His Early Days, Appearance and Practice
HEN the young Chaplain of La Gésine had enjoyed this title but two years, the pestilence ‘oO, broke out in Noyon, and numbers of persons d88 fled from its ravages. The chapter was then petitioned, and in August, 1523, liberty was granted to young John ‘to go where he pleased without the loss of his allowance.” This, in the providence of God, brought him to the College of La Marche, in Paris, and under the tuition of a most renowned scholar, whose fame reaches down even to our own day.
Between this distinguished teacher and young Calvin an attachment was formed which lasted till the end of their days. The high mental powers of the young scholar, combined with his uprightness and sincerity, drew forth the attention and affection of Mathurin Cordier, his teacher; and the profound learning of the latter could not fail to gain the admiration and esteem of the former.
Avoidiug the usual sports provided for recreation between school hours, that small delicate form, with pale face, and bright penetrating eyes, might be seen accompanying the teacher; and when all others were locked in sleep, this diligent young student would be pursuing his studies.
THE LAWS OF NATURE TO BE REGARDED.
This, indeed, is not a practice which I would recommend to any of my youthful readers. Rather would I remind them that what they obtain at the expense of one of nature’s laws, they must pay back by another. God has so wisely constituted us that, when in health, there is bath pleasure and profit in satisfying all nature’s LAWFUL demands. But if the body be habitually robbed, either of its needed rest or exercise, it must be paid back by the us ial signs of old age before that season arrives: the bow that is never unstrung will lose its strength; and the lock unused will soon become rusty. Avoid, then, that excessive mental labour which causes a neglect of the body, and above all avoid idleness.
HIS NATURAL PIETY AND GREAT TALENTS.
Calvin was religious from his childhood as far as natural religion goes. ‘‘ No one at Noyon was so rigid as he in the observance of ecclesiastical regulations.”
‘When very young he was accustomed to pray in the open air under the vault of heaven.” And as his adversaries assure us, he ‘‘ was seen when a child joining in the religious processions, and carrying a sword with a cross-shaped hilt, by way of a crucifiz,” as persons now unwittingly carry crosses on their umbrellas, etc.
‘‘ Filled with horror at sin, he would often reprimand the disorders of his school-fellows with severity and even bitterness. Hence, as a canon of Noyon informs us, his fellow-students nicknamed him the accusative case. Amon them he was the representative of conscience and of duty,. so far was he from being what some of his calumniators have depicted him. The pale face and piercing eyes of the scholar of sixteen had already inspired his comrades with more respect than the black gowns of their masters; and this Picard youth, of timid air, was even then, by the seriousness of his conversation and life, an unconscious minister and reformer.
‘‘ Tt was not in these particulars alone that the youth of Noyon was already far above his school-fellows. He comprehended everything with inconceivable facility; he ran in his studies while his companions were lazily creeping along, and he impressed deeply on his profound genius what.others spend much time in learning superficially. Accordingly, his master was compelled to take him out of the classes, and introduce him singly to fresh studies.’’*
* D’Aubigné His. Ref. vol. iii. 476.
These are some of the gifts with which Calvin was ‘naturally endowed: the time for God the Spirit to grant him true wisdom by regenerating grace had not yet arrived.
THE FIRST PRINCIPLES OF TRUE REFORMATION.
A reformer without the grace of God in his heart is a reformer without any ruling principle save his own fluctuating fancy.
But for the enlightening, sustaining grace of God, the great leaders of the changes which took place in the 16th century would have fallen back horror-stricken and terrified at the persecution and death which threatened on every hand.
But enlightened by the light of God, and sustained by faith in Christ, they plodded forward determined never to sheathe their swords (their Bibles) until they had wrested from the Mother of Harlots the rights of men and the honour of God: °
The first principles of true reformation in personal, national, or church government, were sung by the heavenly host when the greatest Reformer, King, and Priest lay a babe in Bethlehem’s manger.
“‘ Glory to God in the highest, and cn earth peace, good will toward men” (Luke ii. 14). These are the first principles of sound government and true reformation, and principles to which all the children of God, by grace, are favourable.
A PHARISEE OF THE PHARISEES.
We now come to 1526, and Calvin is about seventeen years of age. He has finished his studies under his esteemed friend Cordier, and has just entered the College of Montaign: one of the two seminaries in Paris for training priests. But before calling the reader's attention to his conversion, we had better leave him for a time, a Pharisee of the Pharisees, while we walk about the land of his nativity and review the solemn events transpiring around him.
The true servants of Jesus are now being freely martyred, but Calvin is a rigid Papist, wrapped in the
darkness of the times, and like young Saul of Tarsus, he
HIS LIFE AND TIMES 13
ig ready to give his voice against them. Indeed, ‘so far from their sufferings drawing forth his sympathy, they, in his estimation, magnify the crimes of the martyrs and
- increase his detestation for men who dare to question the authority of the church.