CCLXVII.—To Farel.

Publication of the book on Scandals—persecution by the King of France—Bucer's discouragement.

Geneva, 19th August 1550.

How I am to repay you for your letter, I know not, unless that, as soon as the Lord shall have enabled me to complete the first three chapters of my Commentary on Genesis, I give you a reading of it. If it please you, it will be worth the trouble of plucking the fruit before the time; and besides, I shall have the benefit of your judgment on the remainder of the context, if you should think there is anything of which I should be made aware. The pamphlet De Scandalis, considering the immense fulness of the proof, will be not only short but even concise.[295] But then the evidence is all traced back to this conclusion,—that there is no reason why ungodly men should bring the Gospel into disrepute, and expose it to popular odium, under the pretext of stumblingblocks; and that the weak should be strengthened, in order that by the firmness of their faith they may overcome whatever stumblingblocks Satan may cast in their way. To put so great a check upon error, that should any one turn aside from the right path, or stumble or be disheartened, he may be without excuse. Yet I show at the same time, how dreadful a vengeance God will take on the authors of offences. Meanwhile, you will attack that monster when the signs are favourable, which I confidently trust you have already done.

Whatever good hopes of Henry, Viret led you to cherish, they were vain.[296] Rumours of this sort are daily afloat. We should, therefore, place no more reliance on them than they deserve. It is a sure enough token that the ferocity of the beast is in no degree appeased, when our brethren, so far from experiencing any alleviation of their sufferings, are more closely pursued every day. Another lion is said to be making certain extraordinary exertions.[297] We should, therefore, ask God to subdue their rage, or, at all events, to waste their strength by mutual collision—as he has hitherto done—that they may not be able to do any more damage. I am not ignorant of the danger from which the Lord has extricated us. Nor need we thank that abandoned faction, truly, for not bringing this unfortunate, nay devoted, city into utter ruin. But as I had all along good hopes of a remedy, nothing gave me great alarm.

It is to be feared that I shall gain some ill-will on account of the taxes.[298] For they know that Normandie and I are consulted [on the matter]. I prefer running this risk, however, to allowing those to ruin themselves whom I ought to advise. I was not able to bring them to a friendly agreement. All I could do was, to point out to them the best course.

My dear Christopher,[299] confessing as you do in the beginning of your letter, that you are not standing firm in the faith, I am astonished at your refusing to think about the state into which you have fallen. Are you and Mirabeau to be here, then, at Whitsuntide or not? I shall write to my godmother concerning her little daughter at my earliest opportunity.[300] The whole of yesterday was spent in some trifling manner, I hardly know how.

I return to you again, my dear Farel. I do not know whether you have sent Bucer's letter to Viret. Anyhow, I have gathered from it that the worthy man is labouring under too much moroseness at present.[301] I shall write him a quiet letter by and by. There will be silence in future concerning the Zurichers; for I perceive that it only heightens his exasperation. Seeing that he longs greatly for your [letter], I should like him to approve of mine. For that saying of Terence's applies to him, that the unfortunate abuse everybody. For he makes no secret of thinking, that his old friends neglect him when they do not write frequently. Nor is he deceived in Sturm, perhaps, who formerly stood so high in his favour that he would have wronged most men before him.

Adieu, brethren, both very dear to me. May the Lord be always present with you, to guide and watch over you.—Amen. I was more tedious than I imagined on Saturday. For I did not wish to give [the letter] to Latern just when I had it ready. But, having striven in vain to reconcile him to his wife, I sent them both away, not without considerable displeasure.—Yours,

John Calvin.

Normandie especially salutes you. Your other friends do the same. We have some here at present, by no means our friends. Maréchal de la Mark, the Duc de Nemours,[302] and too great a host of that sort. They will decamp a short while before dinner.

[Lat. orig. autogr.—Library of Gotha. Vol. 404, p. 10.]