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THE

CHRISTIAN GUARDIAN,

AND

Church of England Magazine.

JANUARY 1825,

MEMOIRS OF THE REFORMERS.

CALVIN.

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THE zeal of party spirit, the misrepresentation of malice, and the ignorance of prejudice, have produced the same results in the history of churches as of nations. Names, claiming especial verence in the Christian world, have been abused to the sanction of errors by injudicious friends, or loaded with unmerited invective by bigoted enemies. While, from the joint operation of all these causes, an effect has followed, that can never be sufficiently deplored by lovers of truth and justice; and which has so confused the writings of certain authors by verbal inaccuracies and misapplied terms, that their meaning has been altogether absurd, or only to be elicited by those readers, whose previous acquaintance with the subject under discussion has enabled them to qualify errors and correct mistakes.

Thus in Italian history the appellations of Guelph and Ghibelin, and in English those of Whig and Tory, have not been used with less discrimination by civil writers, than have those of Calvinist, Puritan, Methodist, and the like, by ecclesiastical authors. Few terms have been more misapplied than that of Calvinist. By a species of literary injustice, the great Reformer of Geneva has been made to bear a load of undeserved odium. Divines of good informa

JAN. 1825.

tion, indeed, have testified to his merits, from a judicious Hooker to a discriminating Horsley. But every sciolist, who has sneered at his memory, has too often found a correspondent feeling in the breast of his readers or hearers. It is not the office of biography to undertake the defence of any system held by the subjects of her labours; but it is a pleasing duty to seek to dispel the mist of prejudice, and show the excellent of the earth in their proper colours, Calvin ranks among the first men of his day for wisdom, erudition, piety, and integrity. Every candid Arminian must make this acknowledgment. On the doctrines of predestination, election, and reprobation, which have in a more particular manner been associated with his name, he spoke and wrote less strongly than many of his contemporaries and successors; they bear by no means a prominent part in his works; and as an apologist and commentator, he is distinguished for the practical tendency of his observations. He withal approved of a reformed Episcopacy, defended the ancient rite of Confirmation, and remonstrated against the proceedings of those who opposed the Protestant Hierarchy of England. Even infidels have been constrained to respect his great talent. 66 Calvin," says D'Alembert, "who with justice enjoyed high reputation, was

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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."

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

*Encyclopedie, Art. Genev.

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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

Beza, Vita Calvini, p. 51. Bayle, v. ii. pp. 554, 260. Dupin, cent. xvi.

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