Paul Rabaut

Paul Rabaut ( born January 29, 1718 Bédarieux, Hérault, † September 25, 1794 in Nîmes) was a French pastor of the Huguenot Église du Désert (, church of the desert ').

Life

1738 Paul Rabaut was appointed by the Protestant Synod of the historic province of Bas- Languedoc preacher. In 1740 he went to Lausanne to complete his studies in the seminary founded by Antoine Court. 1741 Rabaut became the head of the Church of Nîmes. In 1744 he became Vice President of the General Synod. During the persecution in the years 1745 to 1752 he was forced to hide. In December 1745 he joined, however briefly publicly to prevent a violent liberation of the arrested Protestant clergy Matthias Desubas. After the success of these efforts, which should prevent a civil war, he hid himself again. As was the Marquis d' Argenson of Paulmy in 1750 sent for a military inspection in the Languedoc to Rabaut could successfully communicate with him.

The pursuit was for a certain time to a halt, but broke out again in 1753. It was exposed to Rabaut a bounty. Louis François I de Bourbon, prince de Conti was interested in 1755 for the Protestants and Rabaut visited him in July this year. In the years 1755-1760 to periods of persecution and toleration alternated. 1760 the efforts of Antoine Court and Paul Rabaut had so far paid that French Protestantism was well established and organized. Court, Rabaut himself and his son Jean -Paul Rabaut Saint -Étienne now strove for legal recognition by the government. When it came to a popular uprising in 1775, asked the Minister Anne Robert Jacques Turgot, Baron de mood, Rabaut to calm the people.

Rabauts success excited the envy of his colleagues, who tried the good work that Antoine Court had begun to subvert. Rabaut increased efforts to legalize the Protestants. When he was visited in 1785 by the Marquis de la Fayette, it came to the arrangement that Rabauts son, Rabaut Saint -Etienne, should go to Paris, there to represent the interests of the Reformed Church.

In November 1787 the Edict of King Louis XVI was. signed, which, however, was only ratified on 29 January 1788. Two years later, by the National Assembly, the Vice President Rabaut Saint- Etienne, was proclaimed the freedom of speech and explains the accessibility of all positions for non-Catholics. After the fall of the Girondins in 1794, however, in which Rabaut Saint- Etienne was involved, Paul Rabaut was, who had refused to doff his pastor Title, arrested and imprisoned in the citadel of Nîmes, where he was imprisoned for seven weeks. He died shortly after his release in Nîmes.

Remembrance

Feast day is September 25th (his death) in the Protestant calendar name.