The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1876-10-25
JOHN CALVIN CONCERNING @ THE OFFERS
OF THE GOSPEL.

The seventh volume Of 4" The History of the Re
formation IN the Time of CdlUm" has recentl
been issued and is full Of very interesting matte
relating to those wonderful days. Among tn
many things concerning John Calvin, which inter
est and delight the reader, will be found som
statements of his views on subject where he hs
been so much misunderstood and misrepresented
While we would not adopt all that this great theo
Logan has said, yet he aimed to hold fast by tht
oracles of the living God. He grasped the grea
revealed doctrine of pgedestiuation with amazing
strength but at the same time he held as firmly
to the full and free offers of mercy by Jesus
Christ for all men. He did not undertake to ex
plain the relation between these two truths, be-
cause the Scriptures, which teach them both with
equal Clearness, offer uoue We extract the fol-
lowing passage, and commend it to the attention
of our eaders.-(C 5rRAL PRESBYTERIAN
This, then, is s6at Calvin says The
gate of paradise is open to US; the Lord is
willing to receive u.s. What! some will
say, does he give up the doctrine of the cleo
tion of God, and of the necessity of the
operation of the Holy Spirit for the regen-
GRAFTON of man Certainly not. Calvin
believed, in its full import, this saying of
the Saviour-'You have not chosen me, L
haze chosen you' 1t has been acknowledged
by men endowed with fine intellect, who
at the same time did not hold the Christian
faith, that there is an election of God, not
only in the sphere of grace, but in that of
creation. One of them has said The life
of children, who differ so much from each
other, although they spring from the same
stock, and pass through similar course Of
education, is well adapted to confirm the
followers of Augustine in their doctrine.
Minds are not wanting that take offence
every time they hear the doctrine of grace
set forth without disguise. Have these
same minds ever reflected on that strange
fatality which stamps US with mark dis
tinct and deep from our birth and our in
fancy? If these minds are religious, to
what doctrine will they have recourse Ito
explain this) which does not resolve itself
into the doctrine of grace ?'*
Calvin said to Christians, in conformity
with the Scriptures, that it is God who seeks
them and saves them; and that this good
will of God ought to make them rejoice, de-
liuer them from fears IN the midst of so many
perils, and render them invincible IN the
midst of so many snares and deadly assaults
But he makes a distinction. There are the
hidden things Of God, which are mystery,
and of these he says Those who enter into
the eternal council of God thrust themselves
into deadly abyss. Then there are the
things which are known, which are seen in
man, and are plain. Let US contemplate
the cause of the condemnation of man in his
depraved nature, in which it is manifest,
rather than search for it in the predestination
of God, in which it is hidden, and altogether
Il He is even angry with
those who want to know things which it is
neither lawful nor possible to know (predes-
tination).' Ignorance,' says he, 'Of these
things is learning, but craving to knoO them
is kind of madness.'t 1t is singular fact
that what Calvin Indignantly calls mad
ness should afterwards be named CalUinisna.
The reformer sets himself against this cra-
wing as a raging madness, and yet it is of
this very madness that he is accused.
In Calvin there is the theologian, some
times indeed the philosopher, although be-
fore all there is the Christian. He desires
that every thing which may do men good
should be offered to them. But with re-
gard to this dispute about predestination,
he says, by the inquisitveness of men it is
made perplexing and even perilous. They
enter into the sanctuary Of divine wisdom,
into which if any one thruSts himself with
too much audacity, he will get into laby-
rinth from which he will find no exit, and in
which nothing is possible to him but to rush
headlong to destruction. We are not sure
that Calvin did not allow himself to be
drawn step too far into the labyrinth. But
we have seen the deep conviction with which
he declares that the gate of heaven is opened,
that the sUiN of Gods that has grace should
be known to all the world. This ia enough.
*Sainte Beuve, Port Royal iii. p. 4O3.
tInStitution Chretienne, book III. ch xiii SS.
ibid.
Institution Chretienne ch. 81, S1, 2.