Again there were Bernese soldiers in the city, (October, 1530,) and they determined to have the word of God preached. They went to the cathedral and ordered the door to be opened. Some of them went into the towers and rang the bells. Their preacher went into the pulpit, read the Scriptures and delivered a sermon. Many Genevese looked on and listened, but did not fully understand. It was a new mode of worship; but, when they saw that simple prayer, singing, and the reading and explaining of God's word were the essential parts of it, they liked it better than the Roman form. From that time the reformed service was repeated daily, for weeks, and "no other bell, little or big, rang in Geneva." The priests said it was all German, and the people would not be the wiser for it. But copies of the Bible and tracts in French were in store. The preacher went about among the Genevans, talked with them, and, after shaking hands with them, left books in their houses whose truth would bring rest to their hearts. Some of them began to "prefer God's pardon to the pardons of the pope."

Whispers of such movements came to the ear of Farel, during the years when he was being carried into cathedrals, or was making his own perilous way into forbidden pulpits, and was settling pastors over the flocks which had been won from popery. Geneva occupied his thoughts.

In the little boat that bore him so often across the Lake Neufchatel, in his visits to the Val de Ruz, on his bed at Morat, recovering from severe bruises and the loss of blood, on his journey to the Waldenses, and still more on his return, he felt that he must preach the gospel in Geneva also. It was not enough that the Huguenots should refuse to listen to the mass, and simply walk up and down the church while the priests were chanting it. They must have the gospel. To break from error

is but half a reformation; the better half is the full acceptance of the truth.

"Alas!" said he, "there is no other law at Geneva than the law of arms. The law of God must be there. The patriots had only secured a lip-revolution. The preacher must declare regeneration as the only hope for true liberty. He wished to go at once. The very fact of the strong opposition there was an attraction to his bold and quite romantic nature. But Berne had claims upon him, and noble Berne had no authority to send him into Geneva. If he liked perils, he had enough in the districts where he was already beaten for the gospel's sake. If he left those fields, Rome would regain her lost ground. He, therefore, looked about for some man who was fitted to bear the glad word to that city, of which the restless prior, Bonivard, had said, a few years before,-"God only remained; but, while Geneva slept, he kept watch for her."

We left the young Peter Toussaint at the mansion of the noble Madame Contraigues, waiting for some voice to call him into a bolder work than the Duchess Margaret was willing to have done. He went afterward to Zurich, at the call of its reformers. Here seemed to be the needed man. Farel wrote to Zwingle,"Make haste to send him into the Lord's vineyard, for you know how well fitted he is for this work. . . It is no small matter; see that you do not neglect it. Urge Toussaint to labour strenuously, so as to redeem, by his zeal, all the time he has lost." The great doctor did all that he could to persuade the young Frenchman, who at first was inclined to go. "Enter into the house of the Lord," said the adviser; "rend the hoods in pieces, and triumph over the shavelings. You will not have much trouble, for the word of God has already put them to

flight.”* He did not literally mean that Toussaint should tear the friars to pieces; but the young man was afraid to see even their hoods shaking at him. He had wanted to see more courage shown at the Parisian court; he now lacked, it himself when Genevan perils were before him. He shrank back and refused to take the mission with its cross.

Farel, who never shrank from any summons, was vexed. He could scarcely afterward forgive his young friend. He fell down and poured out his anguish before Heaven. "O Christ, draw up thine army according to thy good pleasure; pluck out all apathy from the hearts of those who are to give thee glory, and arouse them mightily from their slumber.”

This apathy was, perhaps, charged partly upon the Bernese, who had not sent preachers to Geneva, as Farel thought was their duty. They took alarm at the threat of the Friburgers, who said, "If Geneva is reformed there is an end to the alliance." The alliance did come to wreck; a hurricane was blowing over Geneva, for the duke of Savoy was preparing to attack the city. The Bernese gave up the cause of the Huguenots. "Alas!" wrote Farel, "the Bernese show less zeal for the glory of Christ than the Friburgers for the decrees of the pope."

One patriot heart was broken when the alliance was ended. It was that of Besançon Hugues, the duke's enemy, but the bishop's friend. He resigned his office, saying to the senate,— "I am growing old; I have many children; I wish to devote

*Eleven days before Zwingle fell in battle, (October, 1531,) Farel wrote to him," Many in that city feel in their hearts holy aspirations after true piety." And again, later,-"Several Genevans are meditating on the work of Christ." Such were the last good words from Farel, at Grandson, that should reach the heroic reformer of Zurich.

myself to my own affairs." He was only forty-five; but the late months had been as long years to him. His forty official missions, his dangers, his flights and exposures, his disappointments. and reproaches were enough to bring gray hairs upon that head, which deserves some of our best laurels. It was God's time for him to retire. He would be in the way of the gospel movement. He was not pleased to see that the Christian Huguenots were gaining new followers every day. It was time to give space to Baudichon. His Romanism must fade before the reformation. He retired, sighing lest all liberty was lost, and in less than a year he breathed his last. Faith might have taught him that God would defeat the threatening duke of Savoy, by bringing in a mighty alliance with Heaven.

An ambassador of the heavenly alliance was coming,-a modest, learned, devout, and strong layman, who would help to prepare the way for Calvin and Farel. Farel had long known him-perhaps had seen him on the university benches, when Lefevre was awakening debates among the students-and perhaps he had a hand in bringing him into Geneva. He was not a preacher, but merely a school-master. We need to know more of him.

When Calvin was at college in Paris, he was often visited by his fellow-townsman and cousin, Peter Robert Olivetan. Calvin was then a devout Romanist, and it grieved him to find hist affectionate cousin such a heretic. The grief was fully reciprocated: Robert did all he could to convert his younger relative. "O my dear friend," said Robert, "study the Scriptures.' “I will have none of your doctrines," was the reply. "Their novelty offends me."

They parted, little satisfied with each other. Calvin knelt before the images in the chapel, and prayed to the saints for his

friend. The other shut himself up in his room and prayed to Christ. The prayer to Jesus was to prevail. One day Calvin saw light breaking through the darkness that for months had gathered before him. "If I have been mistaken," said he; "if Olivetan and my other friends are right; if they have found that peace which the doctrines of the priests refuse me!" He shed tears and cried unto God. Following Olivetan's advice he studied the Scriptures-perhaps the Testament of Lefevre. It is worthy of notice that the three great Picardins-Lefevre, Olivetan and Calvin, were to have a decided influence at Geneva. It is very touching to know that the older cousin helped to lead the younger into the truth, and then, without any plan but that of God, he went to a strange city to help prepare a place for him to declare it. It was strange, too, in human eyes, that Olivetan should be led to Geneva. He was not seeking it. He had been compelled to leave Paris, and Farel had fixed upon him as a teacher for those ancient Waldenses who were holding out their hands to the modern reformers.

In the city council of Geneva there was a wealthy, enlightened and influential man, named Jean Chautemps. He needed a teacher for his sons. People spoke to him of a mild, genial man, who knew well the best society of Paris, and, "besides, a very learned man.” This gentleman considered it very fortunate to have such a master for his children, and soon had in his house Robert Olivetan, who taught according to "the right mode" of Mathurin Cordier, the great preceptor of Calvin.

Was he thinking that his brilliant and powerful cousin might some time come and preach in Geneva? Perhaps; and yet he said nothing in that direction. He set bravely to work in his modest way. He held forth a shining lamp. He sometimes went with Chautemps to the churches, and was moved with