God his neighbour in his vocation charge yet coulde hee not so doe but the Satan did rayse vp against him al the shamefullest slaunders of the worlde but that is no newes for it is the rewarde that the world in all ages hath giuen to those that woulde drawe them from perdition I wyll not aunswere those that doe call him Heretique and woorse than Heretique whereupon they haue forged a name of Caluinistes for hys Doctrine maketh aunswere on the contrarye more than sufficientlye Some haue charged hym wyth ambition but if they be able in anye point to proue it I am content to be cōdemned Is there any man that hath folowed greater simplicitie in the expositiō of the Scriptures and hath more wherewith to set hymselfe forthe if hee woulde haue profaned the Scriptures with subtile and vaine ostentations Hee would rule all saye they O villaine false shamelesnesse what preheminence did hee euer seeke if he had sought it who coulde haue kept him from it with whom did hee euer striue for the first or the seconde place when men haue not giuen vnto him that which the giftes and graces that God had giuen him did require when hath hee bene seene alter be it neuer so little when hath it bene sene that euer hee did abuse his charge and his auctoritie towarde the simplest in the world when did he take in hande any thing without the aduise or against the opinion of hys companions To be short what difference was there euer betweene him and vs but that he did excell vs all in all humilitie among other vertues and also in that hee tooke more paine than all we did was there any man more simplye apparelled or more modest in al respectes was there any house considering the estate of the man I doe not saye lesse sumpteous but more slenderlye furnished with moueables And if men wil not beleue mee and ten thousand witnesses with mee at the least let them beleue the slender wealth of hys brother onely heire and also the inuentorie of all his goods and it shall be founde that all that euer hee lefte behinde him accompting also hys bookes which were dearely solde bicause of his precious memorie to all men that were learned doth not exceede the value of two hundred crownes These maye also aunswere these shamelesse euill reporters who haue talked so largely that the one sorte sayd hee was a Vsurer the other that he was a very bancker a matter so worthie of scorne and so falsely raysed that anye man that euer did knowe him wyll neuer require aunswere to such an vntrouth He was so couetous that hauing in the whole sixe hundred Florines for his stipende which doth not al amount to three hundred liures tournois yea he sought to haue lesse the accomptes of this Seigniorie can witnesse it Hee hath bene so couetous of thys worldely goodes that being in fauour yea honored both of Kings Princes Lordes of many nations and hauing dedicated his workes to them I know not and I think I should haue knowen it if it had bene otherwise that euer he receiued of them to hys vse the value of .xx. Crownes Also he had the sacred woorde of God in such reuerence that he had rather to dye than to vse it as a bayte to Ambition or auarice Hee did dedicate hys bookes to priuate persons acknowledging some benefite or friendship as he did a very learned singuler Cōmentarie vpō the booke of Seneca concerning the vertue of Clemencie gentlenesse which he wrote in Parris being of the age of .24 yeares did dedicate it to one of the Lordes of Monmor wyth whom hee had bene brought vp not at theire charges notwithstanding The like hee did with his Commentaries vpon the Epistle of S. Paule to the Romanes being dedicated to Simon Grinee vpon the first to the Corinthians to the Lord Marques Caraciol vpō the second to the Corinthians to Melchior Volmar his Maister that taught him the Greeke vppon the first to the Thessaloniās to Mathurin Cordier his gouerner in the colledge of S. Barbara at Parris in his first youth vpon the second to Benet Textor his Phisitian vppon the Epistle to Tite to his two singuler friends companions in the worke of the Lord Maister William Farel M. Peter Viret and the booke of offences to Lawrent of Normādie his auncient continuall friend As concerning the others which hee did dedicate to certaine Kings Princes or cōmon wealthes his meaning was to encorage the one sorte to perseuer in the defence of the childrē of God to stirre vp the others to the lyke Wherefore also when he saw that such men did the contrary he made not straunge to put out their names to put in others which onely came to passe in two of his Prefaces This be said as touching this crime of auarice Others on the other side haue reported him to be prodigall a player but it was as true as the report of those the charged him with fornicatiō As concerning prodigality the fruites therof hys bookes wyll well declare euen to the ende of the world of his pastimes of the shamelesnesse of such lyers As cōcerning whoredome it is maruell that any mā durst so farre to stray as to forge the euil report were it not that it is a thing accustomed against the most excellent seruants of God But he is yet vnborne that euer did suspect him of whom we speake in any place whersoeuer he vsed hee liued about nine yeares in Mariage verye chastely when hys wyfe was deade hee continued in wydowerhead aboute the space of .xvj. yeares euen to hys death In all that time who is he that euer perceiued the least token that might be of so vnworthie an acte in him And what woman was there so villaine and shamelesse the durst to beholde without shame a forehead so reuerende and shewing to all men that did beholde it all puretie and fredome Who hath bene a more rigorous enimy to whordome than he It is true that the Lord hath exercised him touching this matter toward such as touched him neare There hath yet worse happened in the house of Iacob and Dauid than to him of whom wee speake and in a more straunge sorte But what did Satan in this behalfe gaine of the faithfull seruaunt of God but only shame rebuke to himselfe in the later daye before the seate of the Sōne of God And now to them that hee had stirred vp to rayse such sclaunder Whoredomes Adulteries and incestes are accompted for pastimes and exercises of the wicked ones in sort that one of the greatest faultes that they finde with the reformed Churches is that there whoredome and adulterie is punished In the meane while if there be any such fault or offence founde among vs albeit that it be extremely punnished they accuse vs with open mouth In so doing if they sayde truth what other thing doe they than
A discourse wrytten by M. Theodore de Beza conteyning in briefe the Historie of the life and death of Maister Iohn Caluin with the Testament and laste will of the saide Caluin and the Catalogue of his Bookes that he hath made Turned out of Frenche into Englishe by I. S. In the yeare of our Lorde M.D.LXIIII ¶ Seene and allowed according to the order appointed in the Queenes Maiesties Iniunctions Imprinted at London by Henry Denham for Lucas Harrison dvvelling in Paules Churchyarde at the signe of the Crane The Printer to the Reader FRIEND READER I offer vnto thee this present gathering or summe contayning the Lyfe and Death of the Faithfull seruant of God Maister Iohn Caluin by the which thou shalt see maruellous examples of the assaultes that he hath endured for the Doctrine of the Sonne of God and also what assistance God doth giue to his when his honor and glorye commeth in question In the meane time thinke it not straunge that this discourse doth not agree with the accustomed forme of Hystorians for the purpose of the Auctor who is Master Theodore de Beza a good seruant of God also and a companion of Maister Iohn Caluin in the worke of the Lorde was not to publishe it as an Hystorie but onely for a Preface to the Commentaries of the saide Caluin vppon the Booke of Iosue come to light sith his death I haue thought good to aduertise thee hereof to the ende that thou shouldest not thinke that the memorie of so great and worthie a personage myght be satisfied with so smalle a discourse albeit that it is diligently and truely set forth the which shall serue thee onely to this purpose to make thee to hope and looke for an ample and goodly Hystorie of his actes and doings which shall greatly profite to the aduancement of the Church of God to whom be glory and honor for euer and euer Sobeit Theodore de Beza to the Christian Reader health and peace in our Lord. IF it had pleased God to haue kept longer among vs hys Faithfull seruaunt Maister Iohn Caluin or rather if the peruersitie of the world had not caused the Lord to take him so sone to himselfe thys should not haue bene the last of his labours wherin he hath so faithfully so aptly emploied himself for the aduancement of the glory of God for the edification of his Church And also now this Cōmentarie should not haue gone forth without being as it were crowned with some excellēt Preface as are the reast But it fareth with it as it doth with poore Orphanes which are not so well prouided for as their Brethren bicause that their father is to timely taken from them In this meane time I do see this Orphane to be of so good a house thanks be to God so well resembling his father that without any other Testimonie he wil of himselfe become not onely agreeable but also very honorable to all those that shall see him And therefore also mine intent hath not bene to recommende him by thys Testimonie for what needeth it but rather to lament more with him of the death of him which hath bene as a father both to him to mee forsomuch as I neither may nor ought to esteeme him lesse to be my father in that which God hath taught mee by him than this Booke and so many others which haue bene by him writtē I will then bewayle mee but it shal not be wtout consolation for hauing regarde to him of whom I speake I had rather haue had him lyuing here belowe if the felicitie wherin he is now placed did not chaunge the sorowfulnesse of my losse into reioysing of his gaine and I should smally haue profited by his so holye maruellous doctrine by his lyfe that was so sincere good and by his death that was so happy Christian if I had not learned by al these meanes to submit my selfe to the prouidence of God being fully contented and satisfyed therwith Now as concerning his doctrine wherof I will first speake so farre vnable are the multitude which haue spokē against him to yelde it suspected with all men of good iudgement that on the contrary the same might serue for an infallible argument to approue and confirme the same for so much as none hath at any time stoode against it but he hath well felt that he hath addressed himselfe not against a man but against a very true seruant of God Also he maye lawfully affirme and all those who haue knowen him will be good and lawfull witnesses that he had neuer enimie which in assayling of him made not warre against God For after that God did cause his champion to enter within that lyst or stecade it may be well sayde that Satan hath picked him out euen as though he had forgotten al the reast to assayle him and to plucke hym thorowly downe if he had bene able But on the other syde God hath gyuen him that grace that he hath adorned him with so many trophees or victorious tokens as he hath set manifest enimies against him If then wee shall speake of the combats that hee hath inwardly indured for the doctrine there may nothing make them to seeme easy sleight but onely the diligence which he did alwayes vse bicause he would not suffer his enimies to take breath and the constancy which God gaue vnto him neuer to yelde or bend how little so euer it were in the quarell of the Lorde The Anabaptistes can beare witnesse who shortlye after the beginning of his Ministerie in thys Churche to wit the yere .1536 that he could so wel and happily behaue himselfe in open disputation without the helpe of the Magistrate that immediately the race of them was vtterly destroyed in this Church which is the more to be wondred at bicause that the greatest number of the Churches of Almaigne are yet at thys day greatly hindred by them and if there be any that is free from them it hath bene rather by rigour of Iustice than otherwyse He had an other combat to fight against an Apostate named Carol vpō certain calumnies false reportes who beyng also ouerthrowen as well by writing as by worde and cast out of the Church of God dyed miserablye at Rome in an hospitall as an example to those which do reuolte from Iesus Christ to folow a Maister which doth so wel recompēce his seruants both in this world and in the other And an other time to wit the yeare of our Lord .1553 Michel Seruet a Spaniard of cursed memory happened to come who was not a man but rather an horrible Monstre compounded of the auncient and new heresies and aboue all an execrable blasphemer against the Trinitie and namely against the Eternitie of the Sonne of God This same beyng come to thys towne and apprehended by the Magistrate bicause of hys blasphemies hee was here so substancially encountred that he had no defence but a certaine vntamed
sharpnesse of spirite to discouer where the difficultie of matters did lye and then also a meruellous dexteritie and aptnesse to make his aunswers without the losing of any one worde as all they wil confesse yea the very enimies of the Gospell which would attentiuely reade his workes I haue also omitted one Monstre which hee lykewise did defeate albeit that in that behalfe I fought on hys side it is one named Sebastian Castalion who bicause hee had some knowledge in the tongues and had also a certaine aptnesse in the Latin tongue he was here receiued to gouerne the schoole But this spirite being so naturally enclined to please himselfe did so diue hym in his vanitie that in the ende he drowned himselfe therein bicause we coulde neuer winne so much of him as to cause him to take the paines to reade the Cōmentaries and other workes to resolue him That was the cause why he did openlye condemne the song called Canticum Canticorum in Latin as a filthye and wanton Booke which when it was layde to hys charge he vomited out openly a thousande iniuries against the Pastors of this Church Wherupon being commaunded by the Magistrate to auouch his sayings and being conuinced of manifest malice and euill speaking by iustice he was appointed to depart the town after that he had acknowleged his fault being then in the ende retired to Basil hee continued there vntill the time of the trouble that was stirred vp by Hierosme Bolsec vpon Predestination the same man which helde alwayes of the perfection of the Anabaptistes but it was secretelye and among his owne sect otherwyse making no difficultie at all to shape hymself like to euery man and beyng also greatlye prouoked by the death of Seruet he discouered hymself openly first in a booke which he caused to be imprinted in Latin and in French vnder a false and counterfeyt name of Martin Bellie to whose errors and blasphemies I haue aunswered Hee also made an other treatise which he calleth in Latin Theologia Germanica vnder the name of Theophile and in Frenche an other treatise of the olde and newe man In the ende he did turne or rather ouerthrowe and confounde the whole Bible in Latin and Frenche with so vile a shamelesnesse ignoraunce that it is maruell that anye man coulde delight therein were it not that newe things are alwayes agreable to Ambitious spirites whereof there is at this daye as great plenty as euer there was He did set before his translation an Epistle dedicated to the late good king Edwarde of Englande whereby vnder colour of preaching Charitie he ouerthroweth the auctoritie of the Scriptures as darke or vnperfect to the ende to sende vs to perticuler reuelations to wit to the dreames of the first abuser deceiuer that would declare and shew himselfe Hee did also make certaine notes vpon the ninth chapiter of the Epistle to the Romaines wherby he doth opēly maintain Pelaglanisme doth not acknowledge any decree and ordinaūce of God but only in those things that are good of their own nature forging in God a permission cōtrarye to hys wyll falsely laying to our charge that we make God the Auctor of sinne All this did not any thing moue the faithfull seruant of God bicause that such calumnies errors had bene already aunswered a thousand times vnto the time that hee himselfe made a certaine collection in Latin of certaine Articles and arguments which some men saide were taken oute of the Bookes of M. Iohn Caluin adding thereunto certaine replications this booke was sent closely to Paris there to bee imprinted but God prouided for it and caused the firste copye to come to my hands in such sort that we our selues did cause them to be put in print here wyth such aunsweres as it did deserue hee after that he vnderstoode the whole matter knew not how to aunswere the Pastors and Ministers of Basil but sayde that he was not Auctor of those articles being shortly after called to aunswere vpon the doctrine of free wyll and of the prouidence of God in open disputacion at Basil hys doctrine was condemned And bicause that certaine yeares before he had bene receiued to the profession of the Greeke tongue by those that did not vnderstande of hys errors hee was commaunded not to deale neither by worde nor writing but with hys lecture which thing he promised and did verye euill obserue it cōtinuing alwaies as he mought in sowing of hys errors and disceiptes and of a verye malice that he had against mee who at that tyme was in Fraunce greatlye troubled to my great griefe in the ciuil warres or at the least beyng moued with some vnmeasurable ambition hee wrote a little booke intituled Counsell to desolate Fraunce without putting his name to it or naming the place wherin it was printed albeit it was a free towne in it doth he condemne all the French Churches of sedition and rebellion and giueth councell to euery one to beleue what he wyll and by that very meane opening the gate to all Heresies and false doctrines I did not vouchsafe to make aunswere to that worthy counsell which declared this man to be ouer beastly and ignorant in that whereof he did entreate very euill exercised in suche affaires but in the steade of it I did aunswere to many pointes wherof hee rebuketh mee mingling with them most villaine and intollerable errors vnder colour of defēding that which I did mislike in his Latin translation This myne aunswere being dedicate to the pastors of the Church of Basil was the cause that the same Castalion was called by the Churche and afterwarde by the Seignorie and was commaunded to make aunswere to that wherewith I charged him and did offer my selfe to proue by hys owne writings but within few dayes after death deliuered him from that trauaile I knowe well that thys long discourse shal be misliked of some men as though I spake as a man loded with passions and coulde not be content to suffer the dead to be at rest in their graue But I may well protest before God that I did neuer hate the man in hys lyfe time with whom also I neuer had to doe nether in good nor euill in perticuler much lesse that I woulde nowe hate and persecute the deade which are put ouer to the iudgement of the Lorde But it was needefull to make thys knowen to the ende that euery man myght beware of hys Bookes and disciples that hee hath left behind him Whilest these things were doing a certaine Disciple aduaunced himselfe to wit Fraūces Baldwin who could no more continue in one Religion than in one place but chaunged dwelling place condition in maner euery day Religion at the least three times in the ende hauing no more consciēce to loose he placed himself in a certain Religion like to that of Chanonnes Regulers the which being such in general as were the reast of al their troupe yet whē ther is a
yet are not at the least of as many as may be called to minde Those which are not yet in French are marked wyth thys marke * The Catalogue of the Bookes and wrytings of Maister Iohn Caluin Commentaries and lessons in Latin and French al readie imprinted vpon the olde Testament Vpon Genesis Vpon the other foure Bookes of Moyses in forme of Harmonie Vpon the Booke of Iosue Vpon all the Psalmes Vpon Esaye * Vpon Ieremie Vpon Daniel Vpon the .xij. that are called little Prophetes Vpon the new Testament also imprinted Vpon the three Euangelistes in forme of Harmonie Vpon Saint Iohn Vpon the Actes of the Apostles Vpon all the Epistles of Saint Paule Vpon the Epistle to the Hebrues Vpon the Epistles Canonicall of S. Peter Saint Iohn Saint Iames and S. Iude. The Catalogue of his Sermons imprinted which men gathered when he preached Vpon Iob. Vpon the Commaundements Vpon the Octonaries of the 119. Psalme Vpō the song of Ezechias in the .38 ca. of Esay Vpon the beginning of the Harmonie of the three Euangelistes Vpon the .10 and .11 Chapiters of the fyrst Epistle to the Corinthians Vpon the Epistle to the Galathians Vpon the Epistle to the Ephesians Vpon the Epistles to Timothe to Tite Also many Sermons of the Byrth Passion Death Resurrectiō and Ascension of our Lorde Iesus Christ Foure Sermons entreating of matters very profitable for our time A Congregatiō made in the Church of Geneua of the prouidence and eternall election of God Sermons vpon the olde Testament not imprinted Vpon Genesis Vpon Deuteronomie Vpon the two bookes of Samuel Vpon the first booke of the Kings Vpon many Psalmes Certaine summes of Congregations made vpon Iosue gathered euen as hee did entreate of and handle the textes Vpon Esaie Vpon Ieremie Vpon Ezechiel Vpon the later eyght Chapiters of Daniel Vpon seuen of the twelue little Prophetes Vpon the Newe Testament Certaine Sermons moe vpon the Harmonie of the three Euangelistes Vpon the Actes Vpon the two Epistles to the Corinthians Vpon the Epistle to the Thessalonians Vpon certaine Chapiters of the ende of the Epistle to the Hebrues Lessons in Frenche not yet Imprinted Vpon the Psalmes from the .37 to the ende Vpon Ieremie Vpon the .20 first Chapiters of Ezechiel as well in Latin as in Frenche A Catalogue of other Bookes treatises which he hath made in sundry times and sundry places * A Commentarie vpon the Booke of Seneca touching the vertue of Clemencie His Christian Institution A treatise against the errour of such as thinke that the soules doe sleepe after they be departed frō the body vnto the last iudgemēt Two Epistles the one to flee Idolatrie the other of the duety of a Christian man An aunswere to the letter which the Cardinall Sadolet wrote to the Lordes and people of Geneua A treatise of the supper of the Lorde * Certaine verses in Latin of the victorie of Iesus Christ A Cathechisme for the instruction of Childrē A manner of Administration of the Sacraments with the common prayers and the maner how to celebrate the Mariage A defence of the pure doctrine concerning free will against the calumnies of Albert Pighius Annotations vpon the fatherly aduertisement made by the Pope Paule the thirde to the Emperour Charles the fift Antidote or preseruatiue against the articles of the facultie of the Sorbonistes of Parris A treatise or supplication to the Emperor concerning the necessitie of the reformation of the Church Against the Anabaptistes and Libertines with an Epistle to the faithfull of Roan against a Frier a Libertine An Aduertisement concerning the bodies Reliques of Saints what profit there cōmeth of them if they be diligently kept A treatise in flie superstitions with the excuse of the false Nicodemites with the aunswere of the Ministers of Zuriche Antidote to the Actes of the counsell of Trent The very true meane to pacifie that troubles to reforme the Church against the Interim An Aduertisement against the Astrologie Iudiciall and such curiosities which at this daye heare the swaye in manner thorowoute the worlde An agreement concerning the Sacramēts A treatise of Offences Of the eternall Prouidence of God Against the detestable errors of Michel Seruet a Spaniarde * Three aduertisements to Westphalus * Against Hethusius and the error of Stancarus * Against Valentin Gentil * Aunswere to the calumnies which Sebastian Castalion did sowe abrode * An other short aunswere to other calumnies of the same man A Congratulation to the reuerende priest Maister Gabriel de Sacomā of the Church of Lions chiefe Minister * An aunswere to a certaine fine and subtil Neutre * An aunswere to the outrages of Fraūcis Baldwin an Apostate * A short Aduertisement to the Faithfull of Polonia * An Epistle to the foresaide for the Confirmation of the sayde Aduertisement An aunswere to a certaine Hollander written to the people of the low countrey A Reformation to put to silence a certaine rascall named Antonie Catalan A Confession of the faith in the name of all the reformed Churches of the Realme of Fraunce made during the Warres to deliuer to the Emperor Also a great number of Letters counsels aduertisements and aunsweres as well in Latin as in Frenche to diuers persōs of sundry qualitie and estate wherein is entreated of diuers matters which one day if it please God that it maye be set forth into light men may then better see what was the wisedome promptnesse singuler iudgement and the maruellous and diuine graces that were in this Faithful Seruant of God Finis Faultes escaped in the first Sheete A .iij. leaf ij side iij. line for more reade me A .iiij. leaf first side x. line for that reade the. A .v. leafe ij fide xvij line for anye reade euery A .vij. leafe ij side vj. line for Guise reade Swisse for Guisians read Grisons Imprinted at London in Whitecrosse streate by Henry Denham for Lucas Harrison dwelling in Paules Chuchyarde at the Signe of the Crane Anno Domini 1564 Nouembris .4