798 THE EEFORMATION IN FRENCH SWITZERLAND.
punished obstinate heretics. The oecumenical synods (from 325 to 787) were called and confirmed by emperors who punished the offenders. Whoever denies to the civil authority the right to restrain and punish pernicious errors against public worship undermines the authority of the Bible. He cites in confirmation passages from Luthei-, Melanchthon, Urbanus Rhegius, Brenz, Bucer, Capito, Bullinger, Musculus, and the Church of Geneva. He closes the argument as follows : " The duty of the civil authority in this matter is hedged about by these three regulations : (1) It must strictly confine itself to its own sphere, and not presume to define heresy ; that belongs to the Church alone. (2) It must not pass judgment with regard to persons, advantages, and circumstances, but with pure regard to the honor of God. (3) It must proceed after quiet, regular examination of the heresy and mature consideration of all the circumstances, and inflict such punishment as will best secure the honor due to the divine Majesty and the peace and unity of the Church."
This theory, which differs little from the papal theory of intolerance, except in regard to the definition of heresy and the mode and degree of punishment, was accepted for a long time in the Reformed Churches with few dissenting voices ; but, fortunately, there was no occasion for another capital punishment of heresy in the Church of Geneva after the burning of Servetus.
The evil which Calvin and Beza did was buried with their bones ; the greater good which they did will live on forever. Dr. Willis, though a decided apologist of Servetus, makes the admission : " Calvin must nevertheless be thought of as the real herald of modern freedom. Holding ignorance to be incompatible with the existence of a people at once religious and free, Calvin had the schoolhouse built beside the Church, and brought education within the reach of all. Nor did he overlook the higher culture." ^
^ Servetus and Calvin, p. 514. See below, § 161.
CHAPTER XVII. CALVIN ABROAD.
Calvin's Correspondence in his Opera, vols. X.-XX. — Henry, III. 395-549 (Calvin's IVirksamkeit nach omssch). — Stahelix, I. 505-588; II. 5 sqq.
§ 159. Calvin's Gatliolicity of Spirit.
Calvin was a Frenchman by birth and education, a Swiss by adoption and life-work, a cosmopolitan in spirit and aim.
The Church of God was his home, and that Church knows no boundaries of nationality and language. The world was his parish. Having left the papacy, he still remained a Catholic in the best sense of that word, and prayed and labored for the unity of all believers. Like his friend Melanchthon, he deeply deplored the divisions of Protestantism. To heal them he was willing to cross ten oceans. Thus he wrote, in reply to Archbishop Cranmer, who had invited him (March 20, 1552), with Melanchthon and BuUinger, to a meeting in Lambeth Palace for the purpose of drawing up a consensus creed for the Reformed Churches.^ After expressing his zeal for the Church universal, he continues (Oct. 14, 1552) : —
"I wish, indeed, it could be brought about that men of learnhig and authority from the different churches should meet somewhere, and after thoroughly discussing the different articles of faith, should, by a unanimous decision, deliver down to posterity some certain rule of doctrine. But amongst the chief evils of the age must be reckoned the marked division between the different churches, insomuch that human society can hardly be said to be established among us, much less a holy communion of the members of Christ, which, though all profess it, few indeed really observe with
^ See Cranmer's letter of invitation in Calvin's Opera, XIV. .306.
800 THE REFORMATION IN FRENCH SWITZERLAND.
sincerity. But if the clergy are more lukewarm than they should be, the fault lies chiefly with their sovereigns, who are either so involved in their secular affairs, as to neglect altogether the welfare of tlie Church, and indeed religion itself, or so well content to see their own countries at peace as to care little about others ; and thus the members being divided, the body of the Church lies lacerated.
"As to myself, if I should be thought of any use, I would not, if need be, object to cross ten seas for such a purpose. If the assisting of England were alone concerned, that would be motive enough with me. Much more, therefore, am I of opinion, that I ouglit to grudge no labor or trouble, seeing that the object in view is an agreement among the learned, to be drawn up by the weight of their authority according to Scripture, in order to unite Churches seated far apart. But my insignificance makes me hope tiiat I may be spared. I shall have discharged my part by offering up my prayers for what may have been done by others. Melanchthon is so far off that it takes some time to exchange letters. Bullinger has, perhaps, already answered you. I only wish that I had the power, as I have the inclination, to serve the cause." ^
This noble project was defeated or indefinitely postponed by the death of Edward VI. and the martyrdom of Cranmer, but it continues to live as a piiini desiderium. In opposition to a mechanical and enforced uniformit}^, Calvin suggested the idea of a spiritual unity with denominational variety, or of one flock in manj^ folds under one shepherd.^ This idea was taken up in our age by the Evangelical Alliance, the Pan-Anglican Council, the Pan-Presbyterian Alliance, the Pan-Methodist Conference, the Young Men's Christian Associations, the Christian Endeavor Societies, and similar volun-
1 " Quantum ad me attinet, si quis mei usus fore videbitur, ne decern quidem maria, si opus sit, oh earn rem trajicere pigeat. Si de juvando tantum Anglice regno ageretur,jam mihi ea satis legitima ratio foret. Nunc cum quceratur gravis et ad Scripturce normam probe compositus doctorum hominum consensus, quo ecclesicB procul alioqui dissitce inter se coalescant, nullis vel laboribus vel molestiis parcere fas mihi esse arhitror. Verum tenuitatem meam facturam spero, ut mihi parcatur. Si votis prosequar, quod ah aliis susc.eptum erit, partibus meis de.functus ero. D. Phiuppus longius ahest, quam ut idtro citroque commeare brevi tempore Uteres queant. D. Bullingekus tibi forte jam rescripsit. Mihi utinam par studii ardori suppeteret facultas ! " See Opera, XIV. 312 sqq. ; Cranmer's Works (Parker Soc. ed.), vol. II. pp. 430-433.
2 John 10: 16, jui'a ■troifxvri (not avXiy), eh irot.fj.-fiv. The E. V., following the Latin Vulgate, wrongly translates, " one fold," which suggests the Roman idea of one external organization, like the papacy.