[208] Perhaps to Charles de Jonvillers, who became some years
afterwards the secretary and friend of the Reformer. It was in fact
in 1549, and in consequence of the advice of Calvin, that this
Seigneur left Chartres, his country, to go to Geneva, which received
him as inhabitant in 1550, and as burgess in 1556.
Exhortation to come to Geneva, that he might there serve the
Lord faithfully.
_This 18th of October 1548._
MONSIEUR,--I have partly been informed of your intention by the
Sieur François de la Rivière, and praise our Lord for the good
courage he has given you to serve him fully. As we ought to yield
ourselves up to him entirely and without reserve, if we desire
to be approved as his, you must now ascertain how you can employ
yourself as is your duty in his service. It is true that the earth
is the Lord's, and that we are at liberty to dwell in any part of
it, provided we take care to keep ourselves unpolluted, to honour
him in our body as well as our spirit. When we are told that the
whole earth is holy, we are thereby admonished, that we ought in
nowise to defile it by leading a sinful life. You must now take
good heed, that by concealing as you are doing the light that is
in you, you do not make yourself a partaker in the pollutions
which you very properly condemn in unbelievers. I fully believe,
that your heart is very far from consenting thereto; but in making
the outward show of communicating, there can be no doubt that you
thereby make a profession of consenting to it. And as before God
we ought to manifest our detestation of idolatry, so also before
men, we ought to abstain from whatsoever may make it appear that
we approve thereof. It is surely right that the body be kept quite
pure for the service of God, as well as the soul, seeing that it is
the temple of the Holy Spirit, and has the promise of the immortal
glory which shall be revealed at the last day. But is it possible to
employ body and soul with sincerity of heart in the service of God,
while we make a semblance of agreement with idolaters, in an act
which we know to be dishonouring to God? It is not enough to reply
to this, that you make no oral declaration, indeed, that you would
be ready to protest the contrary, were you required to do so, for
you are well aware that you go thither with no other intention, than
that of leading God's enemies to believe that you do not repudiate
their doings, for if it was not for the sake of gratifying them,
and by such means shrinking from the declaration, that you are
utterly opposed to their sacrileges, you never would join them in an
act of worship. And that is nothing else than rendering a feigned
homage to their idol, albeit without the homage of the heart. If it
seems to you that I am too severe in dealing with your faults so
narrowly, I ask you to enter upon the work of self-examination, and
you will find, that I bring forward nothing against you, whereof
your own conscience does not reprove you. Judge, then, whether God
does not see there much more to find fault with, for he sees our
state far more clearly than we ourselves do. Therefore, I cannot,
consistently with the understanding which God has vouchsafed me,
advise a Christian man to continue in such a state; and can only
say, that to my thinking he is truly happy who is free from such
constraint. Whosoever, therefore, has the means of withdrawing from
it, ought not in my opinion on any account to neglect to do so. True
it is, that never shall man have things so entirely to his mind,
that he shall be exempted from difficulty, but, on the contrary,
must expect many annoyances, even wrong and loss of property. But
let us learn to prefer the honour of God to all things else. In your
case, I understand that your merciful God has already brought you
so far, that you are resolved not to stagnate in a place where you
knowingly offend him. Wherefore, I forbear from any more lengthened
exhortations; only, be careful not to quench that zeal which he
has vouchsafed you, but rather stir it up as a remembrancer to keep
you in mind to carry out your good intention. For I know well, and
experience will convince you, how many distractions there are to
make you forgetful of it, or so far to delay that you might grow
cool about it. Regarding the alternatives which Sire François has
set before me, I have told him what to give you as my opinion.
However, your departure must be like that out of Egypt, bringing
all your effects along with you. For all this, I believe you will
need steadfast and very determined courage. But you are able to do
all in Him who strengthens you. When he has brought you hither,
you shall see how he will guide you farther. For my part, I would
gladly help thereunto cheerfully and steadily, as bound I am to
do. I am confident, that after leading you by the hand in greater
things, he will not fail you on this occasion. But he is sometimes
pleased to exercise and try our faith, so that while quitting hold
of that which is within our grasp, we know not what we shall receive
in place of it. We have an example of this in our father Abraham.
After having commanded him to forsake his country, his kindred,
and everything else, he shewed him no present reward, but put that
off to another time. "Get thee out," said he, "into the land which
I shall shew thee." Should it please him at this time to do the
like with us, that we must quit the land of our birth, and betake
ourselves into an unknown country, without knowing how it may fare
with us there, let us surrender ourselves to him, that he may direct
our way, and let us honour him, by trusting that he will steer us
to a safe harbour. It is needful, at least, that you be informed
beforehand that you shall enter here no earthly paradise, where
you may rejoice in God without molestation: you will find a people
unmannerly enough; you will meet with some sufficiently annoying
trials. In short, do not expect to better your condition, except in
so far, that having been delivered from miserable bondage of body
and of soul, you will have leave to serve God faithfully. You will
have the pure doctrine of the Word, you will call upon his name in
the fellowship of faithful men, you will enjoy the true use of the
sacraments. But that may well be all in all to us, if we only prize
it as we ought. As for other comforts, you will take those which
God vouchsafes to you, willingly suffering the want of those which
he denies. Make up your mind, then, to follow Jesus Christ, without
flying from the cross; and indeed you would gain nothing by trying
to avoid it, because it will assuredly find you out. But let us be
content with this invaluable blessing, that we are allowed to live
not only in peace of conscience, but daily to exercise ourselves in
the doctrine of salvation, and in the use of the sacraments, for
our confirmation. He who builds on this foundation, shall rear a
solid edifice, and in truth you cannot evidence whether you do value
Jesus Christ or not, unless by reckoning all the world as filth in
comparison of him.
To conclude, having recommended me affectionately to your kind
favour, I beseech our good Lord to fill you with the spirit of
counsel and discretion, to discern what will be right and fitting
for you to do, and to strengthen you in true constancy, to put in
practice whatsoever shall be according to his will; that having done
so, it may please him to lead you by the hand, to bless you in going
out and coming in, to turn all into godly prosperity.
Your humble brother and servant in our Lord,