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Elisha Coles, John Cotton, Walter Chantry, David Calderwood, John Knox, the
Westminster Divines, et al.) at Great Discounts!
In the history of the church's sanctification I don't believe there has been a more valuable extra-biblical resource and tool than the Puritan Hard Drive.
It holds some of the most priceless Reformed works of God-centered and Christ-glorifying truth that were ever penned.
Most students, ministers and scholars of the Bible would never personally acquire even half the literal number of books on the Puritan Hard Drive, much less the extreme caliber of its contents.
In God's providence modern day Christians have been chosen to be the recipients of both a theological and practical blessing. May we not squander it.
- Matthew McMahon, Ph.D. A Puritan's Mind
John Calvin
resources begin at the sixth item below. John Calvin's 22 volume hardcover
commentary set now over 82% off. For a limited time just $249.94 (US funds,
about $US199.00). Save $US1,146.00! See "Calvin's
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"Your...
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- Dr. Joel R. Beeke, President of Puritan
Reformed Theological Seminary
"Still
Waters Revival Books... have released an incredible array of... compact disks
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Publishing Company] by David N. Steele, Curtis C. Thomas, and S. Lance Quinn,
Foreword by Roger Nicole, Afterword by John MacArthur, emphases added).
"I
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have done an immeasurable service for the Kingdom of Christ in making these CDs
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Puritan's Mind Ministries).
The
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"This
collection of... CDs is a truly astounding accomplishment. There is nothing
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Now, for the first time ever, ordinary Christians can have direct and near
effortless access to the very cream of Puritan and Reformed, as well as
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John Flavel's preaching, can be said of these CDs: they are 'hissing hot'! (Dr Jonathan D. Moore, Cambridge, Scholar
of 16th and 17th century Calvinistic literature.).
Click on
the links below for the contents of all 90 Classic SWRB CDs offered in our new
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Fax 780-468-1096, or use our secure order form at https://www.shopalberta.com/SWRB/.
"Your...
CD's of Reformation and Puritan authors are a great boon to studies in the
Reformed-Puritan experiential tradition. Receive our hearty thanks for your
invaluable work in making so many rare gems accessible to thousands." (Joel Beeke, President of Puritan
Reformed Theological Seminary).
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"These
Puritan resources are the greatest I've ever seen. These eyes have never seen
anything greater than what you have produced except that old King James
Bible" (Email from a
Customer in Georgia, USA).
Some
Additional Customer Comments on SWRB's CD sets (Reformation, Calvinism,
Protestant, Puritan).
"This collection
of… CDs is a truly astounding accomplishment. There is nothing like this
available to the ordinary Christian on the whole face of the earth. Now, for the first
time ever, ordinary Christians can have direct and near effortless access to the
very cream of Puritan and Reformed, as well as Covenanter, literature... What they used
to say of the Puritan John Flavel's preaching, can be said of these CDs: they
are 'hissing hot'! ... more" (emphases added).
- Dr Jonathan D. Moore,
Cambridge, UK.
(Scholar of
16th and 17th century Calvinistic literature.)
"The
purchase of (SWRB's) CD's is proving to be one of the wisest investments that I
have ever made.
They are much more than I expected!! I am having a wonderful time reading and
studying."
-
TC, Internet Customer (USA).
"The
greatest collection of classic Reformation resources on one CD set ever!"
"In
reading this mornings mailing I noticed that you also do the Reformation
Bookshelf CD's so I went to your web site to see what was out -- I was in
ecstasy!!!"
-
Missionary working in Hatyai, Southern Thailand
Full
SWRB CD comment from Dr. McMahon:
"I
have been systematically working through reading the Puritan and Reformed CDs I
purchased.
I must say, there is nothing like them
available anywhere.
It is the most amazing collection of works I
know of in one package to date.
In
my opinion, it far surpasses Ages Software and their collections.*
The
Puritan and Reformed material presented on these CDs is exceptional.
I
am continually amazed at the depth and breadth of information in both
collections, and the rarity of works that I now have at my fingertips.
You
have done an immeasurable service for the Kingdom of Christ in making these CDs
available, and every pastor and theologian should own them without question
(they would be foolhardy to pass them by)."
-
For Christ's Crown and Covenant,
Dr. C.
Matthew McMahon
A Puritan's
Mind Ministries, www.apuritansmind.com
John 5:39,
"...search the Scriptures..."
"Novum
Testamentum in Vetre latet, et in Novo, Vetus patet." Augustine
( "The
New is in the Old concealed, and in the New, the Old revealed." )
* It is SWRB's opinion
that Ages has done an excellent job in making various Reformed works available
on CD, so much so that we also distribute a number of their CDs at discounts.
Thus, please don't make more out of our publishing this comment than is
warranted, as this is a comment we received from one of our customers and it
expresses his opinion. As for Ages' work, we rejoice whenever the truth is
published, whether through others or through SWRB (as we play only a very small
part in the revival of classic Reformation, Puritan and Covenanter thought that
is now taking place worldwide through God's marvelous grace). The publication
of the best Reformers and Puritans of the past is one of the greatest needs of
our time, as this extends the blessings that come through faithful preachers
and authors into our day and into the future. Lord willing, the growth in the
publishing of faithful works from the past will help stem the tide of the great
declension and unfaithfulness which we are now witnessing all around us, even
(sadly) among many churches that still call themselves "Presbyterian"
and/or "Reformed." So please pray together with us that our Lord will
multiple the number of faithful publishers and publications, and that He will
give many the heart to stand for the truth no matter the consequences (as He
has done for our faithful forefathers, who resisted Satan and sin unto blood
and even to martyrdom in many cases). -- RB.
"SWRB's
Puritan and Reformation CD libraries are an invaluable source for the study of
the history and theology of classic Reformation theology. The collection is
remarkable not only for depth of content, but also for the rarity of many of
the works. Most seminary libraries will not have even a percentage of the works
available on these CD-ROMs. I cannot imagine anyone working in Reformation /
historical theology that would not want to use the Puritan and Reformed
libraries!"
-
Phillip J. Long
Associate
Prof. of New Testament
Grace Bible
College
Grand
Rapids, MI 49509
"I
just received your CD collection. One bit of advice: you should instruct your
customers to take about 1 week off just to peruse the tables of contents for
these CD's, followed by another week off, in order to recover from the
state of shock in which they will find themselves.
In
all seriousness, this collection is almost impossible to describe. It has to be
seen to be believed. As a pastor, my library has just increased
dramatically.
As a Ph.D. student in Puritan and Post-Reformation studies, I have immediate
access to many of the same works for which I would normally need to access
through rare book rooms of theological libraries.
Thank
you for this labor of love. Thank you for making it accessible, both
financially and technologically. May the Lord richly bless you for this service
to his people."
-
Yours for the faith,
Pastor David Owen Filson
Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church (PCA), Nashville, TN
"You
all are doing a wonderful service by making all these materials so readily
available. Having them on my hard drive is BETTER than having access to a
rare book library with all of them in hand... I have found the CD set
invaluable as a tool of scholarship. So once again I commend you brothers for making
it available."
-
Dr. E. Calvin Beisner
Knox
Theological Seminary
Author and
Associate Professor of Historical Theology and Social Ethics
(Author of: Psalms
of Promise: Celebrating
the Majesty and Faithfulness of God, God in Three Persons, Answers: For Atheists, Agnostics,
and Other Thoughtful Skeptics--Dialogs About Christian Faith and Life, Man,
Economy, and Environment in Biblical Perspective, Where Garden Meets Wilderness:
Evangelical Entry Into the Environmental Debate, Evangelical Heathenism? Examining Contemporary Revivalism, as well as other books, scholarly
papers, and contributions to various anthologies).
"It's
been several weeks now since I received the CDs and have had some time to
digest some of them. All I can say is, "WOW!" This is truly a
library like no other, and has already paid great dividends not only in my own
personal worship and study, but in my teaching as well. I first balked at the
price, but after seeing the vastness of the material, I almost feel as though
I'm robbing you!
I
pray that the Lord will allow you to get these materials into the hands of as
many ministers as possible."
-
Email from SC, USA
Full
SWRB CD comment from Dr. Moore:
This
collection of 62 CDs is a truly astounding accomplishment. There is nothing
like this available to the ordinary Christian on the whole face of the earth.
Now,
for the first time ever, ordinary Christians can have direct and near
effortless access to the very cream of Puritan and Reformed, as well as
Covenanter, literature.
These
books are often in fascinating first editions and many are electronically
linked and indexed for the first time. The ordinary Christian may here dig
into a simply staggering wealth of literature, from devotional and sermonic
material to technical and scholarly works. Even in the days of the Long Reformation
itself ordinary Christians didn't get to see this kind of library -- most
couldn't read for a start, and even those who could, would never have been able
to afford to buy even a hundredth part of the material on these CDs. Truly we
are without excuse!
And
the significance of this collection goes even beyond that. No longer do we have
to wait for modern Reformed publishing houses to predict that a particular
Reformation or Puritan book will be sufficiently popular to make it economical
to reprint, or to deem it "safe" enough to be let loose on the modern
evangelical church. Rather, we are now able to see for ourselves the whole
range of the Puritan and Reformed publishing enterprise, including views that
are usually suppressed by most modern devotees of "Puritan" piety!
Buy
these CDs while you can, and find out for yourself what the First and Second
Reformations were really all about! You'll be truly amazed, and, by God's
grace, will grow from being an ordinary Christian to being an extraordinary
one. What they used to say of the Puritan John Flavel's preaching, can be
said of these CDs: they are "hissing hot"!
-
Dr Jonathan D. Moore, Cambridge, UK.
(Scholar of
16th and 17th century Calvinistic literature.)
"This
side of eternity I'll never be able to repay the favor you have done mankind by
bringing these... CDs together.
The
first week of reading I grew more as a Christian reading those rich, pure
Gospel Commentators than I have in 18 years of Christian life. After reading some of
the Puritan CDs I have to get the Reformation set if it kills me. A fire is
burning within me. These... CDs are liable to start a revival fire unseen in
any generation... the Gospel in its pure form is seen in these... CDs.
Sir,
I cant say enough. What a treasure! I'll never be able to repay you this side
of heaven, but when we get there I am sure you will see the rich fruits of your
labor. God bless you for not being money hungry but wanting to see Christians
grow in the Lord... I love you even though we have never met, you have
helped me in my Christian walk tremendously with these... CDs.
I
am not bragging on the flesh, I am just giving honor where honor is due. The
Holy Ghost will take these CDs and light a fire unseen and unheard of. God
bless you all at Still Waters."
-
Email from the USA
"Thank
you so very much for the CDs.
I am amazed at the quality and quantity of
the literature...
I
cannot imagine any other single thing being done by any man or group of men in
the earth today that is of such extensive, present, and enduring value as
this CD work is.
God
be praised that he uses sickly and weak men to forward his kingdom, that the
work may not be mistaken to be wrought by the might of men, but by his Spirit.
His strength is perfected in weakness."
-
Email from Colorado
______________
Many more comments on the SWRB's CD sets
(by the Banner of Truth magazine, Calvin Beisner [Professor of
Historical Theology and Social Ethics at Knox Theological Seminary], Dr. E.P.
Elliott [Christian Observer magazine], and many others.) can be found at the
end of the page at: http://www.swrb.com/Puritan/calvinism-bookshelf-CDs.htm
HOW TO GET 60 FREE SWRB CDs (UNTIL THE END OF THE DAY April
27, 2010) BY THE BEST CLASSIC AND CONTEMPORARY PURITANS, REFORMERS,
COVENANTERS, CALVINISTS, PRESBYTERIANS, REFORMED BAPTISTS, PROTESTANTS, et
al. (CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW)
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George Gillespie http://www.swrb.com/catalog/g.htm
James Renwick http://www.swrb.com/catalog/r.htm
John Calvin begins at sixth item below.http://www.swrb.com/catalog/c.htm
John Knox http://www.swrb.com/catalog/k.htm
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CALAMY,
EDMUND
A
Practical Discourse Concerning Vows: With Special Reference to Baptism and the
Lord's Supper (1697)
Everything you always wanted to
know about vows (an important part of sanctification which is little heard of
in our day). This book includes much general practical application (regarding
vows), with abundant particular attention to vows as they relate to baptism and
the Lord's supper. As it should be with all Christians, Calamy writes,
"Whoever is conversant in David's Psalms, will find him frequently making
vows, and careful in paying them."
Calamy was a prominent
Westminster Divine, and Thomas Smith notes that "he was an active and
zealous man in all their proceedings, and much distinguished, both for his
learning and moderation, in assembly"(Select Memoirs... of English and
Scottish Divines, p.
474). Smith further states, "Mr. Calamy was one of the most popular
preachers in London, and frequently appointed to preach before the long
parliament; for which the prelatical party have treated him with unmerited
abuse" (idem.) He
opposed Cromwell (as many faithful Puritans did) to his face, was ejected in
1662, and spent time in prison (due to popish/prelatical persecution) for his
faithfulness to Christ. 318 pages.
ADDITIONAL
DISCOUNTED SALE PRICE UP TO & INCLUDING September 13, 2010
(Rare bound photocopy) $9.95 (US funds) [$70 off!]
(Hardcover photocopy) $19.00 (US funds) [$80 off!]
September 13, 2010, OUR
REGULAR PRICE BELOW APPLIES
(Rare bound photocopy) $79.95 (US funds)
(Hardcover photocopy) $99.00 (US funds)
This book is
also available on Calvinism Bookshelf CD
volume 3 (3 for 1 CD SUPER SALE) at: http://www.swrb.com/Puritan/calvinism-bookshelf-CDs.htm
CALDERWOOD, DAVID
The
Altar of Damascus or the Pattern of the English Hierarchy, and Church Policy
Obtruded Upon the Church of Scotland (1621)
Considered by many to be one of
the major classics of Reformation thought regarding worship and church
government.
The
"Altare," or Altar of Damascus (a title founded on 2 Kings 16:
10-11), is Calderwood's masterpiece, and
contains an elaborate examination of the constitution and ceremonies of the
Church of England (and thus Prelacy and the English Popish ceremonies which the
most faithful Reformers have always condemned--RB). The original of the Latin
work was a tract in English, published in 1621. It is said that King James, on
reading this looked melancholy, and being asked the cause pointed to the
formidable treatise. "Let not that trouble your majesty," said the
courtier, "I shall soon answer it." "Answer what man""
replied the King, "there is nothing there but Scripture, reason, and the
fathers" (Johnston, Treasury of the Scottish Covenant, p. 284).
The "Altare Damascenum" is beyond comparison
the most learned and elaborate work ever written on the subject, embracing the
whole controversy between the English and Scottish divines as to government,
discipline, and worship
( T. M'Mcrie as cited in Treasury of the Scottish Covenant, p. 284).
This volume is the English
"tract" (of 222 pages) referenced above.
ADDITIONAL
DISCOUNTED SALE PRICE UP TO AND INCLUDING September 13, 2010
(Rare bound photocopy) $9.95 (US funds) [$40 off!]
(Hardcover photocopy) $19.00 (US funds) [$50 off!]
September 13, 2010, OUR
REGULAR PRICE BELOW APPLIES
(Rare bound photocopy) $49.95 (US funds)
(Hardcover photocopy) $69.00 (US funds)
This book is
also available on Reformation Bookshelf CD
volume 3 and 11 at:
http://www.swrb.com/Puritan/reformation-bookshelf-CDs.htm
CALDERWOOD, DAVID
The History of the Kirk of
Scotland
(8 volumes)
"The extensive
learning and eminent talents of the Rev. David Calderwood, his matured experience
in ecclesiastical affairs, and especially in those of his native country, the
persecutions he had endured for his beloved Church, and the numerous works he
had written in its defence, all qualified him, in the happiest manner, for
becoming a Historian of the Kirk of Scotland. Above all, when the narrative was
to be one of struggle and suffering, in which the principalities and powers of
the earth, as well as those of darkness, were the antagonists, the record of
such a conflict fell most aptly into the hands of a man whom a monarch had in
vain attempted to brow-beat, and a whole hierarchy to silence. His
own heart also appears to have affectionately inclined towards this his most
congenial occupation, so that, after his return from exile, he spent many years
in collecting and arranging the materials necessary for such an important task.
At last, when he had reached his seventy-third year, the General Assembly, for
the purpose of enabling him to perfect his work, granted him an annual pension
of 800 pounds Scots. Calderwood died only two years afterwards; but he lived to
accomplish his purpose of writing the History of our National Church from the
commencement of the Reformation to the close of the reign of James the Sixth,
in two, if not three successive and copious revisals" (Preface to volume
one, pp. v-vi). More on the prominent role Calderwood played in the church of
his day is supplied by Johnston, in his Treasury of the Scottish Covenant (p. 47), when he writes
that "the Second Book of Discipline was sworn to in the National Covenant
in 1581, and revised by the Assembly of 1638. The most important parts of the
book were legalized in 1592, and again in 1690. Calderwood, the historian,
edited "The First and Second Book of Discipline," printed in 1621."
Furthermore, the Dictionary of Scottish Church History and Theology (p. 118) tells us that
Calderwood was "excluded from the church courts when he opposed Bishop
James Law of Orkney's (FES VII, 322) substitution of royal supporters in place
of the Presbytery's duly elected representatives to the General Assembly. But
when King James VI visited Scotland in 1617, Calderwood and 54 other ministers
meeting in Edinburgh wrote a protest against the King's intention that the
monarch and men of his preference should appoint forms of worship and
discipline in the Church. Calderwood was required to appear with Archibald
Simson before the King at St. Andrews, where from
his knees he boldly opposed the King's will and asserted the freedom of the
General Assembly to control the Church's ceremonies and government (emphasis
added, and some today say these are points of little or no consequence -- how
different from our Reformed forefathers--RB). Calderwood was
deprived of his charge, imprisoned and banished. In 1619 he went to
Holland, whence he issued anonymously his monumental critique of English
episcopacy, The Altar of Damascus (n.p., 1621), greatly enlarged in Latin... Calderwood's writings were erudite and widely
persuasive, preparing the way for the restoration of Presbyterian practice at
the 'Second Reformation'... With Alexander
Henderson and David Dickson he was appointed by the General Assembly of 1643 to
draft a directory for public worship, to fill a need for guidelines after the
episcopal conventions had been removed (in keeping with the Solemn League and
Covenant--RB)." The same article, commenting on this eight volume
history, relates, "it is a major source for the
history of the Church of Scotland from the Reformation until 1625." This massive set (of over
6000 pages) was printed between 1842 and 1849. It contains a 171 page index and
Thomson's "Life of David Calderwood." The contents are listed and
dealt with chronologically by year; beginning in the preamble with the descent
of the Scots from the ancient Gauls, but formally covering the period (focusing
to the church) from 1514 to 1625. Documents and information available no where
else (that we know of) are also included in this set. Must reading for
researchers and those interested in church history!
ADDITIONAL DISCOUNTED SALE PRICE
UP TO & INCLUDING September 13, 2010
(8 volume rare bound photocopy set)
$799.95-80%=$159.99 (US funds) [$135.99 off!]
(8 volume rare Hardcover photocopy set)
$195.00 (US funds) [$200 off!]
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This book is also available on Reformation Bookshelf CD volume 11
at:
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The Pastor and the Prelate or
Reformation and Conformity Shortly Compared (First American edition of 1844).
This 17th century work refutes prelacy. Calderwood, bound by solemn oath to
defend the doctrine and discipline of Biblical Presbyterian government and
worship, and to oppose the hierarchy, along with all rites and ceremonies added
to the worship of God, does a masterful job here. He uses the Word of God and
the proceedings of the ancient and Reformation churches to make his points. He
deals with controversies over things "indifferent," people's souls,
state and society, etc. - as they are affected by these two systems of
government. He points out the far reaching consequences of the implementation
of various systems of church government and worship, showing how these specific
ideas are eventually mirrored in the culture in general. Summarizing, he notes
the classic saying concerning these matters and their consequences in the civil
realm, "no ceremony no bishop, no bishop no king," and in the
ecclesiastical arena, "no ceremony no prelate, no prelate no pope."
(Rare bound photocopy) $29.95-80%=$5.99 (US funds)
(Hardcover photocopy) $19.00 (US funds)
This book is
also available on Reformation Bookshelf CD
volume 11 at:
http://www.swrb.com/Puritan/reformation-bookshelf-CDs.htm
The True History of the
Church of Scotland, From the Beginning of the Reformation, unto the end of the
Reigne of King James VI (1678)
This is the officially sanctioned history of the Church of Scotland, written,
as the title page notes, by "appointment of the General Assembly, by whom
his laboures herein were several times revised and examined, and at length
approved for the Press." The title continues: "Wherein, besides some
touches of the Civil State and Alteration of Affaires, in their due order;
there is not only a series of the Assemblies, and of the Principal of their
Actings recorded; but also a full and plaine Relation of the Trials and
Troubles, which the Church did meet with from Enemies to the purity of the
Doctrine, Worship, Discipline and Government; of the several Alterations,
caused or occasioned thereby; of the many sad and lamentable faintings and
backslidings of Persons, sometimes eminent in the Church; of the faithful
contendings of others for the Prerogatives of Christ, as the alone Head of the
Church, for the purity of His Institutions, and for the Liberty and Privileges
of His Church and Kingdom, against all the Enemies thereof; and particularly
against Erastianisme and Prelacy, the two grand Enemies of the Discipline and Government
of the Church of Christ, and of their sad sufferings upon the account
thereof." 845 pages.
(Bound photocopy) $99.95-75%=$24.99 (US funds)
(Hardcover photocopy) $35.00 (US funds)
This book is
also available on Reformation Bookshelf CD
volume 1 and 11 at:
http://www.swrb.com/Puritan/reformation-bookshelf-CDs.htm
Books On
JOHN CALVIN:
BEZA, THEODORE
The Life of John Calvin
Beza was Calvin's friend, student and
successor at Geneva.
As an eye-witness to Calvin's conduct and an intimate
friend, this work (of 100 pages), of necessity, retains a special quality that
other treatments of Calvin's life will lack. Notwithstanding, the best modern treatment of Calvin's views and work is found in Carlos Eire's War Against the Idols: The
Reformation of Worship from Erasmus to Calvin ($US39.96).
ADDITIONAL DISCOUNTED SALE PRICE
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(Rare bound photocopy) $3.98 (US funds) [$6 off!]
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This
book is also available on Protestant Bookshelf
CD volume 19 (3 for 1 CD SUPER SALE) at: http://www.swrb.com/Puritan/protestant-bookshelf-CDs.htm
Works
by John Calvin at also available
on Protestant Bookshelf CD volume 5
(3 for 1 CD SUPER SALE) at: http://www.swrb.com/Puritan/protestant-bookshelf-CDs.htm
THE HUMANNESS OF JOHN CALVIN
by
Richard Stauffer
"This little
book is one of a kind. Written by a careful historian and Swiss pastor, it
draws on Calvin's correspondence and other records of the time to give a strong
impression of what the reformer was like as a person, in his family life, in
his close friendships, and in his sympathy and generosity as a pastor."
- Sherman
Isbell
.
"I
shall never forget the impact of this small work on my own estimation of
Calvin: it completely re-oriented my perspective on the French Reformer…. Read
on, prepare to be challenged and rejoice that God raises up such historians for
the blessing of the Church."
- Dr.
Michael Haykin
"In the
early years of my first pastorate I read the excellent biographies of Calvin by
T. H. L. Parker, and Emanuel Stickelberger. At the same time I acquired
Calvin's letters and the splendid little study which you now hold in your
hands. Already convinced of the humanness of Calvin I considered Richard
Stauffer's study to be unique in demonstrating this dimension of the great theologian.
Beyond its value as an historical polemic, it provides a marvelous example to
all who would be faithful pastors and theologians. The best response to
detractors is the Christ-like example which Calvin left us."
-
Gregory Reynolds
(Softcover)
$13.00 (US funds)
Works
by John Calvin at also available
on Protestant Bookshelf CD volume 5
(3 for 1 CD SUPER SALE) at: http://www.swrb.com/Puritan/protestant-bookshelf-CDs.htm
JOHN CALVIN, MARTIN LUTHER, JOHN
KNOX, JOHN OWEN, CHARLES SPURGEON, ARTHUR PINK, et al.
Ultimate Christian Library (DVD)
This is the first collection
of Christian writings to be available on DVD. Over 3 gigabytes of information are packed onto 1 disc containing
the entire libraries of:
The
Master Christian Library Version 8
The Reformation History Library Version 2
The C.H. Spurgeon Collection
The Complete John Calvin Collection
The Arthur Pink Collection
The John Owen Collection
The John Gill Collection
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7, 2010
(DVD) $499.95 (US funds) [$100 off!]
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John Calvin wrote:
"If
it be asked, then, by what things chiefly the Christian religion has a standing
amongst us, and maintains its truth, it will be found that the following two
not only occupy the principal place, but comprehend under them all the other
parts, and consequently the whole substance of Christianity, viz., a knowledge first, of the right way to
worship God; and secondly of the source from which salvation is to be sought.
When these are kept out of view, though we may glory in the name of Christians,
our profession is empty and vain." (Calvin cited in Carlos Eire's War Against the Idols, p. 198, from John Calvin's On the
Necessity of Reforming the Church [FREE at: http://www.swrb.com/newslett/actualnls/NRC_ch00.htm],
emphases added).
CALVIN, JOHN
The John Calvin Collection on CD-ROM
A great collection from John
Calvin (and others) on one affordable CD-ROM. Now for a fraction of the price
of hardcover volumes, you can have easy access to Calvin's commentaries,
sermons, letters, treatises, and tracts. Also included is the new Battles
translation of Calvin's Institutes
(as well as the older Beveridge edition), Beza's biography of the great
Reformer and much bonus data (including digital library Bibles, the complete works
of Augustine, and Strong's Greek Dictionary). Requires 8MB of RAM and Windows
3.1 or higher. Here is what you get:
Commentaries
(22 Volume Set)
Institutes (both the Battles and Beveridge editions)
Selected Works (tracts, treatises, letters, etc., 7 volumes)
Treatise on Relics
The Secret Providence of God
Sermons on Galatians
Sermons on Psalm 119
Sermons on the Deity of Christ
Sermons on Election and Reprobation (Genesis)
Commentary on Seneca's Of Clemency
History of the Reformation in the Time of Calvin (8 volumes -- by J.H. Merle
d'Aubigne)
Calvin and His Enemies -- by Thomas Smyth
The Life of Calvin -- by Theodore Beza
Bibles
Strong's Greek Dictionary
The Works of Augustine
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FREE MP3s: Institutes of the
Christian Religion #12 (Free Will Refuted & How God Works in the Hearts of
Men Regarding Salvation, Sanctification & Reprobation) by John Calvin
FREE MP3 at http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?sermonID=121506153210
RELATED CD RESOURCES:
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details)!
Links to
all 90 SWRB CDs related to the 3 for 1 CD SUPER SALE OFFER above.
"This collection of… CDs is a truly
astounding accomplishment. There is nothing like this available to the ordinary
Christian on the whole face of the earth. Now, for the first time ever, ordinary
Christians can have direct and near effortless access to the very cream
of Puritan and Reformed, as well as Covenanter, literature... What they used
to say of the Puritan John Flavel's preaching, can be said of these CDs: they
are 'hissing hot'! ... more" (emphases added).
- Dr Jonathan D. Moore, Cambridge, UK.
(Scholar of
16th and 17th century Calvinistic literature.)
CALVIN, KNOX, LUTHER, et al.
Reformation History Library, Version 2 on CD-ROM
Did you ever wonder what the Reformation
was really about? Are you aware of the sacrifices that many men and women made
in the 16th century in their stand for the truth of Scripture and the Lordship
of the Lord Jesus Christ? Why were these sacrifices made? What drove these
believers to sacrifice their belongings, homes and eventually their lives, all
in the name of the Reformed faith and unswerving faithfulness to the Lord Jesus
Christ? Many brave men and women where tortured and died at the hands of the
Roman Catholic Antichrist during the Reformation and this CD will give you a
look at the truths that these brave martyrs (witnesses) stood for -- even to
the shedding of blood in resisting sin. We need to understand the sacrifices that these noble
witnesses for Christ made, as we reap the fruit of their faithfulness today,
lest they and the teaching they maintained be forgotten and history repeats
itself once again. Thus, we are excited to announce the release of the Reformation
History Library Version 2
(less a few of the selections included). The Reformation History Library is the most exhaustive collection of
books written about this critical time in the history of the world. The Reformation
History Library will
provide the reader with new insight and information that is not available on
any other CD package. There are over 50 books and 650+ graphic illustrations
that depict the history of the Reformation era on this CD. If you are
interested in the finest collection of Reformation history information
available on one CD, now is the time to pick up this great resource at our
discounted price (adapted/Ages). Here is an overview of what is contained on
this CD:
Index to
Contents of RHL:
CATEGORIES
Bibles
References
Reformation Church History
The Ante-Nicene Fathers
The John Foxe Collection
The Martin Luther Collection
Collected Writings
Theology - Issues
Illustration Collection
Bibles
King
James - New Testament / Old Testament
American Standard - New Testament / Old Testament
References
Wetzel,
R. C. - Chronology of Biblical Christianity
Calvin, John - Institutes of the Christian Religion (Vols. 1-4)
Whiston, W. - The Life and Writings of Flavius Josephus
Reformation Church History
Allix,
Peter - The Ecclesiastical History of the Ancient Churches of the Piedmont and
the Albigenses
Arnaud, Henri - The Glorious Recovery by the Vaudois of their Valleys
Benedict, David - The History of the Baptists (2 Vols.)
Bliss, S. - Sacred Chronology
d'Aubigne, J. H. Merle - History of the Reformation in the Time of Calvin
(Vols. 1-8), History of the 16th Century Reformation, The Protector
Geddes - History of the Church of Ethiopia
Faber, George - The History of the Ancient Vallenses and Albigenses
Hagstotz, Gideon & Hilda - Heroes of the Reformation
Hefele, C. - History of the Council of the Church (Vols. 1-5)
Heylyn, Peter - Ecclesia Restaurata (2 Vols.)
Jones, William - History of the Christian Church (2 Vols.)
Knox, John - The Reformation in Scotland
M'Crie, Thomas - The Life of John Knox, The Reformation in Spain
Miller, Andrew - Miller's Church History
Perrin, Jean Paul - History of the Ancient Christians
Poggius The Papist - Hus the Heretic
Smiles, Samuel - Huguenots in England and Ireland
Strype, John - Annals of the Reformation (Vols. 1-7)
Thomson, John Henderson - Cloud of Witnesses
Wilkinson, Benjamin George - Truth Triumphant
Wylie, J.A. - History of Protestantism (Vols. 1-3), History of the Scottish
Nation
The Ante-Nicene Fathers
Volume
1 - The Apostolic Fathers (Clement, Mathetes, Polycarp, Ignatius, Barnabas, Papias,
Justin Martyr)
Volume 2 - Fathers of the Second Century (Hermas, Tatian, Theophilus,
Athenagoras, Clement of Alexandria)
Volume 3 - Latin Christianity; Its Founder Tertullian (I. Apologetic, II.
Anti-Marcion, III. Ethical)
Volume 4 - Fathers of the Third Century (Tertullian, Minucius Felix,
Commodianus, Origen)
Volume 5 - Fathers of the Third Century (Hippolytus, Cyprian, Caius, Novatian,
with Appendices)
Volume 6 - Fathers of the Third Century (Gregory Thaumaturgus, Dionysius the
Great, Julius Africanus, et al.)
Volume 7 - Fathers of the Third and Fourth Centuries (Lactantius, Dionysius of
Rome, Teaching of the Apostles, Early Liturgies)
Volume 8 - Fathers of the Third and Fourth Centuries (Testaments of the Twelve
Patriarchs, Apocrypha of the New Testament, etc)
[Volume 9 - Index to the printed edition; now part of search feature]
Volume 10 - Original Supplement to the American Edition
The John Foxe Collection
Foxe,
John - Acts and Monuments
Volume 1 - Life of Foxe, & The Church, 64AD - 449AD
Volume 2 - Acts and Monuments, 450AD - 1376AD
Volume 3 - Acts and Monuments, 1377AD - 1483AD
Volume 4 - Acts and Monuments, 1485AD - 1532AD
Volume 5 - Acts and Monuments, 1533AD - 1548AD
Volume 6 - Acts and Monuments, 1549AD - 1555AD
Volume 7 - Acts and Monuments, 1555AD cont.
Volume 8 - Acts and Monuments, 1556AD - 1581AD
The Martin Luther Collection
95
Theses
The Life and Times of Martin Luther
A Commentary on St. Paul's Epistle to the Galatians
Luther's Commentary on the Sermon on the Mount
The Letters of Martin Luther
Watchwords for the Warfare of Life from Dr. Martin Luther
Propechies of Luther
Sermons of Martin Luther - (Vols. 1-8)
Works of Martin Luther - (Vols. 1-6)
Collected Writings
Bradford,
John - The Writings of John Bradford, M.A.
Coverdale, Bishop - Writings and Translations
Fox, John - Writings of John Fox, Bale, and Coverdale.
Jones, Alonzo - Lessons From The Reformation - Ecclesiastical Empire
The Great Empires of Prophecy - The Two Republics
Knox, John - Select Practical Writings.
Latimer, Hugh - Sermons and Remains
St. Patrick. The Apostle of Ireland - Selected Writings
Tyndale, William - Doctrinal Treaties and Introductions to Different Portions
of The Holy Scriptures
Theology - Issues
Anderson,
Christopher - Annals of the English Bible
Andrews, J.N. - History of the Sabbath
Cassels, Samuel J. - Christ and Anti-Christ
Edwardson, Christian - Facts of Faith
Guiness, H. Grattan - Romanism and the Reformation
Heylyn, Peter - History of the Sabbath
Hoare, H. W. - Evolution of the English Bible
Howell, Robert B. C. - Evils of Infant Baptism (this item is an anti-scriptural
inclusion--SWRB)
Newton, Sir Isaac - Observations of the Prophecies of Daniel and the Apocalypse
of St. John
Smith, Uriah - Daniel and the Revelation
Standish, Russell R. - Modern Bible Translations
Taylor, D. T. - The Voice of the Church
Waggoner, E. J. - Christ and His Righteousness
White, Dr. Fr. - Treatise of The Sabbath Day
Wilkinson, Benjamin - Our Authorized Bible Vindicated
Reformation Illustration
Collection
The
Henri Arnaud Gallery - (Vols 1-2)
The John Foxe Gallery - Volume 1
The John Knox Gallery - Volume 1
The John Thomson Gallery - Volume 1
The J. A. Wylie Gallery - Volumes 1A,1B,1C, 2A, 2B, 3A ,3B
ADDITIONAL
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REGULAR PRICE BELOW APPLIES
(CD-ROM) $179.95 (US funds)
FREE MP3s: Institutes of the Christian Religion
#12 (Free Will Refuted & How God Works in the Hearts of Men Regarding
Salvation, Sanctification & Reprobation) by John Calvin
http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?sermonID=121506153210
RELATED CD RESOURCES:
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coming Monday, September 13, 2010 (click on the links below for
details)!
Links to all
90 SWRB CDs related to the 3 for 1 CD SUPER SALE OFFER above.
"This collection of… CDs is a truly
astounding accomplishment. There is nothing like this available to the ordinary
Christian on the whole face of the earth. Now, for the first time ever, ordinary
Christians can have direct and near effortless access to the very cream
of Puritan and Reformed, as well as Covenanter, literature... What they used
to say of the Puritan John Flavel's preaching, can be said of these CDs: they
are 'hissing hot'! ... more" (emphases added).
- Dr Jonathan D. Moore, Cambridge, UK.
(Scholar of
16th and 17th century Calvinistic literature.)
CALVIN, JOHN
Sermons on the Beatitudes
Among
the many activities which claimed Calvin‚s attention during his long ministry
in Geneva (1536-1538; 1541-1564), preaching was the most public and perhaps the
most influential. Public because, for many years, twice on Sundays and daily in
alternate weeks, the Reformer stood before a congregation of townsfolk,
refugees and visitors to teach, warn, appeal, counsel, admonish, and encourage.
Influential because, vital as the Institutes, commentaries and treatises
were to the defense and propagation of Christian doctrine, it was the Word
preached and applied from the pulpit which above all fashioned Geneva‚s
evangelical culture and made it the nerve-centre of Reformed Protestantism.
This volume presents readers with a short series of sermons on the Beatitudes,
translated for the first time into English by Robert White. They comprise
Calvin‚s exposition of Matthew 5:1-12, Mark 3:13-19 and Luke 6:12-26. Five
sermons were preached on the Beatitudes in the course of an extended treatment
of the Synoptic Gospels. Begun in July 1559, this series had still not been
completed by February 1564, when ill health forced the Reformer‚s retirement
from the pulpit. His absence was to be permanent: he died three months later,
in May 1564. The late date of these sermons, therefore, marks them out as a
definitive example of the Reformer‚s mature pulpit style. They represent his
very last effort to elucidate a New Testament text in the context of regular
public worship. Translated into a modern idiom, this book will transport the
reader back into sixteenth-century Geneva, where he can hear the Reformer
preach on issues of perennial Christian concern.
ABOUT
THE TRANSLATOR Until recently Robert White taught in the Department of French
Studies, University of Sydney, Australia, and has a specialist interest in the
Reformation in French-speaking areas of Europe.
128
pages.
(Softcover) $14.00 (US funds)
CALVIN,
JOHN
An
Exhortation to Suffer Persecution and to Flee Outward Idolatry (1553)
Contains the following two
facsimile sermons by one of the greatest preachers ever:
1. A
Sermon Wherein All Christians Are Admonished to Flee Outward Idolatry.
2. An Exhortation to Suffer Persecution.
"Robert Horne (a
Protestant, exiled during the reign of Mary) added an exceedingly interesting
and valuable 'Apology' which is printed with these sermons" (EE). 118
pages, black letter.
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(Hardcover photocopy) $49.00 (US funds)
This book is
also available on Reformation Bookshelf CD
volume 19 (CD SUPER SALE) at: http://www.swrb.com/Puritan/reformation-bookshelf-CDs.htm
CALVIN,
JOHN
Devotions
and Prayers of John Calvin
52 one-page devotions with
selected prayers on facing pages.120 pages, indexed.
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This book is
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Acts of the Council of Trent:
With the Antidote
Scottish theologian William Cunningham once noted that, "Calvin is the man
who, next to St. Paul, has done most good to mankind." (cited in Christian
History magazine, Vol. 5, No. 4). Here we have one example why, in Calvin's
willingness to stand against false religion. This is a one-of-a-kind Reformation
refutation of this wretched Roman standard. Trent is still upheld today and
remains binding according to Rome - even after Vatican II and the signing of
the anti-Christ Colson/Neuhaus document Evangelicals and Catholics Together.
Thus, this Antidote remains pertinent, citing fully each section of Trent that
Calvin is attacking. The major points dealt with include the rule of faith,
original sin, justification and the sacrifice and merits of Christ. In regard
to all of these points, it is clearly shown that the heresies of the Papists
are numerous and deadly. Written near the end of Calvin's life, we have here a
clear demonstration of Calvin's mature thought, countering Rome, and
reiterating some of the most important principles of Reformation thought.
(Rare bound photocopy) $29.95-60%=$11.98 (US funds)
(Hardcover photocopy) $24.00 (US funds)
An older copy
of this book is available on Reformation
Bookshelf CD volume 21 (CD SUPER SALE) at: http://www.swrb.com/Puritan/reformation-bookshelf-CDs.htm
A more modern
(type style) copy of this book is available on Reformation
Bookshelf CD volume 16 (CD SUPER SALE) at: http://www.swrb.com/Puritan/reformation-bookshelf-CDs.htm
FREE WILL IS FROM
THE PAPAL ANTICHRIST
But as many as received him, to
them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his
name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of
the will of man, but of God (John 1:12-13).
FIRST TIME ENGLISH
TRANSLATION!
CALVIN, JOHN
The Bondage & Liberation
of the Will: A Defense of the Orthodox Doctrine of Human Choice Against Pighius (1543,
1996)
"In the belief that the 1539 edition of Calvin's
Institutes,
and in particular its chapters on free choice and predestination, constituted a
greater danger than did the other 'Lutheran' writings, the Dutch Roman Catholic
theologian Albert Pighius wrote a response entitled Ten Books on Human Free
Choice and Divine Grace (1542). Calvin, when he saw Pighius's work, felt a pressing
need to respond to Pighius's first six books, that is, those on free choice.
The result was The Bondage and Liberation of the Will (1543). The Bondage and Liberation of the Will is undoubtedly the most significant of Calvin's works
hitherto not translated in English. This is in striking contrast to
Luther's study on the same topic, which is one of his best-known
publications." This is Calvin's "fullest treatment of the relation
between grace and free will, and contains important material not found
elsewhere in his writings. It also contains
far more discussion of the early church fathers than does any other of
Calvin's works, apart from the Institutes. It is high time that
this major work is made available to those whose knowledge of Calvin is
confined to English translations" (back cover). 303 pages.
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Calvin's Calvinism
Contains two treatises by
Calvin:
1. The Eternal Predestination of God; and
2. The Secret Providence of God.
Translated by Henry Cole, this
edition contains an index of Scripture passages cited.
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+ This book is
also available on all 30 Reformation Bookshelf
CDs (in the "FREE
BOOKS" file) at:
http://www.swrb.com/Puritan/reformation-bookshelf-CDs.htm (along with 100 other
free books and articles!).
The Secret Providence
of God by Calvin in now free on seven MP3s beginning at
http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?sermonID=84059934
NEW LOW PRICE!!!
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Calvin's Commentaries (22
volumes)
Considered by many to be the best set of commentaries on Scripture ever
produced! Calvin's Commentaries cover the O.T. (except for Judges through Job
and Proverbs through Song of Solomon) and the N.T. (except 2 and 3 John and
Revelation).
The preface to the Kregal
edition of Spurgeon's Commenting and Commentaries (1988) also notes,
I would not be possible for me too
earnestly to press upon you the importance of reading the expositions of that
prince among men, JOHN CALVIN! I am afraid that scant purses may keep you from
their purchase, but if it be possible, procure them. I have often felt inclined
to cry out with Father Simon, a Roman Catholic: "Calvin possessed a
sublime genius," and with Scaliger, "Oh! how well Calvin has reached
the meaning of the prophets - no one better." You will find 42 or more
goodly volumes worth their weight in gold. Of all commentaries I believe John
Calvin to be the most candid. In his expositions he is not always what some
would call Calvinistic. That is to say, where Scripture maintains the doctrine
of predestination and grace he flinches in no degree, but inasmuch as some
Scriptures bear the impress of human free action and responsibility, he does
not shun to expound their meaning in all fairness and integrity. He was no
trimmer and pruner of texts. He gave their meaning as far as he knew it. His
honest intention was to translate the Hebrew and the Greek originals as accurately
as he possibly could, and then to give the meaning which would naturally be
conveyed by such Greek and Hebrew words. He labored, in fact, to declare, not
his own mind upon the Spirit's words, but the mind of the Spirit as couched in
those words. Dr. King very truly says of him:
No writer ever dealt more fairly and
honestly by the Word of God. He is scrupulously careful to let it speak for
itself, and to guard against every tendency of his own mind to put upon it a
questionable meaning for the sake of establishing some doctrine which he feels
to be important, or some theory which he is anxious to uphold. This is one of
his prime excellences. He will not maintain any doctrine, however orthodox and
essential, by a text of Scripture, which to him appears of doubtful
application, or of inadequate force. For instance, firmly as he believed the
doctrine of the Trinity, he refuses to derive an argument in its favor from the
plural form of the name of God in the first chapter of Genesis. It were easy to
multiply examples of this kind, which, whether we agree in his conclusion or
not, cannot fail to produce the conviction that he is at least an honest
commentator, and will not make any passage of Scripture speak more or less
than, according to his view, its divine Author intended to speak.
The edition of John Calvin's works which
was issued by the Calvin Translation Society, is greatly enriched by the
remarks of the editors, consisting not merely of notes on the Latin of Calvin,
and the French translation, or on the text of the original Scriptures, but also
of weighty opinions of eminent critics, illustrative manners and customs, and
observations of travelers. By the way, gentlemen, what a pity it is that people
do not, as a rule, read the notes in the old Puritan books! If you purchase old
copies of such writers as Brooks, you will find that the notes in the margin
are almost as rich as the books themselves. They are dust of gold, of the same
metal as the ingots in the center of the page. But to return to Calvin. If you
needed any confirmatory evidence as to the value of his writings, I might
summon a cloud of witnesses, but it will suffice to quote one or two. Here is
the opinion of one who is looked upon as his great enemy, namely, Arminius:
"Next to the perusal of the Scriptures, which I earnestly inculcate, I
exhort my pupils to peruse Calvin's Commentaries, which I extol in loftier
terms than Helmich (a Dutch Protestant divine, A.D. 1551-1608) himself; for I
affirm that he excels beyond comparison in the interpretation of Scripture, and
that his commentaries ought to be more highly valued than all that is handed
down to us by the Library of the Fathers; so that I acknowledge him to have
possessed above most others, or rather above all other men, what may be called
an eminent gift of prophecy."
Quaint Robert Robinson said of him,
"There is no abridging this sententious commentator, and the more I read
him, the more does he become a favorite expositor with me." Richard Baxter
wrote, "I know no man since the apostles' days, whom I value and honor
more than Calvin, and whose judgment in all things, one with another, I more
esteem and come nearer to."
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"After the reading of
Scripture, which I strenuously inculcate, and more than any other ... I
recommend that the Commentaries of Calvin be read ... For I affirm that in the
interpretation of the Scriptures Calvin is incomparable, and that his
Commentaries are more to be valued than anything that is handed down to us in
the writings of the Fathers -- so much that I concede to him a certain spirit of
prophecy in which he stands distinguished above others, above most, indeed,
above all" -Jacobus Arminius (1560-1609)
Calvin on the Free Offer of
the Gospel
These words may shock many, but they are the words of John Calvin and they
clearly show that Calvin believed in and taught what has come to be known as
the free offer of the gospel. For example, Calvin writes, "So wonderful is
his love towards mankind, that he would have them all to be saved..." (Calvin's
Commentary on 2 Peter
3:9). Appended is the article: "Faith's Encouragement; or, the Gospel
Hearer's Right to and Interest in Christ Before Believing, A Great
Encouragement, and the Only Encouragement to Believe" by "D."
(1863). Excerpted from the Original Covenanter and Contending Witness magazine (volumes 2:11; 3:22; 4:3).
(Rare bound photocopy) $8.95-50%=$4.48 (US funds)
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Calvin's Ecclesiastical
Advice
46 letters and writings of Calvin newly translated into English from Corpus Reformatorum (volume 38, part I). Focusing on
doctrine, the Reformation, worship, discipline, judicial questions, and
marriage, this books clearly exhibits Calvin's pastoral style. It also shows
the great influence which Calvin exerted over second Reformation thought,
because of his focus on doctrine, worship and church government.
(Softcover) $39.95
CALVIN,
JOHN
Calvin's Selected Works (7 Volumes)
These
remarkable volumes contain Calvin's tracts and letters. They clearly exhibit
why Calvin was one of the great saints (who defended
the regulative principle of worship) and why his work was singularly
blessed of God.
Understanding
these works will shed much light on our current situation; for many in the
professed Christian community live in as great (or greater) darkness today than
those who were contemporaries of Calvin.
This set
contains such classics as "The Necessity of Reforming the Church,"
"The Catechism of the Church of Geneva," "An Antidote Against
Trent," "The Sinfulness of Outward Conformity to Romish Rites"
and much more (see the full contents below).
Calvin's
only letter to Luther, his letters to Knox, Bullinger, Beza and a host of other
Reformers, along with Beza's 100 page Life of Calvin are also all
included.
Indexed, 3507
pages.
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+
CONTENTS OF VOLUME FIRST -- Calvin's Selected Works
TRANSLATOR'S PREFACE.
1. LIFE OF JOHN CALVIN, BY THEODORE BEZA.
2. LETTER BY JAMES SADOLET, A ROMAN
CARDINAL, TO THE SENATE AND
3. PEOPLE OF GENEVA.
4. REPLY BY JOHN CALVIN TO LETTER BY
CARDINAL SADOLET TO THE SENATE
5. AND PEOPLE OF GENEVA.
6. ARTICLES AGREED UPON BY THE FACULTY OF
SACRED THEOLOGY OF
7. PARIS, WITH THE ANTIDOTE
8. THE NECESSITY OF REFORMING THE CHURCH
9. A PATERNAL ADMONITION BY THE ROMAN
PONTIFF, PAUL III, TO THE MOST
10. INVINCIBLE EMPEROR, CHARLES V.
11. REMARKS ON THE LETTER OF POPE PAUL III.
12. AN ADMONITION, SHOWING THE ADVANTAGES
WHICH CHRISTENDOM
13. MIGHT DERIVE FROM AN INVENTORY OF RELICS
+
CONTENTS OF VOLUME SECOND -- Calvin's Selected Works
TRANSLATOR'S PREFACE
I.
CATECHISM
OF THE CHURCH OR GENEVA
II.
FORMS OF
PRAYER
III.
FORM OF
ADMINISTERING THE SACRAMENTS
IV.
VISITATION
OF THE SICK
V.
BRIEF
CONFESSION OF FAITH
VI.
CONFESSION
OF FAITH OF THE REFORMED CHURCHES OF FRANCE
VII.
SHORT
TREATISE ON THE LORD'S SUPPER
VIII.
MUTUAL
CONSENT AS TO THE SACRAMENTS
IX.
SECOND
DEFENCE OF THE SACRAMENTS
X.
LAST
ADMONITION TO JOACHIM WESTPHAL
XI.
TRUE PARTAKING
OF THE FLESH AND BLOOD OF CHRIST
XII.
BEST METHOD
OF CONCORD ON THE SACRAMENTS
+
CONTENTS OF VOLUME THIRD -- Calvin's Selected Works
TRANSLATOR'S
PREFACE.
1.
CANONS AND DECREES OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT, WITH THE ANTIDOTE, 1547
2.
ADULTERO-GERMAN INTERIM, WITH CALVIN'S REFUTATION, 1547, AND THE TRUE METHOD OF
REFORMING THE CHURCH AND HEALING HER DIVISIONS 1547.
3. THE
SINFULNESS OR OUTWARD CONFORMITY TO ROMISH RITES, 1587
4.
PSYCHOPANNYCHIA; OR, THE SOULS IMAGINARY SLEEP BETWEEN DEATH AND JUDGMENT 1584
+
CONTENTS OF VOLUME FOURTH -- Calvin's Selected Works
1528
LETTER 1 -- TO NICHOLAS
DUCHEMIN. -- Calvin at the University of Orleans -- his early friendships -- he
is recalled to Noyon by the illness of his father.
1529
LETTER 2 -- TO FRANCIS DANIEL.
-- Calvin in Paris -- Nicholas Cop -- the two friends visit a monastery.
LETTER 3 -- TO FRANCIS DANIEL.
-- Thanks to Francis Daniel -- salutations to Melchior Wolmar -- various
messages.
1530
LETTER 4 -- TO FRANCIS DANIEL.
-- Domestic intelligence -- departure to Italy of the brother of Francis
Daniel.
1532
LETTER 5 -- TO FRANCIS DANIEL.
-- Calvin's first work -- Commentary on Seneca's Treatise, "De
Clementia."
LETTER 6 -- TO FRANCIS DANIEL.
-- Calvin despatches copies of the Treatise, "De Clementia," to
several persons -- looks for lodgings in Paris.
LETTER 7 -- TO DR. MARTIN BUCER.
-- Recommendation of a French refugee in Strasbourg, who had been falsely
accused of holding the doctrines of the Anabaptists.
1533
LETTER 8 -- TO FRANCIS DANIEL.
-- Various communications -- a new work put forth, LETTER 9 -- TO FRANCIS
DANIEL. -- The Reformation in Paris -- rage of the Sorbonne-satirical Comedy
directed against the Queen of Navarre -- intervention of Francis I. --
deliberation of the Four Faculties -- revocation of the censure pronounced
against the book entitled "The Mirror of the Sinful Soul."
1534
LETTER 10 -- TO FRANCIS DANIEL.
-- Retirement of Calvin to Angouleme.
LETTER 11 TO CHRISTOPHER
LIBERTET. -- Calvin in Basle -- revision of the Bible of Robert Olivetan --
treatise on the Immortality of the Soul.
1536
LETTER 12 -- TO FRANCIS DANIEL.
-- Calvin in Geneva -- translation into French of the "Christian
Institutes" -- disputation of Lausanne -- establishment of the doctrines
of the Reformation in the Pays de Vaud.
1537
LETTER 13 -- TO MEGANDER. --
Calvin and Caroli encounter each other -- prayers for the dead -- the Genevese
clergy accused of Arianism -- need of a synod.
LETTER 14 -- TO VIRET. --
Preaching of the Gospel at Besancon -- ecclesiastical intelligence --
discouragement of Farel -- necessity for the return of Viret to Geneva.
LETTER 15 -- TO SIMON GRYNEE. --
The nature of the controversy between Calvin and Caroli clearly laid open --
Synod of Lausanne -- Caroli is condemned, and the teaching of Calvin and Farel
solemnly approved,
LETTER 16 -- TO THE MINISTERS OF
THE CHURCH AT BASLE. -- Persecution in France -- request addressed to the
Seigneury of Basle in favor of the faithful of the Church at Nismes.
1538
LETTER 17 -- TO LOUIS DU TILLET.
-- Departure of Louis du Tillet from Geneva -- regret of Calvin -- controversy
between the two friends regarding the character of the Church of Jesus Christ.
LETTER 18 -- TO HENRY BULLINGER.
-- State of the Church at Geneva -- wish for the union of the Reformed Churches
-- mention of Luther.
LETTER 19 -- TO HENRY BULLINGER.
-- Synod of Zurich -- attempt at reconciliation between the banished ministers
and the town of Geneva.
LETTER 20 -- TO PETER VIRET. --
Arrival of Farel and Calvin at Basle.
LETTER 21 -- TO LOUIS DU TILLET.
-- Journey of Calvin to Strasbourg -- project of a new Assembly at Zurich --
policy of the Bernese -- in his retirement Calvin breathes freely -- news from
France.
LETTER 22 -- TO WILLIAM FAREL.
-- Farel called as minister to the Church of Neuchatel -- sad condition of the
Church at Geneva -- uncertainty of Calvin -- Bucer's urgency to draw him to
Strasbourg.
LETTER 23 -- TO FAREL. -- New
efforts of the ministers of Strasbourg to attract Calvin thither -- the plague
at Basle -- detail of the death of a nephew of Farel.
LETTER 24 -- TO FAREL. -- Calvin
at Strasbourg -- negotiations between Bucer and the Magistrates of Geneva --
first preaching of Calvin in the French Church -- Anabaptists of Metz.
LETTER 25 -- TO THE CHURCH OF
GENEVA. -- Letter of consolation and advice addressed to the Church at Geneva,
deprived of her faithful pastor -- testimonies of his innocence -- confidence
in God -- trust for the future.
LETTER 26 -- TO FAREL. --
Conferences of Basle -- absence of the theologians of Zurich and of Berne --
the minister Konzen -- complaints against Bucer -- a wish for the establishment
of Ecclesiastical discipline -- celebration of the Supper in the French Church
of Strasbourg -- the news of Germany and the Netherlands -- question addressed
to Melanchthon -- domestic affairs.
LETTER 27 -- TO LOUIS DU TILLET.
-- Reply to doubts as to the lawfulness of his call -- inward assurance of his
calling -- declines the kind offer of Louis du Tiller -- appeals to the
tribunal of God from the accusation of schism charged on him by his friend.
LETTER 28 -- TO FAREL. -- Death
of Courault -- Calvin's discouragement and trust in God -- answers a question
of Saunier regarding the Supper -- the faithful at Geneva exhorted not to
separate from the new preachers -- affectionate advice given to Farel.
1539
LETTER 29 -- TO FAREL. -- Second
edition of the "Christian Institutes" -- death of Robert Olivetan --
state of religion in Germany -- first lectures of Calvin at Strasbourg.
LETTER 30 -- TO FAREL. --
Fruitless efforts for the union of the two Churches -- synod of Zurich --
Bullinger's distrust of Bucer -- parallel between Luther and Zuingli -- Calvin
thinks of marrying -- news of Germany -- policy of the ecclesiastical Electors
French Church of Strasbourg -- conversion of two Anabaptists.
LETTER 31 -- TO BULLINGER. --
Excuses his long silence -- evidences of brotherly affection -- justifies Bucer
-- his desire for the union of the Church of Zurich with that of Strasbourg.
LETTER 32 -- TO FAREL. --
Departure of Calvin for the Assembly of Frankfort -- the question of
Ecclesiastical property -- news of Geneva -- opening of the religious
conferences at Frankfort -- disposition of the Roman Catholic princes and
Protestants in Germany -- policy of Charles V. -- Reformation in England --
remarkable judgment on Henry VIII.
LETTER 33 -- TO FAREL. --
Conclusion of the Assembly at Frankfort -- attitude of the Protestant princes
-- conversations between Calvin and Melanchthon on ecclesiastical discipline --
opinion of the latter -- of Capito -- various details.
LETTER 34 -- TO FAREL. --
Numerous occupations of Calvin -- news of Germany -- firmness of the Senate of
Strasbourg.
LETTER 35 -- TO FAREL. -- Union
of the Swiss Churches first steps for the recall of Calvin to Geneva -- some details
concerning his ministry and his straitened circumstances -- Lutheran ceremonies
-- the Church property -- renewal of the League of Smalkald -- constancy of the
German princes -- example of fidelity to the cause of Christ on the part of the
town of Strasbourg.
LETTER 36 -- TO FAREL. --
Ecclesiastical news of Switzerland -- destitution of the minister Megander --
complaints addressed to Bucer -- further projects of marriage on the part of
Calvin.
LETTER 37 -- TO THE CHURCH OF
GENEVA. -- Recommends anew the counsel of peace and brotherly agreement to the
Church of Geneva.
LETTER 38 -- TO FAREL. --
Journey of Farel to Strasbourg -- scanty remuneration of Calvin -- sale of his
books.
LETTER 39 -- TO FAREL. --
Reconciliation of Farel with Caroli -- intercession of the Senate of Strasbourg
in favor of the French Protestants -- answer of Calvin to the letter of
Cardinal Sadolet.
LETTER 40 -- TO FAREL. -- Caroli
at Strasbourg -- proceedings of Sturm and Bucer for the reconciliation with
Calvin.
LETTER 41 -- TO FAREL. --
Farther details of the reconciliation of Calvin with Caroli -- the minister
Alexander -- a lecture of Bucer -- negotiations of the Protestant Princes of
Germany -- their answer to Henry VIII. -- French translation of the epistle to
Sadolet.
LETTER 42 -- TO FAREL. -- Caroli
-- encounter between William du Bellay, and the Constable de Montmorency --
preparation for an approaching Assembly in Germany -- negotiations with the
King of England -- salutations addressed by Luther to Calvin -- hope of an
accommodation between the Swiss and German Churches.
LETTER 43 -- TO FAREL. --
Persecutions in France -- policy of Francis I. and Charles V. -- ecclesiastical
discipline -- university regulations at Strasbourg -- illness of Farel.
1540
LETTER 44 -- TO FAREL. --
Farther mention of Caroli -- discussion with Herman the Anabaptist -- good
understanding of Charles V. and Francis I. -- alarm of the German Princes --
some detail of the propositions addressed to Calvin.
LETTER 45 -- TO FAREL. --
Impressions of Calvin on his recall to Geneva rigorous application of
discipline in his church -- news of Germany, of France, and of England.
LETTER 46 -- TO FAREL. --
Reconciliation of parties at Geneva -- insufficiency of the ministers of that
Church -- policy of Charles V. -- courageous attitude of the Protestant Princes
-- favorable news from England -- cruel persecutions in France --
ecclesiastical discipline in the French Church at Strasbourg.
LETTER 47 -- TO PETER VIRET. --
Excuses for his silence -- sad news from France -- repugnance of Calvin to
return to Geneva -- his comparative estimate of Capito, Zuingli, Luther, and
Oecolampadius.
LETTER 48 -- TO FAREL. --
Preparations for the Assembly of Haguenau -- symptoms of misunderstanding
between Charles V. and Francis I. -- severe judgment of Henry VIII. -- evils
produced in the Church by the absence of discipline -- various details.
LETTER 49 -- TO MONSIEUR DU
TAILLY. -- Review of the Conferences of Haguenau -- the state of parties in
Germany.
LETTER 50 -- TO PETER CAROLI. --
Answer to the complaints of Caroli -- refuses to grant to him the professorial
chair unless he repents of his past offenses.
LETTER 51 -- TO FAREL. --
Deputations sent to France and into England -- the Edict of Fontainbleau.
LETTER 52 -- TO FAREL. --
Sickness of Calvin -- preparation for departure to the Diet at Worms -- letter
to the Queen of Navarre on behalf of the faithful persecuted in France.
LETTER 53 -- TO THE SEIGNEURY OF
GENEVA. -- Excuses himself from returning to Geneva by the necessity of his
attendance at the Diet of Worms.
LETTER 54 -- TO FAREL. --
Exposition of the motives which prevent him from returning to Geneva.
LETTER 55 -- TO THE SEIGNEURY OF
GENEVA. -- Calvin at Worms -- he excuses himself to the magistrates of Geneva
for his inability to comply with their request, on account of the mission with
which he had been charged into Germany in the general interests of the Church.
LETTER 56 -- TO FAREL. -- Details of the interview of Calvin with theDeputies
from Geneva.
LETTER 57 -- TO NICOLAS PARENT.
-- Testimony rendered to the French Church at Strasbourg, and to the pastor in
charge of it during the absence of Calvin -- matters of advice.
LETTER 58 -- TO NICOLAS PARENT.
-- Instructions regarding the Supper, and on various points of Ecclesiastical
Discipline.
1541
LETTER 59 -- TO THE SEIGNEURY OF
GENEVA. -- Calvin sent to the Diet of Ratisbon -- he excuses himself on that
account from returning at that moment to Geneva -- advices addressed to the
magistrates of that town.
LETTER 60 -- TO FAREL. --
Anxiety on account of the Swiss Churches -- approaching departure for Ratisbon
-- disputes between Berne and Geneva -- calumnies directed against the Vaudois
of Provence.
LETTER 61 -- TO VIRET. -- New
expression of the repugnances and terrors which Calvin feels in prospect of his
returning to Geneva.
LETTER 62 -- TO JAMES BERNARD --
Protests his devotedness to the Church of Geneva -- oblivion of past injury.
LETTER 63 -- TO FAREL -- Calvin at
Ratisbon -- the plague at Strasbourg -- grief of the Reformer -- preliminaries
of the Diet -- the German princes -- the Italian prelates -- Hungary -- the
Turk -- Poland -- state of opinion -- inclinations of Charles V. -- stayedness
upon God.
LETTER 64 -- TO MONSIEUR DE
RICHEBOURG. -- Consolatory letter on the death of his son.
LETTER 65 -- TO FAREL. --
Affliction of Calvin -- news of the Diet of Ratisbon -- appointment of the
theologians charged with the representation of the two parties -- their reception
by the Emperor -- portrait of Julius Pfiug, of Gropper, and of Eck.
LETTER 66 -- TO FAREL. --
Request addressed by the ministers of the Church of Zurich to those of
Strasbourg -- Calvin promises to return to Geneva -- message to Viret.
LETTER 67 -- TO FAREL. --
Results of the Diet of Ratisbon -- conferences of the theologians -- original
sin -- free-will -- justification -- impossibility of agreement in the
sacrament of the Supper.
LETTER 68 -- TO FAREL. --
Efforts of Bucer and of Melanchthon to effect a connection between the two
Churches -- formula of concord -- feeling of Calvin on the subject.
LETTER 69 -- TO THE PASTORS OF
THE CHURCH OF ZURICH. -- The expression of his sentiments in reference to the
Church of Geneva -- ready return to that town if the Magistrates of Strasbourg
consent to it, and if the Seigneury of Berne promise their support -- testimony
of respect for the Church of Zurich.
LETTER 70 -- TO FAREL. -- Return
of Calvin to Strasbourg -- news of the Diet of Ratisbon -- contradictory formulae
presented to the Emperor -- reply of Charles V. -- letter to the King of France
in favor of his persecuted Protestant subjects.
LETTER 71 -- TO FAREL AND VIRET.
-- Communication of a letter received from Bucer -- news of Germany -- Church
of Metz -- assurance given to Viret of his approaching departure for Geneva --
recommendation of two young men.
LETTER 72 -- TO VIRET. --
Excuses for his delay in leaving Strasbourg -- conclusion of the Diet at
Ratisbon.
LETTER 73 -- TO FAREL. --
Prepares to depart for Geneva -- self-denial of Calvin -- absolute submission
to the will of God.
LETTER 74 -- TO THE SEIGNEURY OF
GENEVA. -- Arrival of Calvin at Neuchatel -- purpose of his going to that town.
LETTER 75 -- TO FAREL. -- Calvin
at Berne -- his interview with one of the principal magistrates, and with the
ministers of that town
LETTER 76 -- TO FAREL. --
Arrival of Calvin at Geneva -- his interview with the magistrates -- draws up a
form of Ecclesiastical discipline -- advises Farel to moderation.
LETTER 77 -- TO THE SEIGNEURY OF
NEUCHATEL. -- Efforts to pacify the Church of Neuchatel -- instructions given
to Viret.
LETTER 78 -- TO BUCER. -- New
details regarding the troubles in the Church of Neuchatel -- proceedings of
Viret -- sentence pronounced by the Bernese -- the ecclesiastical Statutes of
Geneva -- request for prolongation of leave for Viret -- testimony of respect
and affection for Bucer -- approach of the pestilence.
LETTER 79 -- TO MADAME THE
DUCHESS OF FERRARA. -- Instructions on the subject of the Mass, and on the
necessity of avoiding scandal.
LETTER 80 -- TO FAREL. --
Brotherly exhortations -- efforts of Calvin to draw Viret to Geneva -- news of
that Church.
LETTER 81 -- TO FAREL. -- The
Vaudois of Provence -- appeal addressed to Mathurin Cordier -- the Reformation
at Paris and Lyons.
1542
LETTER 82 -- TO FAREL. --
Healing of the troubles of the Church at Neuchatel -- wise counsel given to
Farel.
LETTER 83 -- TO OSWALD MYCONIUS.
-- Restoration of the Church of Geneva -- wise and moderate behavior of Calvin
-- obstacles to the establishment of ecclesiastical discipline -- duty of the
magistrates thereupon -- information regarding an adventurer named Alberg.
LETTER 84 -- TO OSWALD MYCONIUS.
-- The Reformation at Cologne -- some details on the condition of Germany --
efforts of Calvin to retain Viret at Geneva.
LETTER 85 -- TO THE BRETHREN OF
LYONS. -- Stay of a Carmelite monk at Geneva -- declaration of motives for
refusing to admit him to the ministry of the Gospel.
LETTER 86 -- TO FAREL -- Detail
of the edifying death of the first Syndic, Amy Porral.
LETTER 87 -- TO VIRET. --
Sickness of Idelette de Bure -- the beginnings of the new ministers of the
Church of Geneva.
LETTER 88 -- TO BENEDICT TEXTOR.
-- Divers recommendations.
LETTER 89 -- TO FAREL. -- Excuses
his silence -- estimate of the new ministers -- works and literary productions
of Calvin.
LETTER 90 -- TO VIRET. --
Proceedings of Castalio -- school of Geneva -- criticism on the new ministers
-- tidings of France -- domestic sorrow.
LETTER 91 -- TO VIRET. --
Instructions given to Viret for the Synod of Berne -- need of maintaining the
spiritual independence of the Church -- various directions.
LETTER 92 -- TO VIRET. --
Disquietude of Calvin on occasion of the acts of the Synod of Berne.
LETTER 93 -- TO FAREL. -- Wishes
for the success of the journey undertaken by Farel to Metz -- calumnies of
James de Morges.
LETTER 94 -- TO VIRET. -- Origin
of the disputes between Calvin and Castalio.
LETTER 95 -- TO VIRET. --
Invitation to Viret to come to Geneva -- nomination of a principal of the
College of that town.
LETTER 96 -- TO VIRET. --
Approval of a letter of Viret to the Seigneuries of Berne -- the ecclesiastical
property -- Italian emigrants at Geneva -- troubles caused by the differences of
that town with Berne.
LETTER 97 -- TO VIRET. -- The
plague at Geneva -- conduct of the ministers in these circumstances -- Italian
refugees -- the question of the ecclesiastical property examined.
LETTER 98 -- TO BULLINGER. --
Numerous occupations of Calvin -- death of Leo Juda -- ravages of the plague in
Switzerland.
LETTER 99 -- TO MICHAEL VAROD.
-- Recommendation of a sick person.
1543
LETTER 100 -- TO MONSIEUR LE
CURE DE CERNEX. -- Religious controversy occasioned by the plague at Geneva --
apologizes for the Reformation.
LETTER 101 -- TO PHILIP
MELANCHTHON. -- Testimony of respect and of fraternal affection -- his homage
in one of his books -- details of his labors at Geneva -- survey of the state
of Germany and of Italy. LETTER 102 -- TO VIRET. -- Ecclesiastical
particularities -- struggles to maintain the right of excommunication over the
ministers.
LETTER 103 -- TO CONRAD
PELLICAN. -- Offer of his services -- answers the accusations directed against
Farel -- justification of Ochino -- introduces two young men.
LETTER 104 -- TO THE SEIGNEURY
OF GENEVA. -- Calvin at Strasbourg -- expose of his proceedings with the
magistrates of that town for preaching the Evangel at Metz -- the news.
LETTER 105 -- TO THE PASTORS OF
THE CHURCH OF GENEVA. -- The preaching of the Gospel encounters difficulty at
Metz -- intrigues of Caroli -- fraternal exhortations.
LETTER 106 -- TO VIRET. --
Relation of his proceedings at Strasbourg, and the state of things at Metz.
LETTER 107 -- TO THE SEIGNEURY
OF GENEVA. -- Answer from the Assembly at Smalkald -- prolongation of the stay
of Calvin and of Farel at Strasbourg -- preaching of the Evangel at Cologne --
war-like preparations in the Netherlands.
LETTER 108 -- TO THE AMBASSADORS
OF GENEVA. -- Expose of the motives which prevent immediate return to Geneva --
Cologne news and of the Netherlands.
LETTER 109 -- TO THE SEIGNEURY
OF GENEVA. -- New delay in conclusion of the affair of Metz -- Calvin makes
arrangements for his return to Geneva.
LETTER 110 -- TO MONSIEUR DE
FALAIS. -- Exhorts him to quit his native country, and to retire where he can
make free profession of the Gospel.
LETTER 111 -- TO MADAME DE
FALAIS. -- Christian counsel and exhortations.
LETTER 112 -- TO MONSIEUR DE
FALAIS. -- Further exhortation to decide him on quitting his country.
1544
LETTER 113 -- TO VIRET. -- The
ministerial office refused to Castalio -- the marriage of Bonnivard, Abbot of
St. Victor.
LETTER 114 -- TO BULLINGER. --
Conclusion of an arrangement between Berne and Geneva.
LETTER 115 -- TO VIRET. --
Farther details of the arrangements with the Bernese -- recall of the refugees
-- preparation of several works -- disagreements with Castalio.
LETTER 116 -- TO THE MINISTERS
OF NEUCHATEL. -- Controversy with Chaponneau regarding the Divinity of Christ.
LETTER 117 -- TO FAREL. --
Struggles and difficulties of Calvin at Geneva -- quarrels of the ministers --
violent attacks of Castalio -- dissatisfaction of the deputies from Berne --
reappearance of the plague -- dangers of the Church.
LETTER 118 -- TO OSWALD
MYCONIUS. -- Political and military intelligence from France and Germany.
LETTER 119 -- TO MONSIEUR DE
FALAIS. -- Arrival of Monsieur de Falais at Cologne -- the sending of a
minister -- pious counsels.
LETTER 120 -- TO MADAME DE FALAIS.
-- Christian congratulations -- hope of a speedy meeting.
LETTER 121 -- TO FAREL. --
Renewal of the controversy regarding the Sacraments between the German and
Swiss Churches.
LETTER 122 -- TO BULLINGER. --
New appeal to the Seigneurs of Zurich, in favor of the Waldenses of Provence --
Luther's invectives against the Swiss Reformer -- remarkable judgment in regard
to his character -- his injustice pardoned in consideration of the eminent
services rendered by him to the cause of Christ.
1545
LETTER 123 -- TO MELANCHTHON. --
Explanations relative to the publication of the book "Against the
Nicodemites" -- appeal to the authority of Melanchthon and Luther --
troubles arising from ecclesiastical discords -- announcement of the Council of
Trent -- policy of Charles V. and of Francis I. -- convocation of a Synod at
Melun.
LETTER 124 -- TO LUTHER. --
Calvin submits to Luther several of his writings, of which he desires to obtain
his approbation.
LETTER 125 -- TO AN UNKNOWN
PERSONAGE. -- Difficulties in the way of a reunion, and doubts of the efficacy
of a General Council under present circumstances -- deplorable state of the
Church -- motives which prevented him from going to confer in person with the
German Reformers -- his proposals to them.
LETTER 126 -- TO VIRET. --
Intelligence of France and Germany -- Synod of Melun.
LETTER 127 -- TO VIRET. --
Election of new magistrates at Geneva -- struggles of Calvin.
LETTER 128 -- TO VIRET. --
Mention of Clement Marot's metrical versions of the Psalms -- persecutions in
France.
LETTER 129 -- TO OSWALD
MYCONIUS. -- Discovery of a conspiracy for the spreading of the plague at
Geneva -- punishment of the conspirators.
LETTER 130 -- TO THE QUEEN OF
NAVARRE. -- Calvin vindicates himself from the charges of having intended to
attack her in his book against the Libertines.
LETTER 131 -- TO FAREL. --
Massacre of the Waldenses of Provence -- Calvin entreats the sympathy of the
Swiss Churches in their behalf.
LETTER 132 -- TO VIRET. --
Journey of Calvin to Switzerland -- resolutions of the Diet of Arau in favor of
the persecuted brethren of France.
LETTER 133 -- TO MONSIEUR DE
FALAIS. -- Directions for his conduct towards the Emperor Charles V.
LETTER 134 -- TO JOHN CAVENT. --
Consolations on the death of his wife and mother.
LETTER 135 -- TO MONSIEUR DE
FALAIS. -- Information regarding a house to be sold at Geneva.
LETTER 136 -- TO MELANCHTHON. --
He complains of Luther's tyranny, and affectionately exhorts Melanchthon to
manifest greater decision and firmness.
LETTER 137 -- TO BULLINGER. --
Defence of the Waldenses of Provence -- artifices of their enemies --
oppression of that unfortunate people.
LETTER 138 -- TO THE PASTORS OF
SCHAFFHAUSEN. -- Calvin exhorts them to redoubled efforts for the deliverance
of their persecuted brethren.
LETTER 139 -- TO OSWALD
MYCONIUS. -- Pressing entreaty in behalf of the Waldenses of Provence.
LETTER 140 -- TO JOACHIM WADIAN.
-- Excuses for the long silence which he had observed towards Wadian --
allusion to the controversy regarding the Sacraments -- lively entreaties in
behalf of the Provencal brethren.
LETTER 141 -- TO MONSIEUR DE
FALAIS. -- Report of the near arrival of M. de Falais at Geneva -- details
relative to the acquiring of a house in that town.
LETTER 142 -- TO OSWALD
MYCONIUS. -- Letter of recommendation to Ochino.
LETTER 143 -- TO MADAME DE
FALAIS. -- Use of affliction -- preparation for the arrival of M. de Falais at
Geneva.
+
SELECTED WORKS OF JOHN CALVIN VOL. 5
LETTERS
1545-1553
by
John Calvin
SELECTED WORKS
OF JOHN CALVIN
TRACTS AND
LETTERS
EDITED BY HENRY
BEVERIDGE AND JULES BONNET
VOLUME 5
LETTERS, PART 2 1545 - 1553
Edited by Jules Bonnet --
Translated by David Constable
CONTENTS
1545
LETTER 144 -- TO VIRET. --
Unpopularity of Calvin -- various advises. LETTER 145 -- TO MONSIEUR DE FALAIS
-- Exhortation to glorify God amid poverty and persecution.
LETTER 146 -- TO MADAME DE
FALAIS -- Congratulations on the constancy manifested by her in the midst of
trials -- salutations from the suffering Idelette de Bure.
LETTER 147 -- TO MONSIEUR DE
FALAIS -- Vanity of trust reposed in the princes of this world -- confidence in
God.
LETTER 148 -- TO FAREL --
Captivity of Farel's brother -- ravages of the plague in Geneva.
LETTER 149 -- TO VIRET --
Dispersion of the School at Geneva -- contests at Neuchatel on the subject of
church property -- Calvin's opinion of Farel.
LETTER 150 -- TO MONSIEUR DE
FALAIS -- Prayers for his restoration to health.
1546
LETTER 151 -- TO FAREL -- News
from Germany -- journey of the French Ambassador to Geneva -- details
concerning the condition of the town.
LETTER 156 -- TO VIRET -- Calvin
dedicates to him one of his Commentaries.
LETTER 153 -- TO JOHN FRELLON.
-- Rupture of the relations between Calvin and Servetus.
LETTER 154 -- TO FAREL -- Reply
to various questions -- terrible threat against Servetus -- imprisonment of one
of the leaders of the Libertins.
LETTER 155 -- TO FAREL --
Pacification of the Church at Neuchatel -- report of the speedy arrival of the
Emperor in Savoy -- dangers at Geneva -- withering mention of Francis I.
LETTER 156 -- TO VIRET --
Election of a minister at Neuchatel -- sickness of Viret's wife.
LETTER 157 -- TO VIRET -- Calvin
invites his friend to repair to Geneva after the death of his wife.
LETTER 158 -- TO VIRET --
Renewed and more pressing invitation to come to Geneva.
LETTER 159 -- TO THEODORE VITUS
-- Indication of the various documents wherein are set forth the opinions of
Calvin regarding the Lord's Supper -- earnest desires for union and peace among
the Churches -- condition of Geneva.
LETTER 160 -- TO VIRET --
Instructions to Viret about a journey to Geneva.
LETTER 161 -- TO MONSIEUR DE
FALAIS -- Calvin's labors -- the diet at Ratisbon -- the Church of Metz -- the
Reformation at Heidelberg -- Apology for M. de Falais -- opinion regarding the
sermons of Ochino,..
LETTER 162 -- TO MONSIEUR DE
FALAIS -- Advice regarding the editing of the Apology -- details of a loan
contracted for M. de Falais -- news from Germany and Italy -- Farel and Viret
at Geneva -- death of Juan Diaz.
LETTER 163 -- TO FAREL --
Troubles at Geneva -- imprisonment of the several members of the family of
Fayre -- account of the assassination of John Diaz at Neubourg.
LETTER 164 -- TO AMY PERRIN -- Complaints
regarding the conduct of Perrin -- firm and courageous declaration by the
Reformer of his resolution to persevere in his duty unto death.
LETTER 165 -- TO FAREL AND VIRET
-- Requests in favor of the faithful in France.
LETTER 166 -- TO MADAME DE
FALAIS -- Expression of Christian sympathy and condolence on occasion of the
illness of M. de Falais,
LETTER 167 -- Excitement caused
at Geneva by the Representation of a Play.
LETTER 168 -- TO MONSIEUR DE
FALAIS -- Proposals of matrimony on behalf of Viret.
LETTER 169 -- TO VIRET --
Account of the steps taken relative to his marriage.
LETTER 170 -- TO VIRET -- Fresh
details regarding the prospects for his marriage.
LETTER 171 -- TO VIRET -- Same
subject as the preceding.
LETTER 172 -- TO VIRET --
Breaking off of the match treated of in the preceding letters.
LETTER 173 -- TO FAREL --
Violence of the family of Amy Perrin -- declarations of the wife of Froment
against the ministers of Geneva.
LETTER 174 -- TO FAREL --
Calvin's Indisposition -- literary labors -- apparent reconciliation with
Perrin and his family.
LETTER 175 -- TO MONSIEUR DE
FALAIS -- Recurrence to the matrimonial projects of Viret -- explanations on
various subjects.
LETTER 176 -- TO MADAME DE
FALAIS -- Sad communication to be made to M. de Falais -- promise to send
several discourses.
LETTER 177 -- TO MONSIEUR DE
FALAIS -- Congratulations on his convalescence -- uncertainty of prospects in
Germany -- confidence in the all-powerful protection of God.
LETTER 178 -- TO MONSIEUR DE
FALAIS -- Excuses for Viret -- uses of sickness -- various rumors concerning
the war in Germany -- explanations on the subject of the Supper.
LETTER 179 -- TO MONSIEUR DE
FALAIS -- Consolations on the death of his sister.
LETTER 180 -- TO MADAME DE
FALAIS -- Assurances of affection for herself and her husband.
LETTER 181 -- TO VIRET --
Statement of the expense of a visit to Lausanne, on the occasion of Viret's
marriage -- ecclesiastical difficulties at Berne.
LETTER 182 -- TO MONSIEUR DE
FALAIS -- Military movements in Switzerland -- policy of the Cantons in
reference to the Emperor.
LETTER 183 -- TO MADAME DE BUDE
-- Calvin exhorts this lady to leave France, and retire with her family to
Geneva.
1547
LETTER 184 -- TO THE AVOYER
NOEGUELY -- Complaints of the misconduct of several ministers in the Pays de
Vaud,
LETTER 185 -- TO FAREL --
Mission of Calvin in Switzerland -- dispositions of the various Cantons.
LETTER 186 -- TO MONSIEUR DE
FALAIS -- Search for a house for that gentleman in Geneva -- various details --
mention of Charles V. and Francis I.
LETTER 187 -- TO MONSIEUR DE
FALAIS -- Instructions regarding the Apology -- alarming rumors current at
Geneva -- Calvin's confidence.
LETTER 188 -- TO MONSIEUR DE
FALAIS -- Disputes of M. de Falais with Valeran Poulain -- reports of the
expected arrival of the former in Geneva.
LETTER 189 -- TO VALERAN POULAIN
-- Severe reprobation of his behavior towards M. de Falais -- reply to a
calumny directed against the Reformer.
LETTER 190 -- TO VIRET --
Weakness of the Genevese magistracy -- expectation of Viret's arrival in
Geneva.
LETTER 191 -- TO WOLFGANG
MUSCULUS -- Anxiety regarding the Churches of Germany -- advice to Musculus.
LETTER 192 -- TO MONSIEUR DE FALAIS
-- Steps taken at Basle to retract a promise of marriage made to Valeran
Poulain.
LETTER 193 -- TO FRANCIS
DRYANDER -- Confused state of the Church -- hopes and fears for the future.
LETTER 194 -- TO MONSIEUR DE
FALAIS -- The sending of a minister -- perplexities regarding anticipated
events in Germany.
LETTER 195 -- TO MONSIEUR DE
FALAIS -- Information in regard to a house -- advice on the subject of a
marriage proposed for a relative of Monsieur de Falais.
LETTER 196 -- TO VIRET --
Interview of Calvin with a senator of Berne -- advantage secured over the party
of the Libertins.
LETTER 197 -- TO MONSIEUR DE
FALAIS -- Recommendation of John de Bude -- uncertainty of the news from
Germany.
LETTER 198 -- TO MONSIEUR DE
BUDE -- He exhorts him to follow the example of the reset of his family, and
retire to Geneva.
LETTER 199 -- TO VIRET --
Citation before the Consistory of the wife of Amy Perrin -- case of Gruet --
news from Germany.
LETTER 200 -- TO MONSIEUR DE
FALAIS -- Solemn lessons afforded by the sad occurrences in Germany -- troubles
in Geneva -- negative attitude of Calvin.
LETTER 201 -- TO VIRET --
Indecision of the Seigneurs of Geneva -- inflexibility of Calvin.
LETTER 202 -- TO THE FAITHFUL OF
FRANCE -- State of Germany -- details regarding the struggles of the Reformer
in the cause of the truth at Geneva.
LETTER 203 -- TO MONSIEUR DE
FALAIS -- Thanksgivings for the happy deliverance of Madame de Falais -- false
reports concerning the state of Geneva -- details regarding the publication of
the Apology -- indisposition of Calvin, and his regret at being separated from
Monsieur de Falais.
Letter 204 -- To Farel -- False
report of Calvin's death -- proposition (query) by the wife of Amy Perrin --
calumnious accusation against Idelette de Bure -- journey of Farel to Geneva.
LETTER 205 -- TO VIRET --
Mention of a letter from M. de Falais -- Emmanuel Tremelli -- a book by Viret
-- journey of Bude and Nicolas des Gallars to Paris.
LETTER 206 -- TO MONSIEUR DE
FALAIS Dedication of the Apology -- mention of M. de Mommor -- sickness of
Maldonado.
LETTER 207 -- TO HENRY BULLINGER
-- Comments by Calvin on a work by Bullinger -- state of Germany and Italy --
policy of the Cantons.
LETTER 208 -- TO MONSIEUR DE
FALAIS -- Return of Nicolas des Gallars -- stay of Farel and Viret at Geneva.
LETTER 209 -- TO MONSIEUR DE
FALAIS -- Reassuring intelligence on the state of Geneva -- restoration of
Maldonado.
LETTER 210 -- TO FAREL -- Sad
state of the Republic -- discouragement of the Reformer.
LETTER 211 -- TO VIRET -- Rising
at the Hotel de Ville. -- heroic bearing of Calvin -- trust in God alone.
LETTER 212 -- TO MONSIEUR DE
FALAIS -- Printing of The Apology -- troubles at Geneva.
LETTER 213 -- TO VIRET --
Invitation to come to Geneva.
LETTER 214 -- TO FAREL --
Publication of The Antidote -- statement regarding the condition of Geneva.
LETTER 215 -- TO THE FAMILY OF
BUDE -- Consolations on occasion of the Death of one of its Members.
1548
LETTER 216 -- TO MONSIEUR DE
FALAIS -- Cost of printing of The Apology -- despatch of several copies.
LETTER 217 -- TO MONSIEUR DE
FALAIS -- Particulars regarding his departure, and the purchase of a property
near Geneva.
LETTER 218 -- TO HENRY BULLINGER
-- Brotherly explanations regarding the difference on the subject of the
Communion.
LETTER 219 -- TO MONSIEUR DE
FALAIS Obstacles to his departure -- delay of some months.
LETTER 220 -- TO FAREL --
Distressing condition of the Swiss churches.
LETTER 221 -- TO FAREL AND VIRET
-- Disputes among the ministers of Berne -- and Calvin's journey thither.
LETTER 222 -- TO VIRET --
Communications regarding affairs at Berne.
LETTER 223 -- TO VIRET --
Ecclesiastical tyranny of the Seigneurs of Berne -- sojourn of Idelette de Bure
at Lausanne.
LETTER 224 -- TO HENRY BULLINGER
-- New explanations regarding the Supper -- violence of some of the Bernese
ministers -- Calvinism and Buceranism.
LETTER 225 -- TO MONSIEUR DE
FALAIS -- Preparations for the marriage of Mademoiselle de Wilergy, his relation.
LETTER 226 -- TO FAREL --
Uncertainty regarding the disposition of the Cantons -- stay of Monsieur and
Madame de Falais in Calvin's house.
LETTER 227 -- TO VIRET --
Embarrassment occasioned to Calvin by the treacherous publication of one of his
letters to Viret.
LETTER 228 -- TO A FRENCH
SEIGNEUR -- Exhortation to come to Geneva, that he might there serve the Lord
faithfully.
LETTER 229 -- TO THE PROTECTOR
SOMERSET -- Duties imposed on the Protector by the high orifice which he holds
-- plan of a complete reformation in England -- preaching of the pure word of
God -- rooting out of abuses -- correction of vices and scandalous offenses.
LETTER 230 -- TO FAREL --
Election of new magistrates at Geneva -- troubles in France -- letter from
Bucer.
LETTER 231 -- TO JOHN STURM --
Evidences of faith and Christian steadfastness, amid the dangers that threaten
the Church.
1549
LETTER 232 -- TO MADAME DE CANY
-- Exhortation to a courageous and honest profession of the truth.
LETTER 233 -- TO MADEMOISELLE DE
-- Exhortations to steadfastness in the faith -- acknowledgment of liberality.
LETTER 234 -- TO THE MINISTERS
OF THE CHURCH OF MONTBELLARD -- Exhortations to discharge to the end their
ministerial duties.
LETTER 235 -- TO HENRY BULLINGER
-- Hope of Union with the theologians of Zurich -- dedication of several
writings.
LETTER 236 -- TO BUCER --
Consolations to be found in the study of divine and everlasting truth.
LETTER 237 -- TO THE PASTORS OF
THE CHURCH OF BERNE -- Desire of union between the Churches of Berne and
Geneva.
LETTER 238 -- TO VIRET -- Death
of Idelette de Bure, the wife of Calvin.
LETTER 239 -- TO FAREL --
Further details regarding the death of Idelette de Bure.
LETTER 240 -- TO MADAME DE CANY
-- Account of the instructive death of Madame Laurent de Normandie.
LETTER 241 -- TO VIRET --
Various particulars -- recommendation of Francis Hotman, Jurisconsult.
LETTER 242 -- TO HENRY BULLINGER
-- Pleading in favor of the alliance of the Reformed Cantons with France,.
LETTER 243 -- TO MADAME DE LA
ROCHE-POSAY -- He exhorts her and her companions to live in conformity with the
law of God.
LETTER 244 -- TO BUCER --
Encouragements and consolations -- desire for the conclusion of peace between
France and England -- excesses of the ultra-Lutheran party in Switzerland and
Germany -- agreement between the Churches of Geneva and Zurich.
LETTER 245 -- TO LADY ANNE
SEYMOUR -- Thanks to the Duchess of Somerset, the mother of Anne Seymour --
exhortation to perseverance in the true faith.
LETTER 246 -- TO FAREL -- Reply
by the Protector of England to a letter from Calvin.
LETTER 247 -- TO FAREL --
Imprisonment of two brothers of M. de Falais -- persecution in the Low
Countries and in France.
LETTER 248 -- TO VIRET -- Negotiations
in reference to the publication of the Consensus -- George, Count of
Montbeliard.
LETTER 249 -- TO THE PASTORS OF
THE CHURCH OF ZURICH -- Urgent recommendation of the adoption of a fixed
formulary in the celebration of the Lord's Supper.
LETTER 250 -- TO BULLINGER --
Revisal of the Formulary -- persecutions in France.
LETTER 251 -- TO FAREL AND VIRET
-- Letter concerning Vergerio -- history of Francis Spira.
LETTER 252 -- TO FAREL --
Criticism on a work by Farel.
LETTER 253 -- TO VIRET -- First
mention of Theodore Beza -- poverty of Calvin's colleagues.
LETTER 254 -- TO JOHN HALLER --
A reformer's complaints on the malevolence of the Bernese ministers.
LETTER 255 -- TO WOLFGANG
MUSCULUS. -- Prohibition of the Vaudois Conferences -- remonstrances on the
intolerance of the Bernese ministers towards those of France.
LETTER 256 -- TO MONSIEUR DE
SAINT LAURENS -- Statement of leading articles of the Reformed Faith.
1550
LETTER 257 -- TO THE PROTECTOR
SOMERSET -- Congratulations on the royal favor shown to the Duke of Somerset --
use to be made of his influence for spreading the Gospel in England,
LETTER 258 -- TO FAREL --
Tidings from Germany and England -- recommendation of a domestic.
LETTER 259 -- TO FAREL --
Election of a new Pope.
LETTER 260 -- TO FRANCIS
DRYANDER -- Counsels and encouragements -- collection of Commentaries on Isaiah
by Des Gallars.
LETTER 261 -- TO NICOLAS
COLLADON -- Settlement of the Colladon family at Geneva.
LETTER 262 -- TO THE SEIGNEURY
OF GENEVA -- Notice of a publication attributed to Gruet
LETTER 263 -- TO MELANCTHON --
Controversies excited in Germany by the establishment of the Interim --
brotherly reproofs.
LETTER 264 -- TO VIRET -- Hope
of an early visit from Viret -- projected excursions in the neighborhood of
Geneva.
LETTER 265 -- TO FAREL --
Opinion regarding Vergerio -- intelligence regarding Bucer -- letter to
Melanchthon -- disputes with Berne -- literary publications of Calvin.
LETTER 266 -- TO WILLIAM RABOT
-- Exhortation to the study of the Scriptures.
LETTER 267 -- TO FAREL --
Publication of the book on Scandals -- persecution by the King of France --
Bucer's discouragement.
LETTER 268 -- TO FAREL -- State
of religion in England -- Calvin's literary labors -- arrival of Robert
Stephens at Geneva.
LETTER 269 -- TO MONSIEUR DE
FALAIS -- Misconduct of a servant of M. de Falais.
1551
LETTER 270 -- TO HALLER --
Explanations on the subject of the abolition of the great festivals at Geneva.
LETTER 271 -- TO VIRET --
Criticism of a mandate published by the Seigneurs of Berne.
LETTER 272 -- TO RICHARD LE
FEVRE -- Explanations regarding various points of doctrine in dispute between
the Romish and the Reformed Churches.
LETTER 273 -- TO VIRET --
Various particulars -- literary labors of Theodore Beza.
LETTER 274 -- TO THE KING OF
ENGLAND -- He exhorts him to persevere in the work of the Reformation in his
kingdom -- enumeration of abuses, ceremonies, ecclesiastical elections --
universities.
LETTER 275 -- TO BULLINGER -- He
excuses the infrequency of his letters, and urges the publication of the
Consensus.
LETTER 276 -- TO BULLINGER --
Thanks for a document -- dedication of two commentaries to the King of England
-- captivity of Bishop Hooper -- movements of the Emperor in Germany.
LETTER 277 -- TO HENRY BULLINGER
-- Mention of a letter to the Duke of Somerset -- re-opening of the Council of
Trent -- symptoms of war in Europe.
LETTER 278 -- TO VIRET -- Death
of Bucer and Joachim Vadian.
LETTER 279 -- TO FAREL --
Renewed expressions of regret for the death of Vadian and Bucer --
controversies excited by Osiander -- numerous migrations to Geneva --
commencement of hostilities in Italy.
LETTER 280 -- TO A FRENCH
GENTLEMAN -- Sickness of Theodore Beza -- Calvin's grief.
LETTER 281 -- TO THE DUKE OF
SOMERSET -- Protestations of attachment -- reforms required in the Church of
England -- squandering of the revenues of benefices and of the universities.
LETTER 282 -- TO VIRET -- Reply
to the attacks of Pighius, and of George of Sicily.
LETTER 283 -- TO THE MINISTERS
OF NEUCHATEL -- Arrest of a minister from Neuchatel in France -- steps for
obtaining his release.
LETTER 284 -- TO BULLINGER --
Edict of Chateaubriand, in France -- attacks on Calvin in Geneva.
LETTER 285 -- TO THE MINISTERS
OF SWITZERLAND. -- Statement of the controversy with Bolsec regarding Election.
LETTER 286 -- TO OSWALD MYCONIUS
-- Recommendations regarding the dispute with Bolsec -- request on behalf of
the Protestants of France.
LETTER 287 -- TO CHRISTOPHER
FABRI -- Calvin's dissatisfaction with the reply of the Ministers of Bale, and
the conduct of Monsieur de Falais regarding the affair with Bolsec.
LETTER 288 -- TO FAREL --
Recommendation of a schoolmaster -- complaints against the ministers of Zurich.
LETTER 289 -- TO LELIO SOCIN --
Refusal to reply to the curious questions proposed to him by Socin.
1552
LETTER 290 -- TO BULLINGER --
Thanks for the zeal manifested on behalf of the faithful in France --
complaints of the conduct of the ministers of Zurich in the affair of Bolsec.
LETTER 291 -- TO FAREL -- Fresh
complaints by Calvin against the ministers of Zurich and Berne -- his
unpopularity in the latter city -- advises to Farel.
LETTER 292 -- TO MADAME DE CANY
-- Rigorous and inflexible spirit of Calvin against heresy -- praise of
Theodore Beza.
LETTER 293 -- TO BULLINGER --
Journey of Calvin and Farel in Switzerland -- steps in favor of the Reformed in
France -- return to the affairs of Bolsec.
LETTER 294 -- TO CRANMER --
Agreement to the proposal for assembling a General Synod for the more close
union of the Reformed Churches.
LETTER 295 -- TO BULLINGER --
Fresh details regarding the persecutions in France.
LETTER 296 -- TO THE FIVE
PRISONERS OF LYONS -- MARTIAL ALBA, PETER ESCRIVAIN, CHARLES FAVRE, PETER
NAVIHERES, BERNARD SEGUIN -- Information on various doctrinal points, and
assurances of Christian sympathy.
LETTER 297 -- TO EDWARD VI.
Dedication of a new work, and Christian exhortations.
LETTER 298 -- TO CRANMER --
Calvin exhorts him to prosecute with fresh zeal the reformation of the Church
in England, by purging it of the relics of Popery.
LETTER 299 -- TO JOHN LINER --
Thanks for the zeal manifested by him on behalf of the prisoners of Lyon.
LETTER 300 -- TO THE FRENCH
CHURCH IN LONDON -- Exhortations to harmony -- Is it lawful to call Mary the
Mother of God, and to pray for the Pope?
LETTER 301 -- TO THE SEIGNEURS
OF GENEVA -- Reply of Calvin to the Syndics of Geneva in the case of Trolliet.
LETTER 302 -- TO FAREL --
Conspiracy of the Libertins -- energy of the Reformer -- struggles of Viret at
Lausanne.
LETTER 303 -- TO VIRET --
Literary labors of Theodore Beza.
LETTER 304 -- TO AMBROISE
BLAURER -- Troubles at Geneva -- sad intelligence from France and Germany --
steady in the promises of God.
LETTER 305 -- TO MELANCTHON --
Earnest desires for the continuance of their mutual affection -- disputes with
Trolliet -- longing for agreement in doctrine regarding the Communion and
Election.
LETTER 306 -- TO MONSIEUR DE
FALAIS -- Rupture of Calvin with the Seigneur.
1553
LETTER 307 -- TO MATHIEU DIMONET
-- Exhortation to patience and constancy under persecution.
LETTER 308 -- TO CHRISTOPHER
FABRI -- Congratulations on the subject of his approaching marriage -- Calvin's
regret that he cannot be present at the ceremony.
LETTER 309 -- TO JOHN CHEKE --
Calvin apologizes for silence, and enjoins him to use his influence with the
King for the advancement of the Gospel in England.
LETTER 310 -- TO THE FIVE
PRISONERS OF LYONS -- Exhortations to constancy -- mention of Oritz the
Inquisitor.
LETTER 311 -- TO EDWARD VI. --
Recommendation of a French gentleman, a prisoner for the sake of the Gospel.
LETTER 312 -- TO FAREL --
Serious illness and unexpected recovery of Farel -- Calvin's joy.
LETTER 313 -- TO CHRISTOPHER AND
TO THOMAS ZOLLICOFFRE -- Last steps in favor of the prisoners of Lyons.
LETTER 314 -- TO CRANMER -- He
entreats his influence in favor of the person already recommended to the King.
LETTER 315 -- TO MONSIEUR DE
MAROLLES -- Christian encouragement and consolation.
LETTER 316 -- TO VIRET --
Extinction of all hope in regard to the prisoners of Lyons.
LETTER 317 -- TO BULLINGER --
Assurances of respect and fraternal affection.
LETTER 318 -- TO THE FIVE
PRISONERS OF LYONS -- He exhorts them to steadfastness unto the end, in the
assurance of eternal joy reserved in heaven.
LETTER 319 -- TO MADAME DE CANY
-- Expression of Christian sympathy under trial.
LETTER 320 -- TO THE PRISONERS
OF LYONS -- He impresses on them the duty of maintaining their confession of the
truth quietly and modestly.
LETTER 321 -- TO BULLINGER --
Expression of regret for the death of the King of England -- sad condition of
the German Church.
LETTER 322 -- TO FAREL -- Arrest
of Servetus, and institution of the process against him.
LETTER 323 -- TO DENIS PELOQUIS;
AND LOUIS DE MARSAC -- Information regarding various controverted points --
exhortation to fidelity, even unto martyrdom.
LETTER 324 -- TO HIS DEARLY
BELOVED THE PASTORS OF THE CHURCH OF FRANKFORT -- Request for the destruction
of the copies at Frankfort of the book of Servetus.
LETTER 325 -- TO VIRET --
Troubles at Geneva -- Berthelier and the chiefs of the Libertins are refused
admission to the Lord's Table.
LETTER 326 -- TO HENRY BULLINGER
-- Deep anxiety on account of the condition of the English Churches --
Conference of the Swiss Churches in regard to Servetus.
LETTER 327 -- TO SULZER --
Statement of the errors of Servetus, and of the duty of the Christian
magistrate to repress them.
LETTER 328 -- TO A CAPTIVE LADY
-- He consoles her under her trials, and exhorts her to use every means to
secure her retreat to Geneva.
LETTER 329 -- TO THE BELIEVERS
IN THE ISLES -- Religious counsels, and announcement of the sending of a
minister.
LETTER 330 -- TO FAREL --
Acknowledgment of Farel's care for the Church of Geneva.
LETTER 331 -- TO FAREL --
Deliverance by the Swiss Churches regarding Servetus -- vain efforts of Calvin
to obtain a mitigation of his punishment.
LETTER 332 -- TO MADAME DE PONS --
He encourages her to come out of the spiritual bondage in which she is held.
LETTER 333 -- TO VIRET --
Recommendation of several English refugees in Switzerland.
LETTER 334 -- TO BULLINGER --
Appeal to the Magistrates of Zurich in reference to ecclesiastical discipline
-- thanks for the aid afforded by the ministers of that Church in the affair of
Servetus.
LETTER 335 -- TO THE PASTORS AND
DOCTORS OF THE CHURCH OF ZURICH -- Account of the struggles at Geneva for the
maintenance of ecclesiastical discipline -- appeal to the Pastors of Zurich for
their influence with the magistrates of that town.
LETTER 336 -- TO BULLINGER --
Fresh details regarding ecclesiastical discipline -- hope of speedy realization
-- announcement of the publication of a book against the errors of Servetus.
LETTER 337 -- TO FAREL --
Assistance afforded to the faithful refugees in Switzerland -- reply of the
Churches on the subject of ecclesiastical discipline.
LETTER 338 -- TO AN ITALIAN LADY
-- He exhorts her to withdraw, by a voluntary exile, from the persecution and
idolatry reigning in Italy.
LETTER 339 -- TO A SEIGNEUR OF
JERSEY -- Christian exhortations -- sending of a minister.
SELECTED
WORKS OF JOHN CALVIN VOL. 6
LETTERS
1554-1558
by
John Calvin
SELECTED WORKS
OF JOHN CALVIN
TRACTS AND
LETTERS
EDITED BY HENRY
BEVERIDGE AND JULES BONNET
VOLUME 6
LETTERS, PART 3
1554-1558
CONTENTS
1554
LETTER 340 -- TO VIRET. --
Consolations and encouragements -- election of the New Syndics at Geneva.
LETTER 341 -- TO AMBROSE
BLAURER. -- Friendly complaints respecting the silence of Blaurer -- despatch
of several writings.
LETTER 342 -- TO BULLINGER. --
Reconciliation of parties -- apparent tranquillity of the republic -- announces
the book against the errors of Servetus.
LETTER 343 -- TO A SEIGNEUR OF
PIEDMONT. -- He exhorts him to perseverance in the faith, in giving his
children a christian education.
LETTER 344 -- TO THE BRETHREN OF
ORBE. -- Vows and counsels for the establishment of religious unity in their
city by the abolition of the Catholic worship.
LETTER 345 -- TO VIRET. --
Recommendation of several English and Scotch refugees.
LETTER 346 -- TO THE BRETHREN OF
WEZEL. -- Entreaty not to break the unity of the Church because of some
diversities in the ceremonies.
LETTER 347 -- TO BULLINGER. --
Recommendation of two English refugees -- state of parties at Geneva -- fresh
persecutions in France -- military movements of Henry II. -- thanks for a work
sent him -- publication at Bale of a pamphlet on the repression of heresy by
the sword of the magistrate -- divers salutations.
LETTER 348 -- TO BULLINGER. --
Explanations respecting the book against the errors of Servetus -- answers to
three questions of Knox.
LETTER 349 -- TO FAREL. -- Gloomy
prospects of Geneva -- foreign news -- ultra-Lutheran intolerance in Germany.
LETTER 350 -- TO JOHN LASKI. --
Expression of sympathy under his trials -- loud complaints of the intolerance
of the German theologians.
LETTER 351 -- TO THE BRETHREN OF
POITOU. -- Christian exhortations -- instructions relative to the use of the
Sacraments.
LETTER 352 -- TO MADAME DE CANY.
-- He urges her to quit the spiritual bondage in which she is held captive, by
withdrawing to Geneva.
LETTER 353 -- To CHARLES
DUMOULIN. -- Congratulations on the subject of the chair obtained by Dumoulin
in the University of Tubingen -- eulogium of Melchior Wolmar -- sage counsels.
LETTER 354 -- TO THE DUCHESS OF
FERRARA. -- -He sends to her a minister to support her amid the persecutions
which she endures for the cause of truth.
LETTER 355 -- TO SULZER. --
Revival of the Sacramentarian quarrel -- complaints against Castalio --
vindication of the exiles settled at Geneva.
LETTER 356 -- TO DOCTOR MARBACH.
-- Defense of the French Church of Strasbourg -- explications on the sacrament
of the Lord's Supper -- appeal to the memory of Luther, Capito, and Bucer --
offers to repair to Strasbourg in order to appease there the religious
dissensions.
LETTER 357 -- TO JOHN SLEIDAN.
-- Marks of fraternal confidence -- blame pronounced on Melanchthon --
persecutions in France and Italy.
LETTER 358 -- TO PETER MARTYR.
-- He engages him to defend the sound doctrine on the question of the
Sacraments, and gives him an account of the steps he has taken in favor of the
French Church at Strasbourg.
LETTER 359 -- TO MELANCHTHON. --
He deplores the silence of Melanchthon, and urges him to apply himself to the
controverted questions of Election and the Lord's Supper.
LETTER 360 -- TO PERUCEL. --
Counsels to the Church of Wezel respecting the ceremonies.
LETTER 361 -- TO VALERAN
POULAIN. -- Counsels for the direction of the French church at Frankfort.
LETTER 362 -- TO GASPAR LISER.
-- Influence of the writings of Calvin in Germany -- instructions relative to
discipline.
LETTER 363 -- TO THE BRETHREN OF
POITOU. -- Double duty to assemble together in holy meetings, and to profess
publicly the gospel.
LETTER 364 -- TO A GENTLEMAN OF
PROVENCE. -- Explanations on the subject of Baptism.
LETTER 365 -- TO BULLINGER --
Defense of the Consensus -- attacks of the Bernese clergy on Calvin.
LETTER 366 -- TO THE SEIGNEURS
OF BERNE. -- Complaints on the subject of the invectives pronounced by several
Bernese ministers against the clergy of Geneva.
LETTER 367 -- TO THE SWISS
CHURCHES. -- Defense of the Consensus and refutation of a tract of Joachim
Westphal.
LETTER 368 -- TO JOHN PAULE. --
Instruction relating to the manner of conferring Baptism.
LETTER 369 -- TO FAREL. --
Opinion of the Swiss Churches with regard to the Consensus -- sad news from
Ferrara -- arrival of a new member of the family of Bude at Geneva.
LETTER 370 -- TO THE PASTORS OF
ZURICH. -- Some explications on the subject of corrections proposed for the
defense of the Consensus.
LETTER 371 -- TO LORD JOHN GREY
-- Proofs of sympathy and affection for the family of that nobleman so
painfully tried -- recommendation of Emanuel Tremelli of Ferrara.
LETTER 372 -- TO BULLINGER. --
New explanations on the subject of the Consensus.
LETTER 373 -- TO PETER MARTYR.
-- He sends him a copy of the defense of the Consensus.
LETTER 374 -- TO THE KING OR
POLAND. -- The Reform of the Church the first duty of the sovereign --
refutation of the double doctrine of the supremacy of the Roman Pontiffs and of
Episcopal succession -- necessity of putting an end to abuses by bringing back
the church to purity of doctrine, and the priesthood to its legitimate
functions.
LETTER 375 -- TO WOLF. --
Approbation of the projects of Lismannini -- struggles at Geneva.
LETTER 376 -- TO BULLINGER. --
Wishes for the successful accomplishment of Lismannini's mission to Poland --
printing of the book against Westphal and apologies on that subject.
LETTER 377 -- TO MADAME AGNES DE
MICROW. -- He congratulates her on having sent her children to Zurich where
they will receive a Christian education.
1555
LETTER 378 -- TO BULLINGER. --
Dispatch to the Swiss Churches of a circular letter concerning the controversy
with Westphal -- defense of the Protestants of Locarno.
LETTER 379 -- TO THE MINISTERS OF
STRASBOURG. -- Marks of fraternal affection. - explanation respecting the
Sacrament.
LETTER 380 -- TO THE ENGLISH AT
FRANKFORT. -- He exhorts them to make in their liturgy all the changes
compatible with the maintenance of union and the peace of their Church.
LETTER 381 -- TO CHARLES
DUMOULIN. -- He encourages him to prolong his stay in Germany, and expresses
his desire that he may there be speedily joined by his wife.
LETTER 382 -- TO PETER MARTYR,
-- He returns to the question of the Sacraments -- remarkable judgment
respecting Bucer -- complaints against John Laski and Melanchthon -- call
addressed to Martyr by the Italian congregation of Geneva.
LETTER 383 -- TO THE CHURCH OF
PARIS. -- Christian exhortations -- announces the sending of a pastor.
LETTER 384 -- TO THE DUCHESS OF
FERRARA. -- He exhorts her to make a courageous display of her faith in
persecution.
LETTER 385 -- TO BULLINGER. --
Congratulations and thanks on the subject of the Christian hospitality offered
to the refugees of Locarno.
LETTER 386 -- TO BULLINGER. --
Recommendation of Francis Lismannini, who was on his way to Poland.
LETTER 387 -- TO NICHOLAS
RADZIWILL. -- He exhorts him to make the most strenuous efforts for the
complete reformation of Poland.
LETTER 388 -- TO THE LORDS OF
BERNE. -- New complaints against some Bernese ministers.
LETTER 389 -- TO THE CHURCH OF
POITIERS. -- Answer to the accusations brought forward by M. de la Vau, a
disciple of Castalion, against the Church of Geneva -- mention of the book de
Hereticis -- eulogy of the exiles of England and Locarno -- divers particulars.
LETTER 390 -- TO BULLINGER. --
New difficulties stirred up against the ministers of Geneva, by the attacks of
the clergy of Berne.
LETTER 391 -- TO FRANCIS UNHARD.
-- He apologizes for differing from Luther in claiming the rights of Christian
liberty -- dedication of one of his writings to the Princes of Saxony.
LETTER 392 -- TO VALENTIN
PACAEUS. -- Description of the tribulations of all kinds by which he is beset
at Geneva -- wishes for the reconciliation of the churches.
LETTER 393 -- TO MELANCHTHON. --
Thanks him for his approbation of the condemnation of Servetus -- urgent
entreaties to determine Melanchthon to pronounce with more firmness in the
question of the sacraments.
LETTER 394 -- TO MARTIN
SIDEMANN. -- He congratulates him on his moderation in the midst of the
theological fury of Germany -- comparison of Luther with his disciples.
LETTER 395 -- TO THE SEIGNEURS
OF BERNE. -- Statement vindicating the reforms introduced into the Church of Geneva,
and complaints against several of the ministers of Berne.
LETTER 396 -- TO BULLINGER. --
Account of a journey of Calvin's to Berne, and of the false accusations
directed against him.
LETTER 397 -- TO THE PASTORS OF
BERNE. -- He urges them warmly to take part with him in the struggle which he
is maintaining for the liberty of the ministry and the preaching of sound
doctrine.
LETTER 398 -- TO THE SEIGNEURS
OF BERNE. -- Respectful protestations against the sentence pronounced by the
Seigneurs of Berne -- defense of the Institution Chretienne -- complaints
against the ministers who pursue him with their calumnies.
LETTER 399 -- TO FAREL. --
Increased hostility at Geneva and in the neighboring countries against the
writings and person of the Reformer.
LETTER 400 -- TO ADOLPH
CLAUBURGER. -- Testimonies of gratitude and respect for the Senate of
Frankfort.
LETTER 401 -- TO JOHN
CLAUBURGER. -- Dedication of a writing to the Senate at Frankfort.
LETTER 402 -- TO BULLINGER. --
Defeat of the party of the Libertins at Geneva -- answer of the Swiss churches
to the defense of the Consensus.
LETTER 403 -- TO THE DUCHESS OF
FERRARA. -- New exhortations to encourage her to shew herself more and more
firm in the profession of the truth.
LETTER 404 -- TO JOHN KNOX. --
Criticism of the Anglican Liturgy -- prudent counsels addressed to the parties
which divide the foreign Church of Frankfort.
LETTER 405 -- TO BULLINGER. --
Account of the nocturnal riot excited by the Libertins at Geneva -- defeat and
total dispersion of that party.
LETTER 406 -- TO THE SEIGNEURS
OF BERNE. -- Communicationrelative to a spy arrested at Geneva.
LETTER 407 -- TO FAREL. -- Trial
and condemnation of the principal Libertins.
LETTER 408 -- TO FAREL. -- New details
respecting the trial of the Libertins -- pious fidelity of the five ministers
in prison at Chambery.
LETTER 409 -- TO BULLINGER. --
Answer to different calumnies directed against Calvin on the occasion of the
trial of the Libertins -- difficulties raised by the Bernese on the subject of
the renewing of their treaty of alliance with Geneva.
LETTER 410 -- TO VIRET. -- He
sends the letter of the five ministers imprisoned at Chambery.
LETTER 411 -- TO PETER MARTYR.
-- Fall of the French Church of Strasbourg -- grief of Calvin.
LETTER 412 -- TO MELANCHTHON. --
He exhorts him to prefer the approbation of God to that of men, in pronouncing
frankly against the adversaries of sound doctrine and the disturbers of the
church.
LETTER 413 -- TO THE FIVE
PRISONERS AT CHAMBERY. -- An account of the steps taken in their layout --
approbation of their confession of faith -- Christian salutations.
LETTER 414 -- TO THE BRETHREN OF
POITIERS. -- He exhorts them to form secret assemblies under the yoke of a holy
discipline.
LETTER 415 -- TO THE BRETHREN OF
ANGERS. -- Christian exhortations -- he sends them a minister.
LETTER 416 -- TO THE BRETHREN OF
LOUDUN. -- He sends them a minister, and gives them counsels to guide them in
the difficult circumstances in which they are placed.
LETTER 417 -- TO VIRET. -- News
from Chambery -- enmities to which Calvin is exposed at Geneva.
LETTER 418 -- TO THE PRISONERS
OF CHAMBERY -- Last exhortations to them before their martyrdom.
LETTER 419 -- TO THE BRETHREN OF
CHAMBERY. -- Obligation to confess the gospel in spite of its adversaries.
LETTER 420 -- TO FAREL. -- Fresh
symptoms of the Sacramentarian quarrel -- new tract of Westphal against Calvin.
LETTER 421 -- TO RICHARD
VAUVILLE. -- Christian consolations on the occasion of his wife's death.
LETTER 422 -- TO FAREL. --
Complaints about the conduct of Bullinger -- news of Saxony and Spain -- Poetry
of Marcourt in praise of Calvin.
LETTER 423 -- TO FAREL. --
Lutheranism and Reform -- Palinodia of Marcourt -- wishes for the renewing of
the alliance with Berne.
LETTER 424 -- TO THE CHURCH OF
FRANKFORT, -- He exhorts the members of this church to be reconciled to their
pastor, and not to renew the ancient quarrel of the Guelfs and Ghibelines.
LETTER 425 -- TO THE KING OF
POLAND. -- He exhorts him to undertake courageously the reform of his states,
in proposing to him the example of David, Hezekiah, and Josiah.
1556
LETTER 426 -- TO BULLINGER. --
Last steps adopted to obtain the renewing of the alliance with Berne -- second
writing against Westphal.
LETTER 427 -- TO NICHOLAS
ZERKINDEN. -- Explanations on the subject of the difference between Berne and
Geneva -- wishes for the good intelligence of the republics.
LETTER 428 -- TO JOHN
CLAUBURGER. -- Marks of sympathy on the occasion of a family mourning --
attempts to bring back peace to the bosom of the French Church of Frankfort.
LETTER 429 -- TO THE MINISTERS
OF THE CHURCH OF FRANKFORT. -- He testifies the desire of maintaining with them
fraternal relations, and invokes their protection in favor of the French Church
established in their city.
LETTER 430 -- TO THE FRENCH
CHURCH OF FRANKFORT. -- He exhorts the members of this church to make to one
another mutual concessions, and announces to them a new minister.
LETTER 431 -- TO VIRET AND BEZA.
-- Call of a minister to Paris -- counsels addressed to the inhabitants of the
Pays de Vaud -- mention of Ochino.
LETTER 432 -- TO THE CHURCH OF
ANGERS -- Counsels and exhortations to the persecuted Brethren of this church.
LETTER 433 -- TO JOHN LASKI --
Expresses a wish for the assembling of a conference, and the pacification of
the churches -- judgment about Vergerio -- progress of the gospel in Poland.
LETTER 434 -- TO BULLINGER. -- Thanks
for a volume which he had sent him -- the gospel in Austria and Bavaria --
Vergerio.
LETTER 435 -- TO AMBROSE
BLAURER. -- Malady of Calvin -- the sending off of several writings --
explications on the subject of the conflict with Berne.
LETTER 436 -- TO THE ELDERS AND
DEACONS OF THE, FRENCH CHURCH OF FRANKFORT. -- He exhorts them to calm the
opposition formed against them, and to make use of their authority with
moderation.
LETTER 437 -- TO THE FRENCH
CHURCH OF FRANKFORT. -- Eulogy of the minister Olbrac -- double duty of respect
and charity.
LETTER 438 -- TO JOHN
CLAUBURGER. -- Complaints respecting the sad condition of the Church of
Frankfort -- answer to an accusation -- refutation of the doctrine of the
damnation of children that have not been presented to baptism.
LETTER 439 -- TO BULLINGER. --
Conference of Spire -- attitude of the German Princes -- suitableness of a new
colloquy.
LETTER 440 -- TO BULLINGER. --
He invokes the officious intervention of Bullinger with the magistrates of
Zurich, in order to put them on their guard against the intrigues of the
fugitive Libertins.
LETTER 441 -- TO RODOLPH
GUALTER. -- Recommendation of a schoolboy -- destruction of the spire of the
church of St. Peter at Geneva.
LETTER 442 -- TO VIRET. --
Preparations for his departure for Frankfort.
LETTER 443 -- TO THE SEIGNEURS
OF GENEVA. -- Reports respecting the proceedings of the Refugees.
LETTER 444 -- TO MELANCHTHON. --
Necessity of a conference to terminate the religious differences of Germany.
LETTER 445 -- TO JUSTUS JONAS --
Translation of a writing of Calvin's -- wishes for the pacification of
theological discords.
LETTER 446 -- TO THE AMBASSADORS
OF THE LIGUES -- Answer to a demand of the diet of Baden concerning the
Refugees.
LETTER 447 -- TO BULLINGER. -- New
proceedings to bring about a reconciliation between Berne and Geneva.
LETTER 448 -- TO BULLINGER. --
Recommendation of an Italian refugee -- reforms in the Duchy of Baden.
LETTER 449 -- TO THE FRENCH
CHURCH OF ANTWERP. -- He apologizes for his silence, and addresses to them
christian exhortations.
LETTER 450 -- TO THE FRENCH
CHURCH OF FRANKFORT. -- Conditional approbation given to the choice of a new
minister.
1557
LETTER 451 -- TO VIRET. --
Election of a Pastor for the Church of Paris -- disorders of the wife of
Anthony Calvin.
LETTER 452 -- TO THE SEIGNEURY
OF BERNE. -- Justification of the measures adopted with regard to the fugitive
Libertins.
LETTER 453 -- TO PETER MARTYR.
-- A call addressed to Martyr in the name of the Italian Church of Geneva.
LETTER 454 -- TO FAREL --
Complaints about the bad proceedings of the Seigneurs of Berne -- domestic
grief's.
LETTER 455 -- TO BULLINGER. --
Inquiries concerning the sentence of the arbiters between Berne and Geneva.
LETTER 456 -- TO THE NOBLES OF
POLAND. -- He apologizes for not being able to go into Poland in consequence of
the important duties which detain him in Geneva.
LETTER 457 -- TO THE CHURCH OF
PARIS. -- He congratulates the members of this church on their fidelity, and
announces to them two new ministers in soliciting a leave of absence for one of
their pastors.
LETTER 458 -- TO BULLINGER. --
Preliminaries of the assembly of Baden.
LETTER 459 -- TO JOHN UTENHOVEN.
-- Hopes of seeing the Reform make decisive progress in Poland -- eulogy on
Laski.
LETTER 460 -- TO THE COUNT OF
MONTBELIARD. -- Explications concerning the Italian Antitrinitarian Matteo
Gribaldi.
LETTER 461 -- TO MATTHEW
PFARRER. -- Congratulates him on being re-elected to the functions of
Burgomaster -- expresses his desire for the total abolition of the Catholic
ceremonies at Strasbourg.
LETTER 462 -- TO CONRAD HUBERT.
-- Thanks him for a private service -- ecclesiastical news -- sends him a copy
of verses.
LETTER 463 -- TO BULLINGER. -- Mission
of Theodore Beza to the German Princes to demand the convocation of a
conference -- measures to be adopted to insure its success.
LETTER 464 -- TO JAMES ANDRE. --
Differences of opinion respecting the Lord's Supper.
LETTER 465 -- TO MELANCHTHON. --
He complains of the long silence of Melanchthon, in exhorting him to shew more
firmness than he has hitherto done.
LETTER 466 -- TO THE SEIGNEURY
OF BERNE. -- Protestations against an arbitrary sentence of a Bernese Bailiff.
LETTER 467 -- TO BULLINGER. --
Theological labors -- explanation on the subject of a confession of faith
presented by Theodore de Beza -- malady of Celso Martinengo.
LETTER 468 -- TO THE SEIGNEURY
OF BERNE. -- Demand to annul the sentence of the Bailiff of Ternier.
LETTER 469 -- TO THE AMBASSADORS
OF GENEVA, DEPUTED TO THE LIGUES. -- An order to repair with all dispatch to
Baden.
LETTER 470 -- TO WILLIAM OF
HESSE. -- Recommendation of a young French Seigneur stripped of his property.
LETTER 471 -- TO BULLINGER. --
He urges him to adhere to the project of the assembling of a conference -- news
of Geneva and France.
LETTER 472 -- TO THE PASTOR OF
ZURCH. -- The second call of Peter Martyr by the Italian Church of Geneva.
LETTER 473 -- TO MELANCHTHON --
Recommendation of a young Frenchman repairing to Worms -- military and
political news of France.
LETTER 474 -- TO FAREL. -- The
Marchioness of Rothelin passes by Geneva -- triple message addressed to
Melanchthon -- mission of Berne to Berne and Zurich.
LETTER 475 -- TO THE CHURCH OF
PARIS. -- Exhortations to peace of mind and patience in persecution -- a
minister sent to them.
LETTER 476 -- TO THE WOMEN
DETAINED IN PRISON AT PARIS. -- He exhorts them to persevere even unto death,
holding out to them the example of the martyrs of the old and new church.
LETTER 477 -- TO THE CHURCHES OF
LAUSANNE, MOUDON, AND PAYERNE. -- Collection in favor of the Brethren of Paris.
LETTER 478 -- TO FAREL. --
Mission of Bude and Beza to Germany -- complaints against the Church of Zurich.
LETTER 479 -- TO BULLINGER. --
An account of Beza's mission to Worms -- new entreaties to determine the Church
of Zurich to take a part in the measures of the Swiss Churches.
LETTER 480 -- TO THE KING OF
FRANCE. -- Exposition of the faith of the Reformed Churches in France.
LETTER 481 -- TO BULLINGER. --
Persecutions in the Valleys of Piedmont and at Paris.
LETTER 482 -- TO THEODORE BEZA.
-- Ecclesiastical crisis in the Pays de Vaud -- inefficiency of the first
measures adopted in favor of the French Protestants.
LETTER 483 -- TO MADAME DE
RENTIGNY. -- He fortifies her beforehand against the temptations which might
turn her aside from courageously confessing her faith.
LETTER 484 -- TO THE KING OF
NAVARRE. -- He lays before him the distressing situation of the brethren in
France, and begs him to take in hand their cause with the King of France.
LETTER 485 -- TO MADEMOISELLE DE
LONGEMEAU. -- He exhorts her to glorify God by her constancy and fidelity.
1558
LETTER 486 -- TO THE CHURCH OF
PARIS. -- Christian congratulations -- the sending of two ministers.
LETTER 487 -- TO THE CHURCH OF
MEAUX. -- Pious exhortations -- the sending of a minister.
LETTER 488 -- TO THE CHURCH OF
DIEPPE. -- He exhorts them to perseverance, announcing to them that a minister
is sent off to them.
LETTER 489 -- TO THE MARCHIONESS
OF ROTHELIN -- He exhorts her to serve God faithfully, in prosperity as well as
in affliction.
LETTER 490 -- TO FRANCIS OTHMAN
-- Ecclesiastical affairs of Germany -- complaints against Melanchthon -- renewal
of the alliance between Berne and Geneva.
LETTER 491 -- TO THE DUKE OF
WURTEMBERG. -- Persecutions in France -- refutation of the calumnies directed
against the disciples of the gospel -- warm entreaties to decide the German
princes to interfere in their favor.
LETTER 492 -- TO THE ELECTOR
PALATINE. -- Apology for the French Protestants -- urgent appeal addressed to
the German princes in their favor.
LETTER 493 -- TO BULLINGER. --
Dissolution of the conference of Worms -- complaints against Melanchthon -- sad
state of the brethren in France.
LETTER 494 -- TO MERCER. --
Offer of a professorship of Hebrew at Geneva.
LETTER 495 -- TO VIRET -- He
urges him to resign his ministerial functions at Lausanne, to come and live at
Geneva.
LETTER 496 -- TO MADAME DE
RENTIGNY. -- He blames her for her weakness, and exhorts her to show herself
more courageous in the confession of the faith.
LETTER 497 -- TO MONSIEUR
D'ANDELOT -- He congratulates him on his constancy, and engages him to
persevere in the confession of the evangelical faith.
LETTER 498 -- TO PETER MARTYR.
-- Theological labors -- troubles of the Italian Church of Geneva.
LETTER 499 -- TO THE KING OF
NAVARRE. -- He urges him to shew himself the courageous protector of the French
Protestants, whose faith he shares.
LETTER 500 -- TO FAREL. --
Matrimonial informations.
LETTER 501 -- TO NICHOLAS
ZERKINDEN. -- He complains affectionately of Zerkinden's hostile attitude
towards him, and defends the line of conduct he has pursued at Geneva.
LETTER 502 -- TO THE COUNT OF
WURTEMBERG. -- He pleads with this prince, the cause of the ministers
persecuted as heretics in his states,
LETTER 503 -- TO MONSIEUR
D'ANDELOT. -- New exhortations, calculated to support and strengthen him during
his captivity.
LETTER 504 -- TO THE MARQUIS DE
VICO. -- Wishes for the success of this nobleman's journey to Italy -- news of
Geneva and France -- divers salutations.
LETTER 505 -- TO THE DUCHESS OF
FERRARA. -- Christian exhortations -- answer to a question -- news of the
Marquis de Vico.
LETTER 506 -- TO MONSIEUR D'
ANDELOT. -- He blames him for his weakness -- and exhorts him to repair the
scandal caused by his fall.
LETTER 507 -- TO THE EARL OF
ARRAN. -- Eulogiums on his attachment to the gospel, and on his zeal to spread
it.
LETTER 508 -- TO VIRET. --
Blames the hesitation of Viret -- eulogy of the conduct of Theodore Beza.
LETTER 509 -- TO JOHN GARNIER --
Ecclesiastical troubles at Lausanne -- the Inquisition at Paris -- dispersion
of the Church of Montbeliard.
LETTER 510 -- TO VENCESLAS
ZEULEGER. -- Organization of the Academy of Deux Ponts -- letter of Melanchthon
-- progress of the Gospel in France.
LETTER 511 -- TO EMMANUEL
TREMELLI. -- Proposes to him a professor's chair of the Hebrew language at
Geneva.
LETTER 512 -- TO THE ADMIRAL DE
COLIGNY. -- Captivity of the Admiral, and congratulations on the constancy
which he displays in adversity.
LETTER 513 -- TO MADAME DE
COLIGNY. -- Utility of the afflictions dealt out to the children of God.
LETTER 514 -- TO THE BRETHREN of
METZ -- Measures proper to assure the free exercise of Evangelical worship in
their city.
LETTER 515 -- TO THE MINISTERS
OF NEUCHATEL. -- He deplores the marriage of Farel, in recalling to their minds
the glorious services which he has rendered to the cause of truth.
LETTER 516 -- TO FAREL -- He
makes an excuse for not being able to be present at the marriage of his friend.
LETTER 517 -- TO PETER TOUSSAIN.
-- Complaints of the intolerance of Peter Toussain towards some ministers of
the country of Montbeliard.
LETTER 518 -- TO BULLINGER. --
Ecclesiastical affairs of Germany -- perils of Geneva.
LETTER 519 -- TO MELANCHTHON. --
Malady of Calvin -- formidable coalition of the Kings of France and Spain
against Geneva -- exhortations to fraternal union.
LETTER 520 -- TO THE FRENCH
CHURCH OF STRASBOURG. -- Blames the deposition of a minister.
LETTER 521 -- TO THE KING OF
NAVARRE. -- Quarrels of two ministers -- persecutions in Spain -- duties of the
king.
+
SELECTED WORKS OF JOHN CALVIN VOL. 7
LETTERS
1559-1564
by
John Calvin
SELECTED WORKS
OF JOHN CALVIN
TRACTS AND
LETTERS
EDITED BY HENRY
BEVERIDGE AND JULES BONNET
VOLUME 7
LETTERS, PART 2 1559-1564
Edited by Jules Bonnet --
Translated by David Constable
CONTENTS.
1559.
LETTER 522 -- TO WILLIAM CECIL --
Hopes connected with the accession of Elizabeth -- Wishes for the establishment
of the pure gospel in England.
LETTER 523 -- TO THE PRISONERS
OF PARIS. -- He apologizes for the silence which he has kept with respect to
them, and exhorts them to persevere in the profession of the truth,.
LETTER 524 -- TO THE FRENCH
CHURCH OF FRANKFORT. -- Warning on the subject of the new doctrines
disseminated in this church.
LETTER 525 -- TO AUGUSTIN
LEGRANT. -- Severe admonitions.
LETTER 526 -- TO MARTIN
MICRONIUS. -- Progress of the Reformation in Sweden -- The dispatch of a
writing -- News of Geneva, and Lausanne.
LETTER 527 -- TO THE PRINCE
ROYAL OF SWEDEN. -- Dedication of a writing to Gustavus Wasa,.
LETTER 528 -- TO FAREL. --
Dispersion of the Churches of the Pays de Vaud,.
LETTER 529 -- TO MADAME DE
COLIGNY. -- False tidings of the deliverance of the Admiral -- Consolations on
that subject,.
LETTER 530 -- TO PETER MARTYR --
Calvin's illness -- Death of Lactanzio Ragnone -- Troubles of the Italian
Church,.
LETTER 531 -- TO JEROME ZANCHI.
-- Call to the ministry in the Church of Geneva,.
LETTER 532 -- TO FRANCIS
BOISNORMAND. -- Regret for not having been able to have him called as Professor
to the Academy of Geneva,.
LETTER 533 -- TO M. DE LA
GAUCHERIE. -- Dissensions at the Court of the King of Navarre -- Spanish
refugees -- Salutations to the young Prince of Bearn, afterwards Henry IV.
LETTER 534 -- TO M. DE COLONGES.
-- Preliminaries of the Synod of Paris -- Sending of several ministers,.
LETTER 535 -- TO HOTMAN. --
Quarrels of Hotman with Francis Baudouin,…
LETTER 536 -- TO THE MARQUISE DE
ROTHELIN. -- Sends one of his writings to the young Duke de Longueville --
Exhortatious to the Duke's mother,
LETTER 537 -- TO THE DUKE DE LONGUEVILLE.
-- He exhorts him to abstain from all participation in the idolatries and
disorders of the age,.
LETTER 538 -- TO WILLIAM CECIL.
-- He exculpates himself to these ministers of the imputations brought against
him on account of a writing of Knox's,
LETTER 539 -- TO THE BRETHREN OF
FRANCE. -- Perseverance in the faiths -- Patience in persecutions -- Trust in
God, who will sooner or lair take in hand the cause of his innocent followers,.
LETTER 540 -- TO THE CHURCH OF
PARIS. -- Inutility of the steps taken in favor of the French Protestants -- he
helplessness of men -- Fidelity of God,
LETTER 541 -- TO THE COUNT
D'ERBACH. -- He offers him Christ inn congratulations, and consults him about a
project of dedicating to the Elector Palatine the Book of the Institution,
LETTER 542 -- TO FRANCIS DANIEL.
-- He pleads with Daniel in favor of one of his sons who had taken refuge at
Geneva for the sake of religion,
LETTER 543 -- TO JOHN STURM. --
Complaints about the weakness and inactivity of the King of Navarre,
LETTER 544 -- TO THE DUKE DE
LONGUEVILLE. -- He warns him of the dangers and temptations of the court,
LETTER 545 -- TO THE MARQUISE DE
ROTHELIN. -- He urges her to show herself always more firm in the profession of
the truth,
LETTER 546 -- TO PETER MARTYR.
-- Sufferings of the French Protestants -- Gloomy apprehensions respecting the
future,.
LETTER 547 -- TO BULLINGER. --
Reply of a German Prince -- Beza at Strasbourg -- Deplorable situation of the
French Reformed -- Preludes of Civil Wars,
LETTER 548 -- TO MADAME DE
GRAMMONT. -- Consolations on the subject of a domestic affliction,…
LETTER 549 -- TO JOHN KNOX. --
Answers to different ecclesiastical questions,.
LETTER 550 -- TO FRANCIS DANIEL.
-- News of young Daniel studying at the Academy of Geneva,
LETTER 551 -- TO MONSIEUR DE
CLERVANT. -- Marks of sympathy on the occasion of the exile to which this
seigneur was condemned,
LETTER 552 -- TO THE BRETHREN OF
FRANCE. -- He exhorts them to redouble their faith to meet their redoubled
persecutions, and to live and die for the confession of Jesus Christ, 1560.
LETTER 553 -- TO BULLINGER. --
Complaint of the unjust proceedings of Berne with respect to Geneva,.
LETTER 554 -- TO FRANCIS DANIEL.
-- Counsels for the education of young Daniel,.
LETTER 555 -- TO JOHN STURM. --
Severe judgment respecting the conspiracy of Amboise,.
LETTER 556 -- TO JOHN GELLIN. --
He exhorts him to leave France in order to retire to Geneva,.
LETTER 557 -- TO THE CHURCH OF
VALENCE. -- Christian exhortations -- The sending of a pastor,.
LETTER 558 -- TO THE CHURCH OF
MONTELIMART. -- Eulogy of the Minister Francis de St. Paula -- Prudent
counsels,.
LETTER 559 -- TO THE BISHOP OF
LONDON. -- Recommendation of the French Church of London -- Eulogium of des
Gallars -- Wish for a complete Reform of the Anglican Church,
LETTER 560 -- TO CHARLES
UTENHOVEN. -- Tokens of lively interest for the French Church of London --
Perils of Geneva,.
LETTER 561 -- TO BULLINGER. --
Renewed disapprobation of the conspiracy of Amboise -- Account of the intrigues
of Renaudie at Geneva Vain opposition of Calvin,.
LETTER 562 -- TO PETER MARTYR.
-- Reverts to the conspiracy of Amboise -- Troubles in France -- Dangers of
Geneva,
LETTER 563 -- TO STURM AND
HOTMAN. -- Treacherous policy of the Guises -- New appeal addressed to the
German Princes -- Petition to the king,.
LETTER 564 -- TO JOHN LUSEN. --
Anxieties about the Churches of Poland -- Refutation of the errors of Stancari,
LETTER 565 -- TO NICHOLAS DES
GALLARS. -- Counsels for the direction of the Church -- Domestic news,.
LETTER 566 -- TO THE EAST OF
BEDFORD. -- Agitations of Europe -- Wishes for the re-establishment of peace,
and for the marriage of the Queen of England,.
LETTER 567 -- TO THE WALDENSES. --
He exhorts them to keep up friendly relations with the Reformed churches of
Poland,...
LETTER 568 -- TO THE DUCHESS OF
FERRARA. -- He apologizes for not having been able to send her a minister --
exhorts her to free herself from the obligation of an oath they have imposed on
her, and to show herself more firm in the profession of the gospel,
LETTER 569 -- TO BULLINGER. --
Mission of Theodore Beza in France -- Counsels to the churches of that country
-- Sending off of four pupils to Zurich -- Death of a minister of Geneva,
LETTER 570 -- TO THEODORE BEZA.
-- Troubles in France -- Faults committed by the chiefs of the Reformed party
-- Sluggishness of the King of Navarre,.
LETTER 571 -- TO SULCER. --
Movements in Italy -- Causes of the troubles in France -- States of
Fontainebleau,.
LETTER 572 -- TO BULLINGER. --
Intrigues of the Guises in Germany, and of the Emperor in Italy -- New details
respecting the Assembly of Fontainebleau -- Speeches of the Chancellor, and of
the Bishop of Valence -- Progress of the gospel in France,.
LETTER 573 -- TO NICHOLAS DES
GALLARS. -- Domestic details -- News of the Church and Academy of Geneva,
LETTER 574 -- TO BULLINGER. --
Conspiracy of Lyons -- Journey of the King of Navarre -- Expectation of grave
events in France,.
LETTER 575 -- TO BULLINGER --
Alliance of the Catholic Cantons with the Duke of Savoy -- Uncertainty of the
news from France -- Death at Geneva,.
LETTER 576 -- TO STURM. --
Mission of Hotman and Beza to the King of Navarre -- Apathy of that prince,.
LETTER 577 -- TO BULLINGER. --
Unsuccessful issue of Beza's mission to the King of Navarre -- Success
respecting the communication of Melancthon's letter -- Intolerance of the
German Theologians,.
LETTER 578 -- TO SULCER. -- The
sending of a pastor to the Church of St. Marie aux Mines -- The arrival of the
King of Navarre at the court -- Attestation of the Prince of Conde,.
LETTER 579 -- TO STURM. -- Death
of King Francis II. -- Inconsiderate ardor of the Reformed -- Moderating action
of Calvin,.
LETTER 580 -- TO THE MINISTERS
OF PARIS. -- Counsels respecting his conduct addressed to the King of Navarre,
LETTER 581 -- TO THE REFORMED
CHURCHES OF FRANCE. -- Project of assembling a councils -- conditions requisite
for its legitimacy,.
1561.
LETTER 582 -- TO THE KING OF NAVARRE.
-- He exhorts him to pursue with ardor the restoration of the gospel in France,
LETTER 583 -- TO THE QUEEN OF
NAVARRE. -- He congratulates her on her conversion, and lays before her, her
principal duties as a Christian princess,.
LETTER 584 -- TO THE ADMIRAL
COLIGNY. -- Encomiums on the constancy of the Admiral -- Recommendation of
Geneva,
LETTER 585 -- TO THE KING OF
FRANCE. -- Reply to the accusations directed against the Church and Seigneury
of Geneva,
LETTER 586 -- TO THE CHURCH OF
PARIS. -- He apologizes for not being able to send to it new ministers --
Advice relating to the Council of Trent -- Disapprobation of the excesses
committed by the Reformed in the south of France,
LETTER 587 -- TO JOHN LENING. --
Hostilities of the Duke of Savoy -- Diversion in the valleys of Piedmont and at
Nice -- Unexpected preservation of Geneva,
LETTER 588 -- TO THE ADMIRAL DE
COLIGNY. -- Au account and solemn disavowal of the conspiracy of Amboise,
LETTER 590 -- TO JOHN KNOX. --
Explanations on the subject of a letter -- Expression of satisfaction at the
progress of the Reformation in Scotland and of sympathy for a domestic
affliction,
LETTER 591 -- TO CHRISTOPHER
GOODMAN. -- Pious admonitions on the occasion of the death of Knox's wife,
LETTER 592 -- TO THE CHURCH OF
AIX. -- Duty of Christians to endure persecution without murmuring and without
resistance,
LETTER 593 -- TO BULLINGER. --
Intrigues of Vergerio in Germany -- Portrait of the King of Navarre. --
Progress of the gospels -- Ardor of the French Protestants -- Popular
massacres,
LETTER 594 -- TO AMBROSE
BLAURER. -- News from France -- Mission of new ministers -- Rage of the
Parliaments -- Lutheran Intolerance,.
LETTER 595 -- TO THE ADMIRAL DE COLIGNY.
-- Pious exhortations -- Renewed recommendation of Geneva,
LETTER 596 -- TO THE KING OF
NAVARRE. -- Keen censure of the foibles of this monarch,
LETTER 597 -- TO THE CHURCH OF
NIMES. -- Ecclesiastical troubles, and counsels how to remedy them,
LETTER 598 -- TO JAMES STUART.
-- He engages him to persevere in his pious efforts for the advancement of the
reign of Jesus Christ in Scotland,
LETTER 599 -- TO THE ADMIRAL DE
COLIGNY. -- He pays homage to the zeal of the Admiral and the constancy of the
French Protestants,
LETTER 600 -- TO THE PASTORS OF
ZURICH. -- A collection in favor of the Evangelical Churches of Piedmont,.
LETTER 601 -- TO THE CHURCH OF
SAUVE. -- Energetic censure of the acts of Vandalism committed by a minister of
this church,
LETTER 602 -- TO THE KING OF
NAVARRE. -- Recommendation of Theodore Beza,
LETTER 603 -- TO PETER MARTYR.
-- He exhorts him to repair to the religious conferences which are about to be
held in France,
LETTER 604 -- TO SULCER. --
Journey of Beza and Martyr to France -- Preparations for the Colloquy of Poissy
-- Intrigues at the court of Wurtemberg,
LETTER 605 -- TO THE KING OF
NAVARRE. -- Warning on the subject of the Lutheran intrigues to introduce into
France the Confession of Augsburg,
LETTER 606 -- TO THEODORE BEZA.
-- Death of Guillaume de Trie -- Penury of ministers at Geneva,
LETTER 607 -- TO THEODORE BEZA.
-- Fresh deaths at Geneva -- Distrust of the Cardinals of Lorraine and Ferrara,
LETTER 608 -- TO THEODORE BEZA.
-- Doubts respecting the efficacy of the Colloquy of Poissy -- Policy of the
Romish Prelates -- Criticism of the Augsburg Confessions -- Divers particulars,
LETTER 609 -- TO THE ADMIRAL DE
COLIGNY. -- He puts him on his guard against the Catholic and Lutheran
intrigues -- Recall of the minister Merlin to Geneva,
LETTER 610 -- TO MADAME DE
COLIGNY. -- He congratulates her on her perseverance amidst many temptations
and perils,
LETTER 611 -- TO THE COMTESSE DE
ROYE. -- He encourages her to persevere with her daughters in the profession of
the truth,
LETTER 612 -- TO THEODORE BEZA.
-- He compliments him on his noble attitude at the Colloquy of Poissy, and
rejoices at his success,
LETTER 613 -- TO THE COMTE OF
ERBACH. -- He urges him to employ his influence to prevent every attempt to
introduce the Confession of Augsburg into France,
LETTER 614 -- TO THEODORE BEZA.
-- Ecclesiastical news -- Apostleship of Viret in France -- Reply to Baudouin,
LETTER 615 -- TO THEODORE BEZA.
-- Blames the excesses committed by the Reformed -- Favorable dispositions of
Catherine de Medicis -- Escape of the Duke of Nemours,
LETTER 616 -- TO SALIGNAC. --
Congratulations and encouragement's,
LETTER 617 -- TO THEODORE BEZA.
-- Journey of Theodore Beza's wife to France -- Difficult situation of the
Academy of Geneva -- Sending off of new ministers -- The Duke of Longueville,
and the Duke of Nemours -- Divers salutations,
LETTER 618 -- TO THE QUEEN OF
NAVARRE. -- Regret for the prolonged absence of Beza -- Writing against
Baudouin -- Letter to the Queen of Navarre, mother of Jane d'Albret,
LETTER 619 -- TO THE KING OF
NAVARRE. -- Severe judgment respecting the conduct of this prince, a renegado
from the Reformed religion,
1562.
LETTER 620 -- TO M. DE COLONGES.
-- Answer to three questions,
LETTER 621 -- TO M. DE PASSY. --
He urges him to accept the functions of an evangelical minister,
LETTER 622 -- TO THEODORE BEZA.
-- Catholic League -- Recommendations of the family of Guillaume de Frie --
Last words of that Seigneur,
LETTER 623 -- TO THEODORE BEZA. --
Imprudent concession made to the Catholic prelates -- Regrets and warnings of
Calvin,
LETTER 624 -- TO THE DUCHESS OF
FERRARA. -- League against the Reformation -- Complaints respecting the conduct
of the Duchess of Guise,
LETTER 625 -- TO BULLINGER. --
News of Frances -- Disorders at Aix -- Progress of the gospel -- Negotiations
with the court -- Synod of Neuchatel,
LETTER 626 -- TO PETER MARTYR.
-- Disorders the precursors of the civil wars in France -- Opposition of the
Reformer to the Council of Trent,
LETTER 627 -- TO THE QUEEN OF
NAVARRE. -- Expression of warm sympathy for the trials of this princess,
LETTER 628 -- TO STURM. --
Mission Of Bude into Germany -- Duplicity of the Guises.
LETTER 629 -- TO THE CHURCH OF
LYONS. -- Severe admonitions because of the conduct of one of its ministers,
LETTER 630 -- TO THE BARON DES
ADRETS. -- He exhorts him to repress severely the disorders of those of his
party at Lyons,
LETTER 631 -- TO MONSIEUR DE
DIESBACH. -- He Urges him to send succor to the Reformed who were besieged in
Lyons,
LETTER 632 -- TO BULLINGER. --
An appeal addressed to the Seigneurs of Berne in favor of the French
Protestants -- Succors from England and Germany -- Juridical massacres at
Toulouse -- Preliminaries of the civil war,
LETTER 633 -- TO BULLINGER. -- A
petition in favor of a prisoner of the inquisition at Milan,
LETTER 634 -- TO THE CHURCHES OF
LANGUEDOC. -- A collection for the benefit of the German soldiers enrolled
under the banner of the Reformed churches,
LETTER 635 -- TO SULCER. --
Political and military news from France -- Catherine de Medicis -- The Emperor
Ferdinand -- The Turks -- The Queen of England -- Complaints against Peter
Toussain,
LETTER 636 -- TO BULLINGER. --
First religious war -- Respective force of the two parties -- Siege of Lyons --
The Duke of Nemours -- Des Adrets -- News of Germany, and the Council of Trent,
1563.
LETTER 637 -- TO BULLINGER. --
Battle of Dreux -- Captivity of Conde -- Imposing attitude of Coligny --
Theodore Beza at Orleans -- Mission of the Cardinal de Lorraine to Germany --
False news from France,
LETTER 638 -- TO THE QUEEN OF
NAVARRE. -- Counsels for the abolition of the Catholic worship and the
establishment of the pure gospel in Navarre,
LETTER 639 -- TO M. DE SOUBISE.
-- He exhorts him to lay down arms after the conclusion of a treaty
disadvantageous to his party,
LETTER 640 -- TO BULLINGER. --
Treaty of Amboise -- Strictures on this treaty concluded by the Prince of Conde
without the approbation of Coligny and the principal Protestant chiefs,
LETTER 641 -- TO THE COMTESSE DE
ROYE. -- He blames the conduct of the Prince of Conde, and deplores the
condition of the French churches badly protected by the last treaty,
LETTER 642 -- TO THE MARQUISE DE
ROTHELIN. -- He congratulates her on her firmness in the midst of troubles, and
exhorts her to perseverance,
LETTER 643 -- TO M. DE CRUSSOL.
-- Sad condition of France, presage of new troubles -- Double message to the
Prince of Conde and De Coligny,
LETTER 644 -- TO MADAME DE
CRUSSOL. -- Wishes for the happy success of the journey to court, which she is
about to undertake -- Pious exhortations,
LETTER 645 -- TO THE PRINCE
PORCIEN. -- He exhorts him to glorify God in life as in death,
LETTER 646 -- TO THE PRINCE OF
CONDE. -- Instructions respecting the greatest advantages to be derived from
the treaty of Amboise -- The sending off of a confession of faith to Germany --
Alliance with Swisserland -- Recommendation of Geneva,
LETTER 647 -- TO THE DUCHESS OF
FERRARA. -- He congratulates her on her noble conduct amidst the civil wars --
Exhorts her to keep her house free from all scandal, and recommends to her an
ancient servant,
LETTER 648 -- TO MONSIEUR DE
SOUBISE -- Counsels respecting the conduct he ought to hold in very difficult
conjunctures,
LETTER 649 -- TO THE QUEEN OF
NAVARRE. -- Sending off ministers -- Claiming of a debt contracted by. the King
of Navarre,
LETTER 650 -- TO BULLINGER. --
Sufferings of Calvin -- News of the court and kingdom of France -- Precautions
against the Confession of Augsburg,
LETTER 651 -- TO BULLINGER. --
News of France -- Reply of Coligny and Theodore Beza to a calumnious accusation
-- Siege of Havre,
LETTER 652 -- TO BULLINGER. --
Disturbances at Rouen -- Uncertainty respecting the projects of Coligny -- Calm
at Lyons,
LETTER 653 -- TO MONSIEUR DE
CRUSSOL. -- Answer to some scruples expressed, by this seigneur,
LETTER 654 -- TO THE ADMIRAL DE
COLIGNY. -- Communications respecting the printing of a memorial -- Wishes for
the prompt return of the Admiral to the court,
LETTER 655 -- TO MADAME DE
COLIGNY. -- The Christian uses of sickness,
LETTER 656 -- TO THE COMTESSE DE
SENINGHEN. -- He exhorts her to show herself firm in the profession of the
faith and patient in affliction,
LETTER 657 -- TO BULLINGER. --
Taking of Havre from the English -- Majority of King Charles IX. -- Movements
of the Duke of Savoy,
LETTER 658 -- TO THE PRINCE OF
CONDE. -- Request concerning the publication of a confession of faith -- Blame
of the gallantries of the prince,
LETTER 659 -- TO BULLINGER. --
News of France -- Humiliation of the Parliament of Paris and of the Guises --
False news of the death of the Duke of Savoy,
LETTER 660 -- TO MERCER. -- New
proposals of a chair in the Academy of Genera,
LETTER 661 -- TO M. DE LOINES.
-- Councilor in the court of Parliament of Paris -- Exhortation not to abandon
his office of councilor and still less the truth,
LETTER 662 -- TO BULLINGER. --
Versatile. policy of Catherine de Medicis -- Departure of Conde -- Favor of
Coligny -- Intolerance of the Guises -- Oppression of the Protestants in the
provinces -- Necessity for assuring to them some guaranties,
1564.
LETTER 663 -- TO THE DUCHESS OF
FERRARA. -- Counsels for the direction of her household -- Present of a medal,
LETTER 664 -- TO THE DUCHESS OF
FERRARA. -- Answer to a letter of this princess concerning the condemnation of
the Duke of Guise and the beatification of the King of Navarre -- Is it lawful
to hate our enemies -- Eulogy of Coligny,
LETTER 665 -- TO THE PHYSICIANS
OR MONTPELLIER. -- Medical consultation,
LETTER 666 -- TO THE DUCHESS OF
FERRARA. -- Homage rendered to the piety of this princess -- Eulogy of her
niece the Duchess of Savoy,
LETTER 667 -- TO BULLINGER. --
Sufferings of Calvin and the inefficacy of the healing art to relieve them --
News of France and Germany,
LETTER 668 -- TO FAREL. -- Last
adieus,
LAST DISCOURSES OF CALVIN.
LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT OF
MASTER JOHN CALVIN,
CALVIN'S FAREWELL TO THE
SEIGNEURS OF GENEVA,
CALVIN'S FAREWELL TO THE
MINISTERS OF GENEVA,
APPENDIX.
1534.
LETTER 1 -- TO FRANCIS DANIEL.
-- Preparations for his departure for Switzerland -- Recommendation of a
physician,
1538.
LETTER 2 -- TO BUCER. --
Unsuccessful, results of the Colloquy of Berne -- Sacramentarian discord --
Remarkable judgment concerning Luther -- Violence of the Bernese Minister
Conzen -- Appeal to Bucer,
LETTER 3 -- TO BULLINGER. -- An
account o£ the conferences at Berne -- Vain attempt at reconciliation between
Geneva and the exiled ministers -- Sad state of this church after the
banishment of Farel and Calvin,
1539.
LETTER 4 -- TO ZEBEDEE. --
Pressing invitations to concord -- Apology for Bucer -- Judgment respecting
Zwingli, Luther, Carlostadt -- Necessity of union, 1546.
LETTER 5 -- TO VIRET. -- Tragical
death of one of the chiefs of the Libertine party at Geneva -- Discourse
pronounced by Calvin on this occasion.
1548.
LETTER 6 -- TO VIRET. -- Mention
of Servetus -- Marriage of the minister Merlin -- Epistolary vexations,
LETTER 7 -- TO BRENTZ. --
Message of consolation and fraternal sympathy, 411
1552.
LETTER 8 -- TO AMBROSE BLAURER.
-- Sends him divers works -- News of Italy -- Belgium and France --
Disturbances in Germany -- Chastisement of Constance,
LETTER 9 -- TO FRANCIS DRYANDER.
-- Consultation on the subject of a new edition of the Bibles -- Troubles in
Geneva -- Apology of Calvin for himself,
1553.
LETTER 10 -- TO FAREL. --
Misunderstanding between Farel and his colleague Christopher Fabri -- Attempt
to reconcile them,
1555.
LETTER 11 -- TO CHRISTOPHER
PIPERIN. -- Trials and tribulations of Calvin at Geneva,
LETTER 12 -- TO COUNT TARNOW. --
An exhortation strenuously to promote the propagation of the Gospel in Poland,
1557.
LETTER 13 -- TO GODFREY
VARAGLIA. -- Exhortation to Martyrdom, 1558.
LETTER 14 -- TO MACAR. --
Congratulations on the zeal which he displays at Paris -- Difficulties that
stand in the way of sending off new ministers -- Letter of the king of Navarre
-- Divers particulars,
LETTER 15 -- TO MACAR. --
Community Of Sufferings between the churches of Paris and Geneva -- Hope of
better days,
AN HISTORICAL CALUMNY REFUTED,
LETTER 16 -- TO MONSEIGNEUR,
MONSEIGNEUR DU POET, GENERAL OF RELIGION IN DAUPHINY,
LETTER 17 -- TO MONSEIGNEUR,
MONSEIGNEUR DU POET, GRAND CHAMBERLAIN OF NAVARRE AND GOVERNOR OF THE TOWN OF
MONTELIMART AT CREST,
LETTER 18 -- TO A BARON OF
DAUPHINY.
PREFACES
SELECTED
WORKS OF JOHN CALVIN VOL. 1
TRACTS
PART 1
by
John Calvin
SELECTED WORKS
OF JOHN CALVIN
TRACTS AND
LETTERS
EDITED BY HENRY
BEVERIDGE AND JULES BONNET
VOLUME 1 --
TRACTS, PART 1
PREFACE
THE present Volume chiefly
consists of Tracts, which, though unquestionably the production of CALVIN'S
pen, and every way worthy of it, have hitherto been inaccessible to the English
reader. They are somewhat miscellaneous in their nature, but, as bearing
directly on the leading points at issue between Roman Catholics and
Protestants, may be classed under the head of Tracts relating to the
Reformation. The Tract first in order, viz., SADOLET'S LETTER TO THE GENEVESE,
with CALVIN'S REPLY, derives great interest not only from the important points
discussed in it, but also from the circumstances in which the discussion took
place. Owing to the unchristian spirit which prevailed in Geneva, Calvin, with
his colleagues, Corald and Farel, deemed themselves justified in resorting to
the strong measure of declining to dispense the Communion. The popular
resentment was roused, and bad men taking advantage of it, succeeded in
obtaining a decree, by which those three Pastors were summarily banished from
the city. It was hoped that the decree, the effect apparently of momentary
ebullition, would be rescinded, and other Churches with this view interposed
their mediation. But the decree, however rashly made, was resolutely enforced,
and the Pastors were obliged to take what must have been regarded as their
final leave. The opportunity was too tempting for Rome not to avail herself of
it; and, accordingly, one of her highest dignitaries an accomplished scholar,
and what was rarer in those times, a man of great public and private worth,
came forward with an artful address, in which, under strong expressions of
attachment to his "very dear brethren" the Genevese, and anxious
desires to promote their interests, both secular and spiritual, he labored to
woo them back to the See of Rome. The person best able to answer the Letter had
been ignominiously exiled, and Sadolet naturally calculated, that while the
resentment of the people would procure a favorable hearing to his
representations, the resentment of Calvin would not allow him to expose them.
From the account which Beza gives, it would seem that the former calculation
was correct. Not so the latter. The whole history of Calvin's life shows that
zeal for the interest of the Church was his ruling passion, and, therefore when
he saw the mischief which Sadolet's Letter threatened to produce, he at once
forgot his own wrongs, and labored as zealously for the best interests of the
Genevese as if he had still been discharging the office of Pastor among them.
The REPLY, besides containing a
triumphant vindication of the Reformed doctrine -- a vindication so triumphant
that Sadolet is said to have forthwith given up the affair as desperate, is
written in a spirit of meekness and candor. Calvin is even more eulogistic of
his opponent than any thing in Sadolet's Letter seems to justify, and in so far
gives a practical refutation of the charge that he never engaged in controversy
without losing his temper and insulting his opponent. The Letter and Reply bear
the date of 1539.
The next Tract of the Volume
contains a series of ARTICLES, in which the Theological Faculty of Paris (THE
SORBONNE) took it upon them authoritatively to declare what all religious
instructors were bound to teach, and the whole Church to believe. It seems that
the Sorbonnists had not been able to keep their own body free from the taint of
what they called heresy, and as the most effectual method of extirpating it
drew up these Articles for subscription by all their members, and by all
candidates for membership.
The object being to expel every
man whose convictions would not allow him to subscribe, care was taken to
exhibit the most obnoxious tenets of Popery in the strongest terms in which it
was possible to state them, and thereby render evasion impossible. The effect
has been to give an air of absurdity to the gravest of their statements, and
make it difficult to treat them with seriousness. To this circumstance, the
form which Calvin has given to his Antidote is probably to be ascribed. He
first gives an Article and immediately subjoins what he calls the Proof. You
accordingly begin to read, never doubting that the Proof is from the pen of the
Sorbonnist who framed the Article but soon meet with arguments which, though
very much in the manner of a Sorbonnist, tell most powerfully against him, and
reveal the fact, that what purports to be a Proof by the Sorbonnist is indeed a
proof -- not, however, of the thing said to be proved, but of its opposite; in
other words, is a Reductio ad absurdum by Calvin.
This mode of refutation probably
told better in Paris than the most solid discussion would have done; but
Calvin, apparently aware that ridicule, especially in matters of religion, is
dangerous, and from its very nature an imperfect weapon, fitted only to
demolish error, and not to establish truth, immediately subjoins what properly
forms the Antidote, viz., a clear statement of sound doctrine, confirmed by
passages of Scripture and supported by numerous quotations from the Fathers.
Some persons are so little
acquainted with Calvin's writings as to imagine, that in forming his
theological system he set all human authority at defiance, and deliberately
opposed his own judgment to the general consent of Christian antiquity. There
cannot be a greater mistake. The leading principle of Protestantism -- the
paramount authority and perfect sufficiency of Scripture -- he undoubtedly did
hold and strenuously inculcate, but he also venerated the early Fathers of the Church,
and scarcely ever omitted an opportunity of strengthening his views by showing
how well they accorded with theirs. In proof of the fact, it is sufficient to
refer to this Antidote, which is rich in Patristic lore, and well merits the
attention of all who desire to see a short authoritative statement of the
peculiar tenets of the Romish Church, and a refutation of them equally solid
and sarcastic. Its date is 1542.
The next, and unquestionably the
most important, Tract of the Volume is THE NECESSITY OF REFORMING THE CHURCH,
which is written in the form of an Address to the Diet which met at Spires in
1543, and bears to be presented "in the name of all who would have Christ
to reign." It does not appear that Calvin was actually employed by the
Protestants of Germany, but he writes in their name, and with an ability which
must have been of essential service to their cause. His object being to justify
the course which the Reformers had taken, he proposes to consider the three
following points: -- First, The evils which compelled the Reformers to have
recourse to remedies.
Second, The particular remedies
which they employed. Third, The necessity of an immediate application of these
remedies. It is obvious that these heads embrace the whole question at issue between
the Protestants and those who, whether nominally of the Romish Church or not,
favor its pretensions. The Treatise, accordingly, is not of the ephemeral
interest of the Diet which gave occasion to it, but embraces the great
questions by which the Church is agitated at the present day. Indeed, in
reading it, one is often led insensibly into the belief, that, instead of being
the production of three centuries ago, it is a powerful protest written by some
modem hand against the prevailing errors and threatened dangers of our own
times. It is certainly melancholy to think that the Church should still be
combating errors which were so long ago triumphantly refuted; but it is
pleasing to think that that refutation still exists, and is now to obtain,
through the medium of the Calvin Translation Society, a circulation far more
extensive than it has ever yet had. Every one who studies it thoroughly puts
himself in possession of a weapon offensive and defensive, which will enable
him, within his own sphere, to fight the battle of true Protestantism against
open enemies and treacherous friends. The occasion on which "The Necessity
of Reforming the Church" was written was well fitted to call forth
Calvin's utmost powers. He had undertaken to plead the cause which was dearest
to his heart before an assembly perhaps the most august that Europe could then
have furnished. In similar circumstances the advocate is usually dispirited by
a consciousness that his efforts will be unavailing; but on this occasion there
was some ground to hope that he might not plead in vain. Not only were several
Princes of the Empire, and other members of the Diet, avowedly in favor of the
Protestant cause, but the Emperor himself seemed not indisposed to do it
justice. The strongest passions of his mind were ambition and bigotry, and when
both could be gratified, the Protestants had everything to fear. Now, however,
the two passions were at variance, and it was generally supposed that when the
Emperor found it impossible to prosecute his ambitious schemes without
conciliating the Protestants, he would take the necessary steps for that
purpose, though it should be at the expense of a rupture with Rome. Hence this
Diet was looked forward to with the deepest interest by all parties.
Calvin's task thus was not
merely to give a solid unimpassioned defense of Protestant doctrine, but to
work upon the minds of those whom he addressed and suggest and enforce
considerations which, while founded on Christian principles, would not be
without influence on mere politicians. His style, accordingly, is more animated
than he might have deemed necessary or becoming in an ordinary theological
discussion, and passages occasionally occur which, in point of eloquence, would
not lose by comparison with any thing in the celebrated Dedication prefixed to
his Institutes. Those who betray their ignorance, while they would display
their wit, by sneering at Calvin as a dry, crabbed, lumbering theologian, would
do well to read this Treatise, which certainly proves that its distinguished
author, had he been so disposed, might easily have obtained a first place in
literature and political science. Happily for himself, and for the world at
large, he was directed to a better course, -- a course which, while it might
have seemed to have shut him out from fame, has given it to him in a purer
form, and to a wider extent, than mere literature and statesmanship could have
bestowed.
The expectations which the
Protestants had entertained, though not fully realized by the Diet of Spires,
were not altogether disappointed. Of this we have a very complete and
interesting proof in the next Tract of the present Volume. The Diet decreed
that, in the meantime, Protestants should continue in the possession of their
rights, and a promise was given by the Emperor that no time would be lost in
assembling a General Council for the final determination of religious
differences. His Holiness, POPE PAUL III, appears to have been horrified at
these concessions. He was equally grieved and provoked at the threatened revolt
of his "very dear son" the Emperor; and having, as he says, the
example of Eli before him, felt bound to eschew it, in order that he might not
expose himself to Eli's punishment. He accordingly addressed the Emperor in
what is designated a PATERNAL ADMONITION, warning him of the dangers to which
his "evil communication" with heretics was exposing him, and
concluding with a very significant hint of the punishment which his Holiness,
notwithstanding of his natural meekness, might be compelled, by an imperative
sense of duty, to inflict. The whole Admonition affords a curious, and, if any
need it, a very convincing specimen of the arrogant pretensions of the Church
of Rome.
Calvin's REMARKS are
occasionally written in a harsher spirit than might be wished. The
animadversions may not be beyond the Pope's deserts; but it must be admitted,
that Calvin, while thinking only of what was due to his opponent, has sometimes
forgotten what was due to himself. The excuse that he wrote, in the spirit of
his age, though the best that can be offered, is not quite satisfactory, as it
may be rejoined, that men endowed with such talents as Calvin possessed are
bound not to follow but to guide, and, when necessary, to contradict the spirit
of their age. Still, overlooking the occasional harshness of the Remarks, it is
impossible to deny that they are full of talent and learning, and most
effectually refute the arrogant pretensions of the Romish See. In particular,
the Pope's unfortunate allusion to the case of Eli's sons is made to tell so
powerfully against him, that Pallavicini, in his History of the Council of
Trent, has judged it necessary to come to the rescue. His defense, however, is
more zealous than; wise. Without denying the immoralities with which Calvin had
charged the Pope, he merely argues, that such immoralities, if held to exclude
the party guilty of them from proceeding against other delinquents, would put
an end to all discipline and government. It may be made a question, by which of
the two the Pope suffered most -- the severity of Calvin's Remarks, or the
ingenuousness of Pallavicini's defense.
The next Tract in the Volume,
viz., ON THE ADVANTAGES OF AN INVENTORY OF RELICS, being designed to expose the
very gross delusions practiced by the Church of Rome on the most ignorant of
her votaries, and being consequently intended, in a more especial manner, for
those who, as they yielded to such delusions, must have held a low place in
intellectual culture, is written in a very popular and homely style, and must
have told powerfully on all not absolutely determined to act on the celebrated
axiom, "Credo quia impossibile." The detail of absurdities and
impostures given in this Tract threatens at times to be tiresome, but is every
now and then relieved by the introduction and enforcement of great principles,
which strike at the foundation of the whole system of Romish imposture, and
completely establish the identity of its image and relic worship with the gross
idolatry of the heathen.
THE LIFE OF CALVIN, though several
writers have attempted to give it, is still to be written. Had the
distinguished author, who had undertaken the task, been spared to accomplish
it, we should doubtless have had a work entitled to take its place by the side
of the Life of Knox; but the mere fact of its having employed his pen appears
to have deterred others, and this important blank in Biography has hitherto
been permitted to remain. In the meantime, so far to satisfy the curiosity
which Calvin's readers must naturally feel to know the events of his life and
the leading features of his character, it has been deemed advisable to
introduce the present Volume with a new translation of the Life which was
written in Latin by Beza, and is usually prefixed to the editions of Calvin's
Works. It is not without its merits as a biography; but, independent of them,
as containing a delineation of Calvin's conduct by an eye-witness and intimate
friend, will never be entirely superseded by any biography that may yet be
written. Before concluding, the Translator may be permitted to observe, that,
in accordance with the views of the Calvin Translation Society, his endeavor
has been to give the original as literally as he could without doing violence
to the English idiom. How far he has succeeded it belongs to others to decide.
-- H.B.
SELECTED
WORKS OF JOHN CALVIN VOL. 2
TRACTS
PART 2
by
John Calvin
SELECTED WORKS
OF JOHN CALVIN
TRACTS AND
LETTERS
EDITED BY HENRY
BEVERIDGE AND JULES BONNET
VOLUME 1 --
TRACTS, PART 2
TRANSLATOR'S
PREFACE.
THE TRACTS contained in the
present Volume discuss subjects which are of the highest importance in
themselves, and to some of which special circumstances give an unusual degree
of interest at the present time. They conduct us over a very extensive field,
presenting us both with general summaries of The Truth, in. its most elementary
form, and also with learned and profound disquisitions on more recondite
points, particularly on the nature of our Savior's Presence in the Supper -- a
question which, in employing the pens, has unhappily too often disturbed the
equanimity of the most gifted Theologians.
The first Tract in the Volume is
THE CATECHISM OF THE CHURCH OF GENEVA, which was first published in French in
1536, and in Latin in 1538. In its original form, it differed very much both in
substance and arrangement from the Catechism which is here translated, and
which was likewise published both in French and in Latin -- in the former in
1541, and in the latter in 1545. The careful revisions which the work thus
underwent, and the translations of it not entrusted to other hands, as was
usually done, but executed by Calvin himself, bespeak the importance which he
attached to it, and naturally lead us to inquire what there is in a Catechism,
considered in itself, and what there is in this Catechism in particular, to
justify the anxious care which appears to have been bestowed upon it? At first
sight we are apt to suppose that a Catechism is necessarily one of the humblest
of literary labors. Being intended principally for the young, it must deal with
those truths only which can be made intelligible to youthful minds; and hence,
as it seems, by its very nature, to exclude everything like profound and
original discussion, it may be thought that when such a man as Calvin engaged
in it, he must have regarded it more as a relaxation than a serious employment.
In opposition to this hasty conclusion, a slight consideration might convince
us that the task which Calvin undertook in framing his Catechism was every way
worthy of his powers -- a task, dike delicate, difficult, and important, in
which he could not fail without doing serious mischief, nor succeed without
conferring a valuable boon, not merely on the limited district which formed the
proper sphere of his labor, but on the Christian world.
In regard to all the ordinary
branches of knowledge, it has too long been the custom to leave the composition
of elementary treatises to those whose names had never before been mentioned in
connection with the subjects of which they treat. It would seem to have been
regarded as a chief recommendation that they themselves knew little more than
the elements, and were thus effectually prevented by their ignorance from
overleaping the bounds within which it was meant to confine them. But surely
when we consider that an elementary treatise is a representation in miniature
of the whole subject of which if; treats -- a condensation in which every
fundamental truth is distinctly expressed, and yet occupies no more space than
its relative importance entitles it to claim -- it seems to follow of course,
that it requires for its right performance, not a mere smattering of knowledge,
but such thorough mastery as may place its possessor on a kind of
vantage-ground, from which the whole field can be at once accurately and
minutely surveyed.
The thorough knowledge, so
desirable in framing an elementary work on any ordinary subject, becomes still
more essential when the work in question is a general summary from which
Christian Societies are to receive their earliest notions, and hence, in all
probability, their deepest impressions of religious truth. There the increased
importance of thorough knowledge arises not merely from the higher order of the
subject, but from another consideration to which it is of consequence to
attend. In the ordinary branches of knowledge, neither the omission of truths
which ought to have been stated, nor the expansion of others to a greater
degree than their relative importance justifies, can lead to very disastrous
results. The worst which happens is, that the learner is left ignorant of
something with which he ought to have been made acquainted, and has his mind
fatigued, or it may be perplexed with details which ought to have been reserved
for a later stage of his progress.
In religion, the effect produced
is of a more fatal nature. Here the omission of fundamental truth is equivalent
to the inculcation of deadly error, while the giving of undue prominence to
points of comparatively trivial importance is unquestionably a principal cause
of the many controversies by which Christians, while essentially agreed, have
been unhappily divided. When such points not only find their way into
Catechisms, but stand forth so prominently as to become a kind of center round
which the whole system of Theology is made to turn, the natural consequence is,
that the persons into whose early training they so largely enter, either regard
them with a reverence which, in proportion as it attracts them to their own
particular community, repels them from all others, or in discovering their
comparative insignificance discard them, and too often along with them, other
things which though of far higher moment, had not been so carefully inculcated
Christian communities have not been inattentive to the important purposes for
which a Catechism is designed, or to which it may be made subservient; and
accordingly we find not only that the use of them is generally diffused, but
also that particular Catechisms have been so admirably framed, that the
Churches to which they belong justly regard them as the most valuable of human
compositions. It is unnecessary, and might be invidious to particularize; but
it cannot detract from the due merits of any to say, that while this Catechism
of Geneva is unquestionably superior to all which previously existed, the best
of those which have since appeared, owe much of their excellence to the free
use of its materials, and still more to the admirable standard which it sets
before them.
Without attempting anything like
a complete analysis of this celebrated Catechism, it may not be improper
briefly to glance at its contents:, and the manner in which they are arranged.
The general division of the
Catechism is into five heads, which treat, respectively of Faith, The Law,
Prayer, The Word of God, and the Sacraments. The first head, viz., Faith, after
laying down the fundamental principles,
that the chief end of human
existence is to know God so as to confide in him, and that this knowledge is to
be found only in Christ, contains an exposition of The Apostles' Creed, which,
for this purpose, is divided into four parts; the first relating to God the
Father, the second to Christ the Son:. the third to The Holy Spirit, and the
fourth to The Church, and the divine blessings bestowed upon her.
Under the second general head,
viz., The Law, an exposition is given of The Decalogue, each commandment being
taken up separately, and considered not only in its literal sense but in
accordance with the enlarged and spiritual views which have been opened up by
The Gospel. The third general head, viz., Prayer, after carefully explaining
that God is the only proper object of prayer, that though the tongue ought
usually to be employed, the mind is the only proper instrument, and that, to
pray aright, we must pray both under a deep sense of our wants, and full
confidence of being heard through the merits of Christ, con-eludes with an
exposition of The Lord's Prayer, which, it is stated, though not the only
prayer which we may lawfully use, is undoubtedly the model according to which
every prayer should be framed.
The fourth head, viz., The Word
of God, treats briefly of the authority of Scripture, inculcating the duty of
receiving it with full persuasion of heart as certain truth come down from
heaven, and of exercising ourselves in it, not only by private reading and
meditation, but also by diligent and reverential attendance on the public
services at which it is regularly expounded. The last general head, which
treats of The Sacraments, contains a full explanation of the nature of these
solemn Ordinances, and of the most important questions to which they have given
rise. Nothing which is essential to the truth seems to be withheld, but at the
same time it is impossible not to perceive how careful Calvin here is to avoid
giving unnecessary offense, and how ready he ever was to make all possible
sacrifices to gain the great object on which his heart was bent -- the
establishment of a visible and cordial Union among all true Protestants. The
primary object which Calvin had in view in preparing his Catechism undoubtedly
was to provide for the wants of the district in which Providence had called him
to labor. The practice of Catechizing, which had early been established in the
Church, and is indeed of such antiquity that some think they can trace an
allusion to it in the first verse of St. Luke's Gospel, in which the word for
"instructed" might have been rendered "catechized," had
before the Reformation fallen into such neglect, that, according to Calvin, it
was either altogether omitted, or, when in use, was only employed in teaching
and thereby perpetuating absurd and puerile superstitions. One of the first and
most laudable efforts of the Reformers was to revive the practice, and restore
it to its pristine vigor and purity; and hence, in many instances, when a
Church was regularly constituted, catechizing was regarded as part of the
Public Service. This practice seems to have been nowhere more regularly and
systematically observed than in The Church of Geneva under Calvin, and
accordingly in the early French editions of the Catechism we find distinct
markings on the margin specifying the different portions allotted for each
day's examination. In this way, the whole Catechism was gone over in fifty-five
Sundays, the children coming regularly forward to be examined by their Pastor,
under the eye of the congregation, on that part of the Catechism which they
were understood to have previously prepared. It seems difficult to imagine a course
of training more admirably fitted to imbue all the Members of a Community,
young and old, with the whole System of Religious Truth. The previous
preparation, the public examination at which parents would naturally be anxious
to prove that the due training of their children had not been neglected, and
the many opportunities of incidental instruction which each lesson would afford
to the Examinator, more especially on those days when that office was performed
by Calvin in person, all must have contributed powerfully to the desired
result, and made The Church of Geneva, what indeed it was then admitted to be,
one of the most enlightened Churches in Christendom.
But though the fruits which
Calvin might thus expect to reap from his Catechism, within the district; of
Geneva, were valuable enough to justify the anxious care which he appears to
have expended on it, it is impossible to read the Dedication without perceiving
higher aims, and admiring the lofty aspirations with which Calvin's mind was
familiar. While he occupied the comparatively humble office of a Pastor of
Geneva, and discharged all its duties with minute fidelity, as if he had had no
other sphere, if ever it could have been said of any man, it may be
emphatically said of him, that his field was the world. He could not even write
a Catechism without endeavoring to employ it; as a bond of general Christian
Union.
In one part of the Dedication he
speaks despondingly of the prospects of Christendom, and almost goes the length
of predicting a speedy return to barbarism. It is not difficult to account for
these feelings. In contending with the colossal power of Rome, which, though at
one time apparently paralyzed, had again brought all her forces into the field,
Protestants could not hope either to make new conquests or secure those which
they had made, without being united. And what was there to prevent their union?
Agreed on all points of primary importance, there was common ground on which
they could league together, and there was also enough of common danger to call
for that simple exercise of wisdom which consists in sinking minor differences
on the approach of an exterminating foe. In such circumstances, it must have
been galling beyond description to a mind constituted like Calvin's to see the
Truth, which might have been triumphant, not only arrested in its course, but
in danger of being trampled in the dust, because those who ought to have
combined in its defense, and so formed an invincible phalanx, were with strange
infatuation wasting all their energies on petty intestine, disputes.
Still, how gloomy soever the
prospect might be, Calvin knew well that the course of duty being plain, the
only thing which remained for him was to follow it, and humbly submit to
whatever might be the result. He had labored incessantly to promote Christian
Union, and would labor still, seizing every opportunity of promoting it with as
much alacrity as if he had felt assured of its success; Hence, in the midst of
all this despondency, we see him quietly engaged in what must at. arty time
have been rather an irksome task, in translating his own French into Latin,
because he had reason to believe, that by thus securing a more extensive use of
his Catechism, he might promote the cause of Union.
The thought even appears to have
passed through his mind, Might it not be possible for all sound Protestants to
concur in using one common Catechism? He distinctly affirms that nothing could
be more desirable; but immediately after, with that good sense which never
allowed him amidst his loftiest imaginings to lose sight of what was
practicable, he adds, that it were. vain to hope that this object, how
desirable soever it might be, could ever be attained, that every separate
division of the Church would for many reasons desire to have its own Catechism,
and that, therefore, instead of striving to prevent this, the wisest course was
for each to prepare its own Catechism, guarding, with the utmost care, against
error, and then, on interchanging Catechisms, and learning how much they were
one in fact, though not in form, cultivate that mutual respect and good will
which constitutes the essence of true Union, and is indeed far more valuable
than mere Visible Unity.
Though Calvin could thus easily
part with the idea of a universal Catechism, he must. certainly have been
gratified with the wide circulation which his Catechism obtained; and we can
easily understand his feeling of honest pride, when rebuking a writer who had
affected to sneer at his adherents as insignificant in number, he tells him
more than once of the three hundred thousand who had declared their assent to
his Catechism. In mentioning this specific number, Calvin seems to refer to The
Protestant Church or France, which, after full discussion in its Synods, came
to the resolution of adopting Calvin's Catechism unchanged. The resolution was
not less wise in them than it was honorable, and must have been gratifying to
him. Obliged to flee from his country for his life, he had ever after continued
in exile, but thousands and tens of thousands rejoiced to receive the law from
his mouth; and now, by a formal act, expressing their admiration of his
talents, and perfect confidence in his integrity, resolved, that The First
Elements of Religious Truth should be communicated to their children in the
very words which he had taught them. In adverting to this Resolution, we are
reminded of the sad changes which afterwards took place, when the Reformed
Church of France, not so much through the persecution of her enemies, atrocious
though it was, as by her own voluntary declension from the faith, became almost
annihilated. If she is again to become what she once was, it can only be by
retracing her steps and returning to her first faith. In adopting this better
course, one of her earliest proceedings should be the formal resumption of
Calvin's Catechism. The next Tracts of the present volume are Liturgical, and
possess aconsiderable degree of interest, both as exhibiting the Form or Church
Service, which, under the auspices of Calvin, was adopted at Geneva, and also
as containing at least the germ of what still appears to some a very important
desideratum -- a regular form of public worship, with such a degree of latitude
in the use of it as leaves full scope for ministerial freedom.
Next follow two Confessions of
faith -- the one general, intended as a Compendium for common use, and
furnishing us, within very narrow limits, with an admirable Summary of
fundamental articles; the other, a particular confession of the church of
France, intended to be employed on a special occasion, and still justly
regarded as a document of great intrinsic value and deep historical interest.
The latter confession, as its
title bears, was written in 1562, during the War, with the view of being
presented to a Diet of the German Empire, held at Frankfort -- a design,
however, which could not be accomplished, in consequence of the way being
closed.
The War here referred to was the
Civil War which broke out in France between the Protestants headed by the
Prince of Condo and the Catholics, headed by the Duke of Guise. In 1562,
shortly after the celebrated Conference of Poissy, and partly in consequence of
it, the Protestants had obtained an Edict which allowed the free exercise of
their Religion. Trusting to the legal security thus guaranteed, they laid aside
the concealments to which they had often been compelled to resort, and held
their meetings in the face of day. Whether or not the Court, ruled as it was by
a Catherine De Mediois, ever intended to give fair effect to an Edict which
owed its existence much more to fear than to liberal policy, it is needless
here to discuss. The fact is certain, that the Edict had scarcely been
published when the Duke of Guise broke in with armed force on a numerous
meeting of Protestants assembled for Public Worship at Vassy, under the
protection of the law, and perpetrated an indiscriminate massacre. Instead of
attempting to deny the atrocity, he openly gloried in it, and appeared at Court
like one who had, by a distinguished service, merited new marks of favor.
The Protestants had now no
alternative. The law, which had been most rigidly enforced, so long as it made
sanguinary enactments against them, had become a dead letter the moment it
pretended to take them under its protection; and, therefore, it was clear that
they must either submit to utter extermination or take up arms in their own
defense. Thus, not from choice:, but from the powerlessness of the law, or the
treachery of those who administered it, the Protestants were hurried into war.
In order to maintain it, they did not confine themselves to the forces which
they might be able to bring into the field, but naturally looked abroad, and
endeavored to make common cause with the Protestants of other countries.
Accordingly, they not only despatched an agent to the Diet of the German
Empire, which was then about to meet at Frankfort, in order to secure the
countenance of the Protestant Princes, whose sympathy with them on other
occasions had more than once been substantially expressed; but they also,
probably through the instrumentality of Beza, obtained the aid of Calvin, who,
aware of the prejudices which their enemies had endeavored to excite against
them by a gross misrepresentation of their doctrinal views, employed his pen in
drawing up the admirable Confession which is here translated; and which, while
disdaining to conciliate favor by suppressing any part of the truth, possesses
the merit of stating it in its least offensive form.
It has been already mentioned,
that the existence of the War rendered it impossible to forward the document in
time for presentation to The Diet, and hence, as a cessation of hostilities
took place shortly after, it may be thought that the publication of the
Document in such circumstances, was not only unnecessary but unseasonable, as
only tending to keep alive feelings which every lover of peace must now have
been anxious to suppress. It is not difficult, however, to find sufficient
ground to justify the publication, not only in the value of the document itself,
but also in the conviction which Calvin, in common with the most of his party,
appears to have entertained, that the peace which had been too hastily patched
up would not prove of long duration. The Confession thus published became a
kind of manifesto, proclaiming the Religious System which The Protestants Of
France entertained, and by which they were determined in future and at all
hazards to abide.
The publication of some such
Manifesto was indeed iraperatively required, in order to counteract the crafty
policy which their enemies had pursued. Taking advantage of the serious
differences which existed among Protestants, they began to profess a great
respect for The Confession of Augsburg, and to insinuate that if the
Protestants of France would consent to adopt it as their National Confession,
the chief obstacles to their distinct recognition by the State would be
removed.
The hollowness of this device is
very apparent, and yet it is impossible to deny that it was dexterously fitted
to accomplish the end which its unprincipled contrivers had in view. It
flattered the prejudices of those who were strenuous in maintaining the
Augsburg Confession, amusing them with the fond hope of one day seeing that
Confession publicly recognized as the Religious Standard of all great
Protestant communities; and it repressed the sympathy which they naturally felt
for their suffering brethren in France, by suggesting a doubt whether these
sufferings, instead of being endured in the common cause of Protestantism, were
not rather the result of a bigoted attachment to the peculiarities of their own
creed. On the other hand, the very mention of the Augsburg Confession, as an
universal Standard, aroused suspicion in the minds of those who were not
disposed to embrace it, and made them backward in soliciting the expression of
a sympathy which in return for any present relief might ultimately have the
effect of subjecting them to a galling yoke. It was necessary, therefore, that
the idea of compelling the Reformed Church of France to adopt the Augsburg
Confession should at once be set at rest; and it clearly appears, both from the
preface to this Confession drawn up by Calvin, and from other documents, that
this was not the least important of the objects which Calvin contemplated in
now publishing it. In addition to its intrinsic worth, the interest which it
excites is heightened by the fact that the life of its distinguished author was
drawing to a close, and that he was already suffering from that accumulation of
diseases under which, though his mind retained all its vigor, his body
gradually sunk.
The next tract of the Volume
introduces us to one of the most difficult questions in the whole compass of
Theology one in regard to which, after centuries of discussion, the Christian world
is as far as ever from being agreed. There is certainly something very
mysterious in the fact, that the most solemn and affecting Ordinance of our
Religion, instituted by our Savior on the very night in which he was betrayed,
and expressly intended to unite his followers in the closest bonds of
fellowship with himself, and with one another, should not only have given rise
to the most conflicting opinions, but been converted into a kind of party
badge, Communities employing their particular views of it as tests of Christian
brotherhood, admitting those who subscribed to their views, and of course
repelling all who declined to subscribe to them.
At one extreme, we have the
Church of Rome, under pre-fence of adhering to the, literal sense, inventing
the dogma of Transubstantiation, and supplanting the simple Ordinance of
Scripture by The Mass, in which none of its original features can be
recognized; while, at the other extreme, we have a body of most respectable
Religionists not only avowedly abandoning the literal sense, but, under the
pretext of spiritualizing it, objecting to every form of external celebration.
Between these extremes we have a great variety of views, which seem however to
admit of being reduced to three great classes, -- the views, First, of those
who regard the Elements of The Supper merely as Memorials of our Savior's death
and Signs of his spiritual blessings; Secondly, of those who regard them not
merely as Signs but also as Seals, holding that Christ, though not bodily, is
spiritually present, and is in an ineffable manner actually received, not by
all who, communicate, but only by those who communicate worthily: And Thirdly,
of those who, though rejecting the dogma of Transubstantiation, which asserts
that after consecration the Elements are no longer Bread and Wine, but material
flesh and blood, still strenuously contend for such a literal sense as makes
Christ bodily present in the Elements, and consequently gives him, under the
Elements, to all who partake of them -- to the unworthy as well as the worthy
-- though with benefit only to the latter.
The wide difference between the
first and the third views early led to a very violent controversy, in which the
most distinguished Reformers were ranged on opposite sides, and too often forgot
the respect which they owed both to themselves and to one another. Whether
Zuinglius ever meant to maintain that The Sacraments are nothing more than
empty Signs is very questionable. If he did not mean to maintain this, his
language in his earlier Writings is very unguarded; but there is philosophy as
well as charity in the observation of Calvin, that both Zuinglius and
Oecolompadius, while intent on the refutation of the Mass, which they regarded
as the worst of the Papal corruptions, not only carried their arguments as far
as they could legitimately go, but sometimes, through misconstruction, seemed
to impugn views which they unquestionably entertained.
It is not fair to lay hold of
incidental expressions which a writer may have employed in discussing one
subject, and interpret them as if they had been uttered calmly and
dispassionately for the avowed purpose of conveying his sentiments on some
other subject. There are few writers who could bear to be subjected to such
rigorous and disingenuous treatment, and who might not be made by means of it
to countenance sentiments which they would be the first to disavow. True it is,
however, that expressions thus incidentally used have too often proved the
sparks from which conflagrations have arisen, and the peace of the Christian
world has again and again been disturbed, because great Theologians, when
essentially at one, have first brooded over imaginary differences, and then
allowing their passions to become inflamed, have unfitted themselves for either
giving or receiving candid explanations.
Calvin was convinced that
something of this kind had occurred in regard to the unhappy controversy
between Zuinglius and Luther and their respective followers. He was not unaware
that points of great importance were involved, and nothing would have been more
foreign to his character than to represent these differences as trivial and
unworthy of serious consideration; but believing them to be neither so numerous
nor so vital as was supposed, he imagined it possible, by means of an honest
and faithful statement on the subject, to furnish a kind of rallying point for
all men of moderat9e views, and at the same time gradually calm down the
violence of those who were most deeply committed in the strife. He accordingly
published his Treatise on the Lord's Supper, a translation of which enriches
the present Volume, and with such success that it was not only generally
welcomed but received commendation in quarters from which it was least to have
been expected even Luther speaking of it in terms alike honor-able to himself
and gratifying to the heart of Calvin.
In this Treatise Calvin
advocates the second Class of views to which we have above referred. He
distinctly asserts a True and Real Presence of Christ in The Supper -- a Spiritual
Presence by which Christ imparts himself and all His blessings, not to all
indiscriminately, but to those only whom a living faith prepares to receive
Him. To enjoy this presence, we must not seek him in earthly Elements, but
raise our thoughts to heaven, and comply with the well-known injunction of the
primitive Church -- Suesum Corda. Calvin seems to recoil with a kind of
instinctive abhorrence from the idea that Christ is, in any sense of the term,
Eaten by the ungodly; and when the startling question is asked, How, then, can
it be said that unworthy Communicants are "guilty of the body and blood of
the Lord?" he replies, that Christ being offered to them, as He is to all,
their guilt consists not in receiving Christ, (an act which must always bring the
richest blessings along with it, and to which no man can ever owe his
condemnation,) but in refusing to receive Him, their evil heart of unbelief
precluding the only means of access, and so pouring contempt on His holy
Ordinance.
In opposition to those who
rigidly insist on what is called the literal sense of The Words of Institution,
Calvin shows that throughout The Sacred Volume, whenever Sacraments are
mentioned, a peculiar form of expression is employed -- the name of the thing
signified being uniformly given to the sign--and that, therefore, to interpret
without reference to this important fact is at once to betray great ignorance
of Scripture phraseology and deviate from the analogy of faith. When he
proceeds to consider the modern controversies by which Protestant Bodies have
been so unhappily divided, he adopts the most pacific tone, and speaks a
language which it is impossible not to admire. Touching with the utmost
tenderness on any errors of judgment or asperities of temper into which the
great luminaries of The Reformation had been betrayed, he gladly embraces the
opportunity of paying a due tribute to their great talents and distinguished
services. He, bids us reflect on the thick darkness in which the world, was
enveloped when they fir/t arose, and then cease to wonder that the whole Truth
was not at once revealed to them. The astonishing thing is, that they were able
to deliver themselves and others from such a multitude of errors. Considering
the invaluable blessings which they have been instrumental in bestowing upon
us, it were base ingratitude not to regard them with the deepest reverence. Our
true course unquestionably is, not indeed to imitate but tread lightly on their
faults, and at the same time labor diligently in the imitation of their
virtues.
The doctrine which Calvin
inculcates in this Treatise, and which he ever steadily maintained, has been
adopted by some of the most distinguished Churches of Christendom, and in
particular seems to be identical with that which is contained in The Public
Confessions of this country. Accordingly, Bishop Cosens, in his celebrated
History of Transubstantiation, quotes at considerable length from Calvin's
Writings -- among others, from this Treatise on The Supper -- and distinctly
declares (Chapter 2 section 20) that Calvin's "words, in his Institutions
and elsewhere, are such, so conformable to the style and mind of The Ancient
Fathers, that no Catholic Protestant would wish to use any other." The
attempt at conciliation which Calvin had thus so admirably begun he never
afterwards lost sight of. It became a kind of ruling passion with him; and
hence, whenever in other countries men of like minds felt desirous to cooperate
in this truly Christian labor, they invariably applied to Calvin. Among those who
thus distinguished themselves must be mentioned Archbishop Cranmer, who held
the most liberal and enlightened views on the subject of Protestant Union,
which he labored anxiously to promote. Among the Zurich Letters, published by
the Parker Society, are several from him, addressed to the leading Reformers,
and urging them to take a lesson even from their enemies. He reminds them how
the Romish Church had convoked her Council of Trent, and was vigorously
endeavoring to regain what she had lost by infusing new vigor into her corrupt
system; and he asks, in the particular Letter which he addressed to Calvin,
"Shall we neglect to call together a Godly Synod for the Refutation of
Error, and for Restoring and Propagating the Truth? They are, as I am informed,
making Decrees respecting the Worship of the Host; wherefore we ought to leave
no stone unturned, not only that we may guard others against this Idolatry, but
also that we may ourselves come to an Agreement on The Sacrament. It cannot
escape your prudence, how exceedingly The Church of God has been injured by
dissensions and varieties of opinion concerning the Sacrament of Unity; and
though they are now in some measure removed, yet I could wish for an Agreement
on this doctrine, not only as regards the subject itself but also with respect
to the words and forms of expression You have now my wish, about which I have
also written to Master Philip (Melancthon) and Bullinger, and I pray you to
deliberate among yourselves as to the means by which this Synod may be assembled
with the greatest convenience."
In the above extract the
Archbishop speaks of Dissensions and varieties of Opinion concerning The
Sacrament of Unity as having been in some measure removed. This undoubtedly
refers to the celebrated Consensus Tigurinus, which had been recently drawn up,
and to which, as forming the next Tract in our present Series, it will now be
proper briefly to refer. Though The Churches of Switzerland were substantially
agreed as to The Sacraments, there were shades of difference which, so long as
they were not properly defined, it was easy for the ill-disposed to exaggerate,
and which even the well-disposed regarded with uneasiness, as tending to
unsettle their minds, and suggesting doubts with reference to a solemn
ordinance on which it was most desirable that their views should be clear and
decided.
As usual Calvin became the
leader in this work of conciliation, and that nothing might interfere to
prevent or retard its accomplishment, though then suffering from the severest
of domestic calamities, he resolved, in company with his venerable colleague
Farel, to undertake a journey to Zurich. The very minuteness of many of the
points which it was proposed to settle, made them unfit to be the subject of an
epistolary correspondence. Such points, by the mere fact of being committed to
writing, and formally discussed, acquire an importance which does not properly
belong to them. It cannot be doubted, therefore, that Calvin acted with his
wonted tact and practical wisdom in determining on a personal interview.
It Would be most interesting to
seat ourselves along with the distinguished men by whom The Conference was
conducted, and follow it out into all its details; but we must content
ourselves with a simple statement of the result. The respect which they had
previously felt for each other soon rose to the warmth of friendship; all
obstacles melted away, and an Agreement was drawn, up, consisting of a Series
of Articles, in which all points of importance relating to The Sacraments are
clearly and succinctly defined. The issue of The Conference gave general
satisfaction, and Calvin and Farel returned home with the blessing of
peacemakers on their heads. It is scarcely congruour to talk of victory, when,
properly speaking, there was no contest, and the only thing done was the
establishment of peace; and yet it is but justice to Calvin to remark, that if
any who subscribed the Agreement must be understood by so doing to. have
changed the views which they previously entertained, he was not of the number,
as there is not one of the Articles which he had not maintained in one or other
of his Works.
After the Agreement was drawn
up, Calvin urged the immediate publication of it. Certain parties, from
prudential considerations, would fain have delayed; but this only made him more
anxious to proceed, and place the great object which had been gained beyond the
reach of danger. The important results anticipated from the publication of the
Agreement he thus states in a Letter to Viret, (Henri's Life of Calvin by
Stebbing,) -- "The hearts of good men will be cheered by that which has
taken place: our constancy and resolution will derive more strength from it,
and we shall be better able to break the power of the wicked. They who had
formed an unworthy opinion of us will see that we proposed nothing but what is
good and right. Many who are still in a state of uncertainty will now know on
what they ought to depend. And those in distant lands who differ from us in
opinion, will soon, we hope, offer us their hand." He adds,
"Posterity will have a witness to our faith which it could not have
derived from parties in a state of strife! but this we must leave to God."
The important service which The Agreement performed by extinguishing strife in
the Swiss Church, was only part of the grand result which Calvin was
contemplating. The attempt which had once been made to reconcile Zuinglius and
Luther having lamentably failed, had had the contrary effect of widening the
breach between their adherents; and hence a general idea among the Lutherans
was, that The Swiss did not acknowledge any Real Presence of Christ in The
Sacrament. So long as that idea existed, it operated as an insuperable barrier
to any Union between these Churches. That barrier, however, was now removed, as
The Agreement which had been placed before the world distinctly recognized, and
of course bound every one who subscribed it to recognize a Real Presence and
Actual Participation of Christ in the Sacrament Hence Calvin appears to have
reverted at this time more hopefully than ever to the practicability of
effecting that General Protestant Union on which his hear had long been set,
and in regard to which we have already seen him in communication with an
admirable coadjutor in the person of Archbishop Cranmer. Calvin may have been
rendered more sanguine by the fact that his views on The Sacrament were shared
by the noblest intellect in Germany. Melancthon had long felt dissatisfaction
with Luther's views on this subject, but his natural timidity, increased by the
ascendency of Luther, had prevented him from giving public expression to it. If
any scruples still remained, it was understood that The Agreement of Zurich had
removed them; and it was therefore hoped, more especially as his great master
had been called to his reward, that he would now come manfully forward, and
avowing the belief which he undoubtedly entertained, that The Real Presence
which The Agreement of Zurich recognized was the only presence which it was
essential to maintain, become the advocate of a Great Protestant League on the
basis of that Agreement.
But notwithstanding of all these
hopeful signs, and the satisfaction which was generally expressed, distant
murmurs began to be heard, and ultimately increased, so that Calvin felt
compelled to come forward with the admirable Exposition of the Articles of
Agreement which form the next Tract in our Series.
In the Dedication of this
Treatise to his friends at Zurich, and the other ministers throughout
Switzerland, Calvin expresses the greatest reluctance to be again drawn into
controversy. He speaks with just commendation of the leading divines of the
Lutheran Communion who had either approved of The Agreement, or, by maintaining
silence, had at least proved their unwillingness to disturb the peace. On the
other hand, he cannot dissemble the mingled feelings of contempt and
detestation produced in his mind by individuals, equally deficient in intellect
and Christian temper, who were going about as it" they had "lighted a
Furies' torch," and were determined to be satisfied with nothing short of
a Religious War. So reluctant, however, is he to perpetuate the strife, that
though he feels compelled to take special notice of the violence and absurdity
of one of these individuals, he withholds his name, that he may thus leave him
an opportunity of :retracing his steps, and retiring from a contest in which,
though he may be able to do mischief, he can only reap disgrace. The individual
thus referred to, but not named, and who afterwards obtained at: unenviable
notoriety, was Joachim Westphal, one of the Ministers of Hamburg. He appears to
have been one of those who, determined at all events to obtain a name, have no
scruple as to the means, provided they can secure the end. Instead of taking
Calvin's advice in good part, and retiring from a contest to which he was
unequal, and for engaging in which he certainly could not plead any particular
call, he again came forward with a virulence and scurrility which perhaps ought
to have convinced Calvin that it was scarcely consistent with the respect which
he owed to himself to take any farther notice of him.
As if all Agreement were sinful
in its own nature, he takes offense at the very name, and with strange inconsistency
attacks Calvin at one time for abandoning opinions to which he stood pledged,
and at another for not abandoning but only hypocritically pretending to abandon
them! Ridiculous charges like these, which only affected Calvin as an.
individual, he could easily have disregarded, but Westphal had been connected
with certain atrocious proceedings which had stung Calvin to the quick; and
there cannot be a doubt, that in the repeated castigations which Calvin now
inflicted, he meant Westphal to understand that he was paying part of the
penalty due for his share in these proceedings.
On Mary's accession to the
Throne of England, a Reformed Congregation in London, under the ministry of
John A Laseo, was immediately dispersed. A Laseo, who was a personal friend of
Calvin, and stood very high in his esteem, embarked in a vessel with 175
individuals. A storm arising, the vessel, in distress, ran into Elsinore; but
so vindictive was the Lutheran feeling there that the Exiles were immediately
ordered to quit the coast. On their arrival at Hamburg, the same abominable
treatment was repeated.
Westphal appears to have been
personally implicated in these proceedings; and so far from showing any
compunction, glories in the deed. Not satisfied with his own atrocious inhospitality,
he calls upon the other towns of Germany to imitate it; and, as if he had been
possessed by the spirit of a fiend, exults in the Persecutions of The Bloody
Mary, as a just judgment on The Church of England for not. holding Lutheran
views on The Sacraments.
The mixed feeling of pity for
the poor Exiles, and indignation at the conduct of their persecutors, occasions
some of the finest bursts which is to be found in any of Calvin's Writings,
while throughout the whole of this Sacramentarian Controversy we every now and
then meet with private allusions and digressions of an interesting nature.
There is, moreover, a great amount of Patristic learning, Calvin laboring, and
with great success, to show that his views on The Sacrament are in strict accordance
with those of the best and earliest of The Fathers. This unhappy revival of the
controversy not only opened up the old questions which are accordingly
exhibited in all the points of view in which Westphal and his coadjutors were
able to place them, but also incidentally, brought various other matters under
discussion. The dogma of a bodily presence in the Supper naturally leads to a
consideration of the possible ubiquity of our Savior's body. Westphal and his
party, in maintaining the affirmative, not only. do not pretend to explain how
one and the same body can be in numerous different places at the same time, but
discountenance the very idea of being able to give any explanation. Assuming
the fact that such an ubiquity is clearly taught, they complain loudly of the
introduction of what they call physical arguments into religion, and descant at
large on the omnipotence of God. In considering these arguments, Calvin is led
to make many. important observations on the interpretation of Scripture, and the
distinct provinces assigned to Reason and Revelation. When God speaks, men must
listen, implicitly; and if what he says is mysterious, it is thereby the fitter
for the exercise of an humble faith. But it is an abuse of the language of
piety, to declaim about the omnipotence of God when the question considered is
not what God can do, but what he has told us he will do. In addressing us at
all, he treats us as rational beings, capable of understanding the meaning of
language; and when, instead of attempting to pass judgment on what he has said,
or to pry presumptuously into matters which he has chosen to conceal, we
anxiously endeavor to ascertain the meaning which his words bear, there cannot
be doubt, that in so doing we employ our reason for the very purpose for which
it has been bestowed.
Another point incidentally
brought forward is the great principle of Toleration, trod the power of the
civil magistrate in matters of religion. Westphal repeatedly denounces the
views of his opponents as heretical, and calls for their extermination by the
sword. He even denies their title to be heard, on the simple ground that they
have been already condemned by general consent. The absurdity of any Protestant
body putting forward a claim to general consent for any one of its peculiar
tenets is very obvious, and is well exposed by Calvin, who reminds Westphal,
that if general consent, or rather, majority of consents, is to give the law in
religious controversy, they must both quit the field, and make way for another
party possessing a claim with which theirs cannot stand in competition. If
consent is to be Westphal's law, a very slight change will bring him, perhaps,
to the only place where he is fit to be -- the camp of the Pope. In regard to
Toleration, it must be confessed that Calvin's views are not much more
enlightened than those of his opponent. They both agree that error is a proper
subject of cognizance by the civil magistrate, and ought, if necessary, to be
put down by the sword; and the only apparent difference is, that while
Westphal, listening only to the violence of passion, calls for condemnation
without a hearing, Calvin strenuously maintains that such condemnation is
unjust, because it provides no security against the condemnation of truth.
According to his view, therefore, a candid hearing and careful examination
ought always to precede.
It is curious that a mind like
Calvin's could come thus far, and then stop. It is not easy to see how any
degree of examination could make the condemnation to be just, which would have
been unjust without it. Take, for instance, any of the numerous Protestant
martyrdoms which were taking place in France at this period, and of which
Calvin so often speaks in terms of just indignation. Would the murders then
perpetrated, by consigning unoffending Protestants to the flames, have become
justifiable, if, before sentence was pronounced, every plea which the poor
victims could urge had been fully heard, and patiently considered?
Unquestionable, Calvin would
have been one of the first to maintain that the proceedings were atrocious in
their own nature, and could not cease to be so in consequence of any degree of
strictness and regularity with which they might be conducted. It would seem,
then, that the application of such a test as this might have sufficed to
convince Calvin, that if Toleration was to be defended at all, it must be on
broader ground than that on which he had placed it. This, however, is a subject
on which the whole world was then in error. In regard to it, Calvin was certainly
not behind his age. For many reasons, it. is much to be wished that he had been
in advance of it; but as he was not, nothing can be more unfair than the
virulent censure with which he has been assailed for acting on principles which
he honestly held, and the soundness of which, moreover, was all but universally
recognized.
The harmony which all good and
moderate men earnestly longed for, and which at one time seemed almost secured
by The Agreement of Zurich, having been broken up by the perverse proceedings
of Westphal, a host of new controversialists appeared, and so uniformly
fastened upon Calvin as the object of their attacks:, that in the next Tract of
our volume, viz., "On the true partaking of the flesh and blood of Christ
in the Holy Supper," he speaks as if petulant and rabid men had from all
quarters entered into a conspiracy against him. In this work, while he proves
himself still able and willing to defend the truth, he gives free and affecting
utterance to his earnest longings for repose. He was suffering much from
disease, and perhaps had a presentiment that his course on earth was soon to
terminate. How desirable, then, that he could retire from the storm, and spend
the evening of his days in peace!
To no man, perhaps:, was
Calvin's heart more closely knit than to Melancthon. They were perfectly at one
on the great controversy by which the Protestant bodies was so unhappily
divided; and though Melanothon had not come forward and avowed his sentiments
so openly as might have been expected, still Calvin had hoped much from the
high estimation in which he was held by all, and the great and well-earned
influence which he possessed among his own countrymen. But Melancthon was now
dead; and Calvin, in giving utterance to his feelings on the event, seems
almost to say that he wishes he had died along with him. There are few passages
more impressive in Calvin's writings than that in which he here apostrophizes
his departed friend: "O Philip Melancthon ! For I appeal to thee, who art
now living with God in Christ, and art there waiting for me, till I may be
united with thee in beatific rest." It were out of place to quote farther;
but the passage may safely be appealed to against those who, while admitting
the great intellect of Calvin, represent him as having steeled his heart
against all the softer and more amiable qualities of our nature.
On many accounts, therefore, and
not merely as able discussions of the subject to which they more immediately
refer, the Treatises, which form the concluding part of the present Volume,
constitute an important branch of Calvin's Writings, and could not be excluded
from any Collection of his Works. The only subject of regret is, that from the
endless variety of forms in which the different parties, whom Westphal induced
to take up his quarrel, stated their objections, the answers are necessarily
repeated almost to weariness; and still more, that Calvin, in dealing out the
chastisement which Westphal undoubtedly deserved, has too often let fall
expressions, to which such a pen as his ought never to have stooped. These,
however, are comparatively trivial blemishes, which the candid reader can
easily overlook, while he dwells with admiration on the excellencies with which
the Work abounds.
In the conclusion, Calvin again
returns to his favorite topic, and in a few brief propositions, points out The
best method of obtaining concord. This subject again occupies the Public mind,
and nowhere are the principles on which it ought to be attempted, or the means
by which it is to be carried into effect, more ably stated than in these
Treatises of Calvin.
H.B.
EDINBURGH, December 1849.
SELECTED
WORKS OF JOHN CALVIN VOL. 3
TRACTS
PART 3
SELECTED WORKS
OF JOHN CALVIN
TRACTS AND
LETTERS
EDITED BY HENRY
BEVERIDGE AND JULES BONNET
VOLUME 3 --
TRACTS, PART 3
TRANSLATOR'S
PREFACE.
THE TRACTS of the present
volume, four in number, have been selected partly on account of their own
intrinsic value, and partly on account of the great additional interest which
recent occurrences have given to some of the subjects considered in them. They
contain lucid discussions on all the leading points in THE POPISH CONTROVERSY,
furnish wholesome advice in answer to a question which once was, and will
probably again become, of great practical importance; and refute the wild dogma
which a kind of infidel fanaticism had devised, asserting, that in the interval
between death and the final judgment the soul remains in a state of sleep or
unconscious existence. All the TRACTS sustain the reputation of their distinguished
author; and, considering their controversial nature, are not often chargeable
with the virulent spirit and intemperate language in which the
controversialists of CALVIN'S age were too prone to indulge.
I. -- CANONS OF THE COUNCIL OF
TRENT, WITH THE ANTIDOTE.
The subject of the FIRST and
leading TRACT IS THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. It is believed to be the earliest
publication in which the proceedings of that body were fully and systematically
reviewed; and notwithstanding all that has since been written on the subject,
its use as a COMPLETE PROTESTANT MANUAL has not been superseded. It commences
with an Introduction, in which the question of SUBMISSION TO HUMAN AUTHORITY IN
MATTERS OF RELIGION is briefly considered. Here, while THE GREAT PROTESTANT
PRINCIPLE, THAT THE SCRIPTURES are the only infallible standard, is strenuously
maintained, it is admitted that the veneration in which the name of COUNCIL
continued to be held, was by no means unfounded; that in earlier and purer
times the Church had repeatedly derived essential benefit from the decisions of
Councils; and that even now, could a GENERAL COUNCIL be impartially
constituted, there was good ground to hope that, by the wisdom of its judgments
and the weight of its authority, it would command general submission, and
restore Peace to Christendom. Unhappily, however, no means of assembling such a
Council then existed. THE POPE, who claimed the right of summoning it, was
himself the great offender, and hence any body, in the composition of which he
was to have the principal share, would be far more disposed to perpetuate
abuses than to remove them. The truth of this assertion is established by
appealing to the actual composition of the so-called GENERAL COUNCIL OF TRENT.
The leading classes of which it consisted are subjected to a rigid scrutiny,
and a graphic description is given of their mode of procedure. Not only were no
names of eminence to be found amongst them, but even the little judgment which
they possessed they were not at liberty to exercise. Their decisions were first
dictated by a set of captious wrangling Monks and Canonists, and then
dispatched post-haste to Rome! The POPE and his minions made whatever changes
they pleased; and the document, thus concocted and thus mutilated, on being
returned to the Council, at once rose to the dignity of a Canon, "The
Fathers" merely giving a mechanical nod of assent. Infallibility claimed
under such circumstances was ludicrous in the extreme!
After dissecting the COUNCIL,
and proving by an analysis of its constituent parts that its determinations
ought to be received with suspicion, and, at all events, had no weight beyond
that which their real merits might give them, CALVIN proceeds to consider the
OPENING ADDRESS OF THE LEGATES; and, founding on their own confession, shows
that the corruptions and abuses which existed in the Papacy, and thoroughly
tainted its whole mass, more than justified those who, after endeavoring in
vain to purify it, had formally withdrawn their allegiance. It is still common
with Romish Writers to deny that their Church had fallen much away from the
purity of early times, or been guilty of misdeeds which account for the general
outcry which had been raised against her. Their theory accordingly is, that THE
REFORMATION mainly had its origin in the vanity, ambition, and turbulence of a
single individual, and owed its rapid progress to the rich spoils with which it
tempted the avarice of its more powerful supporters. Human nature having been
the same then that it is now, it were vain to deny that the motives of not a
few who embraced the Reformation were of a mixed, and consequently not of the
purest nature; but if any one questions the prevalence of gross iniquity in the
PAPACY at the commencement of the sixteenth century, he may easily satisfy
himself by merely reading the ADDRESS OF THE LEGATES. None could know the fact
better than they; and corruption must have been very general and very notorious
before they could venture, in a fit of candor, or feel compelled by the
promptings of a burdened conscience, to color it so darkly! Well might CALVIN,
taking them at their own word, contrast the impure lives of their Clergy with
those of THE EARLY REFORMERS, and triumphantly ask, In which of the two bodies
the marks of a true Church were most visibly displayed? Preliminary matters
having been disposed of, THE CANONS themselves come under review; and that all
fairness may be done, each as it is considered is first given verbatim, and
then followed by a REFUTATION, or what is called its ANTIDOTE. Here CALVIN
avoids minute criticism, and discarding minor points, dwells on those of
primary importance. He thus obtains full scope for the comprehensive views with
which his own mind was familiar; and saving his readers the tedious process of
tracking out mere flaws, furnishes them with mighty weapons, by which PAPAL
INFALLIBILITY, and all that has been built upon it, are easily overthrown. The
fundamental points fully considered are THE RULE of FAITH, ORIGINAL SIN,
JUSTIFICATION, and THE SACRIFICE AND MERITS OF CHRIST. In regard to all of
these, it is clearly shown that the Heresies of the Papists are numerous and
deadly. Not satisfied with THE CANON OR SCRIPTURE, as sanctioned in early
times, they pronounce anathema on all who refuse to receive the APOCRYPHA as
inspired, though they cannot but be aware that one of its writers, in distinct
terms, disclaims inspiration. Instead of going to the original tongues for the
genuine text, they insist that one version only shall be held to be authentic,
and that version the VULGATE, which is here shown by CALVIN to be marred by the
grossest and most ludicrous blunders. Then, even the text itself must be placed
under surveillance, and he who reads must not take the meaning which the words
import, how palpable soever they may be, but set it aside for any different or
contradictory meaning which the Pope and his minions may be pleased to dictate!
Again, in regard to ORIGINAL SIN, the doctrine of the Tridentine Canon,
though artfully endeavoring to
conceal its true character, is proved to be Pelagianism under a very flimsy
disguise. In the important act of JUSTIFICATON man is made to divide with his
Maker, and apparently carries off the larger share. And worse than all, THE
GREAT SACRIFICE which Christ offered on the cross, and then perfected once for
all, is deliberately travestied; and not. only exhibited under a form in which
none of its features can be recognized, but made the pretext for innumerable
acts of Idolatry -- Idolatry not less gross, and far less excusable, than that
which the darkest abodes of heathenism can furnish.
But it is impossible to give a
full analysis of important discussions, which the author himself has compressed
into the narrowest possible limits. Nor is it necessary. Enough has been said
to justify the high opinion entertained of the TRACT, and satisfy those who are
willing to acquaint themselves with its merits, that the perusal will not
disappoint them. II. ADULTERO-GERMAN INTERIM, WITH THE REFUTATION. THE SECOND
TRACT is intimately connected with the First, and has much ground in common
with it. The mode of discussion, however, is different. Many topics slightly
touched on in the one are fully expanded in the other; and hence, so far from
superseding each other, they require to be combined in order to form a complete
whole.
The preliminary part of this
TRACT is an exact, copy of a celebrated document known by the name of the
INTERIM, because intended by the EMPEROR CHARLES V. to regulate the interim
state of religious belief, and possession of ecclesiastical property within
Germany, until some more permanent arrangement could be made. The concluding,
and the larger, as well as the far more interesting part of the Tract, is a
Review by CALVIN, in which, in opposition to what he calls the Adultero-German
Interim, he at great length, and with his usual ability, points out the TRUE
METHOD OF REFORMING THE CHURCH AND HEALING HER DISSENSIONS. The device of the
INTERIM was certainly chimerical in the extreme. In the circumstances in which
GERMANY was placed, the attempt to regulate the possession of property merely
was sufficiently difficult, because much of it not properly possessed by either
party was in a kind of undetermined or transition state, and could not fail to
be made the subject of competing and keenly agitated claims. CHARLES V.,
however, as if he had thought such considerations beneath his Imperial notice,
took the far more important and extravagant step of drawing up a regular
CONFESSION OF FAITH, fixing the precise limits within which the Religious
Belief of the Germans would be allowed to range. This CONFESSION was drawn up
by Pflug and Helding, two Roman Catholic theologians, and Agricola, a nominal
Protestant, suspected of having been bribed to betray his party. In substance
it contains an undisguised transcript of Popery; but endeavors to conciliate
the PROTESTANTS, by allowing those of the Clergy who had been Priests and had
married, to retain their wives; and conceding to their people the Communion, in
both kinds. Even these privileges, like the document which granted them, were
only interim! This attempt at mediation, one-sided though it was, proved almost
as displeasing to the favored as to the prejudiced party. The ROMAN CATHOLICS
were determined to make no concession, and nothing in their opponents could
satisfy them except art unconditional surrender. The PROTESTANTS could not but
feel insulted by seeing their dearest privileges peremptorily refused, and the
only two which were admitted suspended on a mere peradventure. The INTERIM thus
settled nothing, and in so far as it had any effect, only tended to make
confusion worse confounded. In one respect, however, it gave serious alarm to
many enlightened Protestants. Not a few of their adherents, unable to withstand
the fiery trial to which they had for some time been exposed, were inwardly
desirous of some plausible pretext which might enable them, without formally
renouncing their faith, to escape from the hardships which they endured in
consequence of professing it. To persons so disposed the very name of
concession was sufficient; and now, on the ground that their status as
Protestants was formally recognized, and that the privileges conceded would
only prove the forerunners of many others, numbers seemed determined to accept
of the INTERIM. Violent dissensions accordingly arose between the zealous and
the lukewarm adherents of Protestantism, and the union which constituted their
main strength was in danger of being broken up.
To still these troubled waves a
powerful voice was required, and CALVIN again came forward. It was not,
however, as a mediator. He had seen the name so often abused by the lukewarm
and indifferent, for the purpose of promoting selfish views, that he almost
abhorred it. His tone, therefore, was firm and resolute; and even MELANCTHON,
whom he loved as a brother, fell under his rebuke. Fixing his eye on the path
of duty, and determined to know no other path, he goes minutely over the
controverted points, showing the impossibility of reconciling two systems so
discordant as POPERY and PROTESTANTISM; and, calling upon each man to make up
his mind and decide, as for eternity, concludes with a noble passage, which
speaks the language and breathes the spirit of a Martyr.
III. THE SINFULNESS OF OUTWARD
CONFORMITY TO ROMISH RITES.
The THIRD TRACT is in the form
of an Epistle to a Friend who had sincerely embraced, the Reformed Faith, but,
living under the tyranny of the Papacy, must have forfeited his life by openly professing
it. The question which CALVIN is requested to answer is, How can a person so
situated maintain his religious integrity? Under this question more is meant
than is actually expressed; and it is impossible to read CALVIN'S reply without
perceiving that the question, as he understood it, and as it was doubtless
intended to be understood, was neither more nor less than this, Is it lawful
for a person who has renounced Popery in his heart to conform outwardly to its
Rites, for the purpose of avoiding persecution, or for any other imaginable
cause? When the question is thus broadly stated, it seems impossible to
hesitate for a moment to answer in the negative; and yet, for honestly giving
this answer, and persisting in giving it, CALVIN incurred the displeasure of a
very numerous class of so-called PROTESTANTS, and was held up to obloquy as a
selfish and rigid disciplinarian, who, secure from danger in his own nook at
GENEVA, would make no allowance for his brethren who were far less favorably
situated, and would sooner see them suffering in the flames than yielding an
outward compliance with some, absurd but harmless Rite! So loud was the outcry
raised against him on this account, that CALVIN, though little disposed to
defer to mere authority, when his own judgment was thoroughly convinced, not
only triumphantly defended himself in several Apologetic Writings, but
requested and obtained a formal confirmation of his opinion from the
distinguished Theologians, PETER MARTYR, BUCER, AND MELANCTHON. It is easy to
see how very desirable it must have been for those who had embraced
Protestantism, but could not profess it without endangering their lives, to
discover some device which might enable them, without formally renouncing their
faith, to live amidst its enemies as securely as if they had renounced it; but
it is certainly very difficult to imagine what that device could be, since it
requires to unite in itself the impossibilities of acting honestly towards God
and fraudulently towards men. Necessity, however, is ingenious; and not one
merely, but a whole series of arguments were devised and strenuously insisted
on, as sufficient to prove that a man thoroughly convinced of the abominations
of Popery might, notwithstanding, take part openly in the observance of its
Rites. One of these arguments was, that the person so complying might at the
time be inwardly performing an act of pure devotion -- might, for instance, at
Mass, when the host was raised, kneel to Christ seated at the right hand of his
Father in heaven, while the deluded multitude around him were kneeling before
the consecrated wafer. Other arguments, all necessarily of the same Jesuitical
nature, were employed with the full sanction of men who called themselves
Protestant Divines; and it was even thought that precedents in point might be
found in the case of Naaman, who was permitted by the Prophet to accompany his
master into the house of Rimmon, and the case of Paul, who tried to conciliate
his countrymen by making a vow.
The whole subject, including several
collateral points of importance, is here considered by CALVIN in all its
bearings, in a spirit of sympathy, meekness, and candor, showing how well he
could feel for those who were so unhappy as to have their homes where they
could not serve God freely, and yet in a spirit of inflexible firmness, which
would not allow him to sacrifice one iota of what he believed to be the truth,
though it were to gain a world.
IV. PSYCHOPANNYCHIA; OR, THE
SOUL'S IMAGINARY SLEEP.
The FOURTH and concluding TRACT
has the somewhat singular title of PSYCHOPANNYCHIA derived from Greek words
which signify "the sleep of the soul;" the object of the Tract being
to show, partly from reason, but more especially from Scripture, that there is
no such sleep. It was published in 1534, when CALVIN was twenty-five years of
age, and is, consequently, with the exception of the Commentary on the
Clementia of Seneca, published in 1532, the earliest of all his writings, and
two years earlier than the Institutes, the first known edition of which
appeared in 1536. It thus possesses, especially to those who delight to trace
the progress of a master mind, an interest additional to that which its merit
gives it.
The figment which it refutes is
said by CALVIN to be of Arabian origin, but was first brought prominently into
notice by some of the wildest fanatics among the ANABAPTISTS, for whom
everything new and monstrous appears to have had an irresistible attraction. In
more modern times, attempts have been made to give it a philosophical shape, as
a necessary corollary from the dogma of Materialism advocated by Priestley and
others. It would seem that the figment, wild and irrational though it is, had
made considerable progress at an early period of the Reformation, and counted
numerous converts, not merely among the fanatics who had revived it, but in
more respectable quarters, where better things might have been expected.
One is puzzled to understand why
it should have been received with so much favor; for the idea which it
suggests, so far from being attractive, is naturally revolting. It was probably
welcomed, not so much for its own sake, as for the great assistance which it
was supposed capable of giving in THE POPISH CONTROVERSY. Were it once
established that the soul falls asleep at death, and will not awake to
consciousness till again united to the body at the resurrection, THE POPE would
forthwith be excluded from the larger half of his domain, and deprived of the
most lucrative branches of his trade! There would neither be SAINTS to whom divine
honors could be paid, nor PURGATORY out of which poor souls might be delivered
with more or less expedition, according to the number of well-paid masses that
were said for them!
If the cordial reception given
to the dogma was owing to the collateral benefit thus supposed to be derived
from it, it only adds another to the many instances in which blind man would
arrogantly give lessons to his Maker, and arrange the world on a better plan
than His infinite wisdom has devised. Because it would furnish a triumphant
refutation of Popish legends and fictions -- the soul must be made to perish
with the body, and a common ruin overtake both!
It would appear that the subject
had attracted attention in England, for we find that the TRACT was translated
in the reign of Queen Elizabeth. The title-page is as follows: --
"A Treatise of the
Immortality of the Soul, by which it is proved that souls after the departure
of the bodies are awake and do live: against those that think they do sleep. By
JOHN CALVIN. Translated out of French by Tho. Stocker." It was
"Imprinted by John Day. London, 1581."
In the PSYCHOPANNYCHIA, CALVIN,
knowing the kind of people he had to deal with, accommodates himself to their
capacities; and instead of entering largely into speculative disquisitions
which the subject seems to suggest, and to which the metaphysical cast of his
own mind must have strongly inclined him, dwells chiefly on THE SCRIPTURAL
ARGUMENT -- carefully examining all the passages which the advocates of the
dogma had adduced as favorable to their view, and adducing others by which it
is completely overthrown. If by the adoption of this plan, the TRACT loses
somewhat in point of philosophical exactness, it gains much in richness of
scriptural illustration; and proves that, even at this early period, in writing
his first theological publication, CALVIN gave promise of the almost unrivaled
excellence to which he ultimately trained as a COMMENTATOR.
H. B.
May 1851.
SELECTED
WORKS OF JOHN CALVIN (VOL. 4-7, Prefaces)
LETTERS
1528-1545
by
John Calvin
SELECTED
WORKS OF JOHN CALVIN
TRACTS
AND LETTERS
EDITED
BY HENRY BEVERIDGE AND JULES BONNET
VOLUME
4
LETTERS,
PART 1
1528-1545
JOHN CALVIN, the profound
scholar, the exact theologian, the enlightened statesman, and the eminent
Reformer, exerted an influence on the age in which he lived, which, instead of
being diminished by the lapse of three centuries, must continue and increase
while the great truths, involving the present and future interests of mankind,
which he so lucidly and energetically enforced, shall be incorporated with
human enlightenment and progress. The results of his indefatigable labors, as
published to the world in his Institutes, Commentaries, and Sermons, are
familiar to the students of theology; but his correspondence, so illustrative
of his personal character, and the history of the times in which he lived, has
never, until now, been collected and made accessible to the public. The
Revelation Dr. Jules Bonnet, with the approbation of the French government, has
with untiring and enthusiastic ardor, explored the hidden archives, and with
such gratifying success, that four volumes of Calvin's Letters are now ready
for the press.
As these Letters were written in
Latin and French, it was at once seen to be important that English and American
readers, who most thoroughly appreciate the character of this distinguished
man, should have easy access to them in their own vernacular. They have
accordingly been rendered into English under the immediate inspection of Mr.
Bonnet. The first two volumes were published in Edinburgh, when circumstances,
unnecessary to detail, arrested the further prosecution of the work.
A benevolent gentleman in New
York proposed to purchase the copyright of the Letters and transfer it to the
Presbyterian Board of Publication. The arrangement has been completed, and to
that Board, if we should not say to this country, is to be due the credit of
first ushering to the world the rich and varied correspondence of one of the
greatest and best men of the old world. The enterprise will be an expensive
one, and it will require a liberal patronage. To the students of ecclesiastical
history, the work will, in a certain sense, be indispensable; but every
Presbyterian, who can command the means, should lend his aid to give success to
the noble project. It should be mentioned, in this connection, that the truly
estimable collector of the Letters, although he can never hope for any adequate
pecuniary remuneration for his great labor, is exceedingly anxious that an
edition of the Letters in their original form should be published in Europe,
and the gratification of this hope will very much depend on the successful sale
of these volumes in this country. The Presbyterian Board of Publication have
been solely actuated by public considerations in their participation in the
publication, and it will afford them much pleasure, if it can possibly be done,
to aid Mr. Bonnet in executing his original intention.
EDITOR
OF THE BOARD.
PREFACE
IT was but a few days before his
death, and in the course of one of the latest conversations handed down to us
by Theodore Beza, that Calvin, pointing with failing hand to his most precious
furniture, his manuscripts, and the archives of the correspondence that, during
a quarter of a century, he had kept up with the most illustrious personages of
Europe, requested that these memorials might be carefully preserved, and that a
selection from his letters, made by some of his friends, should be presented to
the Reformed Churches, in token of the interest and affection of their founder.
F1 This request of the dying Reformer, although treasured in the heart and
memory of him who had succeeded to his plans and carried on his work, received
but an imperfect fulfillment in the sixteenth century. The times were adverse,
and the accomplishment of the duty was difficult. The plague, which had broken
out for the third time at Geneva, and carried off thousands of victims; the
great disasters, public and private; the shock of the painful events that had
been occurring in France from the breaking out of the Civil War to the Massacre
of St. Bartholomew; even the scruples of friendship, heightened by the perils
that threatened the city of the Reformation itself, all seemed to conspire
against the execution of Calvin's wish. "Without speaking," says
Beza, "of the assistance that was indispensable for the examination of so
extensive a correspondence, or of the time required for so laborious an
undertaking, the calamities that befell our city, the plague that raged for
many years, the convulsions of a neighboring country, have more than once
interrupted the progress of the work. The selection of the letters also
involved great difficulties, at a time when men were predisposed to judge
harshly and unfairly. There are many things that may be said or written in the
familiar intercourse of sincere and ingenuous friendship, such as Calvin's,
which can hardly be given to the public without inconvenience. We were obliged
in our work to have respect to persons, times, and places." F2 These
scruples of an earnest and respectful disciple, anxious to avoid all collision
with his contemporaries and at the same time to render justice to a great name,
would be out of place now; but they were legitimate in an age of revolutions,
when words were swords, and when the war of opinion, often sanguinary,
outlasting its originators, was perpetuated in their writings.
Still it must be owned, that
notwithstanding all these difficulties, the friends of Calvin did not shrink
from the performance of their duty. Deeply impressed with the importance of the
mission intrusted to them, they applied themselves to their task with religious
fidelity. By their care, the originals or the copies of a vast number of
letters addressed to France, England, Germany, and Switzerland, were collected
at Geneva, and added to the precious deposit already confided to them. The
archives of the city of Calvin received this treasure and preserved it
faithfully through the storm that fell upon the churches of France, destroying
or dispersing in foreign lands so many pages of their annals. By a remarkable
dispensation, Geneva, the holy city of French Protestantism, the seminary of
her ministers, of her doctors, and of her martyrs, after having conferred upon
her, by the hand of Calvin, her creed and her form of worship, was also to
preserve for her the titles of her origin and of her history. These titles are
gloriously inscribed in the noble collection of autograph letters of the
Reformer, for which we are indebted to the pious care of some refugees of the
sixteenth century, whose names are almost lost in the luster of those of Calvin
and Beza, but whose services cannot be forgotten without ingratitude. Let us at
least recall with a fitting tribute of grateful respect, the names of Jean de
Bude, Laurent de Normandie, and especially of Charles de Jonvillers.
It is to the latter mainly that
we must ascribe the honor of the formation of the magnificent epistolary
collection that now adorns the Library of Geneva. Born of a noble family in the
neighborhood of Chartres, and carried across the Alps by the irresistible
necessity of confessing the faith which he had embraced with all the ardor of
youth, Charles de Jonvillers found in the affection of Calvin, a compensation
for the voluntary sacrifice of fortune and country. Admitted, with his young
patrician countrymen -- the elite of the Reformed party -- to the intimacy of
the Reformer, he devoted himself with filial reverence and unbounded attachment
to the great man whose faith and energy, moulding a rebellious people, had
transformed an obscure Alpine city into a metropolis of the human mind. He
became his secretary, after the celebrated lawyer, Francois Baudouin, and the
minister Nicholas des Gallars, and henceforward assisted him in his laborious
correspondence, followed him to the Auditoire and the Academy, and took down
during Calvin's Lectures those luminous Commentaries, which were afterwards
dedicated to the most illustrious personages of the age and which modern
theology has never surpassed. Such was the man to whom the friendship of Calvin
and the confidence of Beza assigned the great and laborious task of preparing
for publication the Letters of the Reformer. He brought to it the zeal of a
disciple and the filial reverence of a son who forgets himself in the execution
of a sacred will; undertaking distant journeys to ensure its fulfillment,
seeking everywhere for those precious documents in which were preserved the
thoughts of the venerated master he had lost; and transcribing a vast number of
letters with his own hand; supported in these costly and difficult researches
by the consciousness of a duty accepted in humility and performed with
faithfulness. This labor, early commenced and pursued for twenty years under
the vigilant superintendence of Beza, was the origin of the collection of
Calvin's Latin Correspondence published in 1575; a faithful but incomplete
tribute to the memory of the Reformer by his disciples -- an unfinished
monument, which might indeed suffice the generation that was contemporary with
the Reformation, but which is insufficient to satisfy the curiosity of our own.
Nearly three centuries had
passed away without adding anything to the work of Charles de Jonvillers and Beza.
The Letters published by their care have been the common source from which the
apologists and the adversaries of the Reformation have alike drawn; while the
numerous unpublished documents preserved in the Library of Geneva, or collected
in the Libraries of Zurich, Gotha, and Paris, have been forgotten. It was
reserved for the present age to rescue these from unmerited oblivion, and thus
to open up for history a mine of information hitherto unexplored. And here
justice compels us to acknowledge, with gratitude, the obligations of this
unpublished correspondence to the recent labors and investigations of several
distinguished Protestant authors. We refer especially to the "Life of
Calvin," by Dr. Paul Henry of Berlin, -- a pious monument raised in honor of
the Reformer by a descendant of the refugees, and enriched with a number of
Letters from the libraries of France and Switzerland; f5 to the learned
researches of Professor Bretschneider, the editor of the Gotha Letters; f6 the
important work of Ruchat, f7 re-edited by the talented continuator of the great
historian Jean de Muller, Professor Vulliemin of Lausanne, with an extensive
Appendix, containing precious fragments of Calvin's French Correspondence,
reproduced in the "Chronicle" of M. Crottet. f8 And now, having made
these acknowledgments, we may legitimately claim for ourselves the privilege of
offering to the public, for the first time, a general and authentic collection
of Calvin's Correspondence, the greater part of which has, up to the present time,
been buried in the dust of libraries, and altogether unpublished.
This collection is the result of
five years of study and research among the archives of Switzerland, France,
Germany, and England. Charged by the French Government, at the suggestion of M.
Mignet, under the liberal administration of two eminent ministers, MM. de
Salvandy and de Falloux, with a scientific mission that enabled us to gather
the first materials of a correspondence, the richest depositories of which were
in foreign countries, and sustained in our labors by the cordial sympathy of
those most distinguished in the world of science and literature, we have spared
nothing that might ensure the completeness of a collection which throws so much
light on the history of the great religious revolution of the sixteenth
century.
The correspondence of Calvin
begins in his youth and is only closed on his deathbed, (May 1528 to May 1564.)
It thus embraces, with few intervals, all the phases of his life; from the
obscure scholar of Bourges and Paris escaping from the stake by flying into
exile, to the triumphant Reformer, who was able in dying, to contemplate his
work as accomplished. Nothing can exceed the interest of this correspondence,
in which an epoch and a life of the most absorbing interest are reflected in a
series of documents equally varied and genuine; and in which the familiar
effusions of friendship are mingled with the more serious questions of
theology, and with the heroic breathings of faith. From his bed of suffering
and of continued labors, Calvin followed with an observant eye the great drama
of the Reformation, marking its triumphs and its reverses in every State of
Europe. Invested, in virtue of his surpassing genius, with an almost universal
apostolate, he wielded an influence as varied and as plastic as his activity.
He exhorts with the same authority the humble ministers of the Gospel and the
powerful monarchs of England, Sweden, and Poland. He holds communion with
Luther and Melanchthon, animates Knox, encourages Coligny, Conde, Jeanne d'
Albret, and the Duchess of Ferrara; while in his familiar letters to Farel,
Viret, and Theodore Beza, he pours out the overflowings of a heart filled with
the deepest and most acute sensibility. The same man, worn by watchings and
sickness, but rising by the energy of the soul above the weakness of the body,
overturns the party of the Libertines, lays the foundations of the greatness of
Geneva, establishes foreign churches, strengthens the martyrs, dictates to the
Protestant princes the wisest and most perspicuous counsels; negotiates,
argues, teaches, prays, and with his latest breath, gives utterance to words of
power, which posterity receives as the political and religious testament of the
man.
These indications are sufficient
to show the interest that attaches to the correspondence of the Reformer. It is
the common inheritance of the countries emancipated by the Reformation and
still animated by its spirit; as well as of all the Churches, however diverse
in origin and varying in their confessions of faith, which manifest to the
world the spiritual unity of the Church of Christ. England's portion in this
precious legacy is neither the least, nor the least interesting. Observant of
the great work of religious Reformation which, since the time of Wicliff, had
been going on in that country, and which was destined to have the singular
privilege of placing the civil and political liberties of the nation in the
glorious keeping of the Gospel, Calvin condemned with great severity the
spiritual tyranny of Henry the Eighth, and the endeavors of that prince to
substitute a sanguinary imperial popedom for that of Rome. During the reign of
his successor, he exercises a marked influence in the councils of the crown,
and traces with vigorous hand, for the Duke of Somerset, a plan of religious
reformation in which the conservative spirit is happily blended with the
liberal and progressive tendency. He addresses the young King Edward VI., so
prematurely withdrawn from the love of his subjects, in a strain of exhortation
dictated by paternal solicitude and respectful affection: -- "It is a
great thing to be a king, and especially of such a country; and yet I doubt not
that you regard it as above all comparison greater to be a Christian. It is,
indeed, an inestimable privilege that God has granted to you, Sire, that you
should be a Christian King, and that you should serve him as his lieutenant to
uphold the kingdom of Jesus Christ in England." f9 -- The death of this
young King, so well fitted to carry out the designs of Providence for his
people, and the restoration of Popery under Mary, heavily afflicted Calvin. He
rejoices in the accession of Elizabeth, freely exhorts her ministers, and his
advice, dictated by a wisdom and prescience to which time has set its seal,
furnishes the most remarkable proof of the faith and the genius of the
Reformer.
Having pointed out the
historical value of this correspondence, it may not be out of place to refer to
its literary merit. Trained in the twofold school of profane and sacred
Antiquity, of the Church and of the world, Calvin's Latin is that of a
contemporary of Cicero or of Seneca, whose graceful and concise style he
reproduces without effort. He writes in French as one of the creators of that
language, which is indebted to him for some of its finest characteristics.
Writing before Montaigne, he may be regarded as the precursor and the model of
that great school of the seventeenth century which could only fight him with
weapons from his own armoury, and which could not surpass him either in
loftiness of thought or in stately majesty of style. The French letters of
Calvin, worthy of the author of the immortal preface to the "Christian
Institutes," contain many admirable passages hitherto unknown, and are
models of eloquence: they will be found in this Collection interspersed with
the Latin Correspondence from which they were detached in the original Paris
edition, and will present, in chronological order, a series of moral and
religious studies -- a genuine portrait of the Reformer drawn by his own hand,
in the original documents, which we now, for the first time, present to the
historian. The seasonableness of such a publication cannot be denied. The great
debate ever pending between the Papacy and the Reformation is renewed in our
days with fresh vigor in almost all the countries of Europe. Attack provokes
defense; and in the strife of opinion, the rights of justice and of truth are
too frequently disregarded. While some rare spirits, enlightened by the study
of history, or the attentive observation of the effect of the dogmas of either
religion on the moral conduct of its votaries, rise superior to the mists of
prejudice and form a judgment which is moulding that of posterity, f10 the
adepts of a school, unhappily celebrated as the admirers of excesses which the
sincere disciples of Christianity or of philosophy have alike reproved, have
nought but malediction and insult for the glorious Revolution stamped by the
names of Luther and of Calvin. Never, perhaps, were detraction and outrage let
loose with such fury against these great deliverers of conscience; never have
their intentions been so audaciously misrepresented, their actions so grossly
caricatured. f11 To the falsehoods of a party that shrinks not from slander,
let us oppose the impartial evidence of history; let us learn from these great
men themselves what they desired, what they did, what they suffered; and let us
seek from them alone the secret of the Revolution which they achieved. The
Correspondence of Calvin will, we believe, throw a fresh light upon those grave
questions which Modern Science, worthy of the name, now proposes to herself
with a desire for impartial justice which does her honor. It is by this
sentiment that we may venture to say we have been animated, in the course of
the long researches which have enabled us to offer this collection to the
public. Guided solely by the love of truth, and shrinking from no revelation
that was guarantied by authentic documents, we have rejected no sources of
information, nor omitted any evidence. Our ambition has been to make Calvin
live again in his letters -- to shew him as he was, with his austere and
inflexible convictions, which yet were far from intolerant, in the intercourse
of friendship and the freedom of the domestic circle -- with that stern
self-sacrifice of his life to duty which alone explains its power and excuses
its errors -- with the failings which were the heritage of his times and those
which were peculiar to himself. History, interrogated in original documents, is
not a panegyric; it throws no veil over the shortcomings of its heroes, but it
remembers that they are men, and draws lessons alike from their infirmities and
from their greatness.
We cannot close this Preface
without offering the tribute of our sincere gratitude to those friends in
England and on the Continent whose kind encouragement has favored the
publication. And we would address our first acknowledgments to the Librarians
of the Continental Libraries, who eagerly placed at our disposal the whole MS.
collections committed to their charge. We have pleasure in paying the same
tribute to one of the most distinguished citizens of Geneva, Colonel Henri
Tronchin, who so liberally opened to us the precious documents that have been
transmitted to him through a series of illustrious ancestors; and we regard it
as a peculiar privilege to record our obligations, while at Geneva, to the
encouraging kindness of two men eminent in her sacred literature, M. le Pasteur
Gaussen, and to the learned historian of the Reformation, M. le Docteur Merle
d'Aubigne, whose patronage, which was given as a matter of course to the
publication of Calvin's Correspondence, has been the means of attracting to us
valuable sympathies in the United States, in England, and in that noble country
of Scotland, where the name of Calvin, gloriously associated with that of Knox,
receives an honorable tribute in the labors of a Society devoted to the
translation, of his writings. It is with heartfelt satisfaction that we
inscribe on the first page of the collection, and recall in one grateful
thought, the names of the three generous patrons of the undertaking, Mr.
Douglas of Cavers, Mr. Henderson of Park, and Mr. James Lenox of New York.
Our personal thanks we may
surely be permitted to offer to the translator of the work. Nothing could
exceed the difficulty of rendering Calvin's letters in English, and of
harmonizing the antique style of the originals with the structure of a modern
language. We believe that this difficulty has been happily overcome by the
translator, who has devoted himself with persevering ardor, and with a sort of
filial piety, to a work requiring so great an amount of patience and of
learning. If, through the transparent mirror of a scrupulously faithful
translation, the reader is enabled to follow the grave religious beauty of the
originals, -- if he is brought, as it were, into communion with the soul of
Calvin himself, in the fine and varied effusions of his correspondence, he will
be indebted for this privilege to the labor of Mr. Constable, revised by the
Revelation Dr. Cunningham, Principal of the New College, Edinburgh, with a
degree of watchful care and enlightened solicitude that cannot be too highly
appreciated. (Mr. Constable translated only the first two volumes, which were
published in Edinburgh. -- EDITOR OF THE BOARD.)
And thus the wish expressed by
Calvin on his deathbed, and forgotten during three centuries, is now realized
for Britain as well as for France. His memory loses nothing from these tardy
revelations, and the only testimony worthy of him is that of truth. This is the
testimony that appears in every page of his correspondence. In so far as we
have been his faithful interpreters we are happy if, according to the measure
of our poor ability, we have been permitted, not to glorify a man, but to
glorify God himself, in the life of one of his chosen instruments for the
accomplishment of one of the noblest acts in the providential drama of history.
The English edition of Calvin's
collected Correspondence will form four volumes similar to the present, and
will contain at least 600 letters, the greater part of which are now published
for the first time. An appendix at the end of the work will give, in
chronological order, and with a summary of their contents, a list of those
letters which it has been thought unnecessary to include in this edition, but
which those who may desire to do so, will have an opportunity of consulting in
the complete edition of the originals, in course of publication in Paris.
This seven volume set by John Calvin is
available on Protestant Bookshelf CD volume 5
(3 for 1 CD SUPER SALE) at: http://www.swrb.com/Puritan/protestant-bookshelf-CDs.htm
CALVIN, JOHN
Catechism of the Church of
Geneva, Instruction for Children in the Doctrine of Christ
First published
in French in 1536, and in Latin in 1538, it was later revised by Calvin
himself, demonstrating the importance which Calvin attached to this vital work.
This celebrated catechism, presented here in the English version, is
unquestionably superior to all which previously existed and the best of those
which have since appeared owe much of their excellence to the free use of its
contents. It is made up of five heads: Faith, Law,
Prayer, the Word of God, and the Sacraments.
The
translator's preface notes:
The practice of catechising, which had early been established in
the Church, and is indeed of such antiquity that some think they can trace an
allusion to it in the first verse of St. Luke's Gospel, in which the word for
'instructed' might have been rendered 'catechised,' had before the
Reformation fallen into such neglect, that according to Calvin, it was either altogether
omitted, or, when in use, was only employed in teaching and thereby
perpetuating absurd and puerile superstitions. One
of the first and most laudable efforts of the Reformers was to revive the
practice, and restore it to its pristine vigour and purity.
Moreover, Christian
History magazine
(Vol. 5, No. 4, p. 3 [this whole issue is devoted to John Calvin]) reports,
that
this Catechism enabled the pastor to teach the basics of the Reformed faith by
means of questions and answers spread over 55 Sundays. Memorized by children at
school, repeated and explained before the whole community on Sunday, it became
a key element in the formation of the faith of Genevans and other Reformed
believers for nearly two centuries.
Furthermore, as
the translator notes, "[t]he Protestant
church of France, after a full discussion in its Synods, came to the resolution
of adopting Calvin's Catechism unchanged." God-honoring results
can be obtained once again, in our day, by resurrecting this ancient and
biblical teaching method.
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free books and articles on each CD!).
CALVIN, JOHN
Come Out From Among Them: The
"Anti-Nicodemite" Writings of John Calvin
Much
of Calvin's best work still lays buried in languages other than English (as
Eire's book War Against The Idols: The Reformation of Worship from Erasmus
to Calvin [ http://www.swrb.com/catalog/E.htm ] testifies). This will no longer be the case with these fine sermons and writings,
of which most are now translated, for the first time ever, into English!
Calvin
placed the central emphasis of the Reformation not on the doctrine of salvation
alone, but equally upon the foundation of biblically-regulated worship. The works contained in this newly compiled edition find Calvin at his
"ballistic" best as he refutes and rebukes all those who would
undermine the Reformation, by compromising the truth of Christ, in their
outward attendance among those who practice idolatrous acts of
"worship" (i.e. those referred to as the "Nicodemites").
Here
we find Calvin calling for separation from all churches which embrace
idolatrous worship.
He takes the bold and Biblical stand that only the most seriously committed
Reformers ever understood (like Knox), even
proclaiming that it is better to worship privately in your home than to engage
in dissimulation by participating in ordinances of worship which are known to
be false. For Calvin clearly taught,
When
the spiritual government doth degenerate, the consciences of the godly are at
liberty, and set free from obeying unjust authority;
especially if the wicked and profane enemies of holiness do falsely pretend the
title of priesthood (i.e. clergy--OC) to overthrow the doctrine of salvation
(as do Arminians, Neonomians, Antinomians, Dispensationalists, etc.--OC), and
challenge to themselves such authority, as that they will be thereby equal with
God (i.e. making the law of God void through human traditions; e.g. humanly
composed hymns, instrumental music, choirs, holy-days, etc.--OC)" (Calvin
as cited in The Original Covenanter and Contending Witness magazine).
"Some
one will therefore ask me what counsel I would like to give to a believer who
thus dwells in some Egypt or Babylon where he may not worship God purely, but
is forced by the common practice to accommodate himself to bad things. The first advice would be to leave [i.e. relocate--GB]
if he could. . . . If someone has no way to depart, I would counsel
him to consider whether it would be possible for him to abstain from all
idolatry in order to preserve himself pure and spotless toward God in both body
and soul. ***Then let him worship God in private***
(in his home--RB), praying him to restore his poor church to its
right estate (John Calvin, Come Out From Among Them, The Anti-Nicodemite
Writings of John Calvin, Protestant Heritage Press, "A Short Treatise,"
pp. 93-94, emphases added. Come Out From Among
Them is also on the new PHP CD at http://www.swrb.com/newslett/FREEBOOK/KReed.htm).
As Calvin's
words once again thunder down the corridors of the centuries, in the common
language of the people, they will certainly ring true in the ears of those who
hear the Master's voice, providing a firm foundation for future Reformation(s).
This title also contains another excellent "Publishers Introduction"
by Kevin Reed, which we believe is worth the price of the book on its own.
Combined with Calvin's work (which is easily worth its weight in gold), this is
a must read for serious modern Reformers.
Come
Out From Among Them: The "Anti-Nicodemite" Writings of John Calvin is also
now available for the first time ever in English on the new
Presbyterian Heritage Publications CD, with many other classic
Reformation works (for $98.98 US funds). Summaries and a full list
of titles contained on the PHP CD are listed at http://www.swrb.com/catalog/R.htm
under "REED, KEVIN."
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FREE AUDIO MP3 SERMONS by JOHN
CALVIN!
To hear FREE audio (MP3) sermons from JohnCalvin, as
contained in this important recently translated
book, Come Out From Among Them: The
"Anti-Nicodemite" Writings of John Calvin, please go to:
Separation
From False Worship, Idolatry & Popish Principles
http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?sermonid=8320101619
Suffering
Outside the Camp
http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?sermonid=7210112851
Seeking
the Lord's Face
http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?sermonid=8130112743
The
Importance of Outward Means of Grace
http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?sermonid=7290123154
CALVIN ON
SEPARATION FROM FALSE WORSHIP (i.e. worship not based
on the second commandment or what is now called the regulative
principle of worship) AND WORSHIPPING
PRIVATELY (IN YOUR HOME)
"Some one will therefore ask me what counsel
I would like to give to a believer who thus dwells in some Egypt or Babylon
where he may not worship God purely, but is forced by the common practice to
accommodate himself to bad things. The first
advice would be to leave [i.e. relocate--GB] if he could. . . . If
someone has no way to depart, I would counsel him to consider whether it would
be possible for him to abstain from all idolatry in order to preserve himself
pure and spotless toward God in both body and soul. ***Then
let him worship God in private*** (in his home--RB), praying him to
restore his poor church to its right estate (John Calvin, Come Out From
Among Them, The Anti-Nicodemite Writings of John Calvin, Protestant Heritage
Press, "A Short Treatise," pp. 93-94, emphases added. Come Out From Among Them is also on
the new PHP CD at http://www.swrb.com/newslett/FREEBOOK/KReed.htm).
Calvin quote (above) cited in: Appendix G in The Covenanted Reformation Defended
by Greg Barrow (http://www.swrb.com/newslett/actualnls/append_g.htm), "A brief examination of Mr. Bacon's principles regarding
the visible church and the use of private judgment. Also, some
observations regarding his ignoble attack upon Kevin Reed in his book entitled The
Visible Church in the Outer Darkness."
Romans 16:17 is
also very clear on this point:
"Now I beseech you, brethren,
mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the (Apostolic--RB)
doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them."
Comparison Between the False
Church and the True
This is the famous ecclesiastical section of Calvin's Institutes (Book 4, Chapter 2, Beveridge edition),
so often referred to in debates concerning the nature of the visible church. It
includes, in section 12, the indispensable distinction made by Calvin regarding
the two ways in which the church is visible (i.e. as seen in those professing
the truth [with their children] and also as corporately constituted). Calvin here recognizes the visible
church at Rome in
that the elect are
present at Rome, but goes on to call for separation from Rome in that she, as
a corporate entity
(being a harlot and not Christ's chaste bride), is not duly (or lawfully)
constituted. The Battles
edition of the Institutes
(section twelve in this chapter, "The sound elements do not make the
corrupted church a true church"), beautifully translates Calvin's summary
of this Scripturally faithful argument,
However, when we categorically deny to
the papists the title of the church, we do not for this reason impugn the
existence of churches among them. Rather, we are only contending about the true
and lawful constitution of the church, required in the communion not only of
the sacraments (which are the signs of profession) but also especially of
doctrine. Daniel [Dan. 9:27] and Paul [II Thess. 2:4] foretold that Antichrist
would sit in the Temple of God. With us, it is the Roman pontiff we make the
leader and standard bearer of that wicked and abominable kingdom. The fact that
his seat is placed in the Temple of God signifies that his reign was not to be
such as to wipe out either the name of Christ or of the church. From this it
therefore is evident that we by no means deny that the churches under his
tyranny remain churches. But these he has profaned by his sacrilegious impiety,
afflicted by his inhuman domination, corrupted and well-nigh killed by his evil
and deadly doctrines, which are like poisoned drinks. In them Christ lies
hidden, half buried, the gospel overthrown, piety scattered, the worship of God
nearly wiped out. In them, briefly, everything is so confused that there we see
the face of Babylon rather than that of the Holy City of God. To sum up, I call
them churches to the extent that the Lord wonderfully preserves in them a
remnant of his people, however woefully dispersed and scattered, and to the
extent that some marks of the church remain--especially those marks whose
effectiveness neither the devil's wiles nor human depravity can destroy (note:
this is why the Reformers accepted Roman Catholic baptisms as valid, though not lawful--RB). But on the other hand, because in
them those marks have been erased to which we should pay particular regard in
this discourse, I say that every one of their congregations and their whole
body lack the lawful form of the church (emphasis added).
Without the understanding of
Calvin's (and the bulk of other major Reformers) ecclesiology on this point, it
is impossible to fully appreciate the Reformer's position regarding separation,
schism, the sacraments, the ministry, eschatology, etc. Don't miss this
important work!
(Rare bound photocopy) $8.95-60%=$3.58 (US funds)
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Defending the Reformation:
John Calvin Debates the Romanist Sadolet
Includes both Cardinal Sadolet's letter to the senate and people of Geneva (in which
he endeavors to bring the city back to allegiance to the Roman antichrist) and
Calvin's reply to this letter. After declining to dispense the Lord's Supper
(because of the "unchristian spirit which prevailed in Geneva"
[Beveridge]) Calvin, Conrad and Farel were banished from the city. Rome,
wanting to make the most of this opportunity, called upon one of her most
accomplished scholars, Sadolet, to write the Genevese. Calvin did not hesitate
to reply. "The reply, besides containing a triumphant vindication of the
Reformed doctrine -- a vindication so triumphant that Sadolet is said to have
forthwith given up the affair as desperate, is written in a spirit of meekness
and candour," notes Beveridge. Hitting the main controversies of the
Reformation (including the authority of Scripture [and the church],
justification by faith alone, worship, unity and schism) Calvin's letter is a
masterful defence of first Reformation thought. This item is also available in Calvin's
Selected Works, volume
1.
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Head Coverings and Women
This rare item contains the collected wisdom of some of the Reformed Faith's
leading forefathers including John Calvin, Matthew Henry, Thomas Manton, John
Murray, B.B. Warfield, and many others.
(Rare bound photocopy) $14.95-60%=$5.98 (US funds)
(Hardcover photocopy) $19.00 (US funds)
RELATED
TITLE:
Reformed Presbytery in North
America (RPNA)
The Practice of Headcoverings
in Public Worship (June, 2001)
Demonstrates
from Scripture and classic Protestant interpretation (from John Calvin [and
covenanted Geneva], the Geneva Bible [ http://www.swrb.com/bibles/bibles.htm ], Theodore Beza, the
Westminster Divines [including Samuel Rutherford and George Gillespie], the
Covenanted General Assemblies of Scotland and their lower courts, Francis
Turretin, the Augsburg Confession [1530], the Reformed Churches of France
[1579], The Dutch Annotations Upon the Whole Bible [1637, commissioned by the
Synod of Dort, 1618, et al.]) that headcoverings
are an alterable cultural sign. Also deals with similar signs such
as "greeting one another with a holy kiss" and foot washing.
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.
CALVIN, JOHN, JOHN OWEN et al.
Instrumental Music in the
Worship of God
Quotes from Calvin, Edwards, Owen,
Rutherford,
and numerous others citing and expounding on the old Reformed position.
Instrumental music in public worship was a regulated circumstance of Old
Covenant worship and thus Calvin writes, "From
this it appears that the Papists, as I shall have occasion to show elsewhere,
in employing instrumental music cannot be said so much to imitate the practice
of God's ancient people as to ape it in a sense less and absurd manner,
exhibiting a silly delight in that worship of the Old Testament which was
figurative and terminated with the gospel." You may be shocked
to see the strong and unanimous testimony, given by these famous and much
respected Reformers, against the use of musical instruments in public worship
of the one true and living God.
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Reformed Theological Seminary
The
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CALVIN, JOHN
Institutes of the Christian
Religion (Very Rare 1634 Thomas Norton Translation)
This edition of Calvin's Institutes is the very rare
1634 Thomas Norton (Thomas Cranmer's son-in-law) translation, which sells for
about $4,000 on the rare book market. It was also the first English
translation of the Institutes to appear in modern type.
In the foreword to the book Theological
Guide to Calvin's Institutes, J.I. Packer (SWRB does not support Packer's skewed
theological views) writes:
"The readability of the Institutio,
considering its size, is remarkable. Calvin’s pacing is steady and urgent
throughout. Just about every sentence contains concentrated thought expressed
in elegant, fast-moving, colorful, punchy Latin rhetoric. (No English
translation fully matches Calvin’s Latin; that of the Elizabethan, Thomas
Norton, perhaps gets closest; Beveridge gives us Calvin’s
feistiness but not always his precision; Battles gives us the precision but not
always the punchiness, and fleetness of foot; Allen is smooth and clear, but
low-key.)"
It would not be an exaggeration to
say that Calvin's Institutes would be among the ten most
influential writings in the history of the world. It is hard for us to
imagine how far Calvin had come in his time, and, if you know the thought of
his day, how much he has influenced our world. "Perhaps
no other theological work has so consistently retained for four centuries a
place on the reading list of studious Christians... Wherever in the crises of
history social foundations are shaken and men's hearts quail, the pages of this
classic are searched with fresh respect," notes the
introduction to the Beveridge edition.
Calvin's Institutes perhaps show more clearly than any other work by Calvin why John Knox called Geneva "the
most perfect school of Christ that was ever on earth since the days of the
apostles."
The
Norton translation of Calvin's Institutes is also available on Protestant Bookshelf CD volume 5 (3
for 1 CD SUPER SALE) at: http://www.swrb.com/Puritan/protestant-bookshelf-CDs.htm
Contents
of John Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion:
- BOOK I.
THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE CREATOR.
1. The Knowledge of God and
That of Ourselves Are Connected. How They are Interrelated.
2. What it is to Know God,
and to What Purpose the Knowledge of Him Tends.
3. The Knowledge of God Has
Been Naturally Implanted in the Minds of Men.
4. This Knowledge is Either
Smothered of Corrupted, Partly by Ignorance, Partly by Malice.
5. The Knowledge of God
Shines Forth in the Fashioning of the Universe and the Continuing Government of
It.
6. Scripture is Needed as
Guide and Teacher for Anyone Who Would Come to God the Creator.
7. Scripture Must Be
Confirmed by the Witness of the Spirit. Thus May Its Authority Be Established
as Certain; and It is a Wicked Falsehood that Its Credibility Depends on the
Judgment of the Church.
8. So Far as Human Reason
Goes, Sufficiently Firm Proofs Are At Hand to Establish the Credibility of
Scripture.
9. Fanatics, Abandoning
Scripture and Flying Over to Revelation, Cast Down All the Principles of
Godliness.
10. Scripture, to Correct All
Superstition, Has Set the True God Alone Over Against All the Gods of the
Heathen.
11. It is Unlawful to Attribute a
Visible Form to God, and Generally Whoever Sets Up Idols Revolts Against the
True God.
12. How God Is to Be So
Distinguished from Idols that Perfect Honor May Be Given to Him Alone.
13. In Scripture, from the
Creation Onward, We Are Taught One Essence of God, Which Contains Three Persons.
14. Even in the Creation of the
Universe and of All Things, Scripture by Unmistakable Marks Distinguishes the
True God from False Gods.
15. Discussion of Human Nature as
Created, of the Faculties of the Soul, of the Image of God, of Free Will, and
of the Original Integrity of Man's Nature.
16. God by His Power Nourishes
and Maintains the World Created by Him, and Rules Its Several Parts by His
Providence.
17. How We May Apply This
Doctrine to Our Greatest Benefit.
18. God So Uses the Works of the
Ungodly, and So Bends Their Minds to Carry Out His Judgments, that He Remains
Pure from Every Stain.
- BOOK II.
THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE REDEEMER IN CHRIST, FIRST DISCLOSED TO THE FATHERS
UNDER THE LAW, AND THEN TO US IN THE GOSPEL.
1. By the Fall and Revolt
of Adam the Whole Human Race Was Delivered to the Curse, and Degenerated from
Its Original Condition; the Doctrine of Original Sin.
2. Man Has Now Been
Deprived of Freedom of Choice and Bound Over to Miserable Servitude.
3. Only Damnable Things
Come Forth from Man's Corrupt Nature.
4. How God Works in Men's
Hearts.
5. Refutation of the
Objections Commonly Put Forward in Defense of Free Will.
6. Fallen Man Ought to Seek
Redemption in Christ.
7. The Law Was Given, Not
to Restrain the Folk of the Old Covenant Under Itself, but to Foster Hope of
Salvation in Christ Until His Coming.
8. Explanation of the Moral
Law (the Ten Commandments).
9. Christ, Although He Was
Known to the Jews Under the Law, Was at Length Clearly Revealed Only in the
Gospel.
10. The Similarity of the Old and
New Testaments.
11. The Difference Between the
Two Testaments.
12. Christ Had to Become Man in
Order to Fulfill the Office of Mediator.
13. Christ Assumed the True Substance
of Human Flesh.
14. How the Two Natures of the
Mediator Make One Person.
15. To Know the Purpose for Which
Christ Was Sent by the Father, and What He Conferred Upon Us, We Must Look
Above All at Three Things in Him: the Prophetic Office, Kingship, and
Priesthood.
16. How Christ Has Fulfilled the
Function of Redeemer to Acquire Salvation for Us. Here, Also, His Death and
Resurrection Are Discussed, as Well as His Ascent Into Heaven.
17. Christ Rightly and Properly
Said to Have Merited God's Grace and Salvation for Us.
- BOOK III.
THE WAY IN WHICH WE RECEIVE THE GRACE OF CHRIST: WHAT BENEFITS COME TO US FROM
IT, AND WHAT EFFECTS FOLLOW.
1. The Things Spoken
Concerning Christ Profit Us by the Secret Working of the Spirit.
2. Faith: Its Definition
Set Forth, and Its Properties Explained.
3. Our Regeneration by
Faith: Repentance.
4. How Far from the Purity
of the Gospel Is All That the Sophists in Their Schools Prate About Repentance;
Discussion of Confession and Satisfaction.
5. The Supplements That They Add to Satisfactions,
Namely, Indulgences and Purgatory.
6. The Life of the
Christian Man; and First, by What Arguments Scripture Urges Us to It.
7. The Sum of the Christian
Life: The Denial of Ourselves.
8. Bearing the Cross, a
Part of Self-denial.
9. Meditation on the Future
Life.
10. How We Must Use the Present
Life and Its Helps.
11. Justification by Faith: First
the Definition of the Word and of the Matter.
12. We Must Lift Up Our Minds to God's
Judgment Seat that We May Be Firmly Convinced of His Free Justification.
13. Two Things to Be Noted in
Free Justification.
14. The Beginning of
Justification and Its Continual Progress.
15. Boasting About the Merits of
Works Destroys Our Praise of God for Having Bestowed Righteousness, as Well as
Our Assurance of Salvation.
16. Refutation of the False
Accusations by Which the Papists Try to Cast Odium Upon This Doctrine.
17. The Agreement of the Promises
of the Law and of the Gospel.
18. Works Righteousness Is Wrongly Inferred from Reward.
19. Christian Freedom.
20. Prayer, Which is the Chief
Exercise of Faith, and by Which We Daily Receive God's Benefits.
21. Eternal Election, by Which
God Has Predestined Some to Salvation, Others to Destruction.
22. Confirmation of This Doctrine
from Scriptural Testimonies.
23. Refutation of the False
Accusations with Which This Doctrine Has Always Been Unjustly Burdened.
24. Election Is Confirmed by
God's Call; Moreover, the Wicked Bring Upon Themselves the Just Destruction to
Which They Are Destined.
25. The Final Resurrection.
- BOOK IV.
THE EXTERNAL MEANS OR AIDS BY WHICH GOD INVITES US INTO THE SOCIETY OF CHRIST
AND HOLDS US THEREIN.
1. Of the true Church. Duty
of cultivating unity with her, as the mother of all the godly.
2. Comparison between the
false church and the true.
3. Of the teachers and
ministers of the Church. Their election and office.
4. Of the state of the
primitive Church, and the mode of government in use before the papacy.
5. The ancient form of
government utterly corrupted by the tyranny of the papacy.
6. Of the primacy of the
Romish see.
7. Of the beginning and
rise of the Romish papacy till it attained a height by which the liberty of the
church was destroyed, and all true rule overthrown.
8. Of the power of the
church in articles of faith. The unbridled license of the papal church in
destroying purity of doctrine.
9. Of councils and their
authority.
10. Of the power of making laws.
The cruelty of the pope and his adherents, in this respect, in tyrannically
oppressing and destroying souls.
11. Of the jurisdiction of the
church and the abuses of it, as exemplified in the papacy.
12. Of the discipline of the
Church, and its principal use in censures and excommunication.
13. Of vows. The miserable
entanglements caused by vowing rashly.
14. Of the sacraments.
15. Of Baptism.
16. Paedobaptism. Its accordance
with the institution of Christ, and the nature of the sign.
17. Of the Lord's Supper, and the
benefits conferred by it.
18. Of the Popish mass. How it
not only profanes, but annihilates the Lord's Supper.
19. Of the five sacraments,
falsely so called. Their spuriousness proved, and their true character
explained.
20. Of civil government.
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Defended, and Documented, Second (Special 40th Anniversary) Edition, Updated and
Expanded (p. 76, 2004, Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company) by David
N. Steele, Curtis C. Thomas, and S. Lance Quinn, Foreword by Roger Nicole,
Afterword by John MacArthur (emphases added).
Instruction In Faith (1537)
This translation of a very enlightening book includes all the essentials of
Calvin's position, unobscured by the complicated discussions characteristic of
Calvin's later writings. "Fuhrmann correctly observes... that this early
work of Calvin exhibits the living faith of Christianity in all its simplicity
and grandeur.'... It presents in simplified form what came to be known as the
basic doctrines of the Reformed branch of Protestantism" (Keesecker, back
cover).
(Softcover) $14.95 - 20% = 11.96
Inventory of Relics
The Pope at the time of Calvin's death, Pious IV, once said "[t]he
strength of that heretic [Calvin] consisted in this, that money never had the
slightest charm for him. If I had such servants my dominion would extend from
sea to sea" (Christian History magazine, Vol. 5, No. 4, p. 2). Certainly a
pertinent comment, as in this book Calvin exposes Romish image and relic
worship as heathen idolatry, striking at the senseless superstition of Romish
folly which, as here, is often based more on filling their coffers than even
making an attempt at appearing to follow Scripture or obey Christ.
(Rare bound photocopy) $4.99 (US funds)
(Hardcover photocopy) $19.00 (US funds)
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Letters of John Calvin
"Calvin wrote to kings and princes, Reformers and friends, nobility and
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(Softcover) $19.95-20%=15.96
The Mystery of Godliness and
Other Sermons
"When we consider the mental darkness which enveloped the world in the
days of Calvin, under Popish superstition and idolatry, and that he was one of
the first who attempted to emancipate the human intellect from the darkness
that kept men in the servile yoke of Papistry to bring them into the liberty of
the gospel," the hearer cannot but appreciate these selected sermons of
John Calvin, minister of the gospel and one of the principle leaders in the
Protestant Reformation (AWPT).
(Hardcover)
$34.95-20%=$27.95 (US funds)
CALVIN, JOHN
Necessity of Reforming the
Church (1544)
C.H.
Spurgeon once said, "[t]he longer I live the clearer does it appear that
John Calvin's system is the nearest to perfection." (cited in Christian
History
magazine, Vol. 5, No. 4). Ironically, Credenda
Agenda (a magazine that denounces
those who uphold what Calvin teaches about worship in this book) reviewed this
work stating,
"...the
relevance of Calvin's book today is exceptional. Apart from the grace of
God, the human heart never changes. Men have always loved external religion,
and unless God saves them, they always will. But God demands heart religion...
His writing is relevant because the church today is in dire need of a similar
reformation and revival. Like Calvin, some few believers today see 'the present
condition of the Church... to be very miserable, and almost desperate.' Our context
is different in one key respect however. The church needing reformation in
Calvin's day was the tradition-encrusted church of Rome. Shortly after the
Reformation, for those leaving Rome behind, two streams became apparent. One
was the stream of classical Protestant orthodoxy, represented today by a
handful of Gideons in their desktop publishing winevats. The other was the left
wing of the Reformation -- the anabaptist movement. In the early years, the
anabaptists were suffering outsiders. But today the anabaptist church is the
Establishment -- an establishment governed by a chaos of traditions instead of
biblical worship. Everywhere we look we see
Christians approaching God with observances in worship which Calvin calls 'the random
offspring of their own brain' (which was Calvin's way of rebuking those who
reject the regulative principle of worship; which ironically, the writers of
this very statement [Credenda Agenda]
do--RB)."
Though this
work is not an elaborate systematic presentation of the foundations of
Christianity, such as Calvin's Institutes, it has
still been correctly acknowledged as one of the most important documents of the
Reformation. Calvin here pleads the
cause dearest to his heart before an assembly perhaps the most august that
Europe could have furnished in that day. It has been said that the animated
style used by Calvin in this work would not lose by comparison with any thing
in the celebrated "Dedication" prefixed to his Institutes. To this day, The Necessity of Reforming
the Church
remains a powerful weapon, both defensive and offensive, to fight the
contemporary battle for true doctrine, faithful (or biblically regulated)
worship and Scriptural church government. Here, in one of Calvin's classic
works, we find the answers to many of the vexing questions which continue to
agitate the Church in our day -- over four and a half centuries after this
great Reformer first penned these words. 114 pages.
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CALVIN,
JOHN
The Rise of the Papacy with Proof from Daniel
and Paul that the Pope is Antichrist
This is Book 4,
Chapter 7 out of the Beveridge edition of Calvin's Institutes. It shows how "the
Papacy appeared complete in all its parts, the seat of Antichrist." Rome's impiety, execrable tyranny, and
wickedness is also clearly portrayed, in a most pointed manner, by the pen of
the great Reformer.
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CALVIN, JOHN, THE WESTMINSTER
DIVINES & OTHERS
Selected Writings on
Justification by Faith and the Free Offer of the Gospel for the Succor and
Comfort of the Troubled Saint, and the Convicted Sinner
Includes writings by John Calvin, the
Westminster Divines, Robert Traill, the Reformed Presbytery, William Guthrie,
and pertinent articles from the Original Covenanter and Contending Witness magazine defending the Protestant view of justification and the
preaching of the Gospel. Compiled by Lary Birger. 90 pages.
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Matthew McMahon, A Puritan's Mind Ministries
Sermons on the Deity of
Christ (1581, translated 1950, 1997)
"Twenty Christological sermons are found in this volume covering the Divinity,
Humanity, Nativity, Passion, Death, Resurrection, Ascension and Return of our
Lord Jesus Christ. Originally published 400 years ago, these sermons were
translated afresh from the French and Latin by Levoy Nixon this century. This
Old Paths Publications' edition is from the second translation. In his epistle
to the reader in the original translation the translator of these sermons,
Thomas Stocker, set down for us the relevance and application of these sermons
to his day where in place of faithful exposition, there existed false doctrine,
and 'vain and doltish tales.' Faithful church government was replaced by the
establishment of tyranny where men would 'vomit and cast up arrogant and proud
speeches in the pulpit against the children of God, and against all such as
Jesus Christ hath revealed himself unto.' That we find such in our day as well,
without question, establishes the need for this reprint" (back cover). 302
pages.
(Hardcover) $59.95-34%=39.58
Sermons on Election and
Reprobation (1579, 1996)
It has been over 400 years since John Calvin's 13 Sermons Entreating of the
Free Election of God in Jacob, and of Reprobation in Esau (A Treatise Wherein
Every Christian May See the Excellent Benefits of God Towards His Children, and
His Marvellous Judgements Towards the Reprobate...--RB) were published in a collected edition.
Old Paths Publications has prepared a newly typeset edition from the 1579
printing of the English translation by John Field in its entirety... There is
also an index of Scriptures referred to by Calvin, and an extensive subject
index. This work deals with an awesome topic that has throughout time been
repeatedly misunderstood, unfairly ignored, but most often shamefully denied
and taught against. Calvin will cause the reader of these sermons to rightly
understand this profound doctrine, to come away with the biblical truth of the
sovereignty of the Creator, and to understand that God is God and needs not man
to excuse or explain away the power of the Potter over the clay -- as He makes
to dishonor the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction" (Old Paths
Publications' flyer). The only drawback to this otherwise fine publication is
that it is marred by the inclusion of a foreword by David Engelsma, a man that
denies the free offer of the gospel -- which Calvin clearly taught (cf. Calvin
on the Free Offer of the Gospel
[$2.78, bound photocopy]). 400 pages.
(Hardcover) $59.95-34%=39.58 (US funds)
FREE MP3 audio sermon from the
above book: http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?sermonid=1030054213
Sermons on Galatians
It has been over 400 years since Calvin's 43 sermons on Galatians were
published in a collected edition. Old Paths Publications has prepared a newly
typeset edition from the 1574 printing of the English translation by Arthur
Golding in its entirety. This massive volume (of almost 1000 pages) is the
complete and unabridged work of Calvin on Galatians, not to be confused with
his commentary. An original copy is so rare that antiquarian booksellers price
them at $1000. The sermons have been edited to reflect contemporary spelling,
and bracketed words in italics are inserted following some antiquated terms or
phrases as a convenience for the modern reader. A Scripture and subject index
are also included. In this set of sermons, Calvin particularly addresses free
justification by faith alone, Christian liberty, the abolishing of the
ceremonial law (and its implications), the force and effect of the moral law,
and the pure walk of the Christian life.
(Hardcover) $79.95-25%=59.96
Sermons on Psalm 119 (1580,
1996)
"Through this classic 400 year-old work, Calvin brings the reader to a
clear and striking awareness: of his sinful and needy condition; of who God is;
of the magnificence of the Word of God; and hence why we need to seek him and
the mind of Christ through His Word with our whole heart! These sermons reveal
not simply Calvin the theologian and expositor, but Calvin the preacher and
pastor to those placed under his care" (back cover). 454 pages, indexed.
(Hardcover) $59.95-34%=39.58
Sermons on Timothy and Titus
This book is also available on Calvinism Bookshelf CD volume 22 (3 for 1 CD SUPER
SALE) at: http://www.swrb.com/Puritan/calvinism-bookshelf-CDs.htm
CALVIN, JOHN
Sermons on Deuteronomy (1583)
Faithfully Gathered Word for Word
As He Preached Them In Open Pulpit; Together With A Preface of the Ministers of
the Church of Geneva, and An Admonishment Made By the Deacons There. Also There
Are Annexed Two Profitable Tables, the One Containing the Chief Matters; the
Other the Places of Scripture Herein Alleged.
Charles
Spurgeon, in Commenting and Commentaries, writes, "This is not the same as
that which is contained in Calvin's Commentaries. Everything that Calvin wrote by way of exposition is
priceless; even those who differ from him in theology admit this."
"The 200
sermons Calvin preached on the Book of Deuteronomy in 1555-56 remain one of the finest examples of evangelical preaching.
This is a quality facsimile reproduction of Arthur Golding's translation of the
Deuteronomy sermons first published in 1583" (BOT).
"As the
Reformation began to consolidate in Geneva, John Calvin preached 200 sermons on
Deuteronomy, on weekdays from March, 1555, to July, 1556. In these sermons we
find Calvin expounding Deuteronomy in detail, making applications to the social
and political life of Geneva, as well as to the personal lives of her citizens.
Calvin
preached these sermons in order to show the people the kind of Christian
republic God wanted them to have, as well as what God required regarding
personal and ecclesiastical sanctification.
Those who sow
the wind will reap the whirlwind! That's what God told the prophet Hosea to
tell Israel in the eighth century B.C. (Hosea 8:7), and that's what John Calvin
told the citizens of Geneva in A.D. 1556. Unlike many Christians in the western
world today, Calvin was convinced that God is alive and active in history. Nations that pleased God by faith-filled obedience to His
revealed will would be blessed by God, while those who angered God by rebellious
disobedience to His laws would receive curses from Him.
These blessings
and curses are not only spiritual, but are also social, agricultural,
political, meteorological, and in fact are manifested in every area of national
life. Thus, Calvin called the people of Geneva to walk a straight line before
God, so that He might give them peace and not war, prosperity and not famine,
life and not death.
Calvin
showed from the book of Deuteronomy that God has set up a covenant with His
people, and that God enforces that covenant. The principles of that covenant are
every bit as relevant after the cross as they were before it, Calvin insisted.
The
Protestant Reformation transformed the western world because it held to a
belief in a living, active, covenant-enforcing God. If we want to recover
our cultures from ruin, we must return to Biblical principles of life, and to
the God of the covenant.
These sermons
are as timely today as when they were first preached. Cultures that depart from
God fall under His judgment. So says the Bible, and so said John Calvin.
Cultures that obey God, however, receive His blessing. If
there is a message that the Western world (and all Christians) need to hear at
the present time, surely this is it.
In conclusion,
we note that Calvin's sermons were published in English in the 1580's, and went
through three editions. They have been highly influential in the development of
English and American Christian culture. These
sermons are not only valuable in showing the thought of one of the most
profound shapers of the modern world, but they are also powerful reading, and
will be of tremendous value to pastors, seminarians, and teachers"
(adapted from http://freebooks.entrewave.com/freebooks/docs/2212_47e.htm).
These volumes
also include a Scripture index and "A Table of All and Singular The
Doctrines of Master John Calvin Delivered in His Two Hundred Sermons Upon
Deuteronomy, Gathered and Laid Together in Order By the Letter
(Alphabetically--RB) in the Form of a Concordance, by Abraham Fleming."
Both tables together consist of 151 pages! There are1408 (8.5" X
11") pages in this set.
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CALVIN, JOHN
Sermons on Job (1574)
"Calvin
preached on the Book of Job on week-days in 1554-55. These
sermons abound in faithful and lively exposition, and remain one of the finest
examples of evangelical preaching.
This quality
facsimile edition is a reproduction of Arthur Golding's translation of the Job
sermons first published in 1574." (BOT)
"Here is Calvin at his best, dealing with God's majesty, inscrutability,
and all-inclusive providence.
Marked by a
directness, clarity, and simplicity, Calvin's series of sermons on Job is probably the most famous of all his published sermons.
The Geneva reformer expresses in these messages his deep, awesome sense of the
majesty of God.
A
true understanding of Calvin cannot be gained without reading his sermons, for
Calvin thought himself first of all a preacher, then a theologian.
In the
introduction, Harold Dekker states:
'Calvin's
treatment of Job is intensely practical. It is a living, breathing thing. It
throbs with moral and spiritual reality. Job's pulse is there. Ethical passages
are prominent, involving the family, society, the church and the state, as well
as the individual life... This is the living Word! It has to do with Job
and his God, Job and his fellows, Job and himself. And Job is always every
believer.
That makes great preaching.'
Since
the Book of Job is one of the few major biblical writings on which Calvin did
not write a commentary, these twenty sermons are of exegetical and expository
interest as well as homiletical." (From the back cover of the , edited,
softcover version).
783 (8.5"
X 11") pages.
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"The Second Sermon Upon the
First Chapter of Job (or "Feasts and Godly Children") on Job 1:2-5," from the book
above, Sermons on the Book of Job
(1574), is also available on all 30 Reformation
Bookshelf CDs (in the "FREE
BOOKS" file) at http://www.swrb.com/Puritan/reformation-bookshelf-CDs.htm (along with 100 other
free books and articles on each CD!).
FREE audio (MP3) samples from
Calvin's Sermons on Job are at:
Sermons on Job #1
(Introduction)
from John Calvin's Sermons on Job (Job
1:1) at:
http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?sermonID=11302113454
Sermons on Job #2 (Riches,
Poverty, Family, etc.) from John Calvin's Sermons
on Job (Job 1:2-5) at:
http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?sermonID=11302143926
CALVIN, JOHN
(Edited and Translated by B.W.
Farley)
Sermons on the Ten
Commandments
"A collection of sixteen sermons by John Calvin
that shed light on his understanding and application of the Ten Commandments.
Widely known as one of the church's most
significant theologians, John Calvin was also a skilled preacher with the
ability to proclaim biblical truth with power and relevance. These sermons develop the essence of his teaching on the
moral law in a popular and engaging manner.
Pastors preaching through the Ten Commandments,
Bible students, and anyone interested in Calvin's views on the Ten Commandments
will take great delight in reading his exposition of the Decalogue, which is
called 'the true and eternal rule of righteousness [for all] who wish to
conform their lives to God's will'" (back cover).
ADDITIONAL DISCOUNTED SALE PRICE
UP TO AND INCLUDING September 13, 2010
(Softcover) $29.95 (US funds) [$5 off!]
AFTER September 13, 2010, OUR REGULAR
DISCOUNTED PRICE BELOW APPLIES
(Softcover) $34.95 (US funds)
NEW CALVIN TAPES -- FIRST
TIME EVER ON CASSETTE!
FIRST TIME ENGLISH
TRANSLATIONS!
CALVIN, JOHN
1. Suffering Outside the Camp
2. Separation From False
Worship, Idolatry, and Popish Principles
3. Seeking the Lord's Face
4. The Importance of Outward
Means of Grace
These sermons are excerpted from Calvin's
recently translated Come Out From Among Them: The
"Anti-Nicodemite" Writings of John Calvin (as read by Greg
Barrow and Lyndon Dohms). These sermons, as well as the other recently
translated Calvin sermons and other writings on worship, separation, the
Nicodemite controversy and enduring suffering and persecution are now available
in text form on the new PHP CD (http://www.swrb.com/catalog/R.htm , under "REED,
KEVIN") or in the new hardcover book titled, Come Out From Among Them:
The "Anti-Nicodemite" Writings of John Calvin (see below).
ADDITIONAL DISCOUNTED SALE PRICE
UP TO & INCLUDING September 13, 2010
(Cassettes) $3.95 (US funds) each [$6 off!]
(Video) $6.99 each (US funds) [$20 off!]
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(Cassette) $9.95 (US funds) each
(Video) $26.99 each (US funds)
FREE AUDIO MP3 SERMONS by JOHN
CALVIN!
To hear FREE
audio (MP3) sermons from JohnCalvin, as contained in this
important recently translated book, Come
Out From Among Them: The "Anti-Nicodemite" Writings of John Calvin,
please go to:
Separation From False
Worship, Idolatry & Popish Principles
http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?sermonid=8320101619
Suffering Outside the Camp
http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?sermonid=7210112851
Seeking the Lord's Face
http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?sermonid=8130112743
The Importance of Outward
Means of Grace
http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?sermonid=7290123154
NEW CALVIN TAPES -- FIRST
TIME EVER ON CASSETTE!
CALVIN, JOHN
Shunning the Unlawful Rites
of the Ungodly and Preserving the Purity of the Christian Religion
Herein Calvin maintains the sinfulness of
outward conformity to false worship. Dealing with a major problem of his day,
Calvin answers the question, "Is it lawful for a person who has renounced
Popery in his heart to conform outwardly to its rites, for the purpose of
avoiding persecution, or for any other cause?" He
shows that false worship should never be tolerated or participated in (even by
your bodily presence), no matter what the cost -- whether it be persecution,
exile, or death. For his faithfulness in this matter, he was greatly
scorned. Obvious parallels to our day abound, not the least of which include
the Lordship controversy, false ecumenism, rampant idolatry in the false rites
maintained in the public worship of apostate Protestantism, and in the rise of
Roman Catholic harlot. A good related item is Bradford's The Hurt of Hearing
Mass
($US2.94).
ADDITIONAL DISCOUNTED SALE PRICE
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(2 cassettes) $3.99 (US funds) [$11 off!]
(Rare bound photocopy) $4.99 (US funds) [$5 off!]
(Hardcover photocopy) $12.00 (US funds) [$7 off!]
AFTER September 13, 2010, OUR REGULAR
DISCOUNTED PRICE BELOW APPLIES
(2 cassettes) $14.99 (US funds)
(Rare bound photocopy) $9.99 (US funds)
(Hardcover photocopy) $19.00 (US funds)
This
retypeset edition of this book is also available on all 30 Reformation Bookshelf CDs (in the "FREE BOOKS" file) at: http://www.swrb.com/Puritan/reformation-bookshelf-CDs.htm (along with 100 other
free books and articles!). Excerpted for the RBCDs from the "Library of
Presbyterian Heritage and Protestant Heritage Press" CD (listed at http://www.swrb.com/catalog/R.htm under "REED
KEVIN"). Used by permission.
Listen to this book for FREE at: http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?sermonid=21901175234
Treatises Against the
Anabaptists and Against the Libertines
Tracts on the Anabaptists and the Libertines, containing some of Calvin's most
significant ethical and theological reflections.
(Softcover) $49.95-20%=$39.96 (US funds)
Treatises on the Sacraments
This book is also available on Calvinism Bookshelf CD volume 17 (3
for 1 CD SUPER SALE) at: http://www.swrb.com/Puritan/calvinism-bookshelf-CDs.htm
The True Method of Giving
Peace to Christendom and of Reforming the Church (1548)
A clear call to reject Romish rites, idolatry, and all methods of reform not
true to Scripture. Calvin shows why compromises with lukewarm adherents of
Protestantism, modern day Nicodemites so to speak, must be rejected. Even
Calvin's beloved friend Melancthon receives a rebuke here, as Calvin
steadfastly proclaims the path of duty, though it would mean persecution and
death at the hand of Rome for some. In spite of the severe hardships his
teaching would cause, Calvin maintained the impossibility of reconciling two
systems so discordant as Popery and Protestantism - for matters of eternity
were (and are) involved here. Eire's War Against the Idols ($39.95) sets the
context of these debates, which are being renewed again in our day.
(Rare bound photocopy) $12.98
(Hardcover photocopy) $25.00 (US funds)
This book is
also available on Reformation Bookshelf CD
volume 18 (CD SUPER SALE) at: http://www.swrb.com/Puritan/reformation-bookshelf-CDs.htm
Truth for All Time: A Brief
Outline of the Christian Faith (translated by Scott Olyott, 1998)
"John Calvin knew that if the biblical truths rediscovered at the
Reformation were to spread throughout the world, they would have to be
presented in a form which ordinary people could understand. So, during the
winter of 1536-1537, the 29-year-old Calvin wrote, in French, his Brief Outline
of the Christian Faith... (This) is Calvin's striking but concise attempt to
define the Christian faith for ordinary people!... Here you have the very core
of Protestant belief and feel the warmth of its ardent love for God and men. As
you read this book you will sense that the truth of God, so clearly taught here,
is something that you are expected to live. May this be the experience of every
reader who, by reading this book, is looking at the Christian faith for the
first time. And may this increasingly be the experience of all of us who, by
God's kindness have already been brought into personal union with our Lord
Jesus Christ" (from the Preface by Scott Olyott). 96 pages.
(Softcover) $9.95-20%=$7.96 (US funds)
The Unity of the Reformed
Churches
John Cennick once disputed the doctrine of election with Charles Wesley, the
noted "hymn" writer. He writes, Wesley "fell into a violent
passion and affrighted all at the table... He called Calvin the firstborn son
of the Devil, and set all his people into a bitter hatred of me" (cited in
Christian History magazine, Vol. 12, No. 2, p. 22). In a more modern setting,
the infamous Jimmy Swaggart seemed to concur with Wesley when he stated
"Calvin has, I believe, caused untold millions of souls to be
damned..." (Christian History magazine, Vol. 5, No. 4, p. 3 [this whole
issue is devoted to John Calvin]). Notwithstanding these slanderous Arminian
evaluations of Calvin, those who knew him best had very different words
commemorating this great Reformer. "Nicolas des Gallars, a member of his
pastoral team, admirably summed up Calvin's pastoral ministry: "What
labours, what long waking hours, what worries he bore... with what faithfulness
and intelligence he took an interest in everyone; with what kindness and good
will he received those who turned to him; with what rapidity and openness he
answered those who questioned him on the most serious of question; with what
wisdom he received, both privately and publicly, the difficulties and problems
brought to him; with what gentleness he comforted the afflicted, raised those
who were laid low and discouraged; with what firmness he resisted the enemy;
with what zeal he brought low the proud and stubborn; with what greatness of
soul he endured misfortune; with what moderation he behaved in prosperity; with
what skill and enthusiasm, finally, he acquitted himself of all the duties of a
true and faithful servant of God, words of mine could never express"
(Christian History magazine, Vol. 5, No. 4, p. 10). With a Pastor's heart,
Calvin's concern for Church unity can be clearly seen in these letters written
to Farel, Melanchthon and Bullinger. Calvin's only letter to Martin Luther is
also included.
(Rare bound photocopy) $9.95-70%=2.99
This book is
also available on Reformation Bookshelf CD
volume 27 (CD SUPER SALE) at: http://www.swrb.com/Puritan/reformation-bookshelf-CDs.htm
COMMENTARIES BY JOHN CALVIN IN
FRENCH
L'Epitre
de Jacques by John Calvin (Hardcover) $39.95 (Canadian fudns)
L'Evangile
de Jean by John Calvin (Hardcover) $19.95 (Canadian fudns)
L'Harmonie
Evangelique by John Calvin (Hardcover) $39.95 (Canadian fudns)
Le
Livre de la Genese by John Calvin (Hardcover) $19.95 (Canadian fudns)
Les
Epitres aux Gal, Eph, Phil, Col by John Calvin (Hardcover) $19.95 (Canadian
fudns)
Les
Epitres Pastorales: Thess, Tim, Tite by John Calvin (Hardcover) $39.95
(Canadian fudns)
FREE: The
Life of Mr. RICHARD CAMERON (taken from Biographia Scoticana by John Howie)
Angels and Offenders
Here Cameron deals with many topics including angels, church discipline, the wrath
of God, humility, conversion, perseverance, independency, etc. This sermon is
read (by Ruling Elder Lyndon Dohms) from the book Sermons in Times of
Persecution in Scotland, by Sufferers for the Royal Prerogatives of Jesus
Christ ($19.99).
(Cassette) $9.95-60%=3.98
FREE MP3s by RICHARD CAMERON
at http://www.sermonaudio.com/search.asp?speakerOnly=true&currSection=sermonsspeaker&keyword=Richard%5ECameron
The Calvinistic Covenanter at
Perfect Peace Amid Trials and Persecution
This sermon proclaims God's sovereignty over all as the basis for that perfect
peace "which passeth all understanding" (Phil. 4:7; Isa. 26:3). It
further explains how to attain calmness of spirit, even in the most trying of
times (and remember that the preacher and hearers of this message were being
hounded as criminals for covenant faithfulness -- and often executed or
imprisoned for not defecting to the Prelatical and Royalist beasts [which would
have been contrary to the biblical vows which bound them in the Solemn League
and Covenant]). This sermon also rebukes the enemies of Christ's covenanted
Zion and assures the faithful of the Lord's ultimate and complete victory. It
is ideal to listen to if you are ever discouraged, disquieted in spirit or
distraught by the apparent success of those who oppose Christ's kingdom. It was
also the last sermon Cameron preached (July 18, 1680), three days before he was
killed at Ayrsmoss. "The text was from the Psalms: 'Be still and know that
I am God; I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth'
... Cameron spent the last night of his life at Meadowhead on the Water of Ayr.
In the morning, when he had washed his hands, he looked upon them and said,
'This is their last washing; I had need to wash them clean, for there are many
to see them'" (Sermons Delivered in Times of Persecution in Scotland, p. 380). He was killed in battle later
that day, overwhelmed by superior numbers. Cameron's head and hands were then
"taken to Edinburgh and presented to the Council by one who, though an
enemy, said, 'There are the head and hands of a man who lived praying and
preaching, and died praying and fighting'" (Ibid.). Following this
incident, Cameron's own father gave us a prime example of the application of
the very principles preached in this sermon by his son (i.e. how laying hold of
the doctrine of God's absolute sovereignty and wisdom gives a peace that the
world has no way of understanding). M'Leod, citing Crookshank in his A
Scriptural View of the Character, Causes, and Ends of the Present War (p. 223), relates that "the
tyrannical council, in the refinement of cruelty, ordered them (Cameron's head
and hands--RB) to be shown to his worthy Father, now in prison for the same
cause. He was asked if he knew them. The good man took them in his hands,
kissed them, and said, 'I know them, they are my son's, my dear son's: Good is
the will of the Lord, who cannot wrong me or mine.'" It is also
interesting to note that as Robert M'Ward lifted his hands from Cameron's head,
at his ordination (sometime earlier), he is reported to have said,
"Behold, all ye beholders, here is the head of a faithful minister and servant
of Jesus Christ, who shall lose the same for his Master's interest, and it
shall be set up before sun and moon in the view of the world" (Sermons, p. 379). M'Ward's prophecy, of course,
was fulfilled in detail subsequent to Cameron's death (as the historical
account of the public display made of Cameron's head and hands, by his enemies,
attests). This sermon is read by ruling elder Lyndon Dohms and is taken from
the book Sermons Delivered in Times of Persecution in Scotland, by Sufferers
for the Royal Prerogatives of Jesus Christ ($39.00 HP, $19.99 P). It is a fine example of the faithful
preaching of the whole counsel of God under the most extreme of conditions.
(Cassette) $3.98
God Defends His Covenanted
Remnant
Cameron, the "lion of the Covenant," had to travel to Holland to
receive ordination at the hands of two of Samuel Rutherford's former students,
McWard and Brown of Wamphray (who were earlier exiled to the Netherlands for
faithfulness to Christ's cause). Cameron could not be ordained in Scotland due
to the fact that all the other "presbyterian" ministers remaining in
Scotland had defected from the covenanted cause. But Cameron (as Elijah and
others before him) persevered, as the church is often brought to such extremities
concerning her public testimony. Holding to the attainments won at Westminster
and in the Solemn League and Covenant, Cameron refused to yield an inch of the
blood bought ground he occupied. He was later joined by a second minister,
Donald Cargill, and both were eventually martyred for their unwillingness to
"sell" even the least of the church's covenanted attainments (Prov.
23:23). He was said to be a powerful preacher and this sermon gives us a
glimpse of what it must have been like to hear him. It covers numerous topics
but focuses on Christ's victory in His church and God's anger against those who
oppose his faithful servants. It contains a testimony against unlawful civil
rulers and against Scotland's national apostasy (and covenant breaking). It
also defends the use of defensive arms, the testimony of the Scottish martyrs
during the killing times and some of the specific attainments of the covenanted
Reformation. Here again we get a taste of Covenanter field preaching in days of
great persecution. This sermon is read (by Ruling Elder Lyndon Dohms) from the
book Sermons in Times of Persecution in Scotland, by Sufferers for the Royal
Prerogatives of Jesus Christ
($19.99).
(Cassette) $9.95-60%=3.98
FREE: The
Life of Mr. RICHARD CAMERON (taken from Biographia Scoticana by John Howie)
The Lion of the Covenant: The
Story of Richard Cameron (1997)
"A man of savoury gospel spirit, Richard Cameron and his bold preaching
remained a treasured memory for many long after his death. And his willingness
to die for the right of Christ to rule in his church emboldened many Scottish
Covenanters to persevere in their faith. In our day, when such boldness for the
gospel seems sadly lacking among evangelicals, Maurice Grant's life of this
Covenanter field-preacher reminds us of what can be accomplished for God when
we are gripped by a resolute zeal for his glory. Surely, if Cameron could speak
across the centuries to our day, he would rebuke us for our lukewarmness. Here,
then, is a story to inspire God's people to rise up and declare that Jesus
Christ alone is King -- King of the conscience and King of the nations."
(Haykin, back cover). 335 pages.
(Softcover) $29.95-20%=$23.96 (US funds)
The Kingdom of God Biblically
and Historically Considered
Commentary on 1 John
This book is also available on Calvinism Bookshelf CD volume 26 (3 for 1 CD SUPER
SALE) at: http://www.swrb.com/Puritan/calvinism-bookshelf-CDs.htm
Includes seven sermons and one
lecture by Richard Cameron!
COVENANTED MINISTERS OF SCOTLAND
Sermons in Times of
Persecution in Scotland (1880 edition)
This book
(of 674 pages) records some of the most powerful sermons ever put into print, most being
delivered during the "killing times" in Scotland.
These faithful
preachers were daily in danger of losing their earthly lives for their
testimony to the truth of Christ's kingship (which they proclaim here) -- and
many were eventually martyred for His covenanted cause.
The original
title of this book, instructive in itself, reads (in part),
"A
Collection of Lectures and Sermons Preached upon Several Subjects, Mostly in
the Time of the Late Persecution. Wherein a Faithful Doctrinal Testimony is
Transmitted to Posterity for the Doctrine, Worship, Discipline and Government
of the Church of Scotland against Popery, Prelacy, Erastianism, etc.... and a
Sermon on the Breach of Covenant by Mr. John Guthrie."
Each set
of sermons in this book is prefaced with a helpful three to six page
biographical notice.
The following
ministers are included (with the number of their sermons in this book noted in
parentheses after their name): William Guthrie (17); Michael
Bruce (3); John Weldwood (4); Richard Cameron (7 sermons
and 1 lecture); Donald Cargill (7 sermons and 3 lectures); Alexander
Peden (2); Alexander Shields (2 sermons and 1 lecture); John
Livingstone (1 sermon and 1 sacramental discourse); John Welch (1 sermon
and 1 sacramental discourse); John Guthrie (1). Includes illustrations
and the original preface (written March 19, 1779) by John Howie (author of Biographia
Scoticana, or The Scots Worthies).
An
instructive and useful commemorative sermon, "A Third Reformation
Necessary: or, The Piety, Principles, and Patriotism of Scotland's Covenanted Martyrs;
With Application to the Present Times," by Kerr, preached on the
bi-cententary of the covenanting struggle, is also included. Contains
some of the most soul stirring preaching you may ever read!
ADDITIONAL DISCOUNTED SALE PRICE
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DISCOUNTED PRICE BELOW APPLIES
(Rare bound photocopy) $99.95-70%=$29.98 (US
funds)
(Hardcover photocopy) $39.00 (US funds)
This book is also available on Reformation Bookshelf CD volume 29
(CD SUPER SALE) at: http://www.swrb.com/Puritan/reformation-bookshelf-CDs.htm
NO COST COVENANTER SERMONS IN TIMES OF
PERSECUTION (MP3 sermons from this book!)
http://www.sermonaudio.com/new_details3.asp?ID=11111
Some of these sermons (along
with those by Calvin, Knox, Rutherford, Gillespie, et al.)
have been read on tape and are available for sale (on cassette or
video) at http://www.swrb.com/music/cassets.htm or
as FREE MP3 audio at http://www.sermonaudio.com/swrb.
The Fellowship of Christ's
Sufferings by Alexander Peden, which is one of the free
sermons from this book, can be accessed directly at http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?sermonid=93020483.
Click on the "List entire series" link to view other free sermons
from Sermons in Times of Persecution in Scotland.
Was the Bishop's Death
Murder? (1860)
This book deals with the death of James Sharp. He was a Resolutioner (i.e.
backslidden Covenanter) turned persecuting Prelate, who after becoming
Archbishop of St. Andrews began a relentless persecution of his former colleagues.
He helped to revive the notorious Court of High Commission in 1664, with
himself as president. This court persecuted nonconformist protestants, over
religious issues, and was especially fond of doing the Royalist beast's bidding
in regards to Presbyterian ministers (who dissented from both the civil and
ecclesiastical Episcopalian establishment). This court had absolute power and
could and did hand out death sentences (adapted from the Dictionary of
Scottish Church History,
p. 768). "This article refers to the killing of Arch-bishop James Sharpe,
in 1779, by a handful of Covenanters who providentially crossed paths with the
bloody bishop -- the architect of the slaughter of thousands of innocents. In
the words of a contemporary, Alexander Shields, 'Upon the 3d of May, 1679,
several worthy gentlemen, with some other men of courage and zeal for the cause
of God and the good of the country, executed righteous judgement upon him in
Magus Moor near St Andrews'" (Editor's note in the Original Covenanter and
Contending Witness
magazine, vol. 2, #16, August 5, 1994). For a more detailed defense of the
Protestant doctrine expounded in this short introductory book, see Shields'
massive tome, A Hind Let Loose
($39.99); specifically part 3, head 6: "The Suffering of Some, upon the
Account of Extraordinary executing of Judgement upon Notorious Incendiaries,
and Murdering Public Enemies by Private Persons in the Circumstances Wherein
they were Stated Vindicated."
(Rare bound photocopy) $4.99 (US funds)
(Hardcover photocopy) $16.00 (US funds)
This book is
also available on Reformation Bookshelf CD
volume 26 (CD SUPER SALE) at: http://www.swrb.com/Puritan/reformation-bookshelf-CDs.htm
CARRUTHERS, S. W.
The Preparation and Printing
of the Westminster Confession of Faith
An account of the preparation and
printing of the WCF's seven leading editions, to which is appended a critical
text of the Confession, with notes thereon.
"Dr. Carruthers has brought within the
compass of one volume a mass of information not readily accessible to those
interested in the proceedings and works of the Assembly of Divines." -
Professor John Murray.
Dedicated to Warfield, Mitchell and others.
157 pages.
ADDITIONAL DISCOUNTED SALE PRICE
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(Hardcover photocopy) $19.00 (US funds) [$40 off!]
AFTER September 13, 2010, OUR REGULAR
PRICE BELOW APPLIES
(Rare bound photocopy) $39.98 (US funds)
(Hardcover photocopy) $59.00 (US funds)
This
book is also available on Calvinism Bookshelf
CD volume 18 (3 for 1 CD SUPER SALE) at: http://www.swrb.com/Puritan/calvinism-bookshelf-CDs.htm
Exiles of the Covenant (1908
ed.)
"This volume may very properly be regarded as a sequel to Six Martyrs of
the Scottish Reformation" (below). It deals with "those who were
banished from Scotland and forbidden to return, or who left of their own accord
that they might obtain elsewhere security for their liberty and lives. As
England and Ireland were then separate and independent kingdoms, though under
the same king as Scotland, we shall begin with them, and afterwards extend our
enquiries to the Netherlands, and other parts of the Old World and New."
Includes short biographies of 34 Covenanters, including Alexander Shields,
James Fraser of Brea, Alexander Peden, John Brown [of Waphray] and Lady Grizzel
Baillie, all who suffered exile because they would not relinquished the
covenanted cause of Christ as exhibited in the National Covenant (1638) and
Solemn Leagues and Covenant (1643). Ungodly tyrants, stirred by demonic hordes,
hounded the faithful followers of Christ, during these eventful years. Drawing
their authority (or power, Romans 13:1) from the beast and "framing
mischief by law" (Ps. 94:20), the following quotation by Carslaw reveals
the flavor of these "killing times," as wicked men ascended the
throne "...on the death of Charles II, and the accession of his brother,
an open Papist, this Solemn League and Covenant was once more publicly and
officially disowned. By one of the Acts of his first Parliament in Edinburgh,
"James, King of Great Britain, France and Ireland, Defender of the
Faith," pronounced all guilty of the crime of treason, "who would
give or take this Covenant, or write in defence thereof, or own it as lawful,
or binding on themselves, or others." A great book for all, but especially for older home and
Christan schoolers! 215 easy reading pages.
(Rare Bound Photocopy) $24.95-65%=$8.73 (US funds)
(Hardcover photocopy) $22.00 (US funds)
This book is
also available on Reformation Bookshelf CD
volume 30 (CD SUPER SALE) at: http://www.swrb.com/Puritan/reformation-bookshelf-CDs.htm
The Life and Letters of James
Renwick the Last Scottish Martyr (1893)
"Mr. Carslaw has skillfully interweaved the martyr's letters with the
details of his life, and produced a thrilling picture of bloody and bygone
days" (Dumfries Courier). "The most complete collection yet published
of the correspondence of this noble and manly Scotchman" (Govan Press). "The
Letters reveal a singularly religious and devout spirit, and give us a striking
insight into the sweetness and light that existed in the rugged depths of these
stern and uncompromising pillars of the Covenant" (Scottish Weekly). A
major work to be consulted for the study of this period, as well as for insight
into the life and death of the faithful martyr and covenanted Presbyterian
minister James Renwick. Contains a facsimile of one of Renwick's letters. 267
pages.
(Bound photocopy) $49.95-85%=$7.49 (US funds)
(Hardcover photocopy) $15.00 (US funds)
This book is
also available on Reformation Bookshelf CD
volume 30 (CD SUPER SALE) at: http://www.swrb.com/Puritan/reformation-bookshelf-CDs.htm
The Life and Times of Donald
Cargill
"A careful and well written memoir by an author who has shown his
competency by his valuable edition of the Scots Worthies" (British Weekly). "A
thoroughly interesting and convenient account of a movement to which we owe
much of the liberty we at present enjoy" (Glasgow Herald). A longer and
more detailed account of the life and teaching of this field preaching
Covenanted minister and martyr (who was a friend of Richard Cameron and studied
under Samuel Rutherford at St. Andrews) can be found in Grant's No King But
Christ ($15.96,
softcover). 139 pages.
(Bound photocopy) $14.95-70%=$4.49 (US funds)
(Hardcover photocopy) $14.00 (US funds)
This book is
also available on Reformation Bookshelf CD
volume 30 (CD SUPER SALE) at: http://www.swrb.com/Puritan/reformation-bookshelf-CDs.htm
The Life and Times of James
Renwick (1900)
The author notes, "(s)ome years ago, when I edited Renwick's Letters (i.e.
The Life and Letters of James Renwick the Last Scottish Martyr, $24.00 HP, $14.99 P --RB), while
thankful for the opportunity of presenting these in full, I was afraid that the
excessive length and involved style of some of them would not enhance their
popularity. This time I have contented myself with only a few extracts, and
these generally of a personal character. The Informatory Vindication (full edition $19.00 HP, $9.99 P, --
RB), also, which has been described as Renwick's masterpiece, has been given in
a very abridged form." 111 pages.
(Bound photocopy) $14.95-70%=$4.49 (US funds)
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Six Martyrs of the Scottish
Reformation (1907 ed.)
Carslaw, who also edited Scots Worthies, notes in his preface: "When we
speak of the Scottish Reformation, we should never forget that the name is
applicable to two great religious and national movements, separated from each
other by the greater part of a century. The one, which reached its culmination
in 1560, when the first Reformed Assembly met in Edinburgh, was the Reformation
from Popery. The other, which found expression in the National Covenant of
1638, was the Reformation from Prelacy and all its works. The former was preceded
by the martyrdom of such men as Patrick Hamilton, George Wishart, and Walter
Myln. The latter was followed by the fifty-years' struggle of the
Covenanters..." Beside setting forth the testimonies of the three martyrs
of the first Reformation noted above, Carslaw has also selected three from the
second Reformation, these being James Guthrie, Marquis of Argyll and Sir
Archibald Johnstone, Lord Warriston (who helped Alexander Henderson in the
preparation of the Scottish National Covenant [1638] against the polices of
Charles I and was one of the Scottish commissioners appointed to the
Westminster Assembly). Three appendices are also included.
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Three Heroes of the Covenant:
The Life and Times of William Guthrie, Donald Cargill and James Renwick, Last
of the Martyrs (1902)
Three books in one (of almost 400 pages) by the editor of Scots Worthies, produced for "the elucidation of
the Cameronian annals" (i.e. for bringing to light and explaining the
history of the Covenanters). An easy reading run over some of the most
fascinating and edifying history in the life of the Christian church --
including her Reformation battles against both the civil and ecclesiastical
beasts. Useful for family readings, home schooling, and general Christian
education and edification.
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FREE COVENANTER SERMONS IN
TIMES OF PERSECUTION
http://www.sermonaudio.com/new_details3.asp?ID=11111
Of Sabbath Sanctification
(1674, reprinted 1844)
Sets forth the duty and privilege of Sabbath sanctification as based upon the
text: "If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure
on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD,
honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine
own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: Then shalt thou delight thyself in
the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and
feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath
spoken it" (Isa. 58:13-14). A Puritan sermon dealing faithfully with
"the market day of the soul." Sure to produce strong consternation
among all classes of antinomians, infidels, and demons.
(Rare bound photocopy) $4.98 (US funds)
(Hardcover photocopy) $19.00 (US funds)
This book is also available on Calvinism Bookshelf CD volume 19 (3
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CARYL, JOSEPH
The Nature, Solemnity,
Grounds, Property, and Benefits of a Sacred Covenant together with the duties
of those who enter into such a covenant 1643.
In
this sermon the famous Puritan preacher Joseph Caryl exhorts his listeners to
take the Solemn League and Covenant. Among other
benefits, Caryl notes that covenanting draws the line between those who support
the work of Reformation and those who oppose it:
"A Covenant is to a nation as a fan to the floor, which
purges away the chaff, and purifies the wheat. It is like the furnace to the
metal, which takes away the dross, and shows you a refined lump. It is a
Shibboleth to distinguish Ephraimites from Gileadites, Judg. 12:6. And who
knows not how great an advantage it is for the successful carrying on of any
honourable design, to know friends from enemies, and the faithful from false
brethren?" (p. 22).
Covenanting
also entails great blessings spiritually. "If we knew that every loss were
our gain, every wound our healing, every disappointment our success, every
defeat our victory, would we not rejoice? Do but know what it is to be in
Covenant with God; and be sad, be hopeless if you can. It is to have the
strength and counsels of Heaven engaged for you" (p. 38).
But,
of course, we don't look to the Covenant itself for blessing, but to the God of
the Covenant.
"Trust to God in Covenant, not to your Covenant. Make not your Covenant,
your Christ; no, not for this temporal salvation. As a horse trusted to, is a
vain thing to save a man, Psal. 32. so likewise is a Covenant trusted to;
neither can it deliver a nation by its great strength: though indeed the
strength of it be greater, then the strength of many horses" (p. 40).
And finally,
Caryl exhorts his listeners, "Seeing then our princes, our magistrates,
our ministers, and our people, have freely consented to, written, and sworn
this Covenant; let us all in our several places, up and be doing, that the Lord
may be with us, not sit still and do nothing, and so cause the Lord to turn
against us" (pp. 42-43).
This
is another great sermon impressing Christians to swear the Solemn League and
Covenant, a document that is still binding today upon all Christians in Great
Britain and the countries descending therefrom (Canada, the USA, Australia, New
Zealand, etc.).
45 pages.
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CARYL, JOSEPH
Practical Observations on Job
(12 volumes, 1644-1666, 2001)
For
the first time in hundreds of years, Joseph Caryl's massive work (of about 9000
pages) of Puritan exposition on the book of Job has been reprinted.
Caryl was a
leading nonconformist in his day, a member of the
famous Westminster Assembly of divines, and a faithful expositor of
God's Word. It was widely known that he lived his sermons. Few men in history
have exhausted the Book of Job as Caryl has done. He has deeply mined the
riches of a much-neglected book and brought them to the fore.
Please
note that this is a limited, one-time only, print-run. After all the sets are
sold, there will not be a reprinting, so order your set now while they are
still available.
We
wholeheartedly assent with James Reid in his Memoir
of the Westminster Divines that Caryl's
exposition should be in the library of every pastor and student of theology.
An abridgement
of this work was published in Edinburgh in 1836, but the words of Spurgeon are
ever relevant, "We do not believe in an abridgment of a book which is good
throughout. Think of twelve large volumes condensed into one small one! An ox
in a gallipot [a small jar used to hold medicines] is nothing to it" (Commenting on Commentaries, p. 76).
Though one may
initially question the usefulness of a twelve-volume set on Job, Spurgeon
reminds us that "Caryl will not exhaust the patience of a student who is a
lover of every letter of the Word," because in the course of expounding
Job to his congregation he illustrated a very large portion of the Bible with
great clarity, considering Scripture as a whole. It
is a work that in Spurgeon's eyes as well as ours "can scarcely be
superseded or surpassed" (Ibid, p. 76).
Caryl prefaced
his work, saying, "This book of Job bears the image of these times, and
presents us with a resemblance of the past, present, and (much hoped for)
future condition of this nation. As the personal prosperity of Job, so his
troubles look like our national troubles; and why not the parallel be made up,
by a likeness in our restoration?" What Caryl
saw was a similitude between Job's teachings and the calamities and
prosperities of England. Caryl carries this parallel throughout his exposition,
and it must be noted that his comments are easily applied to America in
these drastic times. Caryl's exposition, however, is much more than
a social commentary on national disasters--in fact, most of it is concerned
with unveiling the condition of the human heart, breaking man's innate pride,
and uplifting God's chosen people. It is literally a course in practical divinity,
taught from the lips of Job! His applications are meaty and timeless.
Dr. Derek W. H.
Thomas, professor of Systematic and Practical Theology at Reformed Theological
Seminary, wrote of Caryl's work:
"When
researching for Ph.D. work on Calvin's Sermons on Job in 1995, I spent a day
at London Theological Seminary examining the twelve volumes of Caryl on Job in
the library of the late Dr. Martyn Lloyd Jones. Needless to say, the day proved
insufficient! and I was reminded then of Archibald Alexander's remark that
these volumes are a good exercise in that patience which the book of Job was
intended to inculcate and exemplify! These sermons
are worthy of reading for their exegetical insights, thoughtful applications,
and pastoral sensitivity. Cotton Mather's assessment, that these
sermons belong alongside Greenhill on Ezekiel, Burroughs on Hosea, Owen on
Hebrews and Manton on James, can still be made."
Dr. Hywel R.
Jones of Westminster Seminary in California said:
"These
sermons, preached to a London congregation, were published by order of
Parliament. But that was in the seventeenth century! Now, at the beginning of
the third millennium, they are more than needed once
again by members and officers in both church and state. Full of
memorable 'sound-bites'--but with substance, they provide food for thought
about God's mysterious ways and strength for obedience to his revealed
will."
James Darling,
in 1854, wrote,
"His
Exposition of Job is a most elaborate, learned, judicious, and pious work...
each volume has an index" (Darling, Cyclopaedia
Bibliographica: A Library Manual of Theological and General Literature,
p. 590, vol. 2, SWRB edition, http://www.swrb.com/catalog/d.htm
).
Joseph Caryl
wrote in the last volume of his work that the Lord would restore all things, as
spoken by the mouth of all his prophets, and that this should be our unceasing
"cry to God in prayer, for all his sorrowing Jobs, even for all those who
are any where companions in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of
Jesus Christ." He commended the perusal of his commentary "that,
reading ye may understand, believe, and profit to sanctification, consolation,
and salvation, according to the will of God."
These
volumes are of the highest quality. The set contains 12 6 x 9 volumes bound in a
high c-grade cloth, 50lb natural paper for ease of reading, reinforced hinges
for long lasting binding, and smyth-sewn construction to make sure they last
and providing a high quality facsimile reprint. It
is the first time Caryl's mammoth exposition on Job has been reprinted in an
unabridged form since the 17th century.
The publisher
also writes, "We anticipate being nearly sold out soon as many orders have
already been placed." The average set on the
antiquarian market sells for nearly $US4,000.00.
The set
includes a modern preface by Joel R. Beeke and Randall J. Pederson, containing
biographical information on the life of Joseph Caryl, a famous Westminster
divine.
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CAWDREY, DANIEL
The Inconsistency of the
Independent Way, With Scripture and Itself (1651)
The inconsistency of the Independent way is
"Manifested in a threefold Discourse: 1.
Vindiciae Vindiciarum, or A further manifestation of John Cotton's contradictions, instanced in Vindiciae Clavium, Being A Rejoinder to
his Reply (to some few of those many Contradictions) in his last Book, called,
The Way of Congregational Churches Cleared, Part 2; 2.
A Review of M. Hooker's Survey of
Church-Discipline, the first part; 3. A
Diatribe with the same M. Hooker Concerning Baptism of Infants of
Non-confederate parents, Cap. 2. Of his third part (Whether the Infants of
Believers not in Covenant with a visible Church, may be baptized)." 241
pages.
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CAWDREY, DANIEL
Independence a Great Schism:
Proved Against Dr. (John--RB) Owen, His Apology in his Tract of Schism (1657)
Chapter titles include: Of
the Nature of Schism in Scripture; Causeless Separation from a true Church is
Schism; Of the Church Catholic Mystical, and its Union; Of the Church Catholic
visible, and its Union; Independentism in Donatism; Of the particular Church,
and its Union; Independentism, a great Schism. Also contains "an appendix to the former discourse of schism; showing
the inconstancy of the Dr. and the inconsistency of his former and present
opinions." Dr. Calamy called Cawdrey, "a man of great
consideration, eminently learned, and a noted
member of the (Westminster--RB) assembly of divines. He preached
sometimes to the members of parliament... was ejected from his living at Great
Billing, and separated from his friends and his flock, by the act of
uniformity, after having laboured, for the edification of his people in that
place, for 36 or 37 years" (Thomas Smith, Select Memoirs... of Pious
and Learned English and Scottish Divines, pp. 488-489). 249 pages.
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A Sober Answer, To A Serious
Question (1652)
The title continues: "Propounded by Mr. G. Firmin, Minister of the Church
in Shalford in Essex, viz., Whether the Ministers of England are bound, by the
Word of God, to Baptize the children of all such Parents, which say, they
believe in Jesus Christ; but are grossly Ignorant, Scandalous in their
Conversation, Scoffers at Godliness, and refuse to submit to Church discipline.
Which may serve as an Appendix to the Diatribe with Mr. Hooker, lately
published, concerning Baptism of Infants, of Parents not confederate." 37
pages.
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Application of Christianity
to the Commercial and Ordinary Affairs of Life (1853)
A practical guide to help Christians conduct their business' and life in an
honest and God fearing manner.
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CHANEY, JAMES M
William the Baptist (1877)
A concise and Scriptural case for
infant baptism.
Written as a lively dialogue between the
author, as pastor, and William, a young lawyer with strong immersionist views,
this is an entertaining and easy way to learn theology. Though he avoids caricature, Chaney maintains that
"the difference between us and immersionists on the question of baptism is
radical. Both cannot be right." An official Southern Presbyterian
publication. 133 pages.
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The High Calling of
Motherhood
Great encouragement for mothers, built around God's revelation regarding the
"high calling" women attain to in serving their generation by raising
a Godly seed. "The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as
becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good
things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their
husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home,
good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not
blasphemed" (Titus 2:3-5).
(Pamphlet, 6 pages) $.99 each
Out of the Tiger's Mouth
Born in China in 1916, Charles Chao, is in the words of Dr. Loraine Boettner,
"a man of God, with untiring devotion." His life's work has been for
China. Despite persecution from Chinese communists, narrow escapes from prison
and death, Charles Chao has not ceased to translate major Christian works
(including the Westminster Confession of Faith and Boettner's Reformed Doctrine
of Predestination, RB) for his fellow countrymen. This book tells the exiting
story of this man's life, how God continually provided for the specific needs
of his family, his work and himself. As you read this book, you will be amazed
with God's timing and how God's plan in being unfolded in China" (back
cover). Dr. Chao's work is being carried out through the Reformation
Translation Fellowship (RTF). RTF's doctrinal basis is the Westminster
Confession of Faith and gifts to support their work are tax deductible. They
can be contacted at 302 East First Street, Bloomington, IN, 47401, USA (or by
email at: 76122.1433@compuserve.com).
(Softcover) $10.95-20%=8.76
(Hardcover photocopy) $24.00 (US funds)
Charnock's Writings by William Symington
An extract from the Life and Character of Charnock
The correctness of the composition, in these works, is remarkable,
considering that they were not prepared for the press by the author himself,
and that they must have been originally written amid scenes of distraction and
turmoil, arising out of the events of the times. The latter circumstance may
account for the manly vigor by which they are characterized, but it only
renders their accuracy and polish the more wonderful. Refinement of taste and
extensive scholarship can alone explain the chasteness, ease, and elegance of
style, so free from all verbosity and clumsiness, which mark these productions.
There
were giants in literature in those days, and STEPHEN CHARNOCK was not the least
of the noble fraternity.
Charnock may not have all the brilliancy of Bunyan, nor all the
metaphysical acumen and subtle analysis of Howe, nor all the awful earnestness
of Baxter; but he is not less argumentative, while he is more theological
than any of them, and his theology, too, is more sound than that of some. "He
was not," say the original editors of his works, "for that modern
divinity which is so much in vogue with some, who would be counted the only
sound divines; having tasted the old, he did not desire the new, but said the
old is better." There is, therefore, not one of all the Puritan Divines whose
writings can with more safety be recommended to the attention of students of
divinity and young ministers. It is one of the happy signs of the
times in which we live, that a taste for reading such works is beginning to
revive; and we can conceive no better wish for the interests of mankind in
general, and of our country in particular, than that the minds of our young
divines were thoroughly impregnated with the good old theology to be found in
such writings as those which we now take the liberty to introduce and recommend. "If a
preacher wishes to recommend himself by the weight of his doctrines," to
use the language of Mr Parsons, "he will find in the writings of
Charnock the great truths of Scripture illustrated and explained in the most
lucid and masterly manner. If he wishes to be distinguished by the
evangelical strain of his discourses, and by the continual exhibition of Christ
and him crucified, he will here find the characters of Christ, and the
adaptation of the gospel to the circumstances and wants of man as a fallen
creature, invariably kept in view. If he wishes for usefulness in the
Church of God, here he has the brightest example of forcible appeals to the
conscience, and of the most impressive applications of Scripture truth, to the
various conditions of mankind. And, finally, if he reads for his
own advantage as a Christian, his mind will be delighted with the inexhaustible
variety here provided for the employment of his enlightened faculties, and his
improvement in every divine attainment."
We cannot resist giving a few sentences from the original preface
which his friends Adams and Veal prefixed to the treatise On the Existence
and Attributes of God. "The sublimeness, variety, and rareness," say they, "of
the truths handled, together with the elegance of the composure, neatness of
the style, and whatever is wont to make any book desirable, all concur in the
recommendation of it... It is not a book to be played with or slept over, but read
with the most intense and serious mind; for, though it afford much pleasure for
the fancy, yet much more work for the heart, and hath indeed in it enough to
busy all the faculties. The dress is complete and decent, yet not garish nor
theatrical; the rhetoric masculine and vigorous, such as became a pulpit, and
was never borrowed from the stage. The expressions full, clear, apt, and such
as are best suited to the weightiness and spirituality of the truths here
delivered.
The Cleansing Virtue of
Christ's Blood
From volume 3 of Charnock's Works (33 pages).
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CHARNOCK, STEPHEN
Discourses Upon the Existence
and Attributes of God (With His Life and Character by William Symington, D.D.),
2 Volumes (1853 edition)
"The
Existence and Attributes of God is the greatest Puritan treatise on the
perfections of God, and perhaps the greatest of all times. Here, Stephen Charnock
reflects on Scripture to develop a better understanding of the nature and being
of God. In true Puritan fashion, Charnock makes practical application of all
the doctrinal content he develops. Thus, Charnock's work is rightly regarded
as simultaneously a scholarly and devotional classic."
- Dr. Joel Beeke
This book
covers topics such as: the existence of God; the failure of practical atheism;
the spiritual nature of God; spiritual worship; God's eternality; God's
immutability; God's omnipresence; God's knowledge (omniscience); God's wisdom;
God's power; God's holiness; God's goodness; God's dominion; God's patience.
Stephen
Charnock was an English minister during the seventeenth century. In the late
1650s he spent some time in Ireland as chaplain to the Governor, where his
preaching attracted considerable attention. After King Charles II came to power
in 1660, Charnock returned to England but was not permitted to hold a public
ministry. He could only minister privately. This changed in 1675 when
government restrictions were relaxed, and Charnock became co-pastor with Thomas Watson of a Presbyterian
church in London. Charnock died in 1680.
William
Symington, in his brief biography of Charnock at the beginning of this set, notes
that Charnock had few friends, though those he had were godly and intelligent.
"But his best and most highly cherished
companions were his books, of which he had contrived to secure a valuable
though select collection. With these he held frequent and familiar intercourse.
Great part of his time, indeed, was spent in his study" (p.
13).
"To
a person of these studious habits it may easily be conceived what distress it
must have occasioned to have his library swept away from him. In that dreadful misfortune
which befell the metropolis in 1666, ever since known as 'the fire of London,'
the whole of Charnock's books were destroyed. The
amount of calamity involved in such an occurrence can be estimated aright only
by those who know from experience the strength and sacredness of that
endearment with which the real student regards those silent but instructive
friends which he has drawn around him by slow degrees; with which he has
cultivated a long and intimate acquaintance; which are ever at hand with their
valuable assistance, counsel and consolation, when these are needed; which,
unlike some less judicious companions, never intrude upon him against his will;
and with whose very looks and positions, as they repose in their places around
him, he has become so familiarized, that it is no difficult thing for him to
call up their appearance when absent, or to go directly to them in the dark
without the risk of a mistake. Some may be disposed to smile at this
love of books. But where is the scholar who will do so? Where is the man of letters who, for a single moment, would place the
stately mansions and large estates of the 'sons of earth' in comparison with
his own well-loaded shelves? Where the student who, on looking round
upon the walls of his study, is not conscious of a satisfaction greater and
better far than landed proprietor ever felt on surveying his fields and lawns
-- a satisfaction which almost unconsciously seeks vent in the exclamation, 'My library! a dukedom large enough!' Such, and
such only, can judge what must have been Charnock's feelings, when he found
that his much cherished volumes had become a heap of smouldering ashes"
(p. 14)."
Symington also
points out that
"All
Charnock's writings are distinguished for sound theology, profound thinking,
and lively imagination. They partake of that
massive divinity for which the Puritan Divines were in general remarkable, and
are of course orthodox in their doctrinal statements and reasonings.
. . . In a word, for weight of matter, for energy
of thought, for copiousness of improving reflection, for grandeur and force of
illustration, and for accuracy and felicitousness of expression, Charnock is
equalled by few, and surpassed by none of the writers of the age to which he
belonged. . . . There were giants in literature in those days, and STEPHEN
CHARNOCK was not the least of the noble fraternity" (p. 17).
And because his
theology was so sound, there is "not one of all the Puritan Divines whose
writings can with more safety be recommended to the attention of students of
divinity and young ministers" (p. 18). 1149 pages.
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Free
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The End, Subjects, and Worthy
Partaking of the Lord's Supper
From volume 3 of Charnock's Works (90 pages). Demonstrates the purpose for the
institution of this divine ordinance and the duty of worthy communicants.
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Select Works of Stephen
Charnock (1847)
Charnock was an English Puritan born in London in 1628. A divine of extensive
learning and thought, he is most well known in our day for his Existence and
Attributes of God. These Select Works include; "The Chief of Sinners
Objects of the Choicest Mercy," "The Sinfulness and Cure of
Thoughts," and five other pieces. William Symington contributes an essay
on the life, character and writings of Charnock.
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CHARNOCK,
STEPHEN
The
Works of Stephen Charnock (5 volumes)
This set is
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Volume
1
Discourses
Upon the Existence and Attributes of God Volume 1
With His
Life and Character by William Symington, D.D.
Life and
Character of the Author
Page 9
Preface
Page 21
Discourse I
On the
Existence of God
Psalm xiv.
1.--The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they
have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.
Page 25
Discourse II
On Practical
Atheism
Psalm xiv.
1.--The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they
have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.
Page 89
Discourse
III
On God's
Being a Spirit
John iv.
24.--God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and
in truth.
Page 176
Discourse IV
On Spiritual
Worship
John iv.
24.--God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and
in truth.
Page 204
Discourse V
On the
Eternity of God
Psalm xc. 2.--Before
the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the
world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.
Page 276
Discourse VI
On the
Immutability of God
Psalm cii.
26, 27.--They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax
old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be
changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end.
Page 310
Discourse
VII
On God's
Omnipresence
Jeremiah
xxiii. 24.--Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him?
saith the Lord. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the Lord.
Page 363
Discourse
VIII
On God's
Knowledge
Psalm
cxlvii. 5.--Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is
infinite.
Page 406
Discourse IX
On the
Wisdom of God
Romans xvi.
27.--To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen.
Page 498
The Works of
Stephen Charnock
Volume
2
Discourses
Upon the Existence and Attributes of God Volume 2
Discourse X
On the Power
of God
Job xxvi.
14.--Lo, these are parts of his ways: but how little a portion is heard of him?
but the thunder of his power who can understand?
Page 5
Discourse XI
On the
Holiness of God
Exodus xv.
11.--Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious
in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?
Page 108
Discourse
XII
On the
Goodness of God
Mark x.
18.--And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but
one, that is, God.
Page 209
Discourse
XIII
On God's
Dominion
Psalm ciii.
19.--The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth
over all.
Page 356
Discourse
XIV
On God's
Patience
Nahum i.
3.--The Lord is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit
the wicked: the Lord hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the
clouds are the dust of his feet.
Page 472
Index
Page 525
Index of
Texts
Page 541
The Works of
Stephen Charnock
Volume
3
The New
Birth
Discourses
To The
Reader
Page 3
The Necessity
of Regeneration
John III. 3,
5.
Page 7
A Discourse
of the Nature of Regeneration
2 Cor. V.
17.
Page 82
A Discourse
of the Efficient of Regeneration
John I. 13.
Page 166
A Discourse
of the Word, The Instrument of Regeneration
James I. 18.
Page 307
A Discourse
of God's Being the Author of Reconciliation
2 Cor. V.
18, 19.
Page 336
A Discourse
of the Cleansing Virtue of Christ's Blood
1 John I. 7.
Page 501
The Works of
Stephen Charnock
Volume
4
The
Knowledge of God
A Discourse
of the Knowledge of God
John xvii.
3.
Page 3
A Discourse
of the Knowledge of God in Christ
John xvii.
3.
Page 110
A Discourse
of Conviction of Sin
John xvi. 8,
9.
Page 164
A Discourse
of Unbelief, Proving it is the Greatest Sin
John xvi. 9.
Page 220
A Discourse of
the Misery of Unbelievers
John iii.
36.
Page 296
A Discourse
Shewing Who Are Unbelievers
John vi. 64.
Page 348
A Discourse
of the End of the Lord's Supper
1 Cor. xi.
26
Page 392
A Discourse
of the Subjects of the Lord's Supper
1 Cor xi.
28, 29
Page 427
A Discourse
of the Unworthy Receiving of the Lord's Supper
1 Cor. xi.
27, 29.
Page 472
A Discourse
of Self-Examination
2 Cor. xiii.
5.
Page 483
A Discourse
of the Knowledge of Christ Crucified
1 Cor. ii.
2.
Page 494
A Discourse of
Christ Our Passover
1 Cor. v. 7.
Page 507
A Discourse
of the Voluntariness of Christ's Death
Eph. v. 2.
Page 540
A Discourse
of the Acceptableness of Christ's Death
Eph. v. 2
Page 552
A Discourse
of Obedience
John xv. 14.
Page 587
The Works of
Stephen Charnock
Volume
5
Truth
and Life
Discourses
A Discourse
of the Necessity of Christ's Death
Luke xxiv.
26.
Page 3
A Discourse
of the Necessity of Christ's Exaltation
Luke xxiv.
26.
Page 49
A Discourse
of Christ's Intercession
1 John ii.
1.
Page 91
A Discourse
of the Object of Faith
John xiv. 1
Page 145
A Discourse
of Afflictions
Heb. xii.
5-11.
Page 178
A Discourse
of the Removal of the Gospel
Rev. ii. 5.
Page 190
A Discourse
of Mercy Received
Ps. lvi. 12,
13
Page 205
A Discourse of
Mortification
Rom. viii.
13
Page 214
A Discourse
Proving Weak Grace Victorious
Mat. xii. 20
Page 225
A Discourse
of the Sinfulness and Cure of Thoughts
Gen. vi. 5.
Page 288
A Discourse
of the Church's Stability
Ps. lxxxvii.
5.
Page 317
A Discourse
Upon the Fifth of November
Exod. xv. 9,
10.
Page 350
A Discourse
of Delight in Prayer
Ps. xxxvii.
4.
Page 370
A Discourse
of Mourning for Other Men's Sins
Ezek. ix. 4.
Page 380
A Discourse
for the Comfort of Child-Bearing Women
1 Tim. ii.
15.
Page 398
A Discourse
of the Sins of the Regenerate
1 John iii.
9.
Page 414
A Discourse
of the Pardon of Sin
Ps. xxxii.
1, 2.
Page 434
Man's Enmity
to God
Rom. viii.
7.
Page 459
The Chief
Sinners Objects of the Choicest Mercy
1 Tim. I. 15
Page 526
Index
Page 567
Index of Texts
Page 587
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CHINIQUY, CHARLES
Fifty Years in the Church of
Rome (1886)
Why was this book written? "Because modern
Protestants have not only forgotten what Rome was, what she is, and what she
will forever be; the most irreconcilable and powerful enemy of the Gospel of
Christ," writes Chiniquy. This is the life story of Pastor Chinquy, who
was a priest in the Roman Catholic church for 25 years. Though he dedicates
this book to the Bishops, Priests, and people of Rome, he writes, "the
sophisms and errors of Romanism are discussed and refuted with a clearness,
simplicity, and evidence, which my 25 years of priesthood only could teach
me." It is written in a kindly and Christian spirit, does not indulge in
denunciations, and while speaking the truth, it does so in love. This is the
unabridged edition of over 600 pages.
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CHINIQUY, CHARLES
The Priest, the Woman, and
the Confessional (c. 1890)
Chiniquy
was one of the most famous Romanist priests to leave the pretended Romish
communion and join the Presbyterians. This book (of 232 pages) contains important
original documents establishing the high character and standing of pastor
Chiniquy even while he was in the church of Rome. It also demonstrates, on the
testimony of a long-time insider, how the harlotries of the Roman whore (Rev.
17-18) defile the body as well as the mind and soul. This is rarely made more
evident than in what is here revealed by the ex-priest Chiniquy.
Chiniquy
calls the confessional the "modern Sodom," and shows how auricular
confession destroys all the sacred ties of marriage and human society. He also makes the case
as to why this devilish monstrosity should not be tolerated among civilized
nations.
Boettner, in
his book Roman Catholicism (pp. 212-213) adds the following,
Father
Charles Chiniquy, after spending 25 years as a Roman Catholic Priest in Canada
and the United States, renounced the Roman Church and the priesthood and in the
following paragraphs expressed his sense of humiliation and shame at having
ever engaged in the process of the confessional.
With a blush on my face, and regret in my heart, I confess
before God and man, that I have been through the confessional, plunged for 25
years in that bottomless sea of iniquity, in which the blind priests of Rome
have to swim day and night. I had to learn by heart the infamous questions which the
church of Rome forces every priest to learn. I had to
put these impure, immoral questions to women and girls who were confessing
their sins to me. Those questions, and the answers they elicit, are so debasing
that only a man who has lost every sense of shame can put them to any women.
Yes, I was bound in conscience, to put into the
ears, the mind, the imagination, the memory, the heart and soul of women and
girls, questions of such a nature, the direct and immediate tendency of which
is to fill the minds and hearts of both priests and penitents with thoughts of
temptations of such a degrading nature, that I do not know any words adequate
to express them. Pagan antiquity has
never seen any institution more polluting than the confessional.
I have lived 25 years in the atmosphere of the confessional. I was degraded and
polluted by the confessional just as all the priests of Rome are. It has
required the whole blood of the great Victim, who died on Calvary for sinners,
to purify me (pp. 67-68 in The Priest, Woman, and the Confessional).
Boettner
continues,
This book by Charles Chiniquy is, we believe, the best
available dealing with all phases of the confessional, and should be read by
everyone who would have a clear understanding of the evils involved in that
institution.
It describes conditions which existed in Montreal and in other parts of Canada
in the middle nineteenth century, and shows the depths to which the
confessional tends if unrestrained by evangelical forces.
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Terms of Church Union and
Communion
After having witnessed "Calvinists and avowed Arminians at the table of
the Lord, under the influence of a disposition to esteem their differences of
no importance," the author began to question his own loose views regarding
terms of admission to the Lord's supper. This eventually led to this book. Not
wanting to further increase a disunion among Christians, the author felt
constrained to defend his principle for close communion with these words,
"Whoever shall honour them with a pursual, will see that their principal
object is to guard the truth of God's word from being surrendered, and the
discipline of God's house from being laid aside, for the sake of promoting the
shadow of a union among professing Christians ó a union which consists in being
merely assembled in the same ordinance, without any hearty agreement in the
truth, or any subjection to Christ, or any view to the promotion of real piety,
individual or social." Promotes the necessity of agreement to faithful
creeds and confessions, as prerequisites to unity and for partaking at the
Lord's table. Deals with: the difference between essentials and non-essentials;
which creeds are faithful; Calvin's and Augustine's views; and the arguments
from Holy Scripture.
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CHURCH OF SCOTLAND GENERAL
ASSEMBLY 1638-1649
The Acts of the General
Assemblies of the Church of Scotland, From the Year 1638 to the Year 1649
Inclusive (1682)
Exceedingly rare, these are the acts
from what many consider the greatest general assembly gatherings since the days
of the apostles. The
work accomplished and ratified at these meetings has
been called "the most perfect model" of Presbyterial Church
Government "as yet attained." Sitting during the momentous
days of the Covenants (National and Solemn League) and the Westminster
Assembly, this general assembly included the
likes of Samuel Rutherford and George Gillespie. Judicially binding
on covenanted Presbyterians (WCF 31:3), these Acts
demonstrate how these godly leaders officially dealt with individual, family,
ecclesiastical and civil Reformation (including national and international
matters). Furthermore, it should not be forgotten that these rulings
had major national and international ramifications in their day and that they
still guide faithful Presbyterians at the close of the twentieth century (as
terms of ministerial and Christian communion in the Reformed Presbyterian
church). Moreover, they contain "noble examples to be followed in
testifying against all corruptions embodied in the constitutions of either
churches or states" (Reformed Presbytery, Act, Declaration and
Testimony for the Whole of Our Covenanted Reformation, p. 216). Christ's Kingship has never since been so boldly and
clearly proclaimed to the nations by a duly constituted general assembly --
neither has His rule and reign been upheld and actually embodied into the laws
of a nation (civil and ecclesiastical) as it was during these days in Scotland.
Much of this can be attributed to the work (humanly speaking) done by the
ministers present while these Acts were debated and passed. Regarding doctrine, worship, government and discipline
there are few books that will be as helpful -- especially to elders and those
advanced in the faith. Additionally, if you want a glimpse at
the heart of the second Reformation this is one of the best places to look. It may
also be considered "the eye of the Puritan storm," seeing that the Scottish
Covenanters exerted such a godly influence among their English Presbyterian
brothers (and the Westminster Assembly) during these days -- the two nations
having covenanted with God (in the Solemn League and Covenant) for the
international "reformation and defence of religion... the peace and safety of
the three kingdoms... the glory of God, and the advancement of the kingdom of
our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, etc." Over 500 pages and indexed for
easy reference to all major topics.
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CHURCH OF SCOTLAND
(Alexander Peterkin, editor)
The Book of the Universal
Kirk of Scotland
Contains the earliest official records (acts
and proceedings) of the Established Reformed Church in Scotland, covering the
period from 1560 to 1616. Peterkin calls them "the
only sure and satisfactory memorials of the course of Ecclesiastical affairs in
the times immediately succeeding the Reformation." Lee, Clerk of the
General Assembly in 1828 writes (regarding the originals), "there is no
difficulty in proving that the volumes in question were laid on the table of
the General Assembly which met at Glasgow in 1638; and that they were
pronounced by that Assembly to be true and authentic Registers of the Kirk of
Scotland." Concerning this copy of "The Booke" ("for the
first time fully printed from the copies in the Advocates' Library"), Lee
further states that these records exhibit, "the real character of the
internal government of this national church. They
display the operation of the principles by which the first Reformers and their
immediate successors were actuated. They demonstrate that these men
were not more distinguished by zeal for the truth, than by loyalty to the head
of the government, attachment to true principles, (I do not say of toleration--for
that was a term which they certainly did not employ or approve--of religious
liberty and civil subordination. They bear testimony to the strictness and
impartiality of ancient discipline. They vindicate the
character of those illustrious men whose names have been unjustly aspersed, but
who, both by their doctrine and lives,--by their unwearied exertions and their
patient sufferings,--left an example, not indeed or faultless excellence, but
assuredly of the most noble, magnanimous, and fearless adherence to the
standards of our constitution. These Registers also contain much that is
capable of correcting erroneous representations of historical facts with regard
to the internal state of the kingdom -- institutions, habits, and customs, as
well as the morals of the people, and the spirit which was most prevalent at
particular periods in various districts of the land... they prove, that from
the very first moment, it was the determined object of the leaders of the
Reformation, to establish such a Presbyterian Government, as was at last, with
the utmost difficulty completed... they deserve to be preserved with care, as the
most venerable remnants of a distant age--as the earliest annuls of our infant
church... of confessors and martyrs, who counted
not their lives dear to them; and who when they thought it necessary, never
shrunk from sealing their testimony with their blood... (they) present the seal
and superscription of glory to God, and good will to man--peace to the church,
and happiness to the state" (pp. xi-xii). John Knox, the first name listed
in the first record of the first General Assembly (in 1560), of course, plays a
prominent role in much of what is recorded here. 631 pages.
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The Declinatour and
Protestation of the Some Some-times Pretended Bishops, Presented in the Face of
the Last Assembly. Refuted and Found Futile, But Full of Insolent Reproaches,
and Bold Assertions (1639)
An exceedingly rare title marking the continuing rise, at a critical juncture,
of the covenanted Reformed Presbyterian church. Members of this General
Assembly and signatories to this protestation include Samuel Rutherford, David
Dickson, Robert Baillie and even James Sharp (who later apostatized to the camp
of the Prelatical antichrist and persecuted [and murdered] the covenanters he
once owned as brothers). This book refutes the charges of the prelates, while
exposing their many errors (which included teaching Arminianism, Popery,
conditional election, the power of free-will resisting effectual grace, that
the Pope is not the Antichrist, that Rome is the true church
[constitutionally], that worship is not regulated by the Word of God [the
regulative principle], that the earlier reformers were deformers; and denying
limited atonement, justification by faith alone, predestination, and a number
of other revealed truths of Scripture.)
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CLARKSON, ANDREW
Plain Reasons for
Presbyterians Dissenting from the Revolution Church of Scotland. Also Their
Principles Concerning Civil Government, and the Difference Betwixt the
Reformation and Revolution Principles (1731)
An exceedingly rare and important book
now back in print after 265 years! The Contending Witness magazine (May, 1841)
described Plain Reasons "as the single best
volume penned defending the principles of the second Reformation."
It sets forth "the grounds why Presbyterian
Dissenters refused to hold communion with the revolution church and state,"
(Reformed Presbytery, Act Declaration and Testimony for the Whole of Our Covenanted
Reformation,
p. 154n). The biblical principles contained in this book still apply today and
thus Plain Reasons
remains one of the best books explaining why (and when) an individual (church
or citizen) should separate himself (or itself) from those (in church or state)
who do not hold fast to all the attainments of our covenanted Reformation
forefathers. In this regard the session of the
Puritan Reformed Church of Edmonton calls this the one book that best explains
why faithful Covenanted Presbyterians must, for conscience sake, remain
ecclesiastically separate from all Presbyterian denominations that have
backslidden from second Reformation attainments. (This being the classic
corporate Calvinistic application of such commands as "Nevertheless, whereto
we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same
thing" [Phil. 3:16, emphasis added]. It is also the acknowledgement that
the Lord has clearly stated in his Word that he "requireth that which is
past" [Eccl. 3:15]).
Furthermore, the session of the PRC of Edmonton
has noted that this book "clearly spells out the reasons why to unite
with the Revolution Church (1689) or any of its descendants (The Free Church of
Scotland, The Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland, and American Presbyterian
Churches) is to undermine and subvert the work of the Second Reformation. The argumentation is
cogent (with an abundant supply of documentation). The reading can be divided
up into 5-10 pages at a time. Reasons 8 and 9 (pp. 77-91) which speak to the
issue of the covenants are very helpful, as is Reason 14 (pp. 138-140) which
covers the matter of terms of communion. We might also highlight Clarkson's
treatment of ecclesiastical dissent (pp. 172-221 wherein he discusses schism)
and political dissent (pp. 221-280). This is the best apologetic we have read
defending the necessity of Presbyterians to faithfully maintain the attainments
of the Second Reformation" (emphasis added). Moreover, Clarkson's section on schism, separation and the nature of
the visible church (constitutionally considered) contains over 10 pages of
notes and quotes taken from numerous Reformers including: Beza, Rutherford,
Gillespie, Dickson, Durham, M'Ward (Rutherford's disciple), Marshall, Watson,
Cotton, Owen, Burroughs, Fraser, and Case -- demonstrating that his ideas
regarding dissent from corrupt and backsliding civil or ecclesiastical
governments are not new, but merely classic Reformation doctrine. The
book also answers a multitude of pertinent and realistic objections in sections
conveniently located directly after each reason for dissent.
Moreover, the days of the revolution settlement
were a time of civil and ecclesiastical confusion not unlike our own day -- the
beast (civil and ecclesiastical) was attempting to devour the "woman in
the wilderness" by a cunning mixture of half-truths that were designed to
beguile an exhausted and persecution-weary remnant. The consequences of the
actions taken in these days, by both church and state "officials," have
been amplified by time and apply directly to our contemporary civil and
ecclesiastical situation ("That which hath been is now" [Eccl.
3:15]).
The Reformed Presbytery's Act, Declaration
and Testimony
(p. 47) further explains the original historical context -- so germane to the
thesis of this book -- regarding those deceptively trying days which followed
the "killing times" and final martyrs' death of that period of
persecution (being the death of the covenanted Presbyterian minister James
Renwick, who sealed his testimony with his blood February 17, 1688).
Of the so-called "glorious revolution of
1688" and the overthrow of the Royalist tyranny the Reformed Presbytery's
measured and discerning comments read, "for in a few months, God in his
righteous judgement and adorable providence, overturned that (Royalist--RB)
throne of iniquity on which they (the persecuting popish, prelatical, Erastian,
antichristian [civil and ecclesiastical] "authorities" which were
then wondering after the beast--RB) depended, and expelled that inhuman, cruel
monster (the duke of York--RB), from his tyrannical and usurped power, upon the
Prince of Orange's (William of Orange--RB) coming over into England, in the
beginning of November that same year (1688--RB). But although the Lord at this
juncture, and by this means, rescued and delivered our natural and civil rights
and privileges in a national way, from under the oppression and bondage of
anti-christian tyranny, arbitrary and absolute power; yet the revolution, at
this time, brought no real deliverance to the church of God; but Christ's
rights (by these [rights--RB] are not meant the rights of Christ personal. It
is not in the power of mortals, or any creature, to acquire and secure these to
him; but the rights of Christ mystical, that is, of the church, or of his
truth, true worship, and religion, and professors of it as such.), formerly
acquired for him by his faithful servants, lay still buried under the rubbish
of that anti-christian building of prelacy, erected on the ruins of his work in
this land; and the spiritual liberties and privileges of his house remained,
and do still remain under the bondage of Erastianism, supremacy, toleration,
etc. For it is well known, that although this man (William of Orange--RB),
Jehu-like, 'destroyed Baal out of Israel, yet he departed not from the sins of
Jereboam, wherewith he made Israel to sin.'"
As a second witness to the testimony also given
throughout Clarkson's Plain Reasons see pages 55 and following in the Act,
Declaration and Testimony for more on "the grounds of the presbytery's testimony
against the constitutions, both civil and ecclesiastical, at the late
revolution, anno 1689; as also against the gross Erastianism and tyranny that
has attended the administration both of church and state, since that memorable
period; with various instances thereof, etc."
Since these momentous days Antichrist and his
minions have sought to bury the covenanted Reformation and its attainments
(upholding Christ's Kingship over both church and state) under the rubbish of democratic,
humanistic, atheistic, tolerationism and a "detestable neutrality" in
the cause of God and truth -- the same "detestable neutrality" so
strongly inveighed against in the Solemn league and Covenant. Commenting on
this defection from within professing Christendom, Clarkson writes, "It is
also evident from this, that Schism from our covenanted Church consists in
this, to wit, When the Members of the Church make Defection to the contrary
part, that is in plain Terms, when they associate or incorporate with, assist
and defend the Parties against whom the Covenant (Solemn League and
Covenant--RB) was made and sworn, viz. Papists, Prelatist and their Underlings,
Hereticks, &c. the common Enemies of Reformation; and fall from the Duties
of Preserving and propagating the Reformation of the three Kingdoms; and refuse
to join with, assist and defend those, who adhere to the Covenants, in the
necessary Work of Renewing them, for Extirpation of Popery, Prelacy,
Erastianism, Superstition, Heresy, Error and Profaneness, and whatsoever is
contrary to sound Doctrine and the Power of Godliness; and for re-establishing,
preserving, and propagating the covenanted Reformation, once happily
established in these Lands, and sworn unto by our Covenants. Furthermore, Schism
from our covenanted Church consists in this, viz, When Members, Ministers or
others, give themselves to a detestable Indifferency and Neutrality, in the
Cause of God, namely, in the preserving and propagating the covenanted
Reformation of these three Kingdoms; that is to say, When Men are like so many
Gallio's in the Cause of God, preferring worldly Ease, Honour and Wealth, their
own Interest to the Interest of Christ, become easy, whether the covenanted
Reformation in these Lands sink or swim; and, from a cowardly Disposition in
some, and a malignant, perfidious Temper in others, coalesce and accord in
apostatizing from the Articles of Covenant foresaid, the Cause of God, and its
honest-hearted Friends; and frighted from both, as if they thought it both Sin
and Shame to have it said, that they carried any warm Side to either the one or
the other. I say, All Members of this National Church, who, on Account of any
Combination, Persuasion, or Terror and Fear of worldly Loss, of Sufferings of
whatsoever Kind, are guilty in any of these two Cases, are also guilty of
making SCHISM from the covenanted Church, as is clearly manifest by the 6th
Article of our Solemn Covenant" (pp. 182-184, , emphasis added).
Commenting on the common charge
of schism leveled against those who would maintain the attainments of the
covenanted Reformation, Clarkson writes: "Now,
upon the whole of this Objection, as 'tis plain, Presbyterian Dissenters are
not Schismatics, nor deserve to be so called; so 'tis a most groundless and
shameless Reflection, to call them Separatists, tho' 'tis the ordinary Name of
Epithet given them, especially in Print; yet to me, and I judge to many others,
it is a Wonder with what Audacity, Men of Sobriety and Conscience should have
the confidence to speak at such a Rate, unless they intend, in a desperate
Humour, to render their Authority every where, amongst all sober persons,
contemptible: For, if two Persons, walking upon a high Path-Road, on the Brink
of a Puddle, the one of them by a Blast of Wind tumbling headlong into the
Gulf; when weltering amidst the Glare and miery Clay, cries up to his Neighbor
upon the Brink, Sir, unless you tumble over after me, I will look upon you as a
Separatist: Which of the two are to be judged most insnared into the Course of
Separation, whether the Person keeping the High-way, or the poor Man wallowing
in the polluted Mire, Crying upon his Neighbour to unite with him in that his
miserable Estate? Est solatium miseris habere socios doloris, ('Tis Comfort to Persons in Misery to have Companions.)
Have not this present Church thrown themselves over into the Ditch of
Pollution, in complying with these dreadful Apostates of this and the former
times? And, shall these be judged Separatists, who dare not, who cannot, and
may not in Conscience follow their Example? Can such as join with, and
strengthen them, be able to purge themselves from the Guilt and Judgements,
which accompany this shameful Defection? For an Union here (so much cried up)
without Debate, is the Brotherhood of Simeon and Levi: It is an Union in the
Course of Sin and Wrath, and not in Truth and Duty" (pp. 206-207,
emphasis added).
For more of this strong tonic get the whole book
-- it is one of the strongest and clearest calls
that we have ever seen for the church to repent of its covenant-breaking and
backsliding and return to its first love at the corporate level (covenantal and
constitutional).
In short, Clarkson's Plain Reasons, contains the highest
quality of Reformation thought regarding the subjects of which it deals. It is
undoubtedly a major Reformation classic and should
be studied by all those who are serious about seeing the destruction of the
present tyranny (which is expressed in the modern civil and ecclesiastical
Babylon erected by those that oppose the covenanted Reformation and the
implementation of the Crown rights of King Jesus over the whole Earth!).
300 pages.
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FREE samples of this book are at:
http://www.swrb.com/newslett/actualnls/PlainTOC.htm (Table of Contents)
http://www.swrb.com/newslett/actualnls/Schism.htm ("The
Reformed View of Schism," being pages 177-221 from Plain Reasons for Presbyterians Dissenting...).
This section is also available on all 30 Reformation
Bookshelf CDs (in the "FREE
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free books and articles!).
CLARKSON,
DAVID
The Doctrine of Justification
is Dangerously Corrupted in the Roman Church (1675, reprinted 1845)
Exposes the doctrinal sorcery of the mother of (spiritual) harlots. Should also
serve as a warning to any who would compromise the everlasting truth of
Scripture, for temporal gain, by joining themselves to the Romish whore, as
many are doing in our day.
(Rare bound photocopy) $3.99 (US funds)
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Select Works of David
Clarkson (1846)
Contains "Historical Notices of the Life and Writings of Clarkson" by
Gertrude Clarkson along with Clarkson's "Treatises on the Church Polity of
the Primitive Times." This treatise includes the following articles:
"No Evidence for Diocesan Churches;" "Diocesan Churches Not Yet
Discovered;" "Primitive Episcopacy Stated and Cleared from the Holy
Scriptures and Ancient Records;" and "A Discourse Concerning
Liturgies." Other works in this volume include"A Discourse of the
Saving Grace of God" and the following miscellaneous sermons: "A
Funeral Sermon for Dr. John Owen;" What Must Christians Do That the
Influence of Ordinances May Abide Upon Them?;" and "The Doctrine of
Justification is Dangerously Corrupted in the Roman Church." Indexed, 500
pages.
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Works of David Clarkson (3
volumes)
This book is also
available on Protestant Bookshelf CD volume 17
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The Classic Bible Dictionary
A Bible dictionary with Reformed
leanings containing articles by Warfield, Fairbairn, Bonar and others. 1,120 pages.
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662 Priests Leave the Church
of Rome
This book is also available on Protestant Bookshelf CD volume 4 (3 for 1 CD SUPER
SALE) at: http://www.swrb.com/Puritan/protestant-bookshelf-CDs.htm
COLES, ELISHA
God's Sovereignty, A
Practical Discourse
A Puritan work recommended by Charles Spurgeon,
John Owen, Thomas Goodwin and William Romaine. Owen, in particular, marvels
at Coles' singular reliance on Scripture alone to vindicate God's sovereignty,
as it relates to election, redemption, effectual calling, and the perseverance
of the saints.
Originally published in 1673, this is the 1831 edition. 298 pages.
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Cornwell, John
Hitler's Pope: The Secret
History of Pius XII (1999)
The explosive untold story of the most dangerous churchman in
modern history
-- drawn from secret archives by an award-winning Roman Catholic journalist
Eugenio Pacelli, Pius XII -- a man with unprecedented power for... evil... was
pope from 1939 to 1958. Today, still shadowed by
his failure to condemn Hitler's Final Solution, he is at the same
time nearing canonization. Backed by new research
and exclusive access to a wealth of Vatican and Jesuit archives, John Cornwell
tells for the first time, in depth, the truth about Pacelli's long career as a
Vatican diplomat and the accord between Pacelli and Hitler that helped sweep
the Nazis to unhindered power. Hitler's Pope shows how Pacelli's
entire life and career led to this, from a brilliant young Vatican lawyer
drafting new papal power for the twentieth century to his
1933 Concordat with Hitler that muzzled protest by Germany's Catholic community,
the most powerful in the world. Cornwell's explosive
conclusion is that without Pacelli's contribution, Hitler might never have come
to power or been able to press forward with the Holocaust... Hitler's Pope
conclusively documents Pius XII's anti-Semitism, narcissism, and calamitous mix
of political and spiritual ambition -- and it shows how many of Pacelli's
policies are reasserting themselves today under the reign of John Paul II
(Thomas Merton).
An useful book
for documenting and exposing some of the more modern inner workings and
wickedness of ecclesiastical Antichrist, though the author is still far to
sympathetic with the Roman beast.
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Related Resources:
Rome, Hitler, Judas and the Jesuits
Documents
the historic connection between Romanism and the Nazis. See also The Black Pope
below.
(Cassette) $3.98 (US funds)
This message and more by Ian Paisley on free
MP3s at http://www.sermonaudio.com/go/157
The Black Pope and His Murdermen
Citing
from their own secret documents, Paisley exposes the devilish work and
deception of the Jesuits. From their founding by Ignatius of Loyola (to
counteract the Reformation) to the modern devastation they have caused in each
nation where they are allowed to operate, this order is seen to be one of
Satan's great "angels of light" that deceive the unwary.
(Cassette) $3.98 (US funds)
This message and more by Ian Paisley on free
MP3s at http://www.sermonaudio.com/go/157
COTTON, JOHN
The Bloudy Tenent, Washed,
and Made White in the Bloud of the Lambe A reply to Roger Williams concerning
liberty of conscience, civil rulers and their duty to uphold the first table of
the law, etc.
Facsimile of 1647 edition. 338 pages.
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Singing of Psalms a Gospel
Ordinance
An early American treatise wherein are handled four particulars concerning
exclusive Psalmody: the duty itself, the matter to be sung, the singers and the
manner of singing. This is a facsimile of 1647 edition.
(Rare bound photocopy) $29.95-70%=$8.99
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The Free Offer of the Gospel
(c. 1840)
A 32 page easy-reading introduction to the topic of the free offer of the
Gospel. Counteracts hyper-Calvinism and shows why Calvinists, of all people,
should be motivated to preach the Gospel to all who will hear.
(Rare bound photocopy) $9.95-60%=$3.98 (US funds)
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Repentance
The author distinguishes between true repentance and legal repentance. Though the
latter may be produced by a fear of God's wrath and lead to reformation of
life, it is an experience which falls short of salvation. True repentance, on
the other hand, is the result of the Holy Spirit's work in regeneration, is
inseparable from faith in Christ, and is evidenced by turning from all sin unto
God. The source, nature, necessity, fruits and evidences of Biblical repentance
are also explored, providing an excellent corrective to the modern, superficial
conception of conversion -- found among Arminians, Romnists, the cults and
those promoting "easy believism."
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The Definition of the Council
of Chalcedon (451) is available on all 30 Reformation
Bookshelf CDs (in the "FREE
BOOKS" file) at http://www.swrb.com/Puritan/reformation-bookshelf-CDs.htm (along with 100 other
free books and articles on each CD!).
A Shot in the Dark
Why the P in the DPT vaccination may be hazardous to your child's health. A
chilling account of just how dangerous the whole-cell pertussis vaccine has
proven to be, providing accurate research into the history of the vaccine's
development and usage. It exposes the roles played by the FDA and the drug
companies. It tells the tragic stories of young victims of the vaccine.
"Builds a case that is cautious, credible, horrifying and outrageous all
at once" noted the San Francisco Chronicle.
(Softcover) $24.95 - 40% = 14.97
Frequency of the Lord's
Supper (1797)
Argues that though weekly communion is most probably the Scriptural frequency
of celebrating the Lord's Supper, pastoral care and a Godly sensitivity is in
order as to this matter. Too frequent administration of this ordinance, with a
congregations that is not "up to it," will bring judgement from God.
Few books exist on this topic, and this one contains much wisdom for leaders in
the church. Original titled: A Letter Addressed to the Community of Old Dissenters...
Concerning the More Frequent Dispensing of the Lord's Supper.
(Rare bound photocopy) $6.99
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Directions of the General
Assembly Concerning Secret and Private Worship, and Mutual Edification, For Cherishing
Piety, For Maintaining Unity, and Avoiding Schism and Division (1647)
The title continues: "With An Act for observing these Directions, and for
censuring such as use to neglect Family Worship. And An Act against such as withdraw
themselves from the Public Worship in their own Congregations." 15 pages.
(Bound photocopy) $9.95-60%=$3.98 (US funds)
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volume 11, 19, and 22
at:
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COVENANTED GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE
CHURCH OF SCOTLAND (Alexander Peterkin, editor)
Records of the Kirk of
Scotland, Containing the Acts and Proceedings of the General Assemblies, From
the Year 1638 Downwards, As Authenticated by the Clerks of Assembly; With Notes
and Historical Illustrations, by Alexander Peterkin (1838
edition)
"The object of the present work is to
present to the public, in a form that may be generally accessible, the history
of one of the most interesting periods in the annals of our National Church, by
the republication of the Acts and Proceedings, at, and subsequent to, the era
of her second Reformation; and, combined therewith, such historical
documents and sketches as are calculated to preserve the memory of an
important, and, ultimately beneficial revolution," notes Peterkin in his
introduction.
This is one of the most valuable
publications we offer related to second Reformation history and the many
important questions that were debated (and oftentimes settled) during this
watershed period -- before, during and after the sitting of the Westminster
Assembly.
The interaction between the Scottish general Assembly
and the Westminster Assembly is most fascinating and instructive -- affording
many insights into the production and development of the Westminster Standards!
It also contains some indispensable information on the Protester/Resolutioner
controversy
(which reveals many valuable lessons for Reformed Christians today), including
excerpts from some lost books and papers written by the Protesting Covenanters.
The excerpts from James Guthrie's The Waters of Sihor, or the Lands
Defectione,
in which Guthrie enumerates the errors of the Resolutioners, as well as the
marks of malignancy, is one prime example. Other
rare Protester documents (inveighing against the "pretended
Assemblies" of the Resolutioners), signed by the likes of Samuel
Rutherford and Robert Traill are also included. Very rare and very
valuable -- a gold mine for the serious student of the covenanted Reformation!
684 pages.
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of Samuel Rutherford and on Reformation
Bookshelf CD volume 11 (for just $US29.95!), at: http://www.swrb.com/Puritan/reformation-bookshelf-CDs.htm.
A Solemn Testimony Against
Toleration and the Present Proceedings of Sectaries and their Abettors in
England, in Reference to Religion and Government (1949-1650)
Here Cromwell, the Independents and the Sectarian Army of England are rebuked
by the Scottish General Assembly for their covenant breaking, declension and
hindering the work of Reformation. This book includes six separate documents,
the final being "An Answer from the Committee of Estates to a Printed
Paper Directed to the People of Scotland, and Signed in the Name of Cromwell
and His Officers." Very rare!
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A sample
portion of this book is also available on all 30 Reformation
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Various Official Acts,
Declarations, Protestations, etc., Concerning the Covenanted Reformation
Contains 24 rare documents from the period 1638-1650. One document, "The
Act of Covenant Renovation" (1880) by the Reformed Presbytery (which was a
faithful renewal of the National Covenant and the Solemn League and Covenant
[adapted to the present time], with a confession of public sins), is added from
outside this period to illustrate the continuing obligations that rest upon the
moral person (civilly and ecclesiastically). Among the seventeenth century
documents we find much (from both the church and the state) that relates to the
central place that covenanting played in the second Reformation. We also find
various authoritative international testimonies against Popery, Prelacy and
Schism (i.e. Independency, Cromwell, etc.), and for biblical covenanted uniformity,
divine right Presbyterian church government, and apostolic worship. Military
documents related to the second Reformation are also added. One proclamation by
Charles I is even included, to illustrate Royalist opposition to Reformation.
686 pages.
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COVENANTED MINISTERS OF SCOTLAND
Sermons in Times of
Persecution in Scotland (1880 edition)
This book (of 674 pages) records some of the most powerful sermons ever put into print, most
being delivered during the "killing times" in Scotland. These faithful preachers were daily in danger of losing
their earthly lives for their testimony to the truth of Christ's kingship
(which they proclaim here) -- and many were eventually martyred for His
covenanted cause. The original title of this book, instructive in
itself, reads (in part), "A Collection of Lectures and Sermons Preached
upon Several Subjects, Mostly in the Time of the Late Persecution. Wherein a
Faithful Doctrinal Testimony is Transmitted to Posterity for the Doctrine,
Worship, Discipline and Government of the Church of Scotland against Popery,
Prelacy, Erastianism, etc.... and a Sermon on the Breach of Covenant by Mr.
John Guthrie." Each set of sermons in this
book is prefaced with a helpful three to six page biographical notice.
The following ministers are included (with the number of their sermons in this
book noted in parentheses after their name): William Guthrie (17); Michael Bruce (3); John Weldwood (4); Richard Cameron (7 sermons and 1
lecture); Donald Cargill (7 sermons and 3 lectures); Alexander Peden (2); Alexander
Shields
(2 sermons and 1 lecture); John Livingstone (1 sermon and 1
sacramental discourse); John Welch (1 sermon and 1 sacramental discourse); John
Guthrie
(1). Includes illustrations and the original preface (written March 19, 1779)
by John Howie
(author of Biographia Scoticana, or The Scots Worthies). An instructive and useful commemorative sermon, "A
Third Reformation Necessary: or, The Piety, Principles, and Patriotism of
Scotland's Covenanted Martyrs; With Application to the Present Times," by
Kerr, preached on the bi-cententary of the covenanting struggle, is also
included. Contains some of the most soul stirring preaching you
may ever read!
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Twenty FREE MP3s of sermons
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Some of these sermons (along
with those by Calvin, Knox, Rutherford, Gillespie, et al.)
have been read on tape and are available for sale (on cassette or
video) at http://www.swrb.com/music/cassets.htm or
as FREE MP3 audio at http://www.sermonaudio.com/swrb.
The Fellowship of Christ's
Sufferings by Alexander Peden, which is one of the free
sermons from this book, can be accessed directly at http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?sermonid=93020483.
Click on the "List entire series" link to view other free sermons
from Sermons in Times of Persecution in Scotland.
The Best of "The
Original Covenanter and Contending Witness" Magazine.
Probably the best Christian magazine available today. Their reprinting of old
Presbyterian writers, and selections from well-known Reformers is unsurpassed.
Includes much material not available anywhere else. A delight for those sold
out for the truth and for all who love faithful, "no punches pulled"
literature. With permission, we have selected a number of articles as a good
representative sample of this work and bound them together in 290 pages.
(Rare bound photocopy) $14.99 (US funds)
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"The
Original Covenanter and Contending Witness" Magazine for all 1993 (551
pages)
(Rare bound photocopy)
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"The
Original Covenanter and Contending Witness" Magazine for all 1994 (551
pages)
(Rare bound photocopy)
$39.95-60%=$15.98 (US funds)
(Hardcover photocopy) $29.00 (US funds)
This book is also available on Calvinism Bookshelf CD volume 9 (3
for 1 CD SUPER SALE) at: http://www.swrb.com/Puritan/calvinism-bookshelf-CDs.htm
"The
Original Covenanter and Contending Witness" Magazine for all 1995 (551
pages)
(Rare bound photocopy)
$39.95-60%=$15.98 (US funds)
(Hardcover photocopy) $29.00 (US funds)
This book is also available on Calvinism Bookshelf CD volume 9 (3 for
1 CD SUPER SALE) at: http://www.swrb.com/Puritan/calvinism-bookshelf-CDs.htm
The Right of Dissent from an
Immoral Civil Government
Maintains the Covenanter position, the great principle of dissent and
separation from immoral civil governments. Argues that mere existence does not
qualify a civil government as "the ordinance of God" (Romans 13:2).
Answers common objections to this position, including how Joseph, Nehemiah and
Daniel could hold office under immoral civil governments. Willson's book, Civil
Government, and Samuel
B. Wylie's softcover book Two Sons of Oil: or, The Faithful Witness For
Magistracy and Ministry Upon a Scriptural Basis (softcover), both give much lengthier
defenses of this position.
(Rare bound photocopy) $3.99 (US funds)
(Hardcover photocopy) $16.00 (US funds)
This book is
also available on Reformation Bookshelf CD
volume 26 (CD SUPER SALE) at: http://www.swrb.com/Puritan/reformation-bookshelf-CDs.htm
COVENANTER
(ENGLISH, UNKNOWN)
Covenant
Renouncers, Desperate Apostates (1665)
In these two letters
"written by a Christian friend to Mr. William Gurnal" we have
"some account how zealous Mr. Gurnal was (once--RB) for that (Solemn
League and--RB) Covenant which he has now renounced" and "an appendix
concerning the Church of England in general." The author warns against the
grievous sin of covenant breaking (i.e. violating the third commandment) and
the closely related sin of occasional hearing (i.e. attending upon the public
ministry of covenant breakers). The title page notes that this book was
"Printed in Anti-turn-coat-street, and sold at the sign of Truths-delight,
right opposite to Back-sliding-alley." 35 pages.
ADDITIONAL
DISCOUNTED SALE PRICE UP TO AND INCLUDING September 13, 2010
(Rare bound photocopy) $3.95 (US funds) [$11 off!]
(Hardcover photocopy) $8.00 (US funds) [$11 off!]
September 13, 2010, OUR
REGULAR PRICE BELOW APPLIES
(Rare bound photocopy) $14.95 (US funds)
(Hardcover photocopy) $19.00 (US funds)
This book is also available on Calvinism Bookshelf CD volume 11 (3
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COVENANTER
(ENGLISH, UNKNOWN)
The
Covenanter's Catechism (1644)
A rare gem printed shortly after
the subscribing of the Solemn League and Covenant and written during the
sitting of the Westminster Assembly. The sub-title reads: "A Brief and Familiar
Analysis and Exposition of the (Solemn League--RB) and Covenant. First
Delivered in Sundry Sermons to a Particular Congregation and Now Resolved Into
Questions and Answers for the More Public Good." Printed at London, it
deals with covenanting in general as well as the specifics of the Solemn League
and Covenant, article by article. 30 pages.
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REGULAR PRICE BELOW APPLIES
(Rare bound photocopy) $14.95 (US funds)
(Hardcover photocopy) $19.00 (US funds)
This book is also available on Calvinism Bookshelf CD volume 10 (3
for 1 CD SUPER SALE) at: http://www.swrb.com/Puritan/calvinism-bookshelf-CDs.htm
(As with all the resources we distribute we do not endorse any heresy [such as Arminianism, Premillennialism, Tolerationism, etc.] which may be contained in them. Portions of such heresies may be found on some of these videos.) Age of the Earth, $29.95 Answers About Creation, $29.95 Creation the Flood & the Ice Age, $29.95 Dinosaurs and the Bible, $29.95 Evolution & the Textbooks, $39.95 Evolution Conspiracy, $29.95 Evolution the Foundation for Communism $29.95 Fingerprints of Creation, $29.95 Fossil Evidence of Creation, $29.95 Grand Canyon Catastrophe (New Evidence of the Genesis Flood), $29.95 Leviathan the Fire Breathing Dragon, $29.95 Science, Creation and the Bible, $29.95 A Scientist Looks at Creation, $29.95 Young Age of the Earth, $29.95
Biological Evidence of Creation
"From a Frog to a Prince" (1998)
"Compelling new evidence that life on earth could not have been created by
random forces... A kiss from a princess can't turn a frog into a prince, yet
evolutionists claim that ancestral amphibians did change into people just by
chance and natural selection. But such major biological change needs new
information: where could it come from? At Oxford University, a prominent
defender of Darwinian evolution, Dr. Richard Dawkins, says the selective
accumulation of lucky mutations can explain it. This view is challenged by
biophysicist Dr. Lee Spetner in Israel, and by molecular biologist Dr. Michael
Denton in New Zealand. Dr. Michael Gitt, and information scientist, explains
that evolutionary process cannot produce new information. And in Australia,
biologist Dr. Don Batten shows there are clear limits to biological change;
frogs will always breed frogs" (from outside video case). A colorful,
professionally produced video.
(Video) $29.95
Plymouth-Brethrenism: A Refutation of
Its Principles and Doctrines (1879)
A one-of-a-kind work written from the Reformed perspective. The author notes,
"I deem it right to state that I attribute to the Brethren no doctrines
they do not hold, that I give ample quotations from their works, fairly
representing all their opinions, and that I confine myself strictly to the
business of refuting their arguments from Scripture. I have followed Hodge, the
American divine, closely, almost verbally, in my treatment of the true doctrine
of the Church and its unity."
(Rare bound photocopy) $39.95-50%=$19.98 (US funds)
(Hardcover photocopy) $34.00 (US funds)
This book is also
available on Reformation Bookshelf CD volume
24 (CD SUPER SALE) at: http://www.swrb.com/Puritan/reformation-bookshelf-CDs.htm
Renewal of the Covenants, National and
Solemn League; A Confession of Sins; An Engagement to Duties; and a Testimony; as
they were Carried on at Middle Octorara in Pennsylvania, November 11, 1743
(1748)
A fascinating Covenanter document proclaiming that "[t]o the Calvinistic
system of principles, and the Presbyterian form of government, this nation (the
United States) is largely indebted for its civil independence and republican
polity. John Calvin and John Knox are the real founders of American liberties.
Their teachings, plainly deducible from the Word of God, were disseminated by
the persecuted remnant of the Church of Scotland, and were generally
incorporated in the structure of American independence." Furthermore,
Glasgow, in his introduction, points out that Craighead's covenanting work
formed a basis for the national Declaration of Independence, which followed
shortly thereafter. "For seven years Mr. Craighead labored among the
Covenanter societies; but failing to receive assistance from Scotland, he
removed, in 1749, to Virginia, thence to Mecklenberg County, North Carolina.
There he became identified with the Presbytery in connection with the
Presbyterian Church. Being thoroughly imbued, however, with the principles of
the Scotch Covenanters, Mr. Craighead taught them to his people around
Charlotte. They in turn formulated them into the First Declaration of Independence,
emitted at Charlotte, NC, May, 1775. According to a reliable author (Wheeler's
Reminiscences, p. 278) Thomas Jefferson says in his autobiography that when he
was engaged in preparing the National Declaration of Independence, that he and
his colleagues searched everywhere for formulas, and that the printed
proceedings of Octorara, as well as the Mecklenburg Declaration, were before
him, and that he freely used ideas therein contained. It is difficult to
determine, therefore, the real author of American Independence. Undoubtedly the
principles of the Covenanters at Octarara in 1743, the sentiments of the
Presbyterians at Charlotte in 1775, and the Declaration submitted by Jefferson
in 1776, contain one and the same great principles. 'Honor to whom honor is
due.'" However, Glasgow also reports, "[h]ence the Declaration of
American Independence was justifiable. But when the newly-born nation ignored
the God of battles, rejected the authority of the Prince of the kings of the
earth, and refused to administer the government in accordance with the
requirements of the Divine Law, then the same loyal Covenanters, faithful to
their principles and consistent with their history through all the struggles of
the centuries, dissented from the Constitution of the United States, and are
justifiable in the continuance of this position of political dissent so long as
the government retains its character of political atheism. We may rightfully
declare our independence of wicked men and rebellious nations, but we cannot
declare our independence of God, and set up a government regardless of His
authority, without incurring His wrath and suffering from His desolating
judgements. 'Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.'" This rare book
contains much that is exceedingly valuable and the section titled "The
Declaration, Protestation, and Testimony of a Suffering Remnant of the
Anti-Popish, Anti-Lutheran, Anti-Prelatic, Anti-Erastian, Anti-Latitu-dinarian,
Anti-Sectarian, True Presbyterian Church of Christ, in America," is well worth
the price of the book itself. With Glasgow, we set this book forth
"[t]rusting that his work will be of historical value to all Covenanters,
and interesting to all other readers," with the hope of "enkindling a
flame of love for the glorious principles of the Word of God, and arousing an
interest in the great work of National Reformation."
(Rare bound photocopy) $4.99
(Hardcover photocopy) $19.00 (US funds)
This book is also
available on Reformation Bookshelf CD volume
27 (CD SUPER SALE) at: http://www.swrb.com/Puritan/reformation-bookshelf-CDs.htm
Aphorisms Concerning the Assurance of
Faith
The title continues: "Designed to Reconcile Differing Sentiments on that
Important Point; and Free Salvation Defended, and Several Common Objections
Answered." 25 pages.
(Bound photocopy) $2.99 (US funds)
(Hardcover photocopy) $15.00 (US funds)
This book is also
available on Reformation Bookshelf CD volume
20 (CD SUPER SALE) at: http://www.swrb.com/Puritan/reformation-bookshelf-CDs.htm
An Elegant and Learned Discourse of
the Light of Nature (1652)
Same as the item listed below, except taken from the original 1652 edition
(without the articles and prefaces added to the later edition) and including
eight of the author's shorter treatises. The extra works found only in this
edition include: "The Schisme;" "The Act of Oblivion;"
"The Child's Return;" "The Panting Soul;" "Mount
Ebal;" The White Stone: or, A Learned and Choice Treatise of Assurance:
Very Useful for all, but especially weak Believers;" "Spiritual
Opticks: or A Glass Discovering the Weakness and imperfection of a Christian's
Knowledge in this life;" "The Worth of Souls." 450 pages.
(Bound photocopy) $99.95-75%=24.99
(Hardcover photocopy) $34.00 (US funds)
This book is also available on Protestant Bookshelf CD volume 26 (3 for 1 CD
SUPER SALE) at: http://www.swrb.com/Puritan/protestant-bookshelf-CDs.htm
CULVERWEL,
NATHANAEL
Of
the Light of Nature (1652, 1862 edition)
"The work
here reprinted is chiefly remarkable on three grounds, as a literary curiosity,
as a monument of philosophical genius, and as a
masterly discussion of the subject of which it treats, hardly
surpassed in the course of British Ethics," write Cairns in his
critical essay prefaced to this volume. Moreover, Cairns continues by calling
this book a "series of most important
utterances upon all the fundamental questions of philosophy and theology... the
theory of knowledge, the theory of conscience, and the theory of faith."
John Brown, in his
preface, notes that "the design of the Discourse of the Light of Nature was, on the one hand to
vindicate the use of reason, in matters of religion." Furthermore,
Brown calls Culverwel "a decided
Parliament-man, and a friend of the Solemn League and Covenant,"
and speaks of his "Calvinism, Puritanism, and
deep spiritual religion." He also calls him "a man of
genius, learning, eloquence, and piety." This is a
classic Puritan resource for anyone interested in advanced ethics, epistemology
or a myriad of other pressing questions related to God's law and philosophy.
353 pages, indexed.
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CUNNINGHAM,
JOHN
The
Church History of Scotland (2 volumes, 1859)
Chronicles
the period from the commencement of the Christian era to the nineteenth
century.
In fact, Cunningham's first chapter begins with Druids in Scotland at the time
that "the Great Founder of our Faith was preaching the gospel of the
kingdom in the cities of Galilee." Concerning the scope of this set
Cunningham writes,
Our best Scottish Histories are confined to particular periods. Indeed, so far
as I know , there is not one which will conduct the student from the epoch of
Christianity to the day in which he lives. This is the task I have undertaken;
but in traversing this long tract of time I have naturally lingered longest on
those periods which are either most interesting or most instructive.
The importance of this title is seen in the following comments,
The Reformation in Scotland was certainly very
complete -- in no other country in the world was it so complete...
Though
Scotland presents but a narrow field, yet the ecclesiastical element has there
had a fuller and freer development than in any other country. What Egypt is to
the man who would ransack ancient temples and tombs, Scotland is to the man who
would study the manifestations of ecclesiastical life... In truth, the Church
of Scotland has had within Scotland a history similar to what the Church of
Rome has had within Christendom. We see the same laws in operation, though on a
smaller scale, and under modifying circumstances. In the career of the one we
can discern the blessings which flow from a pure creed and simple worship, and
in that of the other the blighting effects of a baneful superstition; but with
both there has been the same union and energy of action, the same assumption of
spiritual supremacy, the same defiance of law courts, parliaments, and kings.
The history of either can be traced with equal precision, sometimes blending
with civil history, but at other times diverging widely from it. I know only three Churches whose histories stand thus
prominently out -- the Jewish, the Roman, and the Scottish. Geneva had such a
Church too, but it was only for a very little season.
1209 pages, indexed.
(Bound photocopy)
$199.95-85%=$29.99 (US funds)
(Hardcover photocopy) $49.00 (US funds)
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CUNNINGHAM,
JOHN
The
Ordinance of Covenanting (1843)
This book (of over 400
pages) is considered by many as the classic work on covenanting. Here Cunningham
exhaustively deals with the manner, duty and nature of covenanting (including
personal and social covenanting), the obligation covenanting confers, how covenanting is provided for in the everlasting covenant,
how it is adapted to the moral constitution of man and how it is according to
the purposes of God. If you are interested in the ordinance of covenanting this
is the most extensive treatment you will find in one book. It is a gold mine of
Scriptural references and should be read at least once by everyone who calls
upon the name of Christ. A rare and valuable classic!
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This book is also free online in MP3
(audio) format beginning at http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?sermonID=8605114244
under the title "Covenants & Covenanting."
Church and State: The Biblical View
A compilation of articles from some of the best Christian minds in history,
including Cunningham, Smeaton, M'Crie, Symington, Gillespie, the Westminster
Divines, Bannerman, Owen, and Shaw. This book shows that, generally speaking,
the leaders of the Reformed faith have all come to substantial agreement
regarding what the Scriptures teach about Christ's Kingship over the nations
and the Church. Establishmentarianism is clearly seen to be the historically Reformed
consensus, and this has a huge impact on the way one views both the Church and
the state, in relation to Scripture. Much eschatology is also mingled in with
the teaching on church and state. Portions of these sections deal with some of
the most encouraging promises from God that you will ever read/hear (as related
to the victory that is prophesied to come in history, before the bodily return
of the Lord Jesus Christ).
(Rare bound photocopy) $59.95-75%=$14.99 (US funds)
(Hardcover photocopy) $29.00 (US funds)
This book is also
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23 at:
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Free audio (MP3) of this
book starts at: http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?sermonid=72802135251
CUNNINGHAM,
WILLIAM
Historical
Theology: A Review of the Principal Doctrinal Discussions in the Christian
Church Since the Apostolic Age (2 Volumes)
Two large volumes
totalling just under 1300 pages. The definitive work
on doctrinal history. Compares the
truth to the three major heretical system: Romanism, Socinianism (an old form
of liberalism) and Arminianism. Covers the most important disputes,
focusing in on significant points of controversy in each. The value of this set
should not be underestimated, for it is an antidote against much of the innovative
folly so prevalent in our day. As Iain Murray, concerning human pride
and scriptural interpretation, succinctly points out,
Instead
of beginning with a realization that God in His providence had already caused
His Church to investigate and settle at least the great majority of Biblical
doctrines, the Church, flattered by the supposed possession of superior light,
began to despise the old doctrinal standards and to construct a 'creed' anew,
as though the faith of the previous eighteen centuries counted for nothing. Nor
were the evangelicals free from this plague; even they took up the slogans that
'Christianity is not a doctrine but a life' and that to express the truth
systematically is an abuse of logic -- as though to think illogically was a mark
of true spirituality!
J.J. Bonar
stated that Cunningham's "grasp and vantage of the field of theological
discussion" was "of inestimable value." This set is certainly
one of the most useful items we carry and is much needed in our day.
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A sample from this book,
"Apostolic Presbyterianism," is also available on all 30 Reformation Bookshelf CDs (in the "FREE BOOKS" file) at http://www.swrb.com/Puritan/reformation-bookshelf-CDs.htm (along with 100 other
free books and articles on each CD!) -- and free on the web at http://www.swrb.com/newslett/actualnls/ApoPresby.htm.
CUNNINGHAM,
WILLIAM
Discussions
on Church Principles: Popish, Erastian and Presbyterian (1863)
"Cunningham exhausts his subject... books like this one
will be a tremendous help," notes Credenda Agenda magazine (vol. 6/#3 --
the irony of this statement will be obvious to anyone who understands what
Cunningham teaches in this book and compares it with much that is found in Credenda
Agenda
magazine today).
This was originally
volume four in Cunningham's Works, which also included Historical Theology and The Reformers
and the Theology of the Reformation (both available at
http://www.swrb.com/catalog/c.htm ). Iain Murray
writes that "in the days of Cunningham and Bannerman, New College,
Edinburgh, rose to be the finest theological college in Europe." This book is a good example why. It exposes Romanism, which Cunningham called "the
masterpiece of Satan," spiritual tyranny, false views of the church's
place and power, innovative worship (contrary to the regulative principle of
worship -- Rome's specialty!), and much more! Indexed, 589 pages.
ADDITIONAL
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John Calvin
As Cunningham states, "John Calvin was by far the greatest of the
Reformers with respect to the talents he possessed, the influence he exerted,
and the services he rendered in the establishment and diffusion of important
truth." Here we have a succinct account of Calvin's works and the leading
principles that he maintained. Calvin is without a doubt one of the great men
in all of human history, and as he often pointed out, he owed everything to the
Lord Jesus Christ all his talents, all his influence, his very salvation, etc.
for that is the nature of "Calvinism," giving God all the glory!
(Rare bound photocopy) $4.99 (US funds)
(Hardcover photocopy) $19.00 (US funds)
This book is also
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30 at:
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Leaders of the Reformation (1860)
"The Reformation from Popery in the sixteenth century was the greatest
event, or series of events, that has occurred since the close of the Canon of
Scripture; and the men who are really entitled to be called the 'Leaders of the
Reformation' have a claim to more respect and gratitude than any other body of
uninspired men that have ever influenced or adorned the church," says
Cunningham. This book explains why this is so.
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(Hardcover photocopy) $19.00 (US funds)
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17 at:
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The Reformers and the Theology of the
Reformation
A full, sound and judicious volume. Covers, in 615 pages, the major
"movers and shakers" of the Reformation, as well as their teaching
and the amazing results that followed. Assurance, the Sacraments, and
Arminianism are all dealt with, plus much more. Cunningham was Professor of
Church History at New College in Edinburgh and committed to his colleagues,
James Buchanan and James Bannerman, the Manuscripts for this work shortly
before his death. His love for Reformation studies can be seen in the following
quotation: "The Reformation from Popery in the sixteenth century was the
greatest event, or series of events, that has occurred since the close of the
Canon of Scriptures; and the men who are really entitled to be called the
'Leaders of the Reformation' have a claim to more respect and gratitude than
any other body of uninspired men that have ever influenced or adorned the
church." Some of the articles contained in this volume continue to be
recognized as landmark studies in the theology of the Reformation.
(Hardcover) $59.95 (US funds)
Sermons (of Cunningham) from 1828 to
1860
When J.J. Bonar had these sermons published in 1872 he wrote, "How far a
volume, with nothing in it but the pith of Genevan Doctrine, - with nothing but
the unrevised Bible and the worn-out Truth, - the obsolete Gospel and the
Common Salvation, - will be appreciated or borne with in this day of
contemptuous revolt from all that used to be most firmly held by the Churches,
it is not easy to predict; or rather, it is too easy. Dr. Cunningham, for the
splendor that surrounds his name, may get recognition; but with his Sacrificial
Theology, and Forensic Justification, and Regenerative Grace, and Definite
Election, it would be vain to expect that he will find a cordial welcome. It is
the palatable in creed, and the brilliant in speculation, which all men are now
going after as in the madness of idolatry." An intensely practical and
theologically precise collection.
(Rare bound photocopy) $39.95-60%=15.98 (US funds)
(Hardcover photocopy) $29.00 (US funds)
This book is also
available on Reformation Bookshelf CD volume
29 at:
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The Westminster Confession on the
Relation Between Church and State (1843)
Chapter eight excerpted from Discussions on Church Principles. Answers the
false claims that the Westminster Divines contradicted themselves on this issue
and/or that they were Erastians. Proves that changes made to the original
Westminster Confession, concerning church and state issues, were in error -
clearly demonstrating why this is so.
(Rare bound photocopy) $3.98 (US funds)
(Hardcover photocopy) $15.00 (US funds)
This book is also
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25 at:
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Summaries
(above) by Reg
Barrow & Others
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Calvinism on Puritan Books for Just Pennies Per Book (on CD)!
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