rose in the pulpit, with all his energies aroused by the sight of such a congregation. He exposed the errors of Father Juliani. Day after day he set forth the truth. "The penance which God demands is a change of heart and life." "The pope's pardons take away money; but they cannot take away sin.” Of the confessional he said, "How many souls have been cast into hell by it! how many virgins corrupted! how many widows devoured! how many orphans ruined! how many princes poisoned! how many countries wasted! . . . O Heaven unveil these horrors! O Earth cry out! creatures of God weep; and do thou, O Lord, arise!"

Still the audiences grew less, and the bailiff had the good sense not to notice the fact. But this contempt at Orbe had its compensation in the respect that came from the neighbouring villages. Message after message came from the peasantry who urged the great preacher to visit them. He wrote to Zwingle, "Oh! how great is the harvest. No one can describe the ardour the people feel for the gospel, and the tears I shed when I see the small number of reapers." There was one young man among his hearers whom he loved with an affection only equal that which was returned. The ardent, fiery, fearless and almost rash Farel was heart to heart with the meek, timid, sensitive and always prudent Viret. In the gospel the Peters, and Johns, and Pauls, are knitted in brotherhood by more than earthly ties. Thus it became with Farel, Viret, and Calvin.

It was told through the town, now quiet through awe of My Lords of Berne, that on May 6, 1531, a son of the good burgess, clothier and tailor, a child of the place, and a favourite of all, would preach his first sermon. Perhaps few were aware that Farel had persuaded, urged and almost forced him to assume so solemn a duty. He was accused of being rather heretical,

but he was so inoffensive that nobody would believe it. The young people wished to see their former playmate in the pulpit. Older ones wanted to hear what the son of their honoured burgess had to say. The day came and the church was filled, many having come from a distance. All were impatiently waiting, when at last they saw the young man of only twenty years, of small stature, pale, long and thin face, lively eyes, meek and winning expression, with his brows touched with the light of eternity. By his modesty, his eloquence, his wonderful power in handling the word of God, his persuasiveness in urging the duties of repentance and faith, his prudence in managing errors so as not to arouse bitter feelings and by his earnestness in setting forth Christ crucified for sinners, he kept the most worldly men hanging upon his lips. He was a prophet who had honour in his own country. That day was the greatest day, thus far, in his life. It placed him in the band of mighty reformers of errors and heralds of the truth.

A month had passed since Farel's return, when all at once, a report filled Orbe with astonishment. It was said, and each reporter could hardly believe it, that Madame Elizabeth, wife of Lord Arnex, was converted. She had planned the women's conspiracy against Farel, she had beaten him in the street, she had a hand in filling the church with boys (marmaille, brats) who laid down and pretended to be asleep until Farel began his sermon and then sprang up howling with all their lungs and leaving the preacher alone; she had suddenly become a convert to the awful heresy! They shook their heads and smiled, and felt chagrined. Nor was this all. Lord Arnex, who had pleaded for Father Juliani, given bail for him, and despised My Lords of Berne, was also converted. George Grivat, too, the best musician in the town, had gone from the choir into

the pulpit. Others of note-"chief women not a few"-were among the believers in the doctrines which Farel and Viret had

preached.

These disciples wished to receive the Lord's Supper. Farel was sent for and he hastened from Morat. At six in the morning of Whitsunday, he announced, to a large assembly in the church, that there would be the breaking of bread in remembrance of “the breaking of Christ's body on the cross." Eight persons came forward, Lord Arnex and his wife, Hollard and his aged mother, Cordey and his wife, William Viret the burgess, and George Grivat, afterwards pastor at Avenches. Viret was doubtless absent from the town. A white cloth was laid over a bench, (for they would not use Romish tables,) and on it the sacred emblems were placed. After prayer, Farel asked, "Do you each forgive one another?”

Peter

"Yes," was the response of the little band, never before so deeply affected. Oh that Farel would forgive them!

The bread was broken and given by the hand of the minister, the wine was touched by the lips of the penitent, and the Lord crucified on Calvary was glorified in little Orbe. The only interruption was made by the priests coming in, near the close of the service, and chanting the mass as loud as they could.

But these disciples were to suffer. Hollard became too rash, and went to breaking idols with all his might. One day, when Farel was preaching, he flew at an image of the Virgin and dashed it in pieces. The church began to be cleansed, and our Romish writer "was greatly astonished at the patience of the populace." It was through fear of My Lords of Berne. But the Friburgers almost gained the day. Taking certain priests out of prison, they put in their stead fifteen of the imagebreakers, and one of them was Lord Arnex. For three days

they were kept on bread and water; the priests had enjoyed good "bed and board;" and then they were allowed to return home.

There may be failings in men who advocate a faultless cause; but we who may have too little zeal should be careful how we judge those who have too much. We are writing of times when the reformers had few preparatory schools for discipline, and the Romanists were not then trained into a crafty and smooth Jesuitism. Often must the whirlwind sweep through a town in advance of the "still small voice." If the preachers were sometimes rash, the papists were nearly always riotous. The one class proved what they had to declare by Scripture; the other persecuted without hearing the evidence. It is not hard to perceive which deserves the greater amount of charity.

CHAPTER XIII.

THE HUGUENOTS APPEAR.

(1531-1532.)

"BE prudent; do not rashly expose yourself to danger, but

take good care of yourself for the Lord's future service." Thus wrote Zwingle to Farel when this suffering missionary was labouring to sound the gospel through all the country, from Berne to Basle.

"Take good care of yourself, also," was the reply, "for far greater danger threatens you than me." The warning was too late. Zwingle had fallen on the battle-field. But such words were just like Farel. He scarcely thought of himself. No reformer was more like St. Paul, in his zeal, his feebleness of body, his strength of spirit, his perils and his journeys. It is not possible for us to follow him into every town that he surprised, every pulpit where he was attacked, nor every little new church where he often brake bread with the glad disciples.

On the shore of Lake Neufchatel, at the entrance of the town of Grandson, stood the large convent of the Gray Friars. Two men came to its door one day, rang the bell, and were shown into the parlour. The superior, Friar Guy Regis, met them, and asked what they wanted. They told him they intended to see that the gospel was preached in the town, and, in passing the convent, they had said to each other that this was the place to begin. They coolly begged him, "in the name of the lords