[434] The Church of Geneva, set up as a butt for the attacks and
blackening defamation of her maligners who were unwilling to
submit to the authority of her discipline, had also to lament the
_scandales_ occasioned by the conduct of many of her pastors. Two
of Calvin's colleagues, Henry de la Mare and Champereau, were not
ashamed to frequent the taverns and _cabarets_, and so to expose the
office of the ministry to the mockeries of insolent raillery, and
those who took a pleasure in repeating that the ministers wished
to make Canons of them.--_Chronique_ de Roset, lib. v. c. 2 et
3.--Grieved on account of these scandals, but without the power of
repressing them, Calvin found vent to his sorrow in the intimacy of
his correspondence with Farel and Viret.
Struggles and difficulties of Calvin at Geneva--quarrels of the
ministers--violent attacks of Castalio--dissatisfaction of the
deputies from Berne--reappearance of the plague--dangers of the
Church.
GENEVA, _30th May 1544_.
For the second time, I now begin to learn what it is to dwell at
Geneva. I am, indeed, beset with thousand briers. These two months
bypast we have had serious wranglings among my colleagues, and
they have even gone so far, that out of four it is quite evident
that two have perjured themselves. Of which crime, if they who
were accused had been given up to justice, a crying scandal would
have arisen. The cases, indeed, were diverse, also happened at
different times, so that the one party threw back the accusation
upon the other. When the truth could not be got at, either by oral
testimony or by home arguments, I was obliged to commend the cases
to the special judgment of God, and having done so, have settled
the dispute on both sides. For what else could I have done? Had
both of them been cast out, the innocent party must have suffered
wrongfully, and the example instead of doing good would be of evil
consequence. I was besides afraid lest, should the affair come to
be generally talked about, it might be said they were cast out upon
an uncertainty. The infamy in the meantime, however, would settle
down upon our order. Somehow or other it fell out crosswise, that
one who had also been a monk, a boon companion and crony of some
of them, and has scarcely ever been here among the brotherhood,
has so traduced their manner of life, and of certain others, both
in writing and in conversation, that none could be more vile than
we if the discreditable impeachment should spread any wider. I
called together my colleagues; complained bitterly of them all,
for that the whole of this affair was to be imputed entirely to
them. I said, that indeed I was quite well aware that that frantic
blockhead had been furnished with the weapons of his annoyance by
themselves; but that however that might be, they must now combine
their wits together for the purpose of extinguishing, as it were,
a common conflagration. I told them besides, that the hand of
the Lord pressed heavily upon us, and that he would avenge the
perjuries which attached to us. It would not be at all wonderful,
if, on account of so much wickedness and cursing, the wrath of the
Lord should begin to wax hot against us, which of old, because of
the sinful conduct of only one individual, had raged so fiercely
against the whole Israelitish people. I took care also to let them
know, that this would never cease nor come to an end until our
presbytery should be cleansed from those crimes by which it had
been defiled. And in conclusion I exhorted them, each to examine
himself and to look within, in suchwise as to confess that he was
punished deservedly. Yet, forsooth, so far were they from giving
heed to what I said, that forthwith they thought of nothing else
than how they might have their revenge, at least some of them. That
same monk I have mentioned was employed by these two brethren, of
whom there was a strong suspicion that they had been cognizant,
yea, even aiders and abettors of the accusation. Certain persons
reported underhand of one of them, that he had said many insolent
things against the magistracy, and that a large proportion of the
senators had been sorely wounded by slanderous insinuations. Now,
you know well enough by experience how sensitive and irritable our
senate is whenever it is touched. As soon as I was informed of
this, I called all my colleagues together, told them beforehand what
would happen, and also threatened, that in the event of anything
more serious occurring, I was not going to wait patiently to be
involved in such troubles along with them; and that when I was gone
away, they would feel whether their own shoulders were broad enough
to bear up under such a burden. Meanwhile, the nobleman I referred
to, has been cast into prison; to clear himself, he flings back an
accusation upon our colleague Louis,[435] which can scarcely have
other issue than in a sentence of death or banishment. The former
has several witnesses who can prove that this latter person had
said, that the Syndics of the former year had been elected, with
the clear understanding, that in the event of their committing
misdemeanours, they should be punished capitally, and many things to
the same purpose. On the other hand, our friend Sebastian has been
raging against us with the utmost violence. There were about sixty
persons present yesterday when the Scripture was being expounded.
The passage under consideration was:--"Approving themselves as
the ministers of God in all long-suffering," &c. He shrouded his
attack under cover of a perpetual antithesis, in such a way as to
shew that we were in all respects the very opposite of what the
ministers of Christ ought to be. It was much after this fashion
that he played with the subject:--That Paul had been the servant of
God, we served ourselves; that he had been one of the most patient
of men, we the most impatient; that he had been a night-watcher
in order to lay himself out for the edification of the Church,
but that we kept watch by playing ourselves; that Paul was sober,
we were drunken; that he and the Christians of his time had been
harassed and vexed on account of seditions, while we made it our
business to set them astir; that he was chaste, while we had been
whoremongers; that the apostle had himself been shut up in prison,
but we got people cooped up even for an offensive word; that he
used only the power of God, while we had recourse to that of the
magistrate; that he had suffered from the attack of others, we made
it our study to persecute the innocent. What more need I say? It
was certainly altogether a bloody oration. At the time, I was quite
mute, lest some greater strife might be kindled in the presence
of so many strangers, but I laid a complaint before the Syndics.
These were the ominous intimation of the commencement of all sorts
of schism. It was not so much the perverse manner of his setting
about the attack, and the wrong-headed obstinacy of his ill-minded
malediction, that has moved me to undertake the repression of the
man's restless and froward temper, as because he had slandered us
by the falsest calumnies. You must now perceive the kind of straits
and difficulties which so down-weigh me. And that nought might be
wanting to my misery, or rather to fill the cup of my miseries,
the deputies of Berne, Negueli and d'Erlach the elder, have lately
departed hence in high dudgeon, because they could not arrive at
any reasonable settlement with our authorities here about the
boundaries, which is all the more ungracious, inasmuch as they
were contending about just nothing at all. And indeed, as I hear,
there are certain busybodies, in the places of public resort, who
appeal to me as if I were in my own person the sponsor and arbiter
of peace, when, themselves, by reason of their obstinacy and insane
pride, as much as in them lies, do break away from all peaceable
agreement.
[435] The Minister Louis de Geniston.
I now come to your letter: Marcourt[436] I had so far excused,
that you might not suppose that he had come here upon any previous
arrangement. Indeed, I was aware that his journey was quite upon
another design. There is, however, no denying that he was delighted
on account of the disturbances, and had done his utmost to increase
them. I am no way surprised that your colleague is somewhat stirred
against me; for I have discharged freely enough my own bile both on
Marcourt and the others. The arrangement had been gone into as to
Viret, without my being made aware of it, notwithstanding that I had
taken care long ago to point out that what has been done was what
should be done. When our deputies, however, had returned from Berne,
all of a sudden and beyond my expectation, I have heard that Viret
is coming hither to be our colleague for six months. I returned
thanks to the Bernese deputies because they openly announced that it
had been so arranged at my request. It now remains for the brethren
to give their assent, which, as I expect, will not be very difficult
to be had. The book[437] would have been thrown off ere now had not
the press been occupied with the Dialogues of Viret. I was unwilling
that the printers should be called away from that job, that I
might not appear to set a higher value on my own work than was
befitting. In a short time, however, it will make its appearance.
Bernard, Geniston, and the rest salute you most kindly--indeed, and
in truth, our own family over and over again, Textor, also, who
was called up hither by Baudry, who has fallen into a speechless
state. The disease, so far as I can understand, will prove
incurable. Textor apprehends danger from suffocation; but should
he escape that evil he is still liable to be consumed and wasted
by atrophy. The pestilence again alarms us, and seems to be on the
increase. My little daughter labours under a continual fever.[438]
A rumour has lately been brought hither of the dissolution of the
Imperial diet.[439] They said that the Emperor thought of going to
Strasbourg; now it is reported that he is bound to Metz, but we have
no certain intelligence. In Italy the French have hitherto carried
all before them.[440] But whichever shall gain the upper hand,
either way it must prove calamitous and very disastrous for the
Christian world. May the Lord look in mercy upon us. Again, my very
dear brother, adieu. Salute all the brethren and your own household.
The Lord preserve you all.--Yours,