134 



THEODORE ROBERTS, ESQ., ON 



and took for his subject the state of mind with which the Lord's 

 Supper ought to be received. At the close of his sermon, raising 

 his voice, he said, " As for me, so long as God shall leave me 

 here, since he hath given me fortitude, and I have received it from 

 him, I will employ it, whatever betide; and I will guide myself 

 by my Master's rule, which is to me clear and well known. As 

 we are now about to receive the Holy Supper of our Lord Jesus 

 Christ, if anyone who has been debarred by the Consistory shall 

 approach this table, though it should cost my life, I will show 

 myself such as I ought to be.'* 



When the prayer and praise of the vast congregation were con- 

 cluded, Calvin came down from the pulpit and took his stand 

 before the Table. Lifting up the white napkin he displayed the 

 symbols of Christ's body and blood, the food destined for believing 

 souls. Having blessed ihe bread and wine, he was about to dis- 

 tribute them to the congregation. At that moment there was seen 

 a movement among the Libertines, as if they would seize the 

 bread and the cup. The Eeformer, covering the sacred symbols 

 with his hands, exclaimed in a voice that rang through the edifice, 



These hands you may crush ; these arms you may lop off ; my 

 life you may take ; my blood is yours, you may shed it ; but you 

 shall never force me to give holy things to the profane, and dis- 

 honour the table of my God." These words broke like a thunder- 

 peal over the Libertines. As if an invisible power had flung back 

 the ungodly host, they slunk away abashed, the congregation 

 opening a passage for their retreat. A deep calm succeeded; and 

 " the sacred ordinance," says Beza, " was celebrated with a pro- 

 found silence, and under a solemn awe in all present, as if the 

 Deity himself had been visible among them." 



In this scene again conscience prevailed over the brute force 

 that was ranged against it, and, if we consider the issues, the 

 victory was greater than the German Reformer's at Worms. 



If Calvin had given way the Sacrament would have been robbed 

 of all its meaning and become a mere civil pledge of citizenship, 

 such as it became in England at a later period through the opera- 

 tion of the Test Acts, which required everj^body holding office 

 under government to take the Sacrament. 



Calvin's faith and courage on this day preserved the Reformed 

 Churches that looked to him as their leader from subservience to 

 the civil power in things spiritual. 



VII. 



For our seventh and last decisive scene I propose to come to 

 our own country and to refer to the greatest religious leader that 

 the English nation has ever produced, John Wesley, who shares 

 with Shakespeare and Cromwell the foremost place among men 

 of our nation. Born in 1703 and dying in 1791, his hfe almost 

 covered the 18th century. 



