oral.

He built on the ancient Genevan idea, that the city is a church; only he
wished to make the church to be primary and real. The theocracy, which
had been construed as the reign of the clergy, he would interpret as
ideal and realize as a reign of God. The citizens, who had assumed
control of their own spiritual destinies and ecclesiastical affairs, he
wanted to instruct in their responsibilities and discipline into
obedience. And he would do it in the way of a jurist who believes in the
harmony of law and custom; he would by positive enactments train the
city, which conceived itself to be a church, to be and behave as if it
were indeed a church, living according to the gospel which it had sworn
to obey.

Thus a confession of faith was drawn up which the people were to adopt
as their own, and so attain clarity and concordance of mind concerning
God and his Word; and a catechism was composed which was to be made the
basis of religious instruction in both the school and the family, for
the citizen as well as the child. Worship was to be carefully regulated,
psalm-books prepared, psalm-singing cultivated; the preacher was to
interpret the Word, and the pastor to supervise the flock.

The Lord's Supper was to be celebrated monthly, but only those who were
morally fit or worthy were to be allowed to communicate. The church, in
order that it might fulfil its functions and guard the holy table, must
have the right of excommunication. It was not enough that a man should
be a citizen or a councillor to be admitted to the Lord's Supper; his
mind must be Christian and his conduct Christlike. Without faith the
rite was profaned, the presence of Christ was not realized. Moreover,
since matrimonial cases were many and infelicity sprang both from
differences of faith and impurity of conduct, a board, composed partly
of magistrates and partly of ministers, was to be appointed to deal with
them; and it was to have the power to exclude from the church those who
either did not believe its doctrines or did not obey its commandments.

These were drastic proposals to be made to a city which had just
dismissed its bishop, attained political freedom, and proclaimed a
reformation of religion; and Calvin was not the man to leave them
inoperative. A card-player was pilloried; a tire-woman, a mother, and
two bridesmaids were arrested because they had adorned the bride too
gayly; an adulterer was driven with the partner of his guilt through