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Rise and Establishment of Protestantism at Geneva - James Aitken Wylie

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Chapter 4<br />

Tumults – Successes –<br />

Toler<strong>at</strong>ion<br />

WAS the storm th<strong>at</strong> swept over Neuch<strong>at</strong>el on<br />

the 23rd <strong>of</strong> October, <strong>and</strong> which cleansed its<br />

c<strong>at</strong>hedral-church <strong>of</strong> the emblems <strong>of</strong> superstition, a<br />

passing gust, or one <strong>of</strong> those gre<strong>at</strong> waves which<br />

indic<strong>at</strong>e the rising <strong>of</strong> the tide in the spiritual<br />

<strong>at</strong>mosphere? Was it an outburst <strong>of</strong> mob-violence,<br />

provoked by the greed <strong>and</strong> tyranny <strong>of</strong> the priests,<br />

or was it the strong <strong>and</strong> emph<strong>at</strong>ically expressed<br />

resolution <strong>of</strong> men who knew <strong>and</strong> loved the truth? If<br />

the former, the idols would again be set up; if the<br />

l<strong>at</strong>ter, they had fallen to rise no more. This was<br />

tested on the 4th <strong>of</strong> November following. On th<strong>at</strong><br />

eventful day the citizens <strong>of</strong> Neuch<strong>at</strong>el, climbing the<br />

hill on which stood the governor's castle, hard by<br />

the c<strong>at</strong>hedral th<strong>at</strong> still bore traces <strong>of</strong> the recent<br />

tempest, in altars overturned, niches empty, <strong>and</strong><br />

images disfigured, presented themselves before the<br />

governor <strong>and</strong> deputies from Bern. They had<br />

53

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