Calvin laid before it the divisions and troubles which afflicted the Church, the forlorn condition to which the good Christians were reduced, and the dangers to which the Reformation was there exposed. He displayed no obstinacy with respect to subordinate points, but immovable firmness on those which he believed to be indispensable to the prosperity of Geneva. He readily assented to the use of baptismal fonts; and also, he added, the introduction ‘into our Church of unleavened bread; but,’ said he, ‘we desire to request of the Bernese that this bread should be broken.’[669] The act of _breaking bread_, according to the institution and the practice of the apostles, appeared to him essential to the symbol which was intended to commemorate the body of the Lord offered in sacrifice. He felt somewhat perplexed about the question of the festivals; but he gave his consent to four of them, on condition that any persons who might desire it should be at liberty to work after the service. He was anxious not to open the door to the uproar and licentiousness which characterize the Roman populations during the latter part of those festival days.[670] He continued: ‘If there be any thought of reëstablishing us at Geneva, we demand first of all that we should be allowed to clear ourselves of the calumnies which have been heaped on us. We have been condemned unheard, and that,’ said he, ‘is an inhuman, a barbarous proceeding, not to be tolerated.[671] Next, it will be essential to establish discipline, for want of which all that we may restore would soon be overthrown. We demand that the town should be divided into parishes, for no order is possible in the church unless the flock be near its pastor, and the pastor near his flock. We demand that a seasonable use of excommunication should be allowed; and that, for this purpose, the council should select in the several quarters of the town upright and wise men to whom, by common consent, its control should be intrusted. We demand that in the institution of pastors legitimate order should be maintained, and that the authority of the magistrate should not supersede the laying-on of hands, which ministers ought to receive. We demand a more frequent administration of the supper; that it should be celebrated, if not according to the custom of the early Church,[672] at least once a month. We demand that with the public preaching should be joined the singing of psalms. Finally, we demand that, as our own townsmen bring forward the example of the countries which are subject to Berne in justification of lascivious songs and dances,[673] the Bernese should be entreated to put an end to such profligacy in their own states, in order that our people may not take advantage of it to justify themselves in similar excesses.’ [Sidenote: THEIR MODERATION.]