After Calvin returned to Paris he became close friends with Nicholas Cop who had been appointed as Rector of the University of Paris. Cop was a closet protestant. As the newly appointed rector of the university Cop was scheduled to present his inaugural address from the academic year on the 1st of November. Calvin viewed the address as an opportunity to spread the gospel to the most educated minds in France.
He proposed that Cop present a sermon on salvation by faith in Christ alone. Cop balked at the proposal, knowing full well that presenting it would lead to certain death. The university was vehemently opposed to Protestantism at this time. If Cop had revealed his allegiance so publicly, he would have exposed himself to charges of heresy and a swift trial. Calvin disagreed, arguing that his position as rector offered him immunity from such charges. He offered to write the speech for Cop who was finally swayed by his arguments and agreed to the scheme.
Cop delivered the speech with enthusiasm to an audience who watched him in slack-jawed disbelief. Their shock soon turned to rage. Cop was summoned by the parliament of Paris, which at the time acted as the national tribunal responsible for trying and sentencing heretics. Copy accepted the summons, banking on his role as rector of the university to provide him with a modicum of safety.
However, while he was processing through the streets of Paris on his way to the Palais de la Justice a stranger broke through the crowd lining the street, pulled him into an embrace, and whispered a warning in his ear. He was told that the parliament would arrest him, try him for heresy, and burn him without hesitation. Terrified by the news, Cop managed to evade his escort and leave Paris. He made his way to Switzerland where he remained in exile for the rest of his life.
Meanwhile, Calvin was safely holed up in his dorm room at the College de Forteret, assuming that his role in the debacle remained anonymous. He was sadly mistaken. Unbeknown to him the king's lieutenant Jean Morin had been watching him for several weeks. Morin was aware that Clavin was both the instigator and author of Cop’s speech. When Cop went into hiding, Morin sent his men to arrest Calvin who was warned by his friends of his impending arrest just as the king’s men were storming the premises. Trapped in his room Calvin fashioned a rope out of his bed sheets and with the help of his friends escaped through his window into the street below. He spent the night in the countryside with a farmer who was a known Protestant and then, disguised as a farm hand managed to escape to Angouleme were spent several months with friends, the Du Tillet family where he began work on his famous treatise The Institutes of Christian Religion.
While in Angouleme Calvin visited the aged Protestant stalwart LeFevre. As their meeting was coming to a close LeFevre is said to have grasped Calvin’s hand and said, “Young man, you will one day be a powerful instrument in the Lord’s hands; God will make use of you to restore the kingdom of heaven in France”. The visit provided much-needed encouragement to the young reformer and much-needed comfort to the older one.
