condition, the messenger will give you a faithful account of it. He is the son of the secretary of the senate, and an excellent and upright young man.
Farewell, my most accomplished and respected brother. May the Lord stand always by you, may he govern and protect you. My colleagues respectfully salute you. In the name of us all you will present our best wishes to yours. — Yours,
John Calvin.
[Calvin’s Lat. Corresp. Opera, tom. 9, p. 83.]
DEFENSE OF THE FRENCH CHURCH OF STRASBOURG — EXPLICATIONS ON THE SACRAMENT OF THE LORD’S SUPPER — APPEAL TO THE MEMORY OF LUTHER, CAPITO,
AND BUCER — OFFERS TO REPAIR TO STRASBOURG IN ORDER TO APPEASE THERE THE RELIGIOUS DISSENSIONS.
GENEVA, 25th August 1554.
It is now nearly a year and a half, since I have been compelled to hear, from time to time, not without the deepest distress, reports respecting the dissensions of the French Church established in your city. For while a few wicked and perverse men wish to give annoyance to our brother N., f40 their violence has been the occasion of rending, by evil contentions, the little church to which the Lord had granted a quiet asylum among you. Nor is it surprising that these are sad and bitter tidings to me; since the
dispersion of that flock which the Lord permitted me formerly by my labors to collect, and for a season to foster, would give me like anguish with the tearing out of my own bowels. But though I vehemently desired, that some remedy should be speedily applied, yet, because I trusted that whatever disturbances had broken out, would be easily appeased by your prudence and moderation and that of your brethren, I deemed it more eligible to remain quiet, lest I should be needlessly importunate to you, or seem to distrust your impartiality. But when the reports were that matters were daily becoming worse, I thought it high time for me to write to you a few words. Nor in truth did my grief allow me to keep silence any longer.
Whilst I am revolving the matter in my own mind, lo, a more agreeable intelligence is brought us, that a measure had been adopted by your
illustrious senate to bridle the perversity of five knaves, and your troubles for the present were so far appeased, that your state was at least
supportable. Would that all things were so settled according to your wishes, that I should have only to congratulate you, and that simply and upon solid grounds. But as there still remains some lurking suspicion and apprehension of the future, I have thought it my duty to task my zeal, for
the cure of this evil. But there were, as far as I can understand, two chief causes of the whole evil. In the commencement, N. was denounced as entertaining and teaching sentiments different from yours respecting the Lord’s Supper. I do not say by whom, or with what intentions the method of bringing about a reconciliation was entered upon. An inquiry was set on foot. But if the affair was handled with good faith, it ought to have been fairly set at rest. The accused party made public a confession of his faith
— how true, how sincere, how complete that confession was, I stop not to enquire. It is sufficient for me that it was not disapproved of. For that reason I have hitherto concluded in my own mind, that your silence, if it did not imply an entire approbation of the opinion of your brother and fellow-pastor, at least, showed that it might be tolerated. That in the meantime you practiced clandestinely against him, by crooked ways, I am not at all disposed even to suspect. What then was left me to conjecture, except that you had granted greater latitude than was proper to five knaves for throwing the church into confusion? For this question ought to have been closely investigated by you all, whether it is lawful, or decent, or in a word, right and proper, that five turbulent individuals, notoriously
dissenting from the remaining body of the faithful, should be countenanced in their opposition to their pastor. But since this wound has also been healed, I return to the former consideration. What more can be demanded of N., than he has already complied with, I cannot very clearly perceive. It becomes you to take care that he be not pressed too severely. If Luther were now alive — that illustrious servant of God, and faithful teacher of the church — he would not be so bitter nor implacable as not willingly to admit of this confession; that those things are really imparted to us in the sacraments, which are there symbolically represented; and that it is for that reason that in the holy Supper we are made partakers of the body and blood of Jesus Christ. For how often did he profess that he had no other motive for his contestation, unless that it should be clearly recognized, that the Lord does not mock us with empty signs, but that he fills us inwardly with what he represents to our eyes, and that so the effect is connected with the visible sign! We are agreed on this point, unless I am greatly mistaken, that the supper of Jesus Christ is not a theatrical show of spiritual food, but that in reality it bestows on us what it symbolizes;
because in it pious souls feed on the flesh and blood of Jesus Christ. But in this instance, my task is that of an intercessor, and not that of an
pastor compelled, without the legitimate sentence of the. church, to abdicate his functions, at the mere beck of the senate. I know that such practices are beginning to creep in everywhere, but I have also already observed, more than once, that they recoil on the heads of those who have wittingly and willingly betrayed the rights of the church. The sainted memory of Bucer and Capito, whose faith, prudence, learning, and
integrity, have been so thoroughly proved, that memory which is still, and will, I trust, long be venerated among all pious men, throws, like a torch, a flood of light on this point; so that whatever is decided by you on either side of the question, may be more clearly ascertained and more notable for an example. But assuredly these men, such was their scrupulousness in maintaining order in the church, would have ten times rather suffered death, than approved, I do not say by their consent, but even by their silence, the violent degradation of a pastor. If indeed you hoped that any advantage would result from my meeting with your colleagues, I should not spare my pains. Nay, I would come among them the more willingly that I see I have been mixed up to a certain degree with this controversy.
Besides it would be very painful for me, that the form of doctrine which I formerly freely professed among you, both in the school and the temple, should now be repudiated. But that I may not seem importunately meddlesome, I have judged it proper not to proceed further in this business, than by counsel, entreaties, and exhortations to urge you to procure the peace, first of a pious brother, and next of an unfortunate little church. If I shall hear that I have obtained what I so ardently desire, we shall all have occasion to congratulate one another. I bid you farewell, distinguished sir, as well as your fellow pastors, my very dear brethren, who along with you govern that church — and to whom, if you think fit, I should wish you to communicate the contents of this letter. May the Lord shield you all by his protection, direct you by the spirit of prudence, uprightness, equity, and constancy, and bless your labors. Amen. — Yours,
John Calvin.
[Lat. orig. autogr. — Library of Geneva. Vol. 107 a.]