Schaff - History of the Christian Church Vol. 8 - Media Sabda Org

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CHAPTER 9.
FROM FRANCE TO SWITZERLAND.
§ 69. CALVIN’S YOUTH AND TRAINING.
Calvini Opera, vol. XXI. (1879).—On Noyon and the family of
Calvin, JACQUES LE VASSEUR (Dr. of theology, canon and dean of the
cathedral of Noyon): Annales de l’église cathédrale de Noyon. Paris,
1633, 2 vols. 4°.—JACQUES DESMAY(Dr. of the Sorbonne and vicargeneral
of the diocese of Rouen): Remarques sur la vie de Jean Calvin
tirées des Registres de Noyon, lieu de sa naissance. Rouen, 1621.
Thomas M’Crie (d. 1835): The Early Years of Calvin. A Fragment.
1509–1536. Ed. by William Ferguson. Edinburgh, 1880 (199 pp.). A
posthumous work of the learned biographer of Knox and Melville.
Abel Lefranc: La Jeunesse de Calvin. Paris (33 rue de Seine), 228 pp.
Comp. the biographies of Calvin by HENRY, large work, vol. I. chs.
I.–VIII. (small ed. 1846, pp. 12–29); DYER (1850), pp. 4–10;
STÄHELIN (1862) I. 3–12; *KAMPSCHULTE (1869), I. 221–225.
“As David was taken from the sheepfold and elevated to the rank of
supreme authority; so God having taken me from my originally obscure
and humble condition, has reckoned me worthy of being invested with the
honorable office of a preacher and minister of the gospel. When I was yet a
very little boy, my father had destined me for the study of theology. But
afterwards, when he considered that the legal profession commonly raised
those who follow it, to wealth, this prospect induced him suddenly to
change his purpose. Thus it came to pass, that I was withdrawn from the
study of philosophy and was put to the study of law. To this pursuit I
endeavored faithfully to apply myself, in obedience to the will of my father;
but God, by the secret guidance of his providence, at length gave a
different direction to my course. And first, since I was too obstinately
devoted to the superstitions of popery to be easily extricated from so
profound an abyss of mire, God by a sudden conversion subdued and
brought my mind to a teachable frame, which was more burdened in such