"Religious and political domination, the Church and royalty, have hitherto substituted their regulations and their laws for the will and reasoning of the individual. The priest says to every man, 'Believe this;' and the prince, 'Do thus and so.' Now, matters have gone on in this way so long that men's minds remained as the minds of babes, and had perforce to lean upon this double discipline to make their way through life. But now we _feel_ that we are strong, and hence we _are_. Nevertheless the prince and the priest, the Church and the king, are unwilling to lay down one jot of the authority which has become a principle of existence with them. It is against this anachronism of iniquity that the Reformed religion _protests_, in my view. Hereafter let every soul examine carefully its belief, and reason out its submission to this domination; and then I believe we shall see the regeneration to which our efforts are devoted. Am I wrong, gentlemen?" "No, but you go too far and too fast," said Theodore de Bèze; "in this bold way of mingling politics and moral questions--" "Ah! it is that very boldness which attracts me," Gabriel interrupted. "But it is not boldness; it is logic!" rejoined Ambroise Paré. "How can that which is fair and just in the Church not be equally so in the State? How can you disavow as a rule of action that which you admit as a rule of thought?" "There is the spirit of revolution in the bold words you have uttered, Master," cried Coligny, thoughtfully. "Of revolution?" Ambroise coolly rejoined. "Why, I am talking about revolution." The three leaders looked at one another in surprise. Their looks seemed to say, "This man is much stronger even than we supposed." Gabriel did not forget for a moment the engrossing anxiety of his whole life; but he was now applying to it what he had just heard, and was lost in thought. Theodore de Bèze said most earnestly to the outspoken surgeon,-- "It is absolutely necessary that you should join us. What do you ask?" "Nothing more than the privilege of conversing with you now and then, and of submitting to your intelligence and knowledge such difficulties as I still encounter." "You shall have more than that," said Theodore de Bèze; "you shall correspond directly with Calvin." "Such an honor for me!" cried Ambroise Paré, flushing with delight. "Yes, it is essential that you should know him, and he you," rejoined the admiral. "Such a disciple as you are deserves a master like him. You hand your letters to your friend La Renaudie, and we will see that they reach Geneva. We will also hand you his replies. They will not be long in coming. You have heard of Calvin's extraordinary powers of application; and you will be satisfied." "Ah," said Ambroise Paré, "you give me my reward before I have done anything to merit it. How have I deserved so great a favor?" "By being what you are, my friend," said La Renaudie. "I knew that you would win their hearts at the first stroke."