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The Great Controversy
of myself; but God is my Father; He has provided and always will
provide me the strength which I require.”—D’Aubigne, History of the
Reformation of the Sixteenth Century, b. 12, ch. 9.
As in apostolic days, persecution had “fallen out rather unto the
furtherance of the gospel.”
Philippians 1:12
. Driven from Paris and
Meaux, “they that were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching
the word.”
Acts 8:4
. And thus the light found its way into many of the
remote provinces of France.
God was still preparing workers to extend His cause. In one of the
schools of Paris was a thoughtful, quiet youth, already giving evidence
of a powerful and penetrating mind, and no less marked for the blame-
lessness of his life than for intellectual ardor and religious devotion.
His genius and application soon made him the pride of the college,
and it was confidently anticipated that John Calvin would become
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one of the ablest and most honored defenders of the church. But a
ray of divine light penetrated even within the walls of scholasticism
and superstition by which Calvin was enclosed. He heard of the new
doctrines with a shudder, nothing doubting that the heretics deserved
the fire to which they were given. Yet all unwittingly he was brought
face to face with the heresy and forced to test the power of Romish
theology to combat the Protestant teaching.
A cousin of Calvin’s, who had joined the Reformers, was in Paris.
The two kinsmen often met and discussed together the matters that
were disturbing Christendom. “There are but two religions in the
world,” said Olivetan, the Protestant. “The one class of religions are
those which men have invented, in all of which man saves himself
by ceremonies and good works; the other is that one religion which
is revealed in the Bible, and which teaches man to look for salvation
solely from the free grace of God.”
“I will have none of your new doctrines,” exclaimed Calvin; “think
you that I have lived in error all my days?”—Wylie, b. 13, ch. 7.
But thoughts had been awakened in his mind which he could not
banish at will. Alone in his chamber he pondered upon his cousin’s
words. Conviction of sin fastened upon him; he saw himself, without
an intercessor, in the presence of a holy and just Judge. The mediation
of saints, good works, the ceremonies of the church, all were powerless
to atone for sin. He could see before him nothing but the blackness of
eternal despair. In vain the doctors of the church endeavored to relieve