The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1909-10-29
CALVIN AND HIS TIMES
By Rev. JOHN GARTH.
Continued from last week.

any warlike duke or king.
Such was Geneva at this period. AL
ready reformers like Vinet, Beza and
Farel had arrived and were preaching
the pure gospel OF faith announced by
Martin Luther and were struggling with
the situation in this wicked place.
The people, given over to sin, were
tired even Of their Catholic Bishop, and
for that reason welcomed the reformed
doctrines as opposed to the tyranny Of
priests.
1t was during this conflict that Calvin
appeared that day as transient guest
of Farel. Borne into the fray by Farel IS
earnest words, Calvin was welcomed by
the Genevans as a vigorous champion
whom they could oppose to the Bishop.
1t was not religion they wanted, not
they, but freedom from yoke they de-
spised and liberty to do as they pleased.
Picture to yourself the appearance of
this thin, vigorous, pious, severe man in
Geneva in the midst of gayety and re-
ligion. introduced by Farel, the peo-
pie received Calvin with open arms.
His outward following became immedi-
ately larger host. But while Calvin
was opposed to Catholicism he was also
opposed to sin, and soon took up the
cudgel against it, and the citizens be-
gan to feel the weight of his righteous
hatred OF depravity. He preached some
severe sermons against the prevailing
vices of Geneva, and to him all games
OF chance, swearing, worldly amuse-
ments, were horrible sins, as well as
adultery and murder.
Calvin threw himself against mighty
tide of pleasure-loving, immoral men
and women, and they, being the princi-
pal citizens, did not enjoy his denunci-
ations and prophecies. One Sabbath
in 1888 he drove them back from the
communion table with these words:
You are not worthy to partake of the
Lords body, You are just what you
were before. Your sentiments, your
morals, your conduct are unchanged. "
1t was too much. They arose in wrath
and drove their teachers out of the city,
Calvin and Farel barely escaping with
their lives.
The next three years Calvin spent at
Strasburg, preaching to the French
church and pursuing his studies, while
Geneva settled back on her lees of in
EQUITY. But at last the city grew so
wicked that they said none but the iron
hand of Calvin could control it, They
sent committee after committee invit-
ing him back and offering him supreme
power. At last Calvin yielded through
a sense of duty and went, back back to
Geneva and became the dictator of the
city.
Calyin's idea of church and state
was of a community ruled in civil and
-eligious life by the fear of God as its
'uling principle. His own fear and rev.
arence for God were in absolute control
If his own life, and if he be ruler they
must prevail among those subjects to
lim, and not only a theory but ne
,essity drove the Genevans to give Cal
lin chance. Geneva became the refuge
or all sorts of people. The Catholics
ried to regain control, and none but
N iron hand could rule and have peace. n
Jalvin inaugurated his system on Jan II
lary 5, 1912. L
The worship of God was to be simple .
nd unceremonial in a building with !
10 ornaments or pictures, affairs or dec 4
rations The church discipline was to
egulate the daily life of every individ- :,
al from the cradle to the grave No
oisy games, games of chance, dane :,
ng, swearing, theatricals, profane songs, !,
lere allowed Church going and Sab n
ath keeping were strictly commended -,
nd Calvin lectured every day every n
ther week on the duties Of life. The u
loral police, the pastors, teachers, i;
Iders and deacons regulated the lives :,
the people, and all offenders were :,
rought before the consistory of six
astors and twelve elders. No citizen n,
lust be away from home after p. m. fo
dultery, formerly punished by few ia
ays' Imprisonment, was punished with til
cath. OF
The constitution of church and state :,
as complete and Calvin was the soul !,
it all. Teacher, preacher, pastor, -
ctator, law-giver, administrator, every p,
W, every public act, had the stamp of i
is personality on it, and it was neces- al