Morals Control and the Consistory in the Reformed Tradition / Edited by Raymond A
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Mentzer Book Page i Wednesday, June 19, 2002 1:24 PM Sin and the Calvinists Mentzer Book Page ii Wednesday, June 19, 2002 1:24 PM Habent sua fata libelli in and the aSlvinists CMorals Control and the Consistory in Reformed Tradition Edited by Raymond A. Mentzer Volume 32 Sixteenth Century Essays & Studies 01Front Matter Page iv Wednesday, June 19, 2002 4:38 PM Copyright © 1994, 2002 Truman State University Press All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Sin and the Calvinists : morals control and the consistory in the Reformed tradition / edited by Raymond A. Mentzer p. cm. — (Sixteenth century essays & studies : v. 32) Includes bibliographical references and index ISBN 0-940474-34-4 (alk paper) ISBN 1-931112-18-5 (paperback) 1. Reformed Church—Europe—Discipline. 2. Church Discipline— History—16th century. 3. Christian Ethics—Europe—History—16th century. I. Mentzer, Raymond A. II. Series. Body set in Stone Serif 10/13 Cover art and title page by Teresa Wheeler No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any format by any means, elec- Nonic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Body type in Stone Serif 10/13. The paper in this publication meets or exceeds the minimum requirements of the American National Standard for Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials Z39.48 (1984) Mentzer Book Page v Wednesday, June 19, 2002 1:24 PM Contents Introduction Raymond A. Mentzer vii Chapter 1 The First Calvinist Divorce Robert M. Kingdon 1 Chapter 2 Reform and Supervision of Family Life in Germany and the Netherlands Heinz Schilling 15 Chapter 3 “The Great Difficulties One Must Bear to Follow Jesus Christ”: Morality at Sixteenth-Century Nîmes Philippe Chareyre 63 Chapter 4 Marking the Taboo: Excommunication in French Reformed Churches Raymond A. Mentzer 97 Chapter 5 Social Discipline in Scotland, 1560-1610 Michael Graham 129 Chapter 6 The “Kirk By Law Established” and Origins of “The Taming of Scotland”: Saint Andrews, 1559-1600 Geoffrey Parker 159 About the Contributors 199 Index 201 Mentzer Book Page vi Wednesday, June 19, 2002 1:24 PM vi Sin and the Calvinists Albrecht Dürer, Adam and Even in Paradise, ca. 1510 Mentzer Book Page vii Wednesday, June 19, 2002 1:24 PM Introduction Raymond A. Mentzer he disciplinary dynamics within the Reformed churches of preindus- T trial Europe have been the focus of considerable recent scholarship. Historians recognize that the Reformation was far more than the transfor- mation of theological tenets or the introduction of new modes of prayer and liturgical practice. It also involved a careful reordering, delimitation, and supervision of the community. Toward this end, Calvinists every- where set extremely high standards of comportment, which they then compelled through a kind of disciplinary tribunal known variously as the consistory, kirk-session, or presbytery. The pastors and lay persons serving as elders and deacons met weekly to supervise the religious life of the community. They had primary responsibility for ecclesiastical administra- tion, social welfare, and above all, morals control. The elementary role of the consistory, kirk-session, or presbytery has made it the object of intense interest as much for what its workings reveal about Protestant culture as for what it can tell us about early modern society in general. Yet the nature, scope, and effect of the endeavor have not been established in any adequate or precise fashion. The Calvinist definition and subsequent enforcement of good behavior are clearly areas where comparative analysis seems appropriate and helpful. How do the offenders who appeared before the Genevan con- sistory compare, for instance, with their fellow delinquents in the German Rhineland, the Netherlands, the French provinces, or Scotland? In what ways does the hierarchy of misdeeds vary from one part of Europe to another? How did the pastors and elders go about punishing offenders and inculcating a sense of moral responsibility? Where did they tend to concentrate their effort? What was the relationship of this undertaking to the interests and authority of the state? The six essays presented in this collection introduce the rich possi- bilities for historical research. Their geographic scope generally corre- sponds to the spread of Calvinism in western Europe, extending from vii vii Mentzer Book Page viii Wednesday, June 19, 2002 1:24 PM viii Sin and the Calvinists Geneva to Germany, the Netherlands, France, and Scotland. They examine a variety of subjects and suggest a number of methodological approaches, while maintaining a focus on the Reformed consistory. Several contribu- tions explore the many complex issues surrounding marriage and family life. Robert Kingdon discusses the first Calvinist divorce action, which occurred at Geneva in the mid-1540s. This sensational case suggests the initial framework by which adultery, and later desertion, became grounds for dissolution of the marriage bond with right of remarriage in Calvin’s Geneva. Heinz Schilling broadens the discussion of these issues in a sweeping examination of Reformed control over marriage and family life in the neighboring communities of Emden and Groningen from the mid- sixteenth through the early nineteenth centuries. Both German and Dutch Calvinists developed “modern” standards for marriage. Schilling’s extensive quantitative analysis, supplemented with narrative materials, makes plain the topography of the presbytery’s supervisory endeavor to avert marital strife, discourage separation or divorce, root out concubi- nage, foster harmonious households, prevent child neglect, and regulate sexuality. Finally, all these actions took place within the context of long- term cultural change. Philippe Chareyre furnishes a broad portrait of consistorial activity at the southern French town of Nîmes. He focuses on the consistory’s efforts to strengthen family cohesiveness, pacify the congregation, and bring an end to profane distractions. The results were mixed, particularly when the pastors and elders challenged popular traditions and time-hon- ored social exchanges. The use of excommunication by the consistories at Nîmes and nine other French towns and villages is the subject of my own contribution. It discusses the reasons behind exclusion from Commun- ion, the rituals for reintegration, and the ways in which people accepted and internalized the structure of discipline. Drawing on a rich database of nearly forty-six hundred cases from rural as well as urban kirk-sessions, Michael Graham surveys the disciplin- ary offensive during the first half-century of the Reformation in Scotland. The findings, above all the preponderance of sexual misdeeds, are surpris- ing when set alongside the data from Germany, the Netherlands, and France. Graham views this apparent preoccupation with sex as a sign of the Kirk’s early weakness. Only later, when the ministers and elders enjoyed a stronger position, did they gradually turn to the chastisement of Sabbath breach, “superstitious” religious practices, neighborly disputes, and the like. Mentzer Book Page ix Wednesday, June 19, 2002 1:24 PM Introduction ix The concluding essay by Geoffrey Parker is a case study of the kirk session at St. Andrews. He stresses the deliberate yet firm acceptance of church discipline, and the growth of a close beneficial relationship between ecclesiastical and civil authorities. Again, the incidence of sexual wrongdoing dominates the overall pattern. And in what was surely a unique Scottish touch, the ministers and elders sentenced the worst mis- creants to the precarious “stool of repentance.” It must also be said that national differences and regional variations, despite their importance, should not obscure the striking commonalities in the Calvinist attempt to discipline the community. The convergencies and affinities affirm the fact that, amid diverse localized circumstances, the Calvinist tradition displayed a remarkable unity of purpose and proce- dure. The development underscores the strongly international character of Calvinism and the adaptability of its polity and institutions. Finally, I would like to thank a number of people for their assistance in the planning and preparation of this volume. Geoffrey Parker first sug- gested the collection, and provided encouragement throughout. Stephen Burnett prepared a fine translation of Heinz Schilling’s article. Miral Gamradt and Richard Wojtowicz helped to design and produce the more intricate of the many tables and graphs. Mary Bolhuis clarified many details regarding Reformed belief and practice. The individual contribu- tors, however, deserve the most credit, for in the end this project is theirs. Mentzer Book Page x Wednesday, June 19, 2002 1:24 PM Albrecht Dürer, Husband Trampling His Cheeky Wife Mentzer Book Page 199 Wednesday, June 19, 2002 1:24 PM About the Contributors Philippe Chareyre is maître de conférence at the University of Pau. Michael Graham is Professor of History at the University of Akron. Robert M. Kingdon is Hilldale Professor emeritus of History, University of Wisconsin-Madison Raymond A. Mentzer is the Daniel J. Krumm Family Professor in Reformation Studies at the School of Religion, University of Iowa. Geoffrey Parker is Robert A. Lovett Professor of Military and Naval History, Yale University. Heinz Schilling is Professor of History at the Humboldt University, Berlin. 11MENTZER.index