These indications are sufficient to show the interest that attaches to the correspondence of the Reformer. Our personal thanks we may surely be permitted to offer to the translator of the work.
CONTENTS
Reconciliation of parties at Geneva — insufficiency of the ministers of that Church — policy of Charles V. Return of Calvin to Strasbourg — news of the Diet of Ratisbon — contradictory formulae presented to the.
CALVIN’S LETTERS LETTER 1
TO NICHOLAS DUCHEMIN F13
TO FRANCES DANIEL F17
The father of our friend Coiffart offered his own house to me, with that kindness that you would have said there was nothing he desired rather than that I should take up my abode with his son. All friends who are here desire to be remembered to you, especially Coiffart and Viermey, with whom I am about to ride out on horseback.
TO FRANCIS DANIEL
I have stirred up some of the professors of this city to make use of them in lecturing. The poor are left in a special manner to your care — you are the helper of the orphan.
TO FRANCIS DANIEL F26
TO FRANCIS DANIEL F27
He then entered with some few of his men, but did not succeed in finding the author of the drama. By letters addressed to the masters of the Paris Academy he required them to certify to himself whether they had.
TO FRANCIS DANIEL F34
TO CHRISTOPHER LIBERTET F35
That new book (for so it must be called) I would have sent you, had it been read over again by me. Some how or other it has so happened that in the hurry of writing I omitted what by no means I had intended.
TO FRANCIS DANIEL F40
The talk of the disputation above mentioned has, I understand, been spread so far and wide, that I do not doubt some whiff of it has reached your city. The Lord grant that idolatry may be entirely uprooted out of the hearts of all.
TO MEGANDER F45
But this troublesome fellow, as if he did not care to what extent he might disturb the Church of Christ by his rashness, at the same time thus sets at defiance the law and judgment of the whole Church. In that view of the question, the public letter has been addressed to your college.
TO VIRET F49
I consider your being restored to us to be indispensable, unless we are willing to lose Farel, who is more exhausted with the great anxiety than I ever thought would be the case with one of such an iron constitution. I wished you to be aware of this, that at your leisure you might think of a successor.
TO SIMON GRYNEE F53
Therefore, of a truth, unless we please to imagine a twofold Deity, it behoves that we speak concerning his essence no otherwise than as concerning the essence of the one God. These facts, I wished in brief compass to signify to you, that we may not in absence (as sometimes happens) be pressed beyond measure by the overweening ignorance and the malicious accusations of the ungodly.
TO THE MINISTERS OF THE CHURCH OF BASLE
We hear that a treaty was lately agreed upon by your Rulers with our King, in which some mention was made of religion, to the effect that henceforth those who agree with yourselves in their sentiments of religion, should not be punished with the wonted severity. Most learned and beloved brethren, may the Lord Jesus daily enrich you more and more with the increase of his Spirits — Yours,.
TO LOUIS DU TILLET F62
If you consider that there always remains some remnant of the blessing of God, as St. Yet the ignorance of the children of God is of such a nature, that it does not hinder them from following his will.
TO HENRY BULLINGER F69
What, then, would hinder the assembling of some public Synod, where individuals might propose whatever they may conceive to be most for the benefit of the churches. A way might be found out of going to work by common deliberation, and if need be, that the cities and princes also should assist in this undertaking by mutual exhortation and counsel, and also confirm by their authority; but in so great perplexity, the Lord is rather to be inquired of that himself may open up a way.
TO HENRY BULLINGER F71
TO PETER VIRET
This brother to whom we have delivered the horses to be brought back, has made up his mind to stay with you if he can procure any suitable employment: therefore see what can be done to put him in the way of being serviceable to the Church of Christ. If he shall appear worthy of your regard, for our sake also we desire to commend him to your good offices.
TO LOUIS DU TILLET F76
The Bernese endeavor, or, I should rather say, persist, f80 as much as they are able, to make believe that all goes well, but there is no one else who does not think quite the contrary. Above all, however, on looking back and considering the perplexities which environed me from the time when I first went thither, there is nothing I dread more than returning to the charge from which I have been set free. There is a stir at present about an affair of vast consequence, and not without the knowledge of the king and the emperor, f81 which I can well suppose that Monsieur Firmin f82 will tell you something about, and therefore I say no more about it.
One may very much doubt whether they are not merely trying the ford without any thoroughgoing intention; but within two months we shall know for certain whether there is any thing in it.
TO WILLIAM FAREL F83
For no one will be so utterly malignant as to suppose that we intend anything farther. This above all, in the name of the Lord, I entreat of you, that you do determine nothing about me without first of all giving me a previous warning. In so far as I can discover, the person you wet of has endeavored most ambitiously, by means of his relations, to pave the way for himself to the office of the ministry.
I have satisfied the owner of the horse; the rest of your commissions are duly attended to.
TO FAREL
Grynee, although with more reserve, that he might not appear to suggest any thing in this arrangement from a desire to be rid of the charge of entertaining me, shewed that the bent of his opinion inclined to the advice they had given. He wandered a little in his mind, yet had so much consciousness of his state as to call me back to his chamber that he might entreat me earnestly to pray for him; for he had heard me. Of his companion, who was afflicted with the same malady, we cannot yet write anything certain.
On his return he will intimate that he does not remain there beyond the time agreed on.
TO FAREL F88
And in the meanwhile, perhaps the Lord will so order and dispose in providence that all may be more fully ripened. I preached on the Lord’s day, which, as it was commended among the people by the acceptance of all the brethren, had many who were either hearers or at least spectators. The brethren have a mind, should there appear to exist among them any face of a Church, to grant also the administration of the Lord’s Supper.
The Lord preserve you and the rest of the brethren to himself, and make you the means of prospering his own work.
TO THE CHURCH OF GENEVA F92
We may boldly lay hold on this confidence whenever there is occasion to contend against the wicked, albeit that we ourselves may be answerable in a very high degree to the justice of the Lord. CONFERENCES OF BASLE — ABSENCE OF THE THEOLOGIANS OF ZURICH AND OF BERNE — THE MINISTER KONZEN. COMPLAINTS AGAINST BUCER — A WISH FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF ECCLESIASTICAL DISCIPLINE — CELEBRATION OF THE SUPPER IN THE FRENCH CHURCH OF.
He has business to treat about with the Landgrave and some of the free cities, with Luther and the Saxons, relating to the.
TO FAREL F110
In the meanwhile Bullinger makes public that epistle of his in which he reckons the Turncoats and Weathercocks as stumbling-blocks of offense and hindrances to the progress of the Gospel. F113 They, however, were forbearing enough to teach, by their example, not to return railing for railing, and suppressed their sense of so great indignity until Erasmus, one of the Zurich ministers, had arrived in Strasbourg. F116 He has acknowledged to me, that out of the Church there cannot exist the hope of salvation; he says, the true Church is to be found among us; that therefore, on his part, there had been a falling away, because he had lived as a sectary in separation from it.
Whereupon, with the courtesy which the occasion called for, I received and welcomed him seeking forgiveness, and reached forth to him the hand in name of the Church.
TO BULLINGER F117
The Imperial Chamber, at the request of the bishop, ordered her to be set at liberty. The ambassador of the Emperor strove to the uttermost that he might detach them from the Swiss. It was the wish of the Emperor that the ecclesiastical revenues might be reserved to the priesthood until the expiry of the inducioe.
Salute for me in the most friendly manner, Thomas and the rest of the brethren.
TO THE CHURCH OF GENEVA F156
But who can suppose otherwise than that you have recommended him on the certificate of the Church. In this place hitherto many individuals were in the habit of making a rash approach to the sacrament of the Supper. As for me, I do not yet see that they have respect to the will of the Lord as they ought.
Our messenger will be here before the end of the week unless he has deceived us. You thought, forsooth, to get out of the scrape in this way, as if in the meanwhile I had not. In the cause of the Lord he does not deal very favorably of late; three men of the.
TO VIRET
Since that time to the present such has been my state of doubt and hesitation, that it was impossible for me to write any thing for certain; it seemed, indeed, as if it had been so ordered on purpose that our wedlock f220 might not be over joyous, that we might not exceed all. On the 3rd of September I was seized with stuffing of the head, a malady so frequent with me that it gave me no great concern. Next day, being the Lord’s day, when I had got a little warm in the delivery of the forenoon sermon, I felt those humors which had gathered in the head begin to loosen and dissolve.
On that day, when I was preaching, as usual, and found great difficulty in speaking, owing to the nostrils being blocked up with mucus and the fauces choked with hoarseness, all of a sudden I underwent a strange sensation; the cough, to be sure, ceased, but rather unseasonably, while the head continued to be crammed with evil humors.
