Here
is a list of quotes from the writings of John Calvin (1509 – 1564) that either
do not fit with, or out-rightly contradict central tenets of the theory of
“common grace” and the “well-meant gospel offer.”
[N.B.
These quotes are not intended to imply, however, that Calvin never made
erroneous statements on this subject or that all his writings were always
entirely consistent on these points.]
1.
Against General Blessings and the Delay of Punishment
2.
Against the Theology behind the Well-Meant Offer/The Free Offer
3.
Against the Restraint of Total Depravity in Man
4.
Against Man Performing Good Works
1. Against General
Blessings and the Delay of Punishment
(a)
The theory of common grace equates earthly prosperity with God’s “blessing.”
“The wicked are enjoying many good things … Behold how are blessed they are!”
(so it is said). Calvin, however, in the following, makes a distinction between
prosperity and God’s “blessing”:
“To avoid similar
entanglements, the course which Christian men must follow is this: first, they
must not long for, or hope for, or think of any kind of prosperity apart from the blessing of God;
on it they must cast themselves, and there safely and confidently recline. For,
however much the carnal mind may seem sufficient for itself when in the pursuit
of honour or wealth, it depends on its own industry and zeal, or is aided by the
favour of men, it is certain that all this is nothing, and that neither
intellect nor labour will be of the least avail, except in so far as the Lord
prospers both. On the contrary, his blessing alone makes a way through all
obstacles, and brings every thing to a joyful and favourable issue. Secondly,
though without this blessing we may be able to acquire some degree of fame and
opulence (as we daily see wicked men loaded with honours and riches), yet since
those on whom the curse of God lies do not enjoy the least particle of true
happiness, whatever we obtain without
his blessing must turn out ill. But surely men ought not to desire what
adds to their misery” (Institutes
3.7.8, emphasis added.)
===================================
(b)
Longevity and length of days, according to some, is an evidence of common
grace. God, so it is said, is being “favourable” to the wicked in allowing them
to live long lives, though they deserve to be in hell right now. Calvin in the
following, enlightens us to the fact that long life isn’t necessarily a “grace”
of God, or a favour at all, but is very often a curse:
“Nevertheless, it can
never be laid down as a general rule, that they who had a long life were
thereby proved to be pleasing and acceptable to the Lord, whereas God has sometimes lengthened the life of
reprobates, in aggravation of their punishment. We know that Cain
survived his brother Abel many centuries ... Moreover, as the miseries of the
present life, which spring from the corruption of nature, do not extinguish the
first and special grace of God; so, on the other hand, death, which is in
itself the curse of God, is so far from doing any injury, that it tends, by a
supernatural remedy, to the salvation of the elect. Especially now, from the
time that the first-fruits of the resurrection in Christ have been offered, the
condition of those who are quickly taken out of life is in no way deteriorated;
because Christ himself is gain both for life and death. But the vengeance of
God was so clear and remarkable in the death of Er, that the earth might
plainly appear to have been purged as from its filthiness” (Comm. on Gen. 38:7,
emphasis added).
===================================
(c)
Calvin in the following attributes divine grace and the blessings of it to “the
children of God,” in comparison to the ungodly, who are under God’s judgment:
“He obviously meant
nothing more than that the children of God constantly flourish, and are always
watered with the secret influences of divine grace, so that whatever may befall
them is conducive to their salvation; while,
on the other hand, the ungodly are carried away by the sudden tempest,
or consumed by the scorching heat” (Comm. on Ps. 1:3, emphasis added).
===================================
(d)
Calvin describes the current situation of the ungodly who live prosperously, as
being in a very dire and sad predicament, and not as objects of God’ grace:
“The meaning,
therefore, is, although the ungodly now live prosperously, yet by and by they
shall be like chaff; for when the Lord has brought them low, he shall drive
them hither and thither with the blast of his wrath. Besides, by this form of
speech, the Holy Spirit teaches us to contemplate with the eye of faith, what
might otherwise seem incredible; for although the ungodly man rise high, and
appear to great advantage, like a stately tree, we may rest assured that he
will be even as chaff or refuse, whenever God chooses to cast him down from his
high estate, with the breath of his mouth” (Comm. on Ps. 1:4).
===================================
(e)
The ungodly experiencing “happiness” is a supposed sign of God’s common grace
and favour, according to some. Calvin, however, describes their condition as
“miserable” and that “happiness” really depends upon one possessing a “good
conscience”—something which the ungodly do not have. Their achievements and success
in life is but an “imaginary felicity”:
“We now see how the
Psalmist pronounces the ungodly to be miserable, because happiness is the inward blessing of a good conscience. He
does not deny, that before they are driven to judgment, all things succeed well
with them; but he denies that they are happy unless they have substantial and
steadfast integrity of character to sustain them: for the true integrity of the
righteous manifests itself when it comes at length to be tried ... Moreover, as
things appear to be here driven about at the mercy of chance, and as it is not
easy for us, in the midst of the prevailing confusion, to acknowledge the truth
of what the Psalmist had said, he therefore presents to our consideration the
grand principle, that God is the Judge of the world. Granting this, it follows
that it cannot but be well with the upright and the just, while, on the other
hand, the most terrible destruction must impend over the ungodly. According to
all outward appearance, the servants of God may derive no advantage from their
uprightness; but as it is the peculiar
office of God to defend them and take care of their safety, they must be happy
under his protection. And from this we may also conclude that, as he is
the certain avenger of wickedness, although, for a time, he may seem to take no
notice of the ungodly, yet at length he will visit them with destruction.
Instead, therefore, of allowing ourselves to be deceived with their imaginary felicity, let us, in
circumstances of distress, have ever before our eyes the providence of God, to
whom it belongs to settle the affairs of the world, and to bring order out of
confusion” (Comm. on Ps. 1:5-6, emphasis added).
===================================
(f)
Calvin, in the following, denies that the giving of good gifts to the reprobate
is a sign that they are objects of divine favour:
“In the same way, the
prosperity of the wicked is taken as an encouragement to commit sin; for we are
ready to imagine, that, since God grants them so much of the good things of
this life, they are the objects of his
approbation and favour” (Comm. on Ps. 73:3, emphasis added).
===================================
(g)
The theory of common grace claims that the seeming “delay” of punishment upon
the wicked is a sign of God’s grace towards them. Calvin warns us of falling
into that error:
“If, on the contrary,
we do not perceive any punishment inflicted on them [i.e., the ungodly] in this
world, let us beware of thinking
that they have escaped, or that they
are the objects of the Divine favour and approbation; but let us rather
suspend our judgment, since the end or the last day has not yet arrived. In
short, if we would profit aright, when we address ourselves to the
consideration of the works of God, we must first beseech him to open our eyes,
(for these are sheer fools who would of themselves be clear-sighted, and of a
penetrating judgment;) and, secondly, we must also give all due respect to his
word, by assigning to it that authority to which it is entitled” (Comm. on Ps.
73:16-17, emphasis added).
===================================
(h)
Calvin states that outside the Kingdom of Christ, the church, is “nothing but
curse”—no blessing, no happiness:
“Here it must also be
observed that blessings of soul or of body are found only in the Kingdom of
Christ, that is, in the Church, outside
of which there is nothing but curse. Hence it follows that all those
who are strangers to that kingdom are wretched and unhappy; and however flourishing and vigorous they may
seem, they are nevertheless in the sight of God rotten and loathsome corpses”
(Comm. on Isa. 65:20, emphasis added).
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(i)
Calvin describes the happiness of God’s reprobate enemies as “evanescent,” and
also that every good thing which they receive as “accursed.” Interestingly, he
also intimates that God is “propitious and reconcilable” not to everyone
without exception, but to “us” (the church)—whereas the well-meant offer
teaches that God, in the gospel, is
propitious and reconcilable to all men:
“Grant, Almighty God,
that though we are continually tossed here and there by various trials, and
Satan ceases not to shake our faith,—O grant, that we may yet stand firm on the
promise that thou hast once given us, and which thou hast also confirmed through
thine only-begotten Son, even that
thou wilt ever be propitious and reconcilable to us, so that we may not
despair in our greatest troubles, but relying on thy goodness may utter our
groans to thee, until the ripened time of our deliverance shall come: nor let
us in the meantime envy the evanescent
happiness of thy enemies; but patiently wait, while thou showest that
the chief object of desire is to have thee propitious to us, and that accursed is every good thing which the
ungodly receive while they provoke thee and make thee angry, until
Christ shall at length reveal to us the real happiness and glory of thy Church,
when he shall appear at the last day for our salvation—Amen” (Prayer after
Comm. on Zech. 1:16-17, emphasis added).
===================================
(j)
In the following, Calvin states that there is no “temporal or eternal
happiness” outside of Jesus Christ, and that He alone is the true fountain of
“all blessings.” The theory of common grace, however, teaches that there is a
grace of God outside of Jesus Christ, in which the reprobate ungodly experience
temporal blessings, and temporal happiness:
“Grant, Almighty God,
that as we cannot look for temporal or
eternal happiness, except through Christ alone, and as thou settest him
forth to us as the only true fountain
of all blessings,—O grant, that we, being content with the favour
offered to us through him, may learn to renounce the whole world, and so strive
against all unbelief; that we may not doubt but that thou wilt ever be one kind
and gracious Father, and fully supply whatever is necessary for our support:
and may we at the same time live soberly and temperately, so that we may not be
under the power of earthly things; but with our hearts raised above, aspire
after that heavenly bliss to which thou invitest us, and to which thou also
guidest us by such helps as are earthly, so that being really united to our
head, we may at length reach that glory which has been procured for us by his
blood.—Amen” (Prayer after Comm. on Zech. 9:17, emphasis added).
===================================
(k) In the following,
Calvin warns us to flee from thinking that God is bestowing blessings upon the
ungodly reprobate in loading them with good gifts, peace, prosperity and what
appears to be a form of happiness. He explains their condition as God
‘fattening them for the day of slaughter’—something which today would earn one the label
“Hyper-Calvinist.”
“Very useful is this
doctrine; for we hence first conclude that many, not only from the world, are
led into perdition, but also from the bosom of the Church: for when three
hundred shall profess to worship God, one hundred only, says Zechariah, will be
saved. There are always among the people many hypocrites; nay, the grains lie
hid in the midst of much chaff and refuse; it is therefore necessary to devote
to ruin and eternal death a larger number than those who shall be saved. Let us then not envy the ungodly, though
their prosperity may disturb us and cause us to grieve (Psalm 37:2). We think them happy; for while
God spares and supports them, they deride us and triumph over our miseries. But
under this circumstance, the Holy Spirit exhorts us to bear patiently our
afflictions; for though for a time the
happiness of the ungodly may goad us, yet God himself declares that they are
fattened in order to be presently slain, when they shall have gathered much
fatness. This is one thing” (Comm. on Zech. 13:9, emphasis added).
===================================
(l)
Calvin states that God in His providence, in causing the reprobate ungodly to
live prosperity, rejoicing, and earthly well-being, is in reality “fattening
them for the day of slaughter.” He would be accused of Hyper-Calvinism for
saying such a thing had he been around today.
“He indeed puts forth
his hand indifferently against his own people and against strangers; for we see
that both are in common subjected to adversities; and if a comparison be made,
he seems in a manner to spare the reprobate, and to be severe towards the
elect. Hence the complaints of the godly, that the wicked pass their life in
continual pleasures, and delight themselves with wine and the harp, and at
length descend without pains in an instant into the grave—that fatness covers
their eyes—that they are exempt from troubles—that they securely and joyfully
spend their life, looking down with contempt on others, so that they dare to
set their mouth against heaven (Job 21:13; Psalm 73:3-9). In short, God so regulates his judgments in this
world, that he fattens the wicked for the day of slaughter. He
therefore passes by their many sins, and, as it were, connives at them. In the
meantime, he restores by corrections his own children, for whom he has a care,
to the right way, whenever they depart from it” (Comm. on I Pet. 4:17, emphasis
added).
===================================
(m)
Calvin explains that good gifts received the ungodly are no sign to them of a
favourable or gracious attitude of God towards them, but rather render them
more inexcusable:
“We must at the same
time observe, that the Jews had their attention directed to the first and chief
ground of confidence, so that they might have some hope of a restoration; for
the origin of all God’s blessings, or the fountain from which all good things
flow, is the favor of God in being reconciled to us. He may, indeed, supply us
bountifully with whatever we may wish, while yet he himself is alienated from
us, as we see to be the case with the ungodly, who often abound in all good
things; and hence they glory and boast as though they had God as it were, in a
manner, bound to them. But whatever God grants and bestows on the
ungodly, cannot, properly speaking, be deemed as an evidence of his favor and
grace; but he thus renders them more unexcusable, while he treats them so
indulgently. There is then no saving good, but what flows from the
paternal love of God. We must now see how God becomes propitious to us. He
becomes so, when he imputes not our sins to us. For except pardon goes
before, he must necessarily be adverse to us; for as long as he looks on us as
we are, he finds in us nothing but what deserves vengeance. We are therefore
always accursed before God until he buries our sins” (Comm. on Jeremiah
33:8, emphasis added).
===================================
(n)
After discussing man’s forfeiture of the good creation around him, Calvin asks,
Why, then, does God still pour out good things to the whole creation generally?
(quoting Matt. 5:45). His answer is that these things, in reality, don’t belong
to the reprobate, but to Christ and His people, and that God gives the ungodly
these things to make them without excuse and to increase their judgment.
“We know that in Adam we lost the inheritance of the whole world, and
have no more right to the enjoyment of common aliments, than to the fruit of the
tree of life. How is it, then, that God not only ‘maketh his sun to rise on the
evil and on the good,’ [Matt. 5:45] but that, for the accommodations of the
present life, his inestimable liberality is diffused in the most copious abundance?
Hence we see, that things which properly belong to Christ and his members,
are also extended to the impious; not to become their legitimate possession, but
to render them more inexcusable. Thus impious men frequently experience
God's beneficence in remarkable instances, which sometimes exceed all the
blessings of the pious, but which, nevertheless, are the means of aggravating
their condemnation” (Inst. 3.25.9, emphasis added).
2. Against
the Theology behind the Well-Meant Offer/The Free Offer
(a)
Calvin says that God’s mercy is offered in the preaching only to those whom He
has predestined to salvation:
“His sole design in
thus promising, is to offer His mercy to
all who desire and seek it, which none do but those whom he has
enlightened, and He enlightens all
whom He has predestined to salvation.” (Institutes 3.24.17, emphasis added).
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(b)
Calvin states that God’s intention and purpose in causing the exhortations and
commands to fall on the ears of the reprobate ungodly, is not to save them, but
to render them more inexcusable:
“What purpose then is
served by exhortations? It is this: As the wicked, with obstinate heart,
despise them, they will be a testimony
against them when they stand at the judgment seat of God; nay, they
(the exhortations of the word) even now strike and lash their consciences.” (Institutes 2.5.10, emphasis added).
===================================
(c)
For the reprobate, Calvin states that the external call is a testimony of God’s
judgment:
“That the Lord sends
his Word to many whose blindness he
intends to increase cannot indeed be called into question. For what
purpose does he cause so many demands to be made upon Pharaoh? … [As far as the
reprobate are concerned, God] directs his voice to them but in order that they may become even more
deaf; he kindles a light but that
they may be made even more blind; he sets forth doctrine but that they may grow even more stupid;
he employs a remedy but so that they
may not be healed.” (Institutes,
3.24.8, emphasis added).
===================================
(d)
Calvin sees the intention of the external call with regards to the reprobate
not as an “offer of actual salvation” but as a sign of his judgment upon human
unbelief. This is even very clear from his discussion of calling:
“There is an universal
call, by which God, through the external preaching of the word, invites all men
alike, even those for whom he designs
the call to be a savor of death, and the ground of a severer condemnation.”
(Institutes 3.24.8, emphasis added.)
===================================
(e)
Calvin responds to Pighius’ claim, based on I Timothy 2:4 and Ezekiel 33:11,
that God desires the salvation of all persons, stating that these passages are
only written for the encouragement of the elect only:
“Now we reply, that as
the language of the prophet here is an exhortation to repentance, it is not at
all marvellous in him to declare that God wills all men to be saved. For the
mutual relation between these threats and promises shows that such forms of
speaking are conditional. In this same manner God declared to the Ninevites,
and to the kings of Gerar and Egypt, that he would do that which, in reality,
he did not intend to do, for their repentance averted the punishment which he
had threatened to inflict upon them ... Just so it is with respect to the
conditional promises of God, which invite all men to salvation. They do not
positively prove that which God has decreed in his secret counsel, but declare
only what God is ready to do to all
those who are brought to faith and repentance. (Calvin’s Calvinism)
===================================
(f)
Regarding the promise of the gift of conversion in Jeremiah 31:33, Calvin
impresses upon us that it is a particular promise, made to some people only,
and therefore actual salvation is not offered to all:
“It is quite certain,
that men do not ‘turn from their evil ways’ to the Lord, of their own accord,
nor by any instinct of nature. Equally certain is it, that the gift of
conversion is not common to all men. Because, this is that one of the two
covenants, which God promises that He will not make with any, but with His own
children and His own elect people: concerning whom, He has recorded His
promise, that ‘He will write his law in their hearts!’ (Jer. 31:33) Now, a man must be utterly beside himself to
assert, that this promise is made to all men generally and indiscriminately.”
(Calvin’s Calvinism)
===================================
(g)
Calvin argues that the proposition that God desires the salvation of every individual
cannot be maintained because not even the external
preaching of the word comes to everyone, let alone the illumination of the
Spirit:
“Now let Pighius
boast, if he can, that God wills all men to be saved. The above arguments,
founded on the Scriptures, prove that even the external preaching of the
doctrine of salvation, which is very far inferior to the illumination of the
Spirit, was not made of God common to all men” (Calvin’s Calvinism)
===================================
(h) Calvin makes it
quite clear that he rejects the concept of a universal atonement—one of the foundations of the
well-meant offer theology. Combating Tilemann Heshusius’ doctrine of the
physical presence of Christ in the Lord’s Supper, Calvin poses the following
rhetorical question:
“I
should like to know how the wicked can eat the flesh of Christ which was not
crucified for them, and how they can drink the blood which was not shed to
expiate their sins?” (Tracts and Treatises of John Calvin, vol. 1, p. 527)
===================================
(i)
In the following commentary on Ezekiel 18:23, Calvin explains in what sense God
can “invite” all men to salvation though He does not wish all men to be saved.
His answer is that in this passage from Ezekiel He promises salvation only to
those that are converted and repent. Calvin then reasons from the truth of
sovereign grace in the work of conversion and also the fact that repentance is a
gift sovereignly bestowed by God alone that, therefore, this passage must be a
promise of salvation only to the elect:
“God is said not to wish the death of a sinner. How so? Since he
wishes all to be converted. Now we must see how God wishes all to be converted;
for repentance is surely his peculiar gift: As it is his office to create men,
so it is his province to renew them, and restore his image within them. For this
reason we are said to be his workmanship, that is, his fashioning (Ephesians
2:10). Since, therefore, repentance is a kind of second creation, it follows
that it is not in man’s power; and if it is equally in God’s power to convert
men as well as to create them, it follows that the reprobate are not converted,
because God does not wish their conversion; for if he wished it, he could do
it; and hence it appears that he does not wish it. But again they argue
foolishly: Since God does not wish all to be converted, he is himself
deceptive, and nothing can be certainly stated concerning his paternal
benevolence. But this knot is easily untied, for he does not leave us in
suspense when he says that he wishes all to be saved. Why so? For if no one
repents without finding God propitious, then his sentence is filled up. But we
must remark that he puts on a twofold character, for he here wishes to be taken
at his word. As I have already said, the Prophet does not here dispute with
subtlety about his incomprehensible plans, but wishes to keep our attention
close to God’s Word. Now, what are the contents of this Word? The law, the
prophets, and the gospel. Now all are called to repentance, and the hope of
salvation is promised them when they repent: This is true since God rejects no
returning sinner: He pardons all without exception; meanwhile, this will of God
which he sets forth in his Word does not prevent him from decreeing before the
world was created what he would do with every individual, and as I have now
said, the Prophet only shows here, that when we have been converted we need not
doubt that God immediately meets us and shows himself propitious.” (Comm. on
Ezek. 18:23)
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(j) If someone had written the following from Calvin’s Calvinism in this day and age, they would immediately be
characterized as a “rationalist.” For Calvin here harmonizes Ezekiel 18:23 with
God’s eternal counsel of election and reprobation, and that, too, in such a way
that he explains the former in the light of the latter. When he explains that
in such passages as Ezekiel 18:23 God promises “conditional life” to all, he
evidently means that through the Gospel God declares that He will give life to
all that repent. And since it is God who must give repentance, in reality He
promises life only to the elect, and to none other:
“All this
Pighius loudly denies, adducing that passage of the apostle (1 Timothy 2:4): “Who will have all men to be
saved”; and referring to Ezekiel 18:23, he argues thus: “That God wills not the
death of a sinner may be taken upon his oath, where he says by that prophet: As
I live, says the Lord, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked that dies,
but rather that he should return from his ways and live.” Now we reply, that as
the language of the prophet here is an exhortation to repentance, it is not at
all marvelous in him to declare that he wills all men to be saved. For the
mutual relation between threats and promises shows that such forms of speaking
are conditional. In this same manner
God declared to the Ninevites, and to the kings of Gerar and Egypt, that He
would do that which in reality He did not intend to do, for their repentance
averted the punishment which He had threatened to inflict upon them. Whence it
is evident that the punishment was announced on condition of their remaining
obstinate and impenitent. And yet, the denunciation of punishment was positive,
as if it had been an irrevocable decree. But after God had terrified them with
the apprehension of His wrath, and had fully humbled them as not being utterly
desperate, He encouraged them with the hope of pardon, that they might feel
that there was yet left open a space for remedy. Just so it is with the conditional promises of God which invite
all men to salvation. They do not positively prove that which God has decreed
in His counsel, but declare only that which God is ready to do to all those
that are brought to faith and repentance …
… But men
untaught of God, not understanding these things, allege that we here attribute
to God a twofold or double will. Whereas God is so far from being variable,
that no shadow of such variableness appertains to Him, even in the most remote
degree. Hence, Pighius ignorant of the divine nature of these things, thus
argues: “What else is this but making of God the mocker of men, if God is
represented as really not willing that which He professes to will, and as not
having pleasure in that which in reality He has pleasure?” But if these two
members of the sentence be read in conjunction, as they ought to be—“I have no
pleasure in the death of the wicked”; and: “But that the wicked turn from his
way and live”—read these two propositions in connection with each other, and
the calumny is washed off at once. God requires of us this conversion or
“turning away from our iniquity,” and in whomsoever He finds it He disappoints
not such a one of the promised reward of eternal life. Wherefore, God is as
much said to have pleasure in, and to will, this eternal life, as to have
pleasure in the repentance; and He has pleasure in the repentance, because He
invites all men to it by His Word. Now all this is in perfect harmony with His
secret and eternal counsel, by which He decreed to convert none but His own
elect. None but God’s elect, therefore, ever turn from their wickedness. And
yet, the adorable God is not, on these accounts, to be considered variable or
capable of change, because as a Lawgiver He enlightens all men with the
external doctrine of conditional life.
In this primary sense He calls or invites all
men to eternal life. But in the latter case, He brings to eternal life
those whom He willed according to His eternal purpose, regenerating by His
Spirit, as an eternal Father, His own children only.”” (Calvin’s Calvinism)
===================================
(k) Calvin admits that his opponents seem to have more reason on their
side when they quote II Peter 3:9 to prove that God wills all men to be saved.
But he nevertheless “unties this knot at once” by calling attention to the
second part of the text stating that God wills that all men should come to repentance. For, he argues, by
this will of God to receive unto repentance none other can be understood than
that which is taught everywhere in Scripture (quia voluntas recipiendi ad poenitentiam non alia intelligi potest nisi
quase passim traditur). And then he argues that conversion is in the hand
of God, and it is proper to ask him whether he will convert all men. But since
it is evident that he does not will to convert all men, it is equally evident
that he does not will that all men be saved, and that the text in II Peter 3:9
teaches only that God wills that those be saved whom he brings to repentance:
“‘God does not
will that any should perish but that he should receive all to repentance’ [II
Peter 3:9 p.]. But the solution of the difficulty occurs immediately in the
second phrase, because the will to receive to repentance can only be understood
in the sense generally taught. Conversion is obviously in God’s hand: when he promises that he will give a certain
few a heart of flesh but leave the rest with a heart of stone [Ezek. 36:26],
let him be asked whether he wills to convert all ... God is said to have
ordained from eternity those whom he wills to embrace in love, and those upon
whom he wills to vent his wrath” (Institutes
3.24.16, 17, pp. 984, 985).
===================================
(l) The “free offer” teaches that salvation in Jesus Christ is available
to all—hence the ground of their “free offer” of salvation. (something cannot
be genuinely “offered” to all unless it is “available” to all, in the first
place).
Calvin, however, denies the universal “availability” of salvation—which
poses a problem for those who like to appeal to him in support of the free
offer—Calvin being the logical thinker that he was:
“the doctrine of salvation, which is said to be set apart for the sons of
the Church only, is abused when it is represented as effectually available to
all” (“Institutes,” 3.22.10)
3. Against
the Restraint of Total Depravity in Man
(a)
The teaching of common grace states that God restrains sin and corruption of
man by an inward, gracious operation of the Holy Spirit (or simply “an
operation of grace”) upon the hearts of men. Calvin, however, in the following,
attributes a restraint of God upon wickedness to “providence”:
“Hence, how much
soever men may disguise their impurity, some are restrained only by shame,
others by fear of the laws, from breaking out into many kinds of wickedness.
Some aspire to an honest life, as deeming it most conducive to their interest,
while others are raised above the vulgar lot, that, by the dignity of their
station, they may keep inferiors to their duty. Thus God by his providence,
curbs the perverseness of nature, preventing it from breaking forth into
action, yet without rendering it inwardly pure.” (Institutes 2.3.3)
===================================
(b)
Calvin, in the following, presents an example of how God providentially orders
the earthly circumstances of life to curb and restrain sin in the lives of men
(whereas the theory of common grace says this is accomplished by an inward
gracious operation of the Spirit). External means are utilized to prevent the
breaking out or manifestation of sin. Note also that Calvin describes God’s
forbearance towards the wicked is a judgment and a curse to them:
“And whereas Rachel died in childbirth,
through the fatigue of the journey, before they reached a resting-place; this
would prove no small accession to his grief. But, as to his being bereaved of
his most beloved wife, this was
probably the cause, that the Lord intended to correct the exorbitance of his
affection for her. The Holy Spirit fixes no mark of infamy upon Leah,
seeing that she was a holy woman, and endowed with greater virtue; but Jacob
more highly appreciated Rachel’s beauty. This fault in the holy man was cured
by a bitter medicine, when his wife was taken away from him: and the Lord often
deprives the faithful of his own gifts, to correct their perverse abuse of
them. The wicked, indeed, more audaciously profane the gifts of God; but if God
connives longer at their misconduct, a
more severe condemnation remains to them on account of his forbearance.
But in taking away from his own people the occasion of sinning, he promotes
their salvation. Whoever, therefore, desires the continued use of God’s gifts,
let him learn not to abuse them, but to enjoy them with purity and sobriety”
(Comm. on Gen. 35:16, emphasis added).
4. Against
Man Performing Good Works
(a)
Calvin, in the following, attributes the preservation of peace and order in
society not to a “grace” of God operative in the hearts of men, but rather to
human means and motives (providence). And though he acknowledges that their
works appear good and right on the outside, yet because they are not performed
to a holy “end/goal” (e.g. the glory of God) all their good works are “sin” and
not worthy of the name “right”:
“Yet what Augustine
writes is nonetheless true: that all who are estranged from the religion of the
one God, however admirable they may be regarded on account of their reputation
for virtue, not only deserve no reward but rather punishment, because by the
pollution of their hearts they defile God’s good works. For even though they are God’s instruments for the
preservation of human society in righteousness, continence, friendship,
temperance, fortitude, and prudence, yet they carry out these good works of God
very badly. For they are restrained from evildoing not by genuine zeal for good
but either by mere ambition or by self-love, or some other perverse motive.
Therefore, since by the very impurity of men’s hearts these good works have
been corrupted as from their source, they ought no more to be reckoned among
virtues than the vices that commonly deceive on account of their affinity and
likeness to virtue. In short, when we remember the constant end of that which
is right—namely, to serve God—whatever strives to another end already
deservedly loses the name ‘right.’ Therefore, because they do not look to the goal that God’s wisdom prescribes,
what they do, though it seems good in the doing, yet by its perverse intention
is sin. He [i.e., Augustine] therefore concludes that all Fabriciuses,
Scipios, and Catos in their excellent deeds have sinned in that, since they
lacked the light of faith, they did not apply their deeds to the end to which
they ought to have applied them. Therefore, true righteousness was not in them,
because duties are weighed not by
deeds but by ends” (Institutes 3.14.3, emphasis added).
===================================
(b)
Many maintain that there is a common grace of God operating in mankind, acting
as a common ground to enable the church and the world to have fellowship,
friendship, and to be joined and united together to fight for common causes.
Calvin, however, in the following commentary on Psalm 1, repudiates the idea of
saints having “fellowship with the ungodly” and maintains that it is the duty
of the student of the word to “withdraw” and “separate” from their society and
company. Note that he also says God’s favour is particular:
“The greater part of
mankind being accustomed to deride the conduct of the saints as mere
simplicity, and to regard their labour as entirely thrown away, it was of
importance that the righteous should be confirmed in the way of holiness, by
the consideration of the miserable condition of all men without the blessing of
God, and the conviction that God is
favourable to none but those who zealously devote themselves to the study of
divine truth. Moreover, as corruption has always prevailed in the
world, to such a degree, that the general character of men’s lives is nothing
else but a continual departure from the law of God, the Psalmist, before
asserting the blessedness of the students of the divine law, admonishes them to
beware of being carried away by the ungodliness of the multitude around them.
Commencing with a declaration of his abhorrence of the wicked, he teaches us how impossible it is for any one to apply
his mind to meditation upon God’s laws who has not first withdrawn and
separated himself from the society of the ungodly. A needful admonition
surely; for we see how thoughtlessly men will throw themselves into the snares
of Satan; at least, how few comparatively there are who guard against the
enticements of sin. That we may be fully apprised of our danger, it is
necessary to remember that the world is fraught with deadly corruption, and
that the first step to living well is to renounce the company of the ungodly,
otherwise it is sure to infect us with its own pollution. As the prophet, in
the first place, enjoins the godly to beware of temptations to evil, we shall
follow the same order. His affirmation, that they are blessed who have no fellowship with the ungodly, is
what the common feeling and opinion of mankind will scarcely admit; for while
all men naturally desire and seek after happiness, we see how securely they can
indulge themselves in their sins, yea, that those of them who have departed
farthest from righteousness, in the gratification of their lusts, are accounted
happy, because they obtain the desires of their heart. The prophet, on the
contrary, here teaches that no man can be duly animated to the fear and service
of God, and to the study of his law, until he is firmly persuaded that all the
ungodly are miserable, and that they who do not withdraw from their company shall he involved in the same
destruction with them. But as it is no easy matter to shun the ungodly with
whom we are mingled in the world, so as to be wholly estranged from them, the
Psalmist, in order to give the greater emphasis to his exhortation, employs a
multiplicity of expressions. In the first place, he forbids us to walk in their
counsel; in the second place, to stand in their way; and, lastly, to sit in
their seat. The sum of the whole is, that the
servants of God must endeavor utterly to abhor the life of ungodly men.
But as it is the policy of Satan to insinuate his deceits, in a very crafty
way, the prophet, in order that none may be insensibly deceived, shows how by
little and little men are ordinarily induced to turn aside from the right path.
They do not, at the first step, advance so far as a proud contempt of God but
having once begun to give ear to evil counsel, Satan leads them, step by step,
farther astray ...” (Comm. on Ps. 1:1-2, emphasis added).
===================================
(c)
The theory of common grace teaches that man, by a work of grace, is enabled to
perform good works in the realm of civil society that are pleasing, laudable
and worthy of God’s approval. Calvin in the following quote, howver, states
that all these remarkable instances of gentleness, integrity, temperance, and
generosity in the unregenerate as “specious disguises” and that only in the
sight of men are they so distinguished.
“In the former part of
the description he condemned the whole nature of man as producing nothing but
evil and worthless fruits. He now informs us that all virtues, all proper and
well regulated affections, proceed from the Spirit, that is, from the grace of
God, and the renewed nature which we derive from Christ. As if he had said,
'Nothing but what is evil comes from man; nothing good comes but from the Holy
Spirit.' There have often appeared in
unrenewed men remarkable instances of gentleness, integrity, temperance, and
generosity; but it is certain that all were but specious disguises.
Curius and Fabrieius were distinguished for courage, Cato for temperance,
Scipio for kindness and generosity, Fabius for patience; but it was only in the sight of men, and as
members of civil society, that they were so distinguished. In the sight
of God nothing is pure but what proceeds from the fountain of all purity”
(Comm. on Gal. 5:22, emphasis added).
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