Regional Synod of Canada - Reformed Church in America

Pioneer Christian Monthly

Date - Oct/77

Contributor - Harvey Van Farowe

Title - Tributes to John Calvin

Topic - John Calvin

The name of John Calvin 15091564, is not strange to our ears. We who have had rootage or responsibility in Reformed Churches have heard or mentioned it many times. And it is understandable and right that this is the case. For Calvin was raised up by our Lord for spiritual leadership and teaching, not only for his day but for later centuries. His conversion was not by chance nor was his ardent desire to do the will of God or his great ability, for example in explaining the Scriptures. He was "a man sent from God" as was an earlier John in biblical days.

Because he has been one of God's greatly used servants and because he had and still has so much to contribute, we should know about John Calvin the more. Schaff wrote, "he improves upon acquaintance. Those who know him best esteem him most". Indeed I am sure that most Christians, even of the Reformed branch, know this great reformation leader far too poorly. And some are even in danger of losing sight of things they do know of him. There exists the danger of losing more of our Caivinistic heritage. And in this connection, let it be said that Calvin was a "biblical theologian" and scholar He was devoted to - and loved scripture.

In this article I will pass on some tributes to Calvin that are quoted by Schaff in his History of the Christian Church, Volume VIII. Through these, even those who don't know Calvin can get an idea of the worth of this giant of the Reformation time and the high esteem in which he has been held. And those who know something of him can gain an increasing appreciation for him. These tributes are not all from individuals who were friends of him or of like theological persuasion. Some were of a different theological camp or even doubtful of the Christian faith which makes what they say of Calvin all the more remarkable. It has been informative & inspiring to read them and I share parts of a few of them.

The first is from Theodore Beza, who knew and worked with our subject. Beza wrote, "I have been a witness of Calvin's life for sixteen years, and -I think I am fully entitled to say that in the man there was exhibited to all the most beautiful example of life and death of the Christian

Ernest Renan, a later French historian, and himself "a skeptic" called Calvin "the most Christian man of his century". Another later French writer, Pierre Bayle, also of skeptical bent, wrote, "that , man who had acquired so great -a reputation and so great an authority should have had only a hundred crowns of salary, -and have desired no more, and that after having lived fifty-five years with every sort of frugality, he left to his heirs only the value of three hundred crowns, including his library, is a circumstance so heroical, that one must be devoid of feeling not to admire.

Further, on Calvin's character, a German scholar, Dr. I. Dorner, said, "Calvin was equally great in intellect and character, lovely in social life, full of tender sympathy and faithfulness to friends, yielding and forgiving towards personal offences, but inexorably severe when he saw the honour of God obstinately and malignantly attacked". And a Lutheran, Dr. Kahnis, told how "the fear of God was the soul of his piety, the rock-like certainty of his election before the foundation of the world was his power, and the doing of the will of God his single aim, which he pursued with trembling and fear........

On this fear of God being a strong motivation of the French reformer, it is said that this was ,not a slavish fear" but a principle similar to that which moved the Old Testament prophets. It could also be compared to a reverent fear of a son for a father. Schaff comments that true "Calvinists fear God and nothing else. In their eyes, God alone is great; man is but a shadow. The fear of God makes them fearless of earthly despots". I am afraid many are not in possession of such a fear of God anymore. Yet both the Old and New Testaments speak much of this. For example, Acts 5 declares that when Ananias fell down dead after lying to Peter and to God, "great fear came upon all who heard of it".

Calvin, though not as naturally bold as Luther, and indeed rather fearful in natural tendency, yet could be bold out of obedience and inner strength and conviction. And a 19th century American theologian, Dr. Henry Smith, said that "Calvin's system of doctrine and policy made men strong against the attempted interference of the secular power with the rights of Christians. It gave courage to the Huguenots; it shaped the theology of the Palatinate; it prepared the Dutch for the heroic defense of their national rights and everywhere it has led the way in practical reform". Thus, true biblical Calvinism is strong and can be helpful in our day too when the powers of Communism and secularism and evil in many forms are ever present and threatening clouds on the horizon.

Tributes to Calvin's gifts of exposition of Scripture also are frequent. An English church leader. Archdeacon Julius Hare, believed that Cal-vin',s commentaries keep much closer to the text (than Luther's) and make it their one business to bring out the meaning of the words of Scripture with fullness and precision. This they do with the excellence of a master richly endowed with the word of wisdom and with the word of knowledge . . . . . Another Englishman, Bishop Hall, wrote of regarding Calvi, "among the best interpreters of Scripture since the Apostles left the earth". Even James Arminius, the founder of Arminianism, a theology at variance with Calvinism, wrote, "next to the study of the Scriptures which I earnestly inculcate, I exhort my pupils to peruse Calvin's Commentaries, which I extol in loftier terms than Helmich himself (a Dutch divine); for I affirm that he excels beyond comparison in the interpretation of Scripture and that his commentaries ought to be more highly valued than all that is handed down to us by the library of the fathers;

Tributes like these should make Reformed people humbly grateful that they have the valued heritage of Calvinism. It should stimulate us to become better acquainted with Calvin's writings and with the Scripture he studied so diligently and loved; and it should make any honest person who is naively critical of Calvin or the Reformed perspective think twice before he dismisses them. Let him rather first study and "search the Scriptures" and seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit as Calvin did.

This is not to imply that Calvin was some kind of a super being. He was a man and subject to temptations such as are "common to man". But he was a man providentially raised up of God with remarkable usefulness for his time and for succeeding centuries. We can be enriched so much from what he has left us.

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