J. H. Merle D'Aubigné - History of the Reformation in Europe in the Time of Calvin (Vol. 1-8)

This new movement on the part of Francis emboldened the evangelicals. They hoped that he would go on to the end, and would not leave the pope even the little place which he intended to reserve for him. If a prince like Louis IX. maintained the rights of the Gallican Church in the thirteenth century; if a king like Charles VII. restored ecclesiastical liberty in the fifteenth; shall we not see in this universal revival of the sixteenth century a monarch like Francis I. emancipating France from the Roman yoke? At a great sacrifice he has just done much for Wurtemberg, and will he do nothing for his own kingdom? The friends of the Reformation encouraged one another to entertain the brightest hopes. 'What a noble position!' they said. 696Whenever they met, whether in the university, in the country, or in the town, they exchanged congratulations. 697In their opinion, old things had passed away.

=UNEASINESS OF THE REFORMERS.=

But there were other evangelicals—men more decided and more scriptural—who looked with a distrustful eye upon these mysterious conferences between Francis and the protestants of Germany. Those fine speeches of Du Bellay, and that remarkable conference at Bar-le-Duc, were in their eyes policy and diplomacy, but not religion. They felt uneasy and alarmed; and when they met to pray in their obscure conventicles, these humble christians said to one another with terror: 'Satan is casting his net to catch those who are not on the watch. Let us examine the colours in which he is disguised.' Astonished and even distressed, they asked if it was not strange to assert, as Melanchthon had done, 'that no good man would protest against the monarchy of the Roman bishop, 698and that, in consideration of certain reforms, we should hasten to recognise him!' No, the Roman episcopate will never be reformed, they said. Remodel it as you like, it will always betray its domineering spirit, revive its ancient tricks, and regain its ascendency, even by fire. We must be on our guard.... Between Rome and the Reformation it is a matter of mere yes or no: the pope or Jesus Christ! Unable to conquer the new Church in fair fight, they hope to strangle it in their embraces. Delilah will lull to sleep in her lap the prophet whom the strong men have been unable to bind with green withes and new ropes. Under the pretence of screening the Reform from evil influences, they desire to set it, like a flower of the field, in some place without light and air, where, fading and pining away ... it will perish. Thanks to the protection of the Queen of Navarre, the gallant and high-spirited charger that loved to sport in the meadows is about to be taken to the king's stable, where it will be adorned with a magnificent harness ... but its mouth will be deformed by the bit, its flanks torn by the spur, and even the plaits of its mane will bear witness to its degradation.

This future was not reserved for the Reform. While the mild and prudent voices of Melanchthon and Bucer were soothing it to sleep, innocently enough no doubt, bolder and freer voices, those of a Farel and a Calvin, were preparing to arouse it. While the papers of the conciliating theologians were lying on the velvet cover of the royal table, another paper, whose lines of fire seemed penned by the thunderbolt, was about to circulate through the kingdom, and be posted even at the door of the king's chamber by a too daring hand, which was to arouse in that prince one of the most terrible bursts of passion ever recorded in history. A loud peal of thunder would be heard, and the heavy atmosphere which stifled men's minds would be followed by a pure and reviving air. There would be furious tempests; but the christians of the scriptural, practical, and radical Reformation rejoiced at witnessing the failure of this specious but impossible project, which aimed at reforming the Church even while preserving Roman-catholicism. The system of the Queen of Navarre will have to be abandoned; that of Calvin will prevail. To uphold truth, the evangelicals were about to sacrifice unity. No doubt furious persecutions would be the consequence, but they said to each other that it was better to live in the midst of hurricanes that awaken, than in mephitic vapours which lull men into the sleep of death.

We shall describe hereafter the event which had so notable an influence on the destinies of the Reformation in France. They were Frenchmen who caused it; it was a Frenchman who was the principal author; but it was from Switzerland, as we shall see, that this formidable blow was to come, and to that country we must now return.

655'Dadurch Ich in gute Hoffnung kommen die Sachen sollten auf gute Wege gerichtet werden.' This German translation of the king's letter is given in the Corp. Ref. ii. pp. 828-835.

656'Rex suus cognoscit nunc errorem suum in religione.'—Lanz, Correspondance de l'Empereur Charles-Quint , ii. p. 144.

657'Quod isti Germani Lutherum sequentes de Christo et de fide illius recte sentiant.'—Ibid.

658'Fuerunt illi (Melanchthonis articuli) a quamplurimis in Gallia excerpti, sed non integri verum mutilati.'—Gerdesius, Hist. Evang. renov. iv. p. 124.

659This memoir is printed in the Corpus Reformatorum , ii. pp. 765-775; and while Melanchthon's is entitled Consilium Gallis Scriptum , this is headed Idem Scriptum a Gallis editum .

660'Qua de re Melanchthon ipse conqueritur.'—Gerdesius, iv. p. 124.

661'Eosdem articulos Romam misisse dicitur, quo pontificis ipsius quoque impetraret vel emendationem vel consensum.'—Gerdesius, Hist. Evang. renov. iv. p. 124.

662D'Argentré, De novis Erroribus , i. p. 3553. Gerdesius, iv. App. xiii.

663Letter from the Faculty of Theology to Francis I. D'Argentré, i. p. 3953. Gerdesius, iv. App. xiii.

664D'Argentré, i. p. 3953. Gerdesius, iv. App. xiii.

665Gerdesius, i. App. xiii. p. 75.

666'Necessarium ut in Christum omnes spectemus.'—Scriptum a Gallis editum, Corp. Ref. ii. p. 765.

667 Facultatis Theologiæ Parisiensis Responsum ad Regem Franciscum , D'Argentré, i. p. 3953.—Gerdesius, iv. App. p. 75.

668'Nec geramus alterutri gladiatorios animos nostra mordicus defendendi.'—Scriptum a Gallis editum, Corp. Ref. ii. p. 765.

669 Facultatis Theol. Paris. Resp. ad Regem. Gerdesius, iv. App. p. 75.

670'Ut consulat conscientiis, aliquando concedere relaxationem.'-Scriptum a Gallis editum, Corp. Ref. ii. p. 766.

671'Jure divino institutam, quæ usque ad consummationem sæculi perduratura est.'—Gerdesius, iv. App. p. 78.

672'Quæ tamen nemo observat, atque hi minime omnium qui præcipiunt.'— Corp. Ref. ii. p. 767.

673D'Argentré, i. p. 397. Gerdesius, iv. App. p. 79.

674'Pia mortuorum facta prosopopœia ... quasi præsentes a præsentibus orasse.'—Scriptum a Gallis editum, Corp. Ref. ii. p. 768.

675'Qui et velit invocari et velit exaudire.'—Ibid.

676'Videbimus nos minime abesse a superstitione Ethnicorum.'—Scriptum a Gallis editum, Corp. Ref. ii. p. 768.

677'Statuas et imagines sanctorum quas adorandas sept. œcum. synodus decernit.'— Facultatis Theol. Paris. Resp.

678'Viva membrorum Christi communione.'—Scriptum a Gallis ed. Corp. Ref. ii. p. 769.

679'Semotis his missarum conducticiis nundinatoribus.'—Ibid.

680'Præpostera ejus operis fiducia quæ plerosque sic seduxit.'—Ibid.

681'Vocari non debent nundinatores.'— Facult. Theol. Paris Resp.

682'Sublatis quæ inter nos diu viguerunt altercationibus.'—Script. a Gallis ed., Corp. Ref. ii. p. 770.

683'Præsente urso, quod dicitur, vestigia non quæramus.'—Ibid.

684'Theologiam sic tractemus ut non incidamus in matæologiam.'—Ibid.