The record-union., 1894-02-10
JOHN CALVIN.
interesting Synopsis of His Life
and Work.
An Analysis of the Character o
the Greatest Reformer of
His Time.

Every one who desires to know some
thing of the great men of history; every
citizen of this great Republic who wishes
to know about the men to whom we are
indebted for it; every Christian who is
grateful for the rise and growth of Pro-
testantism; every Presbyterian who
wishes to be Intelligent concerning his
church, should know about John Calvin.
When the great men of the world speak
as they do OF John Calvin, 1 think that
constitutes another reason why we should
know about him. To the end that you
may see clearly that l am fully justified
In directing your attention to his career,
! wish to present to you some things said
about him.
few months ago there passed on to
the better country, even an heavenly, one
of the most learned and widely known
writers OF this generation, Philip Schaft.
Probably could cite no higher authority
than he. DR.. Schaff says: John Calvin,
the greatest theologian and discipllnarlan
of the giant race OF the RefOrmers, and for
commanding intellect, lofty character,
and tar-reaching influence, one OF the
foremost leaders in the history OF Chris
3
by reason of his marvellous powers, his
lasting labors, and the moral hight and
purity OF his character. # Earnest
in faith, pure in motive, auStere in life,
and mighty in his works, Calvin is one OF
those who deserve their great fame.
Three centuries separate US from him,
but it is impossible to examine his char
acter and history without feeling, if not
affection and sympathy, at least profound
respect and admiration for one OF the
great Reformers Of Europe and OF the
great Christians of France"
Ernest Renan, the great skeptic, who
abhorred Calvin's creed, says this Of
him: Calvin succeeded, in an age and
in country which called for reaction
towards Christianity, simply because he
was the most Christian man of his gen.
eration."
Professor Dorner of Berlin, the first
among the theologians Of the age, dlstin-
guished by profound learning, penetrat-
ing thought, rare catholicity OF spirit,
and nice sense of justice and discrimina-
ton, says: Calvin was equally great in
intellect and character, lovely in social
life, full OF tender sympathy and faithful
ness to friends, yielding and torgiving
towards personal ofenses, but lneXora-
bly, severe when he saw the honor OF God
obstinately and Indignantly attacked"
This man, John Calvin, of whom these
great things are said, was born at NOyOn,
In France, July 10, 1909. His ancestors
were fishermen. His father was man
of some importance, being Secretary to
the Bishop of Noyon. John Calyin's
mother was celebrated for her beauty Of
person and for her devoted piety, but
was not conspicuous for great intellectual
ability.
Gerard Calvin not only gave his son
John a good education but his other boys,
and Charles Calvin, brother Of John,
became priest in his native town and
died libertine and an infdel.
John Calvin received the best educa-
ton that France could afford, in the
Universities OF Orleans, Bourges and
Paris, first for the priesthood and then
for the law. when he left the uni
versity," says DR.. Schaff, "he was the
most promising literary man OF the age"
1t is an interesting fact that he and
1gnatius Loyola studied scholastic philOs-
ophy under the same Spanish instructor.
Two characters could hardly be at greater
extremes than those two, II they did have
the same teacher. When the great Ger
man reformer, Martin Luther, was tack
ing up his celebrated theses on the church
door at Wittemburg, John Knox was II
years of age and John Calvin g The
work which the German set a-going so
grandly in Germany, Knox was
destined to take up III Scotland and Cal
vim in France and Switzerland, and from
there it was carried into England and
America.
Remember that Calvin, like Luther,
was brought up in the Roman Catholic
Church. His conversion to Protestant
ism seems to have taken place in the lat
ter part of the year 1882. The precise
date and circumstances are unknown.
Like Luther, he strove in vain to at
tain peace of conscience by the methods
of Romanism and was driven to a deeper
sense of sin and guilt. There never was
q change of conviction purer in motive,
more radical in character, more fruitful
and permanent in result" ,(SchaH.) The
same writer compares his conversion TO
to that OF Paul and then remarks: And,
indeed, Calvin was not unlike st. Paul in
his intellectual and moral constitution"
His conversion was not an isolated
case He was drawn along IN current
with many others; he belonged to sort
of class which received the new ideas
chiefly in the universities"
AS soon as he reached the point OF iden
tifvipg himself with the Reformation he
renounced his hvings, and he had been
honored with these from the time he was
IL years of age.
Not long after his conversion his friend,
Nicholas Cop, learned physician, was
appointed rector of the University OF
Paris, and requested Calvin to prepare an
inaugural address for him. Calvin in
this address took occasion to advocate the
reform of the church on the basis of the
Dure gospel. The address was ordered
burned, and both the one who delivered
il and the one who wrote 1t had to fly for
their lives, Calvin being let down from
window in a basket and escaping in the
garb of a vine-dresser.
The continent, as one writer puts it,
was '.being torn from end TO end by the
VIGOROUS fight between Luther and Leo
X.U Calvin threw himself into this
FIGHT. and in one year after his conver-
sion was 1.-The acknowledged leader OF the
Protestant party in Franco" Calvin was
q wears old when he placed himself in
the front rank of the religious thinkers OF
his time by publishing his treatise e9I en-
titled The Institutes OF the Christian
Religion"
Alter spending TWO years as fugitive
md an evangelist, he was passing through
Geneva, where he expected to remain
only one night. He had become very IA
NOUS as writer and speaker, out ne
really much preferred student lie. w Ill
lam Farrell, most godly and fearless
evanpelist. was at that time living III Ge-
neva- and pressed Calvin TO remain there
and belp in the work. 1t was not Cal
WINS mind to do so, choosing to carry out
his ideas OF retirement for study, out
Farrell threatened him with the curse oil
God ''if he preferred his studies to the
work of the Lord.n "These words"
SAYS Calvin, terrified and shook me, as
if God from on high had stretched out
his hand TO stop me, so that l renounced
the Journey which l had undertaken"
Tins was the turning point in Calvin's
life. Before this he had been timid,
shrinking, bashful young man. From
this time on he was ready to dare any
danger.
Geneva had then a population of twelve
or fifteen thousand, and, according to
one writer, represented tottering re-
public. wavering faith, a nascent