Audio Session 1 – Introduction

Audio for Session #1

Session #1

* The importance of John Calvin’s work
* A short biography of John Calvin and his work in Geneva
* The controversy of Servetus and the role of the state in regulating false religion
* The controversy of the Geneva press laws

Preface to the Lecture Series:

The cry of conservatives is that we need to get back to the Constitution. Certainly, this would be an improvement compared to our present, overreaching government; but is it the Constitution to which we need to return, or the Biblical doctrines of government? The Constitution of 1789 was tainted with the ideology of humanistic rationalism and may represent the first departure from the Protestant Christian view of government.

The general public is unaware that our Constitution, rather than being the epitome of Christian virtue, may have been the one seed of our moral decline. The Bill of Rights, being an incomplete, foundationless moral guide, has opened the door to an ungodly America, hardly different from the practices of the atheistic communist state.

Nevertheless, in America’s early years we prospered as a nation because the populace held to Christian values and to Christian common law. Now that America has embraced secularism, will a return to the Constitution alone give us the moral guidance needed to return America to her moral base? Certainly not. There were greater principles in America that preceded the Constitution and which caused the public to impose on the Constitution the Christian morality. It is to these principles we must return.

The Protestant Reformers and the early colonists established this land on a Biblical view of government and morality. This radical Christian faith is seen in the documents of the early colonies.

The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut of 1639 reads:

“To maintain and preserve the liberty and purity of the gospel of our Lord Jesus which we now profess, as also the discipline of the churches, which according to the truth of the said gospel is now practiced amongst us . . . the Governor, shall have the power to administer justice according to the Laws here established, and for want thereof, according to the Rule of the Word of God.”

The Delaware Constitution of 1776 reads:

“Every person who shall be chosen a member of either house, or appointed to any office or place of trust….shall….make and subscribe the following declaration, to wit:

‘I, ____________, do profess faith in God the Father, and in Jesus Christ His only Son, and in the Holy Ghost, one God, blessed for evermore; I do acknowledge the holy scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be given by divine inspiration.’”

The Massachusetts Constitution of 1780 reads:

“No person shall be eligible for office [Governor], unless at the time of his election…he shall declare himself to be of the Christian religion.”

America was founded by people who believed that the Bible, not man, was the law of the land, and that Christianity was the truth. All other “isms” were false. Today we are still reaping the blessings of this original belief in absolute truth. But as time passed, men would not have this man, Jesus, rule over them. (Luke 19:14) God and the Bible were gradually pushed out of society.

This lecture series on John Calvin’s treatise, “On Civil Government,” is to help Christians learn the Biblical philosophy of government that has been long forgotten, overshadowed by American rationalism and ridiculed as being impractical and unjust. The early colonist had a copy of the Bible, Pilgrim’s Progress, and John Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion. Apart from studying Calvin’s Institutes, one cannot understand the Christian mind of the colonists, nor will one understand the conflict between the Christian and secular visions for America.

I trust this CD series will be a challenge and will propel the student into a whole new vista of Biblical understanding.

Pastor Bradford Winship
God and Country Radio

John Calvin’s Treatise “On Civil Government”
Study Questions
Session #1

1. Calvin was born in ______ and lived from ___________.

2. Along with many commentaries on specific Biblical works, Calvin’s most popular work is called __________

3. Calvin’s treatise “On Civil Government” is found where in Calvin’s theological work? Book __, Chapter __

4. When some Christians hear the name Calvin, they think only of the doctrine that has come to be called _________, which is the New Testament doctrine of God’s sovereign election of people to salvation.

5. What event caused Calvin to leave Paris? ____________________________________________

6. In 1536 Calvin was compelled by Farel, a fellow reformer, to stay and minister in what city? ________

7. Calvin introduced to the city both moral laws and a ______________________.

8. The Roman Catholic teaching was that the church is _________ the state. The Reformers taught from the Bible that the church is _________________________, the state.

9. The Reformers taught that, like the church, the state needs to be under the authority of __________. The state is not to be a secular institution. A nation needs to build its laws and governance upon an ideology, and this is, in essence, religious.

10. The teaching that the state is to be secular came out of what movement? _______________________

11. In early America, the colonies declared in their charters that they were ________________.

12. Calvin was expelled from Geneva. He went to teach in what city? __________________

13. Calvin was asked to return to Geneva after refuting a Bishop by the name of ________.

14. Geneva embraced the Reformation and the authority of the Bible, and this choice affected the culture for generations. Finish Psalm 33:12 – “Blessed is the nation ___________________.”

15. Which two groups opposed Calvin? (1) The Patriots (2) _______________

16. The critics try to discredit the reformation in Geneva by bringing up the burning of __________ at the stake. Did John Calvin pass the sentence? ___

17. Although the mindset in the 16th century was to deal out harsh punishment upon those who taught religious error, should we now make freedom of religion absolute? ___ Does the state have any role in regulating what is either secular or religious ideology? ___ Give an example: _______________________________

18. Which Old Testament king was judged for allowing religious pluralism? ___________ (1 Kings 11:1-9)

19. Another criticism of the Reformers is that they regulated freedom of the __________.

20. There are those who succumb to the argument that we can never censor error because it will set up a precedent for the censorship of truth. Such people tend to hold to the philosophy of _________, and as such, cannot see how society could determine right ideology from wrong ideology.

21. How did the Reformers’ view of government differ from the secular enlightenment view of government that is prevalent in our day? ___________________________________________________________

John Calvin’s Treatise “On Civil Government”
Study Answers
Session #1

1. Calvin was born in France and lived from 1509-1564.

2. Along with many commentaries on specific Biblical works, Calvin’s most popular work is called Institutes of the Christian Religion.

3. Calvin’s treatise “On Civil Government” is found where in Calvin’s theological work? Book 4, Chapter 20

4. When some Christians hear the name Calvin, they think only of the doctrine that has come to be called Calvinism, which is the New Testament doctrine of God’s sovereign election of people to salvation.

5. What event caused Calvin to leave Paris? His sermon at the University that called for a reformation

6. In 1536 Calvin was compelled by Farel, a fellow reformer, to stay and minister in what city? Geneva

7. Calvin introduced to the city both moral laws and a confession of faith.

8. The Roman Catholic teaching was that the church is above the state. The Reformers taught from the Bible that the church is separate, but not above, the state.

9. The Reformers taught that, like the church, the state needs to be under the authority of the Bible. The state is not to be a secular institution. A nation needs to build its laws and governance upon an ideology, and this is, in essence, religious.

10. The teaching that the state is to be secular came out of what movement? The secular enlightenment

11. In early America, the colonies declared in their charters that they were Christian States.

12. Calvin was expelled from Geneva. He went to teach in what city? Strasbourg, Germany

13. Calvin was asked to return to Geneva after refuting a Bishop by the name of Sadolet.

14. Geneva embraced the Reformation and the authority of the Bible, and this choice affected the culture for generations. Finish Psalm 33:12 – “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.”

15. Which two groups opposed Calvin? (1) The Patriots (2) The Libertines

16. The critics try to discredit the reformation in Geneva by bringing up the burning of Servetus at the stake. Did John Calvin pass the sentence? No

17. Although the mindset in the 16th century was to deal out harsh punishment upon those who taught religious error, should we now make freedom of religion absolute? No Does the state have any role in regulating what is either secular or religious ideology? Yes. Give an example: Polygamy, Banning of the Nazi party

18. Which Old Testament king was judged for allowing religious pluralism? Solomon (1 Kings 11:1-9)

19. Another criticism of the Reformers is that they regulated freedom of the press.

20. There are those who succumb to the argument that we can never censor error because it will set up a precedent for the censorship of truth. Such people tend to hold to the philosophy of Relativism, and as such, cannot see how society could determine right ideology from wrong ideology.

21. How did the Reformers’ view of government differ from the secular enlightenment view of government that is prevalent in our day? The Reformers taught that government is not to be secular and pluralistic, but that government leaders have a responsibility before God to follow the Christian worldview and ethic.