disguised himself in the garments of his host , and , shouldering a hoe , started on his journey . Traveling southward , he again found refuge in the dominions of Margaret . ( See D ' Aubigne , History of the Reformation in Europe in the Time of Calvin , b . 2 , ch . 30 .)
Here for a few months he remained , safe under the protection of powerful friends , and engaged as before in study . But his heart was set upon the evangelization of France , and he could not long remain inactive . As soon as the storm had somewhat abated , he sought a new field of labour in Poitiers , where was a university , and where already the new opinions had found favour . Persons of all classes gladly listened to the gospel . There was no public preaching , but in the home of the chief magistrate , in his own lodgings , and sometimes in a public garden , Calvin opened the words of eternal life to those who desired to listen . After a time , as the number of hearers increased , it was thought safer to assemble outside the city . A cave in the side of a deep and narrow gorge , where trees and overhanging rocks made the seclusion still more complete , was chosen as the place of meeting . Little companies , leaving the city by different routes , found their way hither . In this retired spot the Bible was read aloud and explained . Here the Lord ' s Supper was celebrated for the first time by the Protestants of France . From this little church several faithful evangelists were sent out .
Once more Calvin returned to Paris . He could not even yet relinquish the hope that France as a nation would accept the Reformation . But he found almost every door of labour closed . To teach the gospel was to take the direct road to the stake , and he at last determined to depart to Germany . Scarcely had he left France when a storm burst over the Protestants , that , had he remained , must surely have involved him in the general ruin . The French Reformers , eager to see their country keeping pace with Germany and Switzerland , determined to strike a bold blow against the superstitions of Rome , that should arouse the whole nation . Accordingly placards attacking the mass were in one night posted all over France . Instead of advancing the reform , this zealous but ill-judged movement brought ruin , not only upon its propagators , but upon the friends of the reformed faith throughout France . It gave the Romanists what they had long desired--a pretext for demanding the utter destruction of the heretics as agitators dangerous to the stability of the throne and the peace of the nation .
By some secret hand--whether of indiscreet friend or wily foe was never known--one of the placards was attached to the door of the king ' s private chamber . The monarch was filled with horror . In this paper , superstitions that had received the veneration of ages were attacked with an unsparing hand . And the unexampled boldness of obtruding these plain and startling utterances into the royal presence aroused the wrath of the king . In his amazement he stood for a little time trembling and speechless . Then his rage found utterance in the terrible words : " Let all be seized without distinction who are suspected of Lutheresy . I will exterminate them all . -- Ibid ., b . 4 , ch . 10 . The die was cast . The king had determined to throw himself fully on the side of Rome .
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