9.
3 John Calvin-Calvinism
One great thinker of the sixteenth century was John Caivin (1509-
1564) A French by birth (he was born in Noyon in northern France)
and a student of law he was attracted to Protestantism. He read classics.
scriptures and biographies of the saints and came to the conclusion that
a reform of the church was necessary. He read and understood the Bible
under the direction of the Holy spirit. He claimed that his interpretation
of the scripture was true. The result was a third variety of Protestantism.
the other two being those of Luther and Zwingli, his predecessors.
Calvin's achievement was to organise Protestant doctrine into a clear
comprehensive theological system. In 1552 his Institutes was declared
to be well and saintly made, and its teaching to be the holy doctr1ne
of God' The first edition of the Institutes appeared in 1536, subsequently
he expanded it several times and his thoughts on state and religion took
definite shape. He followed in the footsteps of Luther, Melanchthon and
Farel and planned to write a book on Protestantism Calvin's Institutes
is the most dynamic and inlluential synthesis of sixteenth centuy Protestant
thought. Calvin's Institules is also a trnue theory of the state tHis adeas
materialised in the constitution that he introduced in Geneva
Calvin has defined relationship between man and God Goai is just
and good, powerful and glorious. His will is free, sovereign, and
omniotent. Man is ignorant, vain, infirm, depraved and radically corn
upt
Cahin. like Luther before him, believes that justification by faith alone
is the principal article of the Christian religion. Because man is moral.,
helpless, he cannot reestablish contact with God. God must reestablie
contact with man From eternity God has decided the salvation or
reprobation of every man. The divine will is never dependent on the
good wil of man. God's will is free. man's is in bondage.
(Calin's political theory has two aspects-his ideal state is a church
state. This church-state is the interpreter of the word of God, and the
upholder of truth. The church-state would put down all other religious
communities. God has outlined this pure religion in the Bible which is
the source of all laws. This church-state is the reflection of the will of
God. Any one opposing this church-state is a rebel in the eyes of God
In his view resistance to or rebellion against any lawfully constituted civil
authority is damnable. State did not originate from reason or will, the
state has been created by a grant of authority from God. God has
created state in the interest of man, ruler is the represntative of God
on earth. The orders issued by the rulers or the taxes levied by him
are all approved by God. God wills that the ruled should respect
and obey the ruler not because of his weltare works but because it is
ordained by God. )
In the matter of administration there were many deficiencies. It was
not the responsibility of the people to correct him, the ruler should
Correct his won mistakes. If the king is oppressive or of a different
religious persuasion the people should not judge him. Calvin's observation
on this point is very clear. God has selected kings and they are responsible
to God alone.) A ruler who rules according to the will of God is the
reflection of God on earth.(A repressive ruler punishes the people tor
their wrong doings) In both cases they are the representatives of God.
Both good and bad rulers get their authority to rule from God.) History
and scripture are the authority of Calvin from which he extensively
quoted. The people can pray to God for relief from oppression.) The
heart of a king as well as his kingdom are both in the hands of God.
Calvin believed God has saved people from oppressive rulers many
times in history. The people can leave the
kingdom of a repressive nuler
but never they can revolt against him)or ruler of a different faith. (The
king should be obeyed under all circumstances, He preached a doctrine
of absolute non-resistänce all his lite. Historians tell us that at the very
Ongins Ol Kelorimatlon
end of his lite, in the context of Protestant revolt in Scotland, Calvin
thought of offering passive resistance lo a tyrannical king. But it was to
be treated as an exception rather than general rule. In his vlew this
exceptional situation arises when a uler opposes a higher ruler, or an
organised social group opposes the monarchy but an individual should
never do it.(In France the Huguenots became the victims of royal
oppression, still he denied the right of these people to revolt.
Calvin opposed the Anabaptists and explained his theory of civil
government. The Anabaptists preached that the Christians do not need
a government. On the contrary Calvin believed that the Christians needed
a nler with sword. Many of the Lutherans believed that the Christians
do not require laws. Calvin opined that the Christians needed laws,
administration and everything for the moral, spiritual and material progress
of the people.) A ruler is required for beautiful worldly life and pure
religion God has appointed two rulers for man, one for spiritual and
of
the other for secular life. The church is the ruler in the sphere
what
spirituality, the state in the worldly life. The church would decide
was true religion. The church is of two kinds-visible
and invisible.
Those who hear the voice of God are men of the invisible church. Those
who obey the injunctions of the church are men of the visible church.)
in
Calvin believed that an outline of this church could be obtained
the scripture. The church should be formed according to this scripture.
their
God is the only sovereign power, the church and state derive
authority from Him. All Christians are members of this church. In this
world the church is the sovereign. In his view the aristocractic government
was the best.
(Calvin founded his ideal church-state at Geneva. It had two
departments-council of ministers and consistory, All members of the
church of Geneva were its members. With these two departments he
formed the Supreme Council. The Supreme Council would rule both the
state and the church.) Similar church-state was formed at Barne and
Zurich. The ideal of Zwingli inspired them. Regarding the Bible as the
source of all laws the Supreme council governed the state and the church
according to Biblical laws. Calvin separated spiritual and secular activities,
Supreme Civic Council and the church dealt with them respectively but
the church was under the overall control of the Civic Council. All church
officials were treated as government officials. The consistory of the
church was the real ruler of Geneva. It decided the state policy and in
172 An Introduction to Early Modern Europe: 1400-1789
the spheres of religion and society its decislon was final. The educai.
was under its contorl. In the field of administration the organisatin
f
the Elders performed the duties of police and judical department, It i
said that Calvin's church-state did harm to the old democratic struch
of Geneva. In the realm of God the sinners were ruled with an iron hand
for the sake of the glory of God.
(Calvin's ideas had striking similarities with those ot the Roman Catholic
church. Both talked of spiritual and secular spheres and the supremacu
of the former over the latter. His differences with them were in the real
of ideology and material world Calvin's ideal state was taking concrete
shape in Geneva Both claimed that God was the creator of both state
and the church. It was the church which was entrusted with the
responsibility of explaining the will of God.)The Roman church wanted
to interpret God's will in accordance with sccipture. Calvin differed with
it.(Calvin wanted state power as it was needed to keep habitually rebellious
people within the law of Christ) The moral and honest life depends on
the state. (Though he believes in the authority of the church he was more
rational, humanist and liberal.)
The Christian church is always present among the honest Christians.
Here the clergy were the real ruler, explains the will of God and keep
order among the folk. No worldly power is infallible, infalibility lies with
God. All laws are to be found in the scripture. If these laws are violated
the culprits might be punished. Calvin envisaged a universal Protestant
church on the model of Rome. The Protestant movement was faction
ridden, Calvin wanted to stop it by a disciplined religious policy, enunciated
and defended by a church-stateCalvin in his Institutes outlined the
structure of a state based on religion.)
Even before Calvin closed his eyes his followers contested his theory
of non-resistance to political authority. Huguenots in France and the
Presbyterians in Scotland opposed the political authority. The Lutherans
in Germany developed the theory of resistance. The orders of Charles
V in Germany were not acceptable to his Protestant Princes. The
conference at Magdeburg adopted the theory of resistance. John Knox
of Scotland and the Huguenots of France deliberately preached the
doctrine of resistance. If their religion was attacked they were under no
obligation to obey the king. If the emperor were not resisted the princes
would have suffered. But Calvin never deviated from his doctrine of non
resistance. For the sake of their existence the Huguenots and Knox stuck
Origins ol Reformation 173
to the theory of resistance. Even Knox and his followers declared it to
be a holy duty of a Protestant. A true Christian could court blaspherny
if he did not resist tyrant.
a
tCalvin is the retormer of the second generation. Protestantism was
slowing down, its initial impetus spent, divided, tired, disheartened. After
Calvin it was once more on the move, singing on the march, ready to
strike new blows for liberty. He restored the exhilaration of Christian
comradeship. He renewed the brave vision of the world going forth
conquering and to conquer.)
