Church and State
‘¢ Y kingdom is not of this world: if My kingdom were of this world then would My servants fight,” is the clear delineation of the true church of God in this world given by the King whose name is
the LORD, It is not necessary then, it appears, for the
68 CALVIN: HIS LIFE AND TIMES,
For ages the little republic maintained its independence against the encroachments of the Counts of Savoy, but in the 15th century the Duke Armadeus VIII. appealed to Pope Martin V. to grant him the lordship of Geneva. The people stoutly resisted, and the Duke withdrew from the hopeless contest. The Pope had, however, a more quiet way of destroying Geneva’s freedom. He claimed the privilege of appointing the bishop. This point being gained, he next, in the course of time, appointed a Prince of Savoy to the office. Thus the people found themselves duped by having in their council chamber a prince-bishop to represent the Pope and Savoy instead of having a spiritual adviser.
Geneva soon found herself stripped of her birth-rights, and the city filled with the fruits of a profane priesthood. A terrible and lasting internal conflict ensued. Men were saturating the earth with each other’s blood, the one that he might trample on the rights of his fellow-man, and hold him as his horse or ass with a bridle; and the other that he might breathe the world’s air with freedom, and rightly use his mental'and physical powers for his profit. God, however, was preparing a light and liberty for Geneva that neither popes nor kings could take away.
WILLIAM FAREL.
The sword had been devouring its multitudes in and around Geneva, when God anointed William Farel and sent him in the sword’s track to gather the remnant according to the election of grace. William, in his early days, was a Papist, anda student at the Sorbonne, under Le Févre, but was brought to a knowledge of the truth. In the towns around Geneva he preached with marvellous success. ‘‘ The harvest truly was plenteous.” Town after town became Protestant. Images and altars were removed. Priests armed themselves with weapons of war to take his life. They tried to incite the people with shouts of ‘“ Kill him, kill him,” “Duck him,” “Beat out his brains,” They sometimes knocked him down and beat him, and once almost killed him, but Farel, strengthened by his God, grew the more zealous,. and amidst cold, hunger, and weariness, boldly preached the Christ which had become precious to his soul.
In 1582, he with his friend Saunier entered Geneva and preached upon the Word of God, the fountain uf all Divine knowledge and pardon through the blood of Jesus. This, of course, could never be permitted. If the Word of God be the fountain of all Divine knowledge, the voice of tradition, or the ‘living voice’? of the church (the priest’s), must be of little worth; if pardon of sin be only through the blood of Jesus, priestly absolution must be a cheat. The episcopal council met and summoned the preachers before them, but with their minds already made up not to let them escape. Two magistrates, however, accompanied them to see that they returned alive. Under their sacred robes some of the council concealed fire arms. Again let us repeat the words at the heading of this chapter: ‘‘ My kingdom is not of this world: if My kingdom were of this world, then would My servants fight.”
The members of the council, canons, bishops’ officers and high clergy were of course all in their robes. The Reformers were asked why they came there. Farel meekly replied, ‘‘I am sent by God; J am come to announce His Word.” It was told him that a layman ought not to preach. He replied that they were not the true successors of the Apostles, as they did not care for the doctrine of Christ. They rose to their feet and pulled the Reformers about. ‘‘Come, Farel,” said they, ‘you wivked devil,: what makes you go up and down thus? Whence comest thou? What business brings you to our city to throw us into trouble?” ‘I am not a devil,” said Farel; “I am sent by God as an ambassador of Jesus Christ. I preach Christ crucified. He that believeth on Him hath eternal life. He that believeth not is condemned.” ‘“ He blasphemes; he is worthy of death.” ‘ Tothe Rhone! to the Rhone!” said they. ‘It were better to drown him in the. Rhone, than to suffer this wicked Lutheran to trouble the people.’ “Speak the words of Christ and not of Caiaphas,” replied Farel. ‘Kill the Lutheran hound,” they madly exclaimed. ‘‘Strike! strike!” cried Dom Bergeri, proctor to the chaplain. They struck at them, and a servant of the Grand Vicar, armed with a gun, levelled it at Farel and pulled the trigger; but as God would have it, it missed fire. ‘Iam not to be shaken by a popgun; your toy does not alarm me,” said Farel.
Through the. vigour of the two magistrates, the lives of the Reformers were preserved, but they were ordered to leave the town in six hours or be brought to the stake. Meantimo the lower clergy, armed with clubs and daggers, assembled round the door, and like the forty Jews who bound themselves under a curse neither to eat nor drink until they had slain Paul, they vowed vengeance on Farel. But Farel had been recommended by the lords of Berne. To injure him would be to insult them, so the syndics called out the guard, who caused the crowd to fall back, and although one priest aimed a blow at Farel with a sword, he and his friends safely escaped out of the city.
FROMENT’S SCHOOL.
Farel next persuaded a young man far less courageous than himself, named Froment, to go and take up the work at Geneva. Froment’s appearance was mean. No one seemed to fear him; no one seemed encouraged by his appearance. But he took a room near the Molard or market place, to open as a school. He wrote out the bills, on which he said: ‘Children and adults would be taught to write French in a month,’ and ‘many diseases would be cured gratis.” The bills were posted, the doors opened, and numbers of children came. The Bible was the text book, and God so blessed the labours of the humble teacher that his school-room was soon crowded by anxious adult listeners to the Word of Life.
One of the converts was Claudine Levet, wife of a citizen, a bigoted, but no doubt a sincere, Romanist. She came by invitation to hear the singular and simple teacher, taking care at the same time to secure herself against any Protestant infection by incense and charms, by crossings and prayers. God, however, had a purpose of mercy towards her. Her proud heart was humbled, the arrow of conviction entered. At the close of the sermon she asked: “Ts it true what you say? Isit all proved by the Gospel?”
“This.”’ ‘Is the book from which you preached a genuine New Testament?” ‘‘Itis.” ‘Is not the Mass mentioned init?” “Itis not.’ The Testament, at her request, was
given her, and for three days she confined: herself to her room and read. Who, but one that has been a sincere, yet blind, Romanist, can tell-thé severe struggle between light and darkness that went on in the soul of Madame Levet during those three days? Ye God used His Word, and the scales, at the end of three days, like Paul’s, fell from her eyes.
e The work of the Lord by Froment thus went forward, until one day, while preaching in the market place, a band
FROMENT’S SCHOOL.
of soldiers and a number of armed priests came to arrest him.. He, however, by the assistance of his friends, made his escape, and left Geneva.