togither present these famous mē Theodore de Beza Raymond Chauuet Michel Cop. Lois Enoch Nicolas Coladon Iaques de Bordes Ministers of the worde of God in this Church and that famous man Henry Scringer professor of Artes al Burgeoses of Geneua in the presence of whom he declared that hee had caused me to wryte by him and after his pronunciation the sayd Testamente in the very forme and woordes aboue written praying me to reade it in his presence and in the presence of them that were ther required and desiced to the same effect which I did all aloud word by word after the reading whereof hee declared that such was his wil and last dispositiō willing to haue the same obserued and for the better auctorizing hereof did desire and request the aboue named to subscribe the same with me which was also done the day and yeare aboue written in Geneua in the streat called the Chanons streat and in his dwelling house In witnesse wherof and for proofe of the same as reason is I haue written in the forme aforesayd this present Testamente to make him ready for whom so euer the execution thereof shall belong vnto vnder the common seale of our very honorable Lords and Superiors mine accustomed Signe manuell So is it signed P. Cheuelat Seing that the shortnesse of his wind did encrease more and more he desired my Lordes the foure Sindiques and the whole little ordinary Counsell as they are called to come and see hym togither and when they were come hee made to them an excellente declaration of the singular graces that they had receiued of God and of the greate and extreme daungers from the which they had bene preserued which he could well declare to them frō poynt to poynt as he that knew the whole better than any man and did put them in minde of diuers necessary thinges concerning God touching the gouernment of their charge to be short hee did the office of a true seruant and Prophet of God protesting the sinceritie of the doctrine that hee had taught them assuring them agaynst the tempests that were at hand if they would cōtinue on frō good to better And then he desired them in generall in particuler to pardon all his offences which none euer found so grieuous as hee did he tooke them al by the hande I know not whether there mought haue happened to these Lordes a more dolefull spectacle or sight which they al dyd esteeme good cause why concerning his charge as the mouth of the Lord in their affection as their owne father seing that he had knowen and framed a great peece of theire youth The Fryday the .20 of Aprill all the brethren Ministers bothe of the towne and countrey beeing aduertised at his requeste came togither to his chamber to whome he gaue a great and long exhortation wherof the substance and effect was that they shuld perseuer in the well doing of they re duetye after hys Deathe and that they shoulde not faynt seing GOD would both mayntayn the towne and his Church albeit they were threatned in many behalfes and also that they should suffer no malice or displeasure to raigne among them but charitie by all meanes possible and that they should be of perfect accord among themselues that they shoulde acknowledge howe greatelye they were bound to that Churche into the which God had called them and that there ought nothing to turn them back for those which haue tasted the truth and wyll leaue it may finde excuses vnder the ground but God wil not be mocked To this he added a recitall of hys entrie and comming to thys Churche and of his conuersation therein saying that when he came thither the Gospell was there preached but thynges were farre out of order that the greatest fruit that the Gospel had brought forth was the breaking downe of the Idolles but there were there many wicked people he was enforced to receiue many iniuries but God did alwayes strengthen him to go thorow with it albeit that of his owne nature he was fearfull and hee repeated twice or thrice these wordes I assure you that of mine own nature I am timorous fearfull Also he put them in remembrauuce that when he came from Strausbourgh hyther hee entred into thys vocatiō as by constraynt and seing no great likelyhoode of anye fruite to come nor yet knowing what God woulde worke in that behalfe and in deede that he had passed many harde things but continuing on styll in tyme hee sawe the blessing of God vpon his labour he would then that euery mā should waxe strong in hys vocation and kepe good order and that they should haue good regard to the people to holde them in continuall obedience of the true doctrine and that they had alwayes among them Godly men albeit that it coulde not bee auoyded but that there muste bee euill persones and rebelles among thē also that this should shew vs very faulty in the sight of God if the things being come to so good passe shoulde afterwarde fall into decay by our negligence As touching the reste hee protested that hee had euer bene of one true affection wyth the company of his brethren and desired thē to pardon hym if that at any time they had sene in him any frowardnesse during his sicknesse and gaue them great thankes as often tymes hee vsed for that they dyd supply hys place in preaching In the end hee toke them by the hand one after another whiche was wyth so greate sorrowe and bytternesse of heart to euery of them that I can not call it to minde wythoute greate and extreme sorrowfulnesse The second of Maij hauing receyued letters from M. William Farell Minister at Neufchastell of whome heeretofore hath bene made mention and vnderstanding that hee was minded to visit him being of the age of foure Score yeare and more hee wrote to hym in this sorte Be it vvell vvyth you my very good and deare Brother and seing that it pleaseth GOD that you shall remaine after mee vvell maye you lyue hauing alvvayes in minde our Vnitie the fruite vvhereof attendeth vpon vs in Heauen according to the profit therof that the Church of GOD hath enioyed I vvyll in no vvyse that you trauayle to see mee for I dravve my breath vvyth great payne and doe continuallye looke vvhen my breath shal fayle me It is sufficient that I liue and dye to CHRIST vvhich is a gayne to his both in life and death I cōmend you agayne to God vvyth all the Brethren in those partes From Geneua this second of Maij .1564 By vvholly yours Iohn Caluin From that time forth his sicknesse euen to hys death was nothing else but a continual Prayer notwythstanding that hee was alwayes in paynes hauing often tymes in his mouth these woordes of the Psalme .39 Tacui Domine quia fecisti I held my peace O Lorde bycause it is thou that hast done it Other times he would
that same very vehemencie I ought not to keepe silent that which is true and that I doe know Besyde his owne naturall inclination to choller hys witte being maruellous prompt the folly of many the multitude and infinite varietie of the affaires for the Church of GOD and towarde the later ende of hys lyfe hys great and continuall diseases had made him vnquiet and frowarde but sure hee was farre of from any delight therein for on the contrarie no man did better perceaue nor so much finde it as did hee Thys be sayde concerning hys lyfe and conuersation in hys house in whome this onely default that euer I knewe was tempered wyth so great and amiable vertues and so seldome or neuer at all acompanied with other vices which are alwayes wont to folowe the same that he neuer offended any of hys friendes neither in woorde nor deede But as touching in publique concerning the charge that GOD had committed vnto him it is there that I muste needes maruell at the great wysedome of God turning all things to hys glorye and chiefely in hys most singuler instrumentes and Organes Such as haue seene and knowen wyth what kinde of men he hath moste commonly had to doe the thinges that God hath declared and done by him the circumstaÌ„ces of times and places they in deede may iudge wherto suche a vehemencie I say a vehemencie in déede Propheticall did serue and shall serue to all posteritie And that which made him â—ore maruellous was that nether hauing nor seeking any thing lesse than that which is so muche required by those that would be feared by meane of an outward apparance the moste obstinate and peruers were constrained to bende vnder the great power of God which did compasse about his faithful seruaunt They which shall reade his wrytinges and shall rightly seeke the glory of God shall there see this maiesty whereof I speake to shine As concerning such as doe at this day handle religion as they doe politique affaires which are more cold than yse in Gods cause and more enflamed than the fire in that which concerneth their particuler causes and which doe cal al the choller which is more frankly spoken than they woulde euen as he neuer sought to please such men euen so doe I thinke it not meete to stand about the answering of them What would these wise temperate men say then seing there is no question but of God if they had more earnestly felt such a choller I am sure they would haue bene also on their part as euill contented as I doe thincke and shall thinke my self happy during my life to haue enioyed so great and so rare a vertue bothe openly priuately Euen as I coulde neuer be weary of solacing my self in the absence of so worthy and excellent a personage in representing him vnto me by the discourse of his rare and exquisite vertues no more can I without very great sorowe make an end of that which resteth and may notwithstaÌ„ding in no wise bee lefte vntouched for so muche as it is as it were the crowne and beautye of all his life Beside that God did place this great wisdom and vnderstanding in a weake bodye and disposed of it selfe to the disease of the Pthysike whereof he also died the studies of his youth had made him verye leane and weake and when he came once to the affaires he had alwaies so small respect concerning the trauaile of his mind that withoute the speciall grace of GOD whom it pleased to builde his Churche by the meanes of that instrumente it had not ben possible for him to haue come to the age which the Phisitians doe call the declining The yeare .1558 being required by the Lordes of Franckfort to make a voyage thyther to appease and prouide remedie for certaine troubles that were in the Frenche Church which was newlye receiued in to that towne at the retourne of thys long trauaylsome voyage he had a terciaÌ„ feuer very sharpe which was as it were the first pushe at hys health in such sorte that in the yeare of our health .1559 hee was assayled with a long and perillous feuer quartane during the which to his great grief he was enforced to abstaine from both preaching and reading but hee was neuer vnoccupyed in his house what counsell so euer meÌ„ gaue him in sort that during that time hee began and ended his last Christian institution both in Latin and in French wherof wee will speake in the conclusion Thys sicknesse brought him so lowe that neuer afterward he coulde recouer his full health he drewe euer afterwarde hys right legge after him which oftentimes did greatly greeue him his auncient diseases put them in order also to wit the head ache and great rawnesses which caused a continuall defluxion hee was also greued with the Hemorrhoides so much the more in that that at some other time by chauÌ„ce that part was made verye weake the cause was for that he neuer suffered his minde to rest He had a continuall vnperfect digestion wherunto he neuer gaue any heede but when the disease compelled him The colliques also folowed and then in the ende the goute and the reast Beside this by strayning himselfe and by a gnawing defluxion hee fell into a spitting of bloud which did weaken him to the vttermost In the middest of so many diseases it is a thing very straunge that this sharpnesse of Spirit was rather letted than diminished and this dexteritie of iudgemeÌ„t nothing altered There was only this euil that the body coulde not followe the spirite albeit that he did sometime enforce himself vntil the time that he was so grieued wyth the shortnesse of his wynde that with great paine hee was scarcely able to remoue hym twoo or thre paces The PhisitiaÌ„s employed all their industrie and he on his side did folow their counsel to the vttermost notwithstanding his griefes so many diseases togither mingled But it was all in vaine as he did alwaies say looking vp to Heauen speaking often these wordes Lorde how long And then in the ende he remained without stirring hauing yet the vse of hys speache but could not long speake or continue any purpose by meane of the shortnesse of his breath yet notwithstanding this he ceassed not to laboure For in this laste sicknesse as hath ben aboue said he did wholly translate out of Latin into frenche his Harmony vpon Moyses did peruse the Translation of Genesis wrote vppon this booke of Iosue and in the ende did peruse and correcte the greatest part of the Frenche notes vpon the Newe Testament whiche other men had before hande gathered Beside this he was alwaies occupied in the affaires of the churches answering by worde and by wryting when occasion required all be it that on our parte wee made request vnto him praying him to haue greater regard to himself but his answer was alway to vs that the whiche he did was nothing requiring vs to suffer that God
mought finde him alwaies watching and labouring according to his ability in his worke euen to his last breath The xxv of April he made his Testamēt in brief sort as he did alwaies auoid the vse of moe words than neded as much as in him was which doeth containe an excellent and singuler testimony for euer that he spake as he beleued which was the cause that I did willingly inferre this same word by word by the consent of his brother and only heire Antonie Caluin to the end that this acte may remain for euer as it hath pleased God that the Testaments of some of his moste excellent seruauntes haue bene enregistred to be perpetuall witnesses that one very spirit of God did gouerne them both in their life and in their death and also to make the better knowen the extreme shamelessenesse of suche as would beare men in hand that hys death was not according to his life And if any man doe thincke any thing to be herein other than trouth I will not stand much in saying againste him onely I doe gyue him warning whatsoeuer he be to thinke what thing it is that maye be true and firme among liuing men if it be lawfull for a man to dout that which hath bene done in a Towne in the sighte and knowledge of such as wold heare or vnderstand it The Testament and last VVill of Master Iohn Caluin IN the name of God Be it known and apparant to all men that in the yeare 1564. and the .25 day of Aprill I Peter Cheuelat Citezen and Notary sworne of Geneua was called by the famous Iohn Caluin minister of the worde of God in the church of Geneua and Burgesse of the said Geneua being sicke and weake of his body only the same man declared to me that he would make his Testament and declaration of his last will desiring mee to wryte it accordinglye as he shoulde speake and pronounce it which according to his request I made and wrote it by him and accordingly as he spake and pronounced it to me worde by worde without leauing any thing oute or adding any thing there vnto in forme as followeth IN the name of God I Iohn Caluin Minister of the word of God in the Church of God of Geneua feeling my self greatly oppressed with sundry diseases that I can not otherwise thinke but that God wil shortly take me out of this world haue determined to make and put in wryting my Testament and declaration of my laste will in forme folowing which is first of all that I giue thankes to God for that he hath not only had pitie on me his pore creature to take me from out of the bottomlesse pitte of Idolatry wherin I was plūged to draw me to the light of his Gospell and to make me partaker of the doctrine of saluation wherof I was to much vnworthy and that continuing his mercy he hath spared me in so many vices and wickednesse whiche dyd well deserue that I shoulde be caste of from him an hundred thousand times yea and that whiche more is he hath stretched his mercy towardes me so farre as to be serued by me and my labour to beare and to shew forth the truth of his Gospel protesting that I will liue and die in that Faith which he hath giuen me hauing no other hope nor refuge but onlye to his free adoption wherein my whole saluation is laid embracing the grace that he hath giuen me in our Lorde Iesus Christe accepting the merite of his death and passion to the ende that thereby all my sinnes may be buried and beseching him so to wash and purge me with the bloude of this great redeamer which was poured out for all pore sinners that I may appeare before his face as bearing his Image I protest also that I haue endeuored me according to the measure of the grace that he hath giuen me to teach purely his worde as well in Sermons as in wryting and to expound the holy Scriptures faithfully And likewise in all the disputations that I haue had with the enimies of the truthe I neuer vsed cautel nor Sophistry but haue proceded plainly in the maintenaunce of his quarell But alas the wil that I haue had and the zeale if I moughte so call it hath bene so cold and slacke that I finde me greatly endetted in all and thorow all and were not his infinite goodnesse all the affection that I haue had were nothing else but smoke yea those graces which he hath bestowed vpon me woulde yelde me more faulty so that my recourse is to that that he being father of mercy will be and shew him self father of so pore a sinner As concerning the rest I desire that after my deceasse my body may be buried according to the custome to abide and wait for the day of the blessed resurrection Concerning the smal portion of goods which God hathe giuen me here to dispose I doe ordaine and appoynt for my only heir my welbeloued brother Antonie Caluin only for credites sake giuing him for all his part the cuppe that I had of Monsieur de Varranes praying him therwith to content himself as I am assured he wil seing that he knoweth wel that I doe it for no cause els but to the end that that litle which I leaue may remain to his children Then I bequeath to the Colledge ten Crowns and to the purse of the pore strangers asmuch Also to Iane daughter to Charles Costan of my halfe sister to wit on the fathers side the sūme of ten Crownes Then to Samuel and Iohn sonnes to my said brother euery of thē .40 Crownes to my Neeces Anne Susan and Dorothee either of thē .30 Crownes As touching my Nephew Dauid their brother bicause he hath bene alwais light rash I giue him but .20 Crownes for his chastisement It is in effect all the goods that God hath giuē me according to my rate and estimation as well of my Bookes and moueables with vessel and all other things Notwithstanding if it amounte to more I would it wer distributed among my Nephewes and Neeces not excluding at all Dauid if God giue him grace to become more modest and staied But I beleue as touching this article there shal be no great a do namely when my dettes shall be paid wherewith I haue charged my brother vpon whōe I trust naming him executor of this present Testament with reuerend Laurent of Normandy giuing them full power and authoritye to make an Inuentorye without forme of lawe and to sell my moueables to make money to fulfill the contentes of this my will written this .25 of April .1564 So is it Iohn Caluin After that it was wrytten as before at the very instant the said renoumed Caluin did seale it with his owne seale as sone as it was wrytten And on the morowe being the .26 of April the yere aboue wrytten the said renoumed Caluin did cause me to be called againe to him being there
say of the .38 Chapiter of Esay Gemebam sicut Columba I dyd lamente as doth the Doue Another tyme speaking to me he sayd and cryed out Lord thou punnishest me but it is sufficient for me that it is thy hand Many were desirous to come and see hym but it had bene needefull to haue kept the gate open day night to haue fulfylled their desyre But hee foreseing that and knowing that the shortnesse of winde woulde not suffer hym to doe that which willingly he would beside that also not well liking the curiosity of many he besought them to contente them selues and to pray to God for him and to suffer him somwhat to reste yea when I came to see hym albeit that I was very welcome to hym yet notwythstanding considering my charge that I had hee gaue me to vnderstand fully that he would not in any wyse that hys particuler cause should occupy me in any respect in such sort that taking leaue of me hee would often say that he made conscience to let mee were it neuer so little albeit that hee was glad to see me but his nature was alwaies such that he feared to stay were it neuer so lyttle the profit of the church and to trouble the least that mought be his frends although ther were nothing in the world more acceptable to them than to employ themselues to doe him pleasure He continued in this sort comforting himselfe and his friendes vntill the Fryday the xix of Maij next before the Supper of Pentecoste on the which day bycause it was the custome of this Church that all the Ministers should assemble them to yelde as it were an accompt of their life and doctrine and then in token of friendship they take their repast togyther hee was contented that the supper should be made at his house where hee causing himself to brought in a chaire as he entred in among them he spake these wordes My brethren I come now to see you for my farewel for after this time I wil neuer cōe more to table This was to vs a piteous entrie albeit that he himself sayd the prayer as well as he could enforced him to make vs merry not being able to eate but very little yet before supper was ended he toke his leaue and caused himself to be caried againe into his chamber which was at hand speaking these wordes wyth as pleasaunt a countenaunce as he could A wall betwene both shall not let at all but that I wyll bee ioyned wyth you in spirit It came to passe euen as hee had sayde for vntyll that very day what dysease so euer he had hee would be takē out of his bed and brought in a chair to his little table but after this night he neuer shifted from lying vppon his backe so greatly weakned notwythstanding that he was leane of himself that there remayned in manner nothing but onely lyfe sauing that he was very little chaunged of face but chiefly the shortnes of hys winde did so trouble him that it caused his continual prayers and consolations rather to seeme sighes thā words to be vnderstode and he was of such a countenance that hys only loke did plainly testify wyth what fayth and hope he was furnished The daye that hee died it seemed that hee spake better and more at hys ease but it was the laste enforcement of nature for that night about eight of the clock euen sodaynely appeared the tokens of presente Death whereof I had speedily worde for I was but newly departed from him running thither wyth certayn of my brethren as sone as I came I found that he had already yelded vp his spirit so quietly that hee dyd neuer rattle but spake playnely euen to hys very death wyth perfect vnderstanding and iudgement without euer stirring hand or foote hee seemed rather to be a sleepe than dead Beholde as in an instante howe that very day the sunne dyd set and the greatest lighte that was in the worlde for the buylding of the Church of GOD was taken into Heauen And we may well say that in our tyme by one onely man it hath pleased God to reach vs both to lyue to dye well The Night following and the Daye also ther was great lamentation thorowout the towne For the whole bodye thereof did bewayle the Prophet of the Lorde the poore flock of the Church did weepe for the departing of their faythfull Pastor The Schole lamented her true Maister and teacher and all in generall did bewaile their very father and comforter next vnto GOD. Many desired that they might see yet once his face as men that could not leaue hym neyther dead nor liuing There were also diuers straungers newely come from farre of to see hym which when they coulde not for that men thought that he wold not so soone haue died desired greatly to see him deade as hee was and made great instance but to auoyde all euyll reportes and speach he was buried about eyght of the clocke in the morning and at two of the clocke at afternone according as he had appoynted hee was carried according to the custome to the cōmon Churchyarde called the great or large Pallaice wtout pompe or any adoe at al where he now lyeth abiding the resurrection which hee hath taught vs and hath so constantly hoped for The body was accompanied by the greatest part of those that were in the towne of men of all estates which dyd the more lamente hym bycause there was small likelyhode to recouer at the least of a long tyme suche a great losse He liued as touching this mortall lyfe the space of syxe and fyftye yeares lacking one Moneth and thyrtene Dayes Whereof he spent the iuste one halfe in the holye Ministerie preaching and writing without euer chaunging anye thing or diminishing or adding to or from the doctrine that he taught the first day of his Ministery with such power of the Spirite of God that neuer wicked man was able to heare him without trembling nor good man without louing and honoring him There resteth nowe no more but euen as it hath pleased God to make him to speake continually by his so learned and holy writings that he may so be heard of the posteritie to the ende of the world at what time wee shal see our God euen as he is to liue and to raigne eternally with him So be it From Geneua this .19 of August .1564 ¶ Aduertisement FOR bycause that there is none of the Faythfull who woulde not gladlye vnderstand the truthe of the number of Bookes that haue bene written by the late M. Iohn Caluin to the end that hereafter men be not deceyued as is wel knowen that the like hath hapned to the writinges of great and excellent personages that men haue falsely set foorth others vnder their name It hath seemed therefore good to ioyne to thys a Catalogue as well of hys bookes and writings in Latine French already Imprinted as of those that