DEDICATORY
PREFACE
OF THE
PASTORS OF THE CHURCH
OF CHRIST
AT GENEVA.
_______________________
The Pastors of the Church of Christ
at Geneva pray that God would grant to those most excellent Men their
supreme Lords, and to the Syndics and Senate of Geneva, a just and
holy administration o/ the State, and all happy prosperity and success.
THE same motive which impelled me to write this book,
constrained me also to dedicate it to you, most excellent Sirs, that
it might go forth under your name and auspices. The free election of
God, by which He adopts unto Himself whom He will out of the lost generation
of men, has been hitherto publicly declared by me, in this city, with
all reverence, sobriety and sincerity, and has been peacefully received
by the people. But now, Satan, the father of all disturbances, has subtlely
introduced a wide spreading error, and has attempted to root out my
doctrine, which is drawn from the pure Word of God, and to shake the
faith of the whole people. But since this hungry hunter after vain glory
wishes to gain notoriety out of the very flames of the temple of God,
lest he should catch that reward of his sacrilegious audacity for which
he has laid his nets, let his name remain buried in our silence, while
I leave it purposely unmentioned.*
But since the trouble which this vain fellow endeavoured
to cause me, reaches unto you also, it is but just that you should partake
of the blessed fruit which God brings out of it. And as I have ever
found you strenuous and hearty defenders of our holy cause, I have felt
it to be my duty to testify, with all my ability, my gratitude. The
performance of this my duty will also plainly testify what that doctrine
is which you have protected by your favour and authority. And although
it becomes neither the rulers of the State, nor the ministers of Christ,
to be too anxious about rumours and tumults; and though all insidious
revilings (which are generally lost, by degrees, in the noise they make)
should be despised, both by rulers and ministers of Christ, with fortitude
and an exalted mind; yet it is of the utmost importance that the great
reality of the matter concerned should ever be kept in the hands, and
(as engraven on public tablets) before the eyes, of all, that the plain
statement of it may condemn and stop the false tongue's of the foolish,
the vain, or the wicked, and, at the same time, repress the frivolous
whispers of the people in general.
There
was spread abroad in many places a rumour that this vain person was
severely bound in prison, whereas he was perfectly free, and flying
about the city openly every day. And with what malignity some virulent
ones imagined and stated that I wished him to be put to death, you are
yourselves my best witnesses. To refute such calumnies until they shall
have vanished by contempt and tranquil magnanimity, is the becoming
duty of gravity and prudence.
On the
other hand, however, lest some unstable ones should be moved, of whom
serious care must be taken, to set forth plainly before all the real
state of the case and cause is no less expedient than a solemn duty
on our part. For iniquity, unless it be resolutely met, makes its creeping
way (as saith Paul) "like a canker" (2 Tim. ii. 17). Now this
Defence, which I offer to all the godly, will, I hope, be a strong and
effectual remedy to those who are healable, and will serve also as a
wholesome antidote to the sound and the whole. And the subject itself
is one to which the children of God may devote their most studious attention,
that they become not ignorant of their heavenly birth and origin. For
some fools, because the Gospel is called "the power of God unto
salvation to everyone that believeth," would blot out under this
pretext the election of God; whereas it ought to have entered into the
minds of such to think from whence faith comes! Now the Scripture everywhere
proclaimeth aloud that God giveth to His Son those that were ever His,
that He calleth those whom He hath chosen, and that those whom he hath
adopted for sons He begetteth by His Spirit; and finally, that the men
whom He has taught within, and to whom His arm is revealed," believe.
Wherefore, whosoever shall hold faith to be the earnest and pledge of
adoption, will assuredly confess that it flows from Divine election
as its eternal source. And yet the knowledge of salvation is not to
be sought from the secret counsel of God. Life is set before us in Christ,
who not only makes Himself known, but presents Himself to our enjoyment
in the Gospel. Into this mirror let the eye of our faith ever fixedly
look. Nor let it ever desire to penetrate where access to its' sight
is not given.
Since this is the right
way, let the children of God walk therein, lest by winging their flight
higher than is lawful, they plunge themselves into a labyrinth deeper
than they would wish to find themselves in. But as there is none other
gate of the kingdom of heaven than faith in Christ, as contained in
the promises of the Gospel openly set before us; so it must be the greatest
stupidity not to acknowledge that the eyes of our minds are opened of
God Himself, for He chose us unto faith in Christ before we were conceived
in the womb. And yet, that the object of this filthy and abandoned one
was not only to blot out all knowledge of God's election from the minds
of men, but to overturn His power also, is clearly manifest from those
mad dreams of his, which ye possess in your public records, written
with his own hand; wherein he asserts that faith does not depend on
election, but that rather election stands in faith, and that none remain
in blindness on account of the in-born corruption of nature, seeing
that all men are really enlightened of God; and that we do a great injustice
to God when we declare that those are passed by of Him whom He deigns
not to illumine by His Spirit.
This
fellow also maintains that all men, generally and equally, are "drawn"
of God; and that there is no difference, except where resistance begins
it; and that when God promises that He will make "hearts of flesh"
out of "hearts of stone," nothing else is meant than the making
us capable of receiving the grace of God; and that this capability,
or the being made capable, extends without distinction to the whole
human race, whereas the Scripture most clearly affirms that this is
the peculiar privilege of the Church of God.
As
to the Providence of God, by which the world is ruled, this ought ever
to be confessed and held fast by all the godly: that there is no reason
why men should make God a sharer in their sins, or in any way involve
Him with themselves in a participation of their fault. But since the
Scripture teaches that the reprobate are also instruments of the wrath
of God, by some of whom He instructs the faithful unto patience, and
on others of whom, as His enemies, He inflicts the punishments they
deserve; this profane trifler contends that no act of God is just, but
that for which there lies a plain reason before our eyes. Thus, doing
away with all difference between remote and proximate and immediate
causes, he will not allow the severe afflictions laid on Job to be considered
the work of God, lest He should be made equally guilty with the devil,
and the Chaldean and Sabean plunderers.
Now
the reason why, passing by this fellow in silence, I enter into the
battle with the other two, Albertus Pighius and Georgius of Sicily,
is, as I will explain to you, two-fold. This ignorant pettifogger could
bring forth nothing but what he got from these sources, and so would
make what was bad in them worse and worse. To contend with him, therefore,
would have been a contest cold and bootless. Let our readers be content
with one proof. With what cavils Pighius and Georgius would darken the
first chapter of Paul to the Ephesians has been shewn in its proper
place. They, indeed, were ignorant and disgusting; but the folly of
this fellow is fouler still, who blushed not to babble his nonsense
in your Senate and venerable assembly; and not only so, but dared to
defend with pertinacity what he had thus blattered in folly. For he
maintained that Paul was not speaking in the above place concerning
the common salvation of the godly, but shewing only that himself and
his fellow-labourers were elected to the apostolic office. To disprove
so futile a figment would be but a moment's work, seeing it is still
fresh in your memories. But if any are willing to put themselves under
such a teacher as this, they must be content to learn a miserable theology
indeed, which would deprive nearly all men of a confidence in eternal
life; for, according to it, the apostles alone could be partakers of
Divine adoption, could alone be reconciled to Christ, could alone be
blessed, could alone be joined to the company of the saints. But the
place and time for the refutation of the vain figment in question was
where and when it occurred. To refute so insipid a mortal by a published
book would not perhaps be so desirable and agreeable; for you are not
ignorant how conceited he is, nor needs it be a matter of wonder that
a man, who could throw off his monk's cowl and immediately transform
himself into a physician, should be a person of such consummate audacity!
But to nauseate many, by pleasing him with an answer of folly, according
to his folly," would be somewhat foreign to my usual modesty. And
farther, since those two characters are known and professed enemies
of the Gospel; and one of them, by attacking Calvin by name, has proclaimed
war with me and this Church, it has seemed to me much better that the
poison of the impious doctrine which has been spread abroad in their
published books, should be purged away altogether, than that their absurdities
should be farther propagated, which had much better remain buried out
of knowledge; while it would, moreover, be tiresome to utterly wear
out the ears of men, already fatigued and tormented with such superfluous
contentions.
May God grant, noble
and excellent Sirs, that (as ye have hitherto done with the highest
praise) ye may go on unto the end to defend, by your unwearied faith
and authority, the pure doctrine of the Gospel of Christ, which is attacked
on every side by the angry violence of the world; and that ye may never
cease to receive under your protecting care all the godly who flee to
your protection; so that your city may ever be a sanctuary devoted to
God and a faithful asylum for the members of Christ, remaining immovable
amid these horrible tumults. Thus shall ye ever find Him to be an everlasting
Guardian of your safety; for whatever dwelling-place of man is dedicated
to Him, shall abide safe under His power and shall never fall!
January 1st, 1552.
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*The person here alluded to, is Servetus, the crafty
and angry enemy of the truth, and of Calvin, its faithful defender:
of whose being put to death Calvin is falsely reported to have been
the prominent adviser. The truth of which rumour Calvin, in this Dedicatory
Preface, most solemnly denies: calling the whole Senate of Geneva in
witness (See second paragraph
of this page.)
