CALVIN, JOHN, was born on the 10th of July 1509, at Noyon In Picardy, where his father, Gerard Cauvin, was by trade a cooper. llis parents being of respectable character, but in bumble circumstances, young Calvin, who bad early ahown a pious diaposition, was taken under the protection of a family of wealth in the place, and sent by them to the University of Paris to study for the church. At the ago of twelve lie obtained from the bishop a benefice in the cathedral of Noyon, to which, in about five years afterwards, was added the curo of lionteville; but this he exchanged two years after for the cure of Pont-l'Evt'lque. All this time be was pursuing his studies, and had not even received priest's orders. His father now changed his mind aa to the destination of his son, and desired him to turn his attention to the law aa the sure road to wealth and honour. This change was not unacceptable to Calvin, who, from his perusal of the Scriptures—a copy of which was furnished him by Robert Olavetan, who was a fellow-scholar, and likewise a native of Noyon—had already been con vinced of many of the errors of the Romish Church. He accordingly left Paris, and repaired first to Orl6ans, where ho studied under Peter Stella, and then to Bruges, where Andrew Alciat filled the chair of law ; and where also, which was moro important to Calvin's future character, Milehior Weimar, the reformer, taught him the Greek tongue. Here Calvin was confirmed in the doctrines of the Reforma tion, and began indeed to preach them in the villages. His Whet however dying at this time, he returned to Noyon, but after a short period went to Paris, where, in the year ]532, he published his Commentaries on Seneca's two books, 'De Clementia.' Calvin now resigned his benefices, and devoted himself to divinity The following year, Cop, the rector of the University of Paris, having occasion to read a public discourse on the festival of All Saints' Day, Calvin persuaded him to declare his opinion on the new doctrines. This brought upon them both the indignation of the Sorbonne and parliament, and they were forced to leave the- city. Calvin went to several places, and at length to Angouleme, where he got shelter in the house of Louis du Tallet, a canon of Angoulome, and supported himself some time there by teaching Greek. It was there he com posed the greater part of his Institutes of the Christian Religion,' which were published about two years afterwards. The Queen of Navarre, sister to Francis I., having shown him some countenance in respect of his learning and abilities, and no doubt also of his suffer ings, he returned to Paris in the year 1534 under her protection; but persecution being again threatened, he quitted France the same year, having first published a work, which he called ‘Psychopannychia; to confute the error of those who held that the soul remained in a state of sleep between death and the resurrection, and retired to Basel in Switzerland, where he published the 'Institutes,' which he dedicated to Francis I., in an elegant Latin epistle. The design of the 'Insti
tutes ' was to exhibit a full view of the doctrines of the reformers; and as no similar work had appeared since the Reformation, and the peculiarities of the Romish Church were attacked in it with great force and vigour, it immediately became highly popular. It soon went through several editions ; it was translated by Calvin himself into French, and hiss since been translated into all the principal modern languages. Its effect upon the Christian world has been so remarkable as to entitle it to be looked upon as one of those books that have changed the face of eociety.
After the publication of this great work Calvin went to Italy to visit the reformers there, and was received with marked distinction by the learned Duchess of Ferrara, daughter of Louis XII. But not withstanding her protection, the Inquisition opened upon him, and he wes obliged to seek safety in flight. He returned to France, but soon left it again, and in tho month of August 1536 arrived at Geneva, where the reformed religion had been the same year publicly estab lished. There, at the urgent request of Forel, V iret, and other eminent reformers, by whom that revolution had been achieved, be became a preacher of the Gospel, and professor, or rather lecturer on divinity. Farel was then the most distinguished person in the place ; he was twenty yearn older than Calvin, who was in the twenty-seventh year of his age ; but their objects were the same, and their learning, virtue, and zeal alike, and these were now combined for the complete reformation of Geneva, and the diffusion of their principles through out Europe. In the month of November a plan of church govern ment and a confession of faith were laid before the public authorities for their approval. Beza makes Calvin the author of these productions; but others, with perhaps greater reason, attribute them to Fared. There is little doubt however that Calvin was consulted in their com position, and still less that ho lent his powerful aid to secure their sanction and approval by the people in the month of July 1537. The same year the Council of Geneva conferred on Farel the honour of a burgess of the city, in token of their respect and gratitude. But the popular will was not prepared for the severe discipline of the reformers, and in a short time the people resisted some innovations on their religious practices, and, under the direction of a faction, met in a public assembly and expelled Farel and Calvin from the place.