History of the Reformation in the Sixteenth Century Volume III Part 56

[806] MS. S. F. 337. Bibl. Roy.

[Sidenote: FIRE AND ICE.]

Thus wrote the Bishop of Meaux. At that period he was burning with zeal, and would gladly have seen all France regenerated by the Gospel.[807] Often would his mind dwell especially on those three great individuals who seemed to preside over the destinies of its people,--the king, his mother, and his sister. He thought that if the royal family were enlightened, all the people would be so, and the priests, stirred to rivalry, would at last awaken from their lethargy.

"Madam," wrote he to Margaret, "I humbly entreat Almighty G.o.d, that he will be pleased of his goodness to kindle a fire in the hearts of the king, of his mother, and in your own......so that from you there may go forth a light burning and s.h.i.+ning on the rest of the nation; and particularly that cla.s.s by whose coldness all others are frozen."

[807] Studio veritatis aliis declarandae inflammatus. Act. Martyrum, p.

334.

Margaret did not share these hopes. She speaks neither of her brother nor of her mother; they were subjects she dared not touch upon; but, replying to the bishop in January 1522, with a heart wrung by the indifference and worldliness of those around her, she said: "The times are so cold, my heart so icy;" and signs her letter, "your frozen, thirsty, and hungry daughter,

"MARGARET."

This letter did not discourage Briconnet, but it made him ponder; and feeling how much he, who desired to re-animate others, required to be animated himself, he commended himself to the prayers of Margaret and of Madam de Nemours. "Madam," wrote he, with great simplicity, "I beseech you to awaken the poor slumberer with your prayers."[808]

[808] MS. Bibl. Royale.

Such in 1521 were the sentiments interchanged at the court of France.

A strange correspondence, no doubt, and which, after more than three centuries, a ma.n.u.script in the Royal Library has revealed to us. Was this influence of the Reformation in such high places a benefit to it or a misfortune? The sting of truth penetrated the court; but perhaps it only served to arouse the drowsy beast, and exciting his rage, caused it to spring with deadlier fury on the humblest of the flock.

CHAPTER VII.

Beginning of the Church at Meaux--The Scriptures in French--The Artisans and the Bishop--Evangelical Harvest--The Epistles of St. Paul sent to the King--Lefevre and Roma--The Monks before the Bishop--The Monks before the Parliament--Briconnet gives way.

[Sidenote: BEGINNING OF THE CHURCH AT MEAUX.]

The time was indeed approaching when the storm should burst upon the Reformation; but it was first to scatter a few more seeds and to gather in a few more sheaves. This city of Meaux, renowned a century and a half later by the sublime defender[809] of the Gallican system against the autocratic pretensions of Rome, was called to be the first town of France where regenerated Christianity should establish its dominion. It was then the field on which the labourers were prodigal of their exertions and their seed, and where already the ears were falling before the reapers. Briconnet, less sunk in slumber than he had said, was animating, inspecting, and directing all. His fortune equalled his zeal; never did man devote his wealth to n.o.bler uses, and never did such n.o.ble devotedness promise at first to bear such glorious fruits. The most pious teachers, transferred from Paris to Meaux, from that time acted with more liberty. There was freedom of speech, and great was the stride then taken by the Reformation in France. Lefevre energetically expounded that Gospel with which he would have rejoiced to fill the world. He exclaimed: "Kings, princes, n.o.bles, people, all nations should think and aspire after Christ alone.[810] Every priest should resemble that archangel whom John saw in the Apocalypse, flying through the air, holding the everlasting Gospel in his hand, and carrying it to every people, nation, tongue, and king. Come near ye pontiffs, come ye kings, come ye generous hearts!......Nations, awake to the light of the Gospel, and inhale the heavenly life.[811] The Word of G.o.d is all-sufficient."[812]

[809] Bossuet.

[810] Reges, principes, magnates omnes et subinde omnium nationum populi, ut nihil aliud cogitent......ac Christum. Fabri. Comm. in Evang. Praef.

[811] Ubivis gentium expergiscimini ad Evangelii lucem. Fabri Comm. in Evang. Praef.

[812] Verb.u.m Dei sufficit. Ibid.

[Sidenote: THE WORD OF G.o.d ALL-SUFFICIENT.]

Such in truth was the motto of that school: THE WORD OF G.o.d IS ALL-SUFFICIENT. In this device the whole Reformation is embodied. "To know Christ and his Word," said Lefevre, Roussel, and Farel, "is the only living and universal theology......He who knows that, knows everything."[813]

[813] Haec est universa et sola vivifica Theologia......Christum et verb.u.m ejus esse omnia. Ibid. in Ev. Johan. p. 271.

The truth was making a deep impression at Meaux. Private meetings took place at first; then conferences; and at last the Gospel was preached in the churches. But a new effort inflicted a still more formidable blow against Rome.

Lefevre desired to enable the Christians of France to read the Holy Scriptures. On the 30th October 1522, he published a French translation of the four Gospels; on the 6th November, the remaining books of the New Testament; on the 12th October 1524, all these books together, at the house of Collin in Meaux; and in 1525, a French version of the Psalms.[814] Thus was begun in France, almost at the same time as in Germany, that printing and dissemination of the Scriptures in the vulgar tongue which, three centuries later, was to be so wonderfully developed throughout the world. In France, as on the other side of the Rhine, the Bible had a decisive influence.

Experience had taught many Frenchmen, that when they sought to know Divine things, doubt and obscurity encompa.s.sed them on every side. In how many moments and perhaps years in their lives had they been tempted to regard the most certain truths as mere delusions! We need a ray from heaven to enlighten our darkness. Such was the e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.i.o.n of many a soul at the epoch of the Reformation. With longings such as these, numbers received the sacred writings from the hands of Lefevre; they were read in their families and in private; conversations on the Bible became frequent; Christ appeared to those souls so long misled, as the centre and the sun of all revelation. No longer did they require demonstrations to prove that Scripture was from G.o.d; they knew it, for by it they had been transported from darkness to light.

[814] Le Long. Biblioth. sacree, 2d edit. p. 42.

[Sidenote: THE ARTISANS AND THE BISHOP.]

Such was the course by which so many distinguished persons in France attained a knowledge of G.o.d. But there were yet simpler and more common paths, if such can be, by which many of the lower cla.s.ses were brought to the truth. The city of Meaux was almost wholly inhabited by artisans and dealers in wool. "There was engendered in many," says a chronicler of the sixteenth century, "so ardent a desire of knowing the way of salvation, that artisans, fullers, and wool-combers took no other recreation, as they worked with their hands, than to talk with each other of the Word of G.o.d, and to comfort themselves with the same. Sundays and holidays especially were devoted to the reading of Scripture, and inquiring into the good pleasure of the Lord."[815]

[815] Act. des Mart. p. 182.

Briconnet rejoiced to see piety take the place of superst.i.tion in his diocese. "Lefevre, aided by the renown of his great learning," says a contemporary historian, "contrived so to cajole and circ.u.mvent Messire Guillaume Briconnet with his plausible talk, that he caused him to turn aside grievously, so that it has been impossible up to this day to free the city and diocese of Meaux from that pestilent doctrine, where it has so marvellously increased. The misleading that good bishop was a great injury, as until then he had been so devoted to G.o.d and to the Virgin Mary."[816]

[816] Histoire Catholique de notre temps, par Fontaine, de l'ordre de St. Francois. Paris, 1562.

[Sidenote: EVANGELICAL HARVEST.]

Yet all were not so grievously turned aside, as the Franciscan says, whom we have just quoted. The city was divided into two parties. On the one side were the monks of St. Francis and the friends of the Romish doctrine; on the other, Briconnet, Lefevre, Farel, and all those who loved the new preaching. A man of the poorer cla.s.ses, by name Leclerc, was one of the most servile adherents of the monks; but his wife and two sons, Peter and John, had received the Gospel with eagerness, and John, who was a wool-carder, soon distinguished himself among the new Christians. James Pavanne, a learned and youthful Picard, "a man of great sincerity and uprightness," whom Briconnet had invited to Meaux, showed an ardent zeal for the Reformation. Meaux had become a focus of light. Persons called thither by business heard the Gospel, and carried it back to their homes. It was not in the city alone that men were examining the Scriptures; "many of the villages did the same," says a chronicle, "so that in this diocese an image of the renovated Church was seen to s.h.i.+ne forth."

The environs of Meaux were covered with rich crops, and at harvest season a crowd of labourers flocked thither from the surrounding countries. Resting from their toils in the middle of the day, they conversed with the people of the place, who spoke to them of other seed-times and other harvests. Many peasants from Thierache, and particularly from Landouzy, persevered, on their return home, in the doctrines they had heard, and erelong an evangelical church was formed in this district, which is one of the oldest churches in the kingdom.[817] "The renown of this great blessing spread through France," says the chronicler.[818] Briconnet himself proclaimed the Gospel from the pulpit, and endeavoured to scatter around him "that infinite, sweet, mild, true, and only light (to use his own words) which dazzles and enlightens every creature capable of receiving it, and which, while it enlightens him, raises him by adoption to the dignity of a son of G.o.d."[819] He besought his flock to lend no ear to those who would turn them aside from the Word. "Though an angel from heaven," said he, "should preach any other Gospel, do not listen to him." Sometimes gloomy thoughts would prey upon his soul. He was not sure of himself: he shrunk back in alarm, as he dwelt upon the fatal consequences of his unfaithfulness; and forewarning his hearers, he said to them: "Even should I, your bishop, change my language and my doctrine, beware of changing like me."[820] At that moment nothing seemed to indicate the possibility of such a misfortune. "Not only was the Word of G.o.d preached," says the chronicle, "but it was followed; all works of charity and love were practised there; the morals were reformed and superst.i.tions laid low."[821]

[817] These particulars are derived from some old and much discoloured papers, found in the church of Landouzy-la-Ville, in the department of Aisne, by M. Colany, while pastor of that place.

[818] Act. Mart. p. 182.

[819] MS. Bibl. Roy. S. F. No. 337.

[820] Hist. Catholique de Fontaine.

[821] Act. Mart. p. 182.

[Sidenote: BRIcONNET'S FOREBODINGS--PRESENT TO THE KING.]

Still clinging to the idea of gaining over the king and his mother, the bishop sent to Margaret "the epistles of St. Paul, translated and splendidly illuminated, most humbly entreating her to present them to the king; which cannot but be most pleasing from your hands," added the good bishop. "They are a royal dish," continued he, "fattening without corruption, and healing all manner of sickness. The more we taste them, the more we hunger after them with desire unsatiable, and that never cloys."[822]

[822] MS. Bibl. Roy. S. F. No. 337.

What more welcome message could Margaret receive? The moment seemed favourable. Michael Aranda was at Paris, detained by order of the king's mother, for whom he was translating portions of the Holy Scripture.[823] But Margaret would have preferred that Briconnet should present this book himself to her brother. "You would do well to come here," wrote she, "for you know the confidence that Madam and the king place in you."[824]

[823] Par le commandement de Madame a quy il a lyvre quelque chose de la saincte Escripture qu'elle desire parfaire. Ibid.

[824] Ibid.

Thus, probably, was the Word of G.o.d placed at that time (in 1522 and 1523) under the eyes of Francis I. and Louisa of Savoy. They came into contact with that Gospel which they were afterwards to persecute. We do not find that this Word produced any salutary effect upon them. An impulse of curiosity led them to open that Bible which was then making so much noise; but they closed it as soon as they had opened it.

[Sidenote: MARGARET'S STRUGGLES.]

Margaret herself found it hard to contend against the worldliness by which she was everywhere surrounded. Her tender affection towards her brother, the obedience she owed to her mother, and the flatteries lavished on her by the court, all seemed to conspire against the love she had vowed to Christ. Christ was alone against many. Sometimes Margaret's soul, a.s.sailed by so many adversaries, and stunned by the noise of the world, turned aside from its Master. Then, becoming sensible of her faults, the princess would shut herself up in her apartments, and giving way to her sorrow, utter cries very different from the joyous sounds with which Francis and the young lords, the companions of his debauchery, filled the royal palaces in the midst of their entertainments and festivities:--

Left you I have, to follow pleasure's voice, Left you I have, and for an evil choice, Left you I have, and whither am I come?......[825]