first edition of his most famous work, The Institutes of the Christian Religion, which would go through five enlargements before reaching its present form in 1559. And we should not think that this was a merely academic exercise for Calvin. Years later he tells us what was driving him: But lo! while I lay hidden at Basel, and known only to few people, many faithful and holy persons were burnt alive in France.… It appeared to me, that unless I opposed [the perpetrators] to the utmost of my ability,