Hi Bill, Hope this finds you well today. I have searched my own library, some Internet libraries, and contacted some Presbyterian seminaries. There is no information available on the alleged quote, a popish God, from Calvin regarding the Trinity, that I posted. It appears Barton W. Stone, in his An ADDRESS To the Christian Churches IN KENTUCKY, TENNESSEE & OHIO ON SEVERAL IMPORTANT DOCTRINES OF RELIGION, SECOND EDITION--CORRECTED & ENLARGED. BY BARTON W. STONE, E. C. C. Report, say they, and we will report.--JER. LEXINGTON, KY. Printed by I. T. Cavins, & co., (sic), quoted Calvin as saying this. I will continue to look as I don't believe Stone would have invented such a quote. Stone was a very righteous man who was well respected for his honesty and integrity. I was surprised when I saw this quote on the Internet as I know from previous study Calvin was a Trinitarian. After all, he despised Michael Servetus and stood tacitly by as Servetus was executed in Calvin's Geneva. Calvin reportedly wrote to his colleague, Guillaume Farel, that should Servetus ever come to Geneva, if my authority is of any avail I will not suffer him to get out alive. He is reported to have also said Many people have accused me of such ferocious cruelty that (they allege) I would like to kill again the man I have destroyed. Not only am I indifferent to their comments, but I rejoice in the fact that they spit in my face. and Whoever shall now contend that it is unjust to put heretics and blasphemers to death will knowingly and willingly incur their very guilt. Perhaps many believe this alleged quote of Calvin's because it sounds Calvinesque. He uses the word popish often in his writings. Anyway, I will keep looking. I do want you to know, however, had my statement about Calvin been part of any report or research and not just a post on here, I would certainly have stated it was according to Stone and would have attempted to either prove or disprove it via additional research. As I said, the quote surprised me too as I know what Calvin's beliefs were. Perhaps Stone knew that Calvin's theology included little mention of the Trinity until 1537 when Pierre Caroli accused him of being an Arian. Now, the quote from Campbell about the Trinity, I object to the doctrine of the Trinity not because it is contrary to reason or revelation, but because of the metaphysical technicalities, the unintelligible jargon, the unmeaning language of the orthodox creeds on this subject, and the interminable war of words without ideas to which this word Trinity has given birth, comes from his own hand in his Millennial Harbinger, 1833, p. 155. If you want to respond please email me at [email protected] as I will not be on here anymore until I complete my M.S. at CCHS. Thank you for your time and for new information of which I was not aware. You are, as I have stated, a true scholar. Admittedly, my expertise is not in systematic theology but practical theology, especially homiletics, communication, worship, and especially, pastoral care. I am passing this web site on to you. It's somewhat interesting. Take care, my friend and continued good luck on your dissertation and blessings on your health.
Jimmy Thanks for your good wishes for my health and dissertation. It is too bad that one can have a theology mostly correct and not live as one should. I'm sure that Calvin and many accomplished theologians have some moral deficits. Good systematic theology does not guarantee good morality. I know my own ethics could use some improvement. Get that accredited masters , finish that Hebrew, and then on to the DTh. Good "luck" in these.
