traveller home well satisfied with his excursion. In short, it is the moral and intellec- tual refinement about these mountaineers, which renders their society interesting in a high degree, and furnishes matter for reflection long afterwards. The pastor devoted Monday and Tuesday of his second week in the Valley of Queyras to Pierre-Grosse and Fousillarde, which, like San Veran, are frontier villages ; and there too, he organized little companies of the well disposed, who were to meet at stated times to read the Bible, and to do such things for their mutual improvement, as he thought might profitably be done, when they had not the benefit of his pre- sence. He was obliged to perform divine service in a barn or large stable, for want of a better place of worship. He saw that he could not render his ministrations efl&cient in such a widely extended parish, unless he resorted to such mea- sures as these, and therefore he began at once upon a system which he pursued as long as he remained. The good effects were soon manifest, for the inhabitants of Pierre-Grosse and Fousil- larde, who were first collected together for public worship in a rude stable, were anxious to gather round their pastor in a more suitable place. They willingly taxed themselves, and out of their slender resources built a neat little church, twenty-seven feet long by twenty feet wide, and thus added
ALPINE POVERTY. 127
one more to the Protestant sanctuaries of God in this department. The cost in money was 24Z. or 600 francs. Materials, such as the country- afforded, and labour, were easily supplied, but it was far from easy to provide the extraneous ad- juncts and the money contribution ; and when I was there, the year Neff died, there was still a debt of 300 francs, or 12/. upon the building, which the twenty-five humble families of the two hamlets will probably be long before they liqui- date. Money is necessarily very scarce among a people, who can seldom raise more corn than will meet their own demands. The few cattle that they rear are driven far before they can be sold, and the return in coin will barely pay the taxes, and purchase the indispensable household articles and implements of husbandry of which they stand in need. Oftentimes even the ordinary resources, scanty as they are, fail them, and, for this reason, the poor Alpine is obliged, like the swallow, to migrate during the long winter, and to leave his barren rocks in search of subsistence, where the climate is more favourable to the wants of human nature. Tliis was the case in 1824. The unpro- ductiveness of the soil, and the dearth, were so great, tliat many were obliged to sell their cattle at a very l<»\s j)iice, because the forage failed, and they had not tin; means of getting- flicni int(> a saleable condition ; and Xeff freijuentlv iiu't large parties, consisting ol young men, and even of 1
1'28 VALE OF THE DURANCE.
fathers of families, moving from their own ham- lets, and going to seek work on any terms in distant provinces.
On the evening of Tuesda}^, the 27th of January, Neff returned to Arvieux ; and after catechising his young people, and putting things in a satis- factory train there, he set out for the eastern division of his charge ; and having again traversed the formidable pass of the Guil in safety, reached the Valley of Fressiniere in time to preach at Violins, on Sunday the first of February.
After leaving Guillestre, which is not far from the junction of the Guil and Durance, at the foot of Mont Dauphin, the traveller, whose steps are directed towards the Valley of Fressiniere, pursues his path for about five miles northwards, along the high road which leads from Embrun to Brian- ^on. This is a cheerful route, enlivened by the impetuous waters of the Durance, and a view of ever-changing mountain scenery, the lofty and rugged summits assuming new forms at every turn of the road. There are also some remark- able pretty spots in the vale, through which the river flows with turbulent force, and among the rest, the village of La Roche, with its small lake, cannot fail to please the eye. After passing through La Roche, and crossing the Durance by a long timber bridge, the ascent to the Valley of Fressiniere begins. A steep acclivity rises so abruptly from the river, that at first sight there is
VALLEY OF l-RESSINIERE. 129
no appearance of any practicable mode of advanc- ing, but the eye presently discerns a shepherd's path, which creeps up the mountain in an oblique direction. This leads over some very ruo'o-ed ground to a defile, through which a rocky tor- rent rushes with the noise of thunder. On each side of these wild waters, which roar and fling their spray about in clouds, there are groups of cottages, and an alpine bridge with a cascade above it. These, with the background of rocks, form as complete a picture of mountain life, as the imagination can require. This hamlet is Palons, and the torrent called the Rimasse, is the guide which conducts to the Valley of Fressiniere : there is no mistaking the way. The next village, at the distance of a league, is Fressiniere, which gives its name to the valley. Another league brings to Violins ; two miles beyond is Minsas ; and then comes the toilsome, rough, and clambering route of three miles to Dormilleuse ; so that, in fact, from La Roche to Dormilleuse is one continued ascent of five hours, or supposing that a league an hour is the pace, fifteen miles. Between Palons and Fressiniere, there is a lovely fertile vale, enclosed on each side by steep mountains, and })roducing several kinds of grain and iVuit trees ; bnt this cheerfnl [)rospect soon clianges, and every step leads to scenes wbicli ;ire more and more drearv. Ai"t(;r j)assiiig tlirongli Minsas, llic lace of" tlie coiMifrv is perfectly savaLCe and ajt|»alliii^. Blocks
K
130 DORMILLEUSE,
of stone detaclied tVoin the overhanging rocks, strew tlie ground and threaten to impede all fur- ther progress. The signs of productiveness are fewer and fewer. Here and there some thin patches of rye or oats bespeak the poor resources of the inhabitants, who have been driven up into this desert, and the occasional track of the wolf, and the heavy flap of the vulture's wing over head, tell who are its proper natives. If such is its summer welcome, what must have been its chilling aspect when Neff" made his journey thither on the last day of January ? But he had that within him which warmed his heart, and animated his spirits, as he penetrated through the pathless snows of the defile, and crossed the raw gusty summit that lay in his way. His was a work of love — he was going to preach that word, of which the ancestors of the Dormilleusians had been the depositories for cen- turies, when all France rejected it, and to trim the lamp which had been left alight here, when the rest of the land was in darkness.
The rock on which Dormilleuse stands is almost inaccessible, even in the finest months in the year. There is but one approach to it, and this is always difficult, from the rapidity of the ascent, and the slipperiness of the path in its narrowest part, occasioned by a cascade, which throws itself over this path into the abyss below, forming a sheet of water between the face of the rock, and the edge of the precipice. In the winter season it
nORMILLEUSK. 131
must be doubly liazardous, because it then leaves an accumulation of ice. Perhaps, of all the habit- able spots in Europe, this wretched village is the most repulsive. Nature is stern and terrible, without oflPering any boon but that of personal security from the furv of the oppressor, to invite man to make his resting-place here. When the sun shines brightest, the side of the mountain opposite to Dormilleuse, and on the same level, is covered with snow, and the traveller, in search of new scenes to gratify his taste for the sublime or the beautiful, finds nothing to repay him for his pilgrimage, but the satisfaction of planting his foot on the soil, which has been hallowed as the asylum of Christians, of whom the world was not worthy. The spot which they and their descendants have chosen for their last stronghold, is indeed a very citadel of streng-th.
But- the eye wanders in vain for any one point of fascination. The villaoe is not built on the summit, or on the shelf of a rock. It is not like Forsythe's description of Cortona, " a picture hung upon a wall.' It does not stand forth in bold relief, and fling defiance upon the intruder as he ap])roaches. It ii^ not even seen, till the upper pass is cleared, uud then it disappoints ex- pectation by its mean disclosure of a few poor huts, detached fn»iii c-.u-li otiicr, witlioiit any one building as an object of attraction, or any strongly marked feature to give a character to I he scene,
K 2
132 DORMILLEUSE.
neither is tliere any view which it commands, to make amends for this defect in itself : all is cold, forlorn, and cheerless. Thus the eye has no en- joyment in gazing- on this dark waste, but the imagination roves with holy transport over wilds, which have sheltered the brave and the good from the storm of man's oppression, a thousand times more to be dreaded than those of the elements. Hence the spell thrown over the mind, for it is a place of fearful and singular interest. But still, great must have been the love which filled the pas- tor's bosom, to make him prefer this worse than wil- derness, this concentration of man's wretchedness, to all the other hamlets of his parish. He turned from the inviting Arvieux, and the affectionate hospitality of San Veran, and the magnificent grandeur of Vars, to make his chief residence in the bleak and gloomy Dormilleuse, because there his services appeared to be most required. Be- cause there he had every thing to teach, even to the planting of a potatoe. But his whole life was a sacrifice ; he lived for nothing else than to be useful to his fellow-creatures, and to be a labourer in the service of his Redeemer.
An extract from Neff 's journal shall make him speak for himself.
" Sunday, Feb. 1. I preached at Violins. In the afternoon I delivered a catechetical lecture, and in the evening I performed a service at which the inhabitants, who are all Protestants,
DORMILLEUSE. 133
attended ; and so did those of Minsas, who are also Protestants. We sung a psalm, and I ex- pounded a chapter to them. At ten o'clock most of them retired, those who came from the greatest distance having brought whisps of straw with them, which thev lighted to guide them through the snow. Some stopped till midnight, we then took a slight repast, and two of them, who had three- quarters of a league to return home, set out with pine torches, indifferent to the ice and snow which lay on their path.
" The next day I followed the route to Dormil- leuse, with a man belonging to that village, who had remained all night at Violins, to accompany me. Dormilleuse is the highest village in the valley, and is celebrated for the resistance which its inhabitants have opposed for more than 600 years to the Church of Rome. They are of the unmixed race of the ancient Waldenses', and never bowed their knee before an idol, even when all the Protestants of the valley of Queyras dis- sembled their faith. The ruins of the walls and forts still remain, whicli they built to protect them against surprise. Tliey owe their preservation in part to the nature of the country, which is almost inaccessible, it is defended by a natural fortifi- cation of glaciers and :irid rocks. The population
' The Waldcnscs of Dauphinc ; a distinct branch of the j)rinii- tive Church of Gaul.
134 UORMILLEUSE.
ot" the village consists of 40 families : every one Protestant, The aspect of this desert, both terri- ble and sublime, which served as the asylum of truth, when almost all the world lay in darkness ; the recollection of the faithful martyrs of old, the deep caverns into which they retired to read the Bible in secret, and to worshi]) the Father of Light, in spirit and in truth, — every thing tends to ele- vate my soul, and to inspire it with sentiments difficult to describe. But with what grief do I reflect upon the present state of the unhappy de- scendants of those ancient witnesses to the cruci- fied Redeemer ! A miserable and degenerate race, whose moral and physical aspect reminds the Christian, that sin and death are the only true inheritance of the children of Adam. Now, you can scarcely find one among them who has any true knowledge of the Saviour, although they al- most all testify the greatest veneration for the holy Scriptures. But though they are nothing in themselves, let us hope that they are well-beloved for their fathers' sakes, and that the Lord will once more permit the light of his countenance, and the rays of his grace, to shine upon these places, which he formerly chose for his sanctuar3\ Many of them have already become sensible of their sad condition, and have thanked God for sending me among them to stir uj) the expiring flame of their piety. It is some years since Henry Laget paid them some visits, and when, in his
DORMILLEUSE. 135
last address, he told them that they would see his face no more, ' It seemed," said they to me, using one of those beautiful figures of speech in which their patois abounds, ' as if a gust of wind had extinguished the torch, which was to light us in our passage by night across the precipice.' It is strange that althougli they have been visited by several pastors of late years, yet there has been no preparation for receiving the young people at the Sacrament. I have therefore employed my- self in giving the necessary instruction, and have taken down a list of all the young persons between the ages of 15 and 30. The number of catechu- mens amounts already to 80. On Tuesday (Feb. 3d) I preached in the church of Dormilleuse, and some of the inhabitants from the lower part of the valley attended. The narrow path, by which they climb to this village is inundated in the sum- mer by magnificent cascades, and in the winter the mountain side is a sheet of ice. All the rocks also are tapestried with ice. In the morning before the sermon, I took some young men with mo, and we cut steps in the ice with our hatchets, to nnider the passage less dangerous, that our friends from the lower hamlets niioht mount to Dor- milleuse witli hiss fear of accident. There was a large (•(jiigrci^iitioii. In the alicnioon 1 calccliized in a stabh'. ScNcral |)('()])1(' lioni below remained all night, and thcrciorc i took tin; opportunity of ])ursuiiig niv iu'^tniction'- in the evening, and the
136 i'ALONS.
next day (Wednesday) was spent like Tuesday. Thursday morning was devoted to similar exer- cises of instruction and devotion, and then T de- scended towards the lower valley, with about a dozen of my elder catechumens, who persisted in accompanying' me to Minsas, that they might be present at the lecture there. At night I took up my quarters in Fressiniere, at the house of M. Barridon, who is the Receiver of the Commune. His eldest son is the only person in my parish, whose education gives liim a claim to the title of monsieur. In garb and exterior he differs nothing from the others, and is the very antipodes of a petit-maitre : a young man of good sense ; a zeal- ous protestant, but Frenchman-like, not yet seri- ous enough to answer my views of a Christian. The inhabitants of the High Alps, like those of the other provinces of France, have ver}^ little gravity, and though they are more pious than others, they are gay and full of humour : so much so, that very often a sally of wit, or a bon mot will burst out very unseasonably, and excite a laugh in the midst of the most serious conversa- tion. It is necessary to be on one's guard (which naturally I am very little qualified to be), or to be in danger of being disconcerted every moment. On Friday I went to Palons, on my return to Val Queyras, the first hamlet of the valley, where there are only eight Protestant families, l)ut I col- lected some catechumens, and others, as soon as
ARVIEUX. 137
I coukl, and gave them a sermon, and after^va^ds catechized them. Palons is more fertile than the rest of the valley, and even produces wine. The consequence is, that there is less piety here, there- fore I addressed them very seriously upon their condition, from the eighth chapter of St. John, ver. 23, 24. In the evenino- we assembled too;etlier again, and I gave them another service. There are some young females here, who have an ear, and love music. , It is always an advantage to a minister to find such aid, and experience has taught me, that we may hope for some degree of success, when we liave this help. On Saturday, Feb. 7, I set out very early in the morning, to return to Arvieux, and arrived there in the course of the evening. Such is the history of one of my rounds. I shall have to make the same continually. It is an affair of twenty-one daj^s. Arvieux, where I am expected to take my principal residence, is likely to yield a less return than other parts of my parish. The inhabitants have more trafliic, and the mildness of the climate appears somehow or other not favourable to the growth of piety. They are zealous Protestants, and show me a thousand attentions, but they are, at present, absolutely im- penetrable."
Sucli is the history, as Neff called it, of liis first three weeks" labour in liis nioiiiilaiii j)arish. We find him, not only preaching, and pcrronniug j)id)lic service, in every village between Dormil-
138 NEFFS ARDUOUS DUTIES.
leuse and the troutier Alps, where there was a church, but gathering the young people about him ; classing them, and instructing them in the first elements of Christianity ; making lists of those who had not yet appeared at the Lord's table, and preparing them for that solemn ordi- nance ; visiting from house to house ; putting- families in a train to pursue devotional exercises by themselves ; inspiring them with the love of pious conversation and reading ; and performing all those little offices of kind attention, and pas- toral duty, which have the sure effect of endearing a parochial clergyman to his flock, by proving that he takes a real and an aft'ectionate concern in all that interests them. This earnestness in " seeking for Christ's sheep that were dispersed abroad," through the far scattered hamlets of his burthensome charge, and in " using both public and private monitions and exhortations, as well to the sick as to the whole, within his cure," was displayed in the winter season ; and we may un- derstand what a winter is in the Alps, from the pastor's description of his journey to San Veran, through the snow storm, and of his employing a party of village pioneers, himself working at their head, to cleave a passage through the ice for those who had to clamber up the rock of Dormil- leuse. Four times too, in these twenty-one days, did Neff encounter the pass of the Guil, an un- dertaking more serious than braving the snow
1
THE HOPE REALIZED. 139
storm, or the icy slope of a mountain, and there was but one accessible quarter of the section which he did not visit, — La Grave. He was entirely cut otl' from Champsaur, for there is no means of crossing the mountain of Orciere in the winter months.
We shall see that Neff did not relax in his efforts, and that the remainder of his ministry was a repetition of, or an improvement upon his first exertions, in the great work of winning souls. And here I cannot but call to mind, and lay be- fore my readers the expression of a prophetic hope, recorded a century and a half ago, and when all was dark and threatening, that the Almighty would be pleased to remove the cloud which then huno; over this reo-ion.
" And it is my hope after all," said Allix, at the end of his remarks on the ancient Churches of the South of France, '' that as God hath illus- triously displayed the care of his providence in raising the Church of Piemont from those ruins, under which the spirit of persecution thought for ever to have buried it, so he will be pleased to vouchsafe the same protection to those desolate Hocks, whom the violence of the Romish party hatli constrained to dissemble their faith, by making a >lio\v of ciiibracing the Roman religion, to avoid the cxti-ciiiitics of" ihcir jxTscciition." Tliis lio])f lias b(M'U rrali/.cd, and Dormilk'use lias Ix'cn made a jiiUar in tbc temple of" our (Jod, round which the scattered of the Lord lia\e ga-
140
PROTESTANT CHURCHES IN FRANCE.
thered. Those timid families, too, in Val Quey- ras, which have had a little strength, and have kept God's word in secret, have been blessed, by being kept from the hour of temptation.
Note. — State of the Protestant Churches in France, extracted from Soulier's Statistique of 1828.
DEPARTMENTS.
Aisne, Seine et Marne • • •
Hautes-Alpcs
Ardeche '•
Aveyron
Arriege
Bouches-du-Rhone
Calvados et Orne
Charente
Charente-Inferieure