Approval of a letter of Viret to the Seigneuries of Berne--the
ecclesiastical property--Italian emigrants at Geneva--troubles
caused by the differences of that town with Berne.
[_September 1542._]
(For yourself only.)
That day on which I thought of writing to you by Nicolas, some other
business came in the way; this is the reason why I did not perform
what I had undertaken. At length, when I was looking about for an
opportunity whereby to write, this brother conveniently offered his
services, but saying that he wished me to reply immediately. But
when I would have excused myself, owing to my not being able to
write so soon, because the Consistory was about to meet, without any
hesitation he granted me the whole day. As even then, however, there
is not very much time left, I shall briefly run over the particular
points which I intended to discuss with you.
The letter to the Senate,[374] seeing that we cannot have the other
remedy, which I thought better, pleases me remarkably well. There
is somewhat manly and spirited about it. Moreover, it closes the
door for the future against mischievous and tyrannical precedents.
In my opinion, Erasmus has been very leniently dealt with,
especially since others may be brought under more severe discipline,
who, unless I am mistaken, had both a better case and were less
reprovable in their conduct. Nor do I express myself in this way,
because I would have you to flatter others; but caution is required,
lest while you are reproving the many, you take care, at the same
time, that, on a like occasion, you do not spare the individual
offender. However that may be, the whole affair has turned out
better than I had even ventured to hope. May the Lord cause your
letter to be well received and hearkened to by men.
[374] Concerning ecclesiastical affairs. See pp. 345-347.
As to the ecclesiastical property, I have almost no information
beyond hearsay.[375] First of all, therefore, I shall mention what I
have heard; then, what is my own opinion. They have determined, that
whatever the Church possessed of property or annual rents should
be put up to sale, on condition that part of the purchase-money
should be paid down: that the balance of the price should be met
by an annual payment. They add, by way of exception, that they
cannot guaranty or defend possession to the purchasers beyond the
period of their own administration. Subject to this condition,
Peter Wendel purchases the priory for the sum of one thousand five
hundred crowns, others bought vineyards, others fields, others
dwelling-houses. Now, you may at once conjecture what I must think
of all this. You perceive an alienation of the property has been
made, that the Church is to be left unprovided, that the magistrate
may grant just what he pleases, as if the property were his own,
and if the incumbent does not discharge the duty entirely to his
satisfaction, he can even curtail the provision which he allots to
the ministers, and may even threaten to withhold it altogether.
It is not an easy matter to unravel this business or to say what
ought to be done, especially when there are so few who, without
self-seeking, dare venture disinterestedly to expose themselves
to the shafts of envy; and there are many who rather prefer by
connivance to forget their duty, and so to obtain the favour of men,
than to incur their displeasure by a firm and honest opposition.
In this affair of the Church property, however, nothing can be
accomplished without an entire agreement amongst ourselves. In vain,
therefore, you may attempt to set any train of operations in motion,
unless you have them all ready at the same time to pull along with
you. We have this much, however, in our own power, that we withhold
our approval, either by words or by any other token, of whatever may
be even questionable.
[375] The Seigneury of Berne put to sale this year the property
of the churches, of the priories, and of the cloisters, and drew
from them considerable sums, of which a portion ought to have been
applied to the foundation of new cures, and in augmentation of the
ministers' stipends.--See Ruchat, _Hist. de la Réf. en Suisse_, tom.
v. pp. 201-203.
I am glad that lately I did not put myself to trouble to no purpose,
by writing into Italy, since my letter after all could not have
arrived in time. We have here now another Italian,[376] an old man
of a reverend aspect, even in his outward appearance.[377] He was
of great authority among his countrymen, lives here at his own
charges; and if he can acquire the language, I expect will become
some time or other exceedingly useful.
[376] The year 1542 was signalized by the establishment of the
Inquisition in Italy, and by the dispersion of the Reformed
communities established at Naples, at Lucca, and at Venice.--See
M'Crie, _Hist. of the Ref. in Italy_, c. v. pp. 212-231.
[377] Bernardino Ochino of Sienna, [ancien supérieur-général,] of
the order of the Capuchins. Renowned for his eloquence throughout
all Italy, he preached the Reformation successfully at Naples and
at Venice, was cited before the tribunal of the Inquisition, and
escaped by a voluntary exile the condemnation which threatened him.
In the month of September, 1542, he arrived at Geneva, and was
the first pastor of the Italian Church founded in that town.--See
M'Crie, _History_, and _Council's Registers_, 1542, _passim_.
John the bookseller, who has lately returned hither, spoke to me
about Zebedee,[378] and says that he is ready to come hither if
there was any opening for him. I made no other reply except that I
would write to you about it. But what to write, verily I know not;
for, as you are aware, we have not the means to engage him; and you
are better able yourself to form an opinion as to the many obstacles
which may lie in the way of such an arrangement than I am to express
them in writing to you.
[378] See Note 1, p. 352.
There is another affair which sadly vexes me. When I was supposing
that everything was conclusively settled by arbitration with the
Bernese,[379] lo! all of a sudden the whole affair is broken off. It
was thereupon resolved, on the part of the Council of Two Hundred,
that the claims of the Bernese ought to be yielded up to them.
There remained an appeal to the General Council or Assembly of the
people, which, when the Senate was considering deliberately about
convoking them, our friend Amy Perrin[380] said that he retracted
his former opinion. Then in magniloquent terms he discoursed about
the meanness of making such a base concession. There were some who
followed him on the same side. The upshot of the whole was, that the
Council of Sixty, and next the Council of Two Hundred, were to be
assembled. When the two hundred met, and the matter was propounded
to them, lo and behold! Paguet, as if he were the sole Atlas of
the commonweal, broke out in a bitter invective, reproaching the
men who were so ready, of their own accord, to despoil the city
of such a distinguished privilege. To such a degree did he allow
himself to be carried away by the spirit of contention in debate,
that he even went so far as to threaten the members of Council
with the Wood-market, where traitors to the republic are wont to
be beheaded. A serious disturbance and riot was the consequence.
At length, however, it passed away, on a resolution being come to,
that he must humbly, on his bended knees, ask pardon of the Senate
for having made use of such language. The whole affair, as you may
perceive, is hatched in the workshop of Macrin, who seems to me to
be determined, of set purpose, to keep the two towns in a state of
perpetual dissension with each other. Now, if you could make it
suit your convenience to come hither at present, you would do me a
very great favour. For even although there may be no possibility
of falling on any remedy, it will afford some comfort both to me
and to yourself to have the opportunity of deploring this calamity
together. There cannot be a doubt, however, that your arrival will
be of great importance to us, provided you are here by Monday. Take
care, however, to keep to yourself the reason of your coming, for
all those who were present bound themselves by oath to keep silence,
so that it will not be without danger. The advantage to be derived
from your journey you shall hear of when we meet; and, as I hope
also, you will yourself acknowledge it.
[379] See Note 2, p. 228. Notwithstanding multiplied conferences,
and the conciliatory efforts of the arbiters of Basle, the disputes
between Berne and Geneva had not yet been settled. The two republics
were brought to agreement only in the month of January 1544.
[380] He was then devoted to the Reformation and to Calvin, of whom
he soon became the most determined adversary.
Adieu, my dear brother; may the Lord preserve you, and bring you
speedily hither in safety. Salute all the brethren and your family
in my own name and in that of my wife.--Yours,