that which occurred here in Geneva, I will content myself by repeating the inscription which, during three centuries, from 1536 to 1798, was on the walls of our Hotel de Ville, and which expresses better than I could do, the uncompromising character of Calvinism. At the jubilee of 1835, it was to have been restored and placed in the church of St. Peter; but it has not yet been done. This is it: "In the year 1535, the tyranny of the Roman antichrist having been overthrown, and its superstitions abolished, the most holy religion of Jesus Christ was established here in its purity, and the church was better organised, by the infinite goodness of God. And at the same time, this city, herself, having repulsed and put to flight her enemies, was restored to liberty by the special interposition of God. The Council and the people of Geneva have raised this monument to perpetuate the memory of these events, so that a testimony of their gratitude to God may descend to their posterity." What has resulted from this difference between Lutheranism and Calvinism? Two very distinct courses, and each of which has its favourable aspect. The course of Lutheranism is defensive, successive: that of Calvinism, aggressive and subduing. To Lutheranism belongs the principle of passive resistance; to Calvinism, the principle of activity and life. Gentlemen, is it necessary to remind you how important these two tendencies are to the prosperity of the church? Need I insist upon this, that in every well-constituted community there must be united the immoveability of principle with the mobility of life? There is not even a family where these two opposite tendencies are not to be found. In the domestic state, to balance the decided authority and stern command of the father, there must be the conciliating and indulgent tenderness of the mother. The same is required in the social state; the conservative and the liberal elements ought always to be combined. hatred, and revolution. An excess of mobility An exclusive immobility leads to violence, Has not Charles the Tenth taught us this? conducts to levity and superficiality, to agitation and pride. Is there not a nation which demonstrates this? These two elements are so indispensable to the existence of the whole body, that if, by some means, you were to annihilate one of them, it would soon reappear. In France, in 1830, the ancient conservatives were excluded; and those who, during fifteen years, had played the part of liberals, became themselves conservatives. And that which is necessary in the state and even in each family, would you wish to exclude from the church? Would you wish by some revolution to exterminate one of these elements? Impotent conspirators! Were you able to destroy the element of Calvinism, you would be compelled to become Calvinists yourselves! But without doubt, Lutheranism had much to suffer during the sixteenth century for having pushed its principles to the extreme. Halting between the Bible and the church,-between that which it should cast away, and that which it should retain, it held a difficult and uncertain course; its reformation was never able to attain the height to which it at first aspired; and Luther, with a character so gay, a humour so joyous, had nearly ended his days in sadness and trouble whilst Calvinism, having a precise and specific object-the Bible, nothing but the Bible-advanced with energy; and Calvin, Farel, Knox, and even Zwingle, died with joy and triumph. What a death was Calvin's! How affecting were his parting words! Lutheranism, paralysed from the commencement of its existence, saw, after the decease of Luther, its conservation changed into stagnation. The Lutheran princes, unfaithful to the glorious memory of the illustrious Diet of Spire, (1529) opposed any extension of Protestantism, and were backed too well by their theologians. At the present time, a new society, which we regard with affection and respect-the Gustavus Adolphus Society-stedfast to this Lutheran principle, strives, it is true, to sustain the Protestant churches which are in a declining state, but declares itself opposed to all effort beyond its recognised sphere of Protestantism, and consequently to all proselytism. It is not thus with Calvinism: it moves, advances, progresses; it gains everywhere. Our evangelical societies at Paris and Geneva have the essential character of proselytism; and all our missionary societies are the most beautiful fruits of the spirit of Calvinism. But above all, it is in the relation between the two churches and the papacy, that shows the characteristics which distinguish them. Lutheranism which assumes the offensive attitude with regard to Calvinism, stands on the defensive with regard to the pope; whilst Calvinism, on the contrary, holding out the right hand of brotherhood to Lutheranism, openly and boldly assumes the offensive against Rome. Melancthon, when at Augsburg in the year 1530, said to the cardinals, that there was but little difference between himself and the pope; but that an immense chasm separated him from Zwingle.* Lutheranism, with which the idea of a visible church possesses so much weight, would be able to capitulate with Rome; but Calvinism, which owns the Bible alone, must stedfastly resist her. Wherever there is found a superstitious fear of a conflict with the papacy,-wherever extreme circumspection is observed,-wherever it is thought, for example, that prudence will not allow Protestants to hold out the right hand of fellowship to the priests who reject the pope, but confess Jesus Christ, -there, perhaps, hyper-Lutheranism will be found: but that is not the spirit of Calvinism. Inspired with a holy love for souls, and with a firm conviction that * Dogma nullum habemus diversum ab ecclesia Romana. Parati sumus obedine ecclesiæ Romanæ.-(Legato Pontifico Melancthon.) Rome leads to perdition, Calvinism, three centuries ago, seized the sword of the word, and began a conflict with the papal power- a war of life or death. In spite of the constant and violent opposition of the most powerful monarchies of Europe, in spite of the redoubled efforts of that hierarchy which has led the whole world captive, Calvinism-like the youthful David-advanced against the gigantic Goliath, and with nothing in its sling and its scrip, but the smooth pebbles of the word of God, it has conquered in the name of the Lord of hosts. Certainly I am grateful for all that the Christian princes have achieved, and especially for the measures of the immortal Gustavus Adolphus. But they were the work of a prince, and perhaps were undertaken at the dictates of state policy. With us, this work belongs to the faithful, and is the effect of faith. Calvinism saved the Reformation in disastrous times, and it will save her again in our own days. But it is true that she was saved at the price of blood. Whilst the Lutheran church has scarcely a martyr to name, ours are counted by thousands, and their fidelity has filled the best Lutherans with respect and admiration,—the tender souls of the Speners and the Zinzendorfs. In Switzerland, in Scotland, in England, and above all, in France and Belgium, the Inquisition and the papacy, with their daggers and their scaffolds, have covered the soil of the Bible with the bodies of the slain. Calvinism has witnessed it, but she has not bowed her head. She has seen her children yield their blood with joy, looking to Jesus. Christ; and undismayed, she has continued her onward course. A mandate written in the name of a priest, calling himself the Count of Lausanne and prince of the holy empire of Rome, (although that empire had ceased to exist at the commencement of this century,) has dared, very recently, to declare in this city, that, "Always and everywhere, from the time of the apostles, to our own days, the church, (of Rome) its pontiffs, and its priests have been persecuted. The holy pontiffs and priests of Jesus Christ, in striving for the conversion and sanctification of souls, have never, since the origin of Christianity, employed any means which the Gospel, conscience, and reason condemn."* Really this is too bad, and we groan at its falseness. What! dare you to give utterance to such language in this city, in the midst of a population sprung, so to speak, from the victims of your wheels, your racks, and your knives! We are accustomed to the effrontery of Rome, but never before have we had such a sample as this! Tell us, forgetful people, from whence came the bloody application * Mandate of the Bishop of Lausanne and Geneva, of the 17th May, 1844. of that passage, "Constrain them to come in?" By whose orders were those torrents of blood shed, which from the constant hearts of the Vaudois and the Albigenses, inundated the middle ages? Who, if it was not your pope, on the night of the 24th of August, 1572, in the midst of the celebration of the nuptial rejoicings, caused the venerable Coligny to be butchered on his knees, and sixty thousand Calvinists with him? Who but he ordered all the bells in Rome to ring a merry peal, and the cannon of the Castle of St. Angelo to be fired, and medals to be struck in commemoration of that massacre? Who, in 1685, razed in France more than sixteen hundred Protestant temples, and slaughtered thousands of their worshippers, and forced. myriads to flee from their native land? In our own day, who forbids, in almost all Roman Catholic countries, liberty to preach the Gospel? Who forced the poor inhabitants of the Zillerthal to quit the land of their fathers? Who, in Austria, made laws against conversion to Protestantism? Who condemned to prison that Maurette, who last winter contended here with the priests charged with the reading of your mandate from the pulpit? Who, two months since, in a village bordering on our frontier, within three miles of this spot, caused a poor peasant to be seized, thrown into a dungeon, and last of all sent to the galleys, for having committed no other crime than that of reading his Bible? Who, not in the fourteenth or fifteenth century, but only a few weeks ago, condemned to death Maria Joaquina, for having denied the worship of the Virgin, and the doctrine of transubstantiation? And you talk of Rome as a persecuted church! and you dare assert that she has never employed any other means than the voice of conscience and the power of persuasion! Men of treacherous memories, truly! When you persecute, you are consistent with yourselves. Persecution ought to be, and in truth is, one of your dogmas. No one shall rob you of that opprobrium, no one shall filch from you that glory. Your church is the church of executioners, our church is the church of martyrs ! AN EPITAPH, AT MESSING, ESSEX, ON JOHN PORTER, YEOMAN, 1600. Learn so to live by Faith, as I did live before; Learn so to give by Faith, as I did at my door; Learn so to keep by Faith, as God be still thy store; Learn so to lend by Faith, as I did to the poor. That God in Christ, at day of death, may prove thy Friend. CHRIST IN THE TOMB. Oн come and mourn o'er Him so coldly lying, O'erweep those wounds-those wounds our hard hearts made; Near is his grave unto his place of dying, Come from that cross to where our Lord is laid, For we who nailed him to the cross may come And mourn him in the tomb. That head for us he low and beamless made, Oh see where sleeps, with all its sorrows sleeps, Was this the temple that we built for thee, Bear with us, suffering One! How calmly there thou liest down with Death, That conquered conqueror, who once dreaded none, But now beside thee watching shuddereth, Trembling at that which he himself hath done. That pierced side heaves not-the heart of love Within hath ceased to move. And are those lips then ever, ever dumb? And have we dried their fountain utterly? Oh would he live, again among us come, How would we hang on them!-stay, mourner, see What tears of joy the happy dawn hath wept, He waketh who hath slept ! The earth that was erewhile his tottering bier, A Saviour's place of pain." |
