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

279
ten years later. Calvin wished a quiet place for study where he could
promote the cause of the Gospel by his pen. He lodged with his friend in
the house of Catharina Klein (Petita), who thirty years afterwards was the
hostess of another famous refugee, the philosopher, Petrus Ramus, and
spoke to him with enthusiasm of the young Calvin, “the light of France.” f448
He was kindly welcomed by Simon Grynaeus and Wolfgang Capito, the
heads of the university. He prosecuted with Grynaeus his study of the
Hebrew. He dedicated to him in gratitude his commentary on the Epistle to
the Romans (1539). He became acquainted also with Bullinger of Zürich,
who attended the conference of Reformed Swiss divines for the
preparation of the first Helvetic Confession (1536). f449
According to a Roman Catholic report, Calvin, in company with Bucer,
had a personal interview with Erasmus, to whom three years before he had
sent a copy of his commentary on Seneca with a high compliment to his
scholarship. The veteran scholar is reported to have said to Bucer on that
occasion that “a great pestilence was arising in the Church against the
Church.” f450 But Erasmus was too polite, thus to insult a stranger.
Moreover, he was then living at Freiburg in Germany and had broken off
all intercourse with Protestants. When he returned to Basel in July, 1536,
on his way to the Netherlands, he took sick and died; and at that time
Calvin was in Italy. The report therefore is an idle fiction. f451
Calvin avoided publicity and lived in scholarly seclusion. He spent in Basel
a year and a few months, from January, 1535, till about March, 1536.
§ 79. CALVIN’S INSTITUTES OF THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION.
1. The full title of the first edition is “CHRISTIA | NAE RELIGIONIS
INSTI | tutio totam fere pietatis summam et quic | quid est in
doctrina salutis cognitu ne- | cessarium, complectens: omnibus pie |
tatis studiosis lectu dignissi | mum opus, ac re- | cens edi- | tum. |
PRAEFATIO| AD CHRI | STIANISSIMUM REGEM FRANCAE, qua | hic ei
liber pro confessione fidei | offertur. | JOANNE CALVINO |
Nouiodunensi authore. | BASILEAE, | M. D. XXXVI.” The
dedicatory Preface is dated ‘X. Calendas Septembres’ (i.e. August
23), without the year; but at the close of the book the month of
March, 1536, is given as the date of publication. The first two
French editions (1541 and 1545) supplement the date of the Preface
correctly: “De Basle le vingt-troysiesme d’Aoust mil cinq cent