[99] In a new letter to Calvin (7th September 1538) Louis du
Tillet had thought it his duty to signalize the events which had
recently occurred at Geneva as a providential chastening, destined
to recall his old friend from the way of schism. "I am disposed to
think, indeed," said he, "that the things which have happened to
you have been brought about and pursued by the evil disposition
of persons who have more care about the aims and ends of this
world than consideration of what is due to God. But what I beseech
you take in good part, I believe you have rather to consider on
your part whether our Lord has not meant to warn you by that to
bethink yourself if there has been nothing to reprove in your
administration, and to humble you in his sight, and that by this
means the great gifts and graces with which our Lord has furnished
you may be employed to his glory, to the salvation of his elect, and
on that account always more and more increased."--MSS. of Paris.
Calvin replies to that objection, and appeals from "the sentence of
the wise" to the tribunal of God.
Reply to doubts as to the lawfulness of his call--inward
assurance of his calling--declines the kind offer of Louis du
Tillet--appeals to the tribunal of God from the accusation of
schism charged on him by his friend.
STRASBOURG, _20th October 1538_.
Prolonged and lengthened as the time has been during which our
Lord has made me feel the exhortations and remonstrances which
are contained in your letter, I cannot but take them in good part,
unless, indeed, I would give the lie to my own conscience. I learn
therefrom, that in the dealings which our Lord has taken with me, I
should find both material and occasion for the acknowledgment of my
faults. Neither am I content to examine myself only and call them
to mind, but, as was my duty, I have made no difficulty to confess
them in the presence of those who would have been better pleased to
justify me than to ween that there was any need to blame myself.
True it is that, so far as our adversaries are concerned, I have,
with good reason, always maintained mine innocence, suchlike as
I could testify it before God. And, in like manner, I have never
yielded to those who set themselves up rashly to sit in judgment, as
for the most part overforward to determine the nature of the malady
while ignorant of its root. But I have never failed to declare,
whether it was in public or in private, that we must accept that
calamity as a singularly remarkable chastisement of our ignorance
as well as of our other vices which called for it. Whatsoever are
my peculiar faults as an individual, while I can discern very many,
yet I hold, nevertheless, that I do not perceive the greatest of
them, even the grosser faults. Wherefore, I pray the Lord that he
would make them more clearly manifest to me from day to day. Those
which you point out are not to be laid to my charge. If there was
any ground to dispute my call, I believe that you have got no such
reasons to impugn my ministry, but the Lord has furnished me with
more firm and stable ones for my confirmation. If you entertain
some doubt about that, it is enough for me that it is quite clear
to my own satisfaction, and not only so, but that I can approve it
to those who are willing to submit their censures to the test of
truth. You do well to admonish me that it is wrong to confide too
much in one's own understanding, for I know my range to be such
that I cannot presume ever so little upon myself without exceeding.
I would, however, request of you to believe that the complaints
which, on other occasions, you have heard me make, were not the
utterances of hypocrisy, for they testified that I was well aware of
my insufficiency for the charge I hold.
You dwell very much upon the point, that it might be painful to us
to make retractions under the fear of the imputation of trifling,
when we have formed a rash and inconsiderate determination. For my
own part, as I know well enough that by good right I ought to fear
lest that foolish ambition should so far hoodwink me as to deflect
the straightforwardness of my judgment, so, on the other hand, I
hope that our Lord will not leave me so far to myself as to fall
into such a degree of pride, that for the sake of preserving mine
own honour scatheless I would wilfully oppose myself to his truth.
I have discussed this question with some eminent persons whom you
know. I cannot, even now, see the case in any other light than
that which I have declared. I know not whether the witness who was
present has brought you any random report of what took place, as he
has a shrewd turn at upsetting and embroiling whatsoever he puts his
hand to.
Concerning that objection of condemning others, I feel constrained
to make one observation, which possibly shall not be pleasing to
you. I would that you should take a part of these observations
to yourself. For in calling _the darkness light_ throughout
the whole of your letter, you do condemn those who walk far
more straightforwardly in regard to that matter than any of
yourselves.[100] I shall not enter upon a disputation, for neither
is that your intention; but I would like to know what equity there
is in a person who passes judgment in his closet, condemning all
those who maintain their doctrine daily openly before all the world,
and who thinks, notwithstanding, that it is presumption in those
others to dare to condemn the manifest enemies of God and of his
majesty. What you have said in reference to that question I take as
proceeding from a good intention, but must attribute it to a very
different spirit from that of God. Touching my retirement, I confess
to you that I have found somewhat strange the first word which you
have spoken to me regarding it, as to seeking the means of returning
to a place where I would be as it were in a sort of hell.[101] The
earth is the Lord's, you will say, but I beg you will allow me to
follow the rule of my conscience, which I know to be surer than
yours. As to my resuming the charge, I could indeed have wished to
be believed and taken at my word; and had I only had to do with
those whom you might consider too inconsiderately and obstinately
determined on setting men to work, I should have been in no hurry
to do so; but when the most moderate of them all threaten that the
Lord would find me out as he did Jonah; and when they come to such
words as these, "Suppose to yourself the Church to be lost through
your fault alone. What better course of repentance lies open to you
than to dedicate yourself wholly to the Lord? You who are endowed
with such gifts, with what conscience can you decline the ministry
which is offered to you? &c...."[102] What else to do I knew not,
except to state the reasons which deterred me, in order that I might
follow my own inclination with their consent. When that was to no
purpose, I concluded that I had no alternative, in such a state of
perplexity, but to follow that which I thought was pointed out to
me by the servants of God. I give you my hearty assurance that care
about the body would not have brought me to that conclusion, for I
had seriously pondered the question of setting about the gaining of
a livelihood for myself in some private station, which I think is
not altogether impossible; but I have decided that the will of God
has otherwise disposed. If I have erred, reprove me, I beseech you,
only let it not be by a simple explicit condemnation, to which I can
attribute no authority, against so many reasons and the testimony
of individuals who are nowise contemptible, nor ought they to be so
accounted in your esteem.
[100] The passage in Du Tillet's letter, to which Calvin here
alludes, is as follows:--"One thing to be most carefully avoided
is an overweening confidence in our own judgment, and a too great
readiness either to accept new opinions or to condemn old ones,
especially where matters of religion or piety are concerned; for
a mistake on such ground is more fatal than on any other; ... and
God punishes the temerity of such as thus act, bringing them into a
thousand perplexities."--MSS. of Paris.
[101] That is to say, in France. Louis du Tillet had advised Calvin
to return to that country, where the profession of the Evangel
was interdicted. "I greatly desire that on your part it might
be possible for you to retire hitherward, and that our Lord had
furnished you the means ... but if that cannot be done as yet, I
applaud and appreciate your determination to stop for the present at
Basle, without mixing yourself up in anything else. In waiting upon
our Lord you will shew plainly whitherward you tend."--MSS. of Paris.
[102] These expressions are taken from a letter addressed by
Simon Grynée to Calvin, to induce him to decide on accepting the
ministerial charge at Strasbourg. Here is the original text, which
Calvin quotes from memory:--"Fac esse quod tuâ unius gravissima
culpa res Christi sic labefactæ sint Genevæ, non tamen pia erit
ejusmodi pœnitentia, quâ in ista ministrorum qui istic idonei
sunt copia, tu istis dotibus non tibi sed Ecclesiæ ornatus, oblatum
ministerium repudies."--_Grynæi Epistolæ_, edition of Streuber, p.
55.
You have made me an offer for which I cannot sufficiently thank you;
neither am I so rude and unmannerly as not to feel the unmerited
kindness so deeply, that even in declining to accept it, I can never
adequately express the obligation that I owe you.[103] I shall
abstain, however, as much as possible, from being burdensome to any
one, but principally to you, who have already in the past been put
to too much expense. My aliment at present costs me nothing. To meet
my necessary requirements over and above my daily bread, the money
for the books will furnish somewhat, for I hope that you will kindly
give me others in case of need. Had you addressed your proposition
to me in such terms as to have left no imputation, but only on
myself personally, I could easily have put up with it. But inasmuch
as you do injustice to the truth of God, and to his servants, it has
on my part been inevitable that I must reply briefly, in order that
you may not indulge the notion that I have acquiesced. I believe
that you have considered our affliction to be quite sufficient to
cast me into the utmost perplexity, even such as to throw all former
trials into the shade. I have been greatly afflicted, it is true,
but never to such a degree as to have to say, _Nescio ubi sint viæ
Domini_, (I know not where are the ways of the Lord,) wherefore
these temptations are tried upon me in vain.
[103] Du Tillet had made an offer of money to Calvin in the letter
above cited:--"It is possible that you may be ill provided with
money, without which you cannot live there in a manner becoming you;
but you need not mind about that, for should you receive nothing
elsewhere but from me, if you wish it, God helping, I will supply
enough to meet your necessity, as for the present I have no occasion
for any money, living entirely in the house of my brother.... But
that notwithstanding, I will find means to furnish you."
One of my companions[104] is now before God to render account of the
cause which has been common to him and me. When we come thither, it
will be known on which side the rashness and desertion has been. It
is thither that I appeal from the judgments of all the worldly-wise
sages, who think their simple word has weight enough for our
condemnation. There, the angels of God will bear witness who are the
schismatics.
[104] The minister Courault. See following note.
After having humbly commended myself to your good-will I shall
entreat our Lord that he would uphold and keep you in his holy
protection, so directing you, that you decline not from his
way.--Your humble servant and sincere friend,