[240] James Bernard, formerly a monk, converted to the Reform by
the preaching of Farel and Viret, and a minister of the Church of
Geneva during the exile of Calvin. Feeling his insufficiency and
that of his colleagues, he had written a touching letter to the
Reformer, to urge upon him to resume the direction of his former
charge:--"Indeed," said he, "one Sunday lately, when I was preaching
in the chapel of Rive, seeing our church desolate, and the people
all in tears, I was impelled to exhort them earnestly to turn to
God, and to entreat of him humbly, in Christ's name, that he would
send them a faithful pastor, such as is necessary for the interests
of his Church. Two days thereafter the Council of Two Hundred was
assembled, and unanimously called for Calvin; on the following day
the General Council met, and all, without one dissenting voice,
cried, 'We must have Calvin, that wise and holy man, that faithful
minister of Jesus Christ.'... Come, then, most honoured father;
come, for you are ours."--_Calvini Opera_, tom. ix. p. 12.
Protests his devotedness to the Church of Geneva--oblivion of
past injury.
ULM, _1st March 1541_.
Your letter was delivered to me when we were just prepared and
making ready to start upon our journey.[241] You will therefore
excuse my having replied somewhat later than you may have expected.
For the same reason I would wish that you may excuse this epistle,
if it shall appear rather brief and confusedly put together, since
it has to be written by fits and starts upon the journey. That you
advise me to take upon myself the administration of the Church of
Geneva, in so far as you are concerned, I have no doubt that you
have done so in sincerity and from the best motives; because you are
of opinion that it cannot be restored to order unless those persons
shall come to their help by whose departure it has come to pass that
they are thus unhappily afflicted. Moreover, that argument by which
you endeavour to prevail has always had great weight with me; for
because I was afraid lest I might withstand God, I have never dared
utterly to reject that call. On the other hand, my conscience holds
me bound in that charge which I sustain at present; neither does it
suffer me easily, as if that were a matter of no concern, at once
to desert it. My own heart bears witness before God that it was a
sacred and a lawful call, as many godly persons can also testify
to the world. For, indeed, after that calamity, when my ministry
appeared to me to be disastrous and unprosperous, I had determined
in my own mind never again to enter upon any ecclesiastical charge
whatever, unless the Lord himself, by a clear and manifest call,
should summon me to it: I mean by this, that such a necessity had
occurred as that it was not possible for me to strive against it.
Standing upon this determination, the Strasburghers never ceased to
employ many devices, and to set many engines in motion, until they
overturned my resolution. At their first onset, however, they did
not succeed. And when they saw that all was to little purpose, they
threatened, by many arguments, that at the long run I could no more
escape the hand of God by flying from him, than Jonah had escaped
of old. It is nothing wonderful, therefore, if I do not lightly
relinquish that outpost in which God has stationed me. Albeit, I am
not so fixed or nailed to it, but that I am prepared at the same
time to remove as often as it may be the mind of the Church that I
should do so. I will not stir a step, however, except in the way of
lawful procedure. This was the reason why I referred the hearing and
entire disposal of this case to the judgment of our Church. Over and
above all, my dear brethren and colleagues, whom, as they deserve,
I esteem very highly in the Lord, and to whose authority I defer
not less than to the parental, although they were most unwilling
to let me away, yet themselves gave way so far as to agree that I
should set out thither with Bucer, and taking into consideration
the condition of the Church, might consult and advise together upon
what we might conclude as likely to prove most beneficial. In order,
however, that we might not accomplish this purpose forthwith on
the instant, we have been hindered by this journey. But as soon as
we shall have returned home, you may depend on our whole attention
being given to the disposal of this matter. In what relates to
yourself privately, you are well aware that the entrance of every
one of you upon that ministry was with very good reason disapproved
by me.[242] Nothing really good could be expected to come from so
inauspicious a commencement, saving that I always besought the Lord
that he would make you apt to teach in the ministry, and sufficient
for himself. In the meantime, many things were reported which one
could scarcely credit, neither was it possible utterly to disprove
them. Most assuredly, it was not without the most intense heaviness
of heart that I heard things which I foresaw must tend so greatly
to the dishonour and disgrace of the sacred ministry; for as to
what I heard of myself and the brethren having been treated in no
very friendly style, that was a consideration that either did not
at all affect my mind, or pricked me so slightly that it could
inflict no sore. Although I acknowledge that I had such esteem to
Farel and to Courault--as their piety, learning, and sanctity well
deserved, that I could not bear patiently to hear anything spoken
disparagingly of them. This, therefore, I neither conceal nor
dissemble, that you may understand I deal with you candidly and in
simplicity. And, therefore, as touching the present solicitation,
I cannot do otherwise than return you my best thanks, for that by
your letters you shew yourself so well disposed; and I trust that
the inward affection will respond to your words. You may in turn
securely depend on me; for of a truth I promise you, whatever may
be expected from an individual who is a lover of peace, and averse
from contention--who is, moreover, your friend, very desirous indeed
of your salvation, and lastly, neither difficult nor implacable in
forgiving offences. But at the same time, I beseech you, by the name
of God and by his awful judgment, that _you_ keep in mind with whom
you have to do,--one who will exact a strict account in that day
of eternity, by the most searching and fiery trial, who can no way
be satisfied by mere words, or put off by some vain excuse. Above
all, do you seriously consider that you are engaged in the discharge
of an office, which, as it excels every other, so it is the most
dangerous of all, if you do not apply yourself with the utmost
diligence and intensity to the duties which belong to it. If you
care for my approval, I would forewarn you of this one thing, that
I require no more of you than that you devote yourself sincerely
and faithfully to the Lord. Adieu, my very dear brother; may the
Lord Jesus, by his own Spirit, prepare and confirm you in every good
work. Salute, I pray you, all the godly on my behalf.
[_Calvin's Lat. Corresp._ Opera, tom. ix. p. 260.]
[241] Calvin was setting out for the Diet at Ratisbon.
[242] James Bernard and his colleagues, appointed ministers of
Geneva after the expulsion of Calvin, had, by their weakness and
want of firmness, sanctioned the disorders against which Calvin,
Farel, and Courault had opposed themselves in vain.