4. Galeazzo Caracciolo
Peter Martyr Vermigli was born in Florence in 1500 (he was given the name Martyr at birth). He, like Luther, became an Augustinian monk and was sent out by his order as a preacher. Before he was 30, the prospect of promotion in the ranks of Roman Catholic clergy had opened up to him, but by then a major change had taken place in his religious beliefs. In his monastery he had access to the Scriptures and made good use of them. Later he was in a position to read books by the Reformers Zwingli and Bucer. In Naples, he met Valdés, Ochino and others with the same beliefs; his new convictions were deepened through discussions with them. Martyr and John Mollio, who also had Reformed sympathies, lectured on Paul’s Epistles, and monks, bishops and members of the nobility attended the lectures. There was opposition, but they were protected by some who had significant influence in the city.
Ochino preached particularly on justification by faith, a doctrine with which he was very familiar. Such preaching demolished the ideas of purgatory, penances and papal pardons. When he and others were challenged by a
1A further part of a Theological Conference paper, somewhat enlarged. The previous part, last month, surveyed the progress of the Reformation in the Italian states of Venice and Naples, and introduced Peter Martyr, Bernardino Ochino and Juan Valdés.
monk to a debate on these points, the monk came off second best. In support of their doctrine of purgatory, Romanists had long laid stress on the passage in 1 Corinthians 3 which speaks of a man’s work (corresponding to the wood, hay and stubble) being burned up. When lecturing on this chapter in Naples, Martyr avoided a direct attack on the idea of purgatory, but he interpreted that passage in a completely different way from Rome and appealed to the writings of the ablest among the Church Fathers. The monks succeeded in having Martyr banned from teaching and lecturing, but the ban was later overturned.
Valdés died in 1540, when the church in Naples was still growing. He has been accused of Socinian tendencies, but there is no evidence of this in his writings, which dealt with Paul’s Epistles and the Psalms, but there are some statements in them which are not well expressed.
Antonio Caracciolo belonged to Naples and took an interest in Reformed doctrine before going to France, where he became a bishop in 1551. He took a particular interest in Calvin’s writings. As a bishop, he began to speak out boldly against Roman Catholic abuses. Large crowds came to hear him preach but, when he was challenged about his criticisms, he recanted publicly. In 1557 he met Calvin and Beza in Geneva and his zeal for a Protestant outlook was renewed. Afterwards he became a minister in Troyes, south-east of Paris, but he later abandoned his church and attached himself to the French court. He continued to preach and remained a Protestant till his death.
Another Caracciolo in Naples was Galeazzo, whose father was a Marquis. Galeazzo was impressed by a friend speaking about the duty of examining Roman Catholic teachings in the light of Scripture. The effects of that conversation were reinforced by hearing Peter Martyr lecture on 1 Corinthians, particularly Martyr’s emphasis on the inability of the human mind to understand spiritual things, apart from the work of the Holy Spirit. Galeazzo searched the Scriptures to find out more about true religion. He held an important position in the court of the Emperor, and his fashionable friends mocked him after he began to live a godly life. But it was more difficult to stand up to the opposition of his father, who was totally opposed to anything that smacked of heresy. Even more difficult was the attitude of his wife Vittoria, who no longer recognised him as her husband.
There were Arians in Naples at that time, who did their utmost to implant, in the minds of new converts, disbelief in the miracles of Scripture, but Galeazzo escaped their influence by holding fast to divine revelation. Many who had listened to Martyr’s preaching and to the teaching of Valdés believed the whole truth about justification by faith alone, rejected Roman superstitions, yet continued going to mass. When persecution broke out, they
fell away but later they were put to death as relapsed heretics; among them was the friend who first influenced Galeazzo.
Galeazzo’s position at court often led to visits to Germany. There he had the opportunity of discussing spiritual matters with godly, decided Protestants. He realised that it was not enough to believe Scripture teaching on justification by faith but he must come away from the negative influence of a corrupt Church. Back in Naples, he knew that he must follow out his convictions. This involved, not only leaving his native city, but also his family, including his six children, who would be brought up in the faith which he now abhorred – a point that particularly touched his heart. He prayed, “O Lord, Thou who hast drawn me from the depths of ignorance and enlightened my understanding by Thy Holy Spirit, teach me to follow my heavenly calling and to devote myself wholly to Thy service. Neither father, wife nor children, neither country, pleasures nor honours can detain me, if Thou commandest me to depart.”2
At the age of 35, in the year 1551, Galeazzo left home to go into exile; some friends went with him, but their courage failed them at the Italian border and they returned home. After a journey of two and a half months, Galeazzo reached Protestant Geneva. Calvin and others soon welcomed him as a brother and Galeazzo settled down in the city. His family were devastated by his flight and sent various messengers to persuade him to return, but all in vain. Galeazzo agreed to a meeting with his father in Verona, in Northern Italy, but in their discussions, the son steadfastly adhered to the scriptural position that he had taken up. After his return to Geneva, Galeazzo applied himself to organising an Italian church in the city for the many Italians who had sought refuge there from persecution in their own country. In this work he had Calvin’s full support.
A further meeting between Galeazzo and his father took place in Italy in 1555. Galeazzo would have been happy to return home if he could have practised biblical Christianity there, but that was impossible. He travelled as far as he did out of respect to his father, even at some risk to his life. Even although he had a safe conduct for returning to Italy, such protection could not be depended on when there was such determination to eliminate those who were considered heretics. Galeazzo made more than one attempt to be reconciled to his wife but without success, even travelling to Italy to meet her when she did not turn up at the arranged place of meeting. The difficulty was still the same: his wife was not prepared to live with a Protestant.
While away from Geneva, Galeazzo received a letter from Calvin, who wrote about Vittoria: “I feel the most anxious desire to know which way her
2Quoted in M Young, The Life and Times of Aonio Paleario, vol 2, p 430.
inclination tends, and I hope even if she does not at once submit, that the voyage will at least be a beginning. May God in His infinite wisdom so overrule all, that we may have reason to bless His name! I feel persuaded that you will receive with a tranquil mind whatever He is pleased to send you, knowing that there is no consolation greater than putting our trust in Him; you have long preferred His will to earthly affections, however legitimate.”3 Galeazzo died in 1586.