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Institutes of The Christian Religion
John Calvin
Lesson One
Historical Context
Adult Education Class for RMPCA, class begins May 9,
2004
stored on the net at:
http://www.dakotacom.net/~rmwillia/lesson1_essay.html
I'm rather nervous about teaching, for someone who doesn't
interact well (or very often) with others, this is a bother (the
nervousness, not the effort to study). *grin* To help counter that i
am going to write an essay for each lesson and have it open as a
reference for the class.
Outline:
1. Purpose:
A.
first in asking questions trying to assertain where the average
person is in their understanding of the Reformation
B. build a
timeline on a white board that will be a reference for the rest of
the class
C. put people, events, into context
2.
Timeline
........Timeline http://chaos1.hypermart.net/reform/
extraordinarily well done timeline from 1480 to 1700 with the major
reformers lifespans interlaced with the crucial events. this would be
a real asset to family's homeschooling check out the charts available
from the website. Printed in the packet of readings is:
http://www.eldrbarry.net/heidel/rt.pdf
influences
into Calvin, influences out of Calvin's writings and work at Geneva,
culminating in the WCF, the image of a coin sleeve adaptor.
3.
Lead in to lesson two- influences on Calvin throughout his
life
........Straightforward, summary of Calvin's life at:
http://www.thirdmill.org/files/english/html/ch/CH.Arnold.RMT.7.HTML
and
http://www.thirdmill.org/files/english/html/ch/CH.Arnold.RMT.8.HTML
the
first link is included as a secondary reading.
........I am
looking for a nice essay on the relationship of Luther and Calvin,
the point being that Calvin was a 2nd generation reformer and a
systematizer not a trailblazer like
Luther.
http://incolor.inebraska.com/stuart/cr2.htm
Essay:
Ask why people are here. What do they expect to get out of the class?
Purposes for this lesson:
I have two reasons
for spending a half an hour of the class building a timeline. The
first is for me to try to understand what the average member of the
class knows about the Reformation, Luther and Calvin and _Institutes_
itself. I know that the potential exists for people here to have
taken Dr. Oberman's Reformation history class at the university, for
people to have been to seminary, and for several people to have read
Institutes. For I have seen McNeill's two volume Battle's translation
underneath church member's arms in the past.
By way of
introduction. I read Calvin's Institutes for the first time in the
late 1970's, probably 78 when i restarted a BA after almost 5 years
in the army. At that time it was a copy of Henry Beveridge's
translation from the 1840's. I read the Battle's translation for a
special study at Westminster West on the topic of Church and State
with particular attention to Michael Servetus, a topic i will return
to several times over this class. I reread both the two volume
Battle's and the one volume Battle's translation of the 1536 version
in the last 3 weeks to prepare for this class. I wish it were
possible, or even wise to recommend that everyone stop their normal
life's activities and do the same thing, but i know that is neither
possible, nor probably even desirable, no matter how important and
interesting the book appears to me. But i believe that reading about
15 pages each week is doable, both from a -that is interesting-
standpoint, and from a practical view concerning your time and
competing activities. This versus over 100 pages per week needed to
read the whole thing in the time space allotted for the class,
something which i would be afraid would disinterest and bore the
majority of people here today, probably turning you off to Calvin for
life.
the timeline:
I'd like to get started.
As i am looking for answers, not just to the questions of who, what
and when, but even more importantly to gauge the average class
members knowledge, if you have specialized and detailed knowledge
that is probably well above the average, try to refrain from just
filling in the blanks here. I really need to learn what is known now
by people so that i can tailor both my words and teaching to the
general student.
http://chaos1.hypermart.net/reform/
1.
the Reformation 1453-1642 anchors are: fall of Constantinople, WCF,
why these 2?
People
Luther: b 1483 Germany, d 1546,
ordained 1507, 1517 95 theses, 1521 Diet of Worms, 1525 marries a
former nun.
http://historymedren.about.com/library/who/blwwluther.htm
Zwingli
b. 1484 and d in battle 1531, Zwingli is important 1)Swiss 2)stands
on many important issues between Luther and Calvin
Calvin: b
1509 France, d 1564, converted 1532/3, 1536 Geneva stop 1, citizen of
Geneva 1559
http://elvis.rowan.edu/~kilroy/JEK/05/27.html
http://www.tlogical.net/biocalvin.htm
next
week's class is about Calvin, i'll have lots more biography and time
to put the pieces into context then.
Knox b 1513 d. 1572 in
Scotland, mention him 1-studied with Calvin, 2-English speaking
world
1530, Luther and Philipp Melanchthon issued the Augsburg
Confession
1559 Calvin and Beza found the New Geneva Academy
2.
the life of Luther and Calvin, attention to 10 year overlap, they
knew of each other's writing but never met. Institutes's patterned as
Catechism after Smaller C which in turn was an exposition Lord's
Prayer and Apostle's Creed. The relationship of Luther to Melanchthon
and Calvin to Beza.
Key Events
the endpoints:
1453-Constantinople, 1642-WCF why these two?
1517-95
Theses
1530-->1555 German wars: of religion, peasants ....
1562--->1598(nantes) French Wars of religion, 1572(st bartholomews
day),
http://www.timelines.info/history/conflict_and_war/15th_-_17th_century_conflicts/french_wars_of_religion/
1553
Servetus
4. try to get an idea of the compression and
driving intellectual forces, contrast with our own day with
technological pressures, their's were issues of politics and faith.
Put ourselves in 1604. look forward(future) to Westminster Assembly.
Look at dates and extent of the German and French wars of religion.
How many killed vs. numbers from WW2. Look at the plague dates and %
death. Compare auto with printing press, technology as a driving
force but not a sufficient explanation. This time period is probably
the most ferment/violent even exceeding the 20thC.
institutes:
3.
writing the Institutes, when, purpose, language, contrast to final
edition, Is institutes a scholarly work? To whom is it addressed?
1st
1536, first french 1541, last 1559, significance of being in latin:
to obscure, to internationalize
where was Calvin when he wrote
it?
influences
The image and illustration of the two
triangles
time, people events into institutes. institutes out of
Calvin's mind and how it influences the world.
Where is Calvin
looking as he writes the 1st edition? What books potentially are on
his table as he writes?
The third class will be on the changes
through the editions and what this shows about the structure of
Calvin's thought and what was really important to him.
but for
now, what are the threads we need to have in mind as we read him and
about him?
When i get a new book in the mail, a not-uncommon
occurrence i have this little systematic way to introduce myself to
the book. For i look at books like people, for they are a distilled,
boiled down, what-is-most-important about me. So like your eyes dart
from a person's face to his clothes, his hands, when you are first
meeting someone, you need to do the same thing with a book. Now
Calvin has given us several pieces of this introduction with
Institutes.
from the
Institutes:
http://www.crta.org/books/institutes/epistle.html
The
Epistle to the Reader
[Prefixed to the second edition,
published at Strasburg in 1539.]
In the First Edition of this
work, having no expectation of the success which God has, in his
goodness, been pleased to give it, I had, for the greater part,
performed my office perfunctorily, as is usual in trivial
undertakings. But when I perceived that almost all the godly had
received it with a favour which I had never dared to wish, far less
to hope for, being sincerely conscious that I had received much more
than I deserved, I thought I should be very ungrateful if I did not
endeavour, at least according to my humble ability, to respond to the
great kindness which had been expressed towards me, and which
spontaneously urged me to diligence. I therefore ask no other favour
from the studious for my new work than that which they have already
bestowed upon me beyond my merits. I feel so much obliged, that I
shall be satisfied if I am thought not to have made a bad return for
the gratitude I owe. This return I would have made much earlier, had
not the Lord, for almost two whole years, exercised me in an
extraordinary manner. But it is soon enough if well enough. I shall
think it has appeared in good season when I perceive that it produces
some fruit to the Church of God. I may add, that my object in this
work was to prepare and train students of theology for the study of
the Sacred Volume, so that they might both have an easy introduction
to it, and be able to proceed in it, with unfaltering step, seeing I
have endeavoured to give such a summary of religion in all its parts,
and have digested it into such an order as may make it not difficult
for any one, who is rightly acquainted with it, to ascertain both
what he ought principally to look for in Scripture, and also to what
head he ought to refer whatever is contained in it. Having thus, as
it were, paved the way, I shall not feel it necessary, in any
Commentaries on Scripture which I may afterwards publish, to enter
into long discussions of doctrines or dilate on common places, and
will, therefore, always compress them. In this way the pious reader
will be saved much trouble and weariness, provided he comes furnished
with a knowledge of the present work as an essential prerequisite. As
my Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans will give a specimen of
this plan, I would much rather let it speak for itself than declare
it in words. Farewell, dear reader, and if you derive any fruit from
my labours, give me the benefit of your prayers to the
Lord.
Strasbourg, 1st August 1539.
http://www.crta.org/books/institutes/orpreface.html
The
Original Translator's Preface.
Prefixed to the fourth edition
1581, and reprinted verbatim in all the subsequent
editions.
T[homas] N[orton], the Translator to the
Reader.
Good reader, here is now offered you, the fourth time
printed in English, M. Calvin's book of the Institution of Christian
Religion; a book of great labour to the author, and of great profit
to the Church of God. M. Calvin first wrote it when he was a young
man, a book of small volume, and since that season he has at sundry
times published it with new increases, still protesting at every
edition himself to be one of those qui scribendo proficiunt, et
proficiendo scribunt, which with their writing do grow in profiting,
and with their profiting do proceed in writing. At length having, in
many [of] his other works, travelled about exposition of sundry books
of the Scriptures, and in the same finding occasion to discourse of
sundry common-places and matters of doctrine, which being handled
according to the occasions of the text that were offered him, and not
in any other method, were not so ready for the reader's use, he
therefore entered into this purpose to enlarge this book of
Institutions, and therein to treat of all those titles and
commonplaces largely, with this intent, that whensoever any occasion
fell in his other books to treat of any such cause, he would not
newly amplify his books of commentaries and expositions therewith,
but refer his reader wholly to this storehouse and treasure of that
sort of divine learning. As age and weakness grew upon him, so he
hastened his labour; and, according to his petition to God, he in
manner ended his life with his work, for he lived not long after.
So
great a jewel was meet to be made most beneficial, that is to say,
applied to most common use. Therefore, in the very beginning of the
Queen's Majesty's most blessed reign, I translated it out of Latin
into English for the commodity of the Church of Christ, at the
special request of my dear friends of worthy memory, Reginald Wolfe
and Edward Whitchurch, the one her Majesty's printer for the Hebrew,
Greek, and Latin tongues, the other her Highness' printer of the
books of Common Prayer. I performed my work in the house of my said
friend, Edward Whitchurch, a man well known of upright heart and
dealing, an ancient zealous gospeller, as plain and true a friend as
ever I knew living, and as desirous to do anything to common good,
especially by the advancement of true religion.
At my said
first edition of this book, I considered how the author thereof had
of long time purposely laboured to write the same most exactly, and
to pack great plenty of matter in small room of words; yea, and those
so circumspectly and precisely ordered, to avoid the cavillations of
such as for enmity to the truth therein contained would gladly seek
and abuse all advantages which might be found by any oversight in
penning of it, that the sentences were thereby become so full as
nothing might well be added without idle superfluity, and again so
highly pared, that nothing could be minished without taking away some
necessary substance of matter therein expressed. This manner of
writing, beside the peculiar terms of arts and figures, and the
difficulty of the matters themselves, being throughout interlaced
with the school men's controversies, made a great hardness in the
author's own book, in that tongue wherein otherwise he is both
plentiful and easy, insomuch that it sufficeth not to read him once,
unless you can be content to read in vain. This consideration
encumbered me with great doubtfulness for the whole order and frame
of my translation. If I should follow the words, I saw that of
necessity the hardness in the translation must needs be greater than
was in the tongue wherein it was originally written. If I should
leave the course of words, and grant myself liberty after the natural
manner of my own tongue, to say that in English which I conceived to
be his meaning in Latin, I plainly perceived how hardly I might
escape error, and on the other side, in this matter of faith and
religion, how perilous it was to err. For I durst not presume to
warrant myself to have his meaning without his words. And they that
wet what it is to translate well and faithfully, especially in
matters of religion, do know that not the only grammatical
construction of words sufficeth, but the very building and order to
observe all advantages of vehemence or grace, by placing or accent of
words, maketh much to the true setting forth of a writer's mind.
In
the end, I rested upon this determination, to follow the words so
near as the phrase of the English tongue would suffer me. Which
purpose I so performed, that if the English book were printed in such
paper and letter as the Latin is, it should not exceed the Latin in
quantity. Whereby, beside all other commodities that a faithful
translation of so good a work may bring, this one benefit is moreover
provided for such as are desirous to attain some knowledge of the
Latin tongue, (which is, at this time, to be wished in many of those
men for whose profession this book most fitly serveth,) that they
shall not find any more English than shall suffice to construe the
Latin withal, except in such few places where the great difference of
the phrases of the languages enforced me: so that, comparing the one
with the other, they shall both profit in good matter, and furnish
themselves with understanding of that speech, wherein the greatest
treasures of knowledge are disclosed.
In the doing hereof, I
did not only trust mine own wit or ability, but examined my whole
doing from sentence to sentence throughout the whole book with
conference and overlooking of such learned men, as my translation
being allowed by their judgement, I did both satisfy mine own
conscience that I had done truly, and their approving of it might be
a good warrant to the reader that nothing should herein be delivered
him but sound, unmingled, and uncorrupted doctrine, even in such sort
as the author himself had first framed it. All that I wrote, the
grave, learned, and virtuous man, M. David Whitehead, (whom I name
with honourable remembrance,) did, among others, compare with the
Latin, examining every sentence throughout the whole book. Beside all
this, I privately required many, and generally all men with whom I
ever had any talk of this matter, that if they found anything either
not truly translated, or not plainly Englished, they would inform me
thereof, promising either to satisfy them or to amend it. Since which
time, I have not been advertised by any man of anything which they
would require to be altered. Neither had I myself, by reason of my
profession, being otherwise occupied, any leisure to peruse it. And
that is the cause, why not only at the second and third time, but
also at this impression, you have no change at all in the work, but
altogether as it was before.
Indeed, I perceived many men
well-minded and studious of this book, to require a table for their
ease and furtherance. Their honest desire I have fulfilled in the
second edition, and have added thereto a plentiful table, which is
also here inserted, which I have translated out of the Latin, wherein
the principal matters discoursed in this book are named by their due
titles in order of alphabet, and under every title is set forth a
brief sum of the whole doctrine taught in this book concerning the
matter belonging to that title or common-place; and therewith is
added the book, chapter, and section or division of the chapter,
where the same doctrine is more largely expressed and proved. And for
the readier finding thereof, I have caused the number of the chapters
to be set upon every leaf in the book, and quoted the sections also
by their due numbers with the usual figures of algorism. And now at
this last publishing, my friends, by whose charge it is now newly
imprinted in a Roman letter and smaller volume, with divers other
Tables which, since my second edition, were gathered by M. Marlorate,
to be translated and here added for your benefit.
Moreover,
whereas in the first edition the evil manner of my scribbling hand,
the interlining of my copy, and some other causes well known among
workmen of that faculty, made very many faults to pass the printer, I
have, in the second impression, caused the book to be composed by the
printed copy, and corrected by the written; whereby it must needs be
that it was much more truly done than the other was, as I myself do
know above three hundred faults amended. And now at this last
printing, the composing after a printed copy bringeth some ease, and
the diligence used about the correction having been right faithfully
looked unto, it cannot be but much more truly set forth. This also is
performed, that the volume being smaller, with a letter fair and
legible, it is of more easy price, that it may be of more common use,
and so to more large communicating of so great a treasure to those
that desire Christian knowledge for instruction of their faith, and
guiding of their duties. Thus, on the printer's behalf and mine, your
ease and commodity (good readers) provided for. Now resteth your own
diligence, for your own profit, in studying it.
To spend many
words in commending the work itself were needless; yet thus much I
think, I may both not unruly and not vainly say, that though many
great learned men have written books of common-places of our
religion, as Melancthon, Sarcerius, and others, whose works are very
good and profitable to the Church of God, yet by the consenting
judgement of those that understand the same, there is none to be
compared to this work of Calvin, both for his substantial sufficiency
of doctrine, the sound declaration of truth in articles of our
religion, the large and learned confirmation of the same, and the
most deep and strong confutation of all old and new heresies; so that
(the Holy Scriptures excepted) this is one of the most profitable
books for all students of Christian divinity. Wherein, (good
readers,) as I am glad for the glory of God, and for your benefit,
that you may have this profit of my travel, so I beseech you let me
have this use of your gentleness, that my doings may be construed to
such good end as I have meant them; and that if any thing mislike you
by reason of hardness, or any other cause that may seem to be my
default, you will not forthwith condemn the work, but read it after;
in which doing you will find (as many have confessed to me that they
have found by experience) that those things which at the first
reading shall displease you for hardness, shall be found so easy as
so hard matter would suffer, and, for the most part, more easy than
some other phrase which should with greater looseness and smoother
sliding away deceive your understanding. I confess, indeed, it is not
finely and pleasantly written, nor carrieth with it such delightful
grace of speech as some great wise men have bestowed upon some
foolisher things, yet it containeth sound truth set forth with
faithful plainness, without wrong done to the author's meaning; and
so, if you accept and use it, you shall not fail to have great profit
thereby, and I shall think my labour very well employed.
Thomas
Norton.
http://www.crta.org/books/institutes/method.html
Method
and Arrangement, or Subject of the Whole Work
[From an Epitome
of the Institutions, by Gaspar Olevian.]
The subject handled
by the author of these Christian Institutes is twofold: the former,
the knowledge of God, which leads to a blessed immortality; and the
latter, (which is subordinate to the former,) the knowledge of
ourselves. With this view the author simply adopts the arrangement of
the Apostles' Creed, as that with which all Christians are most
familiar. For as the Creed consists of four parts, the first relating
to God the Father, the second to the Son, the third to the Holy
Spirit, and the fourth to the Church, so the author, in fulfilment of
his task, divides his Institutes into four parts, corresponding to
those of the Creed. Each of these parts it will now be proper to
explain separately.
I. The first article of the Apostles'
Creed is concerning God the Father, the creation, preservation, and
government of the universe, as implied in his omnipotence.
Accordingly, the First Book of the Institutes treats of the knowledge
of God, considered as the Creator, Preserver, and Governor of the
world, and of every thing contained in it. It shows both wherein the
true knowledge of the Creator consists, and what the end of this
knowledge is, chap. 1 and 2; that it is not learned at school, but
that every one is self-taught it from the womb, chap. 3. Such,
however, is man's depravity, that he stifles and corrupts this
knowledge, partly by ignorance, partly by wicked design; and hence
does not by means of it either glorify God as he ought, or attain to
happiness, chap. 4. This inward knowledge is aided from without,
namely by the creatures in which, as in a mirror, the perfections of
God may be contemplated. But man does not properly avail himself of
this assistance, and hence to those to whom God is pleased to make
himself more intimately known for salvation, he communicates his
written word. This leads to a consideration of the Holy Scriptures,
in which God has revealed that not the Father only, but along with
the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit, is that Creator of heaven and
earth, whom, in consequence of our innate depravity we were unable,
either from innate natural knowledge, or the beautiful mirror of the
world, to know so as to glorify. Here the author treats of the
manifestation of God in Scripture; and in connection with it, of the
one divine essence in three persons. But, lest man should lay the
blame of his voluntary blindness on God, the author shows in what
state man was created at first, introducing dissertations on the
image of God, free will, and original righteousness. The subject of
Creation being thus disposed of, the preservation and government of
the world is considered in the three last chapters, which contain a
very full discussion of the doctrine of Divine Providence.
II.
As man, by sinning, forfeited the privileges conferred on him at his
creation, recourse must be had to Christ. Accordingly, the next
article in the Creed is, "And in Jesus Christ his only Son,
&c.". In like manner, the Second Book of the Institutes
treats of the knowledge of God considered as a Redeemer in Christ,
And showing man his falls conducts him to Christ the Mediator. Here
the subject of original sin is considered, and it is shown that man
has no means within himself, by which he can escape from guilt, and
the impending curse: that, on the contrary, until he is reconciled
and renewed, every thing that proceeds from him is of the nature of
sin. This subject is considered as far as the 6th chapter. Man being
thus utterly undone in himself, and incapable of working out his own
cure by thinking a good thought, or doing what is acceptable to God,
must seek redemption without himself viz., in Christ. The end for
which the Law was given, was not to secure worshipers for itself, but
to conduct them unto Christ. This leads to an exposition of the Moral
Law. Christ was known to the Jews under the Law as the author of
salvation, but is more fully revealed under the Gospel in which he
was manifested to the world. Hence arises the doctrine concerning the
similarity and difference of the two Testaments, the Old and the New,
the Law and the Gospel. These topics occupy as far as the 12th
chapter. It is next shown that, in order to secure a complete
salvation, it was necessary that the eternal Son of God should become
man, and assume a true human nature. It is also shown in what way
these two natures constitute one person. In order to purchase a full
salvation by his own merits, and effectually apply it, Christ was
appointed to the offices of Prophet, Priest, and King. The mode in
which Christ performs these offices is considered, and also whether
in point of fact he did accomplish the work of redemption. Here an
exposition is given of the articles relating to Christ's death,
resurrection, and ascension into heaven. In conclusion, it is proved
that Christ is rightly and properly said to have merited divine grace
and salvation for us.
III. So long as Christ is separated from
us we have no benefit from him. We must be ingrafted in him like
branches in the vine. Hence the Creed, after treating of Christ,
proceeds in its third article, "I believe in the Holy Spirit",
- the Holy Spirit being the bond of union between us and Christ. In
like manner, the Third Book of the Institutes treats of the Holy
Spirit which unites us to Christ, and, in connection with it, of
faith, by which we embrace Christ with a double benefit, viz., that
of gratuitous righteousness which he imputes to us, and regeneration,
which he begins in us by giving us repentance. In order to show the
worthlessness of a faith which is not accompanied with a desire of
repentance, the author, before proceeding to a full discussion of
justification, treats at length from chapter 3-10 of repentance, and
the constant study of it - repentance, which Christ, when apprehended
by faith, begets in us by his Spirit. Chapter 11 treats of the
primary and peculiar benefit of Christ when united to us by the Holy
Spirit, viz., justification. This subject is continued to the 20th
chapter, which treats of prayer, the hand, as it were, to receive the
blessings which faith knows to be treasured up for it with God,
according to the word of promise. But, as the Holy Spirit, who
creates and preserves our faith, does not unite all men to Christ,
who is the sole author of salvation, chapter 21 treats of the eternal
election of God, to which it is owing that we, in whom he foresaw no
good which he had not previously bestowed, are given to Christ, and
united to him by the effectual calling of the Gospel. This subject is
continued to the 25th chapter, which treats of complete regeneration
and felicity, namely, the final resurrection to which we must raise
our eyes, seeing that, in regard to fruition, the happiness of the
godly is only begun in this world.
IV. Since the Holy Spirit
does not ingraft all men into Christ, or endue them with faith, and
those whom he does so endue he does not ordinarily endue without
means, but uses for that purpose the preaching of the Gospel and the
dispensation of the Sacraments, together with the administration of
all kinds of discipline, the Creed contains the following article, "I
believe in the Holy Catholic Church", namely, that Church which,
when lying in eternal death, the Father, by gratuitous election,
freely reconciled to himself in Christ, and endued with the Holy
Spirit, that, being ingrafted into Christ, it might have communion
with him as its proper head; whence flow perpetual remission of sins,
and full restoration to eternal life. Accordingly the Church is
treated of in the first fourteen chapters of the Fourth Book, which
thereafter treats of the means which the Holy Spirit employs in
calling us effectually from spiritual death, and preserving the
Church, in other words, Baptism and the Lord's Supper. These means
are, as it were, the royal sceptre of Christ, by which, through the
efficacy of his Spirit, he commences his spiritual reign in the
Church, advances it from day to day, and after this life, without the
use of means, finally perfects it. This subject is continued to the
20th chapter.
And because civil governments are, in this life,
the hospitable entertainers (hospitia) of the Church (though civil
government is distinct from the spiritual kingdom of Christ,) the
author shows how great blessings they are, blessings which the Church
is bound gratefully to acknowledge, until we are called away from
this tabernacle to the heavenly inheritance, where God will be all in
all.
Such is the arrangement of the Institutes which may be
thus summed up: Man being at first created upright, but afterwards
being not partially but totally ruined, finds his entire salvation
out of himself in Christ, to whom being united by the Holy Spirit
freely given without any foresight of future works, he thereby
obtains a double blessing, viz., full imputation of righteousness,
which goes along with us even to the grave, and the commencement of
sanctification, which daily advances till at length it is perfected
in the day of regeneration or resurrection of the body, and this, in
order that the great mercy of God may be celebrated in the heavenly
mansions, throughout eternity.
leading up to
next weeks reading
of:
http://www.crta.org/books/institutes/totheking.html
PREFATORY
ADDRESS TO KING FRANCIS I OF FRANCE
For the Most Mighty and
Illustrious Monarch, Francis, Most Christian King of the French, His
Sovereign, John Calvin Craves Peace and Salvation in Christ.
1.
CIRCUMSTANCES IN WHICH THE BOOK WAS FIRST WRITTEN
When I first
set my hand to this work, nothing was farther from my mind, most
glorious King, than to write something that might afterward be
offered to Your Majesty. My purpose was solely to transmit certain
rudiments by which those who are touched with any zeal for religion
might be shaped to true godliness. And I undertook this labor
especially for our French countrymen, very many of whom I knew to be
hungering and thirsting for Christ; but I saw very few who had been
duly imbued with even a slight knowledge of him. The book itself
witnesses that this was my intention, adapted as it is to a simple
and, you may say, elementary form of teaching.
But I perceived
that the fury of certain wicked persons has prevailed so far in your
realm that there is no place in it for sound doctrine.
So
it is my intention these first two weeks to put Institutes into
historical context. First today with the big picture of what is going
on in the world at the time Calvin is writing. And next week to
introduce Calvin's life. Now I need to address the issue of how i
hope the class will work and how i have designed the reading
materials.
(Pass out the packets.)
First the structure
of our adult education hour. I hope to spend the first 15 minutes
each class on the week's reading material. See what people thought
about it, thus getting feedback. Because of this i plan to issue the
packets at 3 week intervals, this is long enough for me to compile
and read the information, yet short enough period to genuinely react
to your concerns and comments. For i understand that Pastor Phillip
and the committee that run our education program see this as much as
a testing and teaching experience for me as they do as edification
for you from Calvin. Second, i read a lot, i don't do much of
anything else. About 1/2 of my reading is net based, the other 1/2
books. The class reflects my interest as almost all the readings are
from the net. But i understand that some people don't have net
access, so i burned a cd of my study and research directory off my
workstation at home. This poses the next problem, some people don't
have computers to read the disk, so i printed the essential readings
in the packet. It is my intention to ask people to read about 15
pages per week, maximum is 20. This will be sufficient to understand
the hour of me talking and us interacting over the reading.
Interspersed through the printed material, and the disk files are
links into the net for further study and research. Most of these i
have read and find them particularly interesting.
Now i have the ability to spider and grab links from a website and
save the files to my home computer. This is the same kind of
technology that google uses to build the webpage search structures at
their server farm. I do this for exactly the same reason, i have a
program that indexes and allows me to look for proximity searches on
my computer files. This disk represents such spidering, as such it
has lots of material that i haven't seen yet, but which ought to be
acceptable reading as they are almost all reformed and Christian
megasites. But be aware that the net offers surprises, and the disk
reflects this, i found several hacked into pages already in my
reading, and wrote the sites about them.
If when you mount the
disk it your computer, you ought to find a file labelled
lesson1_essay.html, it is supposed to be in d:/var/pavuk/calvin if
everything goes right.
Just open it with your web browser and if
everything is done correctly should be self -explanatory. Email me
at: thinkcreation2002@yahoo.com or rwilliam2@yahoo.com if you need
help. The rwilliam2 account is heavily spam-filtered so the
thinkcreation2002 address is best.
secondary reading
http://www.thirdmill.org/files/english/html/ch/CH.Arnold.RMT.7.HTML
IIIM Magazine Online, Volume 1, Number 7, April 12 to April 18, 1999
INTRODUCTION
Almost all scholars of Reformation history would agree that the greatest Reformer of all was John Calvin. He was a man unique among men. He was a scholar, a theologian, a teacher, a preacher, an evangelist, an administrator, and a leader of men. Few men have suffered like John Calvin from the attacks of unbelievers and believers alike. Many who attack John Calvin simply are ignorant of church history. It would be well for some of those who condemn him to spend some time studying his works. Without Calvin, the Reformation would not have succeeded as it did. Probably no servant of Christ since the days of the apostles has been at the same time so loved and so hated, admired and abhorred, praised and blamed, blessed and cursed, as the faithful and fearless Calvin. One of the ways to understand Calvin is to see what others have said about him. His most ardent enemy was Pope Pius IV who said,
"The strength of that heretic consisted in this, that money never had the slightest charm for him. If I had such servants, my kingdom would extend from sea to sea."
Calvin's dearest friend, Theodore Beza, said of him:
"The thing to be wondered at is that a single man, as if he had been a kind of Christian Hercules, should have been able to subdue so many monsters, and this by that mightiest of all clubs, the Word of God."
The first ten years of Calvin's ministry were the last ten of Luther's ministry, although the two never met personally. The Reformation in Germany and in Switzerland was bogged down, for in many places the reform was only political and moral, but not really spiritual in nature. The Reformation had fallen on hard times. The Reformers required a position more sharply defined and a sterner leader, and that leader they found in John Calvin. For hard times, hard men are needed and intellects which can pierce to the roots where truth and error part company. In the opinion of many of his contemporaries, Calvin was the most learned man in Europe.
Calvin was above everything else a theologian. He was able to systematize the Reformed faith so people could understand it. Luther was the obstetrician of the Reformation and Calvin was the pediatrician. God used Luther to ignite the Reformation, but he used Calvin to mold it into a mighty force for God. Even Melanchthon, the theologian of the German movement, referred to Calvin as "the theologian." Calvin was loved by men who were dedicated to Christ, and all of the great men of the Reformation loved and respected him. He aroused remarkable affection in men so different from himself as Luther, Melanchthon, Bucer and John Knox, even when they disagreed violently with him. Even Hubmaier the Anabaptist and Calvin had a warm affection for one another, but they could not agree on church principles.
As great as this man was, he was very humble. He was also a very spiritual man who practiced what he preached. He did not have glaring weaknesses in moral character as did Luther and Zwingli. Calvin could have had anything he wanted, but he lived and died a poor man. His house was scantily furnished, and he dressed plainly. He gave freely to those in need, but spent little upon himself. He declined all but his modest salary. When he died, he left a spiritual inheritance of inestimable value and a material estate of from $1500 to $2000. Calvin had given instruction that there was to be no pomp at his funeral and no erection of any monument over his grave. He wished to be buried, like Moses, out of reach of idolatry. This is consistent with his theology which humbles man and exalts God. Even the spot of his grave in the cemetery at Geneva is unknown. There is a flat headstone that says "J.C." on it but no one can be certain that this is Calvin's grave.
Calvin has been terrible maligned for his stern (but biblical) views of election and predestination. These views were held by most in the early church. Augustine espoused them. Most of the free church in Europe during the Middle Ages believed in election and predestination (Waldenses). Luther and Zwingli held these doctrines. Calvin, as a predestinarian, was very evangelistic and said:
"Let each one of us seek to make those whom we meet partners of our peace; yet our peace will only rest upon the children of peace. Let us speak to the heart of each one whom we meet, let us offer him the remedy of salvation, so that he and through him others may not perish. But it belongs to God to bless our words in those whom He has chosen."
Calvin's theology must be tested by its fruits. Henry Martin, a Catholic, said:
"One might suppose that the doctrine of predestination would result in nothing other than carefree existence, or idle hopelessness, that it would destroy all determination to a devout life. But nothing of the sort with the disciples of Calvin. The compelling power of the growing Protestantism is so strong that men, conscious of their salvation, do their work as a natural fruitage of their faith, thereby justifying their doctrine. Even after the relapse from the first great enthusiasm one can see how a strong generation, strict with itself, and of unusual moral and physical vitality, continues to exist."
Jules Michelet, an unbeliever, said:
"Geneva existed because of its moral strength. It had no territory, no army, nothing for space, time and matter. It was the city of the Spirit, built out of Stoicism upon the rock of election by grace. Against the monstrously dark dragnet in which Europe was caught through the laxity of France, this academy of heroes was needed. To each nation in danger, Sparta sent as an army a Spartan. Thus Geneva . . . let Loyola undermine the ground, let Spanish gold and the sword of the Guise blind and bribe! In this peaceful place, in this dusky garden of God bloomed blood-red roses under the hand of Calvin for the salvation and the freedom of the soul. If there be any need of martyrs in Europe, the need of a man to be burned or broken upon the wheel, this man is in Geneva, ready to go with the singing of psalms."
Those who really knew Calvin found him to be gentle with
real love in his heart for people. He grieved with his people in their
sorrows and rejoiced in their joys. He had a heart for people and would
write beautiful notes of sympathy when tragedy would strike a home.
When a wedding occurred or a baby came to grace a home, he took a warm
personal interest in the event. It was not unusual for him to stop on
the street in the midst of weighty matters to give a schoolboy a
friendly pat and an encouraging word. His enemies might call him pope
or king or caliph; his friends thought of him only as their brother and
beloved leader.
The negative, stern conceptions of the character of Calvin are based
almost entirely upon the representation of the Catholic, Kampschulte,
who neither understood nor loved Calvin. Men of real doctrinal
conviction are often thought of as stern, cold and hard, but you must
always get to know the heart of a man and see how his doctrine affects
his life. The more one comes to know of Calvin's theology and his
personal spiritual life, the more he loves and respects him.
The Reformation, under Calvin's leadership, became truly international and spread to France, Scotland, Hungary, Holland, a great part of Germany itself, the English Puritans, America, and the British Dominions. Calvin and original Calvinism was evangelical. Calvin commenting on the Great Commission said, "Without God we cannot; without us, He will not!"
Many historians have called Calvin "the father of America," for from Geneva, Switzerland, where Calvin labored for thirty years, came the spiritual and democratic principles that laid the basis for the United States of America.
CALVIN'S YOUTH
Calvin was born July 10, 1509, in Noyon, a little town in northern
France near Paris. His father was a secretary to the bishop, and a man
of some means. Because of the early death of his mother, Calvin was
brought up in the household of a nobleman in the neighborhood of his
own home, and absorbed there something of the refined manners of the
aristocracy. He had good family connections and was educated among the
nobility.
CALVIN'S COLLEGE DAYS
He studied in the three leading universities in France — Orleans, Bourges and Paris — from 1528 to 1533. Having no real desire to study law, he left his legal studies and turned to study theology. There he found the sphere of labor for which he was particularly fitted by natural endowment and personal choice. Early on he showed himself capable of clear, convincing argument and logical analysis. He advanced so rapidly that he was considered by the other students as a doctor rather than an auditor.
Calvin was at this time a devout Catholic of unblemished character. During this time, he defended the teachings of the Roman Church with fervor and opposed Lutheranism with a passion.
CALVIN'S CONVERSION
The Protestant movement in Paris was gaining a foothold, and Calvin took an interest in the movement because he had been influenced by men of Reformed thinking such as Cop, Womar, and Beza while in various colleges. His conversion dated sometime during 1532 or 1533. Calvin says his conversion was sudden, through private study, because he failed to find peace in absolutions, penances, and intercessions of the church. In his commentary on the Psalms, Calvin said concerning his conversion:
"By a sudden conversion, God subdued and reduced to docility my soul, which was more hardened against such things than one would expect of my youthful years."
"Like a flash of light, I realized in what an abyss of errors, in what chaos I was."
Calvin broke with the Roman Church and was thrown in prison several times (for short stays) because of his evangelical activities. He became the head of the evangelical party in France less than a year after his conversion. Calvin could have lost his life when he saw a fellow evangelical's tongue cut out and the man burned at the stake. Calvin made a move towards the scaffold, but several other evangelicals dragged him away.
Calvin was forced to leave Paris when Nicolas Cop, the rector of the University of Paris, gave the inaugural oration on All Saint's Day. This oration, at the request of the new rector, had been prepared by Calvin. It was a plea for reformation on the basis of the New Testament. The Sorbonne and Parliament regarded this academic oration as a manifesto of war upon the Catholic Church and condemned it to the flames. Cop fled to Basel. Calvin, the real author of the mischief, escaped from Paris, being let down from a room by means of sheets and escaping in the garb of a vine-dresser with a hoe upon his shoulder.
CALVIN'S WANDERINGS
At least one year of wandering followed for Calvin. He was hunted from city to city, for no Protestant, especially Calvin, was safe in France. Calvin wandered as a fugitive evangelist under assumed names from place to place in southern France, Switzerland and Italy. His most common assumed name was Charles d'Espeville. Everywhere he went he taught small groups in secret places, even in caves. Calvin was an evangelist. It is estimated that Calvin in his lifetime was responsible for starting as many as 250 local churches.
During this period, he would confront Libertines, Freethinkers and Humanists who were also opposed to the Roman Church. He won many of these to Jesus Christ because of his great knowledge of the Bible, theology and the Church Fathers. However, there was one Libertine he could not convince: Michael Servetus. Servetus challenged Calvin to a debate, and Calvin accepted with great risk to his own life. Servetus never showed up. Twenty years later Servetus was burned as a heretic in Geneva.
CALVIN'S REST AT BASEL
The wanderings ceased for a time in 1535 when Calvin found rest in Basel, Switzerland. During this period, he came into contact with Martin Bucer, the Reformer of Strassburg, who was professor of theology at the university there.
At Basel, he had time to spend formulating the truths of the Bible in an orderly way. In the spring of 1536, at the age of 26, he published his Institutes of the Christian Religion . This work is the greatest exposition of evangelical truth produced by the Reformation. Calvin was the first man to give a systematic presentation of the evangelical, Reformed faith. This book threw fear and consternation into the Roman Church and was a powerful unifying force among Protestants. Calvin revised the Institutes five times during his life in order to present a clearer meaning of the Christian faith, but never did he make any radical departure from any of the doctrines set forth in the first edition. The Institutes were written originally in French but were translated into most of the languages of western Europe. The Institutes became the common textbook in the schools of the Reformed churches, and furnished the material out of which their creeds were made.
CALVIN'S FIRST ATTEMPT AT REFORM IN GENEVA
Calvin made one last visit to France to take care of the family estate, and then decided he would spend the rest of his life as a scholar and writer in either Basel or Strassburg. The direct route to Strassburg was closed because Charles V and Frances I were at war, so Calvin was forced to go through Geneva, Switzerland. Calvin intended to stop only a night in Geneva, but Providence had decreed otherwise.
Calvin's presence was made known to Farel, the Genevan Reformer, who instinctively felt that Calvin was the man to complete and save the Reformation in Geneva. Calvin was very reluctant to take the position and he pleaded he was too young, too inexperienced, he needed further study and his natural timidity and bashfulness made him unfit for public action. Farel threatened him with the curse of Almighty God if he preferred his studies to the work of the Lord, and his own interest to the cause of Christ. Farel said to Calvin:
"You are concerned about your rest and your personal interests. . Therefore I proclaim to you in the name of Almighty God whose command you defy: Upon your work there shall rest no blessing . . . Therefore,let God damn your rest, let God damn your work!"
Calvin was terrified and shaken by these words of Farel and he accepted the call to the ministry as teacher and pastor of the evangelical church of Geneva. His reply to Farel was, "I obey God!"
Geneva had officially become Protestant in 1535. This city was notorious for its wickedness; it was the cesspool of Switzerland. The city council had made laws against drunkenness, gambling, dancing and the like, but the laws had little effect upon the people. It was in 1536 that Calvin took over the responsibility of the Reformation in Switzerland, working at first as Farel's assistant.
Calvin immediately prepared articles of faith for the church in Geneva, a form of church government, and a catechism for the children. Calvin insisted the church members should live in accordance with the demands of the New Testament. To secure this end, he asked that the church exercise its own discipline and bar from communion unworthy members. Calvin attempted to set up a theocratic state, and came very close at times to doing so. Stickelberger observes correctly:
"Admittedly, to the age of the Reformation the word ‘tolerance' was unknown. Who does not keep this in mind lacks understanding of the history of this epoch, be he historian or even biographer of Calvin. He who sees the events of the past through the spectacles of his own age and views them in its ‘knowledge' sees them distorted. Calvin was a child of his century. If he wanted to build up what was torn down, he could not have proceeded any differently. Faith was to him the highest wisdom, it was the content of life. He did not go halfway, but drew all consequences from this assumption, for the Church and for the state, as well as for every citizen. And his theocratic state, even though one may be critical or hostile towards it, was something magnificent, impressive and moving" (Emanuel Stickelberger, Calvin ).
Farel and Calvin exercised a great authority in Geneva from 1536 to 1538. But the population was not ready for the rigid discipline. Although he asked only for this small measure of spiritual independence, and the right to excommunicate flagrant and unrepentant sinners, the government of Geneva (supposed to be Protestant) rose in arms and expelled both Calvin and Farel. The year preceding Calvin's expulsion was misery for him because of the opposition he received. Calvin comments:
"Were I to tell you only the littlest things of the misfortune — what am I saying? — of the adversity which virtually crushed us during the course of one year, you would hardly believe me. I am convinced that not a day passed in which I did not long for death ten times."
This was a very discouraging movement for Calvin, but this rejection was also in the providence of God.
CALVIN'S MINISTRY IN STRASSBURG
After being expelled from Geneva, Calvin went to Strassburg, Germany. This was directed of the Lord, for he had to do much thinking. He realized how easy it was to tear down the Roman Church, but how difficult it was to replace it with something positive. He gave much thought to church organization and instruction of the people. He realized that it was quite easy to bring the truth of God's Word to the people, but much more difficult to bring the people to the truth of God's Word .
It was during this time at Strassburg that Calvin came into contact with the German Reformation, especially with Martin Bucer. He had a great appreciation for the Lutheran leaders, and felt closely allied to the Lutheran Church, although he was unfavorably impressed with the lack of discipline and with the dependence of the clergy upon the secular rulers. Calvin followed the German Reformation all the days of his life with interest, and kept up a steady correspondence with Melanchthon.
During this time in Strassburg, Calvin had a tremendous ministry with French Protestant refugees, who fled to Strassburg for protection. From these Bible classes came many of the leaders of the French Reformation. At this point of history Calvin probably felt that his lifetime ministry would not be too effective. But God was simply preparing him for bigger things. Calvin would lead the Reformation on to its greatest heights.
It was during this time that Calvin married Idelette de Buren, the widow of Jean Stordeur, the Belgian. When the Stordeurs came to Strassburg, they were Anabaptists and opposed the Reformed view with a passion. It was through Calvin's exposition of the Scriptures that they were converted to Reformed thinking. When Jean Stordeur died Calvin preached his funeral. In 1540, Calvin married Idelette de Buren, who had two children by her former husband. They had nine years of happy marriage, but she was quite sickly and died. She was weak in body but strong in faith, and on her deathbed exclaimed, "O glorious resurrection! God of Abraham and all patriarchs . . . I trust!"
links to continuing research:
another nice timeline: http://www.churchtimeline.com/white/1500.htm
postmortem from lesson delivery:
more than a little nervous, i am much more comfortable as a student
than as a teacher.
make a copy of posters like the timeline, and xerox so everyone can
have a copy.
do not intend to do well with pens/chalk on the paper/board, make
critical displays ahead of time.
use the paper for words and short outlines. otherwise have all displays
made up the week before with copies distributed.
review questions at home, research and offer corrections the next week.
example Calvin preached 10 times a fortnight.
May 13 2004, 10:25