Rise and Establishment of Protestantism at Geneva - James Aitken Wylie

ecommends a contrary course. His advice to the
Protestants of France was to wait, to have patience,
to submit to wrong, to abstain from revenging
themselves, and not to be sparing of their blood, for
every drop spilt would, he assured them, bring
them nearer the goal they wished to reach. Nor
were these counsels given to a small and weak
party, which by resisting might bring destruction
upon itself: they were addressed to a body now
approximating in numbers half the population of
France. They were given to a body which had in its
ranks men of wealth, nobles, and even princes of
the blood: a body that could raise soldiers, lead
armies, fight battles, and win victories. Well, but,
says Calvin, the victories of the battlefield are
barren; those of the martyr are always fruitfnl. One
of the latter is worth a score of the former.
Two letters have been forged with intent to
convict the Reformer of having prompted to the
violent courses which some fiery spirits among tha
French Protestants were now beginning to pursue.
The pretended original manuscripts are in the
archives of the family of D'Alisac, but their
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