John Calvin and the Genevan reformation; a sketch
Thomas Cary Johnson
Paperback
(RareBooksClub.com, May 20, 2012)
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1900 Excerpt: ...entire support of herself. This was no small service to Protestant Christendom whereiki generally too much power, in the rebound from papal tyranny, had been given to the temporal princes. 2. Calvin valued discipline as second only to teaching. The effort to introduce discipline had been theprimarv ocrasinn ot his expulsion from Geneva. He introduced it successfully in the French congregation at Strasburg. The need of it was one reason for his recall to Geneva. It is one oi the greatest factors in his influence to this day. This stern discipline, based on his noble creed, has formed the heroic French, Dutch, English, Scotch-Irish and American and Australian Puritans to this day. Calvin proposed to realize, so far as possible, the ideal of the "church without spot or wrinkle," which Paul sets forth in the Epistle to the Ephesians v. 27. He sought the-glorification of God by the dominion of his word in the life of Christians. In his doctrine of the church he provided for the application in the church of the power of Christ-as well as the teaching of Christ. He knew, however, that the ideal of a perfect church could only be imperfectly realized. He teaches, as in his commentary on Matthew xiii. 47, that " the church while on earth is mixed with good and bad and will never be free from all impurity.... Although God, who is a God of order, commands us to exercise discipline, he allows for a time to hypocrites a place among believers until he shall set up his kingdom in perfection on the last day. As far as we are concerned, we must strive to correct vices and to purge the church of impurity, although she will not be free from all stain and blemish till Christ shall separate the sheep from the goats." The importance ofjdjscmhe_CjaJxiri facmaUj...