PREFACE. VH
I have freely quoted from Calvin's works and letters, which give us tlie best insiglit into his mind and heart. I have consulted also his chief biographers,— Frencli, German, and English: his enthusiastic admirers, — Beza, Henry, Stiihelin, Bungener, and Merle D'Aubigne ; his virulent detractors, — Bolsec, Galiffe, and Audin ; and his impartial critics, — Dyer, and Kampschulte. Dr. Henry's work (1844) was the first adequate biography of the great Reformer, and is still unsurpassed as a rich collection of authentic materials, although not well arranged and digested. i Dr. Merle D'Aubigne's " History of the Reformation " comes down only to 1542. Thomas H. Dyer, LL.D., the author of the " History of Modern Europe," from the fall of Constantinople to 1871, and other historical works, has written the first able and readable " Life of Calvin " in the English language, which is drawn chiefly from Calvin's correspondence, from Ruchat, Henry, and, in the Servetus chapter, from Mosheim and Trechsel, and is, on the whole, accurate and fair, but cold and unsympathetic. The admirable work of Professor Kampschulte is based on a thorough mastery of the sources, but it is unfortunately incomplete, and goes only as far as 1542. The materials for a second and third volume were placed after his death (December, 1872) into the hands of Professor Cornelius of Munich, who, however, has so far onl}' written a few sections. His admiration for Calvin's genius and pure character (see p. 205) presents an interesting parallel to Dollinger's eloquent tribute to Luther (quoted in vol. VI. 741), and is all the more valuable as he dissented from Calvin's theology and church polity; for he was an Old Catholic and intimate friend of Reuscli and DiJUinger.^
The sole aim of the historian ought to be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
I have dedicated this volume to my countrymen and oldest surviving friends in Switzerland, Dr. Georg von AVyss of Ziirich and Dr. Frederic GoDET of Neuchatel. The one represents German, the other French Switzerland. Both are well known; the one for his historical, the other for his exegetical works. They have followed the preparation of this book with sympathetic interest, and done me the favor of revising the proof-sheets.^
1 The first and second volumes of Dr. Henry's larger biography are sometimes quoted from the English translation of Dr. Stebbing; but the third volume always from the original, as Dr. Stebbing omits the appendices and nearly all the original documents.
- Professor Ileuscb of Bonn kindly informed me by letter (Sept. 8, 1891) that Kamp- Bchulte first studied for the priesthood and was an orthodox and pious Catholic, but opposed the Vatican decree of papal infallibility in 1870, and may therefore be considered as having been virtually excommunicated. He administered to him the last sacrament (which the ultramontane priest was prohibited from doing by the Archbishop of Cologne). The first volume of Kampschulte's work was fully and favorably reviewed in Reusch's Litcraturblatt for 1869, No. 662, by Dr. Hefele of Tubingen, shortly before he became bishop of Ilottenburg. Hefele, as a member of the Vatican council, was one of the most learned opponents of papal infallibility, but afterwards submitted for the sake of peace. A biographical notice of Karapschulte by Cornelius is to be found in the fifteenth volume of tbe Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie. ,
' I take the liberty of quoting a few passages from recent letters of these Swiss scholars which will interest the reader. Dr. von Wyss writes : " Ihr Vaterland in Amerika mid die englische Sprache geben. dem IVej-^ce ein Geprdge, welches dasselbe von deiitschen ahnlichen
viii PREFACE.
I feel much encouraged by the kind reception of my Church History at home and abroad. The first three volumes have been freely translated into Chinese by tlie Kev. D. Z. Sheffield (a missionary of the American Board), and into Hindostani by the Rev. Robert Stewart (of the Presbyterian Mission of Sialkot).
I have made considerable progress in the fifth volume, which will complete the history of the Middle Ages. It was delayed till I could make another visit to Rome and Florence, and study more fully the Benaissance, which preceded the Reformation. Two or three more volumes will be necessary to bring the history down to the present time, according to the original plan. But how many works remain unfinished in this world ! Ars longa, vita brevis.
JUMB, 1892.
Postscript.
The above Preface was ready for the printer, and the book nearly finished, when, on the 15th of July last, I was suddenly interrupted by a stroke of paralysis at Lake Mohonk (where I spent the summer) ; but, in the good providence of God, my health has been nearly restored. My experience is recorded in the 103d Psalm of thanksgiving and praise.
I regret that I could not elaborate chs. XVII. and XVIII., especially the influence of Calvin upon the Reformed Churches of Europe and America (§§ 162 and 163), as fully as I wished. My friend. Rev. Samuel Macauley Jackson, who happened to be with me when I was taken sick, wrote at my
Schriften eindriicklich unterscheidet — es liegt ein so unmittelbares Auffassen und Erfassen der Hauptsache, auf die es ankommt, ein so bestimmtes Losgehen auf das Leben, das Praktische, darin — dass mich dieser charakteristische Zug Ihrer gewtiltigen Arbeit ungemein anzieht. Wie verschieden sind dock die Anlagen und die Bediirfnisse der Volker > Wer wollfe deutsches, franzosisches, englisches, amerikanisches Blut und \resen (icli nenne sie nach der historischen Reihenfolge) susainmenschmelzen konnen ! Ueberall ein eigenthiimlicher Zug ! Jeder werthvoll und lieb, u-enn er nicht iibertrieben unrd ! Wer soil die Einheit bildenf Dardber sind wir, viein hochverehrter Frctitid {idi bin glackUch, so sagen zu d'urfen), einig. Aber was ^cird es einst sein, wenn wir diese Einigung in Hirer vollen Veriinrklichung, iiber dieser Erde, erblicken werden 1 " — " Ich lese die Probebogen allezeit mit dem gr'ossien Vergnugen. Die Klarheit, Bestimmtheit und Gennuigkeit Ihrer Darstellung {bis in's Einzelnste) tind der Geist von dem sir getragen ist, gewdhren mir die grosste Befriedigu7ig. . . . IVas ZwingU in seiner Exponitii Fidei an Konig Franz I. iiber die Welt jenseits des Grabes sngt, ist mir von alien seinen Aensserungen stets das Liebste, und in nichts fiihle ich mich ihm mehr verwandt als gerade darin, — sowie in der Liebe. die ihn zu BuUinger zog."—'D\: Goclet (Dec. 3, 1891) : " Du scheiiist zu filrchtei}, dass die Druckbogen viir cine Last seien. Jm Gegentheil, sie sind mir eine Freude 7ind Belehrung gewesen. Ich habe nie efwas so Befriedigendes iiber den Gegenstand gelcsen. Calvin tritt hervor mit scinem toahren Gesirht und in seiner hehren Gestalt. Teh danke Dir herzlich fiir diese Mitiheilung." The game, in a more recent letter: ..." Qu'ilnous soit donn ' n fo2is denx avant de quitter cHte vie de ponvoir terminer nos travaux commences,— tiri, ton Histoire . . . moi, man Introduction an Xouveau Testament. ... Le premier rolume, les ipitres de Paul, sera, j'espere. termine et imprimi avec la fin de I'annie (,1892) si . . ." The venerable author is now in his eighty-fourth year.