The sun., 1881-01-16
SOME NEW DooKa


this must be counted tho most interesting OF the
many biographies ofthe great French reformer.
1t was. indeed. peculiarly fitting that the life
OF n man. who was himself at once a think
er and an organizer. should be traced by one
equally convcrsant with books and with Affairs,
and who was. perhaps. tho most distinguished
in tho succession OF Protestant Prime Ministers
Of France. which began with Sully and ended in
our own day with NJ. Waddington. NJ Guizot
waa one OF the few mon qualified to appreciate
each side OF Calvin's achievement. and to
discuss it's political, rs well as is the
oopcal aspects. The fact, moreover. that
| the bographer, though a stanch Calvinist.
was thoroughly imbued with the spirit Of
scientific research and historical criticism.
| insures an austere and Trustworthy verdict on
| Calvin's shortcomings. Il am n Protestant"
says Guzot. =" and for that very reason intend
| to speak principally OF Calvins faults and er-
| rors as Protestant reformer." 1t is to certain
OF bis structures. which, when we bear In mind
| their source, have the weight OF arguments
dJortiori. that we would give special heed.
Guzot acknowledges that when Calvin pro-
claimed the everbal nfallbilty and universal au-
| thority OF the Scriptures ho failed to recognize
| the specific scope and purport OF the revelation
| which they offer. Tho biographe er does not hes
itnte TO aIirmthat science in all its special and
! manifold departments-astro omy q geology. &C.
| oeraphy. chronology. zoology. botany hlstori-
! cal criticism--al are completely foreign to the
| plan and design OF the sacred writings. The
| aim OF the Bible Ia theoretical and ethical. but
| in no other sense educational; it propounds
| certain doGmas concerning the nature Of the
| Supreme Being and his relation toward created
things; 1t defines the duties of man toward
| God ard toward his fellow men but that is all.
| The expansion OF science Is n fruit OF the hu-
man intellect only to be ripcncd by the accu-
mulative toll OF many generations. II. then.
We find statements in the Bible which arc op-
posed to the established truths OF science this,
says Guz0t. is not the word of God; it is the
language Of the Biblical writer's which neces-
snrily reveals the measure OF their knowledge,
or rather oftheir Ignorance IL isthe medium in
which they thought. and In which they had TO
speak to others. iftheir contemp porarics we're to
understand what was said. Now. ii is a mistake
to affirm that Calvn's error on this head ia COM
petely excused by a prevailing backwardness OF
scientific and historical criticism in his age. The
great critics OF the seventeenth century. of
whom Bayle is the best known. were not the
first to show that the verbal infallibility OF the
Scriptures lie an untenable doctrine. The truth
was plain enough to some OF Calvin's cottem-
poraries. 10 Erasmus and Rabelais. for exam
pie. and had been recogp ICED almost q century
earlier by Eneas Syvus. Had Calvin been a
great scholar. had he really mastered even the
circumscribed knowledge Of his time he might
have escaped the blunder OF affirming IN un-
necessary opposition between the Christian faith
andthe Legitimate discoveries OF human science
Calvin's second grave doctrlnal error con-
sisted. according to his bioRrapher. in his denial
OF free will and his theory Of predestination
The Genevese reformer. says Guizot. was much
moro engrossed in speculations concerning God
than In the observations OF mans mind. He
describes the Deity as IL he know him thor
oughly. and had exclusive possession OF him.
He then summons man into the presence OF tho
supreme pelns' anu ea,iiiy REJECTS "ny'hlhe IN
ha La, .s,,.,,..,1 a,,, .a,I.a,, ~ ,, -
,,,, =. - -. -, -. -, ~
i.o,ono;IahIn LII, his - ,,,.ia, 60
o,uni,,o.ano. w., i.,,aa ,.,a.aao 80
u.naast,n.,;o,, :, ~ ,h;,,I.s -, aa..m"-
7, 10 aoa.oa,, ,',,o,.oo.,. NJ 60 -.
,ho ooha,,,a. aa,;.n,., e. ~. -. - 49,.
oo.a ~ 81, =. 80. ,s,,ist rnI..,. -,
incon,no,,hIa ua in.is,a so,,a,,o. -, -,
lo,,n, froo ri, a. . ,oo, -, .orsoio,ano.s 49,,
conro, s.o bov, Ca,,;n oo,,,a - t.iIaa :. A.
~. s.r,o I.S no s;,.on AZ .,,nn,,o. ~ " y, w
o,, instood -, a1a,I,,,, -, ano.,,I.,,,'s -,
t,oiir MISREPRESENTATION Il 49, ,ha a',.t'
th. "Ino no,,mtas ;, haa ,ra ~, -. ,.n. "
ner,ac, rndorst.r5in,, - -, r,,,, ha.,,s. h.. ,ro
feased to tnow and unders,nna too much shou,
God.n
T, ,,o ,.,.,o =, ,,o .,o-., ,,
ont how tb. ,wo .na,v,o,;na arrors ,,,on,,o,,os
of,oc,ad C,Ir,,,s nonano, G. -, a.. -.
cra5;,oh,. 60, oou,n,I,,oa b., ~. so,o.o
~ ao,,h, on,;,,o, 80 hi. 80, .Ls...,.I
disnositto,. no ,oo,,ad ann,na,hn o.. - ~ A.
g.neraI and ba NOT onlv failsd 10 .vinoa Yn,n.
nonimi,v hu, sometimes oysn ;rs,ioa % hIs
enemy Tho convic,iopa howav.r uhioh ho
beId 40 ermIv and had svstama,ivs1 with oroh
o,.n aroIarao,v cbaroeahla with tho oocosionoI
saveritv and in;nstice NJ hls bnbnvior II doss
NJ, - :. that cn,,,n svs- sa,,
'oi instance ;.,.rd.
d,,,;",. .Se y. 10 ~ ~ us So,iis, oMn
no his ri,,ht o,S J,,,,, ~ s,,,.,soas horo
hrrnin, ,ho h-ra.ia a,,,.o aa einoo'ir .s e..
80. ha,, ~ 49, .,'., =, 49, ,,,,,,, a.iri,,
Guizot does not attempt to palliate Calvin's ac-
ton in this matter. or to deny that he was as
completely responsible for the martyrdom OF
the Spanish reformer MS were the mon who
stoned Stephen. calling upon God" We may
remind the reader that Seryetus was unita-
ran. so far az his views regarding the dogma
OF the Trinity was concerned, nut that the ken-