1532. ~ was Profeffor in Law in the University of Francis I. Bourges in Berry; Calvin went thither, and Pope meeting in that City fome Perfons who had al- Clement ready inibibed the Lutheran Opinions, (amongst VII. whom were fome Monks, Doctors in Divinity, and Melchior Wolmar a German who had been made Profeffor in Greek by the Queen of Na+ varr,) he had feveral Conferences with them, particularly with Wolmar, who engaged him to apply himself to the Study of the Greek and He brew; which he did, and reaped great Benefit from it. Whilft he was a Student at Bourges, he preached feveral times at Ligneres a place in the Neighbourhood, where he was kindly receiv+ ed by the Lord of the Manour and his Lady. From Bourges he went to Paris, where by his Conferences and Exhortations, he increafed the number of the Reformed. But Cop, Rector of the Univerfity having delivered a Speech of Calvin's dictating, was fummoned before the Parliament, and he and Calvin were obliged to abfcond, themselves, and to quit Paris; Cop went to Bafil, and Calvin into Saintonge, where he fpread his Doctrine with Succefs, and likewife in Poitou; he had a Conference at Nerac with Fabri and Ruffi alias Ruffel, whom he found concurring almost in the fame Principles with himself; then he came back to Paris: At laft, having been forced by Perfecution to leave the Kingdom, he went to Bafil, where he stayed for fome time, and published there his Christian Institutes, which he dedicated to Francis I. But that Prince,.. being prejudiced against all Works of that nature, would never read it. From Bafil, Calvin went into Italy, where he was very kindly received by the Dutchefs of Ferrara, Daughter to the late King Lewis XII. who fhewed a great regard for 3 all Francis I. all fuch as laboured to procure a Reformation of 1532. Abules. H Pope Clément From thence he returned into France, where VII. having fettled his private Bufinefs, he intended to go to Strafbourg or to Bazil, having, along with him, his only Brother Anthony Calvin but the War being kindled, as there was no other free paffage, but through the Dominions of the Duke of Savoy, he took that road and came to Geneva, where yielding to the ftrong intrea ties of William Farel, he accepted of a place of Paftor of the Church, and Profeffor of Divinity; this was in Auguft, 1536. In 1538, He, Farel, and another Minister, received an Order from the Magiftrate, to depart the City in two days, because they had refused to adminifter the Holy Supper on account of the depravation of Manners, which was still at Geneva, and of the Divifions which reigned amongst the principal Families. Calvin came to Strasbourg, where he was very kindly received by Bucer and Capito. He founded a French Church at Strafbourg, and was, the firft Minifter of it and befides that, he was made Profeffor in Divinity. Two Years after, at the inftance of the Divines of Strafburg, he affifted at the Diet of Worms, convened by the Emperor to compofe, if it was poffible, the differences of Religion. In the mean while, thofe of Geneva made fo many inftances and intreaties to regain him, that at last, he returned amongst them the 13th of September 1541, to the great Satisfaction of the People and Magiftrates. The first thing he did, was to fettle a Form of Difcipline, and a confiftorial Jurifdiction, to which the right of censuring, and inflicting canonical Punishments, even the Excommunication, fhould belong. IX. He ended his days at Geneva the 27th of May, Francis I. 1564, in the 55th Year of his Age. He was a 1532. Man of great Wit, exquifite Judgment, great Clement Pope Learning, eloquent, zealous for the Truth, and VII. extreamly laborious; though of a very weak Conftitution as to his Body (d). I thought proper to infert here this fhort account of that great Man, who has fo well deferved from Pofterity. I come back to the Year 1532. The City of Thoulouse had been famous for its Trade, and for The Refor Jurifprudence; but its Parliament had been always preached at deemed the bloodieft of France against thofe whom Thoulouse, they called Hereticks. Its University had been for a long time averfe from the ftudy of Languages, and of all polite Learning: The Inhabitants were fo Superftitious, that at the time I am fpeaking of, if a Man bowed not before an Image, or tafted of fome Flefh in forbidden Days, it was enough to be condemned as an Heretick (e). mation But the most learned and induftrious Julius and how Cæfar De la Scala, or Scaliger, whofe Ancestors received. had been Lords of Verona, Vicenza, and other places ufurped from them by the Venetians, being come into that Country, with Marc Anthony de la Romée an Italian Bifhop, there happened a confiderable Alteration in all fober Minds: With Learning, the knowledge of Truth was introduced amongst them; and feveral having embraced the New Opinions, were condemned and executed for the fame, amongst whom was John de Caturce, a Licentiate in Law, burnt the beginning of June 1532. Margaret Queen of Navarr, endeavoured to Margarit Queen of mollify the King her Brother, the employed for Navarr that purpose, William Parvi Bishop of Senlis, who was the King's Confeffor, and who to pleafe her, ces the Repuhlifhed formation. (d) Bayle's Dict. Article Calvin. Beze Eccle. Hilt. Bɔɔk 1. Drelincourt, defense de Calvin. (e) Beze p. 10, 11. countenan Francis I. publifhed the Primer tranflated into French, out 2533. rour of the Sinner's Soul, wherein many things were found contrary to the Rites of the Roman Church, for there was not a word of the Saints of either Sex, nor of the merits of Works, nor of any other Purgatory, befides Chrift's Blood; nay, the very Prayer called Salve Regina, was tranflated into French, and applied to Chrift. These things incenfed the Sorbonifts; they were fo bold as to inveigh against her Majefty in their Sermons; nay, they carried their Impudence fo far as to act a Comedy in the College of Navarr, wherein the Queen was reprefented in the Shape of a Hellish Fury, and they condemned her Bock. The Queen made her complaints of thefe difrefpectful Ufages to the King her Brother: Some of the Actors were put in Prifon, and the King willing to know the reafons, on which the condemnation of the Book was grounded, the Univerfity thought fit to difavow exprefly the cenfure of the Sorbonifts (f). 小 Things were fo well contrived by the Queen of Navarr's means, that Paris was provided with three of the best Preachers in the Kingdom, viz. Ruffel, Bertault, and Courault, who preached the Truth with a greater freedom than the times feemed to allow Bertault and Couralt were Auftin's Fryars. But the Sorbonne pursued them fo eagerly, that they were forbidden the Pulpit; however, they agreed together to make private Lectures, inftead of Sermons. The Sorbonifts could neither endure this: They found Credit enough to have Ruffel fent to Goals and Courault was detained Prifoner in the ) Beze Hist. Eccl. lib. i. p. 13, 14, 15 Bishop Bishop of Paris's Palace; Bertault recanted pub- Francis I. lickly, and was made Canon of the Cathedral of 1534 Befanzon. Pope. Clement For all that, the Tryal of the two Prifoners took quite another turn than was expected by their Perfecutors; Beda and Piccart,, two of them, drew upon themfelves the King's difpleasure by their feditious Sermons, the firft was fent in Exile to the Mount St. Michael, where he died, and the other was banished from Paris for fome time; Ruffel and Courault were fet at Liberty, with a prohibition to preach any more, or to make any Lecture, Ruffel ftay'd with the Queen of Navarr, and by his Diffembling he was promoted to the Abbey of Clerac, and then to the See of Oleron as abovefaid. Courault went into Switzerland, then into Savoy, and died at Geneva, being one of the Minifters of the Church there. Such having been the iffue of that Affair, if the Reformed at Paris had waited patiently for a better time, very likely, the King would have re- tion to it. lifhed the Truth by degrees; his Sifter, and the Bishop of Paris with his Brother Monf. Du Langey, having fo far prevailed with him, as to make him fend an Invitation to Melanchton, to come into France, being defirous to hear him about the points then controverted in Religion (g) } 4 XI. Francis Is Inclina cards and But the prepofterous and indifcreet Zeal of XII, fome, quite altered his good Intentions. About The Pla the End of 1534, they affixed in the publick their EfPlaces at Paris, and at the Louvre's Gates, nay feats. to the King's own Apartment, fome Articles against the Tenets of the Church of Rome, penned in words very injurious and unbecoming. The King hearing of this at Blois, where he was at that time, was extreamly incenfed, being incited to it by their Enemies, particularly by the Conftable (g) Beze Ibid. p. 15, 16. |