After some negotiation, Ami Perrin, commissioner for Geneva, persuaded Calvin to return. He did so, though unwillingly, on September 13, 1541. His entry was modest. Geneva was a church-city-state of 15,000 people, and the church constitution now recognized "pastors, doctors, elders and deacons," but the supreme power was given to the magistrate, John Calvin. In November 1552, the Council declared Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion to be a "holy doctrine which no man might speak against." Thus the State issued dogmatic decrees, the force of which had been anticipated earlier, as when Jacques Gruet, a known opponent of Calvin, was arrested, tortured for a month and beheaded on July 26, 1547, for placing a letter in Calvin's pulpit calling him a hypocrite. Gruet's book was later found and burned along with his house while his wife was thrown out into the street to watch. Gruet's death was more highly criticized by far than the banishment of Castellio or the penalties inflicted on Bolsec -- moderate men opposed to extreme views in discipline and doctrine, who fell under suspicion as reactionary. Calvin did not shrink from his self-appointed task. Within five years fifty-eight sentences of death and seventy-six of exile, besides numerous committals of the most eminent citizens to prison, took place in Geneva. The iron yoke could not be shaken off. In 1555, under Ami Perrin, a revolt was attempted. No blood was shed, but Perrin lost the day, and Calvin's theocracy triumphed. John Calvin had secured his grip on Geneva by defeating the very man, Ami Perrin, commissioner of Geneva, who had invited him there.
Calvin forced the citizens of Geneva to attend church services under a heavy threat of punishment. Since Calvinism falsely teaches that God forces the elect to believe, it is no wonder that Calvin thought he could also force the citizens of Geneva to all become the elect. Not becoming one of the elect was punishable by death or expulsion from Geneva. Calvin exercised forced regeneration on the citizens of Geneva because that is what his theology teaches.
Michael Servetus, a Spaniard, a physician, a scientist and a Bible scholar was born in Villanova in 1511. He was credited with the discovery of the pulmonary circulation of the blood from the right chamber of the heart through the lungs and back to the left chamber of the heart. He was Calvin's longtime friend in their earlier resistance against the Roman Catholic Church. Servetus, while living in Vienne (historic city in southeastern France), angered Calvin by returning a copy of Calvin's writings, Institutes, with critical comments in the margins. Servetus was arrested by the Roman Catholic Authorities on April 4 but escaped on April 7, 1553. He traveled to Geneva where he attended Calvin's Sunday preaching service on August 13. Calvin promptly had Servetus arrested and charged with heresy for his disagreement with Calvin's theology. The thirty-eight official charges included rejection of the Trinity and infant baptism. Servetus was correct in challenging Calvin's false teaching about infant baptism leading to salvation, but he was heretical in his rejection of the doctrine of the Trinity. Servetus pleaded to be beheaded instead of the more brutal method of burning at the stake, but Calvin and the city council refused the quicker death method. Other Protestant churches throughout Switzerland advised Calvin that Servetus be condemned but not executed. Calvin ignored their pleas and Servetus was burned at the stake on October 27, 1553. Servetus was screaming as he was literally baked alive from the feet upward and suffered the heat of the flames for 30 minutes before finally succumbing to one of the most painful and brutal death methods possible. Servetus had written a theology book, a copy of which Calvin had strapped to the chest of Servetus. The flames from the burning book rose against Servetus' face as he screamed in agony.
John Calvin was proud of his killing of Servetus, bragging and celebrating. Many theological and state leaders criticized Calvin for the unwarranted killing of Servetus, but it fell on deaf ears as Calvin advised others to do the same. Calvin wrote much in following years in a continual attempt to justify his burning of Servetus. Some people claim Calvin favored beheading, but this does not fit charges of heresy for which the punishment as written by Calvin earlier was to be burning at the stake. Calvin had made a vow years earlier that Servetus would never leave Geneva alive if he were ever captured, and Calvin held true to his pledge.
Another victim of Calvin's fiery zeal was Gentile of an Italian sect in Geneva, which also numbered among its adherents Alciati and Gribaldo. More or less Unitarian in their views, they were required to sign a confession drawn up by Calvin in 1558. Gentile signed it reluctantly, but in the upshot he was condemned and imprisoned as a perjurer. He escaped only to be twice incarcerated at Berne where, in 1566, he was beheaded. Calvin also had thirty-four (34) women burned at the stake after accusing them of causing a plague that had swept through Geneva in 1545. John Calvin's actions were very paganistic like his mentor, Saint Augustine. Jesus and all of the Apostles would have abhorred and condemn these blatant mass murders.
The citizens of Geneva hated John Calvin as he clearly stated. In 1554 Calvin wrote "Dogs bark at me on all sides. Everywhere I am saluted with the name of 'heretic,' and all the calumnies that can possibly be invented are heaped upon me; in a word, the enemies among my own flock attack me with greater bitterness than my declared enemies among the papists." Calvin, quoted in Schaff, History, volume 8, page 496. The history of John Calvin's reign of terror in Geneva is undisputed. Calvin himself had historical records kept that have survived to this day.
John Calvin had no love, no compassion, no patience and no tolerance for those who did not believe his Institutes. Criticism of Calvin's Institutes was considered heresy for which the sentence was death by burning at the stake. To his dying day Calvin preached and taught from his works. By no means an aged man, he was worn out in these frequent controversies. On April 25, 1564, he made his will, leaving 225 French crowns, of which he bequeathed ten to his college, ten to the poor, and the remainder to his nephews and nieces. His last letter was addressed to Farel. He was buried without pomp in a spot which is not now ascertainable. In the year 1900 a monument of expiation was erected to Servetus in the Place Champel. Geneva has long since ceased to be the head of Calvinism.
John Calvin's murder of people who held different doctrinal views, his failure to acknowledge or repent from his sins, his incomplete gospel, his placing of his own writings above the Bible, his distortion of God and the Scriptures, and his dependence upon infant baptism places into question his salvation. In all of his writings is not found a clear declaration of his salvation by faith in the birth, life, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Calvin was a cruel, murderous, tyrant who considered himself to be the pope of Geneva. The Bible never advocates harming an individual due to his unbelief or lack of understanding. Jesus taught to "turn the other cheek" instead. None of the Apostles taught action against unbelievers but instead taught the believer to seek them out to present the gospel in love.
James you post scriptures, and say what Calvin says they mean, why would you expect a born again believer to expect the heresey.
Jesus died for the World, but then Calvin said the world does not mean all the world.
Jesus died for Sinners, Calvin says no not all sinners, just my elect.
Jesus died for the ungodly, Calvin says no only for my ungodly.
Jesus said without Faith you cannot please God, Calvin said don't worry he will overide your will and then faith will come.
Jesus said you can depart from the faith, Calvin Says no worry you can not fall.
Jesus Said man is to be a doer of the word, Calvin said no worry he will do the word for you.
From Genesis to Revealation God said to hear and obey and you will be okay, Calvin said no worry you can't do anything I figured it out for you.
In all covenants There is a God side and a man side, Calvin said no worry I will reform the word and you can follow me and the early forefathers, those that believe that Calvinism is the Gospel.
Calvin says you can do no good incapable of it, But enoch walked with God and was no more, for he pleased God when he heard his word and obeyed.
Abraham heard and obeyed and it was accounted unto him for rightousness, but then Calvin said no
The old testament is full of spiritually dead men and women, that pleased the lord, but Calvin again said not So.
Eh....but when you say "He chose us", what you really mean is "He forced us". You really mean we had no option and that we can never fall away...but the bible says...not really the opposite...but it's a minor difference that majorly changes the way the scriptures read. I won't dispute that God knows and plans and has chosen who will be saved. But "predestination" is like a side effect. God has his big plan of salvation, He decided what would be the best way to save the most humans and He executed His plan before Satan even sinned...before He even created Satan. And through this planned time line, because He willed the plan of salvation to succeed...man, this is hard to put into words...anyway...He knew what to do to save the most people as possible, and still have His plan succeed...but I don't see anywhere in the bible that removes our choice, or that makes God force salvation on us, or that keeps God from cutting us off the vine after accepting Jesus. Instead it is full of "believe in me", "turn from your evil ways", "listen", "hear", "see", "God wants all men everywhere to be saved", "choose this day who you will serve", "avoid sin", "flee from temptation", etc...the bible is silent when you're looking for "God removed our free will", "God will is to only save the chosen", "God only 'scatters seed' on the fertile ground", "God only gives 'talents' to the elect", "God only forgives the 'saved'", "Jesus only died for the sins of a few", "God will never cut a saved person off the vine", and so on...anyway...I'm not a bible scholar...I just read it...and either I'm blind and lost, or the bible doesn't support Calvinism...I'm also not sure if it supports arminians or whatever...because I don't know exactly what they believe. I'm pretty sure I'm not in either camp...because I do believe in predestination, I just think God is powerful enough to see through and plan around our free will. He gave it to us after all.
I presented the view of the Early Church, the ANTE-NICENE Fathers and all of them taught in direct contrast to Calvinism. History refutes your position.
Tell me James. Who do you think are more credible. Those whom you quoted who had no direct link to the Apostles and were 300+ years away from the Apostles ...OR... men who were personally taught by John and Paul and those who had direct links to the Apostles or the disciples of the Apostles, whom I presented?
None of the Five Points of Calvinism are Biblical. They are just twisted interpretations of scripture that cannot stand.
