TO VIRET.
f9RECOMMENDATION OF SEVERAL ENGLISH AND SCOTCH REFUGEES.
GENEVA, 9th March 1554.
This brother, a native of Scotland, will fully explain to you, I have no doubt, with what intention he repairs to Zurich. I am told that, under King Edward, he distinguished himself by his active and faithful services in discharging the functions of a teacher. I had no leisure to receive him as I could have wished; but my want of attention on the present occasion, I shall make up for, on his return. You will salute for me with kindest wishes all the English brethren who are resident among you; you will inform them at the same time, that no letters respecting pecuniary matters have come to my hands. Up to the present moment I have been
necessarily in complete ignorance of every thing respecting the affair.
Nicolas the servant’s son has behaved in an absurd and very impolite manner not to inform them, at least, when he passed through your town.
Now, that I am made aware of the circumstance, I shall take care that the money he immediately counted down. Farewell, most excellent and worthy brother, may God be present with and extend his protection both to you, to our friend Monsieur Beza, your wife and daughters, and all other friends. — Yours,
John Calvin.
[Lat. orig. autogr. — Library of Geneva. Vol. 107 a.]
TO THE BRETHREN OF WEZEL.
f10ENTREATY NOT TO BREAK THE UNITY OF THE CHURCH BECAUSE OF SOME DIVERSITIES IN THE CEREMONIES.
GENEVA, 13th March 1554.
The love of God our Father, and the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, be upon you always through the communication of the Holy Spirit.
DEARLY BELOVED BRETHREN, — We have to praise God because from the troubles which now disturb the peace of the world, he has granted you a place of refuge in which you are at liberty to serve and worship him. And not only for that, but because he has afforded you means to assemble in his name, to exercise yourselves in the hearing of his word, to call on him with one accord, and make a pure confession of your faith. This is no slight favor at a time when the world is turned upside down. It remains for you to profit by it, and prove yourselves so much the more zealous in glorifying him who has bestowed on you so liberal a gift, to the end that it might fructify. With regard to the form to be observed in receiving the sacraments, it is not without reason that you entertain doubts and
scruples, for nothing is better than to abide by that pure simplicity which we hold from the Son of God, whose ordinance ought to be our single rule, to which also the usage of the Apostles was perfectly conformable. And indeed the moment we deviate ever so little from it, our admixture of human invention cannot fail to be a corruption. But it seems to us that your condition is different from that of the pastors of the place and the great body of the people. If the pastors did their duty, they would employ all their endeavors to retrench those superfluities which do not tend to edification, or rather which serve to obscure the clearness of the gospel.
The governors on their part would also do well to see to it. It is a vice to be condemned so far as they are concerned, that they keep up these unmeaning mummeries — which are as it were a residue of Popish
superstitions, the recollection of which we should strive as much as in us lies to exterminate. But in your capacity of private individuals, not only you may lawfully, but what is more, you should support and suffer such abuses as it is not in your power to correct. We do not hold lighted candles in the celebration of the eucharist nor figured bread to be such indifferent things, that we would willingly consent to their introduction, or approve of them, though we object not to accommodate ourselves to the use of them, where they have been already established, when we have no authority to oppose them. If we were called upon to receive such
ceremonies, we should hold ourselves bound according to the position in which God hath placed us, to admit of no compromise in resisting their introduction, and in maintaining constantly the purity which the church confided to us already possesses. But should our lot be cast in some place where a different form prevails, there is not one of us who from spite against a candle or a chasuble would consent to separate himself from the body of the church, and so deprive himself of the use of the sacrament. We must be on our guard not to scandalize those who are already subject to such infirmities, which we should certainly do by rejecting them from too frivolous motives. And then it would be for us matter of deep regret, if the French church which might be erected there should be broken up, because we would not accommodate ourselves to some ceremonies that do not affect the substance of the faith. For as we have said, it is perfectly lawful for the children of God to submit to many things of which they do not approve. Now the main point of consideration is, how far such liberty should extend. Upon this head let us lay it down as a settled point, that we ought to make mutual concessions in all ceremonies, that do not involve any prejudice to the confession of our faith, and for this end that the unity of the church be not destroyed by our excessive rigor or
moroseness. No doubt you ought by all honest means to preserve the greatest sobriety possible. For which purpose it will be proper modestly to require of those who have the power, not to constrain you in every thing and on every occasion, to their peculiar modes. But we are far from advising you to abandon the advantage of having a christian church in that place, from the mere consideration of difference in ceremonies. The
important consideration is, that you do not yield to a faulty pliancy in the confession of your faith, and that you make no compromise as to doctrine.
No doubt it is your duty to shun contentions, and not only to maintain a
Jesus Christ, and that our souls are fully nourished by them, be on your guard to exclude the errors with which it is possible that some persons may be entangled, who go farther than that confession. At least do not disguise what God has given us to know on these points, when you shall be called on to do so. Although one of our brethren had already written to two of your company, nevertheless because our beloved brethren of Lausanne have declared that our advice should be added to that which they wish to give you, we were unwilling to spare our pains, being ready to serve you in greater things when God shall give us an opportunity, whom we entreat to preserve you in his holy keeping, to govern you by his Spirit, and increase you in all good, after having commended ourselves to your fervent prayers. Your most humble brethren in our Lord,
The Ministers of the Church of Geneva.
[Fr. copy. — Library of Geneva. Vol. 194.]