The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1878-06-20
VOLTAIRE AND THE GENEVA CON-
SISTORY.

He delighted to provoke and humble
the consistoire, the tribunal by VIII ch
the pastors maintained their rigorous
censorship. If he could break its power
he would " modernize," " civilize, as he
thought. the whole commonwealth. One
Robert Covelle, citizen of somewhat
violent character" was cited before
this assembly, to be reproved for some
bad example. Its president ordered him
to kneel down and penitently receive the
reprimand. For two hundred years this
humble attitude had been customary be.
fore the venerable ecclesiastical body.
The most eminent sinners had reveren-
tly comformed to it, happy to escape Sc,
verer humiliation; but Covelle stoutly
refused, and asked two weeks for rehec
ton on the demand Meanwhile Voltaire
wrote for him a memOtre of remarkable
ability against it. Covelle re appear
ing before the hitherto inexorable tribu-
nal obstinately continued to decline its
demand, and threatened to publish this
essay against genufection." Behold
how great matter little fire kindeth
Covelle's nlem0tre was published, and he
soon had the whole community by the
ears. He became a sort of religious hero
protesting against judicial PROCLAMATION.
The affair took the proportions of pub
lie question. The fierce democratic
of Geneva were ever ready for any such
question. They argued that however
long this humiliating formality had been
inscribed in the municipal ordinances,
the times had changed, and the city
should change the painful custom
that it was fag.end of popery that re
pentanCe is an affair between the con-
science and the Divine Judge; that man
should kneel only before God, and Christ
taught that this duty should be perform
ed in profound secrecy, without witness
ses that no priest or other man should
intervene between the creature who re-
pents and the Creator who pardons.
For some time the astonished Consistoire,
seldom or never before challenged since
the day Of Calvin, would not yield. The
question was not only discussed with |
ever. increasing heat in the streets, the
and the homes ofthe people,
but the press teemed with pamphlets
about it. These collected publications
made three great volumes, which, says
the good ancien 4aSteuy Gaberel, "are
most indigestible reading" Voltaire
was in his glory amid this confusion
worse confounded," of popular and cler.
ical dialectics. His ironical humor had |
never had better field. He published |
his famous GHeyre de GeNs0e (war of
Geneva). He struck with his satiric
right and left front and rear,
against the traditional notions and Gus
.oms of the city. He rained pleasantries
on the clergy, some of which Pastor Ca
berel admits " are very S60ftHelle." He
dealt freely and even grossly in calum,
MES; he sacrificed Rousseau, and Paris
-e-echoed back to Geneva his Olympian
aughter. The whole affair, so religiously
yrave at first, had taken an aspect of
.ldicule and suddenly subsidized after
Voltaire's poem. The city council abol-
shed the custom of kneeling before the
Consistoire, the obstinate CO.
,elle escaped his reprimand, and Vol>
aire was exultant Covelle even de-
handed to be admitted again to the eu
,harist, then one of the highest condi-
ions of citizenship in Geneva. The
-onsstoire required him to show his fit.
less for it by denying twelve letters
written and published in his home by
Voltaire, and BY renouncing pension Of
900 francs year settled on him by the
Covelle refused all their
They gave up the useless
struggle :" and" says Gaberel, naively,
he COnsistoire decided not to occupy it.;