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From Rise of Protestantism in France to Publication of the Institutes - James Aitken Wylie

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<strong>the</strong> listeners were becom<strong>in</strong>g uneasy on <strong>the</strong>ir seats.<br />

The monks knit <strong>the</strong>ir brows, and shoot<strong>in</strong>g out fiery<br />

glances from beneath <strong>the</strong>m, exchanged whispers<br />

with one ano<strong>the</strong>r. They saw through <strong>the</strong> th<strong>in</strong><br />

disguise <strong>in</strong> which <strong>the</strong> rec<strong>to</strong>r was try<strong>in</strong>g <strong>to</strong> veil <strong>the</strong><br />

Gospel. Spoken on "All Sa<strong>in</strong>ts' Day," yet not a<br />

word about <strong>the</strong> sa<strong>in</strong>ts did that oration conta<strong>in</strong>! It<br />

was a desecration <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir festival; an act <strong>of</strong> treason<br />

aga<strong>in</strong>st <strong>the</strong>se glorious <strong>in</strong>tercessors; a blow struck at<br />

<strong>the</strong> foundations <strong>of</strong> Rome: so <strong>the</strong>y judged, and<br />

rightly. The assembly rose, and <strong>the</strong>n <strong>the</strong> s<strong>to</strong>rm<br />

burst. Heresy had reached an as<strong>to</strong>und<strong>in</strong>g pitch <strong>of</strong><br />

audacity when it dared <strong>to</strong> rear its head <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> very<br />

midst <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Sorbonne. It must be struck down at<br />

once.<br />

Cop was denounced <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> Parliament, <strong>the</strong>n <strong>the</strong><br />

supreme judge and executioner <strong>of</strong> heretics.<br />

Summoned <strong>to</strong> its bar, he resolved, strong <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

<strong>in</strong>tegrity <strong>of</strong> his cause, and presum<strong>in</strong>g not a little on<br />

his position as head <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> first university <strong>in</strong><br />

Christendom, <strong>to</strong> obey <strong>the</strong> citation. He was already<br />

on his way <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> Palace <strong>of</strong> Justice, attired <strong>in</strong> his<br />

robes <strong>of</strong> <strong>of</strong>fice, his beadles and appari<strong>to</strong>rs<br />

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