Featured Lies About John Calvin Refuted

"From the time that Servetus was convicted of his heresy I have not uttered a word about his punishment, as all honest men will bear witness." (Calvin :Opera,V111,p. 461)

"For what particular act of mine you accuse me of cruelty I am anxious to know. I myself know not that act, unless it be with reference to the death of your great Master, Servetus. But that I myself earnestly entreated that he might not be put to death his judges themselves are witnesses, in the number of whom at that time two were his staunch favorites and defenders." (Calvin's Calvinism :Treatises on Predestination,p. 346)

In a letter to Farel,October 26,1553:"We have done our best to change the kind of death,but in vain. I shall tell thee when we meet why we had no success."

Melanchthon wrote to Calvin almost a year after the execution saying:"I affirm also that your magistrates did right in punishing, after regular trial, this blasphemous man."

Dr. Emile Doumergue (1844-1937) :"The sentence of condemnation to death was pronounced only after consultation with the Swiss churches, several of which were far from being on good terms with Calvin (but all of which gave their consent)...Besides, the judgment was pronounced by a Council in which the inveterate enemies of Calvin, the free thinkers, were in the majority." (From an article --What ought to be known about Calvin,in the Evangelical Quartlerly,Jan.1929)

 

Well, to a certain extent. He was a workhorse. He didn't take care of himself as he ought. He was quite selfless in the service of others. He ate little and slept too little. A number of his sicknesses were probably inherited though.

 

Quotes From Philip Schaff

"Upon the whole, the verdict of history is growing in favor of Calvin. Those who know him best esteem him most. All impartial writers admit the purity and integrity, if not the sanctity of his character...He may be called the Christian Elijah."

"He must be reckoned as one of the greatest and best men God raised up in the history of Christianity."

"He improves upon acquaintance."

 

Dr. William Cunningham (1805-1861) :"Calvin is the man, who next to St. Paul, has done most good to mankind."

Philip Vollmer (1909) said:"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."

Richard Baxter (1615-1691) :"I know no man, since the Apostles' days, whom I value and honor more than Calvin, and whose judgment in all things, one with another, I more esteem and come near to."

 

Boy you take offense so easily. I said in his teaching-style he was probably more like Jonathan Edwards. How you can mistake that for someone from the charismatic movement is ludicrous.

He was not unpersonable, but to call him 'personable' might be stretching it.What drew the crowd was the solidity of his bible expositions --not his magnetic personality!

Yes. I know him much better than you for instance. I have read a number of his works,including his letters. And I have read quite a number of books about him as is evidenced in my threads on the man of Geneva.

You can't even keep it straight when you profess to know the thesis of Dr. Richard A. Muller who is an expert on Calvin. For you to lecture me is preposterous.

When you want to come up with a score of godly scholars who come to completely different conclusions about the man --go for it. But remember this,as Daniel Patrick Moynihan has said:"You are entitled to your own opinion,but not your own facts."

 

A lie is a lie is a lie. There is no lack of factual information that they have at their disposal. They willingly state falsehood after falsehood. That is no way to thrust one's agenda through. Some staunch conservatives here are practicing BHO's methods in this forum. That reeks of hypocrisy.

There is no middle ground on real history when it comes to the life of John Calvin. Some outrageous lies have come from several folks who are banned. But other current members want to leap on the bandwagon of falsehood.

I gave DHK a list of yes or no choices. There is no gray area. If he says yes --he's lying. If he replies 'no' he is being truthful. We shall wait and see.

RM posted an article from the infamous Dan Corner. If folks are so unaware of that man's methods I pity them. But I don't underestimate the intelligence of members here. They willingly post things that are categorically false (with a bit of truth weaved in to make in more presentable.) So when I addressed what Dan Corner posted --it was to him I said :"It's a lie."

 

Here's another one from Dr. William Cunningham in his book "The Reformers and the Reformation" :

"...there is probably not one among the sons of men, beyond the range of those whom God miraculously inspired by His Spirit,who has stronger claims upon our veneration and gratitude." (p.224)

 

You Failed The Truth Test

Absolutely false. Any legitimate Church History book will inform you that Calvin did not become a citizen of Geneva until 1559 --any of them.

You're making stuff up because of your hatred of a fictional figure you call John Calvin.

That's stupid. No legit source, except hate-filled anti-Calvinist websites push that junk of yours.

You've gone off the rails entirely. Rather than saying things that are completely untrue hold your tongue and keystrokes and begin to tell the truth for a change.

Absolutely,incredibly false. You are compounding your prevarications.

You ought to be ashamed of yourself. Lies do not serve to advance your "cause" --whatever that may be.

You have a bad case of truth decay. And as a professing Christian that is troubling. And you are a moderator to boot. That is hard to fathom.

"I truly dislike the hate speech and lies about Calvin. Calvin DID NOT murder anyone. And I will not tolerate lies by 'haters' here." (Dr. Bob 4/25/1206)

Yeah,and I've read them --especially the ones by Schaffer. Have you read my Schaffer quotes?

You are amazingly hypocritical DHK. You ask me to read your sources and yet dismiss mine out of hand. You remind me of Mormons who tell me to read their stuff --and I have. Then,a week or so later thinking they would have the decency to read my biblical literature --no,they read nary a page. There was no reciprocity. You are like the Mormons.

You have intentionally broken the 9th commandment. You are not being a very good example here.

For all this power that you claim Calvin had --if he was such a dictator --calling all the shots in Geneva --how in the world did he, Farel, and company get kicked out of Geneva in 1538? Did he banish himself?!

He was not a magistrate. He held no political office. Most of the members of the City Council who decided the fate of Servetus were enemies of Calvin. These were the Libertines. They hated Calvin. Calvin was not in charge. They decided on the execution of Servetus reluctantly after getting input from the other Swiss churches. Those churches with unanimity said Servetus needed to be executed. The City Council decided to burn him. Calvin wanted the more humane decapitation. His request was turned down.

That's the truth. Your "version" is not factual --it is fantasy. As Christians we are called upon to be truthful. We are supposed to be His witnesses here. Christ is Truth --we should follow the way of truth.