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

convulsion as would shake the nation, and bury the
Reformed Church in its own ruins. Gentler words,
they thought, would go deeper.
But the majority were not of this mind. They
were impatient of delay. France was lagging
behind Germany, Switzerland, and other countries.
Moreover, they feared the councils now proceeding
at the Louvre. They had as their object, they knew,
to unite the Pope and the Reformation, and they
were in haste to launch this bolt, "forged on Farel's
anvil," before so unhallowed a union should be
consummated. In this assembly now met to
deliberate about the placard were Du Bourg and
Millon, and most of the disciples whom we have
mentioned in our former chapter. These gave their
voices that the paper should be published, and in
this resolution the majority concurred.
The next step was to make arrangements to
secure, if possible, that this manifesto should meet
the eye of every man in France. The kingdom was
divided into districts, and persons were told off
who were to undertake the hazardous work of
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