| Show JOHN CALVIN ALVIN AS I fREA I REFORMER His Work Much Misunderstood Though It Stands as a Inspirations Inspirations Inspirations Among Believers of Today and I eads to Ideals John Calvin was tho the topic upon which tho the Hev Charles Curtis tire tiro of the tho Westminster Presbyterian church preached yesterday It I was an exhaustive review of or tho the reformers reformer's tile life of ot hi his struggles in Franco France of his banishment and of or his In Inthe Inthe the tho course of or his sermon the Hev Mr Ir said been grievously Calvin Is and has ha misunderstood Tho The greatness gre of ot hi his work k has met with wih serious perversion so that with wih tho the unlearned is 19 s synonymous non for mom pre pro d destination us Li nation This misconception Is due duC largely to the tho un fa II treat treatment men t of or his work by a n few carl early writers and antI the reputation Is 18 sustained today b by preJudiced prejudiced prom diced heed editors who catering to the thc public pub pub- lie lic ha have space enough when tho they quote to lc give only those sections which deal eal the thc two Why h do 10 such writers and editors I Ih print sections so o. o profound In re reason son and so beautiful in expression anu ann so fresh In modern thought hought as for InstanCe in instance In- In stance tho chapter on Tho The Guidance and Teaching of ot the Scripture necessary necessary par sary to lead leaLl to tho the knowledge of God GOlt the Creator or er c everything that proceeds proceeds pro uro- from the tho corrupt nature of man worth worthy of or condemnation or Faith defined and Its Is properties described or orThe orTho Christian Life The Tho summary of ot tho the tan or 01 01 On Out prayer or On Christian Liberty Lib Lib- crt erty r lii n Ii Again It is IH urged that Calvin was waR wasa waRn a n sort of ot recluse who lived out of touch with wih men and anti therefore did dil not understand humanity sufficiently to treat trent our out nature properly and therefore there there- fore Core his work rork exalts God at the ex expense ox- ox pense penso of man It I Is true that Calvin had the thc blood and anti training of a n scholast scholast schol- schol ast st but never nevet ne cr did he waste dialectical power meditating on foolish and Irrelevant vant questions But Dut ho he turned all 01 tho the tholo glow lo loof of his Intellect upon the tho live lve and practical questions of or maui man and out of ot hl lilo own n fn J nn out of his own pro produced 1 c n what history Ia nax proved ed to bo be 10 tho most adequate livable doctrines of ot Insoluble mysteries as aswell aswell well weB as of or the known facts t of ot God and of life uro As 5 the theologian clvin Calvin gathered up UI tho principles and anI doctrines of ot Christianity and put them In a form that has for years ears remained to all al purposes fixed and abiding abiding abiding-a a a system that shaped the thought of ot western Europe Europe England England Scotland In tho the sixteenth sixteenth six six- century and Is In ono one of at the tho strongest schools of ot In time the world In tho the twentieth century Courage of tt Galvanism has nerved more men and women to dlo die for Cor Christ with thanksgiving In their hearts and psalm upon their lips than any other creed Its Is unequaled array of or martyrs Is ono one of ot Its crowns of ot glory The They have abhorred as ns no body Lody of men cormora over ever moro mora abhorred nil all conscious lying alt all al impurity all al moral wrong Calvinism has molded Go Gods God's s 's own type of womanhood worth womanhood worth without vanity self sacrifice sacrifice sel-sacrifice without self self- righteousness zealous service without immodest immodesty strong convictions human loveliness heightened and softened by heavenly mindedness The conclusion is that as 8 a character charac charac- ter builder as a purifying energizing energizing uplifting force torce In tho the life of ot men and nations Calvinism stands supreme among the religious systems of or thu tho world And for rol truth and godliness in history it is demonstrated that Calvinism Calvinism Cal Cal- Cl- Cl Is tho the creed of oC Christendom |
