Letters of John Calvin, Volume II

Adieu, most excellent and most honoured sir, along with your colleagues, all of whom I desire you will respectfully salute in my name. To your wife also, and your whole family, I send the best greeting. May the Lord Jesus protect and direct you all. Amen.

Something is said about the state of Constance, not much fitted to inspire gladness. May the Lord regard you, and rescue you from the jaws of the lion. – Yours,

John Calvin.

It would be better you should suppress this letter, if you thought proper, than that it should lead to the excitement of a greater conflagration at Berne; for the lack of self-restraint on the part of some is marvellous.

[Lat. orig. autogr. – Archives of Zurich. Gest. vi. p. 6.]

CCXXV. – To Monsieur de Falais. 201

Preparations for the marriage of Mademoiselle de Wilergy, his relationFrom Geneva, this 17th of July [1548.]

Monseigneur, – I believe that it will be best as it is. If it had been possible to speak together about the contract,202 I would have much desired to do so; but I do not know whether you will be able to come this week. However, the man offers, in case he should leave his wife a widow without children that she shall have a thousand crowns. In the event of his leaving children, she shall have the half, but on condition that, if she marry afterwards, and have also children by the second marriage, she must not have the power of preferring them to those of the first. The present assignment will be founded upon the instrument of Paris, to be implemented, when he shall have made good his money and expenses. I am of opinion that his offer is very liberal; for it is quite right that the husband retain some control in his own hand.

The wedding, I hope, will go off well. There must needs be some company, but no great multitude. And besides, we must not be too hard upon you, for it will be necessary to find lodgings for them. I think ten persons will be a reasonable number, including myself. And seeing that my brother is not here at present, I know not whether we could send notice by letter to Dôle and to Basle. Perhaps, indeed, we might, if they should be here for the whole day to-morrow.

I had forgotten to mention the French traveller;203 that is, to tell you that I do not find him in any hurry; and yet that is not by any means because all is not quite clear about him, but for the purpose of seeking some advantage over and above. I wish very much that it may please God to bring you hither to drink of the wine upon the spot, and that soon. If the bearer had left this earlier in the morning, you might have had a flask of it. If there were any means of sending you the half of it, I should not have failed to do so, but when I inquired, I found that it could not be done.

And so, Monsieur, having commended me to your kind favour, and that of Madame and your whole household, I beseech our Lord to have you in his keeping.

Your humble brother and servant,

John Calvin, confined to bed.

M. de Ballesan has written to request of me, that I would see whether he could get any help from you. After making excuses more than enough for you, I have at length been constrained to promise him that I would write to you about it, which I had resolved to do yesterday by Monsieur de Parey; but he forgot to come, so great was his hurry to make the journey.

[Orig. signat. autogr. – Library of Geneva. Vol. 194.]

CCXXVI. – To Farel

Uncertainty regarding the disposition of the Cantons – stay of Monsieur and Madame de Falais in Calvin's house[Geneva,] 27th August 1548.

I have no doubt, even although you do not expostulate with me, that you silently condemn me for neglect in having suffered so many bearers to depart for you without my letter. If I were to plead that there was nothing to write about, you would at once confute me. Even though matter for correspondence is never wanting, I permit myself to indulge in silence, when there is nothing pressing. We are waiting to find whether the Swiss will suffer themselves to be circumvented by the artifices of Ulysses. May the Lord look to this, on whose Providence it is fitting we should lean;204 since reason does not guide the helm, and we know that fortune has no dominion. As far as can be divined, [their policy is as follows: ] As on the one hand the Emperor will seek to deceive them by fair words, so they in their turn will keep him in suspense until they have seen that they are protected by those defences which they deem necessary. Here we are occupied in the usual way, but the skirmishes are slight. Unless I am wholly deceived in my conjectures, either some disturbances will speedily arise, or this winter cause suffering to the great crowds in many places. Good Toussain205 is not grieved by the matter. To his other troubles is added the disease of his son. You will therefore use your influence with Peter the surgeon to get him to repair to that quarter, in case some means of alleviation may be discovered. We shall see about William; we have talked among ourselves regarding him. But as Allen and San Privat are present, we have as yet come to no determination. The godly man offers no objection, but I am unwilling to send him away for no end. He will also return to Lausanne before he undertakes this journey. If you have found a trustworthy messenger, I wish you would send to me what letters of mine you have in your possession. Viret is to do the same. I shall send them back, with certain marks, if there be any which it is not expedient all should read. I shall send each of you his own, when I am at liberty to do so, that you may add similar marks. I will take care that these are subjoined. I have not yet seen Christopher. M. de Falais is now with me, who I trust will pass the winter here.206 I have caused him to cast away the unfavourable doubt regarding you, which he had conceived from your conversation. The more he loves you and defers to you, the more anxious was he that you should judge aright of his piety. But it is in truth as you say: when you demanded of him what you thought would be for the edification of the Church, he suspected that you desiderated in him the very thing you sought for, as if he had not manifested it hitherto. Both [Monsieur and Madame de Falais] very affectionately salute you, as also my colleagues; and my wife, who is in bed from prolonged illness. I have been struggling these days past with pain in the head, and spasms of the stomach, to such a degree as to cause violent convulsions. Adieu, brother and most sincere friend, along with your family and brothers, especially my guest Fato, to whom I will send back the token of friendship, unless he sometime visit us. – Yours,

John Calvin.

[Lat. orig. autogr. – Library of Geneva. Vol. 106.]

CCXXVII. – To Viret. 207

Embarrassment occasioned to Calvin by the treacherous publication of one of his letters to Viret[Geneva,] 20th September 1548.

I was within a little of letting our friend Merlin depart without a letter. When he was already equipped for the journey, he sacrificed for me the time between sermon and supper; the half of which period I spent in conversation with some people. With regard to a successor to Himbert, I have scarcely ground for giving an advice. I see indeed the dangers that are imminent, unless some one be put in his place as soon as possible. I do not observe among you any one who pleases me in every respect. You cannot call from a distance any but unknown men. Our choice is accordingly restricted to those in whom you may have to desiderate something as wanting; only let it not be piety and a moderate acquaintance with the language, – qualifications that are to be regarded as the chief. But if you make choice of any one with this reservation, that he is not to be under obligation to remain in the office, should anything more suitable shortly afterwards present itself, you will take care expressly to state this to the person himself, and to the senate. When I became aware that the letter, obtained surreptitiously and translated into French by Trolliet, was being circulated, and that oil was thus poured on the flame, I came into the council chamber, and pointed out the injustice of those devices, the danger of such procedure to the Church, and the evil precedent it afforded. That person was summoned; he appeared in the midst of the meeting; I acknowledged my hand, and then made such an apology as the circumstances demanded. We were thus suffered to go home. A resolution, however, was come to, that I should be again summoned after the following Monday. This has not been done. What has prevented it I know not, unless, as I suspect, it be the stratagem of the ungodly to afford them a weapon for the purpose of injuring me, as often as it shall be advantageous for them to employ it. For the council was disposed to allow the whole matter to pass into oblivion. Accordingly, if at any time I have stood in need of your help, you now see that I especially require it. For I shall not be able to urge you without a confession of fear. But if you repair hither, and complain of the injury done to you, – if you then add that you do not deserve at the hands of the republic to have a letter that was stolen from you retained, – if finally you demand its restoration, and moreover signify that you need it for the conviction of the thief, – I do not think it will be difficult to obtain it. Do you now consider whether another course is more expedient. The whole council is censured in the letter. For the time is described when Corna resigned the office of treasurer. I next mention those whom the people then created syndics, and who were allured into the council. Then follow finally the best things they wish to be expected of them. I know not what I ought to expect. For under pretext of Christ they mean to reign without Christ; since among them are reckoned Amy Curtet, and Dominic Arlo, who are now in prison, until they shall have discharged the debts due by them to the public treasury. Perrin, with his friends, goes to them, and urges them to become reconciled to me. Others also solicit this. Last of all, they omit no wickedness by which they may overthrow me. I partly dissemble, and partly openly profess that all their efforts are held by me in derision. For they would think they had obtained the victory, if they observe in me any token [of fear.] Nor indeed is there anything that is more fitted to break the force of their impetuosity, and animate good men in sustaining the cause, than my self-reliance. If you are not at liberty to come shortly, consider whether it be not expedient to write. But I should not wish you to do so, unless by a sure messenger, and one who should have a commission requiring an answer. Adieu, brother, and most sincere friend, along with your wife and young daughter. Respectfully salute the brethren. My wife also salutes you. – Yours,

John Calvin.

If you can find a faithful friend, I should wish him once to read over what I have here written to you.

[Lat. orig. autogr. – Library of Geneva. Vol. 106.]

CCXXVIII. – To a French Seigneur. 208

Exhortation to come to Geneva, that he might there serve the Lord faithfullyThis 18th of October 1548.

Monsieur, – I have partly been informed of your intention by the Sieur François de la Rivière, and praise our Lord for the good courage he has given you to serve him fully. As we ought to yield ourselves up to him entirely and without reserve, if we desire to be approved as his, you must now ascertain how you can employ yourself as is your duty in his service. It is true that the earth is the Lord's, and that we are at liberty to dwell in any part of it, provided we take care to keep ourselves unpolluted, to honour him in our body as well as our spirit. When we are told that the whole earth is holy, we are thereby admonished, that we ought in nowise to defile it by leading a sinful life. You must now take good heed, that by concealing as you are doing the light that is in you, you do not make yourself a partaker in the pollutions which you very properly condemn in unbelievers. I fully believe, that your heart is very far from consenting thereto; but in making the outward show of communicating, there can be no doubt that you thereby make a profession of consenting to it. And as before God we ought to manifest our detestation of idolatry, so also before men, we ought to abstain from whatsoever may make it appear that we approve thereof. It is surely right that the body be kept quite pure for the service of God, as well as the soul, seeing that it is the temple of the Holy Spirit, and has the promise of the immortal glory which shall be revealed at the last day. But is it possible to employ body and soul with sincerity of heart in the service of God, while we make a semblance of agreement with idolaters, in an act which we know to be dishonouring to God? It is not enough to reply to this, that you make no oral declaration, indeed, that you would be ready to protest the contrary, were you required to do so, for you are well aware that you go thither with no other intention, than that of leading God's enemies to believe that you do not repudiate their doings, for if it was not for the sake of gratifying them, and by such means shrinking from the declaration, that you are utterly opposed to their sacrileges, you never would join them in an act of worship. And that is nothing else than rendering a feigned homage to their idol, albeit without the homage of the heart. If it seems to you that I am too severe in dealing with your faults so narrowly, I ask you to enter upon the work of self-examination, and you will find, that I bring forward nothing against you, whereof your own conscience does not reprove you. Judge, then, whether God does not see there much more to find fault with, for he sees our state far more clearly than we ourselves do. Therefore, I cannot, consistently with the understanding which God has vouchsafed me, advise a Christian man to continue in such a state; and can only say, that to my thinking he is truly happy who is free from such constraint. Whosoever, therefore, has the means of withdrawing from it, ought not in my opinion on any account to neglect to do so. True it is, that never shall man have things so entirely to his mind, that he shall be exempted from difficulty, but, on the contrary, must expect many annoyances, even wrong and loss of property. But let us learn to prefer the honour of God to all things else. In your case, I understand that your merciful God has already brought you so far, that you are resolved not to stagnate in a place where you knowingly offend him. Wherefore, I forbear from any more lengthened exhortations; only, be careful not to quench that zeal which he has vouchsafed you, but rather stir it up as a remembrancer to keep you in mind to carry out your good intention. For I know well, and experience will convince you, how many distractions there are to make you forgetful of it, or so far to delay that you might grow cool about it. Regarding the alternatives which Sire François has set before me, I have told him what to give you as my opinion. However, your departure must be like that out of Egypt, bringing all your effects along with you. For all this, I believe you will need steadfast and very determined courage. But you are able to do all in Him who strengthens you. When he has brought you hither, you shall see how he will guide you farther. For my part, I would gladly help thereunto cheerfully and steadily, as bound I am to do. I am confident, that after leading you by the hand in greater things, he will not fail you on this occasion. But he is sometimes pleased to exercise and try our faith, so that while quitting hold of that which is within our grasp, we know not what we shall receive in place of it. We have an example of this in our father Abraham. After having commanded him to forsake his country, his kindred, and everything else, he shewed him no present reward, but put that off to another time. "Get thee out," said he, "into the land which I shall shew thee." Should it please him at this time to do the like with us, that we must quit the land of our birth, and betake ourselves into an unknown country, without knowing how it may fare with us there, let us surrender ourselves to him, that he may direct our way, and let us honour him, by trusting that he will steer us to a safe harbour. It is needful, at least, that you be informed beforehand that you shall enter here no earthly paradise, where you may rejoice in God without molestation: you will find a people unmannerly enough; you will meet with some sufficiently annoying trials. In short, do not expect to better your condition, except in so far, that having been delivered from miserable bondage of body and of soul, you will have leave to serve God faithfully. You will have the pure doctrine of the Word, you will call upon his name in the fellowship of faithful men, you will enjoy the true use of the sacraments. But that may well be all in all to us, if we only prize it as we ought. As for other comforts, you will take those which God vouchsafes to you, willingly suffering the want of those which he denies. Make up your mind, then, to follow Jesus Christ, without flying from the cross; and indeed you would gain nothing by trying to avoid it, because it will assuredly find you out. But let us be content with this invaluable blessing, that we are allowed to live not only in peace of conscience, but daily to exercise ourselves in the doctrine of salvation, and in the use of the sacraments, for our confirmation. He who builds on this foundation, shall rear a solid edifice, and in truth you cannot evidence whether you do value Jesus Christ or not, unless by reckoning all the world as filth in comparison of him.

To conclude, having recommended me affectionately to your kind favour, I beseech our good Lord to fill you with the spirit of counsel and discretion, to discern what will be right and fitting for you to do, and to strengthen you in true constancy, to put in practice whatsoever shall be according to his will; that having done so, it may please him to lead you by the hand, to bless you in going out and coming in, to turn all into godly prosperity.

Your humble brother and servant in our Lord,

Charles D'Espeville.

[Fr. Copy, Library of Geneva. Vol. 107.]

CCXXIX. – To the Protector Somerset. 209

Duties imposed on the Protector by the high office which he holds – plan of a complete reformation in England – preaching of the pure word of God – rooting out of abuses – correction of vices and scandalous offencesGeneva, 22d October 1548.

Monseigneur, – Although God has endowed you with singular prudence, largeness of mind, and other virtues required in that station wherein he has set you, and for the affairs which he has put into your hand; nevertheless, inasmuch as you deem me to be a servant of his Son, whom you desire above all else to obey, I feel assured, that for the love of him you will receive with courtesy, that which I write in his name, as indeed I have no other end in view, save only, that in following out yet more and more what you have begun, you may advance his honour, until you have established his kingdom in as great perfection as is to be looked for in the world. And you will perceive likewise as you read, that without advancing anything of my own, the whole is drawn from his own pure doctrine. Were I to look merely at the dignity and grandeur of your position, there would seem no access whatever for a man of my quality. But since you do not refuse to be taught of the Master whom I serve, but rather prize above all else the grace which he has bestowed in numbering you among his disciples, methinks I have no need to make you any long excuse or preface, because I deem you well disposed to receive whatsoever proceeds from him.

We have all reason to be thankful to our God and Father, that he has been pleased to employ you in so excellent a work as that of setting up the purity and right order of his worship in England by your means, and establishing the doctrine of salvation, that it may there be faithfully proclaimed to all those who shall consent to hear it; that he has vouchsafed you such firmness and constancy to persevere hitherto, in spite of so many trials and difficulties; that he has helped you with his mighty arm, in blessing all your counsels and your labours, to make them prosper. These are grounds of thankfulness which stir up all true believers to magnify his name. Seeing however, that Satan never ceases to upheave new conflicts, and that it is a thing in itself so difficult, that nothing can be more so, to cause the truth of God to have peaceable dominion among men, who by nature are most prone to falsehood; while, on the other hand, there are so many circumstances which prevent its having free course; and most of all, that the superstitions of Antichrist, having taken root for so long time, cannot be easily uprooted from men's hearts, – you have much need, methinks, to be confirmed by holy exhortations. I cannot doubt, indeed, that you have felt this from experience; and shall therefore deal all the more frankly with you, because, as I hope, my deliberate opinion will correspond with your own desire. Were my exhortations even uncalled for, you would bear with the zeal and earnestness which has led me to offer them. I believe, therefore, that the need of them which you feel, will make them all the more welcome. However this may be, Monseigneur, may it please you to grant me audience in some particular reformations which I propose to lay here briefly before you, in the hope, that when you shall have listened to them, you will at least find some savour of consolation therein, and feel the more encouraged to prosecute the holy and noble enterprise in which God has hitherto been pleased to employ you.

I have no doubt that the great troubles which have fallen out for some time past, must have been very severe and annoying to you, and especially as many may have found in them occasion of offence; forasmuch as they were partly excited under cover of the change of religion. Wherefore you must necessarily have felt them very keenly, as well on account of the apprehensions they may have raised in your mind, as of the murmurs of the ignorant or disaffected, and also of the alarm of the well-disposed. Certes, the mere rumour which I heard from afar, caused me heartfelt anxiety, until I was informed that God had begun to apply a remedy thereto. However, since perhaps they are not yet entirely allayed, or seeing that the devil may have kindled them anew, it will be well that you call to mind what the sacred history relates of good King Hezekiah, (2 Chron. xxxii.,) namely, that after he had abolished the superstitions throughout Judea, reformed the state of the church according to the law of God, he was even then so pressed by his enemies, that it almost seemed as if he was a lost and ruined man. It is not without reason that the Holy Spirit pointedly declares, that such an affliction happened to him immediately after having re-established the true religion in his realm; for it may well have seemed reasonable to himself, that having striven with all his might to set up the reign of God, he should have peace within his own kingdom. Thus, all faithful princes and governors of countries are forewarned by that example, that however earnest they may be in banishing idolatry and in promoting the true worship of God, their faith may yet be tried by diverse temptations. So God permits, and wills it to be thus, to manifest the constancy of his people, and to lead them to look above the world. Meanwhile, the devil also does his work, endeavouring to ruin sound doctrine by indirect means, working as it were underground, forasmuch as he could not openly attain his end. But according to the admonition of St. James, (James v. 11,) who tells us, that in considering the patience of Job, we must look to the end of it, so ought we, Monseigneur, to look to the end which was vouchsafed to this good king. We see there that God was a present help in all his perplexities, and that at length he came off victorious. Wherefore, seeing that his arm is not shortened, and that, in the present day, he has the defence of the truth and the salvation of his own as much at heart as ever, never doubt that he will come to your aid, and that not once only, but in all the trials he may send you.

If the majority of the world oppose the Gospel, and even strive with rage and violence to hinder its progress, we ought not to think it strange. It proceeds from the ingratitude of men, which has always shewn itself, and ever will, in drawing back when God comes near, and even in kicking against him when he would put his yoke upon them. More than that, because by nature they are wholly given to hypocrisy, they cannot bear to be brought to the clear light of the word of God, which lays bare their baseness and shame, nor to be drawn forth out of their superstitions, which serve them as a hiding-hole and shady covert. It is nothing new, then, if we meet with contradiction when we attempt to lead men back to the pure worship of God. And we have, besides, the clear announcement of our Lord Jesus, who tells us that he has brought a sword along with his Gospel. But let not this daunt us, nor make us shrink and be fearful, for at last, when men shall have rebelled most stoutly, and vomited forth all their rage, they shall be put to confusion in a moment, and shall destroy themselves by the fury of their own onset. That is a true saying, in the second Psalm, that God shall only laugh at their commotion; that is to say, that seeming to connive, he will let them bluster, as if the affair did not at all concern him. But it always happens, that at length they are driven back by his power, wherewith if we be armed, we have a sure and invincible munition, whatsoever plots the devil may frame against us, and shall know by experience in the end, that even as the Gospel is the message of peace and of reconciliation between God and us, it will also avail us to pacify men; and in this way we shall understand, that it is not in vain that Isaiah has said, (Is. ii. 4,) that when Jesus Christ shall rule in the midst of us by his doctrine, the swords shall be turned into ploughshares, and the spears into pruning-hooks.