CALVINISM. 



m 



CaJvioi-m. uihject is of a local or occasional nature, he seldom 

 V"- fails to edify the reader by general truthi, or to please 

 him by acute reasoning. His controversial pieces 

 are ingenious and powerful, but frequently disfigured 

 by intemperance and coarseness of language. His 

 Epistles are interesting and instructive, and should 

 be read by those who would becom.- acquainted with 

 the history of that period. Sre Bayle's Dictionary, 

 art. Calvin ; Beza in Vit Calvin. ; Senne'iior. Hist. 

 Liter.de Geneve; Culr I-'pist. ; Spon. Hist.it 

 fifve; Drelincourt's Def<iise de Calvin; Ki-tc's 

 Short Account of the Anc. Hisl., Present Govern., 

 and Laws nf the Rep. of Geneva ; M^rus' Paneei/r. 

 de Jean Calvin. ; and App. to Bishop Hot sky's 

 Serm. before the House of Lords in 1793. (T) 



CALVINISM, that system of relig'ous doctrine 

 which was taught by John Calvin, the reformer, and 

 by which he was distinguished from other Christian 

 divines. This definition of the term, indeed, is by 

 no means correct, according to the controversial lan- 

 guage of the day. For we find, in the writings even 

 of men who appear to be learned, and profess to be 

 accurate, certain tenets condemned under the title of 

 Calvinistic, of which Arminius himself declared his 

 most decided approbation ; and certain tenets brought 

 forward under the same title, for which not a single 

 authority can be produced from the publications of 

 Calvin, or of any one of his disciples. Of this there 

 is a remarkable example, in a work lately published 

 against Calvinism, by the present Bishop of Lincoln. 

 In that work, which was applauded by many before 

 they had read it, and which has become the text 

 book of all the Pelagian and merciful doctors of the 

 church of England, the author takes it upon him to 

 make the doctrine of justification by faith a peculi- 

 arity of Calvinism, and to assert, that the Calvinists 

 hold man to be so corrupted and depraved, as to be 

 " absolutely incapable of amendment!" When the 

 most eminent dignitaries of the church are guilty of 

 such misrepresentation, it is not to be expected, that 

 authors of a subordinate rank can be very fr^e from 

 similar errors. Several reasons may be assigned for 

 this misrepresentation. It may be owing to igno- 

 rance. It is not uncommon for controversialists, even 

 of a superior order, to take their ideas of the subject 

 of dispute, not from the correct and legitimate sour- 

 ces of information, but from those vague and distorted 

 accounts of it, which have been adopted without in- 

 quiry, and circulated without reflection. They can- 

 uot know it by intuition ; and they will not take the 

 trouble to make themselves acquainted with it by the 

 ordinary process of reading and investigation. Hence 

 we find very dogmatical language held respecting the 

 tenets of Calvin, by persons who never read a page 

 of Calvin's works, and who either have not been able 

 to quote him at all, or have quoted him only through 

 the medium of others. In this way, erroneous views 

 of Calvinism are propagated, till, according to the 

 progress which takes place in such cases, the system 

 loses some of its rssi-ntial features, assumes other fea- 

 tures which do not belong to it, and thus ceases to 

 have the connection which it originally had with him 

 from whom it derives its name. Another source of 

 the mis-statement to which we allude is, a want of 

 discrimination. Even those who have perused Cal- 



vin's works, that they may learn his sentiments, have Cli 

 failed in risking thr acquisition correctly, because ^ 

 tli'-y have i.ot observed the necessary dutmctions. 

 The Institutes, no doubt, should be retorted to for 

 satisfaction, with respect to Calvinism. But that 

 work i not to be considered as the system itself, but 

 only as containing the system. It i a treatise of a 

 general natur. , intended by its author to give a com- 

 jjl.-te view of the doctrines of the reformed church- 

 es, and to vindicate these from some unfounded aiper- 

 ions, thrown upon them by the adversaries of Pro- 

 testantism. It exhibits, no doubt, the peculiar sen- 

 timents of Calvin ; but it also exhibits sentiment* 

 which were common to all the reformers, and which, 

 therefore, have no title to be denominated Calrinistic. 

 Had this fact been attended to, we should not have 

 found, as we actually find in some works of celebri- 

 ty, the doctrine of justification by faith only inclu- 

 ded under the scheme of Calvin : for it has no more 

 connection with that scheme than infant baptism, or 

 the divinity of Christ, or the unlawfulness of image 

 worship, or any other doctrine which is generally re- 

 ceived among Protestants ; and it has no more connec- 

 tion with the scheme of Calvin, than it has with the 

 scheme of Arminius, as may be seen by reference to 

 the works of that divine. (See ARMIMASISM.) 

 A third cause of misrepresentation in this case if, 

 that partial assumption of Calvinism with which some 

 very respectable divines are chargeable. They agree 

 with Calvin in the greatest number of his peculiari- 

 ties ; but there are certain of these to which they 

 have insuperable objections. Although, therefore, 

 they are only Calvinists in part, they yet take the 

 name absolutely, as if they were Calvinists in whole. 

 When the shades of difference are few and slight, or 

 when it is not to lead to any important consequences, 

 such indefinite language may be allowed, because, in 

 such instances, it will be harmless. But when mate- 

 rial points are excluded, and when this goes to affect 

 the merits and reputation of the system, a more pre- 

 cise nomenclature is necessary. Those who admit 

 the doctrines of original sin and absolute election, M 

 they were taught by Calvin, but reject his doctrines 

 of particular redemption and final perseverance, most 

 certain'y have no right to take their distinctive ap- 

 pellation from htm. And those who are attached 

 to his creed, nearly or wholly, as it exists in his In- 

 stitutes, will consider it as unfair and injurious, be- 

 cause it takes away very much from the uniformity 

 and consistency of the scheme ; and consequently, in 

 some measure, deprives it of that claim which it 

 otherwise has to the regard of a philosophic mind. 

 The persons of whom we speak are assuredly not 

 Calvinists, whatever they may be. Perhaps they 

 may with propriety be called Semi -Calvinists. Such 

 a designation is more consistent with truth, and it is 

 more agreeable to theological analogy. A fourth 

 cause of misrepresentation is to be sought for in a 

 desire to hunt down some particular doctrine^ by ma- 

 king it to constitute a part of Calvinism. Calvinism 

 is known to be obnoxious to many ; so obnoxious 

 to them, indeed, that the very mention of it fiU 

 their minds with abhorrence ; and every thing that 

 stands connected with it is by this mere association 

 brought into disrepute. If an uncandid man, there- 



