Did Calvin confess Christ?

We do know that he really wanted to see Michael Servetus burned at the stake.

 

Really? Then why is there a letter from Calvin to the city council asking that that method of execution not be used because it was too cruel?

And why did he warn Servetus to stay away from Geneva, because if he came there he would surely be prosecuted as a heretic?

And why did Calvin visit Servetus in prison and beg him to recant his heresies?

 

I don't think he wrote much about his personal life, so I'm not sure you'll find what you want.

 

Really? Then why is there a letter from Calvin to the city council asking that that method of execution not be used because it was too cruel?

And why did he warn Servetus to stay away from Geneva, because if he came there he would surely be prosecuted as a heretic?

And why did Calvin visit Servetus in prison and beg him to recant his heresies? </font>[/QUOTE]So we are to believe that Calvin sympathized with poor Michael and mercifully came to his defense right?

 

It depends on what you mean by sympathize. If you mean, did Calvin care about Servetus's eternal fate and mercifully spend much time and energy trying to get him to stop forcefully denying the Trinity, then Calvin sympathized with him.

If you mean did Calvin deplore the method of execution that Servetus was sentenced to and try to get the city to use a more humane method, they Calvin sympathized with him.

If you mean did he care enough about Servetus to warn him to stay away from Geneva because if he came there he'd be prosecuted and sentenced to death then Calvin sympathized with him.

If you mean did Calvin argue that Servetus's heresy ought not be prosecuted under the laws of Geneva or that Servetus ought not be sentenced under the laws of Geneva, or that Servetus was in the right, then no, he didn't sympathize with him.

Calvin was a man of his times. He committed the sins of his times. There is no city state at that time that did not try and sentence heretics. Even the anabaptist were not yet pacifists, so Munster was not a good place for an unbeliever to be either. Almost every city state in Europe would have executed Servetus if he had showed up there and preached his heresy. Geneva was just the one he showed up in, and the one he preached in, even though he'd been warned to stay away.

These are the historical facts. There is a paper trail that proves these things.

I will agree with you that this is wrong. Very wrong. What I hate to see is the historical facts twisted and exaggerated (or ignored) because it suits one's argument better.

 

Hi Russel;

A witness of Christ who has no testimony! That seems really strange. I read where he said that apart from the Catholic Church there is no Salvation.
May Christ Shine His Light On Us All;
Mike

 

I'm pretty sure he has a testimony. All I'm saying is that you might not find the exact testimony of his conversion in the books of his that we have, because they are not personal in nature. If you died today, would someone 500 years from now be able to find your testimony in books you wrote? Does whether they can or not have any bearing whatsoever on whether or not you have one?

Can you find the source of that quote?

Calvin, BTW, was AGAINST the Roman Catholic church. That's why he's called a REFORMER. That's what's a lot of his writings was--against the teachings of the RC church.

 

Or WAS he?

 

Hello El_Guero.

http://www.ccel.org/c/calvin/comment3/comm_vol08/htm/vi.htm
Type 'conversion' into find and it will take you to where he talks about it. It's about halfway down.

Any help?

johnp.

 

Due to long standing forum policy, historical discussions are not carried on here. This thread is about theology, not about history. If you wish to continue this conversation, please carry it on in the appropriate forum.

 

I am guessing the history forum, or perhaps the all other discussions forum. I can move it there if you would like, or you can just start over, or if you have your answer we can just drop it ...

 

Deleted due to being inappropriate for this forum. Take it to a history forum if you want to continue.

[ February 28, 2005, 07:11 PM: Message edited by: Pastor Larry ]