On Calvinism (16th Century Reformation by Ronald Bainton)

[T]he deepest reason for the activism of Calvinism lay in the realm of idea, and the idea originated with the man, John Calvin.

He [John Calvin] was schooled as a humanist, and the orderliness of his thinking and the clarity of his diction may well be traceable to the influence of his classical studies.

The drive of Calvinism stems from optimism as to God despite pessimism as to man.

Calvin's view of man was just as gloomy, and if anything, even more devastating than that of Luther and the Anabaptists.

Though the world without Christ need not be a pigsty, it will never be a paradise. From a similar analysis the Anabaptists deduced a necessary withdrawal of the Church from the world, and Luther allowed only a resigned participation. But Calvin came out with a resolute summons to action within the sphere of scoiety.

The great text for Luther was, "Thy sins are forgiven, " but for Calvin it was "If God is for us who can be against us?"

Both Calvin and Luther had an overwhelming sense of the majesty of God, but whereas for Luther this served to point up the miracle of forgiveness, for Calvin it gave rather the assurance of the impregnability of God's purpose. Consequently the Institutes treat first of the sovereignty of God ahead of the section on justification by faith.

[The dream to erect the Holy Commonwealth in the terrestrial sphere (e.g. Geneva)] depended upon human agents, God's chosen instruments, the elect.

[According to John Calvin] the people of Israel failed in this great commission [to build a Kingdom of priests and a holy nation] and in their stead God had selected the new Israel of God, the Christian Church.

[On the question of the tests by which the elect could be known]:

- Luther did not pretend to know.
- Muentzer said, "by the spirit."
- Zwingli said, "by faith."
- The Anabaptists said, "by life."
- Calvin, like Luther, disclaimed absolute knowledge and did not aspire like the Anabaptists to compose the church of wheat and tares. Neverthless Calvin posited certain presumptive tests, in number three: 1) profession of faith, 2) an upright life, and 3) participation in the sacraments.

A denial of predestination meant banishment [from the city of Geneva].

A denial of immortality and the Trinity meant death. Gruet was beheaded and Servetus [for saying, the word 'trinity' is not found in the Bible] was burned [to death].