John Calvin
The Institutes
Ecclesiastical Ordinances, and The Obedience Owed Rulers
THE INSTITUTES
Predestination
Predestination, by which God adopts some to the hope of life, and adjudges
others to eternal death, no one, desirous of the credit of piety, dares
absolutely to deny. But it is involved in many [disputes], especially by those
who make foreknowledge the cause of [predestination). We maintain, that both
belong to God; but it is preposterous to represent one as dependent on the other.
When we attribute foreknowledge to God, we mean that all things have ever been,
and perpetually remain, before his eyes, so that to his knowledge nothing is
future or past, but all things are present; and present in such a manner, that
he does not merely conceive of them from ideas formed in his mind, as things remembered
by us appear present to our minds, but really beholds and sees them as if
actually placed before him. And this foreknowledge extends to the whole world,
and to all the creatures. Predestination we call the eternal decree of God, by which
he has determined in himself, what he would have to become of every individual of
mankind. For they are not all created with a similar destiny; but eternal life
is foreordained for some, and eternal damnation for others. Every man, therefore,
being created for one or the other of these ends, we say, he is predestinated
either to life or to death.[1]…
ECCLESIASTICAL ORDINANCES
The Duties of Elders, or Presbyters
The office of the elders is to watch over the conduct of every individual, to
admonish lovingly those whom they see doing wrong or leading an irregular life.
When there is need, they should lay the matter before the body deputed to
inflict paternal discipline (i.e. the consistory), of which they are members….
The Consistory, or Session The elders, who have been described, shall
assemble once a week with the ministers, namely Thursday morning, to see if
there be any disorders in the Church and discuss together such remedies as
shall be necessary. . If any one shall in contempt refuse to appear before them,
it shall be their duty to inform the [town] council, so that it may supply a
remedy….
EXTRACTS FROM CALVIN’S
REGULATIONS FOR THE VILLAGES
ABOUT
The whole household shall attend the sermons on Sunday, except when some one
shall be left at home to tend the children or cattle.
If there is preaching on week days, all who can must come,—unless there be
some good excuse,—so that at least one from each household shall be present. Those
who have men- servants or maid-servants shall bring them when it is possible, so
that they shall not live like beasts without instruction. . . Should any one
come after the sermon has begun, let him be warned. If he does not amend, let
him pay a fine of three sous [coins]. Let the churches be closed except during
service, so that no one may enter them at other hours from superstitious
motives. If any one be discovered engaged in some superstition within or near
the church, let him be admonished. If he will nor give up his superstition, let
him be punished.
Persecution of Catholics Those
who are found to have rosaries or idols to adore, let them be sent before the
consistory, and in addition to the reproof they receive there, let them be sent
before the council. Let the same be done with those who go on a pilgrimage. Those
who observe feasts or papistical fasts shall only be admonished. Those who go
to mass shall, besides being admonished, be sent before the council, and it
shall consider the propriety of punishing the offenders by imprisonment or
special fines, as it judges best.
He who blasphemes, swearing by the body or blood of our Lord, or in like
manner, shall kiss the earth for the first offense, pay five sous for the
second and ten for the third. He who contradicts the word of God shall be sent
before the consistory for reproof, or before the council for punishment, as the
case may require. If any one sings indecent, licentious songs, or dances … he
shall be kept in prison three days and then sent to the council.[2]
RESISTING
SECULAR RULERS
And even before thee, O king, I have committed nothing wrong. It is clear that the Prophet had violated the king’s edict. Why, then, does he not ingenuously confess this? Nay, why does he contend that he has not transgressed against the king? Because he conducted himself with fidelity in all his duties, he could free himself from every [false charge] by which he knew himself oppressed, as if he had despised the king’s sovereignty. But Daniel was not so bound to the king of the Persians when [the king] claimed for himself as a god what ought not to be offered to him. We know how earthly empires are constituted by God, only on the condition that [God] deprives himself of nothing, but shines forth alone, and all magistrates must be set in regular order, and every authority in existence must be subject to his glory. Since, therefore, Daniel could not obey the king’s edict without denying God, as we have previously seen, he did not transgress against the king by constantly persevering in that exercise of piety to which he had been accustomed, and by calling on his God three times a-day. To make this the more evident, we must remember that passage of f the Apostle) Peter, Feat God, honour the king” (1 Pet. 2:17). The two commands are connected together, and cannot be separated from one another. The fear of God ought to precede, that kings may obtain their authority. For if any one begins his reverence of an earthly prince by rejecting that of God, he will act preposterously, since this is a complete perversion of the order of nature. Then let God be feared in the first place, and earthly princes will obtain their authority, if only God shines forth, as I have already said, Daniel, therefore, here defends himself with justice, since he had not committed any crime against the king; for he was compelled to obey the command of God, and he neglected what the king had ordered in opposition to it. For earthly princes lay aside all their power when they rise up against God, and are unworthy of being reckoned in the number of mankind. We ought rather utterly to defy than to obey them whenever they are so restive and wish to spoil God of his tights, and, as it were, to seize upon his throne and draw him down from heaven.