John Calvin (1509-1564), Dedication
of the Institutes of the Christian Religion
Vol. 39, pp. 27-33 of The Harvard
Classics
Steadfast allegiance to duty, simple
living and adherence to plain, honest, homely doctrines are Calvin's
principles. Are not these same old-fashioned truths followed to-day?
(Calvin issues "Dedication,"
Aug. 1, 1536.)
To His Most Christian Majesty, FRANCIS,
King of the French, and his Sovereign, John Calvin wisheth peace and
salvation in Christ.
1 W
HEN I began this
work, Sire, nothing was further from my thoughts than writing a book
which would afterwards be presented to your Majesty. My intention was
only to lay down some elementary principles, by which inquirers on
the subject of religion might be instructed in the nature of true
piety. and this labour I undertook chiefly for my countrymen, the
French, of whom I apprehended multitudes to be hungering and
thirsting after Christ, but saw very few possessing any real
knowledge of him. That this was my design, the book itself proves by
its simple method and unadorned composition. But when I perceived
that the fury of certain wicked men in your kingdom had grown to such
a height, as to leave no room in the land for sound doctrine, I
thought I should be usefully employed, if in the same work I
delivered my instructions to them, and exhibited my confession to
you, that you may know the nature of that doctrine, which is the
object of such unbounded rage to those madmen who are now disturbing
the country with fire and sword. For I shall not be afraid to
acknowledge, that this treatise contains a summary of that very
doctrine, which, according to their clamours, deserves to be punished
with imprisonment, banishment, proscription, and flames, and to be
exterminated from the face of the earth. I well know with what
atrocious insinuations your ears have been filled by them, in order
to render our cause most odious in your esteem; but your clemency
should lead you to consider that, if accusation be accounted a
sufficient evidence of guilt, there will be an end of all innocence
in words and actions. If any one, indeed, with a view to bring odium
upon the doctrine which I am endeavouring to defend, should allege
that it has long ago been condemned by the general consent, and
suppressed by many judicial decisions, this will be only equivalent
to saying, that it has been sometimes violently rejected through the
influence and power of its adversaries, and sometimes insidiously and
fraudulently oppressed by falsehoods, artifices, and calumnies.
Violence is displayed, when sanguinary sentences are passed against
it without the cause being heard; and fraud, when it is unjustly
accused of sedition and mischief. Lest any one should suppose that
these our complaints are unfounded, you yourself, Sire, can bear
witness of the false calumnies with which you hear it daily traduced;
that its only tendency is to wrest the sceptres of kings out of their
hands, to overturn all the tribunals and judicial proceedings, to
subvert all order and governments, to distrub the peace and
tranquillity of the people, to abrogate all laws, to scatter all
properties and possessions, and, in a word, to involve every thing in
total confusion. and yet you hear the smallest portion of what is
alleged against it; for such horrible things are circulated amongst
the vulgar, that, if they were true, the whole world would justly
pronounce it and its abettors worthy of a thousand fires and gibbets.
Who, then, will wonder at its becoming the object of public odium,
where credit is given to such most iniquitous accusations? This is
the cause of the general consent and conspiracy to condemn us and our
doctrine. Hurried away with this impulse, those who sit in judgment
pronounce for sentences the prejudices they brought from home with
them; and think their duty fully discharged if they condemn none to
be punished but such as are convictred by their own confession, or by
sufficient proofs. Convicted of what crime? of this condemned
doctrine, they say. But with what justice is it condemned? Now, the
ground of defence was not to abjure the doctrine itself, but to
maintain its truth. On this subject, however, not a word is allowed
to be uttered.