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

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compromises. Luther and Calvin would not yield an inch to the pope, while
the extreme men of the papal party, like Eck, were as unwilling to make
any concession to Protestantism. A fuller account belongs to the
ecclesiastical history of Germany.
Calvin, being a foreigner and a Frenchman, ignorant of the German
language, acted a subordinate part, though he commanded the respect of
both parties for his ability and learning, in which he was not inferior to any.
Having no faith in compromises, or in the sincerity of the emperor, he
helped to defeat rather than to promote the pacific object of these
conferences. He favored an alliance between the Lutheran princes of the
Smalkaldian League with Francis I., who, as the rival of Charles V., was
inclined to such an alliance. He was encouraged in this line of policy by
Queen Marguerite, who corresponded with him at that time through his
friend Sleidan, the statesman and historian. f528 He did succeed in securing,
after repeated efforts, a petition of the Lutheran princes assembled at
Regensburg to the French king in behalf of the persecuted Protestants in
France (May 23, 1541). f529 But he had no more confidence in Francis I.
than in Charles V. “The king,” he wrote to Farel (September, 1540), “and
the emperor, while contending in cruel persecution of the godly, both
endeavor to gain the favor of the Roman idol.” f530 He placed his trust in
God, and in a close alliance of the Lutheran princes among themselves and
with the Protestants in France and Switzerland.
He was a shrewd observer of the religious and political movements, and
judged correctly of the situation and the principal actors. Nothing escaped
his attention. He kept Farel at Neuchâtel informed even about minor
incidents.
Calvin attended the first colloquy at Frankfurt in February, 1539, in a
private capacity, for the purpose of making the personal acquaintance of
Melanchthon and pleading the cause of his persecuted brethren in France,
whom he had more at heart than German politics.
The Colloquy was prorogued to Hagenau in June, 1540, but did not get
over the preliminaries.
A more important Colloquy was held at Worms in November of the same
year. In that ancient city Luther had made his ever memorable declaration
in favor of the liberty of conscience, which in spite of the pope’s protest
had become an irrepressible power. Calvin appeared at this time in the