Nicholas Cop was appointed as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Paris, a prestigious and important position. However, Cop had a secret he supported the ideas of the religious reformers. He was also a close friend of John Calvin, who would later become a key leader of the Protestant Reformation. As Vice-Chancellor, Cop had to give an important speech at the beginning of the academic year. This speech was meant to address the faculty and students of the university. Calvin, who strongly believed in the idea of justification by faith, convinced Cop to make his speech about this topic. In fact, Calvin even wrote the speech for him.

At first, Cop was hesitant. He knew that speaking openly about justification by faith a central belief of the reformers was dangerous. The University of Paris was a stronghold of Catholic tradition, and anyone who challenged its teachings could be accused of heresy. If Cop went through with the speech, he could be arrested or worse. Despite his fears, he eventually agreed to deliver it. When Cop gave his speech, the reaction was swift and severe. Many people in the university were outraged, and it didn’t take long before Cop’s life was in danger. Fearing arrest, he fled to Switzerland, where he would be safe. He never returned to France. Meanwhile, Calvin also found himself in trouble. Authorities wanted to arrest him because of his connection to Cop and the speech. As officers closed in on him at the College de Forteret, Calvin had to think fast. In a daring escape, he jumped out of his dormitory window, using a bedsheet to slide down to the ground. From there, he ran away on foot, managing to avoid capture.

Even though Calvin had escaped, he was not ready to give up on spreading his beliefs. After some time, he returned to Paris and continued sharing the message of religious reform. He did this quietly, often going door to door and offering Bible studies to anyone who was interested. However, his activities did not go unnoticed. The final turning point came with the Affair of the Placards, a scandal in which posters attacking the Catholic Mass were put-up all-over France, including in the king’s bedroom. This event led to severe crackdowns on reformers. As a result, Calvin was forced to leave France for good.