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JOHN CALVIN : LIFE, LEGACY AND THEOLOGY -<br />
PROF. M. M. NINAN<br />
material <strong>and</strong> exp<strong>and</strong>ed a chapter on the Apostles' Creed. The final edition of the Institutes appeared in<br />
1559. By then, the work consisted of four books of eighty chapters, <strong>and</strong> each book was named after<br />
statements from the creed: Book 1 on God the Creator, Book 2 on the Redeemer in Christ, Book 3 on<br />
receiving the Grace of Christ through the Holy Spirit, <strong>and</strong> Book 4 on the Society of Christ or the<br />
Church.<br />
<strong>Calvin</strong> defined a sacrament as an earthly sign associated with a promise from God. He accepted only<br />
two sacraments as valid under the new covenant: baptism <strong>and</strong> the Lord's Supper (in opposition to<br />
the Catholic acceptance of seven sacraments).<br />
He completely rejected the Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation <strong>and</strong> the treatment of the<br />
Supper as a sacrifice. He also could not accept the Lutheran doctrine of sacramental union in<br />
which Christ was "in, with <strong>and</strong> under" the elements. His own view was close to Zwingli's symbolic view,<br />
but it was not identical. Rather than holding a purely symbolic view, <strong>Calvin</strong> noted that with the<br />
participation of the Holy Spirit, faith was nourished <strong>and</strong> strengthened by the sacrament. In his<br />
words, the eucharistic rite was "a secret too sublime for my mind to underst<strong>and</strong> or words to express. I<br />
experience it rather than underst<strong>and</strong> it."<br />
https://www.gotquestions.org/<strong>John</strong>-<strong>Calvin</strong>.html<br />
http://biography.yourdictionary.com/john-calvin<br />
<strong>Calvin</strong>'s theology<br />
God<br />
<strong>Calvin</strong> said that there could be no knowledge of self without knowledge of God. All men have a natural<br />
awareness of divinity, which is both planted in their minds <strong>and</strong> made evident through creation.<br />
However, man has suppressed or corrupted this knowledge, <strong>and</strong> confused the creation with the<br />
Creator. It is only when men contemplate the greatness of God that they can come to realize their own<br />
inadequacy. God is providentially in control of all things that come to pass, including evil things, but<br />
this does not make him the author of evil.<br />
God according to <strong>Calvin</strong> was the Supreme Power who created the cosmos. He is therefore all<br />
powerful, with all the omni qualities. Omnipotent, Omniscient, <strong>and</strong> Omnipresent. He is the sovereign<br />
- King of Kings <strong>and</strong> Lord of Lord. He works out everything for his own glory. So his emphasis is on<br />
God as a zealous Emperor who does not give his glory to anyone else. His emphasis on God as<br />
Love is subservient to his sovereignity.<br />
Man<br />
Man is created in the image of God. This image has been marred by the Fall, though not destroyed.<br />
Before the Fall, man's will was truly free; however, now it is corrupt <strong>and</strong> enslaved to sin. Man is totally<br />
unable to seek or choose God unless God chooses him first.<br />
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