The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1868-10-28

soon offered doctors degree. In the
midst of his various employments ne con-
tinued to be a diligent student of the
Holy Scriptures. His habit was to sup
lightly and study until midnight; early
in the morning while still in bed, he re-
viewed what he had read the night before.
These late studies while they continued
to extend his crudition and improve his
remarkable memory, injured his health,
and brought on that weakness OF stomach
which afflicted him during life. His
father dying, he was obliged to quit the
study of the law and return to Noyon.
He visited Paris shortly after, and pub
lished his Commentary on Seneca's book
on Clemency. At this time he was only
twenty-four years of age, but was we'll
known and highly esteemed. During
his residence in Paris he renounced all
other studies and gave himself up to
Theology. Having spoken against some
errors of the established religion, an at
tempt was made to take him prisoner,
but he escaped by flight and took refuge
with the Queen of Navarro, who had
sent for him, and who treated him with
great Kindness. He afterwards retired to
Saintonge, where he composed formula
ries of sermons, which he induced the
rectors to use as homilies, in order to
induce the people to inquire into the
truth. About this time he published his
famous ''Chrstian Institutes, and dedi-
Gated them to Francis l., of France, who
was very intolerant against the Reform,
and had had eight persons burned alive
in the midst of Paris. He afterwards
sought the protection of the Duchess of
Ferara, daughter of Louis XII, who re-
ceived him with distinction. The lnqui-
sltion pursued him to the court of the
Duchess, and he was forced to make his
escape into Piedmont On quitting Italy
Calvin had returned to France, but on
account of the prosecutions which then
ran high in that country, he determined
to leave it and 60 to Basle, or Strasburg.
The direct road being impossible on ac-
count of the war, he was compelled to go
through Geneva, where the Reformed re-
ligion had been established by Guilliaume
Farel and Pierre Viret Calvin was not
willing to pass through Geneva without
paying his respects to these great men.
Farel earnestly entreated him to stay and
help them in the great work to which
-Ged had called them Calvin submitted
to their wishes anil was received into the
ministry the same month; this was in
the year 1886.
This providence brought Calvin to the
scene of his greatest labors and most con-
spicuous actions. M. L. Meaer says in
his Church History of Geneva: "The
excellent works, the various circumstances
of the life, the great pains and unwearied
industry of this great man, make up the
greater part of the ecclesiastical history
of Geneva for near thirty years.
1t is useless to enumerate the works of
Calvin, as they fill twenty folio volumes,
and but few of them are now in general
circulation.
D'Aubigne, in his History of the Re-
formation, describes Calvin, "when a
youth of 16 years of age, as of middle
stature, of pale and somewhat dark
complexion, whose powerful and sagacious
mind, was indicated by the keenness and
peculiar brightness of his eye, and ami
mated expression of his countenance.
His dress, which was extremely neat but
perfectly unostentatious, corresponded to
the modesty and decorum of his charac-
ter.
Educated in all the superstitions of
Popery, the student of Noyon was blind.
ly submissive to the Church, dutifully OBJ
servant of all the practices she enjoined,
and fully persuaded that heretics well
deserved the flames to which they were
given up. The blood which was then
flowing in Paris, was, in his eyes, an ad-
ditional aggravation of the crime OF
heresy. But, although by nature timid,
and, to use his own expression, "soft and
pusillanimous, he was endowed with that
uprightness of mind, and that generosity
of heart which induced men to sacrifice
everything to the convictions of thei,
consciences. In other respects the
character of the youthful Calvin afforded
indications of what he was afterwards tC
become. Silent and grave while attend
ing on the College lectures, taking ne
pleasure in the sports and idle frolic,
which others pursued during the hours O
recreation, shrinking in disgust from al
participation in vice, he sometimes cen
sured the disorders of his fellow students
with severity-thus by the seriousness
of his conversation and sobriety of hi,
life unconsciously discharging the offic,
of minister and a reformer." The ma
ture age of Calvin fulfilled the promise o
his youth: his labors are almost incredi
BILE. Besides his various writings, dur