-O that there were now among you some bold spirits who seeing the necessities of the church would come to her help."

At the beginning of Nov. 1536, Bucer, perceiving the noble spirit of Calvin, wrote to him from Strasburg. He takes the position of a learner and invites him to hold a consultation with him on some disputed points in theology. He desires a union of opinion among all the reformers, and requests Calvin to designate a place where they may meet, at Basil, at Berne or even at Geneva, if it must be, in order that they may conscientiously examine the truth, "in which," he says, "you indeed may be established in opinion, but we on account of our weakness need explanation."

Relation of Calvin to Farel, Viret and Beza.

In the be

From the time of Calvin's arrival in Geneva, he was united in heart and in labors with Farel and Viret. These two men had been sometime in French Switzerland before Calvin came there, and had been assiduous in their exertions for reformation. Geneva in particular owed much to them; but the incidental allusions which have already been made, are all that we can at present offer in reference to their earlier course. As companions and fellow-laborers with Calvin, they deserve a brief notice. ginning of his Commentary on Titus, the following memorial of their friendship is found: "Since my relation to you [Farel and Viret] so much resembles that of Paul to Titus, I have been led to choose to dedicate this my labor to you in preference to all others. It will afford our contemporaries at least, and, it may be, those who come after us, some indication of our holy friendship and union. I do not think that two friends have ever lived together in the common relations of life, in so close a friendship as we have enjoyed in our ministry. I have performed the duties of pastor with you both, yet so far were we from the feeling of envy, that it seemed as if you and myself had been one." This friendship was not limited by their residence together at Geneva. It continued while life remained. It is conspicuous throughout a frequent correspondence, especially with Farel, which closed with these fitting words from the death-bed of Calvin: "Farewell, best and dearest brother! since it is the Lord's will that you survive me, be mindful of our friendship; its fruits, since it has blest the church of God, are laid up for us in heaven. Do not mourn

1 Calvin, Opp. Amst. Tom. 9, p. 2

1845.]

The Dissimilarity of Calvin and Farel.

505

for me,"1 etc. The friendship between these men is the more remarkable, perhaps, from the singular dissimilarity of their characters. Calvin was naturally timid and gained confidence only by struggling against opposition, Farel knew not fear; Calvin, a scholar and thinker, lived much within himself, Farel delighted in action; Calvin was an elegant writer, Farel an eloquent speaker; Calvin feared Farel and dared not resist his adjurations, Farel respected Calvin and was ever ready to acknowledge his superiority; Farel would face the most violent opposition and confront the most imminent peril, whilst Calvin preferred to retire before the gathering storm of opposition, and seek out some more excellent way of meeting his antagonists; Farel loved best to use the club and battle-axe, whilst his leader chose to hurl the polished shaft or storm the citadel from his own wellfortified intrenchments.

Beza says: "Calvin enjoyed exceedingly this hearty friendship which was as odious to the bad as pleasing to the good; and truly it was a pleasant sight to see these three extraordinary men acting with such unanimity and endowed with so various gifts. Farel was distinguished by a greatness of soul, and no one could listen to the thunder of his words without terror, or hear his most fervent prayers without being exalted, as it were, to heaven. On the contrary Viret was so winning in speech that his hearers hung upon his lips whether they would or not. But Calvin filled the minds of his hearers with as many weighty sentiments as he spake words. Thus, I have often thought, that, the union of the gifts of these three men would constitute the most perfect preacher of the Gospel."

With Beza although somewhat younger than Calvin, and his pupil, a friendship not less constant and warm, though of a different cast, existed. He was a man of great learning, taste, eloquence and piety, combined with much sensibility, poetic genius,

1 Geneva, May 2nd, 1564. Opp., ed. Amsterdam, T. IX. p. 172.

The following epigram of Beza although somewhat common deserves repetition here:

Gallica mirata est Calvinum Ecclesia nuper

Quo nemo docuit doctius;

Est quoque te nuper mirata, Farelle, tonantem,

Quo nemo tonuit fortius;

Et miratur adhuc fundentem mellea Viretum,

Quo nemo fatur dulcius.

Scilicet aut tribus his servabere testibus olim,
Aut interibis, Gallia.

+

and a fine person and manners. He was of a softer temperament, and in some respects the Melanchthon of Calvin, but one with him in sentiment and feeling. The pupil not only thought with and wrote for his teacher, but even neglected his own duties to be with and aid his friend. The power and enthusiasm with which he devoted himself to him whom he called 'Father' could have been the result of nothing less than the most ardent love.

Who can contemplate the great Reformer in reference to his intercourse with these three men without interest? Even if we forget his youthful attachments, yea even all else in his character that is fitted to awaken our love, we cannot look upon him as that cold and unfeeling controversialist merely, which he has too often been represented to be. We may wonder that the happiness of such strong attachments should fall to the lot of one, who was so rigid in his opinions, so firm, sometimes even to obstinacy, and who occasionally suffered his indignation to pass the bounds of moderation. But this merely shows that some traits of his character, such as unbounded confidence in and affection for his friends were brought less distinctly to view in public than in private life. So true is it that "we know more of the heads of celebrated men than their hearts; they have sketched the former in their works; their heart is found in their secret actions." We most cordially respond to the sentiment of his biographer, that "the highest reverence must be awakened by the whole course of his life, which was little else than a sacrifice, without a thought for himself. Even his excesses were for the most part the result of extraordinary conscientiousness, and these faults were easily forgiven by those who knew him."

Struggles with the Anabaptists and Caroli-Expulsion from

Geneva.

The favor which Calvin's labors in Geneva met in the beginning, was not destined to continue. He says of his life at this time: "Scarcely had four months passed [after his arrival in Geneva], when we were attacked on the one side by the Anabaptists, and on the other, by a vile apostate, who in consequence of the support of some of the leading men caused us much trouble. Besides, domestic seditions agitated us continually. I who am obliged to confess myself to be of a timid, soft, and shrinking nature, was compelled to sustain a conflict with these tumultuous waves as soon as I entered upon my office. And although I did

1845.]

Accusation of the Genevan Preachers by Caroli. 507

not suffer myself to be overborne by them, yet I was not sustained by sufficient magnanimity, to prevent me from rejoicing too much when I was expelled by a faction from my office." The result of the contention with the Anabaptists may be given in the words of Beza: "The devil desired to crush this church in its beginning, but God forsook it not. The Anabaptists were so effectually vanquished, through the power of the divine word, by Calvin and his associates, in a public discussion, before the council and the people, that from this time (March, 1537) they were no longer seen in the town."

The other attack of which Calvin speaks, was much more annoying. Peter Caroli, an arrogant, vain, restless, fickle man, and unworthy of notice but for the fact that he aroused the anger of Calvin, accused the Genevan preachers of Arianism. The accusation was seized with avidity by those persons who were watching for some ground of hostility to those whose restraints upon them were burdensome. The question was brought first before the Synod of Berne, and then before that of Lausanne. The whole trial is characteristic of the noble-minded Calvin. A principal ground of accusation was that the word trinity or person was not found in the Genevan confession. Caroli demanded that the Genevan preachers should subscribe the three most ancient creeds, the Apostolic, Athanasian and Nicene; but they rejected the proposition with disdain. They wished not, by their example to sanction the arbitrary assumption in the church, that every one who would not adopt the words of another at his pleasure, should be accused of heresy. The result was, that in a full synod at Lausanne, where there were present one hundred of the clergy from Berne, twenty from Neufchatel and three from Geneva, the Genevan Confession upon the Trinity and the Lord's Supper was pronounced "sancta et catholica." Caroli was deposed from his office as pastor, and banished by the council of Lausanne. Calvin's defence of his own faith and that of his comrades was pronounced admirable, and if he did show a little bitterness2 in

The council passed a sentence of banishment for life upon all who should teach the doctrines of the Anabaptists at Geneva.--Calvin and the Swiss Reform. p. 328.

2 He accuses him in open council of "having no more religion than a dog or a sucking pig." He also says in a letter to Bullinger, that when he calls Caroli a church-robber, an adulterer and a murderer, he makes no accusation which he cannot sustain by valid proofs.-Henry, I. 182, 184. For a fuller account of this whole matter see Henry 1. 178 sq.

+

his treatment of Caroli, we can scarcely reproach him for it, when we consider the worthlessness of Caroli, and the injury he was doing to the cause of truth.-Calvin afterwards came into conflict with Caroli at Strasburg and treated him with a lenity which we could hardly expect, endeavoring to reclaim him from his errors. But it was in vain. He again returned to the Romish church from which he had repeatedly separated himself, and died at Rome in an hospital of a loathsome disease.

One circumstance gives special interest to Calvin's conduct in the struggle with Caroli. He always appealed in confirmation of his orthodoxy, not directly to the Institutes which might have set the matter forever at rest, as far as he was concerned, but to the Catechism which had been published in French under the sanction of the associated clergy of Geneva; thus with himself acquitting both Farel and Viret. And immediately after the deci sion of the Synod, he published this Catechism in Latin so that all might be able to read the Apology for his belief.

These victories, however, were not sufficient to secure permanent quiet. The preachers were urgent in their demands for a reformation in the morals of the corrupt community about them; but many of the citizens who were ready to accede to the formulary of reformed tenets, rebelled under the severe restrictions now imposed upon them. The council, in order to aid the reformers, passed prohibitions of many of the pleasures of the inhabitants, which were thought to conduce to profligacy: A milliner, for example, was subject to an arrest of three days, because she had ornamented a bride more than was becoming. The mother and two female friends of the bride, who after assisting at her toilet, accompanied her to church, were compelled to submit to the same punishment. But notwithstanding the severity of the laws against immorality, a person who was guilty of lewdness, was chosen six times in succession to the office of Syndic, through the influence of the party of the Libertines and Independents.

In order to check the immorality and impiety which was so prevalent, Calvin and his associates induced the senate and the people in a public assembly, July 20, 1537, to abjure popery and subscribe to a formulary of doctrine, contained in the catechism which has been previously mentioned. But this did not reach the source of the evil, the heart. The disaffected party looked with suspicion upon the preachers who, they thought, were establishing a new kind of popery; and the preachers in turn denounced more loudly than ever the licentiousness of the people,