[280] Three years after the death of Gruet, beheaded for the crime
of rebellion and of blasphemy, (see the note p. 226,) there was
discovered in a garret of his house a writing in his own hand, of
twenty-six pages, which was brought to the magistrates of Geneva.
These latter submitted the document to Calvin, who drew up his
opinion in the Memorial which we here reproduce, as an undeniable
evidence of the religious doctrines and the morals professed by some
of the chiefs of the Libertin party.
The writing in question was condemned, the 23d May 1550, as being
full of the most detestable blasphemies, and was burnt by the hand
of the hangman in front of the house of Gruet.
Notice of a publication attributed to Gruet.
[_May 1550._]
Seeing that it has pleased Messieurs to ask my opinion regarding
the book of Gruet, it appears to me, that in the first place, they
ought in regular judicial form to identify the handwriting, not so
much for the condemnation of the individual, who is quite enough
condemned already, as for the consequences which may ensue; as well
in order that it may not be thought that they have been lightly
moved on account of an uncertain book, as for the sake of adherents
and accomplices.
That being done, I think that the suppression of the book itself
ought not to appear to be for the sake of burying it out of sight,
but be accompanied by a testimony that they had looked upon it with
such detestation as it deserved, and that it was done for the sake
of example only.
It is true, that seeing we ought to abstain from all filthy
communication, and that nothing of that kind ought to proceed out of
our mouth,--such blasphemous and execrable speeches ought not to be
repeated, as if we had no horror of them at all; but, in obedience
to the rule which our Lord has given in his law, it is for the
common weal that faithful magistrates specially define the impieties
which they punish. Besides, Messieurs are well aware how necessary
it is, for many reasons which I leave for them to consider, although
God's ordinance regarding it ought to be all-sufficient for us.
The form, under correction, which we should recommend, is that there
should be a preamble or narrative something like what follows:--
That whereas, in such a year, and on such a day, Jacques Gruet, as
well on account of hideous blasphemies against God, and mockery of
the Christian religion, as because of wicked conspiracy against
the public state of this city, mutinies and other crimes and
malpractices, had been condemned to such a punishment, it has since
come to pass that a book has been found in his own handwriting,
as has been ascertained upon sufficient evidence, in which are
contained many blasphemies, so execrable, that there is no human
creature who ought not to tremble at the hearing of them, and
wherein he makes a mock at the whole of Christianity, so far
as to say of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God and King of
Glory, before whose majesty the devils are constrained to bow down
themselves, that he was an idle beggar, a liar, a fool, a seducer,
a mischievous wicked person, an unhappy fanatic, a clown full of
vain-glorious and wicked presumption, who well deserved to be
crucified; that the miracles which he had performed were nought but
sorceries and apish tricks, and that he deemed himself to be the Son
of God, in like manner as the Hierarchs weened themselves to be in
their Synagogue; that he played the hypocrite, having been hung as
he deserved, and died miserably in his folly, a thoughtless coxcomb,
great drunkard, detestable traitor, and suspended malefactor,
whose coming into the world has brought nothing but all sorts of
wickedness, disaster, and confusion, and every sort of reproach and
outrage which it is possible to invent:
He has said of the Prophets, that they have been only fools,
dreamers, fanatics; of the Apostles, that they were rascals, and
knaves, apostates, dull blockheads, brainless fellows; of the Virgin
Mary, that it is rather to be presumed that she was a strumpet; of
the law of God, that it is worthless, like those who have framed it;
of the Gospel, that it is nothing but falsehood; that the whole of
Scripture is false and wicked, and that there is less meaning in it
than there is in Æsop's fables, and that it is a false and foolish
doctrine:
And not only does he thus villanously attack our holy and sacred
Christian religion, but he also renounces and abolishes all religion
and divinity, saying that God is nothing, representing men to be
like to the brute beasts, denying eternal life, and disgorging
execrations, the like of which ought to make the hair stand up upon
the head of every one, and which are of such rank infection as to
bring a whole country under the curse, so that all people of every
degree, having any sound conscience at all, ought to ask pardon of
God that his name has been thus blasphemed among them.
In conclusion, it appears to me that sentence ought to be given in
such or similar form as follows:--
That whereas the writer of the said book has been, by judicial
sentence, condemned and executed, yet, in order that the vengeance
of God may not abide upon us for having suffered or concealed
such horrible impiety, and also as an example to all accomplices
and adherents of a sect so infectious and worse than diabolical,
even to shut the mouth of all those who would excuse or cover
such enormities, and to show them what condemnation they deserve,
Messieurs have ordained ... &c....
The sooner this is done the better, for already this unhappy book
has been too much in the hands of these gentlemen....
[_Fr. orig. autogr.--Coll. of the Chevalier Engard at Geneva._]