Schaff - History of the Christian Church Vol. 8 - Media Sabda Org

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lady of Geneva (1546). He was small, sickly, and emaciated, but fervent in
spirit, and untiring in labor.
Viret was an able and fruitful author, and shows an uncommon familiarity
with classical and theological literature. He wrote, mostly in the form of
dialogues, expositions of the Apostles’ Creed, the Ten Commandments,
the Lord’s Prayer, a summary of Christian doctrine, polemical books
against the Council of Trent, against the mass and other doctrines of
Romanism, and tracts on Providence, the Sacraments, and practical
religion. The most important is The Christian Instruction in the Doctrine
of the Gospel and the Law, and in the true Philosophy and Theology both
Natural and Supernatural (Geneva, 1564, 3 vols. fol.). His writings are
exceedingly rare. f355
§ 64. ANTOINE FROMENT.
A. Froment: Les actes et gestes merveilleux de la cité de Genève,
nouvellement convertie à l’Evangile. Edited by G. Revilliod, Genève,
1854. A chronicle from 1532 to 1536, fresh and lively, but partial and
often inac-curate. Much used by MERLE D’AUBIGNÉ. Letters in
HERMINJARD, Tom. IV.
There is no special monograph of Froment, and he is omitted in
Beza’s Icones and also in Verheiden’s Imagines et Elogia (Hagae,
1725), probably on account of his spotted character. Sketches in La
France Protest., VI. 723–733, and notices in Roget, Merle
D’Aubigné, Gaberel, Polenz. A good article by TH. SCHOTT in
HERZOG, IV. 677–699, and by ROGET in Lichtenberger’s “Encycl.,”
V. 342–344. On his literary merita see PHIL. GODET, Histoire
litteraire de la Suisse Romande, 82 sqq.
Antoine Froment was born in 1509 in Mens, in Dauphiné, and was one of
the earliest disciples of Farel, his countryman. He accompanied him in his
evangelistic tours through Switzerland, and shared in his troubles,
persecutions, and successes. In 1532 he went for the first time to Geneva,
and opened an elementary school in which he taught religion. He
advertised it by placards in these words: “A man has arrived, who in the
space of one month will teach anybody, great or small, male or female, to
read and write French; who does not learn it in that time need not pay
anything. He will also heal many diseases without charge.” The people