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

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Aug. 23, he made his appearance. On the evening of that day he was
summoned to the apartments of the king of Navarre, and in the presence of
the queen-mother and other persons of the highest rank, he had his first
encounter in debate with Cardinal Lorraine. The subject was
transubstantiation. The Cardinal was no match for Beza, and after a weak
defence, yielded the floor, saying that the doctrine should not stand in the
way of a reconciliation. On Tuesday, Sept. 9, 1561, the parties to the
Colloquy assembled in the nuns’ refectory at Poissy, some three miles
away. It was soon evident that there was not to be any real debate. The
Catholic party had all the advantages and acted as sole judges. f1288 It was a
foregone conclusion that the verdict was to be given to the Catholic party,
whatever the arguments might be. Nevertheless, Beza and his associates
went through the form of a debate, and courageously held their ground. In
characteristic fashion they first knelt, and Beza prayed, commencing his
prayer with the confession of sins used in the Genevan liturgy of Calvin. He
then addressed the assembly upon the points of agreement and of
disagreement between them, and was quietly listened to until he made the
assertion that the Body of Christ was as far removed from the bread of the
Eucharist as the heavens are from the earth. Then the prelates broke out
with the cry “Blasphemavit! blasphemavit!” (“he has blasphemed”), and
for a while there was much confusion. Beza had followed the obnoxious
expression with a remark which was intended to break its force, affirming
the spiritual presence of Christ in the Eucharist; but the noise had
prevented its being heard. Instead, however, of yielding to the clamor the
queen-mother insisted that Beza should be heard out, and he finished his
speech. The Huguenots claimed the victory, but the Roman Catholics
spread the story that they had been easily and decidedly beaten. The
prelates requested the points in writing, and it was not till Sept. 16 that
they made a reply. The Cardinal of Lorraine was the spokesman. No
opportunity was given the Protestants to rejoin, as they were ready to do at
once.
On Sept. 24 a third conference was held, but in the small chamber of the
prioress, not in the large refectory, and a fourth in the same place on Sept.
26. But the Colloquy had degenerated into a rambling debate, and its
utterly unprofitable character was manifest to all. The queen-mother did, it
is true, flatter herself that there might be an agreement, and zealously
labored to produce it. But in vain. Her expectation really showed how
shallow were her religious ideas.