'Professor was wrong and abused Calvin'
Calvin and the
Church
By Richard C.
Gamble
The Layman
Online
Wednesday, November
14, 2007
Richard C. Gamble is past president of the Calvin Studies
Society and an internationally renowned Calvin scholar. He has
served as director of the Meeter Center for Calvin Studies at Calvin
College and Seminary.
He edited the 14-volume anthology Articles on Calvin and
Calvinism, and was contributing editor to Eerdmans' Calvin's
Old Testament Commentaries. He also wrote the article on "Calvin's
Controversies" for The Cambridge Companion to John Calvin.
He has almost finished a massive two-volume critical edition of
Calvin's Latin commentary on Genesis that will be published in
Geneva, and his book, Calvin and the Church, will soon be
published.
A member of the Editorial Board of The Peter Martyr Library, Dr.
Gamble is a prolific writer who has contributed to more than 75
publications as author and editor. In addition to the above, he has
written Calvin and the Sabbath and Augustinus contra
Maximinum: An Analysis of Augustine's Anti-Arian Writings.
He presently serves as a professor of systematic theology at
Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Pittsburgh and holds a
B.A. degree from Westminster College in Pennsylvania, an M.A. degree
from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and a Th.D. degree from the
Universität Basel, Switzerland |
A seminary professor was quoted in a recent
article
in our local paper. He cited Calvin to the effect that leaving the
church was a grave sin. At that point, the professor was correct. Calvin
would stand against anyone leaving the true church.
In Calvin's day, there were two types of churches, the true and the
false. One was either Protestant (true) or Roman Catholic (false). By
the time of our Westminster Confession, ecclesiology had advanced to the
point that the Divines recognized that there were various "degrees"
of decline from a true church. A true denomination could eventually
become a "synagogue of Satan."
Since the professor cited Calvin and not the divines, the question
remains: from Calvin's teachings, is leaving the Presbyterian Church
(USA) an act worthy of condemnation as a sin against Christ? This
professor is convinced that leaving is such a sin. The professor was
wrong and abused Calvin in his statement.
Calvin's analysis of the Old Testament showed him that there was a
process or development of church degeneration.1 A false
church does not appear suddenly. Members of the church should recognize
this degeneration and work diligently to correct it before the church
comes to the point of no return and would be rejected by God.2
Yet, Calvin could point out a church that had so degenerated as to
become a false church.
As a "denomination," Calvin denied that the Roman Church was
a true church. Nevertheless, within that false "denomination,"
there may be true individual congregations.3 He clarified
what he meant when he said:
"I call them churches to the extent that the Lord wonderfully
preserves in them a remnant of his people, however woefully dispersed
and scattered, and to the extent that some marks of the church remain.
But on the other hand, because in them those marks have been erased to
which we should pay particular regard, I say that every one of their
congregations and their whole body lack the lawful form of the church."4
A mark of a false church is one where falsehood reigns. This lying
would affect the church's basic doctrines, as well as her teaching on
the sacraments. When falsehood reigns, the church is dead.5
Another crucial area is that the people (as well as church leaders!)
hear and obey the Word of God. By so hearing the Word of God, Calvin
meant teaching sound doctrine and demonstrating mutual love.6
"For the Lord nowhere recognizes any temple as his," Calvin
said, "save where his Word is heard and scrupulously observed."7
Calvin also was convinced that there were numerous faults within the
formal government of the Roman Church.8 Focusing on formal
government, Calvin's analysis can be applied to help determine whether a
contemporary denomination still can legitimately make the claim of "church."
First, the pastoral office, which is the heartbeat of church government,
was then corrupted.9 True pastors, those called to be the
shepherds, were responsible to feed their flocks and walk uprightly
among them.10 Thus, the true church has solid ministry –
while still bearing spots and stains.
Also, Calvin thought church laws and regulations were legitimate, but
those laws must fulfill certain requirements. One requirement was to
keep the believer's conscience clear.11 The Roman Church
failed in these marks relative to government. Rather than having claim
to the title of true church, it had so degenerated to be termed a den of
thieves.12
Calvin's position was clear: the Roman Church had done many evils, the
reformers had tried to bring about change, and, finally, that there was
no more freedom to remain.13
In conclusion, Calvin could answer the misguided seminary professor.
The reference to believers of his own day can apply to those who seek to
join a more faithful denomination today. He said condemn those who leave
if you wish, but to do so one would then "wish to condemn the
apostles also as schismatics, whose case was like our own."14
- 1. Calvin, Institutes IV.2.8, 1049. "First, I say
that in falling away there were certain degrees. For we shall not
say that there was the same decline in Israel as in Judah at the
time when both first turned aside from the pure worship of God."
- 2. Calvin, Necessity of Reform, Selected Works I, 145. "To
consider the remedies which we have employed for the correction of
these evils, not here intending to describe the manner in which we
proceeded, …but only to make it manifest that we have had no
other end in view than to ameliorate in some degree the very
miserable condition of the Church."
- 3. Calvin, Institutes IV.2.12, 1052. "However, when
we categorically deny to the papists the title of the church, we do
not for this reason impugn the existence of churches among them."
- 4. Calvin, Institutes IV.2.12, 1053. Calvin, Institutes
IV.2.1, 1041. "As soon as falsehood breaks into the citadel of
religion and the sum of necessary doctrine is overturned and the use
of the sacraments is destroyed, surely the death of the church
follows-just as a man's life is ended when his throat is pierced or
his heart mortally wounded." 1042. "No church can exist
where lying and falsehood have gained sway."
- 5. Calvin, Institutes IV.2.5, 1047. "Now this
communion is held together by two bonds, agreement in sound doctrine
and brotherly love."
- 6. Calvin, Institutes IV.2.5, 1047. "Now this
communion is held together by two bonds, agreement in sound doctrine
and brotherly love."
- 7. Calvin, Institutes IV.2.3, 1044.
- 8. Calvin, Necessity of Reform, 140. "Were I to go
over the faults of ecclesiastical government in detail, I should
never have done. I will, therefore, only point to some of the
grosser sort, which cannot be disguised."
- 9. Calvin, Necessity of Reform, 140. "And, first,
the pastoral office itself, as instituted by Christ, has long been
in desuetude."
- 10. Calvin, Necessity of Reform, 141. "According to
the precept of Christ, however, no man can claim for himself the
office of bishop or pastor who does not feed his flock with the Word
of the Lord." "At a time when the corruption of the world
is at its height, there is no order more addicted to all kinds of
wickedness."
- 11. Calvin, Necessity of Reform, 175. "On the
subject of ecclesiastical regimen, there are laws of which we
readily adopt such as are not snares for the conscience."
- 12. Calvin, Sermons on Ephesians at 2: 19-22, 223. "Since
we see then the papists so audaciously and madly turning God's pure
word upside down in that way, we may well conclude that although
they boast so much that they are the church, yet God disowns them,
and even utterly abhors them, and that if a man does not get himself
out of that den of thieves, it is impossible for him to be joined to
our Lord Jesus Christ."
- 13. Calvin, Necessity of Reform, Selected Works I, 126. "First,
I must briefly enumerate the evils which compelled us to seek for
remedies. Secondly, I must show that the particular remedies which
our Reformers were employed were apt and salutary. Thirdly, I must
make it plain that we aware not at liberty any longer to delay
putting forth our hand, in as much as the matter demanded instant
amendment."
- 14. Calvin, Institutes IV.2.6, 1048.
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