1845.] Expulsion of Calvin and his Associates from Geneva. 509

and the supineness of the magistrates in checking it. Coraud, who, it will be remembered, had been expelled from Paris for his faithfulness, though feeble, old and blind, yet full of youthful zeal, was led to the pulpit where he inveighed against the indecision of the council in suppressing wickedness, and as a consequence was thrown into prison. His associates remonstrated in vain with these rulers for their treatment of him. Bitter animosities and strifes were cherished between many of the first families, and the city was divided into the most hostile factions. Excommunication against offenders had been often threatened, but could not be carried into effect, and the preachers came to the conclusion that they could not administer the communion in a city, which, although so corrupt, would submit to no church discipline. "We thought," says Calvin, that our duty was not done, when we had merely preached the word. With much greater assiduity must we labor for those whose blood, if they perished by our neglect, would be required at our hand. And if at other times these cares gave us solicitude, as often as the seasons of communion occurred, we were filled with anguish; for although the faith of many seemed to us exceedingly doubtful, all without exception came to the table. And they rather ate and drank the wrath of God, than partook of the sacrament of life."

The whole

Their resolution was put into effect simultaneously in the different churches. On Easter day, in 1538, Calvin and Farel both preached without administering the communion. city was in a ferment. They united with their other accusations against Calvin and his associates, their neglect to conform to the decree of the synod of Lausanne, which had required the Genevans to use unleavened bread in the sacrament, and in other respects to conform to the ceremonies of the church of Berne. The council forbade the use of their pulpits to their ministers. They however did not heed the prohibition. The two councils in turn, and finally the assembled people (April 23, 1538) passed an order for the expulsion of Calvin, Farel and Coraud from Geneva. They were ordered to leave the city in three days. When Calvin was informed of the decree of the assembly, he replied with dignity: "Had I been the servant of men, I were now ill-requited; but it is well that I have served Him who always bestows upon his servants what he promises them."2

1 See page 489 and note.

2 When the decree of the council was announced to Calvin and Farel, that they must leave the city in three days, in consequence of disobedience to the magistrates, their reply was, "Well, it is better to serve God than man."

Calvin's Exertions for France, and for Union. Notwithstanding the manifold difficulties and labors in which Calvin was involved during his first stay at Geneva, he was not unmindful of the claims of the reformed church abroad upon him, and especially of his persecuted brethren in France. A letter to the preachers at Basil, from Geneva, November 13th, 1537, exhibits something of their persecutions and Calvin's vigorous exertions in their behalf: "We will explain to you in few words why we send this messenger. The enemy have recently visited their wrath upon our poor brethren at Nismes in a way that we had little expected.-Two of the faithful have been burned, of whose death the witness himself will give you an account, if he can make himself intelligible to you in Latin. Many are in fetters, and their life is in jeopardy, if the rage of the persecutors is not checked-drunk as they are with the blood of these two. Both of them exhibited noble constancy to their last breath, although their patience was tried by the most excruciating tortures. But is it certain that the others will show equal magnanimity? We must therefore bring help as speedily as possible in order that. the weak yield not to fear. Farther we must see to it, that we count not the blood of the saints of little account, which is in so great honor with God." Afterward in the same letter it is said: “Christ not only commands us with a loud voice to help our brethren, but warns us that in forsaking them we forsake him.”

In this same year, 1537, Calvin published two small works for the confirmation of those who were compelled to suffer martyrdom, and for the prevention of apostasy. One of them, dedicated to Nicholas Chemin, called "De fugienda Idolatria" was designed to counteract a prevalent error in France, "that a person might attend mass and yet adhere to the truth," the other was upon church-benefices and some of the other abuses of the papists.1 A remark of Beza concerning Calvin, seems to be fully justified by these two little works: " Among other very excellent qualities which the Lord has bestowed very liberally upon this holy man, are two specially fitting him for controversy; a wonderful quickness of mind which enables him to apprehend at once the precise difficulty of a question, and to resolve it easily, and also a strict conscientiousness, which leads him always to avoid all

For a particular account of these Treatises see Henry, I. 185 sq.

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Calvin's Desire for Union.

511

vain and sophistical subtleties with all ambitious ostentation, and to seek only the simple and pure truth."1

Calvin was not unmindful of the progress of events in Germany. The sacramental controversy between the German reformers and the Swiss church, had been sometime in progress, and Calvin in a letter to Bucer, January 12th, 1538, expresses strong disapprobation of the conduct of both Bucer and Luther in this matter, and shows that he had never inclined to Luther's views of the physical presence of Christ in the bread and the wine of the sacrament. Yet he strongly desires unity, if it can be obtained in consistency with the maintaining of the truth, and the good of the cause of the reformation. "If Luther will embrace this [probably the Genevan Confession] as a brother, nothing will give greater joy. But regard must be had, not to this individual alone. We are cruel and barbarous if we have no regard for the thousands who will be outraged under the pretence of this unity. What to think of Luther I know not, although I have the greatest confidence in his piety.-Nothing will be sacred so long as this rage for controversy agitates us.―The past must all be forgotten." He goes on to speak with some severity of Luther's belief and conduct in reference to the points in dispute, and exhorts Bucer, if he will act the part of a mediator in the controversy, to use exertions to induce Luther to conduct himself with more moderation, and not merely to demand of the Helvetians to lay aside their obstinacy. He also shows the injury that would result from the course they were pursuing: "How," he says, "the enemy are now triumphing and glorying, that we are inflicting wounds upon one another, in the presence of the most powerful and well armed antagonists."

Calvin in Exile from Geneva.

Calvin and Farel first went to Berne to justify their conduct to their friends there, and then to Lausanne, where a synod was then in session. For the sake of the peace of the church, they assented to the use of unleavened bread, and the baptismal font, and to the observance of the feast days required, under certain restrictions, but demanded the introduction of church discipline, and the right of excommunication by the church and their pastor, and some other regulations for the better order of their worship. The

1 Henry, I. 191.

"Si ab Helvetiis postulas ut pertinaciam deponunt, age vicissim upud Lutherum, ut tam imperiose se gerere desinat."

synod were satisfied with their conduct, and wrote to Geneva in behalf of the preachers. At the same time they requested, that messengers should be sent from Berne to second the request for their return. The exiled preachers went back to Berne, and thence, with the two messengers from Berne, set their faces again toward the scene of their persecutions. But they were met at a little distance from the city and not allowed to enter. The councils and the citizens were assembled, and after much abuse of the preachers, the decree for banishment was confirmed by an almost unanimous vote. Calvin and Farel returned to Berne, and from thence went to Basil. Calvin again took up his abode with his old friend Grynaeus. Bucer soon wrote to him from Strasburg, inviting him to accept an appointment there, but Calvin at first refused, since on account of his strong attachment to Farel, he was unwilling to separate himself from him. But Farel soon after accepted an invitation to Neufchatel, and Calvin sometime before the close of the year went to Strasburg.

There are several letters sent by Calvin from Berne and Basil of much interest. To Peter Viret he writes: "We finally arrived at Basil thoroughly drenched with rain, and almost dead from fatigue. Besides, we were not strangers to peril on the way; for one of us was near being swept away by a swollen stream. But we found the floods more compassionate than man. For men in opposition to right and duty have driven us into exile, but the torrent, since it rescued us, served as an instrument of the compassion of God." He also wrote several times to Farel at Neufchatel, exhibiting his strong attachment to him, and especially his conscientious desire to act for the advancement of the cause of truth. In all these letters not a word of bitterness or ill feeling escapes him.2

He says:

Calvin, when he went to Basil, desired to remain there in retirement. He was wearied by a constant struggle with an unbelieving world. But his Master had need of him, and led him by a way that he would not. "When I was released from the duties of my office [at Geneva], I at first determined to repose myself in quiet; but that most excellent minister of Christ, Martin Bucer, in a manner similar to Farel, constrained me by an execration to accept of a new office. Terrified by the example of Jonah, which he held up to me, I immediately took upon my. self the duties of teacher. Although, as I was wont to do, I avoid

The last of May, 1538. MSS. Geneva. See further in Henry, I. 203 sq. See Henry, I. 205 sq.

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Calvin's Labors at Strasburg.

513

ed public notice as much as possible, yet I was induced to attend the imperial Conventions, where, willing or not, I was compelled to appear publicly in the presence of multitudes."1

In addition to Calvin's love of retirement, his feeling of the responsibility of the office of the preacher led him to shrink from it. In his Commentary on Ezekiel 3: 18 he says: "Nothing is dearer to God than the soul, which he created in his own image, whose father and redeemer he is. Since the soul's salvation is an object so dear to him, we perceive the care with which the prophet and preacher should perform the duties of their office. It is as if God committed souls to their trust, on the express condition that they should render an account for each one of them."

Notwithstanding Calvin's reluctance to go to Strasburg, he received a most cordial welcome from Bucer, Capito, Hedio and other distinguished friends, and found it a pleasant and profitable retreat from the tumults of Geneva. His labors and experience while there were an important preparation for his subsequent work. During his abode of between two and three years in that city, in addition to his regular duties as professor of theology, he published his first exegetical works, and a more complete edition of his Institutes, and what is of more value, says his biographer, he received a new and higher impulse in his religious feelings. He forgave his enemies, and with truly apostolic love exerted himself for the church which had spurned him from them. He established a reformed French church, into which he introduced his discipline, and made it a model for all the reformed churches in France. He also became better known to Melanchthon and the other German reformers, and held several public discussions on important theological topics. In one of his letters he says, "I have lately been induced by Capito to give public lectures, and therefore lecture or preach every day." He also writes, April 20, 1539: "When the messenger called for my book I had twenty sheets to revise, to preach, to read to the congregation, to write four letters, to attend to some controversies, and to answer more than ten persons who interrupted me for advice." In 1539 Calvin obtained the right of citizenship in Strasburg; and he was in great repute among the citizens. Sturm says: "The French church here increased from day to day. Very many students and learned men came to Strasburg from France, on account of Calvin."