The sudden death of his father called him back to Noyon, where, however, he remained but for a short time. He went to Paris in 1533, being then 23 years of age, and wrote a commentary on Seneca's book De Cle mentia. It was in the title page of this work that he first took the surname of Calvin, instead of Cauvin, which it had hitherto been; a circumstance which his enemies have weakly and maliciously perverted to his prejudice, and of which, if an explanation be thought ne cessary, a sufficient explanation may be found in the Defense de Calvin par Drelincourt. Ile soon became known to all the friends of true religion, among whom was one Estienne de la Forge, a celebrated merchant, who was afterwards burned for his attachment to the gospel, and of whom Calvin snakes honourable mention in his Treatise against the libertines. While at Paris he formed the resolution, which he immediately carried into effect, to the unspeakable satisfaction of the reform ed in that city, abandoning every secular pursuit, and consecrating himself to the service of God. He had scarcely entered on his new course, when he was sub jected to severe trial. Nicholas Cop, rector of the uni versity of Paris, having delivered a speech which gave great offence to the Sorbonne and the parliament, was summoned to appear before them, and answer for his conduct ; but by the advice of his friends, he declined compliance, and left the kingdom: Calvin, who was an intimate friend of Cop's, and known to have furnished Dint with materials for the obnoxious speech, was the next object of their vengeance. Marin, the bailiff, a cruel and relentless bigot, was sent to his room in the college of Fortret, for the purpose of apprehending hint ; but he was fortunately from home. Ills papers and books, however, were seized, and as there were among them several letters from his friends, containing hereti cal and exceptionable matter, and alluding to those %rho were hostile to the 'loutish church, many were on the very point of being subjected to a cruel persecution. But this was prevented by the humane interposition of the Queen of Navarre, who employed her influence with the king, and employed it successfully, 111 favour of the reformed. This princess sent for Calvin at the same time, gave him a very favourable reception, and listened to him with interest and attention. Immediately after the interview, equally honourable to Calvin, creditable to the queen, and useful to the reformation, he retired to Saintonge, where, at the request of a friend, (Lewis de 'Fillet,) he wrote sonic short Christian Exhortations, to serve as homilies in the several parishes, and to accus tom the people by degrees to search after the truth. Ile also paid a visit to 1,c Fevre d'Estaple, who had been tutor to Frances 1., and had taken shelter at Nerac from the storm of persecution. This aged saint received him joyfully, and predicted that he would yet be a remarka ble instrument in the hand or Providence for the restora tion of true religion in France, Calvin returned to Paris in 1534. There he was to have had a conference with Servetus, who had by that time begun to propagate his heterodox opinions respecting the Trinity ; but Servetus failed to appear, though Calvin attended at the time and place appointed, and did so at the imminent hazard of his life ; for this year was peculiarly troublesome and dangerous to the reformed. The king, exasperated by their firmness and successes, and particularly incensed at sonic of their writings against the mass, which had been posted on the door of the Louvre, commanded eight of them to he burned alive ; and swore that he would not spare even his own children, if they were in fected with such abominable heresies. To avoid the persecution, which had thus assumed such a violent and bloody aspect, Calvin was determined to quit the king dom, which he did, after haying published a treatise, entitled against those who maintain that the soul sleeps after it is separated from the body.
Accompanied by Lewis dc Tillet, he went to Basil in Switzerland. There he studied the I Iebrew language, to which he had not hitherto directed his attention ; and there he first published his greatest and most celebrated work, the Institutions of the Christian R•ligion. Ile was anxious to remain for sonic time in obscurity : but the calumnies circulated by high authority against the cause which he had espoused, rendered this impossible, and obliged him to conic forward as its public advocate and friend. Francis I. in order to apologise for his late in humanities, and to conciliate the German princes, whose friendship he needed, and whose resentment he had rea son to fear, endeavoured to persuade them that it was only Anabaptists that lie had put to death, and that, therefore, he had merely attempted to crush a sect that was equally obnoxious to them and to hint. Calvin's in
dignation was roused by this insidious conduct, and he composed his Institutes for the purpose of vindicating himself and his Protestant brethren, and of spewing une quivocally and distinctly the tenets which they held. The first edition of the Institutes (which Maimbourg and Spondanus say was w ritten in French, but which, it is probable, was written at the same time in Latin,) was published in 1535 in 8vo, and was only the rough sketch or outline of what the author afterwards produced. Tim second edition appeared in 1536, at Strashurgh, in folio, and was both larger and more correct than the lirst The third edition was printed at the same place in 154 ,. and was still more complete. A fourth edition came out also at Strasburgh, with considerable improvements. A fifth edition in 4to was printed at Geneva in 1550, cor rected in many' places, and having two ndexeL. In 155, both the Latin and French editions retched the -author's last revision. Since that period the work has gone through a vast number of editions, and has been translated into almost all the modern languages ; a circumstance \Od•ll alone is sufficient to demonstrate, its real excellt•n«.. This work, indeed, whatever may be thought of its doctrinal merits, is, as a system of theology, entitled to much admiration. The peculiarities of the system inn be condemned, though it will be found difficult to dis prove them ; but the learning, the scriptural knowledge, and the philosophical ability with which they are at once developed and supported, must be acknowledged by all whose minds arc not the victims of religious ur political prejudice. With respect to the Latinity of the Institute s„ it has obtained the applause of every competent judge. In particular, the Dedication, which is addressed to Francis 1. has been universally admired, both for the sentiments and language ; and is one of the few prefa tory pieces which arc generally allowed to stand highest in this species of composition. Just when Calvin was finishing the Institutes, lie heard that in many parts of Italy there were symptoms of :Attachment to the reforma tion. He therefore hastened to the Duchess de Ferrara, (laughter of Louis XII., a woman of distinguished ac complishments and exemplary piety, and one to whom the Protestants looked with some confidence and expec tation. Acquainted with his merits, and qualified to ap preciate them, she received Calvin with distinction ; and while he confirmed her in her principles, she conceived for him au esteem which she cherished ever after, and expressed in a great variety of letters. lie was not, how ever, allowed to remain long- at the court of the duchess. The Inquisition got notice of his arrival, and S0011 com pelled him to depart. It was probably at this period that he visited Piedmont, and preached the reformation there with success, though he was afterwards banished from it by intolerance. .1 pillar was erected at _lost, to commemorate his arrival and his expulsion.
From Italy Calvin went to France ; but the persecu tion which was raging there, determined him to return to Basil or Strasburgh. The direct road being rendered impassable on account of the war, he was the ne cessity of going by the way of Geneva. Ot: his arrival there in August 1536, he found that the tefo•med reli• pion had made considelable progress, in consequence of the exertions of Fare' and \rivet. Ilvin ;,one to pay his respects to them, Farel most earnestly untreated him to remain in that city, and to help them in the important work in which they were engaged. And when Calvin obstinately declined the invitation. Farel addressed to him a solemn Nvarhing in the name of the Almighty declaring that God would not bless his designs. since he preferred his own repose to Jesus Christ. The solemnity of this appeal, in connection with the extraoroinary incidems which had brought him to Geneva, and the prospect which he had of being in a high degree use ful to a cause which he had deeply at heart, subdued Calvin into an en tire acquiescence in Fat el's proposal. And accordingly he accepted of the office which the consistory and nia gistracy had offered him, with the consent of the people, by becoming both their preacher and professor of divi nity.