In the early part of 1546, just four years after Calvin’s return to Gen­eva, an open struggle with the Libertines broke out. The Libertines were a group of patriotic, old Genevan families who had led the repub­lic to independence and the reformation. But they grew to resent deeply the dominant influence of Calvin and ‘foreigners’ in the affairs of their city. From 1546 till 1555 their struggle with Calvin became increasingly bitter. Felix Bungener says: ‘Nine years he (Calvin) was every moment on the point of being – not conquered, for he was not of those who can be conquered, but – crushed: for nine years it was his to expect every month and every week to be expelled from that city which he was nevertheless continuing to render illustrious and powerful abroad; for nine years he guided Geneva as a vessel on fire which burns the captain’s feet and yet obeys him, and which in combat is not less formidable and feared.’ Let us look at some of the Libertine leaders.

Pierre Ameaux⤒🔗

Pierre Ameaux, a member of the Little Council of Geneva, was a maker of playing-cards. He lost part of his trade because of the city ordi­nances against card-playing. He was annoyed too with the Consistory for not facilitating his divorce, though this was at last granted by the Council – after eighteen months of disputing. His wife was a woman whose ‘spiritual libertinism’ was little else than another name for vice. On 27 January 1546, Ameaux invited four friends to dine with him. Before them he inveighed against Calvin, his doctrine and his authority, saying that he was a wicked seducer, that he wished to be bishop, and that if they were not careful these Frenchmen would rule the city. His friends informed against him before the Council. He was put in prison. He first denied making the remark attributed to him, then admitted it and acknowledged that he had maligned and slandered the pastors. The pastors as a body insisted that he be dealt with. The Council ordered that he make public apology, bareheaded and with torch in hand as the custom was, in three public places in the city. But there is clear evidence that Calvin did not wish too great severity to be shown toward him.

The Favres←⤒🔗

One leading family of Libertines – the Favres – played a great part in the struggles of these few years. Francis Favre, a draper, when brought before the Consistory in February 1547, and questioned, refused to an­swer; he objected to the ‘French’ pastors and to their yoke of discipline. He was guilty of gross immorality but was quite brazen about it. In 1546 he had told the Consistory that he did not recognise the pastors. One of Calvin’s colleagues, Abel Poupin, said that they did not recog­nise him as one of Christ’s sheep, but as a dog. The men of the 16th century did not mince their words! Jeeringly, Francis went about every­where grinding his teeth and saying, ‘I am a dog.’ After eighteen days in prison he begged for mercy and quitted Geneva for a time.

At the end of 1545 Gaspard, son of Francis Favre, was put in prison. Again he was imprisoned for a few days in March the following year. On his release he was questioned as to whether he had stated that if he became a magistrate he would set up places of debauchery in the city. He denied the allegation. At Easter 1546, he pretended to play at skit­tles during the sermon. He was taken to task but was quite bold about it. He left the city for nearly two years. After his return he engaged in more strife and was put in prison. On the day he came out he went to have sport before St Peter’s while Calvin was preaching. Calvin’s lecture was interrupted by the uproar made by Gaspard and his friends. The next year he was imprisoned for his immorality.

Gaspard’s sister, Frances, was married to Ami Perrin, who was first the friend and then the foe of Calvin. Frances was a fury of a woman. Those who opposed her would be sure to feel the lash of her tongue, if not the blows of her fists! She was fond of the dance; but she used her feet too on her own relations. On one occasion when her mother-in-law came to call, she speeded her departure with ‘a good kick’. On another occasion, while coming out of prison and leaving the city, she met Abel Poupin, insulted him, crashed against him with her horse, before riding away. Calvin called her Penthesilea, after the Queen of the Amazons.

Ami Perrin←⤒🔗

The chief leader of the Libertines was Ami Perrin. Theodore Beza tells us that he was ‘an exceedingly foolish but daring and ambitious man’. He was dubbed by Calvin ‘the comic Caesar’ – because of his vanity and his ambitious pretensions. He was accused of having secret nego­tiations with France, and was deposed from his offices of member of Council and Captain-general. He was not as evil as the Favres and was no traitor, but his factiousness and his vanity made him dangerous. His colleagues in the leadership of the Libertines were Vandel and Berthelier. They stirred up great tumults at times. On one occasion, before a meeting of the Council of the Two Hundred, there were loud shouts and a confused clamour outside the chamber. Calvin, who arrived a little early for the meeting, saw that sedition was afoot and that blood was about to be shed. The sight was dreadful, he said. He rushed among the combatants and offered his body to their swords. He told them to begin with him. He spoke with such dignity and self-possession that the tumult at once subsided.

In the Council room it broke out afresh – they were ‘on the point of drawing their swords and staining the court itself with mutual slaugh­ter’, records Beza. Through Calvin’s intervention yet again a dreadful carnage was averted. He then delivered a long and eloquent discourse that deeply moved nearly all his hearers. Even Perrin gave the reformer his hand and promised to repent. But Calvin was under no illusion; he felt that his hearer was a ‘deaf’ man. Early in 1548 –partly by the inter­vention of Farel and Viret – Perrin was restored to some of his dignity and there was the promise of peace; but the disturbances broke out afresh. Calvin’s burden seemed too great to bear. He could be pardoned if at times he longed to escape to some haven of peace. These opponents of his really hated the gospel; they were lewd and dissolute, and the gospel was a curb on their moral laxity.

Gruet←⤒🔗

On 23 June 1547, there was a famous meeting of the Consistory at which Perrin’s wife called Abel Poupin, one of Calvin’s colleagues, a ‘pig’s snout’. She had to be removed by force. Four days later there was found affixed to the pulpit in St Peter’s – at the spot where Calvin usually leaned when preaching – an infamous libel with threats of death, etc. It was thought this was the work of a scribbler named Gruet, a Libertine in his religious opinions and morals. He had lunched with Frances, Perrin’s wife, on that day and on his way home slipped into the church. When challenged with the deed, he denied all. But this was not very convincing, as in the preceding year a charge had been made against him, which he at first denied, but afterwards admitted the offence. So, according to the custom of the time, he was put to torture and admitted this offence also. Investigation revealed other offences too. Beza tells us that evidence was found of ‘an infinite number of other blasphemies’. He was put to death. In the 16th century death was meted out for such offences. It was not only the reformers who sanctioned such penalties; the same views were held by their foes. Two of the most prominent Libertines of Geneva pronounced a blasphemous book of Gruet’s, which was discovered in 1550 (after his death), to merit the penalty of death.

In 1548 the faction opposing Calvin redoubled its efforts. Calumnies and insults were heaped increasingly on him and his colleagues. They sounded handbells outside his house in the night; Beza tells us that some of them openly used collars cut into the form of a cross, while others gave the name ‘Calvin’ to their dogs; some even played upon the name, changing it from ‘Calvin’ to ‘Cain’. They disturbed the services by their behaviour outside and inside the church; they defiled its sacred precincts. For a time even the Council seemed to favour Calvin’s foes. A letter of his to Viret was stolen and his enemies sought to use a phrase in it against him. They sought to make him cast a poor reflection upon the Council. He bore this with wonderful patience. If the rights of the church were attacked, he was a man of iron; but when the attack fell upon him, he could show great forbearance.

On 18 November 1548, Perrin was appointed Captain-general again. Two days later two of his partisans were given posts of honour in the city. On 3 February 1549, Perrin was made a magistrate and his associ­ate, Vandel, was made Attorney-general. These two men now held the two most important positions and the Libertines seemed triumphant.

They indulged in riots and blows, but the Council let them off lightly. On 29 March 1550, Calvin’s wife, Idelette, died. On 1 April he resumed the struggle before the Council. His letters to his friends reveal the grief of his heart; but before the public he showed an astonishing calm.

In 1549 and 1550 there arrived a number of refugees from France, some of whom, like Lawrence of Normandy and Theodore de Beza, were to become Calvin’s closest friends and collaborators. Yes, he had lost his beloved wife, but God supplied brethren who grouped them­selves around him and stood by him in his vicissitudes. The Libertines were quick to see the danger to their cause from these new arrivals. They insulted them in the streets and made a motion that a period of ten years must elapse before they could sit on the Councils of Geneva.

Bolsec←⤒🔗

Bolsec was a doctor (or rather, a quack) who came upon the scene in 1551. He arose during a service to contradict Calvin on the subject of predestination. Calvin refuted him with mildness. On another occasion when Poupin and Farel were the preachers, he again interrupted. Calvin came in while he was speaking and, after he had finished, delivered a crushing reply – answering him point by point.

The Council dealt with Bolsec. It decided that he be banished from the city publicly with sound of trumpet, as the custom was. He was driven also from the territory of Berne a little later. He betook himself to Paris. After several changes of front, he abjured Protestantism alto­gether. He wrote a life of Calvin in which he poured forth a flood of lies and calumnies. This life has served as an arsenal for attacks on Calvin by his foes ever since.

Trolliet←⤒🔗

The next weapon used by the Libertines against the reformer was Trol­liet. Calvin had refused to admit him to the ministry and he cherished a grudge. He plotted with Perrin, Gaspard Favre and others in a tavern. Calvin knew what was up and warned the Council of the danger of letting these plottings go on. Trolliet complained to the Council that Calvin had spoken in the pulpit of scoundrels who had maligned the truth in the taverns. Calvin had named no one; so he felt free to quote the homely proverb: ‘It is he who feels himself itchy who scratches himself.’ For five months this fellow agitated Geneva. He charged that Calvin taught God to be the author of sin. These men of loose morals disliked Calvin’s views on predestination and misrepresented them. The Council pronounced that his Institutes set forth the holy truth of God, but Trolliet’s Libertine friends secured that the Council give him a cer­tificate of good character when he was dismissed from the city.

Calvin was weary of this battling, but he would not leave Christ’s flock over which he was set. So he stood by what he taught in spite of all the lies and misrepresentations. His doctrine was not the product of his own brain; it was from the Word of God: and he must maintain it or else be a traitor to the truth. So he patiently toiled on. The victory was nearer than he dreamed. But before it came, there was the episode of Michael Servetus.