CHAPTER 7 Defining Evangelizing - Evangelism Unlimited

Thomas P. Johnston 285
with their tongues cut out so that they could not preach when they were burning: Denis Le Vair, Philibert
Hamelin, Jean Joëry and his servant, Étienne de La Forge [friend of Farel and Calvin], Macé Moreau,
Nicolas Nail, Nicolas Ballon, Étienne Pouillot, Marin Marie, and Jacques de Loo.” 356
The Bible colporteur methodology continued to be used until the time of Dwight L. Moody and
beyond.
“Early in 1896, he [Moody] established the Bible Institute Colportage Association, headed by his sonin-law,
A. P. Fitt. This effort reached millions of people with Christian literature. In an era before
Christian bookstores, 2000 individuals, or ‘colporteurs,’ sold the books, keeping a small commission from
each sale.” 357
From a Carrier of Images to a Carrier [Fr. Porteur] of the Books of the Holy Scriptures:
“Macé Moreau touched by the fear of God, and of a desire to be instructed in the true knowledge of
the Word, retired to Geneva: wherein being there for not a short time, by a sudden change of quality and of
his first condition, from a carrier of [religious] images, he became a carrier of the books of the Holy
Scriptures. It came to be that being loaded with a number of the aforementioned books, he made his way
to France, to sell and distribute them there. [he was burned alive with his Bible in 1550 in Troyes,
France]” 358
Gospel Tracts used to convert Margaret of Valois (1523), sister of Francis I, King of France:
“But there was especially one soul, in the court of Francis I, who seemed prepared for the evangelical
influence of the doctor from Étaples and the Bishop of Meaux. Margaret, uncertain and unsure, in the
midst of the corrupt society that surrounded her, sought something firm, and she found it in the Gospel.
She turned herself to this new wind that was reinvigorating the world, and she inhaled with delight the
emanations from heaven. She learned from several of the ladies in her court what was being taught by the
new doctors; their writings were communicated to her, their small books, called in the language of
the times ‘tracts’; they spoke to her of ‘the primitive church, the pure Word of God, worship in spirit and
in truth, Christian liberty that removes the yoke of the superstitions and traditions of men to attach itself
uniquely to God.’ Soon this princess met Lefèvre, Farel, and Roussel; their zeal, their piety, their beliefs,
everything in them struck her; but it was especially the Bishop of Meaux [Briçonnet], long acquaintance of
hers, who became her guide in the path of faith.” 359
Gospel Tracts then used by Margaret of Valois to convert princess Philabert of Savoie (d. 1524),
Margaret’s mother’s sister:
“She became attached to Margaret, who by her talents and virtues exercised a great influence over all
around her. Philabert’s grief opened her heart to the voice of religion. Margaret imparted to her all she
read; and the widow of the lieutenant-general of the Church began to taste the sweets of the doctrine of
salvation.” 360
Tracts, which were often included articles for a disputation, sermons, or parts of sermons, were
used extensively by the so-called Anabaptist Balthasar Hubmaier in the 1520s, as well as by the
English Baptists in the 1630s and 40s. This pattern seemed to continue until well after the founding
of the following printing societies (a mere sampling):
English Baptist Missionary Society was founded in 1792
London Tract Society was founded in 1799
British and Foreign Bible Society was founded in 1804
New-York Tract Society was founded in 1812
Baptist Board of Foreign Missions was founded in 1814
American Bible Society was founded in 1816
356 Ibid.
357 George Sweeting, “Moody’s Legacy: A Century after His Death His Ministries Continue to Touch Lives;”
accessed 18 April 2006; from http://www.moodymagazine.com/articles.php?action=view_article&id=559; internet.
358 Jean Crespin, 181v. Translation mine.
359 J.-H. Merle d’Aubigné, Histoire de la Réformation du Seizième Siècle (Paris: Firmin Didot Frères, 1867),
3:508-09. Translation mine.
360 J. H Merle d’Aubigné, History of the Reformation of the Sixteenth Century, trans by H. White and
Heidelberg, revised by the author (Edinburgh: Oliver & Boyd, 1849), 450.