The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-04-18

Stalker, in his life of St. Paul, says, Hut for Paul Christianity would have perished as Jewish sect" We have only to change names to adopt this sentence to John Calvin. and the re- form, for 1t is certain that only the learning and labors of calvin saved the reformation of the sixteenth century from perishing as Roman sect. The followers of Luther stopped short where to hesitate was to faii.
 Luther's attitude toward Rome was only defensive. De 'Aubigne says. .Lutheranism, pnralyxed from the be- ginning of its existence. saw, after the death of Luther. conservatism changed in its own bosom into stag natfon." NfRf
 The Lutheran princes. unfaithfui to the glorious memory of the Edtct of 6piers. vigorously opposed all exten- sion of Protestantism and were only too weli seconded by their theolosi- ans, s&# ts 4sf
 on the other hand. the reformed. led by Calvin. were constantly sending out missionaries. distributing literature and establishing schools. Geneva was ney- or able to meet all the demands for missionaries who should be teachers and pastors in the different parts of Europe. s
 In his effort to propagate the Re- formed faith, Calvin covered the great CT part of Europe with his correspond- ence. So great was his infiuence in France and SO many went from Ge- neva to France as missionaries. that the King. Charles TX, immediately on his accession to the throne. adopted in council and sent to the free city Of Geneva, . statement that all the dis turbances in France were caused by preachers sent from Geneva. and de- ,.rSaA <Aafr raro1l and fhraafnnfa-. destruction to the city If the demand was not needed. The King had been advised that Geneva was the source of ali the insurrections in France. The Pope in ls6I assured the Queen Regent of France. that Spain and Italy would assist. and if she did not want to in- volve all her own subjects in war, she must overthrow Geneva. from whence all the disturbance and evils proceed- ed. tstebbins Life and Time of Cal yin.)s 1%
 1t was estimated, as showing the ex- tent of Calvin's influence in Europe. that more than s.0e0.oo0 in France alone held to the Reformed faith. and that more than 1000 students heard Calvin daily and a large portion or these became missionaries tn. all parts of western Europe. The missionaries encountering in their work. at least. as much. persecution and danger and death as any of our modern mission aries have ever endured.
 ;. The followers of Calvin constitute the maytyr churches of history because they are the mission church Of his- tory.
 How shall we account for this ag- gressive or missionary spirit for which all the followers of Calvin are so pre- eminent in history7 Notice this par allel:
 The .Docfrina of Grace.
 Paul's views of the doctrine of grace made Paul the greatest of all mission aries since Christ and the same doc- trines of grace made Calvin the. great est missionary since Paul. The mar tyrs and missionaries of the first three centuries were almost exclusively the followers of Paul. So the vast major ity, said to be nine-tenths of the mar ters of modern times were the follow CTS of Calvin. The churches holding the Calvanist doctrines were practi- cally the only churches that were mla- sionary and maytyr churches for more
 than two centuries after the death of Luther. If we shall inquire into the, cause of
 this activity in missionary work by the followers of Calvin. we shall find , 1t rests in two great facts intimately related. if not inter dependent.
 The first of these is that this system
 of faith brings every man face to face
 with his personal responsibility to God. All national distinctions, all church re- lations are at once of minor import
 His religion becomes at once to the Calvinist, an individual matter be- tween him and his Maker and Redeem
 CT. His responsibility, first of all, lies
 here. Me is called of God. Such a call from such source makes all | other calls. and all other distinctions secondary. It destroys for him all class distinctions. He Is no longer the
 Kings man. nor the clans man. but 1 Gods man. He is. therefore, responsi. ble first of all to God, "He is CO.,
 worker together with God"
 The Richest Treasure.
 The richest of all treasures tha,
 comes to earth as Gods gift 10 men. is the glorious gospel which Christ | brought, for the worlds salvation. This | gospel Is committed to him in trust, tc
 be administered for the worlds saliva.
 tion. This gospel is committed to hin | In trust. to be administered for ths l worlds salvation. His chief means oi l glorifying God is to fulfill the com.
 mand of Jesus Christ. is to preach thli gospel with which Christ has entrusted l him., To this work not only the com | mands, but the love of Christ con strains him. This word Is In his heart
 as burning fire shut up in his bones | He was weary of forbearing and couit
 not. The present great Payments Mis- l sionary Movement in the world. Is th' beginning of another chapter in th' | history of Calv.n's influence on mis- sions. For 1t Is but the further reali zation of personal obligation to Christ | the sense of which contains subjectior
 to prince and priest had deadened: 1 Full play in second place. for thi! personal element introduced into Cal