In 1532, on his return from the Waldensian meet- ing, he came to Geneva, tlien full of religious strife. His first preaching was private, but it was too success- ful to be kept secret; and he was summoned liefore the episcopal council, at the time trembling for its au- thority, and therefore the more likely to be fevere. The meeting with the council was a scene of bitter re- criminations, and when Farel was leaving it a gun was fired at him. He coolly remarked, "Your shots
FAREL
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do not terrif}' me." But he was forced to quit Gcn3- j va fV)r the time, and sent Fionicnt and Olivetan to continue the \v(.rk there. In 1533 he returned to Ge- neva, where the Reformation was gaining ground. Farcl's situation here was full of trial and peril, but bis courage and devotion adniiralily fitted him for his task. The triumph came Aug. 27, 1535, when the city council, by an edict, formally proclaimed the adhesion of (Jeneva to the Reformation. Farel was full of toil and anxiet}' in organizing tlie Reformed discipline and worship, in whicli he was assisted especially by Viret (q. v.). In ]53(>, Calvin stopped at Geneva to visit ths Reformers. Farel urged him to .stay, and, on Cal- vin's refusal, thus addressed him : " I declare, in the name of God, that if you do not assist us in this work of the Lord, the Lord will punish 3'ou fur following your own interest rather than his call."' Calvin, struck with tliis denunciation, submitted, and was ap- pointed preacher and professor. See Calvin. From that time on Farel's labors were closely united with those of Calvin. The confession of faith drawn up by Farel, with Calvin's counsel, was approved by the people in July, 1537. The same year the Council of Geneva conferred on Farel the honor of a burgess of the city, in token of their respect and gratitude. But the popular will was not prepared for the severe dis- cipline of the Reformers, and in a short time the peo- ple, under the direction of a faction, met in a public assembly and expelled Farel and Calvin from the place (April, 1538). Farel went to Neufchatel, where the Church was in a state of disorder, in consequence of the troubles occasioned by the severity of the Re- formed discipline. He dealt with offenders severelj^ ; even a lady of noble birth did not escape. She had left her husband ; Farel urged her to return to him, and on her refusal relud<ed the scandal and its authors publicly from the pulpit. A great strife arose, and the people were on the point of expelling Farel ; but at last his energy overcame the factious party, and the council by vote, in 1542, proclaimed his triumph. In that j'ear he returned to Geneva, and went thence to jNIetz, to organize the Reformed Church. He preached first in the Dominican cemeter}'', amid the ringing of the convent belis purposely to drown his voice. Thousands afterwards flocked to hoar him. Once, when a Franciscan was preaching Mariolatry, Farel contradicted him, and nearly fell a victim to the fury of tlie mob, especially of the women. On Oct. 2, 1512, the city council forbade his preaching in tlie citj', and he retired to the neighboring town of Jlontigny, and afterwards to Gorze, where the count of Furstem- l)crg took him and his friends under his protection. On JIarch 25, 1543, an armed band fell upon the evan- gelicals while celebrating the Eister conmiunion. Many were killed and wounded ; among the latter was Farel, who took refuge in the castle. He escaped in disj:uise, and went to Strasburg, where he remain- ed a few months. He then visited his old friends in Neufchatel and Geneva. Here he approved the exe- cution of Servetus (q. v.). In 1557 he was sent, with Bez.i, to the Protestant princes of Germany, to implore their aid for the Waldenses, and on his return he went to preach the Reformation among the Jura Mountains. At sixty-nine he married a 3'oung wife, very much to Calvin's disgust, who spoke of him under the circum- stances as our poor brother (povrc frere). In 1560 he visited his native Dauphiny, established a Reformed Church at Grenoble, and passed several months at Gap, preaching against Rome with all the vehemence of Ins youth. On Nov. 24, 1501, he was thrown into prison, l)Ut was rescued by his friends, who took him from the rampart in a basket. In 15G1 he paid a visit to the dj'ing Calvin, and then passed some months with his old flock at Motz. He returned to Neufcha- tel worn out with fatigue, and died there Sept. 13, 15G5. Farel was an ardent, impulsive man, a missionary rather than an organizer, an iconoclast rather than a
theoloirian. His gifts admirably supplemented those of Calvin. Beza {Life of Calvin) says of Farel that iu his preaching " he excelled in a certain sublimity, so that none could hear his thunders without trem- bling." Among his writings are Sommuire ; brieve declaration d'ailkuns lieuxfort necessaires a un ckacuin Ci'ireiien, etc. (many editions ; reprinted in 18G5, along with Du vraij usage : see below) : — De Oralione Domin- ica (1524, 8 vo), afterwards in French, enlarged (Gene v. 1543, 12mo) : — Traite du Purgatoire (1543, r2mo) : — La Glaive de V Esprit (jiirtimst Libertines; Genev. 1550) : — Du vray usage de la croix de J. C. (Genev. 15G0, 8\'o; new ed., with other letters and writings of Farel, Neuf- chatel, 18G5, 8vo) : — Traite de la Cene (1555). There are several lives of Farel : Ancillon, Vie de Guill. Farel (Amst. IGOl) ; Kirchhofer, L^ehen Fare's (Zurich, 1833, 2 vols.) ; translated, Kirchhofer's Life ofL\irel (Lond. 1837, sm. 8vo) ; Blackburn, Life (f Farel (Phila. Presb. Board). See also Sclnnidt, Etudes sur Farel (Strasb. 1834); Haag, La France Protestanle, vol. iv ; Bayle, Dictionnaire, s. v. ; Hoefer, Nouv. Bing. Gmerale, xvii, 103 ; Correspondance des R(fi>rmaieurs dans les Pays de lungue Frangaise (Paris, 18GG, tom. i).