Featured John Calvin :Man Of The Millennium

By Phillip Vollmer (1909)

I will give some extracts.

"When people speak of calvin's malice,they utter a falshood and contradict all that we know of him." (p.120)

Dr. Ferdinand Piper was quoted as saying:"By weak and inferior minds,and anti-Christian hearts,he has always been misunderstood and hated,even cursed,as Luther also is." (p.138)

Dr. Philip Shaff (not a Calvinst) :"He must be reckoned as one of the greatest and best men God raised up in the history of Christianty." (p.137)

Dr. William Cunningham : "Calvin is the man,who next to St.Paul,has done most good to mankind." (p.134)

John Calvin said of himself:"How groundless the slander is that I am a tyrannical ruler,I leave my colleagues to judge,for they certainly have never complained that they felt themselves oppressed by my power;on the contrary,they frequently object to me that I am too shy,and do not act freely enough when there is need of my exercise of my authority which all regard as beneficial." (110)

 

From the same book:

"Strange as it may seem to those who still cling to the traditional view of a 'heartless" calvin,the circle of his devoted friends at Geneva and throughout Europe increased to enormous proportions as the years rolled by. His extensive correspondence also bears unimpeachable evidence of this." (p.113)

 

From Philip Vollmer's book a chapter dealing with the controversy with Servetus:

"During the trial,Calvin had little to do with the affair besides furnishing a list of objectionable passages from Servetus' writings. The council jealously kept the trial in its own hands. Before rendering a verdict,the court sent copies of all the documents to the Churches of Berne,Zurich,Basel, and Schaffhausen,requestingtheir advice. All reported that Servetus was guilty,and on October 26,the old law,which Calvin neither made nor inspired,was applied. Calvin -- and this is often overlooked --shrank with horror from the infliction of death by burning and implored the council to substitute a milder form of execution. But there were only seven 'Calvinists' in the council,and that body,presided over by Perrin the Libertine -- true to the spirit of the times -- insisted on having its sentence carried out." (p.87)

 

Theodore Beza

"He is charged with ambition --yea,with aspiring at a new popedom --an extraordinary charge to be brought against a man who chose his kind of life,and in this state,in this church,which I might truly call the very seat of poverty." (p.128)

 

Richard Baxter

"I know no man,since the Apostle's 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." (p.133)

 

Why the blasphemy from your keystrokes?

 

From the author's forward

"It was at this critical juncture that the figure of the Genevan Reformer appeared in ever increasing proportions on the horizon of the Church,as the international leader and the organizer of the Reformed forces. In the name of the Captain of our salvation,he stayed the demoralization. 'Peace,be still!' he cried aloud.'Rather death than surrender,' was the parole he gave out. Instinctively,the lesser leaders of the Reformed churches in Great Britain and on the continent rallied about this rocky character,and soon the ship returned to its true course. Thus by keeping afloat and putting in first class order his own compartment of the vessel,Calvin indirectly saved the whole craft of Protestantism. Believing this to be Calvin's place in history,we cannot help loving and revering him.' (xxxvi)

 

You are confused. This thread in this forum has nothing to do with Bible versions. Got that?

 

Paul Henry

"The whole tendency of Calvin was practical;learning was subordinate;the salvation of the world,the truth was to him the main thing. His spiritual tendency was not philosophical,but his dialectical bent ran principles to their upmost consequences. He had an eye to the minutest details. His former study of law had trained him for business. He was a watchman over the whole Church. All his theological writings excel in acuteness,dialectics,and warmth of conviction. He had great eloquence at command,but despised the art of rhetoric." (p.131,132)