John Calvin Quotes
About twenty-four years ago the defendant commenced to annoy the churches of Germany with his errors and heresies, He printed a wretched book, which has infected many people He has not ceased by all means in his power to scatter his poison, as much by his construction of biblical text, as by certain annotations which he has made upon Ptolemy [He has claimed] that little children are sinless, and moreover are incapable of redemption until they come of age; that they do not commit mortal sin up to the age of twenty.
Michael Servetus, 1511-1553, a Spanish theologian, was tried and burned at the stake in Switzerland. John Calvin drew up the charges and pronounced the sentence. However his ill health prevented him from personally officially reading the charges. De la Fontaine did it in his stead. Most people are familiar with the charges of questioning the doctrine of the Trinity. However, before those there were a series of more civilly oriented charges of which sever are given herein. Note the emphasis on his book. It was found do offensive that it was burned along with Servetus. See related quote.
John Calvin, 1509-1564, Lawyer and Protestant Minister, Founder of Calvinism, Nicholas de la Fontaine, *, Some of the Charges Prosecuted Against Servetus, August 14, 1553
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Servetus’ book On the Motion of the Heart and Blood of Animals, was so threatening that of the 1000 copies that were printed only 3 survived the burning including ironically Calvin’s personal marked up copy.
The King, a religious exremist fanatic, was a great supporter of the Inquisition whose excesses were horrible during his reign.
At the time Islam was quite conflicted about the role of innovation, science and reform. Innovators were to many theologians as dangerous to society as heretics and had to be refuted. Al-Ashari’s school of thought has prevailed in much of the Muslim world to this day.
While Aquinas brought much wisdom and good to the Church, this statement and others laid a foundation for murdering non-believers and organizing the Inquisition.
The Church exercised the law enforcement and censorship authority in all Catholic countries. Note the offense of saying anything which is “offensive to pious ears”. The particular example that “offended” the pious was that a heretic should not be executed. These were the cultural values of the day.
This edict gave great support to the Inquisitors of all Catholic countries. See {617572}
This statement in particular was extremely problematical. Sarbi is not just any old Mullah, but the Mufti of Jerusalem, on of the highest ranking Muslims in the World. This statement puts countries like Egypt and Jordan in a very difficult situation as the officials making treaties with the U. S. will be in effect excommunicated.
Whoever teaches differently from what I have taught, … condemns God and must remain a child of hell.
Humility and doubt were not characteristics of Martin Luther.
Ingersoll was considered to be the greatest orator and political thinker of his day, but his overt atheistic views curtailed his elected political career.
Pope Innocent Iii was an interesting combination of primitive traditional Church inhumanity and intolerance for dissent and modern Christian views at the same time. Consider {45387} and {45384} for his proactive tolerance and protection of Jews and {45383} for his intolerance of Muslims and {45382} for his persecution of heretics.
This began the Church's most notorious attack on any dissent or disagreement and it was the start of the Inquisition.
- Born: July 10, 1509
- Died: May 27, 1564
- Nationality: French
- Profession: Reformer, Minister, Author
John Calvin was a French theologian, pastor and reformer in Geneva during the Protestant Reformation. He was a principal figure in the development of the system of Christian theology later called Calvinism, aspects of which include the doctrines of predestination and of the absolute sovereignty of God in salvation of the human soul from death and eternal damnation, in which doctrines Calvin was influenced by and elaborated upon the Augustinian and other Christian traditions. Various Congregational, Reformed and Presbyterian churches, which look to Calvin as the chief expositor of their beliefs, have spread throughout the world.
