R*o
发帖数: 3781 | 1 Don't Cross Dr. Calvin!
With dictatorial control over the populace ("he ruled as few sovereigns
have done" 27), Calvin imposed his brand of Christianity upon the citizenry
with floggings, imprisonments, banishments and burnings at the stake. Calvi
n has been called "the Protestant Pope" and "the Genevese dictator" who "wou
ld tolerate in Geneva the opinions of only one person, his own." 28 Concerni
ng the adoption in Geneva of a confession of faith that was made mandatory f
or all citizens, the historian Philip Schaff comments:
It was a glaring inconsistency that those who had just shaken off the yoke o
f popery as an intolerable burden, should subject their conscience and intel
lect to a human creed; in other words, substitute for the old Roman popery a
modern Protestant popery." 29
Durant says that "Calvin held power as the head of this consistory; fro
m 1541 till his death in 1564, his voice was the most influential in Geneva.
" 30 Vance reminds us that Calvin was involved in every conceivable aspect o
f city life: safety regulations to protect children, laws against recruiting
mercenaries, new inventions, the introduction of cloth manufacturing, and e
ven dentistry. He was consulted not only on all important state affairs, but
on the supervision of the markets and assistance for the poor. 30
Most of these were laudable efforts, but matters of faith were legislat
ed as well. A confession of faith drawn up by Calvin was made mandatory for
all citizens. It was a crime for anyone to disagree with this Protestant pop
e. Durant comments: All the claims of the popes for the supremacy of the chu
rch over the state were renewed by Calvin for his church .... [Calvin] was a
s thorough as any pope in rejecting individualism of belief; this greatest l
egislator of Protestantism completely repudiated that principle of private j
udgment with which the new religion had begun .... In Geneva ... those ... w
ho could not accept it would have to seek other habitats. Persistent absence
from Protestant [Calvinist] services, or continued refusal to take the Euch
arist was a punishable offense.
Heresy again became [under Calvin as under Augustine] ... treason to the sta
te, and was to be punished with death ... in one year, on the advice of the
Consistory, fourteen alleged witches were sent to the stake on the charge th
at they had persuaded Satan to afflict Geneva with plague. 32
Calvin was again following in the footsteps of Augustine, who had enfor
ced "unity ... through common participation in the Sacraments . . . ." 33 A
medical doctor named Jerome Bolsec dared to disagree with Calvin's doctrine
of predestination. He was arrested for saying that "those who posit an etern
al decree in God by which he has ordained some to life and the rest to death
make of Him a tyrant, and in fact an idol, as the pagans made of Jupiter."
34 Bolsec was arrested and banished from Geneva with the warning that if he
ever returned he would be flogged. 35 John Trolliet, a city notary, criticiz
ed Calvin's view of predestination for "making God the author of sin." 36 In
fact, the charge was true, as Calvin's own writings clearly state. The cour
t decreed that "thenceforward no one should dare to speak against this book
[Institutes] and its doctrine." 37 So much for the freedom of conscience whi
ch had been promised would replace the popes' intolerable oppression!
Calvin's power was so great that it was tantamount to treason against t
he state to oppose him. A citizen named Jacques Gruet was arrested on suspic
ion of having placed a placard on Calvin's pulpit which read in part, "Gross
hypocrite ... ! After people have suffered long, they avenge themselves ...
. Take care that you are not served like M. Verle [who had been killed] . .
. ." 38 Gruet was tortured twice daily in a manner similar to which Rome, ri
ghtly condemned by the Reformers for doing so, tortured the victims of her i
nquisitions who were accused of daring to disagree with her dogmas. The use
of torture for extracting "confessions" was approved by Calvin.
39 After thirty days of severe suffering, Gruet finally confessed-whether tr
uthfully, or in desperation to end the torture, no one knows. On July 16, 15
47, "half dead, he was tied to a stake, his feet were nailed to it. and his
head was cut off." 40 | D******r
发帖数: 637 | 2 re
sovereigns
citizenry
Calvi
wou
Concerni
f
o
intel
【在 R*o 的大作中提到】
: Don't Cross Dr. Calvin!
: With dictatorial control over the populace ("he ruled as few sovereigns
: have done" 27), Calvin imposed his brand of Christianity upon the citizenry
: with floggings, imprisonments, banishments and burnings at the stake. Calvi
: n has been called "the Protestant Pope" and "the Genevese dictator" who "wou
: ld tolerate in Geneva the opinions of only one person, his own." 28 Concerni
: ng the adoption in Geneva of a confession of faith that was made mandatory f
: or all citizens, the historian Philip Schaff comments:
: It was a glaring inconsistency that those who had just shaken off the yoke o
: f popery as an intolerable burden, should subject their conscience and intel
| D**E
发帖数: 280 | 3 re
sovereigns
citizenry
Calvi
wou
Concerni
f
o
intel
【在 R*o 的大作中提到】
: Don't Cross Dr. Calvin!
: With dictatorial control over the populace ("he ruled as few sovereigns
: have done" 27), Calvin imposed his brand of Christianity upon the citizenry
: with floggings, imprisonments, banishments and burnings at the stake. Calvi
: n has been called "the Protestant Pope" and "the Genevese dictator" who "wou
: ld tolerate in Geneva the opinions of only one person, his own." 28 Concerni
: ng the adoption in Geneva of a confession of faith that was made mandatory f
: or all citizens, the historian Philip Schaff comments:
: It was a glaring inconsistency that those who had just shaken off the yoke o
: f popery as an intolerable burden, should subject their conscience and intel
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