Calvin in His own Words Concerning Anabaptist

B Dwayne Hinson shared a link. 7/20/21

Calvin in His own Words Concerning Anabaptist Calvin, John (1509-1564) – GAMEO

On 21 January 1546, Calvin wrote to Farel in Neuchâtel that he had just met an Anabaptist Belot in Geneva. The letter also throws light on Calvin’s attitude to the Anabaptists at that time. He says, “In these days an Anabaptist, when he was laying out foolish writings publicly for sale, was at my instigation arrested. You of course know the nature of these people from experience. But I have never been aware of such wild defiance before. Although I first addressed him politely, as is my custom, it did not suit him for a moment to talk otherwise with me than if he were dealing with a dog. When they led him to the city hall, he at once wanted to sit beside the first syndic; when he was turned away from there, he gave himself with raised head and rolling eyes the majestic aspect of a prophet and answered if it suited him with a few words the questions directed to him; frequently he was altogether silent. A dispute then arose between us on swearing. When I asked him if the law of the Lord did not give us directions for living, he uttered the horrible dogma of the Anabaptists: The Old Testament is done away! I quoted the words of Paul. All Scripture is profitable, that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works (2 Timothy 3:16, 17). I insisted that he answer; but not a word could I get out of him. Therefore I now explained this entire question, so that everyone might recognize the invincible ignorance of this man together with his equally great impudence. When he saw himself thus pushed, he uttered the usual frivolous phrase of the sectarians, that no man has a more comfortable life than the parsons. I answered with a few words, not so much to defend our class as to ward off the boldness of this beast. Then he called me covetous. This produced general laughter; for all knew that I had just this year refused a large personal salary and indeed so seriously that I assured them under oath that I would not preach another sermon if they did not leave off. They knew too that I had not only refused such extraordinary generosity, but had even returned some of my regular salary, not less than 20 crowns. And so he was attacked by all with abusive terms. I answered modestly, he would probably be rich in my position; it was no sign of avarice if I am poor with all the opportunity of becoming rich; but he could be accused by me on a matter of life and death, namely of theft; if he denied it I would offer my head for punishment for slander if it were not true. For it was certain that he was selling broadsheets for two and a half sous which had cost him four deniers. And it was not due to a fixed tax that he sold them so dearly. When he was silent as usual I began to talk about the sinlessness of the Anabaptists. When he had sufficiently shown his defiance, he was expelled from the city. Two days later, when he was again seized in the city, he was beaten, his books publicly burned, and he himself was told not to come again, on penalty of the gallows. This is a man or rather a beast of desperate wickedness.” [From Global Anabaptist Mennonite website gameo.org/index.php?title=Calvin,_John_(1509-1564)]Consider the heresy of applying the Old Testament Economy to the New Testament Church. Calvin writes, “. When I asked him if the law of the Lord did not give us directions for living, he uttered the horrible dogma of the Anabaptists: The Old Testament is done away!”First understand that the New Covenant (Testament) requires more than the law which we understand from Jesus’ teachings to the first church in Matthew 5:21-48. But neither was a means of salvation but rather an obedience to God demanded of the saved after salvation. Secondly, In the Old Economy there was the unity of church and state, now in the New Testament (Covenant) Economy there is a separation of the church and state. Calvin is continuing the Catholicism of church and state unity and his whole doctrine is rooted and founded in the foundation of church state marriage. This is clearly found in many of his writings. The confusion that reigns in dealing with Calvinism is the fact that the system is built on a church state marriage and we do not live under that civil authority in the US therefore the attempt to apply the system falls apart. This comes from Augustine of Hippo, the foundation of Catholicism and is Catholicism under a new name.Calvin believed salvation was in the church and apart from the church was no salvation. From the gameo website article we find “Three weeks later, on 26 February Calvin wrote to Farel, “Hermann has, if I am not mistaken, in good faith returned to the church. He has confessed that outside the church there is no salvation, and that the true church is with us; therefore, it was apostasy when he belonged to a sect separated from it; for this misstep he asked forgiveness.”Calvin and Augustine hated Baptist doctrine and their doctrine is not nor has ever been Baptist doctrine.There is much more that could be documented concerning Calvin’s hatred of Baptist doctrine.

GAMEO.ORGCalvin, John (1509-1564) – GAMEOJohn (Jean) Calvin, the great reformer, was born at Noyon, Picardy, France on 10 July 1509 and died 27 May 1564 at Geneva. His father, a lawyer, was a respected man, and his mother, the daughter of a well-to-do councilor in Noyon, was a pious woman, who implanted in the talented boy’s receptive mind… Calvin, John (1509-1564) – GAMEO