“It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter.” (Proverbs 25:2)
Reading an author’s introductory remarks brings great light to the purpose of writing. One truly cannot fully appreciate a work without hearing what the author says of his motivations, influences and reactions. Take for example Richard Wright’s novel “Native Son.” This work cannot be understood correctly without knowing who Bigger Thomas to the author and what his role is in the story—these comments are made in the introduction. There is no place for such explanation in the body of the work. A good introduction (and a good preface) provides the key to show how a work is to be read.
This is what Calvin does for his readers in his Prefatory Address. Immediately the author at the doorstep explains the work in its final form is not what he originally set out to write, and so he greets the reader. His purpose is two-fold: to supply the people of France with spiritual food and drink, and to inform his main reader, the King of France, with knowledge as to what doctrines are causing his enemies to be inflamed. “See,” he says, “why all ranks unite with one accord in condemning our persons and our doctrine!” He will go on to say that those who accuse them of holding condemned doctrine are the self-same ones who are practicing it!
A few years back, the manufacturers of a well-known brand of beer never knew whether their parade in Waco, Texas, helped their cause or hurt it. The parade was the beginning of a five-day appearance of the famed hitch of eight immense Clydesdale horses, and was planned with all possible advance publicity. The horses led the parade, pulling a giant wagon of dummy beer cases. But the parade had a surprise ending.
A trailer truck, bearing a demolished automobile, with ketchup-splattered young people hanging from its windows, followed close behind. Placards proclaimed that beer and automobiles equal death. For three hours, as the parade advanced its way through Waco’s business district, the deadly reminder of highway death trailed the beer advertising. As thousands of people paused to admire the horses, they gasped in horror at the view of havoc caused by drunken driving. Four university students in the car played their roles so well that many believed the car actually contained corpses. City police granted the same rights to the dry campaigners as to the Anheuser-Busch display.
Following the float was a string of cars carrying signs telling of the devastating effects of alcohol. A number of policemen along the way voiced their approval of the float—they had seen with their own eyes many similar wrecks—and greeted the dry campaigners with handshakes.
This is what Calvin is doing. He is not parading before France’s (or our) eyes a novelty, that is a parade of new ideas; rather, he is coming along behind and beside those who are bringing true devastation, exposing what the truly new ideas are bringing to town. He parades the errors of doctrinal enemies by cataloging their own errors by their own admission! Sounding much like Luke in his epistles to Theophilus, Calvin strongly encourages the King to investigate doctrine itself.
Be encouraged that we should not be surprised to hear echoes of conversations like these even today. Just 30 years ago our concerns were against Liberalism; now, our own time is occupied with “conversing” with an emerging new liberalism that is seeking to do the very things even the Church Fathers stood against. Hear Solomon remind us, “There is nothing new under the sun.” Where do our contemporary concerns lie but in what authority have the scriptures, and how Christ is and to what effect has His work accomplished and for whom. Today we do church in the context of an extinguished hell, the worship of worship, the veneration of placations and seek to satiate the entertainment-hungry masses.
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The true religion which is delivered in the Scriptures, and which all ought to hold, they readily permit both themselves and others to be ignorant of, to neglect and despise; and they deem it of little moment what each man believes concerning God and Christ, or disbelieves, provided he submits to the judgment of the Church with what they call10 implicit faith; nor are they greatly concerned though they should see the glow of God dishonoured by open blasphemies, provided not a finger is raised against the primacy of the Apostolic See and the authority of holy mother Church.11 Why, then, do they war for the mass, purgatory, pilgrimage, and similar follies, with such fierceness and acerbity, that though they cannot prove one of them from the word of God, they deny godliness can be safe without faith in these things—faith drawn out, if I may so express it, to its utmost stretch? Why? just because their belly is their God, and their kitchen their religion; and they believe, that if these were away they would not only not be Christians, but not even men. For although some wallow in luxury, and others feed on slender crusts, still they all live by the same pot, which without that fuel might not only cool, but altogether freeze. He, accordingly, who is most anxious about his stomach, proves the fiercest champion of his faith. In short, the object on which all to a man are bent, is to keep their kingdom safe or their belly filled; not one gives even the smallest sign of sincere zeal.”
[1]That Calvin’s concern was against the Romish church alone is narrow in scope, for I am convinced that even Calvin was sounding a warning to search the scriptures, that one should arm himself with truth against any and all enemies as found within the opinionated ranks of men. Error is error is error. Calvin’s own reaction against “the new” was later neatly summed by Spurgeon: "I cannot agree with those who say that they have 'new truth' to teach. The two words seem to me to contradict each other; that which is new is not true. It is the old that is true, for truth is as old as God himself.”
This is reminiscent of a pastor
I heard recently exclaim that the Reformed Baptist position is “new” and is therefore worthy of suspicion and distrust. I testify that up until five years ago I (having been raised Baptist) had never heard of the Founders, so the concept was new, but only to me. That part of recent history was for me clouded over by the rantings of the Fundamentalists against Liberals, and vice versa. The point I am trying to make is that some things are so basic they cannot be improved. How can something so old be new? When it becomes so obscure that when reintroduced, it is almost unheard of, and the reality can be quite sobering.
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[T]he mark of sound doctrine given by our Saviour himself is its tendency to promote the glory not of men, but of God (John 7:18; 8:50). Our Saviour having declared this to be test of doctrine, we are in error if we regard as miraculous, works which are used for any other purpose than to magnify the name of God.13 And it becomes us to remember that Satan has his miracles, which, although they are tricks rather than true wonders, are still such as to delude the ignorant and unwary. Magicians and enchanters have always been famous for miracles, and miracles of an astonishing description have given support to idolatry: these, however, do not make us converts to the superstitions either of magicians or idolaters.”
[2]Understand that I do not stand in defense of Calvin (he himself wrote for no defense, but for Confession), for a few centuries have passed in which much greater men than I could certainly do an astounding job. I do stand on the side of truth and I stand against the side of error. When those who teach sound doctrine are maligned, then my ministry is to stand with them. Truth needs no defense; rather, I needed defense by the truth! When Calvin speaks truth, I will be found standing. When Calvin errs, then I will be reminded that he himself is now in the presence of truth. When I err, I will be corrected, having learned through this course of study.
It was not my intention to read Calvin. Through my schooling I can say I’ve been exposed to so many positions and to the consternation of some, have never been able to say I am of this or that persuasion. Systems as produced by writers have always been to me the records of individual understanding and were never intended to be the sole rule of faith and practice. Furthermore, I’ve always read what others say through those systems; but, I’ve always discovered the greatest joy and confidence in returning to the Bible with my opinion in-hand on this or that matter, to make certain I am properly aligned with scripture.
I found the necessity to read Calvin out of my close brushes with Bunyan and other classical writers, as well as this (new to me) “reformed” position historically enjoyed even by Baptists. Spending so much time with Jonathan Edwards almost demands that one read Calvin to understand his position; however, the primary reason I am reading Institutes at this time is that as I’ve read Edwards, I’ve been keenly impressed with the disciplines of sitting down (with the intention to read the Bible thoroughly), praying intentionally, thinking thoroughly and writing well. As I’ve considered the paper trail of Bunyan and hold the volumes of Edwards, I see the looming tomes of Baxter and others ahead (!) I see not pages to be turned, but men who practiced regularly sitting, reading, praying, thinking and making significant contributions. I am becoming more convinced how these men deserve to be heard as unique disciple-makers of Christ. Literature was less in their time, so they did not spend as much time letting others do their thinking for them. Calvin and other men like him were not spoon-fed with footnotes and softened by short publications of humanistic placations. They went to their Bibles and set the example for others to do the same.
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10 “Ut aiunt,” not in Ed. 1536.
11 No part of this sentence from “provided” is in the Ed. 1536.
[1]Calvin, Jean, and Henry Beveridge.
Institutes of the Christian Religion. Translation of: Institutio Christianae religionis.; Reprint, with new introd. Originally published: Edinburgh : Calvin Translation Society, 1845-1846., vi. Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997.
13 13 No part of the passage, beginning above, “The deception,” &c., is in Ed. 1536.
[2]Calvin, Ibid.
