Impressions of Calvin on his recall to Geneva--rigorous
application of discipline in his church--news of Germany, of
France, and of England.
STRASBOURG, _29th March 1540_.
I have already waited so long for your letter that I may well doubt
whether I ought to wait any longer. My anxious wish to hear from you
kept alive my expectation, and shall even yet sustain my hope for
some few days; but if at length my hope shall give way, you will see
how indignantly I have borne this disappointment; and your neglect
is all the less to be tolerated, because Geneva at this present time
affords you such abundant material for correspondence. Du Tailly,
however, has written to me, and yet I do not clearly understand
from his expressions what has been the catastrophe of this drama.
Michael, also, the printer, has communicated to me at Blecheret,
that my return thitherward might be brought about; but rather would
I submit to death a hundred times than to that cross, on which one
had to perish daily a thousand times over. This piece of information
I have wished incidentally to communicate to you, that to the utmost
of your power you may set yourself to oppose the measures of those
who shall endeavour to draw me back thither. And that I may not
appear to be looking in one direction and rowing in another, I will
lay open my mind to you whenever at any time you ask me to do so.
We are as yet in a state of suspense as to the marriage,[192] and
this annoys me exceedingly, forasmuch as the relations of that young
lady of rank are so urgent that I may take her unto myself, which,
indeed, I would never think of doing, unless the Lord had altogether
demented me. But because it is unpleasant to refuse, especially in
the case of such persons, who overwhelm me altogether with their
kindness, most earnestly do I desire to be delivered out of this
difficulty. We hope, however, that this will very shortly be the
case; and during the next four or five days another engagement will
turn away my mind from the subject, and itself will engross all my
attention.
[192] See the preceding Letter.
In this place hitherto many individuals were in the habit of making
a rash approach to the sacrament of the Supper. On Easter-day, when
I gave out the intimation that we were to celebrate the Supper on
next Lord's-day, I announced, at the same time, that no one would
be admitted to the table of the Lord by me, who had not beforehand
presented himself for examination. The greatest difficulty will
arise in correcting that silly eagerness to press forward which
has taken possession of some Frenchmen, so that it can scarcely be
driven out of them. You are aware of those regulations that have
been made for the Academy, that the young men confining themselves
to the distinction of the student's gown must lay aside the wearing
of a sword, that they must give up their names to the rector, and
such like. Now, in order to evade these rules they renounce entirely
the profession of the belles-lettres; but as this bears upon it the
face of manifest contumacy, I have resolved on no account to allow
it, for I would rather that the whole of them should go away than
that they should remain at the expense of discipline. Leo Juda[193]
lately requested of me to allow him to publish, in German, with
the addition of my name, the first of those two Epistles which I
wrote four years ago;[194] that one, indeed, (I mean the one in
which I am made to coax and flatter the Popish bishops,) he has
published at this fair-time without the name. The answer I gave was
very friendly, but at the same time, contained some rather cutting
admonition. A little before that I had written almost to the same
purpose to Bullinger. If it shall succeed I will let you know
the course I may take. Our friends are hitherto at a standstill
as to what they intend to do. The reason of their offputting is
because they have not as yet received any certain return by way
of answer from the Emperor, who, however, begins to be much more
tractable. The meeting of the King of England with our sovereign has
somewhat tamed his arrogance, which may have considerable influence
in changing the whole of his measures.[195] He made use of this
sophism, that he would not bind himself to the King by promise on
any account, but that he would inflate him with empty hopes for the
future. Already the King seemed to himself to have possession of
Milan. Lately, however, when the Emperor's inclination was put to
proof by the ambassador, he found that it was not easy to bring him
that length. It is said, indeed, that in everything he has given
the King his choice, provided only that he does not ask Milan. On
that account, therefore, it is that the Constable is gone to him,
and if he does not get what he seeks, we suspect that they will be
more ready to go to war than ever. Neither, indeed, will the King
of England, in such a crisis of affairs, yield in any point, much
less the admiral, who is now restored to his former post of honour
and favour. Before few months are over we shall see, if I am not
mistaken, a wonderful change of scene, but, in the meanwhile, the
Lord must be entreated that in this turn of affairs he would both
hasten forward the decision and also confirm the resolution of our
friends. May the Lord keep you all in safety, continually under his
protection. And foremost of them all, adieu, my very excellent and
right trusty brother. Capito, Sturm, Bedrot, Claude, and my brother,
salute you. Nicolas and the others do not know that I am writing.