The Life and Death of John Calvin, Calvins will
The Teſtament and laſt VVill of Maſter Iohn Caluin.
IN the name of God. Be it known and apparant to all men, that in the yeare 1564. and the .25. day of Aprill, I Peter Cheuelat, Citezen and Notary ſworne of Geneua, was called by the famous Iohn Caluin, miniſter of the worde of God in the church of Geneua, and Burgeſſe of the ſaid Geneua, being ſicke and weake of his body only: the ſame man declared to me that he would make his Teſtament and declaration of his laſt will, deſiring mee to wryte it accordinglye, as he ſhoulde ſpeake and pronounce it: which according to his requeſt, I made, and wrote it by him, and accordingly as he ſpake and pronounced it to me, worde by worde, without leauing any thing oute, or adding any thing there vntounto, in forme as followeth.
IN the name of God, I Iohn Caluin Miniſter of the word of God, in the Church of God of Geneua, (feeling my ſelf greatly oppreſſed with ſundry diſeaſes, that I can not otherwiſe thinke, but that God wil ſhortly take me out of this world) hauehave determined to make and put in wryting my Teſtament and declaration of my laſte will, in forme folowing: which is, firſt of all, that I giuegive thankes to God, for that he hath not only had pitie on me his pore creature, to take me from out of the bottomleſſe pitte of Idolatry, (wherin I was plūged,) to draw me to the light of his Goſpell, and to make me partaker of the doctrine of ſaluation, wherof I was to much vnworthy: and that continuing his mercy, he hath ſpared me in ſo many vices and wickedneſſe, whiche dyd well deſerue that I ſhoulde be caſte of from him, an hundred thouſand times: yea and that whiche more is, he hath ſtretched his mercy towardes me ſo farre, as to be ſerued by me and my labour, to beare and to ſhew forth the truth of his Goſpel, proteſting that I will liue and die in that Faith which he hath giuen me, hauing no other hope nor refuge but onlye to his free adoption, wherein my whole ſaluation is laid, embracing the grace that he hath giuen me in our Lorde Ieſus Chriſte, accepting the merite of his death and paſſion, to the ende that thereby all my ſinnes may be buried, and beſeching him ſo to waſh and purge me with the bloude of this great redeamer, which was poured out for all pore ſinners, that I may appeare before his face, as bearing his Image. I proteſt alſo that I hauehave endeuored me, (according to the meaſure of the grace that he hath giuen me) to teach purely his worde, as well in Sermons as in wryting, and to expound the holy Scriptures faithfully. And likewiſe in all the diſputations that I hauehave had with the enimies of the truthe, I neuer vſed cautel nor Sophiſtry, but hauehave proceded plainly in the maintenaunce of his quarell. But alas, the wil that I hauehave had, and the zeale, if I moughte ſo call it, hath bene ſo cold and ſlacke, that I finde me greatly endetted in all, and thorow all: and were not his infinite goodneſſe, all the affection that I hauehave had, were nothing elſe but ſmoke: yea thoſe graces which he hath beſtowed vponupon me, woulde yelde me more faulty: ſo that my recourſe is, to that that he being father of mercy, will be, and ſhew him ſelf father of ſo pore a ſinner. As concerning the reſt, I deſire that after my deceaſſe, my body may be buried according to the cuſtome, to abide and wait for the day of the bleſſed reſurrection. Concerning the ſmal portion of goods, which God hathe giuen me here to diſpoſe, I doe ordaine and appoynt for my only heir, my welbeloued brother, Antonie Caluin, only for credites ſake, giuing him for all his part, the cuppe that I had of Monſieur de Varranes, praying him therwith to content himſelf (as I am aſſured he wil) ſeing that he knoweth wel that I doe it for no cauſe els, but to the end that that litle which I leaue, may remain to his children. Then, I bequeath to the Colledge ten Crowns, and to the purſe of the pore ſtrangers asmuch. Alſo to Iane, daughter to Charles Coſtan, & of my halfe ſiſter, to wit on the fathers ſide, the ſūme of ten Crownes. Then to Samuel and Iohn, ſonnes to my ſaid brother, eueryevery of thē .40. Crownes, & to my Neeces, Anne, Suſan and Dorothee, either of thē .30. Crownes. As touching my Nephew Dauid their brother, bicauſe he hath bene alwais light & raſh, I giuegive him but .20. Crownes for his chaſtiſement. It is in effect all the goods that God hath giuē me, according to my rate and eſtimation, as well of my Bookes and moueables, with veſſel and all other things. Notwithſtanding, if it amounte to more, I would it wer diſtributed among my Nephewes and Neeces, not excluding at all Dauid, if God giuegive him grace to become more modeſt and ſtaied But I beleue as touching this article, there ſhalbe no great a do, namely when my dettes ſhall be paid, wherewith I hauehave charged my brother, vponupon whōe I truſt, naming him executor of this preſent Teſtament, with reuerend Laurent of Normandy: giuing them full power and authoritye, to make an Inuentorye without forme of lawe, and to ſell my moueables, to make money to fulfill the contentes of this my will, written this .25. of April .1564. So is it, Iohn Caluin. After that it was wrytten as before, at the very inſtant, the ſaid renoumed Caluin did ſeale it wt his owne ſeale, as ſone as it was wrytten. And on the morowe being the .26. of April, the yere aboue wrytten, the ſaid renoumed Caluin did cauſe me to be called againe to him, being there togither preſent, theſe famous mē, Theodore de Beza, Raymond Chauuet, Michel Cop. Lois Enoch, Nicolas Coladon, Iaques de Bordes, Miniſters of the worde of God in this Church, and that famous man Henry Scringer profeſſor of Artes, al Burgeoſes of Geneua, in the preſence of whom he declared that hee had cauſed me to wryte by him and after his pronunciation, the ſayd Teſtamente in the very forme and woordes aboue written: praying me to reade it in his preſence and in the preſence of them that were ther required and deſiced to the ſame effect: which I did all aloud word by word: after the reading whereof, hee declared that ſuch was his wil and laſt diſpoſitiō, willing to hauehave the ſame obſerued, and (for the better auctorizing hereof) did deſire and requeſt the aboue named to ſubſcribe the ſame with me, which was alſo done the day and yeare aboue written, in Geneua, in the ſtreat called the Chanons ſtreat, and in his dwelling houſe, In witneſſe wherof, and for proofe of the ſame, (as reaſon is) I hauehave written in ye forme aforeſayd, this preſent Teſtamente, to make him ready for whom ſo euer the execution thereof ſhall belong vntounto, vnderunder the common ſeale of our very honorable Lords and Superiors, & mine accuſtomed Signe manuell, So is it ſigned. P. Cheuelat.
Seing that the ſhortneſſe of his wind did encreaſe more and more, he deſired my Lordes the foure Sindiques, and the whole little ordinary Counſell, as they are called, to come and ſee hym togither: and when they were come, hee made to them an excellente declaration of the ſingular graces that they had receiued of God, and of the greate and extreme daungers from the which they had bene preſerued, which he could well declare to them frō poynt to poynt, as he that knew the whole better than any man, and did put them in minde of diuers neceſſary thinges concerning God, touching the gouernment of their charge: to be ſhort, hee did the office of a true ſeruant and Prophet of God, proteſting the ſinceritie of the doctrine that hee had taught them, aſſuring them agaynſt ye tempeſts yt were at hand, if they would cō tinue on frō good to better. And then he deſired them in generall & in particuler, to pardon all his offences, which none euer found ſo grieuous as hee did: he tooke them al by ye hande, I know not whether there mought hauehave happened to theſe Lordes a more dolefull ſpectacle or ſight, which they al dyd eſteeme, (& good cauſe why, concerning his charge,) as ye mouth of ye Lord, & in their affection, as their owne father, ſeing yt he had knowen and framed a great peece of theire youth. The Fryday the .20. of Aprill, all the brethren Miniſters bothe of the towne and countrey beeing aduertiſed at his requeſte, came togither to his chamber, to whome he gaue a great and long exhortation, wherof the ſubſtance and effect was, that they ſhuld perſeuer in the well doing of theyre duetye after hys Deathe, and that they ſhoulde not faynt, ſeing GOD would both mayntayn the towne and his Church, albeit they were threatned in many behalfes: and alſo that they ſhould ſuffer no malice or diſpleaſure to raigne among them, but charitie by all meanes poſſible, and that they ſhould be of perfect accord among themſelues, & that they ſhoulde acknowledge howe greatelye they were bound to that Churche, into the which God had called them, and that there ought nothing to turn them back: for thoſe which hauehave taſted the truth and wyll leaue it, may finde excuſes vnderunder the ground, but God wil not be mocked. To this he added a recitall of hys entrie and comming to thys Churche, and of his conuerſation therein: ſaying, that when he came thither, the Goſpell was there preached, but thynges were farre out of order, & that the greateſt fruit yt the Goſpel had brought forth, was the breaking downe of the Idolles: but there were there many wicked people, & he was enforced to receiue many iniuries: but God did alwayes ſtrengthen him to go thorow wt it, albeit that of his owne nature he was fearfull: and hee repeated twice or thrice theſe wordes, I aſſure you yt of mine own nature I am timorous & fearfull. Alſo he put them in remembrauuce, that when he came from Strauſbourgh hyther, hee entred into thys vocatiō as by conſtraynt, and ſeing no great likelyhoode of anye fruite to come, nor yet knowing what God woulde worke in that behalfe, and in deede that he had paſſed many harde things, but continuing on ſtyll, in tyme hee ſawe the bleſſing of God vponupon his labour: he would then that eueryevery mā ſhould waxe ſtrong in hys vocation, and kepe good order, and that they ſhould hauehave good regard to the people to holde them in continuall obedience of the true doctrine, and that they had alwayes among them Godly men, albeit that it coulde not bee auoyded, but that there muſte bee euill perſones and rebelles among thē alſo, & that this ſhould ſhew vsus very faulty in the ſight of God, if the things being come to ſo good paſſe, ſhoulde afterwarde fall into decay by our negligence. As touching the reſte, hee proteſted that hee had euer bene of one true affection wyth ye company of his brethren, and deſired thē to pardon hym if that at any time they had ſene in him any frowardneſſe during his ſickneſſe, and gaue them great thankes, (as often tymes hee vſed,) for that they dyd ſupply hys place in preaching. In the end hee toke them by the hand one after another, whiche was wyth ſo greate ſorrowe and bytterneſſe of heart to eueryevery of them, that I can not call it to minde wythoute greate and extreme ſorrowfulneſſe.
The ſecond of Maij, hauing receyued letters from M. William Farell, Miniſter at Neufchaſtell, (of whome heeretofore hath bene made mention,) and vnderſtanding that hee was minded to viſit him, being of the age of foure Score yeare and more, hee wrote to hym in this ſorte.
Be it vvell vvyth you my very good and deare Brother: and ſeing that it pleaſeth GOD that you ſhall remaine after mee, vvell maye you lyue, hauing alvvayes in minde our Vnitie, the fruite vvhereof attendeth vponupon vsus in Heauen, according to the profit therof that the Church of GOD hath enioyed. I vvyll in no vvyſe that you trauayle to ſee mee, for I dravve my breath vvyth great payne, and doe continuallye looke vvhen my breath ſhal fayle me. It is ſufficient that I liue and dye to CHRIST, vvhichwhich is a gayne to his both in life and death, I cōmend you agayne to God vvyth all the Brethren in thoſe partes. From Geneua this ſecond of Maij .1564. By vvholly yours Iohn Caluin.
From that time forth his ſickneſſe euen to hys death was nothing elſe but a continual Prayer, notwythſtanding that hee was alwayes in paynes, hauing often tymes in his mouth theſe woordes of the Pſalme .39. Tacui Domine quia feciſti. I held my peace O Lorde, bycauſe it is thou that haſt done it. Other times he would ſay of the .38. Chapiter of Eſay. Gemebam ſicut Columba, I dyd lamente as doth the Doue. Another tyme ſpeaking to me, he ſayd and cryed out, Lord thou punniſheſt me, but it is ſufficient for me that it is thy hand. Many were deſirous to come and ſee hym, but it had bene needefull to hauehave kept the gate open day & night, to hauehave fulfylled their deſyre. But hee foreſeing that, and knowing that the ſhortneſſe of winde woulde not ſuffer hym to doe that which willingly he would: beſide that alſo, not well liking the curioſity of many, he beſought them to contente them ſelues and to pray to God for him, and to ſuffer him ſomwhat to reſte: yea, when I came to ſee hym, albeit that I was very welcome to hym, yet notwythſtanding, conſidering my charge yt I had, hee gaue me to vnderſtand fully, that he would not in any wyſe that hys particuler cauſe ſhould occupy me in any reſpect: in ſuch ſort that taking leaue of me, hee would often ſay that he made conſcience to let mee, were it neuer ſo little, albeit that hee was glad to ſee me: but his nature was alwaies ſuch, that he feared to ſtay (were it neuer ſo lyttle) the profit of the church, and to trouble ye leaſt that mought be his frends, although ther were nothing in the world more acceptable to them than to employ themſelues to doe him pleaſure.
He continued in this ſort, comforting himſelfe and his friendes, vntill the Fryday the xix. of Maij, next before the Supper of Pentecoſte, on the which day bycauſe it was the cuſtome of this Church, yt all the Miniſters ſhould aſſemble them to yelde as it were an accompt of their life and doctrine, and then in token of friendſhip they take their repaſt togyther, hee was contented that the ſupper ſhould be made at his houſe, where hee cauſing himſelf to brought in a chaire, as he entred in among them he ſpake theſe wordes, My brethren I come now to ſee you for my farewel: for after this time I wil neuer cōe more to table. This was to vsus a piteous entrie, albeit that he himſelf ſayd the prayer as well as he could, & enforced him to make vsus merry, not being able to eate but very little: yet before ſupper was ended, he toke his leaue, and cauſed himſelf to be caried againe into his chamber, which was at hand ſpeaking theſe wordes wyth as pleaſaunt a countenaunce as he could, A wall betwene both ſhall not let at all, but that I wyll bee ioyned wyth you in ſpirit. It came to paſſe euen as hee had ſayde: for vntyll that very day, what dyſeaſe ſo euer he had, hee would be takē out of his bed and brought in a chair to his little table, but after this night he neuer ſhifted from lying vppon his backe, ſo greatly weakned, notwythſtanding that he was leane of himſelf, that there remayned in manner nothing but onelyonly lyfe, ſauing that he was very little chaunged of face: but chiefly ye ſhortnes of hys winde did ſo trouble him, that it cauſed his continual prayers and conſolations rather to ſeeme ſighes thā words to be vnderſtode: and he was of ſuch a countenance, that hys only loke did plainly teſtify wyth what fayth and hope he was furniſhed. The daye that hee died it ſeemed that hee ſpake better and more at hys eaſe, but it was the laſte enforcement of nature: for that night about eight of the clock, euen ſodaynely, appeared the tokens of preſente Death, whereof I had ſpeedily worde, (for I was but newly departed from him,) & running thither wyth certayn of my brethren, as ſone as I came, I found that he had already yelded vp his ſpirit, ſo quietly that hee dyd neuer rattle, but ſpake playnely euen to hys very death, wyth perfect vnderſtanding and iudgement, without euer ſtirring hand or foote: hee ſeemed rather to be a ſleepe than dead. Beholde as in an inſtante howe that very day the ſunne dyd ſet, and the greateſt lighte that was in the worlde for the buylding of the Church of GOD, was taken into Heauen. And we may well ſay that in our tyme by one onelyonly man it hath pleaſed God to reach vsus both to lyue & to dye well. The Night following, and the Daye alſo, ther was great lamentation thorowout the towne: For the whole bodye thereof did bewayle the Prophet of the Lorde: the poore flock of the Church did weepe for the departing of their faythfull Paſtor: The Schole lamented her true Maiſter and teacher: and all in generall did bewaile their very father and comforter next vntounto GOD. Many deſired that they might ſee yet once his face, as men that could not leaue hym neyther dead nor liuing. There were alſo diuers ſtraungers newely come from farre of to ſee hym, which when they coulde not, for that men thought that he wold not ſo ſoone hauehave died, deſired greatly to ſee him deade as hee was, and made great inſtance: but to auoyde all euyll reportes and ſpeach, he was buried about eyght of the clocke in the morning, and at two of the clocke at afternone according as he had appoynted, hee was carried according to the cuſtome, to the cōmon Churchyarde called the great or large Pallaice, wt out pompe or any adoe at al, where he now lyeth abiding ye reſurrection, which hee hath taught vsus, and hath ſo conſtantly hoped for. The body was accompanied by the greateſt part of thoſe that were in the towne, of men of all eſtates, which dyd the more lamente hym, bycauſe there was ſmall likelyhode to recouer (at the leaſt of a long tyme,) ſuche a great loſſe. He liued as touching this mortall lyfe, the ſpace of ſyxe and fyftye yeares, lacking one MonethMonth and thyrtene Dayes. Whereof he ſpent the iuſte one halfe in the holye Miniſterie, preaching and writing, without euer chaunging anye thing, or diminiſhing or adding to or from the doctrine that he taught the firſt day of his Miniſtery, with ſuch power of the Spirite of God, that neuer wicked man was able to heare him without trembling, nor good man without louing and honoring him.
There reſteth nowe no more but euen as it hath pleaſed God to make him to ſpeake continually by his ſo learned and holy writings, that he may ſo be heard of the poſteritie to the ende of the world, at what time wee ſhal ſee our God euen as he is, to liue and to raigne eternally wt him. So be it.
From Geneua this .19. of Auguſt .1564.
¶ Aduertiſement.
FOR bycauſe that there is none of the Faythfull, who woulde not gladlye vnderſtand the truthe of the number of Bookes that hauehave bene written by the late M. Iohn Caluin, to the end that hereafter men be not deceyued, as is wel knowen that the like hath hapned to the writinges of great and excellent perſonages that men hauehave falſely ſet foorth others vnderunder their name: It hath ſeemed therefore good to ioyne to thys a Catalogue, as well of hys bookes and writings in Latine & French already Imprinted, as of thoſe that yet are not, at the leaſt of as many as may be called to minde.
Thoſe which are not yet in French are marked wyth thys marke.*.