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Greek in the university of Bourges, and preferred his instructions, to those of the Professor of Civil Law. This enlightened scholar was secretly a Lutheran, and took occasion to encourage Calvin in biblical learning, and to imbue his mind with Protestant sentiment. While his own heart responded to the exhortations and remarks of his friend, he used to preach at the neighbouring village of Liniers through the indulgence of its proprietor. His father dying suddenly in 1532, he returned to Paris, with a full determination to devote himself to theological pursuits. At this period he wrote a tract on Seneca's work "On Clemency." It арpears that his design was to give good counsel to his sovereign, Francis I. in a delicate way, knowing that that monarch would read the work, and hoping that its perusal would lead him to discountenance a persecution of the Huguenots, or Protestants, which was carried on by the ascendant party at court.

During his stay at Paris, he formed acquaintance with many inquirers after religious truth, who requested him to become their minister. Nicholas Cope, delivering an oration as Rector of the University on the first of November, the feast of All Saints, was induced by Calvin to speak with more freedom on certain points of divinity, than had been customary; which so much offended both the doctors of the Sorbonne, and the members of the Parliament, that they cited him to appear before them; but as he was on the way, he was advised by some friends not to trust himself in their hands, and returning home, made his escape to Basle, the residence of his father, a reputable physician. They then sent officers to apprehend Calvin, who had time to drop from the window by his sheets; but they ransacked his study, and

seized many letters, which brought suspicion on his correspondents.

Margaret de Valois, sister of Francis I. and Queen of Navarre, patronized the reformed, and succeeded for a while in allaying the stormr raised against them. This gifted and amiable princess sent for Calvin, and entertained him kindly in her palace. She was an instrument of God in that trying season, to counteract in some measure the advice given to her brother by his Chancellor and others of his council, wrote some tracts which displeased the bigots, and preserved many Protestants, among whom was a kinsman of Melancthon. Calvin did not consider the friendship of this personage sufficient to protect him from the snares of his adversaries, but repaired to Saintonge, where he became familiar with Lewis du Tillet, a worthy canon of Angoulesme, at whose desire he drew up some short Christian Exhortations, which were read by several priests to their congregations. From Angoulesme he went to Poitiers, and secretly instructed the well-disposed, administering the sacrament in caves or retired gardens*.

Returning to Angoulesme, he visited Jacques le Fevre of Estaples, who had been persecuted by the Sorbonnists, when professor of mathematics at Paris, and had retired to Nerac in Gascony, a town under the jurisdiction of the queen of Navarre. The venerable man received him with cordiality and paternal affection; and seeing his zeal, foretold his eminence as a reformer of the church. Such interviews are worthy of particular record, though of minor character as incidents; for while the young soldier is animated to martial enterprize by the conversation of the veteran warrior, lasting impressions are made on the minds of

Maimbourg, Hist. de Calv. p. 59.

a scholar of the first order. He wrote in Latin as well as is possible in a dead language, and in French with a purity which was extraordinary for his time. This purity, which is to the present day admired by our skilful critics, renders his writings greatly superior to almost all of the same age; as the works of Messieurs de Port Royal are still distinguished on the same account, from the barbarous rhapsodies of their opponents and contemporaries*.

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He was born at Noyon on the border of Picardy, July 10, 1509. His parents were Gerard Calvin and Jane Frank, of good character, and competent estate. The former was secretary to the bishop, and much esteemed by his superiors for his solid judgment. After sending his son John, destined to render the family name so illustrious, to a provincial grammar school, he removed him to the French capital, where he prosecuted his studies, first at the academy of La Marche under Corderius, and next at that of Montague under Hispanus, who were both qualified to foster the rising genius of their pupil. Profiting by their instruction, he outstripped his competitors, and soon proceeded from common logic to the liberal arts. If his father wished him to engage in the sacred office, that desire would be strengthened by the religious impressions which he discovered. The chapelry de la Gesine was obtained for him in Noyon cathedral; afterwards the cure of Marteville; which he soon exchanged for Pont L'Eveque, the birth-place of his father, in which he preached for some time; but he was never admitted into the order of priests in the Romish church. This issue was prevented, as well by a change in the mind of his parent, who now began to consider the study of the law as likely

* Eneyclopedic, Art. Gener.

to be more profitable than that of divinity, as by his personal conviction of unjustifiable practices in that communion, in which he had only received what was called the simple tonsure of an ecclesiastic †.

He had a relation named Olivetan, who was attached to the doctrines of the Reformation; a pious and sensible man, of whom little

is known but that he translated the Bible into French, and for his reward was poisoned at Rome the year after its publication. It was through the advice of this person, that Calvin paid diligent attention to the perusal of Holy Scripture, as the pure spring of saving knowledge. So that, though he put on the gown of the advocate, he did not neglect the duties of the clergyman. While he studied civil law under Pierre de l'Etoile, president of the parliament of Paris, at Orleans, he embraced every opportunity of spreading religious information, and, according to the testimony of Varillas, succeeded in turning many to a clearer faith. His manner at this period was to read till midnight, and to ruminate on the subject of his lecture when he awoke the next morning; but he accustomed himself to such spareness in diet, that he is supposed to have injured his constitution.

From Orleans he removed to Bourges, to which city he was attracted, with many students of the day, by the fame of Alciati, a Milanese, and an eminent civilian, whom the French court had invited to read lectures, and who is mentioned with approbation by Thuanus, for his enlargement of mind, in improving the method and refining the language of his particular science. But Providence had higher designs in view for young Calvin. He became warmly attached to Wolmar, professor of

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Greek in the university of Bourges, and preferred his instructions, to those of the Professor of Civil Law. This enlightened scholar was secretly a Lutheran, and took occasion to encourage Calvin in biblical learning, and to imbue his mind with Protestant sentiment. While his own heart responded to the exhortations and remarks of his friend, he used to preach at the neighbouring village of Liniers through the indulgence of its proprietor. His father dying suddenly in 1532, he returned to Paris, with a full determination to devote himself to theological pursuits. At this period he wrote a tract on Seneca's work "On Clemency." It ap. pears that his design was to give good counsel to his sovereign, Francis I. in a delicate way, knowing that that monarch would read the work, and hoping that its perusal would lead him to discountenance a persecution of the Huguenots, or Protestants, which was carried on by the ascendant party at court.

During his stay at Paris, he formed acquaintance with many inquirers after religious truth, who requested him to become their minister. Nicholas Cope, delivering an oration as Rector of the University on the first of November, the feast of All Saints, was induced by Calvin to speak with more freedom on certain points of divinity, than had been customary; which so much offended both the doctors of the Sorbonne, and the members of the Parliament, that they cited him to appear before them; but as he was on the way, he was advised by some friends not to trust himself in their hands, and returning home, made his escape to Basle, the residence of his father, a reputable physician. They then sent officers to apprehend Calvin, who had time to drop from the window by his sheets; but they ransacked his study, and

seized many letters, which brought suspicion on his correspondents.

Margaret de Valois, sister of Francis I. and Queen of Navarre, patronized the reformed, and succeeded for a while in allaying the storn raised against them. This gifted and amiable princess sent for Calvin, and entertained him kindly in her palace. She was an instrument of God in that trying season, to counteract in some measure the advice given to her brother by his Chancellor and others of his council, wrote some tracts which displeased the bigots, and preserved many Protestants, among whom was a kinsman of Melancthon. Calvin did not consider the friendship of this personage sufficient to protect him from the snares of his adversaries, but repaired to Saintonge, where he became familiar with Lewis du Tillet, a worthy canon of Angoulesme, at whose desire he drew up some short Christian Exhortations, which were read by several priests to their congregations. From Angoulesme he went to Poitiers, and secretly instructed the well-disposed, administering the sacrament in caves or retired gardens*.

Returning to Angoulesme, he visited Jacques le Fevre of Estaples, who had been persecuted by the Sorbonnists, when professor of mathematics at Paris, and had retired to Nerac in Gascony, a town under the jurisdiction of the queen of Navarre. The venerable man received him with cordiality and paternal affection; and seeing his zeal, foretold his eminence as a reformer of the church. Such interviews are worthy of particular record, though of minor character as incidents; for while the young soldier is animated to martial enterprize by the conversation of the veteran warrior, lasting impressions are made on the minds of

Maimbourg, Hist. de Calv. p. 59.

youthful Christians by counsels of aged believers in the church militant, by which they are excited to contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints, to endure hardness, and war a good warfare as fellow-soldiers of Christ.

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Le Fevre was one of the most interesting of the early Reformers. His penetration enabled him to foresee that some great revolution was coming upon Europe; but he could not rise so superior to early habits, as to throw off some of the puerilities of the Romish worship, and his natural timidity hindered him from coming forward as he ought to have done. Nothing, however, delighted him so much as to witness the zeal of his religious juniors. William," said he one day, taking by the hand Farel, who was afterwards minister at Geneva, "the world will be changed, and you will live to see it!" Queen Margaret sent him word that she would dine with him at his cottage at Neras. She brought with her some learned persons, in whose society she took great delight, and a pleasing and edifying conversation was sus tained; but in the midst of the repast, the aged professor burst into tears. "O Jacques!" said her majesty, "you ought to be in good spirits to-day, now I am come to dine with you." Madam, I am a hundred and one years of age; as to immoral acts, I bless God, I have been graciously preserved from them; but-but, there is one thing, my queen, one thing that lies on my conscience-which yet, I trust, may be forgiven me ! "Come, come," she rejoined, "tell me what it is." "Madam, how shall I stand before the bar of God! I, who have preached the holy Gospel of his Son to so many, who have followed my doctrine, and have met a thousand torments, and death itself, with constaneywhile I, their teacher, fled-fled

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to this advanced age, though_it ought to have been my earnest desire to fear death in no shape, and privately withdrew myself, and basely deserted the post allotted me by my God." When the queen and her friends had comforted the weeping patriarch by assurances of the divine forgiveness of unfaithfulness, both from reason and example, he added, Then nothing remains for me now, but to depart hence to God, if it be his pleasure, as soon as I have made my will; nor ought I to delay, for I think God has called me. I ap point you, Madam, my heir; all my books I bequeath to your chaplain, M. Gerrard; my clothes, and whatever else I have, I leave to the poor; the rest I commend to God." Why, Jacques," said Margaret, smiling, "what shall I get by being your heir?"" The office, Madam, of distribution to the poor." "Be it so!" replied the amiable princess;" and here I solemnly declare, that this inheritance is more pleasing to me, than if my brother, the King of France, had nominated me to all his possessions." The old man's countenance brightening, he said, "Now, O Queen, I require some rest; may you all be happy together! gether! meanwhile, farewell!" He lay down on a couch, and fell into a gentle doze; after a little time one of the party went to wake him, but his spirit had departed"."

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Gerrard de Rousel, and Corald, an Augustinian, having persisted for about two years in preaching the reformed doctrines at Paris, under Margaret's protection, were at length dragged out of their pulpits, and borne away to prison: and the King himself became so irritated, on account of papers published against the mass, and affixed to his chamber door, that

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from persecution—and have lived reb. gest. Frid. II. Elect. Pal. pp. 229, 230.

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he ordered a public procession, in which, with his queen and children, he took a part, bare-headed, and carrying a lighted taper, in token of national humiliation for the spread of heresy; and moreover had the infatuation to com

mand, that eight Protestants should be burnt alive in four principal quarters of the city, swearing before all the people, that he would not spare his own children, if he knew them to be infected with those damnable tenets,

Calvin's heart sickened at these sad spectacles, and he resolved to quit the capital, whither he had gone from Angoulesme in 1534, with a view to counteract the propagation of Arian or Socinian sentiments by Servetus, and retire to Orleans. The lady of the provost of that city, dying about this time, requested to be interred without ceremony, and her husband buried her in a private manner by the side of her father and grandfather in the Franciscan church, contenting himself with presenting six crowns to the monks, who it seems expected more. They considered this as a dangerous precedent, tending to encourage the growth of heresy; and to deprive them of certain fees which they claimed for attending corpses to the place of burial. Afterwards, when he felled a wood, and sold the timber, they asked for some trees, which he refused to give them, at which they were still further enraged, and reported that the deceased was damned. To give colour to this report, they were guilty of a scandalous imposture. Stephen of Arras, and some others, stationed a young monk on the roof of the church, with a board in his hand which he was to strike against when they were engaged in their midnight services; having previously bored a hole in the roof that he might hear what was passing below. As soon as the noviciate was perfect in his lesson they exorcised him, but he

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continued his noises and made them no answer. They then bade him to give them a sign if he might not speak; on which he redoubled his strokes, in token of the affirmative. All who were not in the secret were greatly alarmed; and the brethren told their friends in the city what had occurred, begging them to attend their devotions, and become ear-witnesses of the. fact. When their neighbours were present, the contrivers asked him, whether he were buried there? and then named several persons whose funerals had been lately performed. As soon as they mentioned the provost's lady, he knocked against the board. This inquiry was followed by others, such as, "Was she damned? For what? For covetousness, or pride, or incontinence, or Lutheranism? Would she have her corpse dug up, and carried out of consecrated ground?" He answered, Yes, or No, to these different questions, according as he gave two or three blows upon the wood. When the ghost had signified that she was condemned for heresy, and must be exhumated, they required the townsmen to subscribe a record, and make affidavit of its truth, which they excused themselves from doing for fear of disobliging their chief magistrate. The Franciscans then removed their vessels and relics tó another place, and there said their mass; which caused the Bishop's Official to visit the church, commanding the monks to begin their exorcism, and directing some persons to go upon the roof, and see if they could discover any apparition. The principals in the plot assured him it would be very rash thus to interrupt the spirit. The provost, deservedly indignant, went to court, and laid the whole matter before the King; who, on the protest of the monks against the interference of the magistracy, appointed a special commission from the Parliament of Paris to investi

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