If you're going to press the issue, alright.

Lewis didn't express his religious beliefs in a systematic fashion until the 1940's, when he was in his 40's, which after _Mere Christianity_ was compiled. The idea that faith and works are both needed for salvation come from this work. He attempted some Christian allegory at age 33.

Calvin finished the main of his education at age 18 at Univ of Paris. There he rubbed elbows with Reformers and Humanists, and picked up a little Greek. He wrote a treatise on some letters of a stoic. He attended law school in Orleans. And then, at age 26, he felt qualified to write _Institutes_.

It isn't enough to say that Calvin *revised* his original document over the years. The point is that he wrote it when he was only 26! With little or not theological training! We might as well say President Obama wasn't qualified to be President, until he became President for a while. Writing a book doesn't give you the credentials to write books. Nor does writing popular books. Besides, I'm only concerned with the man the moment before he wrote the book, and as far as I know, the book didn't change much from that first edition of _Institutes_. (Does anyone have an original copy, so we can compare the first edition with the final? And if there *was* a lot of revision, doesn't that just prove my point, that he wasn't qualified to write in the first place! I really don't think this revision argument help Calvin's credentials.)

Let's continue with the comparison. We have a 26 year old law school graduate who had "several" Reformer friends. And he receieved some theological training...."Calvin did have some background in theology as he was for awhile a philosophy student at the theological Collège de Montaigu at the University of Paris, until he was withdrawn by his father to study law at the University of Orlèans" So he was a philosophy student at a theological school. Are you saying his philosophy studies somehow qualify him to write _Institutes_, or that he studied in what you call a theological college? If he had studied physics at a theological college, would that qualify him as well? Were there any students at this theological college *not* qualifed to write a large, systematic treatise on Christianity?

Of course not, you say! They would have to be withdrawn by their fathers to study law. That's the really important ingredient here.

So we've established that Calvin studied philosophy. Did he excel? Lewis studied at Oxford, and excelled. And not only in philosophy, but presumably in 2 other areas - that's why they call it a "triple first." He achieved a triple first, the highest honors possible, at one of the oldest and most esteemed learning institution in the world.

So Calvin, who may have been a great student, or a mediocre student, we don't know, studied philosophy, and went to law school (his father took him there). He had some friends who were Reformers. Several "leading" Reformers of his day.

Sorry, does that make a person qualified to write books on any subject with which their friends are acquainted? Would it matter if the Reformers were not themselves qualief to write books? And if they were, what exactly is the connection between friendship and the ability to write books on subjects about which you have no formal training?

We have no proof Calvin excelled in philosophy. We have direct proof that Lewis did. We have direct proof that Lewis acquired a doctorate at one of the most prestigious learning institutions in history, and only after his 40th birthday did he attempt to express a general view of his religion. By the way, Lewis knew Greek, Latin, and Icelandic (he must have been a show-off.

Specifically, after graduating with first-class honors in Greek and Latin Literature, Philosophy and Ancient History, and English Literature, Lewis was elected to a teaching post in English at Magdalen College, Oxford.

But Calvin *studied philosophy*. And then he studied *law*. And he had *several friends* who were Reformers.

Lewis went to a learning institution that was so old, so esteemed, and so respected, it was around more than 200 years before Calvin was born. Yes, Lewis' school was around since 1249.

Do you think Calvin applied?