a center of the new learning, under the teaching of Lefevre and Farel. There was a growing religious excitement in the university, in the court, and even among the bishops. But the king was soon induced to take active measures to quell this rising spirit; and Calvin and others were obliged to flee for their lives. After this he resigned the preferment he held in the Roman Catholic church, and about two years led a wandering life, sheltered in various places. Persecution against the Protestants at this time raged so hotly that Calvin was no longer safe in France, and he went to Basel, where he is supposed to have prepared the first edition of the "Institutes of the Christian Religion," which he issued in 1535. It is a noble defense of the righteous character of the reformed doctrines.

Calvin intended to devote his time advocating the reformed doctrines at different places, but on reaching Geneva, he was persuaded to remain there for some time; this he did nearly two years, and resulted in giving great strength to the Reformation. The magistrates and people joined with the reformers. A Protestant confession of faith was drawn up, and approved by the council of 200, the largest governing board of the city. But with many it was too strict; this produced a re-action, and in less than two years Calvin was expelled from the city; he retreated to Strassburg. There, in October, 1539, he married the widow of a converted Anabaptist. This marriage proved to be a happy one. After three years of absence, in the autumn of 1541, Calvin was recalled to Geneva, and he succeeded in establishing his plan of church government in all its details. The libertines joined in the invitation for Calvin to return to the city, yet in a short time they were opposed to his strict rules which continued for fifteen years, when the reformer's authority was confirmed into an absolute supremacy.

Calvin was very zealous in maintaining his opinions, and this resulted in sharp debates with those who did not agree with him. Jerome Balsec disputed Calvin's doctrine of predestination. The latter informed him that he was not at liberty to question the Geneva doctrine. Balsec was sentenced to banishment. The act of Calvin in condemning Michael Servetus to be put to death as a heretic is certainly reprehensible. He was burned at the stake, October 27, 1553. Calvin asked for a less severe method of putting him to death.

Calvin died on the 27th of May, 1569.

Coverdale.

Coverdale, Miles, was born in Yorkshire, England, in 1487. He was educated at Cambridge by the Augustin friars, and became an Augustin monk; he was ordained at Norwick. He soon changed his religious opinions, and devoted himself earnestly to the work of the Reformation.

In 1532 he assisted Tyndale with his translation of the Script

ures, and three years later appeared his own translation of the Bible, with a dedication by himself to king Henry VIII. This was the first English Bible sanctioned by royal authority; in fact it was the first complete translation of the Bible printed in the English language. The Psalms of this translation are those still used in the Book of Common Prayer. In 1538 Coverdale, with the consent of king Henry VIII. and with the permission of Francis I., went to Paris to superintend another English edition of the Scriptures. His reason for going to Paris was that paper and workmanship were cheaper and better there than in England. The Inquisition, however, notwithstanding the royal license of France, interfered, and seized the whole impression, consisting of 2,500 copies, and condemned them to the flames. But through the cupidity of one of their officers, who sold a considerable number of the heretical books for waste paper, some copies were saved and brought to London along with the presses, type, etc., which had been employed in printing them. Several of the workmen also came over to London; and Grafton and Whitchurch, the noted printers of that day, were thus enabled to bring out, in 1539, under Coverdale's superintendence, the great Bible, commonly called Cranmer's Bible, on account of that prelate having written a preface to it.

In 1551 Coverdale was appointed to the see of Exeter, the duties of which he discharged with great zeal, until the ascension of Mary in 1553, when he was ejected, and thrown into prison, from which he was only released after two years' confinement on the earnest intercession of the king of Denmark, whose interest was evoked by his chaplain, Coverdale's brother-in-law, and on the condition that he should leave the country. He went to Denmark, and subsequently to Geneva, where he assisted in producing the Geneva Translation of the Scriptures (1557-60.) On the accession of Elizabeth, he returned to England. It was not until 1564 that he was collated to the rectory of St. Magnus, London. He died in about 1568.

Cranmer.

Cranmer, Thomas, one of the chief reformers of the English church, and the first Protestant archbishop of Canterbury, was born at Aslacton, in the county of Nottingham, on July 2nd, 1489. In his 14th year he went to Jesus College, Cambridge, of which he was elected a fellow in 1510. He devoted himself diligently to the study of the learned languages, and also to the Scriptures. In his 23rd year he married, and so lost his fellowship; but his wife dying about a year after marriage, he was restored to it by his college. In 1523, he took his D. D. degree, and was appointed lecturer on theology.

In 1528 king Henry VIII. was seriously concerned about his divorce from Catharine of Aragon, and in conversation on the sub

ject with Gardiner and Fox, Cranmer suggested that the question should be "tried according to the word of God." Henry was greatly pleased at this. From this time Henry never lost sight of Cranmer. He was asked to reduce his suggestion to writing, and to have it submitted to the European universities. After this he was appointed archdeacon of Taunton, and one of the royal chaplains. He was also sent to Rome about the divorce, but met with little success. Subsequenlty he was dispatched to the emperor on the same errand, and while in Germany he married, a second time, a niece of the German divine, Oslander. This took place in 1532; and shortly afterwards, on the death of archbishop Warham, he was recalled to fill the vacant see. Under his auspices Henry's divorce was speedily carried through, and Cranmer married the king to Anne Boleyn on the 28th of May, 1533. In Anne's subsequent disgrace, and again, in the affair Anne Cleaves, the archbishop took a part not very creditable to himself. His position was no doubt a difficult one; but his character was naturally pliable and timid. He was instrumental in promoting the translation of the Scriptures. On the death of Henry VIII., Cranmer was appointed one of the regents of the kingdom and, with Latimer and others, largely contributed to the advance of the Protestant cause during the reign of Edward. He assisted in the compilation of the service book and the articles of religion. The latter are said to have been chiefly composed by him. On the accession of Mary he was committed to the Tower, with Latimer and Ridley. In March, 1554, they were removed to Oxford, and confined there in the common prison. Latimer and Ridley bore their cruel fate with magnanimous courage; but the spirit and principles of Cranmer temporarily gave way under the severity of his sufferings. He was induced, in the hope of saving his life, to sign no fewer than six recantations; but his enemies were determined to be satisfied by nothing short of his death. On the 21st of March, 1556, he suffered martyrdom. His courage returned at the end; he died protesting his repentance for his unworthy weakness in changing his faith, and he showed unexpected fortitude in the midst of the flames.

Erasmus.

Erasmus, Desiderius, a vigorous promoter of the Reformation, was born at Rotterdam, October 28, 1467. Till his ninth year he was a chorister in the cathedral at Utrecht. He was then sent to school at Deventer. After the death of his parents, at the age of fourteen, his guardians determined to bring him up to a religious life, and in his seventeenth year placed him in the monastery of Emaus. After taking priest's orders in 1492, he went to Paris to perfect himself in theology. Here he supported himself by giving private lectures. In 1506 he visited Italy to enrich his knowledge.