In the articles immediately preceding we have dealt with the Geneva of Calvin, the times in which he lived, the man himself and his prepara­tion for his great task, and the ailments which hampered him. Now we set out to survey the twenty-three years of his ministry at Geneva fol­lowing upon his return from exile – fourteen years of struggle followed by nine years of triumph.

Calvin returned ‘amid the congratulations of the whole people’, Theodore Beza tells us. His recall was an acknowledgment of the insult done to God and his Word in the sentence of exile. But when Calvin re-entered the pulpit of St Peter’s, he had not a word to say of the past or of the reversal of fortune. After a few sentences on the manner in which he intended to fulfil his duties, he immediately began to explain the Scriptures where he had left off some years before – just as if he had been only momentarily interrupted!

He appeared before the Council on 1 September 1541, to urge the setting up of a Consistory (a sort of presbytery) composed of the elders and pastors – with power to exercise discipline. The first meeting of this court was on the 8 December 1541. The task ahead was simply tremendous. It was to rebuild an edifice which lay in ruins. He acted with the greatest care. He tolerated for a time what he could not change. This man who often bewailed his impatience showed a most singular moderation.

Reforming the Ministry⤒🔗

The first need of discipline was among the ranks of his colleagues in the ministry. Instead of being helps, they were hindrances. Two of them had been there before his return and they had shown themselves the ready vassals of the State. They had no love for the order and dis­cipline introduced by Calvin. They were ignorant and presumptuous rather than zealous for the truth. Calvin leaned greatly on his faithful colleague Peter Viret. If this support were withdrawn, he felt he would be altogether overwhelmed. Yet Viret returned to Lausanne on the 16 July 1542. Calvin received new colleagues. Of the four appointed, two were most disappointing. There were quarrels among them. He warned, rebuked, and exhorted them, but all to no purpose. ‘What colleagues! what difficulties!’ exclaims Professor Emile Doumergue.

Sebastian Castellio←⤒🔗

Then came the trouble with Sebastian Castellio. Castellio had professed conversion through reading Calvin’s Institutes. He came to Calvin at Strasbourg and lived with him for a time. When Calvin reorganised the College at Geneva after his return, Castellio was installed as Principal on 7 June 1541. He resigned his charge in 1543 without any valid rea­son. He wished to be recognised as a pastor, but Calvin declared that he held an opinion which rendered him unsuitable. Even those who are opposed to Calvin admit that Castellio was of an unsettled and con­tentious character. Eventually the ministers gave Castellio a certificate which was drawn up by Calvin and signed by him in the name of all. It begins by declaring that Castellio of his own free-will gave up the office of Principal, and goes on to say that when they asked him if he was in accord with them on all points of doctrine, he mentioned two points of difference. The first point was about the Lord’s ‘Descent into Hell’ mentioned in the Apostles’ Creed. An understanding could perhaps have been reached on this point; but the second point brought to light a more serious disagreement. Castellio esteemed the Song of Solomon to be an impure and lascivious love-song. They did all they could to lead him to the truth, pointing out similarities between the Song and Psalm 45. The unanimous decision of the pastors was that it would form a dangerous precedent to appoint as pastor a man who openly rejected a book which was reckoned by all the churches to be part of God’s inspired Word. He had worthily fulfilled his duties as Principal, and it was not because of any blemish upon his life or of any wicked doctrine that he had been refused admission to the ministry. Castellio set out for Lausanne and Calvin recommended him to Viret, urging that silence be maintained as to his views on the disputed points and that Viret help him as far as he could. Calvin shows how well-disposed he was to Castellio, but he would have wished him possessed of a sounder judgment and a deeper humility. Castellio had appeared at one of Calvin’s Friday meetings and had thrown fierce and indiscriminate charges against the pastors. Calvin did not wish to engage in sharp discussion before strangers, and carried the matter before the magistrates. They urged the putting away of all rancour and rebuked Castellio. A month after he withdrew from Geneva, but he seemed to bear a grudge against Calvin ever after.

There were some who wished to be pastors, whose admission to the office Calvin resisted on the ground of their unsuitability. Others showed themselves unworthy and had to be dismissed from office – five of them between 1542 and 1546. At last he had the satisfaction of see­ing better men in the ministry; from 1546 his colleagues were worthy men who were of one mind with him.

Trouble with the City Council←⤒🔗

He had his troubles with the Council. They were not sympathetic with all his efforts and with his high standards. He suffered many affronts from them. They sometimes went further than he wished. He was per­sonally in favour of the abolition of certain feast-days which were kept at Berne and which had been introduced at Geneva during his exile. But he was willing for the sake of accord with Berne to have a service for worship on these days, provided the people were free to return to their work when the service was over. For a time he sought to put this into practice but he soon felt compelled to complain to the Council about the diversity of practice – some opened their shops on these days, others kept them closed. He appealed to the Council to secure some uniform­ity. After he had left the Council-chamber, the Council resolved to abolish the feast days altogether. Though surprised by their action, he saw no reason to contest the point. Some of his foes sought to involve him with Berne on this question. He wrote to Berne to explain how the decision was reached.

In Labours more Abundant←⤒🔗

Amid his toils and difficulties he was occupied with every-day affairs – with rents and purchases and repairs and marriages. He looks for a house for Mons de Falais, and he makes the estimate for its repair himself. He gives advice as to a proposal of marriage. He was busy with weddings and with baptisms. He writes to Farel of a gown which he is awaiting an opportunity of sending to him. He writes a long letter of many pages to the Almoner of the Duchess of Ferrara. He writes recommendations for those seeking work. Men said of Samuel Rutherford that he was ‘always preaching, always visiting the sick, always writing and studying’. The same might have been said of Calvin, and it was especially his preaching which conquered Geneva at last. For well over twenty years he was a prodigy in their midst. The Consistory met every week, and he appeared regularly before the Council. In the council-chamber he delivered many an address and many an appeal, usually impromptu, often with glowing and impetuous eloquence leaving his adversaries dumb, often with tact and moderation and winsomeness, often with the biting and crushing retort of which he was master. His memory was like a travelling library, from which he could draw ‘with both hands’.

There were difficulties with Berne and these led to months of negotia­tion. Calvin used all his influence for a peaceful settlement. If his advice had been taken at the first, the affair would have been settled at once. As it was, it was only after months of debate that his counsel finally pre­vailed. Yet instead of being grateful, the Council sought to go their way without his aid. But further trouble with Berne arose; Geneva wished to raise its tolls to fill its empty coffers, but Berne was violently opposed to this action. The Council sought Calvin’s help in drawing up a reply; but the reply sent was too strong for his liking.

The plague visited the city in 1542. Calvin was willing, if need be, to act as chaplain at the plague hospital, but the Council forbade him. Two of his colleagues who volunteered for this duty died of the infec­tious disease.

He wrote, at the urgent request of Farel, refuting the views of the Anabaptists. He spoke of this sect as a pernicious plague. ‘We are deliv­ered from the law of the letter’, they said; and they declared the writers of the New Testament to be carnal.

He was occupied not only with matters great and small at Geneva and its neighbourhood; he had at heart the interests of the kingdom of God everywhere. In November 1544, he had written to Heinrich Bull­inger praising the pure and simple Confession of Faith of the Vaudois of Provence. On the 4 May 1545, he described the fierce persecution which the king of France let loose upon them, burning them in barns and wip­ing out whole villages. Only 4,000 escaped to wander in the mountains. Calvin urged that these faithful Christians be assisted. He worked with all his might for their relief. Farel and he visited Berne, Basle, Zurich, and Strasbourg to concert efforts on their behalf.

In 1549 he and Farel made a visit to Zurich which resulted in the drawing up of the statement known as the Consensus Tigurinus. In two hours agreement was reached. This confession aimed at setting forth the truth clearly without disguise or guile; it was sent to all the Swiss Churches and agreed to by all. The unity of the Protestant Churches, Calvinist and Zwinglian, was made clear. This brought great joy to Calvin. He told Bullinger of Zurich that the concord between them had helped to ease the burden of his grief over the death of his wife which had taken place some months before. John Calvin had a truly ecumen­ical heart.