Calvinism a life-system - pagina 31

CALVINISM A LIFE SYSTEM.

Hence we cannot recognize any

man.

to

among men,

He gave one man

order that the with

less,

and

condemns

vinism

systems of

it

him serve

not

merely

is

all

Hence

God.

his

opposed to

all

hierarchy

woman among able,

is

by the grace of God, to

either in person or in family,

and

exhibit superiority of character or talent, that

Cal-

open slavery and

covert slavery of

all

no aristocracy save such as

tolerates

it

in

of more talents should serve the

in

but also

caste,

and of the poor; men;

God

authority over the other,

one with more talents than the other,

enriched

man

distinction

save such as has been imposed by

Himself, in that or

27

to

show

does not claim this superiority for self-aggrand-

it

izement or ambitious pride, but for the sake of spending the service of God.

in

it

find

its

utterance

life

to

proclaim

;

rest until

in

the

the

So Calvinism was bound

to

democratic interpretation of

liberty

of nations

;

and not to

both politically and socially every man, simply

because he

is

man, should be recognized, respected and

dealt with as a creature created after the Divine likeness.

This was no outcome of envy. of lower in

estate

who reduced

It

was not the man

his superior to his level

order to usurp the higher place, but

kneeling Israel.

in

concert at the

feet

This accounts for the

no sudden break with the

of the

fact that

past.

Even

it

was

all

men

Holy One of

Calvinism made as in

its

early

stage Christianity did not abolish slavery, but undermined it

by a moral judgment, so Calvinism allowed the

'provisional

continuance of the conditions of hierarchy

and aristocracy as traditions belonging to the Middle Ages.

It

was not charged against William of Orange, that

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