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

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Consistory visited every house once a year to examine into the faith and
morals of the family. Every unseemly word and act on the street was
reported, and the offenders were cited before the Consistory to be either
censured and warned, or to be handed over to the Council for severer
punishment. No respect was paid to person, rank, or sex. The strictest
impartiality was maintained, and members of the oldest and most
distinguished families, ladies as well as gentlemen, were treated with the
same severity as poor and obscure people.
Let us give a summary of the most striking cases of discipline. Several
women, among them the wife of Ami Perrin, the captain-general, were
imprisoned for dancing (which was usually connected with excesses).
Bonivard, the hero of political liberty, and a friend of Calvin, was cited
before the Consistory because he had played at dice with Clement Marot,
the poet, for a quart of wine. f718 A man was banished from the city for
three months because, on hearing an ass bray, he said jestingly: “He prays a
beautiful psalm.” f719 A young man was punished because he gave his bride
a book on housekeeping with the remark: “This is the best Psalter.” A lady
of Ferrara was expelled from the city for expressing sympathy with the
Libertines, and abusing Calvin and the Consistory. Three men who had
laughed during the sermon were imprisoned for three days. Another had to
do public penance for neglecting to commune on Whitsunday. Three
children were punished because they remained outside of the church during
the sermon to eat cakes. A man who swore by the “body and blood of
Christ” was fined and condemned to stand for an hour in the pillory on the
public square. A child was whipped for calling his mother a thief and a shedevil
(diabless). A girl was beheaded for striking her parents, to vindicate
the dignity of the fifth commandment.
A banker was executed for repeated adultery, but he died penitent and
praised God for the triumph of justice. A person named Chapuis was
imprisoned for four days because he persisted in calling his child Claude (a
Roman Catholic saint) instead of Abraham, as the minister wished, and
saying that he would sooner keep his son unbaptized for fifteen years. f720
Bolsec, Gentilis, and Castellio were expelled from the Republic for
heretical opinions. Men and women were burnt for witchcraft. Gruet was
beheaded for sedition and atheism. Servetus was burnt for heresy and
blasphemy. The last is the most flagrant case which, more than all others
combined, has exposed the name of Calvin to abuse and execration; but it
should be remembered that he wished to substitute the milder punishment