[336] That is to say, Geneva.
The grace and peace of God our Father, by our Lord Jesus Christ,
dwell and be with you and upon you always, by the power of his Holy
Spirit.
VERY DEAR BRETHREN,--We would desire to have wherewithal to write
you, which might prove matter of greater comfort and consolation to
you; for whereas there are some others who would make you sad, we
would be the first to take some pains to make you rejoice and be
glad. But at this present time, necessity constrains us to use other
argument than our own inclination would suggest to us if we were
free to choose. But yet we hope, you will not think that we have
any other intention than to edify you, to comfort and confirm you
in our Lord, and therefore, we shall not make any more lengthened
excuses on that account. Touching the subject-matter of these
presents, we trust that you shall not take it in evil part should
this communication cause you more trouble than cause of rejoicing.
We also do very well know, that it is an odious thing to find fault
with a man who is not only in good repute, but has acquired some
credit and renown. But when you have heard the reasons which move
us to do so, we have no doubt that you will not be dissatisfied
with us, but hold yourselves well content to agree. In short, we
would wish you to understand, that we have some news to write you
touching the white friar who preached there during last Lent, which
will not turn out to his praise. The course we take in this matter
is not from any desire on our part to detract from him; for although
we have some occasion that might lead us to that, our courage is
not equal to it, and neither is it our use and wont. But when we
shall have explained our motive, you can fully satisfy yourselves;
forasmuch as he has returned from among you not very well pleased
with the reception which we had given him, so he has said to some
persons. We can well conceive, therefore, that being thereaway, he
would make many complaints, were it for no other reason than to
clear himself on account of his return once more into that lower
abyss from whence the Lord had delivered him. Well we see, on the
other hand, what offence you might conceive against us, if you were
not duly informed of the whole affair. Inasmuch, then, as we are
bound to you by reason of that tie whereby the Lord has joined us
together, and that we should be blamable in the sight of God towards
you, did we not take the trouble to remove the scandals which the
Devil sets afloat to separate and estrange us from the unity which
the Lord has put in the midst of us, it has seemed to us a sound
discretion, simply to relate to you the history of the treatment
and reception which we have vouchsafed him, and, on the other hand,
how he has conducted himself, that you may judge for yourselves how
little he had to make him discontented with us. What we shall relate
to you shall be told as in the presence of God, to whom we do appeal
as witness, beseeching him to make manifest the truth such as it
really is, and to confound those who would speak falsehood, or make
use of calumny of what kind soever.
Some days after his arrival, having already spoken to him in
private, and having shewn him tokens of courtesy and friendship,
we called upon him, being met together, to know what might be his
determination. After he had told us that he had come to serve the
Church of God, we besought him not to take it ill, that we had not
on the first day of his arrival offered him the pulpit. In like
manner, we requested that he would excuse us should we still delay
for some time; and we shewed him the causes which hindered our being
hasty in so doing. First of all, because the Lord has delivered
our rule in writing, which it is not lawful for us to overpass. It
is, that he has forbidden us to receive any man to the ministry
before he has been well and duly approved, and that rule ought to
be inviolably kept by us, if we would have good order and policy
maintained in the Church. We admonished him to consider how the rule
of the ministry, as a matter of Church polity, was recommended to
us of God, which would be lightly esteemed were we to receive any
individual at random, without observing the lawful form and order.
Secondly, we demonstrated to him what might be the consequence if we
should thus hastily and unadvisedly introduce him; that is to say,
that another would be received after his example, and in such sort,
that it would come to pass that we would fall into greater confusion
than even we have had in time bygone, making dispensation in favour
of one, and denying it to another, which inequality is mortal ruin
in the Church of God. Thirdly, we told him, that even were we so
far to trifle with our consciences as to be willing, in his favour,
to transgress the commandment of God, nevertheless we were not at
liberty to do so, for that we have our laws ecclesiastic, which are
reduced to writing, and which give us a quite different lesson. We
must therefore observe them, in regard that all the people of our
manner of worship are obliged so to do. Fourthly, we clearly pointed
out to him, that it was even for his advantage that the proceeding
should be maturely gone about and ripely advised beforehand; that in
the interval, he might have leisure to consider how difficult and
irksome a charge it is, and in order to be well resolved as to what
he would have to do; and also to become acquainted with our form
and manner, with a view to suit and accommodate himself to it, from
fear of giving offence to the people who are tender and delicate,
for even the untaught and ruder sort are sometimes rather difficult
to please. Notwithstanding, we gave him clearly to understand that
it was no intention of ours to keep him a long while in suspense
and weary him out, but rather to shorten his probation, and as soon
as shall be possible to admit him to the service of God. Thereupon
we requested of him to have yet a little patience, waiting until
everything might be done according to the prescribed order of God;
and that in the meantime he could deal with us privately as with
brethren, we offering to do him all the service and shew him all
good-will in everything which the Lord might put into our hand.
It certainly did appear to us that our proposals were so reasonable,
that he ought to take them into consideration. Moreover, we spoke
as kindly and gently as he could think of requiring, and you may
rest assured that every God-fearing man, having a clear conscience,
would have been well satisfied. More than that, even a man of a bad
heart, if so be that he might have had some measure of honesty, and
was not become altogether shameless, would have felt a sort of shame
in refusing to acquiesce. Our Carmelite, as an answer to everything,
required us to give assurance on the spot, notwithstanding all the
reasons which we have alleged. And that for two causes: the first
was, that he had at this time companions who could lead him surely
out of danger, and furnish him with money and equipage, and that he
would not always have that opportunity at hand. The second, that if
he was to return to France, the sooner he went the better, before
the noise of his coming hither was made public.
We saw clearly by this answer that he knew nothing about the
Church nor the ministry either, and that if he had but little
understanding, he had even less heart and zeal in her service.
Nevertheless, having made him withdraw, and having spoken with each
other, once more we made him a very gentle and gracious reply,
praying that he would pardon us if we could not acquiesce in his
request, seeing that our consciences were fast bound up from so
doing by the word of God; and what had formerly been said to him
was explained and confirmed besides, as well by the testimonies of
Scripture, as by the example of the ancient Church. We also plied
him with exhortations, which might well have subdued him and
brought him back to better reason, had he not gone too far astray;
and, in order that it might not appear as if we had not treated him
with all due honour, we shewed him that the same course had been
followed in the case of others not less worthy than himself, and who
of their own accord willingly submitted to it.
But in place of yielding to reason, he replied, flatly, and somewhat
at a non-plus, that if we thought we had the Spirit of God, _he_
was not altogether void of it, and shewed clearly, that all our
forementioned dealing with him he took in no other way than as a
mockery. We answered him, in the first place, that in this matter we
had the word of God so clear, that our consciences were well enough
assured. And that, even if the thing were doubtful, or we might have
some scruple about it, it was our duty to attempt nothing against
what we considered to be the will of God. Moreover, that what we
alleged in proof of that was so clear, that there was no need to
make any further dispute about it. That he ought, besides, rather to
suspect himself than us, seeing that he had only his own interests
to consider, while we, on the other hand, had no other object in
view but that of keeping close to the order of God. He replied also
to that, that if he had come before the time of Lent, he would
willingly have submitted to examination, but since he had preached
in a church so near at hand,[337] that we ought to hold _that_ for
approbation. On that point, we told him, that it had happened in
France, as Solomon has said, that to the hungry soul bitter things
appear to be sweet, for the poor people are so famished and starved
with regard to the true doctrine, that when one touches on a single
word, were it only by halves, they are so ravished and transported,
that they do not take leisure to judge aright. Besides, referring
to his boast of having preached there, we told him, that he need
not exalt his horn on that account, and that we knew well in what
weakness it had been. And yet, nevertheless, we protested that it
was not by way of reproach, and that we were not so wanting in
humanity that we would not support those who are somewhat weak when
in such danger, but that it was to lead him to the knowledge of
himself, in order that he might not pride himself upon that without
cause, having more occasion rather to humble himself. In conclusion,
we set ourselves again to soothe and to encourage him, while, on his
part, he did not exhibit any farther appearance of being irritated.
[337] The Church of Lyons.
On the morrow, being in a tavern with a large company, among whom
there were about half a score of preachers about him, after they
had discoursed of some matter, without any provocation, or any
occasion given, as if he had been the controller of the whole world,
he declared that they had not a learned man among them hereabouts,
and spoke even more outrageously than I can repeat; and as truth
always comes to light in time, we have been told since, that from
the first day of his arrival in this town, he has never ceased to
malign sometimes one person and sometimes another, and at other
times the whole of us, even so far as to pronounce, that he found
no savour nor edification in all our preachings and lectures. And,
notwithstanding, while all this was going on, he did not hesitate in
venturing to dine with us. We see his object perfectly; it is, that
the poor man has such a hungering after notoriety, that he burns
everything to attain it, and all the while we see nothing about
which he need glorify himself. For when one has thoroughly sifted
all that is in him, even all the inward parts of the belly, there is
nothing one finds, after all, but the ignorance of an ass. He knows
somewhat less of Latin than a child of eight years ought to have.
In Scripture he is as blind and ignorant as a beetle, and all the
while he is so drunken with ambition, that he can scarcely keep upon
his feet. We do not trouble you by the recital of all the shifts and
subtleties which he has devised and attempted. He had all the will
to trouble the Church, had the time been seasonably disposed for it.
This, however, is no new instance of the kind, for these sort of
people have had their predecessors since the time of St. Paul, who,
by a like sort of artifice, that is to say, bragging and vaunting
about their own doings, and disparaging the holy apostle behind his
back, in order to advance themselves, threw all in disorder, as we
may see in the Epistles to the Corinthians and the Galatians.
Towards the conclusion of the whole affair, this discreet and
worthy man having made up his mind to [have nothing more to do
with us,] and to be gone, came to one of us to clear himself, and
principally with the view of justifying everything that he had said
in his answers; he was told, that it would be for his own advantage
seriously to consider all that had taken place, as in the sight of
God, that he might accuse and condemn himself, and without being
so resolutely bent upon maintaining his honour by loud talk, after
having, both by act and deed, so greatly wounded it; for that,
should he persist in thus contending both against reason and truth,
he would come to a bad end, inasmuch as that judgment must ever
prove true, that whosoever exalteth himself shall be humbled. As
touching the silly expressions he had made use of in the tavern, he
wished to be credited in denying them, and that we must consider
all those to be liars who had heard him. He was answered, that
then he must plead against our Lord, who had willed, that in the
mouth of two or three witnesses every word should be established.
And although there was not any special need whatever to discuss
that point, inasmuch as it need not give us very much concern how
much they prize or despise our knowledge, and that our chief glory
consists in our being the servants of God; so much so, that we held
it to be a laughable matter and of no consequence whatever, and
that to such a degree, that we could not so far defer to him as to
admit that he is a competent judge; we could, nevertheless, very
well perceive by such expressions, that his heart was so swelled
with venom, that he was compelled to disgorge it by vomiting forth
his spite in such language upon us; and this sign and token of his
malice gave offence, seeing that we had never given occasion for it.
Touching the third point, he could not deny that he had in some sort
misrepresented our preachings. Yet it was difficult for him to state
any certain ground of objection, even although he had possessed the
knowledge required to enable him to do so. For even though he came
once for the sake of countenance, as if from the fear of being seen
listening for the purpose of learning, he read in a book apart by
himself, in which one could see his foolish ambition, to be so much
afraid of lessening his own reputation should he condescend to do so
much honour to the word of God as to give him a hearing.
The final result of this proposal was, that he to whom it was
addressed said, that he would call together his companions to
speak with him; and as he gave him clearly to understand, that he
need not be under any fear that we would recoil upon him in the
way of revenge, no more than as if he had conducted himself very
wisely, upon that he supped with one of our companions, and made
him believe that he intended to take lodgings and stop in the town.
The next morning he mounted on horseback, and in mounting gave
full rein to his abuse, more than ever he had yet done. Whether
or not he has had just cause for so doing, we leave yourselves
to judge, after having read the statement which we have now made
you, which we protest before God to be the simple truth, without
having added anything, and praying the Lord to give you the spirit
of direction to take knowledge of it, and rightly to judge, in
order that you may not take offence, whatever report he may make
to you; for in writing this letter to you, we intended, besides
the discharge of duty in giving you satisfactory information, to
convince you that we had not treated him with inhumanity. For in
truth, because it had pleased the Lord to make use of his services
in that quarter by his preachings, and that some edification had
followed thereupon, our wish and desire was entirely bent on not
rejecting him. Our conscience, however, would not admit of our
receiving him immediately, until his pride had been a little abased,
that he had learned to trust somewhat more in God, and that he
had profited yet farther a little so as to teach faithfully and
purely; for he had three things about him which by good right were
displeasing to us. First of all, that good persuasion of himself.
Secondly, that he was so devoted to the kitchen, that methinks the
earth itself would scarce have supplied him, as if God in heaven
were not all-sufficient for the nourishment of his own. Thirdly,
he was so ignorant, that we were very much astonished; for in our
congregation, where we read a text of St. Paul, which contained
beautiful matter of doctrine and copious, and ought to be well known
by all who preach in that quarter, because it is the Epistle for
the first Sunday in Advent, when it came to his turn, not only did
he speak meagerly and sparingly upon it, but he reversed the whole
of what Paul said, not intentionally or in malice, as we thought,
but in pure stupidity. Other vices we let pass, as worldly vanity
and the like, that we may not appear as if we persecuted him in
hatred and enmity. What we have now told you is to forearm you, that
you may not be imposed on to your hurt. As regards the individual,
we pray the Lord that he would give him the spirit of humiliation
and of meekness, correcting that lofty and foolish presumption
which he has; and above all, that he might know himself such as he
really is, so as to get a true sight of himself, for then he will
have occasion indeed for self-abasement. In conclusion, very dear
brethren, we shall commend you to the holy safeguard of our Lord
Jesus, who is the true pastor of all the faithful.
[_Fr. orig. minute._--_Library of Geneva._ Vol. 145.]