Roman pontiff, provided he do not repel us. Why would he reject the prayer of suppliants?" The reader may think with me that his desires for a re-union carried him too far, and that few Protestants would have been found to adopt language so abject; still my heart's desire and prayer are that another Melancthon may arise among us, not in all things like-minded with him-for this great and good man, leaning too much on private judgment, somewhat erredbut gifted with his powers, and seeking as he did peace and charity with all men.

CHAPTER IV.

CALVIN,

Calvin's birth and early benefactors -Calvin at the University of ParisFarel-Calvin in minor orders at his living-Gives up the Church to study law at Orleans-at Bourges-Returns to Paris-Nicholas Cop, rector of the Sorbonne-Calvin at the court of the Queen of Navarre -composes the "Institutes"-Goes to Geneva for the first timedescription of Catholic Geneva-Calvin exiled from Geneva — then recalled-Governs through his system-Use which Calvin makes of the Lutheran doctrine of justification-His platform-His disciplineInstances of it-Servetus-Sketch of his life-Calvin and Servetus→→ The inquisition at Lyons-Servetus at Geneva-His arrest-Imprisonment and execution-Justice to Calvin,

Ir is my part to conduct my reader to the next, and, after Luther, most distinguished leader of the Reform movement, John Calvin was born 10th July, 1509, at Noyon, in Picardy, in the house where, at the date of M. Audin's memoir, hung the sign of the stag. His father Gerard, a native of Pont l'Evêque, was apostolical notary, fiscal agent, scribe in the ecclesiastical court, secretary of the bishop, and promoter of the chapter-a monopolisation of offices enough to stir the bile of any anti-pluralist, but excused by the fact that the apostolical notary had nothing to note, the pen of the scribe was always dry, the bishop's secretary was without a salary, and the promoter of the chapter, whatever that dignity meant, got no promotion; the fiscal agency was the only appointment that could be considered lucrative, and that brought in seven hundred francs yearly, upon which he had a wife and six children to support. The noble family of the Mommors were great benefactors to the Calvins. The hour of distress never came, but one or other of them came also with food and raiment. In the future Reformer they took much interest, and gave him the rudiments of a sound education under the family tutor: he was designed for the Church, and the Mommors purchased for him a prebend of the chapel of

Notre Dame de la Gesine.* Calvin at twelve years of age is described as slender in body, but exhibiting a sharp and vigorous intellect, prompt at repartee, bold in attack, speaking little, but always seriously and to the purpose, seldom entering into company, a lover of retirement, and a great faster. Students went up to the universities then at a very early age. We find Calvin at Paris in his thirteenth year. Lutheranism had entered France, and was beginning to exercise considerable influence among the learned of the capital. Men seem to have hailed the Reformation much in the same way as they did the first French Revolution,-as the dawn of intelligence and progress. At fourteen, Calvin had read several of Luther's works, and learned to despise every thing he had received: if we except the good Mommors and all their charities, it is as much as we can say.

Just as he entered his nineteenth year he became acquainted with Farel, who a few years later played so conspicuous a part in the troubles at Geneva; he completed the work on Calvin's mind, which the perusal of Luther's writings had begun. Youth is ever susceptible of impressions from earnest, sincere men: a word or two about Farel will shew the tone of sentiment with which he is likely to have imbued his young convert. Farel was a native of Gap, and the son of a notary named Fareau. Nature had not been lavish in the bestowal of personal adornments; his appearance in height, much below the ordinary standard, with his red, badly-combed beard, was unprepossessing; but then he had an eye of fire, an eloquent tongue, and an energy nothing could damp. He imagined that he heard a voice from heaven crying to him "March!" and he marched like death, without disquieting himself about robes red or blue, mantles of ermine or silk, crowns of dukes or kings, sacred vessels, pictures or statues, which he considered mere dust and rubbish he scoffed at history, Christian art, tradition, and forms. One day a procession was moving through the streets of the little town of Aigle, the priest was carrying the holy sacrament, when Farel piercing through the crowd forced his way up to the canopy, seized the sun of gold, cast it upon the ground, and saved himself by flight.†

* Audin's Life of Calvin, p. 18.

† Ibid. p. 102.

In September, 1527, Calvin was invested with the charge of Marteville, being only tonsured: some years after, his father, who was esteemed by the bishop, succeeded in procuring for his son an exchange of Marteville for Pont l'Evêque, the parish in which his grandfather and father had lived. A member of the Mommors family, the good Abbé Claude d'Hangest, his earliest friend, presented him to his charge. He returned to Noyon, and sometimes preached at Pont l'Evêque. We should expect to hear of his settling down into the parish priest, a little of a sceptical turn, but keeping that to himself. The elder Calvin, whether from the knowledge which he had of his son's disposition, or influenced by the uncertainty of Church affairs, determined on changing his vocation. In obedience to the wishes of his father, and probably nothing loath, he shut up his sermon-book and went to study law at Orleans. The lecturer was Peter l'Estoile, who, in his day, enjoyed the reputation of being the most acute jurist in France. Calvin greatly improved his style under his master's judicious instructions, and soon became his favourite pupil; but whether from this cause, or some other, he was not popular with his fellow-students. From Orleans he went to Bourges, where also the professors were first-rate men. He attended the lectures of Alciati of Milan, the man of all sciences; from Alciati he passed to the Greek professor, a German Lutheran, Melchior Wolmar, a very learned academic, but who thought less of forming scholars than of making converts; and he was just the man for it he was so kind that he treated his pupils as his children, took especial care of them, and in case of need even paid their debts. What a delightful professor! at Oxford or Cambridge his worth would be untold. One day Calvin and his master were taking their usual evening walk :

"Do you know," said Wolmar to his pupil, “that your father has mistaken your vocation? You have not been called like Alciati to preach law, nor like myself to spout Greek: give yourself up to theology, for theology is the mistress of sciences." These words decided the future destiny of John Calvin.

In the year 1532 he left the university of Bourges and returned to Paris, not to learn but to teach, to inculcate the doctrines of the Reformation, with the zeal he had caught

from Farel, the logical force of l'Estoile, the graceful diction of Alciati, and a quality as much needed as any, the wary prudence of Welmar. At twenty-three he published his first work, a Treatise on Clemency, appropriate to the persecutions of the time, and of which, in after years, it might have done him good, had he brushed up his recollection. The year before, 1531, he parted with his interest in the property of his father, lately deceased, and sold his two livings. Calvin, with all his discretion, was fain at last to take an abrupt leave of Paris. Nicholas Cop, rector of the Sorbonne, inclined to Lutheranism, but not in the least an ascetic, who found writing a trouble, though a ready speaker, had to pronounce a discourse before the Sorbonne, which he got Calvin to compose for him; the sermon, of course, was remarkably clever, but as Cop had little reputation as a preacher there was nobody present to hear it, except, as ill luck would have it, some sharp-visaged, long-headed Franciscans, who smelt out heresy directly, and denounced the unfortunate rector. In a second discourse, which he was so foolish as to allow Calvin to write for him, he attempted to explain away the first; but this only made bad worse, and he was obliged to fly for his life.* Calvin, whom all the world knew to be the real author of the offensive discourses, narrowly escaped in disguise. Margaret, queen of Navarre, sheltered the fugitive, and by her influence succeeded in making his peace with the university. This princess and her court were Lutheran; she made her stand upon a principle, the mass of seven points.† The ladies of Navarre were, however, very liberal; they accepted the Pope's supremacy, purgatory, the veneration of the Virgin and the saints, and the greater part of the Sacraments.

While under the protection of Margaret of Navarre, and the guest of Louis du Tillet, clerk of the Parliament of Paris, at his country seat near Claix, retired and pleasant, Calvin

*Calvin's Life, p. 49.

† Mass, with public communion, one point; mass, without elevation of the host, second point; mass, without adoration of the species, third point; mass, without oblation of the bread and wine, fourth point; mass, without commemoration of the Virgin and saints, fifth point; mass, with breaking the bread at the altar, first for the priest, then for the faithful, sixth point; mass, celebrated by a married priest, seventh point.