To the south-east of the Lake of Geneva, not far from the river Rhone, is the village of Aigle. Close beside it the great waterfall, called the Grande Eau, dashes from the precipices at the entrance of a woody glen. All around are the great mountains, and the beautiful mountain valleys, with their rich green meadows and shady woods, the little wooden cottages, surrounded by walnut trees and vines, and above them the grassy slopes, where the cows and the goats feed, and the great precipices, with snowy peaks behind them. It was on a, winter’s day, in 1526, that a traveler arrived alone in this beautiful village. He called himself Master Ursinus. He said he was going to open a day-school in one of the cottages, where the village children might learn to read and write. The parents were glad to send their children in those winter days, when there was little work to be done out of doors, and there were no other schools at hand. After a while the children told their parents that the master taught them, besides reading and writing, beautiful stories about the Lord Jesus—how He loved sinners, and had been punished instead of them; and how He had died and risen from the grave, and was still the sinners’ Friend, though He was in heaven at God’s right hand.
The parents listened and wondered, and then one by one they too went to ask Master Ursinus to tell them these wonderful stories. And Master Ursinus, who was a kind and friendly man, told them gladly more and more about the blessed Lord Jesus and His love and grace. He told them, too, that purgatory was nowhere to be found, that those whom the Lord saves He washes whiter than snow—He makes them as fit for heaven as He Himself is—He takes them straight from this sad and evil world into the Father’s house above, into the bright glory of God. Master Ursinus told them, too, that it was to this blessed Lord Himself, and not to Peter or to Mary, or to any saints or angels, that they must go for pardon and for grace—they must go to Jesus only, and through Him to the Father.
The poor people listened gladly; they were thankful that this kind French gentleman had come amongst them, for he showed them the Savior they had never known before. As the Israelites looked up at the serpent which Moses had put upon the pole, so did these poor men and women of Aigle look up at the Lord in glory, and, believing, had life through His name. There was just then no clergyman at Aigle—the old clergyman was dead, and a new one had not yet been appointed.
One day Master Ursinus was seen by the people to go into the church, and up into the pulpit. There he told them that he was now going to preach regularly, that his true name was William Farel, and that he rejoiced to be there to tell them the glad tidings of the love of God. He had at first been forbidden to preach by the Council of Berne, because he was not a clergyman. But a month or two later this order was recalled, and he was not only allowed, but desired to preach.
“We desire,” said the Council, “that all preachers in our country preach the Word of God freely, publicly, openly, and without reserve, and that none should hinder them in preaching what appears conformable to the Word of God, even should their preaching be found to contradict the decrees, ordinances, and teaching of men, what men soever they may be.”
The people had never heard of William Farel; but the priests knew that name only too well. They were filled with fury when they heard that he was really in their midst, preaching the gospel, and that in a church, from a pulpit! But it was not so easy to stop him, for the lords of Berne had given him full permission to preach till the new priest was sent there. All that the priests could do was to stir up the people of Aigle and of all the country round, and to spread every evil report they could invent of the new preacher.
Farel wrote to his friends at this time: “The father of lies rises up against me daily in his people, and would have me to shrink from the preaching of the gospel; but Christ, in whose service I am, is much mightier than Satan. Trusting in Him, I am not afraid to tread the enemy under my feet, to invade his kingdom, and to rescue from his tyranny, by means of the Word, those whom the Father has drawn to Christ—to hold forth the Word of God, and to trample down man’s traditions, and man’s inventions, and to invite all the weary and heavy laden to come to Christ the Savior. And I entreat all those who have come to Him, to ask the Father that the Holy Spirit may shed abroad in all the hearts around the love of God, that His Word may be obeyed, and that true worship may ascend at last, of which the Lord spoke, saying that it was a worship in spirit and in truth. Not at Jerusalem, nor on this mountain nor on that, but a worship and service which is for His honor and glory, offered up by those who are themselves given up, heart and soul, to God.”
The Lord gave great power to the Word preached by Farel. Numbers were saved; and many came to hear from all the country round.
Just at this time came at last an invitation from his beloved France.
It seems that one day when there was a great reception at the Court of France, two young princes came to be presented to the Princess Margaret. They were the sons of Prince Robert de la Marck. The princess said to Gerard Roussel, who was present, “Take an opportunity of speaking to those two young princes about Christ.” Roussel did so, and found that the two lads were already believers, having by some means heard the gospel. Roussel then told them that they ought to do their utmost to make it known amongst their subjects. They said they willingly would do so, but that they were too young and too ignorant to do much themselves. If only a preacher of the gospel would come to them, they would help and encourage him in every way. Roussel said, “I know of only one man who is thoroughly fitted for the work; it is William Farel; invite him.” The young princes said they would only be too glad, if Roussel would send him to them. “Our father would be delighted,” they said. “He should live in the palace with us, as one of our own family. All who are there would welcome him. Let him come early in the year.”
This meant the year 1527; and early in the year Farel got the letters of entreaty written to him by Gerard Roussel and by Peter Toussaint. Both these friends were filled with joy at the thought of a door being at last open to Farel in France. The young princes felt so sure he would come that they at once got a printing-press, that he might print books and tracts, and send them all about the kingdom.
All these things Gerard Roussel related to his friend William. But he added, “you are, however, well aware what we expect of you, namely, that you should refrain from mentioning any subject that might cause divisions (such as the mass), and that you should content yourself with preaching Christ, and the right use of the sacraments.”
Once more William had to decide which was the path in which the Lord would have him to go. Once more he might, by one word, have the desire of his heart fulfilled, by returning to his beloved country.
Perhaps you are surprised that, after all, he said he could not go. He was not prepared to keep in the back-ground any truth the Lord had shown him. If it caused divisions, he still must preach it. And had not his Master said, “Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you nay; but rather division.” It was better to walk in the steps of Jesus, than in the steps of Gerard Roussel and of the Princess Margaret.
Nor could he leave the Lord’s work in the Swiss villages, for he now felt sure the Lord had sent him there. His work was owned and blessed in a wonderful way; and, though the hungry, thirsty souls around him were not his countrymen, they were the sheep and lambs of Christ. It was for His blessed Word they were thus athirst and an hungered. It was His blessed gospel they crowded to hear, and the faithful shepherd would not leave them. No doubt God did not leave the young princes without the help they needed, and He knew what help was best. We need not grieve much over their disappointment.
Meanwhile, the glad tidings spread from village to village, and from town to town, amongst the Swiss valleys and around the lake of Geneva, as we read in the old days of the Apostles —“Much people were added to the Lord.”
Did you ever think what those words mean, “added to the Lord?” Not merely forgiven, converted, but “added to the Lord”; added to Him, Who is the Head of the Body—the Church—to Him of whom all who believe become the members, “joined to the Lord” by the Holy Spirit. Thus, if you and I are believers, we have duties and blessings which belong to us as “members of the Body of Christ” — “members one of another.” We do not stand alone; we are not called merely to love one another. No doubt in the Old Testament times, a believer, who was really walking with the Lord, would love other believers. Thus Jonathan loved David, and Ruth loved Naomi, and they loved one another, because they were God’s believing people. But now there is a tie nearer than even the tie of love. “We, being many, are one body,” called not only to love another, but to feel and think, to speak and act, as one—all the members moved and directed by the One Head to act in concert; one member doing this, another doing that, according to their different places in the Body, but all acting together, as the hands, the feet, the eyes, and ears in our natural bodies.
And it was this which William Farel taught to those who had believed. They were now one body with all who believed in the Lord Jesus, not only in Switzerland, but everywhere. “Let there not be in Christ’s Body,” he said, “either fingers, or hands, or feet, or eyes, or ears, or arms working separately, each for itself; but let there be only one heart, that nothing can divide.”