The core nature of the "camaraderie of confidence" shared by Charles Spurgeon, George Müller, and Hudson Taylor was their profound belief that God could and would fulfill all His promises of care to His children. This wasn't a vague hope, but a deep, practical trust based on explicit biblical promises like Matthew 6:33, Psalm 84:11, Romans 8:28, and Psalm 34:9. They held a strong conviction that not believing these promises would be sin.

This confidence meant trusting God implicitly for specific daily needs, viewing the promises as conditional not upon sinless perfection, but upon honestly seeking to serve Him. However, their confidence did not promise they would always get what they wanted, nor did it guarantee freedom from suffering and death. Their lives, marked by loss and illness, demonstrated this reality.

They understood "need" through the lens of scripture, seeing that even in times of literal lack or hardship, they could have "no need" because Christ was their supreme treasure, and they were content with what He decided was good. The preeminent issue was God's glory. Their deepest "need" was the grace to magnify Christ, especially in suffering and death. They believed God would supply everything necessary to accomplish His purposes for His glory in their lives and ministries. Müller's method of seeking God alone for supplies was a specific choice to demonstrate this reality to others. Ultimately, their shared confidence was a bold trust in God's faithfulness to provide all that was truly needed for His glory to be displayed, even through trials.

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Based on the sources and our conversation, the period following Louis XVIII's return to power in July 1815 saw widespread and severe persecution of Protestants in Nismes and the surrounding areas of France.

The violence and suffering were overwhelmingly directed at the Protestant population. The sources explicitly state that the "difference of religious opinions is the real and only cause" of the atrocities. Although sometimes carried out under the guise of political loyalty or false accusations, the actions were fundamentally religiously motivated.

Protestants suffered immensely. They were subjected to slaughter and massacre, their houses were attacked and plundered, and their property was ravaged, destroyed, or stolen. They faced extortion and forced payments to avoid further harm. Protestant women were subjected to horrific torture at Nismes, being publicly beaten with wooden implements fitted with nails in the form of the fleur-de-lis, causing severe injury and death. Religious practices were also targeted, with churches closed or converted and public worship facing disruption and threats.

A significant aspect was the failure of authorities to intervene. Local magistrates and administrative officials largely winked at or ignored the violence, and in many cases, local authorities actively supported the perpetrators, including troops, national guards, and armed mobs. Protestant refugees in Paris sent a petition to Louis XVIII, appealing for his intervention and claiming he had been deceived about the true extent of the horrors. This petition highlights the desperate situation and the lack of effective protection for Protestants on the ground.

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Based on the sources, the magnitude of sin is understood in terms of its extent and intensiveness. The Bible teaches that sin is universal, affecting all humans without exception. Both the Old and New Testaments provide extensive evidence for this, including categorical statements like "there is no one who does not sin", universal commands to repent, and the fact that all are subject to death, the penalty for sin.

Sin is also intensive, meaning it's not just outward acts but a deep, radical corruption of human nature, stemming from an inward disposition. This is described as a spiritual sickness of the heart. The concept of total depravity emphasizes that sin affects the entire person – mind, will, emotions, and body. It does not mean people are as sinful as possible or lack a conscience, but that even seemingly good acts are tainted by improper motives, and humans are completely unable to save themselves.

To explain how this universal depravity relates to Adam's sin, three traditional theories are discussed:

• Pelagianism denies inherited sin or guilt; Adam was just a bad example, and humans can obey God perfectly by free will.
• Arminianism teaches humans inherit a corrupted nature but not culpable guilt due to prevenient grace.
• Calvinism affirms inherited corrupted nature and guilt from Adam, often explained by federal headship or natural headship.

The author proposes a model where all receive a corrupted nature and are conditionally guilty from Adam via natural headship. Actual condemnation is linked to reaching an age of accountability and voluntarily acquiescing in one's sinful nature.

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