The death of his father in 1531 left him free to his inclinations, which were for theo logical and classical studies. Ile proceeded to Paris, which at this date had become a centre of the 'new learning,' under the teaching of Le fevre and Farel, and the influence of the Queen of Navarre, sister of Francis I.. and there he pub lished. at his own expense, in 1532, his first book, a commentary on Seneca's essay On Merry. But reformed notions in theology were in the air. The Sorbonne itself had not escaped the infection. There was a growing religious ex citement in the university, in the Court, and even among the bishops. This, however, was not to last. The King was soon stirred up to take active measures to quell this rising spirit. Cal vin was himself converted to the new views, and when his friend, Nicholas Cop, had been elected to the rectorship of the university of Paris, he wrote the inaugural oration (1533) for him and took for his theme the necessity of there being a reformation of the Church and of theology on the basis of the New Testament. The result was that Calvin and Cop were obliged to flee for their lives. The story is that Calvin narrowly es caped, having descended from his window by means of his sheets, and fled, under the guise of a vine-dresser, a friend of his, in whose clothes he concealed himself. After this lie repaired for a short time to his native place, resigned the preferment lie held in the Roman Catholic Church, and for nearly three years led a wander ing life, sheltered in various places. We find him at Saintonge; at Ni•rae, the residence of the Queen of Navarre: at Angouleme, with his friend, Louis 'Fillet; then for a brief period, while in Paris again, strangely enough expecting a meeting with Servetus, who had expressed a desire to see and confer with him. Persecution against the Protestants at this time raged so hotly that Calvin was no longer safe in France: and he betook himself to Basel, where he pre pared the first edition of the Institutes of thc Christian Religion (1536), with the famous preface addressed to Francis I. The concen trated vigor of this address, its intensity of feel ing, rising to indignant remonstrance. and at times to a pathetic and powerful eloquence, a cake it one of the most memorable documents in con nection with the Beformation. It is throughout a noble defense of the righteous charaeter of the reformed doetrines, and their support alike in Scripture and in history. The energetic deci siveness and moral zeal of the future teacher and legislator of Geneva speak in every page of it. After completing this great service to the cause of Protestantism, he went for a short time to Italy, to visit Ben•e, the Duchess of Ferrara. finally, he revisited his native town, sold the paternal estate. which had devolved to him on the death of his eldest brother. and. bidding it adieu, set out, in company with his younger brother and sister, on his Way to Strasshurg. The direct road being rendered daugerons by the armies of Charles V.. which had penetrated into France, he sought a circuitous route through Savoy and Geneva.
The result of this journey was memorable for the cause of the Beformation. Arrived in Geneva (July, 153(1), he met there his friend, Louis du 'Fillet, who communicated the fact of his arrival to Fare], then in the very midst of his struggle to promote the Reformation in the city and neighborhood. Farel hastened to see lihn and urged upon hint the duty of remaining where he was, and undertaking his share of the work of God. under the burden of which he himself was likely to sink. Calvin did not at first respond to the call. He was given, he himself says. to his
"own thoughts and private studies." He wished to devote himself to the service of the reformed churches generally rather than to the care of any particular ehureh. A life of intellectual and theological labor was that which at that time was most congenial to him. By some strange insight, however. Farel discerned the higher fitness of the young stranger who stood before him, and he ventured, in the spirit of that dar ing enthusiasm which characterized him, to lay the curse of God upon hint and his studies if he refused his aid to the Church of Geneva in her time of need. This seemed to Calvin a divine menace. "It was," he said, "as if God had seized me by His awful hand from heaven." He yielded and joined eagerly with Fare] in the work of reformation.
Such was the beginning of Calvin's great ca reer in Geneva. flaying abandoned his intention of pursuing his journey, he soon infused an energy into his task which crowned the strug gling efforts of Farel with success. The hier archical authority was already overturned before his arrival; the citizens had asserted their inde pendence as against the Duke of Savoy. whose alliance with the ruling episcopate. which was the direct governing influence in the place, had called forth the patriotic as well as the religious feelings of the people. The magistrates and peo ple eagerly joined with the reformers in the first heat of their freedom and zeal. A Protestant confession of faith was drawn up, approved of by the Council of Two Hundred. the largest gov erning board of the city, and then proclaimed in the cathedral church• of St. Peter's as binding upon the whole body of the citizens. Great and marvelous changes were wrought in a short time upon the manners of the people; where license and frivolity had reigned. a strict moral severity began to characterize the whole aspect. of so ciety. The change, however, was too sudden and the strain was too extreme. A spirit of rebellion against the rule of Calvin and Farel broke forth. They, however, refused to yield to the wishes of a party animated by a more easy and liberal spirit than themselves (known in the history of Geneva tinder the nickname of Libertines) • and the con sequence was that they were both expelled from the city after less than two years' residence lApril 23, 153S).
Calvin turned to Strassburg, where he had meant to go when arrested in his course in Ge neva. Here he settled, and devoted himself to theological study. and especially to his critical labors on the New Testament. Here, also, in Getober, 1539, lie married a member of his •on gregation, ldelette de Bure, widow of Jean Stun dem, of Liege, an Anabaptist, whom lie had con verted, and who had died in February, 1513S. The marriage appears to have proved a happy one. llis wife bore hint one child, a sou, who, being born prematurely, died shortly after his birth.
(See his letters to Viret of July and August 19, 1542.) She herself died in April, 1549.
The Geneva as found. after a short time, that they could not well do without Calvin. Ills rule might be rigid; but an authority even such as his, which might prove galling in its severity, was better than no settled authority at all; and the Libertine party seemed to have been unable to construct any efficient and beneficent form of government. Accordingly. the citizens invited Calvin to return; and after some delay on his part, in order to test the spirit in which they were acting. he acceded to their invitation, and on September 13, 1541, after three years' ab sence, once more made his entry into Geneva.