GREAT CONFUSION IN GENEVA.
The vulgar and mischievous demonstrations by which the most lawless part of the population celebrated its triumph still further aggravated the grief of serious men. The discomfiture of the pastors was laughed at and turned into ridicule. Professional jesters have almost all a false and superficial wit, and in every country it rains insects of this kind.[662] They were not wanting at Geneva. We do not know whether they went on the stage, but they played in masquerades. Large bodies of these jesters were seen parading the streets, laughing, brawling, and making disturbances. One of them, and he was the principal personage, was holding a fryingpan by its long handle; and in the fryingpan were lamp-wicks, which were called in the patois of the country farets. Those who surrounded this standard-bearer exclaimed that they had fricasseed Farel (and his colleagues with him) like chickens or turnips which are cut in pieces and then cooked in a stewpan. These poor wretches were at bottom right: the ministers had in fact been burned over a slow fire. Bons mots and sarcasms gave a relish to this strange dish; and there were persons in those days who would have been glad to see the ministers who left Geneva ‘fall out of the fryingpan into the fire’—from one state of vexation into another still worse. Insults and derision were showered from all quarters. ‘Processions of this sort usually end in debauchery. The citizens took license,’ says Rozet, ‘for impurity, dancing, games, and drunkenness.’ ‘Nothing was talked of but masquerades, gallantries, and excesses in wine and good cheer.’[663] Thus did the mass of the population celebrate the departure of the pastors. ‘The wicked travaileth with iniquity, and hath conceived mischief, and brought forth falsehood.’
As for the members of the councils, they let things take their course. If they did issue any proclamation for the purpose of repressing these disorders, little attention was paid to it. Besides, they did not insist on its being obeyed. They attempted, however, to establish a Church of some kind. The minister, Henri de la Mare, had not dared, in spite of the order which he had received, to preach and administer the supper on Easter Day, for fear of offending Farel and Calvin. But, like the former superior of the Franciscans Jacques Bernard, he had abstained from joining in their protest. These two men were intrusted by the council with the functions of the three banished ministers. At the same time the lords of Berne were requested to send the ministers Marcourt and Morand, who did not come till afterwards. The magistrates also ordered the restoration of the baptismal fonts which had been taken down, and which were thenceforth to be used at the baptism of children. Then they had proclamation made, with sound of trumpet, that everyone would have to conform to what had been decreed touching the supper, baptism, festivals, etc. But De la Mare and Bernard were not men powerful enough to fill the place of Farel and Calvin. They were far from enjoying high consideration, and were frequently exposed to the criticism and even to the rebukes of their hearers. Porral especially made loud complaint of their preaching. The council took their part; and one Groli having accused Bernard of not preaching according to the Word of God, the critic was condemned ‘to beg for mercy at the hands of God and of the law, with both knees on the ground.’ Had this happened in the time of Calvin, it would have been a very godsend for those who delight in slandering that great man; but the punishment was inflicted by his adversaries on one of his partisans. The question, however, remains ever the same; and this act of compulsion in the sphere of religious opinion was even more censurable because it was the act of the very men who had driven away the reformers for having attempted to infringe on their liberty. There were, however, some cases more quietly settled. An influential citizen, the former syndic Porral, having also criticised the preachers, the council did nothing more than threaten him with its indignation; he had not to go down on his knees and beg for mercy.
THE REFORMERS AT BERNE.
The exile of the two great reformers and this lamentable state of things, which rejoiced the men of the Romish party, everywhere filled the friends of the Reformation with sorrow. They wept over ‘the great joy of the Pharisees and of the enemies of God’s holy name.’ There were groans, prayers, and exclamations. ‘How is it that this town, which the Son of God had chosen as his abode and his sanctuary, was nevertheless as deeply sunk in its pollutions as before, just as if no single drop of God’s grace had ever fallen upon it?’[664] People thought of Capernaum, which was at first lifted up to heaven and then cast down to hell! Calvin perceived that the causes which had led to his exile endangered not only the progress but the very existence of the Reformation. Terrified at the peril, he was resolved to do his utmost to prevent such a calamity.
Où le danger est grand, c’est là que je m’efforce.
Will not the Churches and even the States of Switzerland sympathize in their trials? Will they not help them to save Geneva? If Roman Catholicism were reëstablished there and if by that means Savoy should become predominant, the Reformation in Berne and the other cantons would be more or less menaced, and the Pays de Vaud might return to its former lords. Calvin, assuredly, might have elsewhere a more peaceful and comfortable life than at Geneva; but he had decided to ‘lose his life,’ and had given it up for God and his kingdom. This town, in which he hoped to raise the standard of the Gospel, might have become one day a fortress whose formidable front would have repelled the combined attacks of the enemy. And now he has to abandon it. He hastened to Berne, where he expected to obtain assistance, as formerly the Bertheliers and the Besançon Hugh had done, when threatened by the forces of Savoy.
THE COUNCIL OF BERNE.
The arrival of the two reformers created a sensation in that town. At the sight of that Farel whose labors in French Switzerland had been for ten years crowned with such signal success; of that Calvin who was already hailed as a master-spirit; of those two men banished, driven away, having no refuge, men’s minds were struck and their hearts touched. The Bernese magistrates themselves had not anticipated measures so extreme. Admitted to the council April 27, the reformers said,—‘We have been falsely accused. The Genevese (Messieurs de Genève) have brought forward two charges: the one that we have rebelled against their commands, and the other that we have refused to conform to the ceremonies in use at Berne. These accusations are both false; for we have done all that we could to obey them, and never did we directly refuse such conformity, but on the other hand we have rather protested our willingness to consider in what manner it could best be arranged for the edification of the church. Further, it is evident that these accusations are a mere cloak, for these gentlemen were prepared to consent that this affair of ritual should be postponed till the assembly at Zurich, on condition that we would consent to our colleague Courault being deprived of his office as preacher. But to this, as contrary to the express word of Scripture, we refused to agree. On Easter Day we protested that if we did not administer the supper it was not on account of the unleavened bread, the use of which is in itself a matter of indifference, but for fear of profaning a mystery so holy,—unless the people were better disposed. The reason we gave was this,—the disorders and abominations prevailing at this time in the town, as well execrable blasphemies and mockings of God and of his Gospel, as disturbances, sects, and divisions. In public, and unrepressed, a thousand derisive speeches are uttered against the Word of God and even against the supper. And, more than that, the members of the council have all along refused us leave to state our reasons; and, without hearing us, they have stirred up against us both the Two Hundred and the people, making charges against us which are not true either in God’s sight or in the sight of men. By acting thus they show plainly that they are only seeking for slanders and scandals to defame the Gospel. And it is a fact that, six months ago, there was a rumor at Lyons and at other places in France of such a nature that some merchants were desirous of selling goods for large sums payable when we should be expelled!... From this it appears that there are secret intrigues of long standing. Likewise they are not content with loading us with ignominy, but they have several times exclaimed that we should be thrown into the Rhone.’ The reformers having thus spoken handed in a memoir in which the same grievances were set forth.[665]
This discourse was severe; but the evil was great. It is useless to deny it; the evidence is too positive. All the people, indeed, were not guilty of these disorders and mockeries; but it happened then, as it too often happens, that the agitators took the upper hand and good men held their peace. We must also observe what Calvin said, that he feared a profanation of the mystery of the supper, unless the people were better disposed. He allows, therefore, a better disposition of the people; he desires it; and then, he is certainly ready to celebrate the sacred feast. As to his assertion that his colleagues and he had done all that in them lay to obey the magistrates, he indicates clearly thereby that something did not lie in their power; to wit, to act against their conscience and the command of God. Many in their own time blamed them for this; but who now will make it a matter of reproach? The most strenuous upholders of the union of church and state say themselves, ‘That no state authority ought to interfere with any man’s religious belief. If such a principle were really involved in the maintenance of an established church, I should probably have been found on the other side.’[666] No man, in our days, will censure the reformers. In maintaining the independence of the faith, they did what they were bound to do.