The Institutes of the Christian Religion

Footnotes

^[504] These two assertions–”to our apprehension the will of God is manifold,” and “he mysteriously wills what now seems to be adverse to his will”–uncover a difficulty with which Calvin struggles: namely, the problem of whether God has a double will (or wills contrary things at the same time). Does God reveal one kind of will in the Gospel, while willing something else in His secret purpose? Do the Gospel promises, “in testifying concerning the will of God, declare that he wills what is contrary to his inviolable decree”? (first line, this section). Calvin, although insisting that there is no discrepancy, no inconsistency, between the predestination of the reprobate and the indiscriminate offer of the Gospel to all (and offering certain reasons for his conviction), nevertheless finds the ultimate solution to this problem in the incomprehensibility of God. God is so great, so far above us, and transcends our senses to such a degree, that we can never hope to comprehend His mystery or the depths of His infinite being. Yet he does not make the absolute distinction which some have made, between God as He is in Himself (about whom we can know nothing), and God as He appears to us (about whom we can know something), for he asserts “yet he [God] does not in himself will opposites.” Thus Calvin does say something about God as He is in Himself (in fact, he asserts that God does not violate the law of contradiction!) However, he leaves the final resolution of this apparent discrepancy to the eschatological future, when perhaps the mystery involved in this doctrine will be made known to our understanding. For the present, he exhorts us to “feel overawed with Paul at the great depth” of the wisdom and knowledge of God.

CHAPTER 25. OF THE LAST RESURRECTION.

^[505] 2 Tim. 1:10; John 5:24; Eph. 2:6, 19; Rom. 7:16-18; Heb. 11:1; 2 Cor. 5:6; Col. 3:3; Titus 2:12.

^[506] French, “nous recevions un povre salaire de nostre lascheté et paresse;”–we receive a poor salary for our carelessness and sloth.

^[507] Calvin translates. “Quis scit an hominis anima ascendit sursum?”–Who knows whether the soul of man goes upward? &c.

^[508] Chiliasm (from a Greek word meaning “a thousand”) arose very early in the history of theology. Some of the early Church Fathers distinguished between a first and a second resurrection, and held that there would be an intervening millennial kingdom in which Christ would reign with His saints upon the earth. This view may be found in Papias, Irenaeus, Barnabas, Hermas, Justin Martyr, and Tertullian (all from the second century). But by the time of Luther and Calvin, the leading theologians (both Roman Catholic and Protestant) had rejected the doctrine of an earthly millennium. Calvin calls it a “fiction,” and says that it is “too puerile to need or to deserve refutation.”

^[509] Calvin’s chief objection to “Chiliasm” appears to be alleged limitation, to a period of one thousand years, of the reign of Christ with His saints. A secondary objection arises out of his interpretation of Revelation 20:2-7 (in which the term “thousand years” appears six times) as referring to the Church militant in this world. These objections against “Chiliasm” would today apply only to that view of the last things called Premillennialism. However, if a person held (1) that Christ’s kingdom is spiritually present, as He rules in the hearts of His elect; (2) that Christ’s kingdom shall have a future, earthly manifestation, when He shall reign with His saints upon the earth; and (3) that Christ’s kingdom will not cease at the close of the thousand years, but will merge into eternity; then it would appear that Calvin’s chief objection to this view would be removed. Of course, his secondary objection would remain as a difference of hermeneutical (interpretive) approach and method.

^[510] French, “La question quant au lieu est bien frivole et sotte: veu que nous savons que l’ame n’a pas ses mesures de long et de large, comme le corps;”–the question as to place is very frivolous and foolish, seeing we know that the sould has no measures of length and breadth like the body.

^[511] Latin, “ut vivificas esse doceat”–French, “pour monstrer quells nous meinent à vie;”–to show that they conduct us to life.

^[512] French, “Et encore quand nous aurons bien profité en cette meditation, se nous faut il entendre que nous sommes encore tout au bas et à la premiere entree, et que jamais nous n’approcherons durant cette vie à la hautesse de ce mystere.”–And still, when we shall have profited much by thus meditating, we must understand that we are still far beneath it, and at the very threshold, and that never during this life shall we approach the height of this mystery.

CHAPTER 1. OF THE TRUE CHURCH. DUTY OF CULTIVATING UNITY WITH HER, AS THE MOTHER OF ALL THE GODLY.

^[513] Here Calvin provides a basis for the concept, “the invisible Church.” The term “invisible” refers to the fact that a knowledge of those who are truly members of Christ’s body is known to God alone and cannot with certainty be ascertained by men (except for themselves, through their effectual calling). (see also section 7)

^[514] Here Calvin employs the term, “the visible Church.” (He also calls it “the external Church” in the first sentence of section 3). The expression, “visible Church” refers to the Church as it is seen by the eyes of fallible men. From this standpoint, since only the Lord “knows them that are His,” it is possible to have (and sometimes discover) deceived persons and hypocrites in the church–those who are not truly members of Christ’s body. This mixed state of affairs forms part of the warrant for Church discipline. (see also section 7)

^[515] In this section (7), Calvin specifically distinguishes between the invisible and the visible Church (note first line for term “visible”). The invisible Church is the Church as it really is before God; the visible Church is the Church as it appears to man.

^[516] Here Calvin enumerates the criteria by which we are to judge who are to be acknowledged as members of the visible Church. The presence of these criteria does not, of course, give us full certainty as to who are members of Christ’s body, the invisible church (such certainty rests with God alone); but the absence of them leaves us with no bases upon which to judge who are to be regarded as members of the visible Church.

^[517] Here Calvin distinguishes between the Church universal (the visible church throughout the world), and local churches and individuals (the visible Church manifested in particular places).

^[518] French, “Pour donner exemple, s’il advenoit qu’une Eglise tint que les ames etant separées des corps fussent transferés au ciel incontinent: une autre, sans oser determiner du lieu pens’t semplement qu’elles vivent en Dieu: et que telle diversité fut sans contention et sans opiniatreté pourquoy se diviseroient elles d’ensemble?”–To give an example, should one church happen to hold that the soul when separated from the body is forthwith transported to heaven, and should another, without venturing to determine the place, simply think that it lives in God, and should such diversity be without contention and obstinacy, why should they be divided?

^[519] French, “La doctrine principale de nostre salut;”–the fundamental doctrine of our salvation.

^[520] French, “Et aussi que demeurant en icelle nous ne troublions point la police ni la discipline;”–and also that, remaining in it, we disturb not its order and discipline.

^[521] French. “Comme s’ils eussent ete quelques anges de Paradis;”–as if they had bean some angels of Paradise.

^[522] l Cor. 1:11; 3:3; 5:l; 6:7; 9:l; 15:12.

^[523] French, “Toutesfois Sainct Paul recognoissoit entre eux quelque Eglise;”–yet St Paul recognised some church among them.

^[524] See Calvin, Lib. de Cœna Domini; item, Instructio adv. Anabapt.

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