The four Vandels, without entirely breaking with Rome, had been for more than three years among the most decided of the so-called Lutheran party. Hugues Vandel was sent into Switzerland as ambassador (this is the name usually given to the envoys in the official documents of the period). At Zurich, 'the Zwinglians gave him a hearty welcome;' the friends of Haller did the same at Berne, where he happened to be in June 1530. All of the evangelicals in these two cities were earnest in their wishes to see a vital christianity displace the few negative reforms in Geneva. 'The majority in the city of Geneva would like to be evangelical,' answered Vandel; 'but they want to be shown the way, and no one would dare preach the Gospel in the churches for fear of Friburg.' What is to be done? thought he. Day and night he tried to find the means of having the Gospel preached to his fellow-citizens; at last a bright idea suddenly occurred to him; he spoke about it to the Zwinglians at Zurich, and to Berthold Haller at Berne; he wrote about it to Farel, to Christopher Fabry, and also to his brother Robert at Geneva. His idea was this: It will be remembered that St. Victor was a little independent principality at the gates of the city. 'Suppose it were made over to my lords of Berne,' said Vandel; 'they would like to have a bailiff there and _a preacher who would be our great comfort_.' It is true that the church of St. Victor was old, and would probably 'tumble down' erelong, but Berne would be able to rebuild it. All the evangelicals of Geneva, forsaking the mass in the city churches, and crossing St. Antoine, would go in crowds to hear Christ preached in the church of Bonivard.... Thus that Renaissance of which the prior was the representative, would be truly for Geneva the gate of the Reformation. An event which had just taken place may have suggested this idea to Vandel. It was a scheme suggested by the pope, and carried out by the duke.[822]