Calvin- The Giant of Noyon

By PA de Rover

This book retells the story of John Calvin from his days in Noyon when he wanted to sail the oceans, through his training as a priest, studying law in Orleans and theology in Paris. Calvin came to realise that a reformation in the Church was necessary, and he became a travelling minister of the Word in France. God led his path to Geneva, where he faced many years of struggle for the Reformation.

Despite hardships and disappointments, the fruits of the work of this servant of God have lasted the centuries and spread to all the continents.

Theodorus of Beza, Calvin’s successor in Geneva, in his book Life and Death of John Calvin, wrote:

"John Calvin lived fifty-four years, ten months and seventeen days, of which he spent half in the service of the holy gospel.

He was a man of medium height, pale and brownish of colour; bright-eyed until the day of his death; neither meticulous nor uncaring about his body but in keeping with his particular morals; modest in his conduct, rejecting all indecency and excess; taking little food, for many years eating only one meal daily, which also caused the weakness in his stomach.

He slept only a few hours each night, and possessed a fabulous memory. Despising of long-winded speech, he was sparing of words. His writing however was particularly stylish.

In dealings with other people, no one was more amiable than he, despite his somewhat ill-tempered and excitable character. His only weapon in life was God’s Word."

• Language: English
• Publisher: Pro Ecclesia Publishers
• Release date: Jan 13, 2022
• ISBN: 9781005225681

Book preview

CALVIN

THE GIANT OF NOYON

PA De Rover

Copyright 2005

First eBook edition 2022

First published in Dutch as Calvijn, de reus uit Noyon by Uitgeversmaatschappij De Graafschap, Aalten, The Netherlands.

Published by:

Pro Ecclesia Publishers

Armadale, Western Australia

www.proecclesia.com.au

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This book is available in print via the website shown above.

"No evil person has ever been able to

listen to him without trembling;

no good person without loving him."

Theodorus of Beza.

CONTENTS

Map

1. The lure of the river

2. Or... Will he become a priest?

3. John’s choice

4. The battle begins

5. The monster with a thousand arms

6. That one night!

7. ‘That Frenchman’

8. ‘Devouring wolves’

9. In the new Jerusalem

10. John and Idelette

11. A cardinal is unmasked

12. Calvin’s most difficult years

13. The worst blow

14. The dark page

15. The resistance is broken

16. Calvin’s last days

17. In conclusion

Footnotes

MAP

Places in France, Switzerland, Belgium and Germany mentioned in this book.

1. THE LURE OF THE RIVER

A strong wind blew across the Oise River.

It swept from across the hills and falls onto the water, stirring up menacing heads of white foam. The waves battered the unwieldy barges that lay tied up along the banks. The big boats were not greatly disturbed but simply broke the waves with their strong bows.

But the small dinghies tied behind the barges played their wild game with the waves, jumping the whitecaps like newborn foals in the meadow.

Grandfather Calvin is mending sails. There is nearly always something to do on a boat; and when that work is finished he moves onto making strong wooden casks, popular with the fishermen of the district.

What the old man likes best of all, though, is sailing the rivers of France. He is a bold and skilful sailor. Fighting against the gusty wind and pounding waves steels his blood. Even a storm on the mouth of the Seine does not frighten him!

His struggles with the elements of nature have made him a man of immovable character. He bows to nothing and no one but God alone.

Grandfather Calvin is thinking of his son Gerard, living in Noyon, who has inherited his father’s unbending character. He too, is not afraid … not of monks and priests, nor even of the powerful bishop.

Gerard has come a long way. He studied many laws to become a public accountant. One of his tasks is to collect the taxes for the clergy of the entire county, as well as for the bishop.

Gerard is a strict and just man, and as unbending as his father. Woe to the unjust, be he an ordinary priest, a prior of a monastery, a nobleman or a duke, or even the bishop himself.

When he thinks about that, a smile comes to grandfather Calvin’s weathered face.

He is a good son, with the character of his father, he mumbles to himself.

He looks up.

There they are again, the two mischief-makers! They are sure to be around when there is a strong wind blowing.

The two boys have spotted grandfather and run up to him across the gangplank.

Grandpa, may we go sailing? The waves are really good today! yells John, the younger of the two.

Grandfather smiles. He loves seeing Gerard’s two boys, and especially John, the younger one. The boy is only nine years old, but already has grown into quite a lad.

His character is much like those of his father and grandfather, and he is afraid of nothing.

If he is determined to do something... !

Yes, if his parents have their way John will become neither a sailor nor a cask-maker. He is at the top of his class at school. He has to hear something only once to remember it.

Grandfather looks at him. How can he possibly refuse the lad anything?

His gaze wanders away to look at the river. He observes the wildly moving waves. A passionate sailor himself, he appreciates the boys’ love for the water. He will always let them sail the dinghy... that is, nearly always. But not today! No, today the river is too dangerous.

Please Grandpa, may we?

No John, the water is too turbulent. If a wave crashes onto the dinghy you will drown.

But we can swim, grandpa, and... ah... I’ll make sure the dinghy won’t be swamped.

No John, you will not go sailing! grumbles grandfather.

He continues with his work.

John asks no more. He knows that he had better not dare jump into the dinghy. Grandfather would surely treat him with the end of a rope.

The boy gazes across the river with great longing in his eyes.

When I grow up, I will be a sailor too, Grandpa.

You won’t, my boy. You are going to study much and become a famous man.

A famous man? I don’t care about being famous. I want to sail, just like you. I want to fight against the wind and the waves.

Now Grandfather laughs.

There are plenty of things ashore that you can fight, John. Just look at your father. Sometimes he fights against the abbot of the Orscamps, and even against the bishop himself.

Yes, but he doesn’t really fight... with his fists.

That is not necessary, my boy. You can also fight against cheating and extortion. That is what your father does.

John is silent. He looks at the raging river and feels its lure. It is as though the waves are calling him.

Grandfather notices the longing in John’s eyes, but he is immovable.

Where is your brother Anton? he asks.

Anton? He’s chicken! Too scared to come! He is afraid of everything!

How is Maria? And your mother?

Mother said that tomorrow I am allowed to join the procession to the abbey of Orscamps. She wants me to become a priest, but I am going to be a sailor!

You’d better become a priest, John, or an abbot. Then you will be rich, and you can have a comfortable life.

Grandfather gets to his feet. The hours of sitting down have stiffened his joints. He stretches his legs and goes ashore. His house is a short distance away from the river.

And John?

John eyes the river once again. The rushing noise of the waves is enticing music to his ears. Which red-blooded sailor’s son is able to resist the lure of the river?

Come on, Charles, let’s go. Only for a little while!

No! Don’t! Grandpa said no! What if he comes back?

We’ll be back long before. Come on... !

John continues pleading until at last Charles succumbs.

In no time at all they untie the dancing dinghy’s rope and jump aboard. It seems to the two daredevil youngsters that the small boat has been waiting for them.

John pushes the dinghy away from the barge and... oh, it’s fantastic! There comes another wave... ! Up it goes... and down again... !

John straddles the dinghy’s seat like a cowboy straddles a run-away horse. He has forgotten grandfather and lost sight of all danger.

Charles, there comes a beauty! Hang on! John yells in excitement.

But the river is not to be trifled with. Close to the tiny craft a large breaker rears its ugly head and gives the dinghy a big shove so that it lurches to one side. The violent movement throws John out of the boat and into the water, where he immediately vanishes from sight.

A murderous mass of water foams and roars all around him.

Now he is in great danger. There... in the murky deep, that’s where death lurks.

No! He must not drown... He doesn’t want to... Up... he must go up, towards the light! He can swim, can’t he?

He swings his arms and legs.

Swim he must!

It works.

When he gets to the surface he spots the dinghy close by. There is Charles, who reaches over the side to pull him in.

But Charles misses. John grabs hold of the side, but the dinghy dances so furiously that he is forced to let go.

Then suddenly there is a strong hand... John is picked up by his clothes and swung roughly into the dinghy.

You disobedient little rascal!

With a dreadful shock John realises … Grandfather!

Returning to the barge, Grandfather had immediately realised what was going on. He had run quickly to get the dinghy of his neighbour’s barge, and with a few powerful strokes reached the boys’ dinghy. It was his hand that pulled the drowning boy from the river.

After taking the boys back to shore Grandfather gives John a hiding he will not soon forget.

Having completed the punishment he barks angrily, Now off with you, you rascals... to your Grandmother, to have your clothes dried! Don’t you e-v-e-r again dare disobey me. I ought to whip you dry with the tail of a rope!

John and Charles run to Grandmother who quickly stokes up the fire to make things warm and cosy. The boys do not dare go outside again until John’s clothes have dried. It would indeed be a sight... John in Grandfather’s undershirt.

After a while Grandfather comes home.

Well, you would-be sailors, I suppose that will make you think again about sailing a stormy river.

I’m still going to be a sailor, John insists stubbornly.

Grandfather smiles. He is no longer angry. The little terror is really a true son of his clan, the clan of sailors of the Oise.

But to John he says, You will not become a sailor, John. Mark my word. And now off with you... go home!

It takes the boys less than half an hour to get home.

The house is situated at the Cornmarket in the city of Noyon.

Where have you been all afternoon? the boys’ mother asks.

John tells her what happened. Then he adds, But my clothes have already dried Mother. Here, just feel for yourself.

Mother is shocked. She looks at him with her large dark eyes?... eyes that are as soft as the softest velvet.

She says, Grandfather is right, John. You know that your father does not want you to be a sailor. He wants you to study?... to learn a lot, and develop your talents. I would sooner see you become a priest. How can anyone possibly serve God better than by being a priest? Maybe one day you will even be the abbot of a monastery...

John has no defence against Mother’s eyes.

He does not answer.

2. OR... WILL HE BECOME A PRIEST?

Noyon is celebrating.

It is still early in the morning when the bells of the cathedral start ringing.

John wakes up from the sound, and pokes Charles in the ribs. He shares an old-fashioned cupboard-bed with his brother.

Wake up, Charles... today is the day! The church bells are ringing!

Bells or no bells, for that push I will pay you back, Charles replies, and a proper scuffle begins in the half darkness.

Then mother walks in.

Boys, boys, you mustn’t fight, she admonishes. What if your father hears it?

"John pushed me Mother, and I have to pay him