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

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political rather than religious motives; he had protected Farel against the
violence of the priests, and had been appointed deputy to Strassburg to
bring Calvin back to Geneva. f746 He was one of the six lay-members who,
with the ministers, drew up the Ecclesiastical Ordinances of 1542, and for
some time he supported Calvin in his reforms. He could wield the sword,
but not the pen. He was vain, ambitious, pretentious, and theatrical. Calvin
called him, in derision, the stage-emperor, who played now the “Caesar
comicus,” and now the “Caesar tragicus.” f747
Perrin’s wife, Francesca, was a daughter of François Favre, who had taken
a prominent part in the political struggle against Savoy, but mistook
freedom for license, and hated Calvin as a tyrant and a hypocrite. His
whole family shared in this hatred. Francesca had an excessive fondness for
dancing and revelry, a violent temper, and an abusive tongue. Calvin called
her “Penthesilea” (the queen of the Amazons who fought a battle against
the Greeks, and was slain by Achilles), and “a prodigious fury.” f748
He found out too late that it is foolish and dangerous to quarrel with a
woman. He forgot Christ’s conduct towards the adulteress, and Mary
Magdalene.
A disgraceful scene which took place at a wedding in the house of the
widow Balthazar at Belle Rive, brought upon the family of Favre, who
were present, the censure of the Consistory and the punishment of the
Council. Perrin, his wife and her father were imprisoned for a few weeks in
April, 1546. Favre refused to make any confession, and went to prison,
shouting: “Liberty! Liberty! I would give a thousand crowns to have a
general council.” f749 Perrin made an humble apology to the Consistory.
Calvin plainly told the Favre family that as long as they lived in Geneva
they must obey the laws of Geneva, though every one of them wore a
diadem. f750
From this time on Perrin stood at the head of the opposition to Calvin. He
loudly denounced the Consistory as a popish tribunal. He secured so much
influence over the Council that a majority voted, in March, 1547, to take
the control of Church discipline into their own hands. But Calvin made
such a vigorous resistance that it was determined eventually to abide by the
established Ordinances. f751
Perrin was sent as ambassador to Paris (April 26, 1547), and was received
there with much distinction. The Cardinal du Bellay sounded him as to