Calvinism - pagina 16

Calvinism and

658

tion of every form of worship

Secondly,

we

the droit divin.

[OCt.

and of everybody's conscience. Calvin also honors

consider sovereignty,

Highest authority

racy reigns Dei gratia.

crown, not to the person.

in

monarchy or democ-

But that divine Princes are

right attaches to the

common

creatures and^

as a rule, of lower morals than average men.

mentary on Daniel" he

writes:

Monarchs,

In his in

"Com-

their titles,

always put forward themselves as kings, generals, and counts,

by the grace of God; but how many God's name to themselves,

for the

falsely

pretend to apply

purpose of securing the

supreme power. For what is the meaning of that title of kings and princes "by the grace of God," except to avoid the acknowledgment of a superior. Meanwhile, they willingly trample upon that God, with whose shield they protect themselves, so far are they from seriously thinking themselves to reign by his permission. It is mere pretence, there-

—

—

fore, to

boast that they reign through God's favor.

hear

said,"

it

he continues, " that sovereignty

is

"They

inviolable,

They make of it a shield for and what now do they do themselves, as though this inviolability was predicated of their .''

own

person." At court we often see highest positions held by ignorant and unprincipled men, and the kings themselves, in these days, are often as inane as the ass

among dumb

their power up against God, and are unworthy of being reckoned in the number of mankind. We ought rather utterly to defy them than to obey them, whenever they are so restive and wish to spoil God of his rights, and, as it were, to seize upon his throne and draw him down from heaven. This differs not a little from the droit divin as claimed by Louis XIV., but shows that it made Calvin no cringing slave of kings, even though we do not approve his passion. The form of government Calvin looked upon as an outcome of history, and which, as such, commands our respects Is it a monarchy, then honor the king. Is it democracy, then

brutes.

Moreover, earthly princes lay aside

when they

rise

all

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