be found impracticable, you thought of conveying the child soon after its birth, along with its mother, in order to have it baptized according to the ordinance of God. And this would have been an open declaration, that so far were you from despising baptism, on the contrary, from the deep respect in which you held it, you wished it to be pure and entire, such as it was instituted by our Lord. Such a delay, forming a part of the confession of your faith, ought not to offend the godly. For had the thing fallen out as you expected, such an act was no more to be blamed than your departure.
I can readily believe, that there may be some who would take offense that people quit the country in which they live, because they feel that they themselves are condemned by this example. But if they act badly, it is not a reason why they should subject others to conform to them, nor exact that what is their vice should be erected into a law. Among those who approve of what is good and give not their sanction to what is evil, I take it for granted that it is lawful for a christian man to withdraw himself from the pollution’s of Popery, and also that it is not only lawful, but
obligatory, for him to take with him his infant child in order to offer it with purity to God, and have it baptized without Popish superstition.
Now God has been pleased to deprive you of that blessing. He knows wherefore. No doubt it was his will to humble you in this matter. But this does not prove that the act was to be condemned, since your intention was both pious and praiseworthy. If any one reply that your child has been deprived of baptism, which is the sign of salvation, I answer that its condition is not the worse for that before God. For though baptism be the seal of our adoption, yet we are enrolled in the book of life, both by the gratuitous goodness of God, and by his promise to that effect. By virtue of what are our children saved, if not by that of the saying: I am the God of thy offspring? But for that they would not be capable even of being baptized. If their salvation is assured by the promise, and the foundation on which it rests is sufficiently solid of itself, we must not conclude that all the children who die without baptism go to perdition, for in our desire to honor the visible sign, we should do great injustice and dishonor to God, derogating from his truth as if our salvation were not firmly established on
his simple promise. Since then on your part there has been no contempt of the sacrament, it brings no prejudice to the salvation of your child, that it died before you had leisure or the means to have it baptized. Thus there is no cause for scandal to those who are unwilling to take offense without reason. This you may easily shew to all the brethren in order to appease them. Whereupon I conclude after commending myself affectionately to you and your excellent spouse, and to the prayers of you both, as I on my part entreat our merciful Father to have you in his holy keeping, to fortify you by his holy Spirit, and to further you more and more in all good. — Your humble brother,
John Calvin
[Fr. copy. — Library of Geneva. Vol. 107.]
TO BULLINGER.
DEFENSE OF THE CONSENSUS —
ATTACKS OF THE BERNESE CLERGY ON CALVIN.
GENEVA, 18th September 1554.
When your letter was delivered to me, the day before yesterday, by our friend Morel, a messenger presented himself here opportunely, by whom I might have let you know how much pleasure it afforded me. But a
complaint which confined me to bed, this morning, prevented me from writing back to you as I had intended. Now, though I had already made my apology to the messenger, yet I have felt a wish to hold a little gossip with you, rather than send him away quite empty-handed. I will send ere long the defense of our Consensus. f53 But lest you should by chance anticipate something very fine, I must give you notice beforehand, that it will be written hurriedly, and without much expense of labor or correction. Of the state of our affairs, I write to you nothing, except that we are still floating in suspense, that through our sluggishness, the profligate are allowed to make game of us with as much sauciness as impunity. Meanwhile, I am more than atrociously outraged by our neighbors. For the preachers of the Bernese territory denounce me from the pulpit for a heretic, worse than all the Papists put together, and the more snappishly each one falls foul of me, the surer he is if meeting with encouragement and protection. Because I had sufficiently experienced that nothing was to be hoped for from our own brethren, whom these injuries, however, ought to affect, I maintain as profound a silence as if I were dumb. The wicked may be satiated and the envious glut themselves to their heart’s content, for any obstacle that I throw in their way. In the mean time the Lord will look down from heaven and will be avenged. Farewell, most accomplished man, and highly honored brother. Salute in my name, M. Pellican, M. Gualter, Zuingli, your sons- in-law, your wife and family. May the Lord have you all in his keeping, and lead you with blessings of every kind. I do not reply to M. Charles
Du Moulin, because I had written to him a short while ago. I am not a little apprehensive lest his moroseness should be hurtful to his defense of the good cause. f54 I am anxiously waiting, as well as many good men, for the result of the convention at Baden. Again, farewell. My colleagues, and many friends respectfully salute you. Yours,
John Calvin.
[Lat. orig. autogr. — Arch. of Zurich, Gallic. Scrip. 24. Gest. 6, p. 20.]