Envoi Calvin’s Problematic Legacy
Bibliographical Essay and Book List
Acknowledgements
Text Acknowledgements
Index
Quotations
All of Italy must be turned upside down, Rome as well, and then the Church must be renewed. – Girolamo Savonarola
Among Christians, each is the judge of the other and each is subject to the other. – Martin Luther
I want to talk. I want to write. But I do not want to force anyone, for faith needs to be voluntary and free, and to be received without fear. – Martin Luther
I cannot master myself. I want to be calm, yet I am driven into the midst of uproar. – Martin Luther
A simple layman armed with Scripture is to be believed above a pope. Neither the Church nor the pope can establish articles of faith. These must come from Scripture. – Martin Luther
Let everyone who can, smite, slay and stab, secretly or openly, remembering that nothing can be more poisonous, hurtful or devilish than a rebel. It is just as when one must kill a mad dog. – Martin Luther
Superstition, idolatry and hypocrisy have ample wages, but truth goes a-begging. – Martin Luther
A theologian is born by living, nay dying and being damned, not by thinking, reading or speculating. – Martin Luther
The truth is, we are beggars. – Martin Luther
An apostate, an open incestuous lecher, a plain limb of the devil, a manifest messenger of hell. – St Thomas More on Martin Luther
The blessing of a baker that knoweth the truth is as good as the blessing of our most holy father the pope. – William Tyndale
With kings for the most part we have no acquaintance, neither promise. They be also most commonly merciless. Moreover, if they promise, they be yet men as unconstant as are other people, and as untrue. But with God, if we have belief, we are acquainted and have an open way in unto him by the door of Christ which is never shut but through unbelief, and neither is there any porter to keep man out. – William Tyndale
We may allow ourselves to be surpassed by other religious orders in fasts, watchings and other austerities. But in the purity and perfection of obedience, together with the true resignation of our wills and abnegation of our judgement, I am very desirous, my dear brothers, that they who serve God in this society should be conspicuous. – Saint Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus
What seems to me white, I will believe black if the hierarchical Church so defines. – Saint Ignatius Loyola
Those who live in obedience must allow themselves to be led, moved about according to the will of divine providence, just like a dead body which is manipulated and moved in all directions. – Saint Ignatius Loyola
I suffer this day by men, not sorrowfully but with a glad heart and mind. For this cause I was sent, that I should suffer this fire for Christ’s sake. Consider and behold my visage, ye shall not see me change my colour. This grim fire I fear not. And so I pray for you to do, if that any persecution come to you for the Word’s sake; and not to fear them that slay the body, and afterward hath no power to slay the soul. – Words of George Wishart before he was martyred at St Andrews in 1546
In her heart was nothing but venom and destruction. – John Knox on Mary Queen of Scots
I am appointed by God to rebuke the sins and vices of all. I am not appointed to come to every man in particular to show him his offence; for that labour were infinite. – John Knox
To promote a woman to bear rule, superiority, dominion or empire above any realm, nation or city is repugnant to nature, contumely to God, a thing most contrarious to his received will and proved ordinance, and finally it is the subversion of good order or all equity and justice. – John Knox
I walk many times into the pleasant fields of the Holy Scriptures, where I pluck up the goodly green herbs of sentences, eat them by reading, chew them up by musing, and lay them at length in the seat of memory, so that I may less perceive the bitterness of this miserable life. – Queen Elizabeth I of England
I see many over-bold with God Almighty, making too many subtle scannings of His blessed will, as lawyers will do with human testaments. The presumption is so great, as I may not suffer it, yet mind I not hereby to animate Romanists, which what adversaries they be to mine estate is sufficiently known, nor tolerate newfangledness ... in both parts be perils. – Queen Elizabeth I of England
I am no lover of pompous title, but only desire that my reign may be recorded in a line or two, which shall briefly express my name, my virginity, the years of my reign, the reformation of religion under it, and my preservation of peace. – Queen Elizabeth I of England
You cannot name any example in any heathen author but I will better it in Scripture. – James VI of Scotland and I of England
No-one can be injurious to their brother or sister without wounding God himself. Were this doctrine deeply fixed in our minds, we should be more reluctant than we are to inflict injuries. – John Calvin
The Lord cannot endure excess, and it is absolutely necessary that it be severely punished. – John Calvin
If any man disapproves of us or anything we do or say, we are immediately offended without considering whether the judgement is right. If anyone examines himself, he will find this seed of pride within himself. – John Calvin
We know that riches and power always produce arrogance and a perverse confidence in men. Wars are not conceived in hamlets and villages, but the great cities collect the wood and kindle the fire, and the fire then spreads and sweeps over the whole land. – John Calvin
Social disorder is first and foremost disdain for the poor and oppression of the weak. – John Calvin
If you desire to have me as your pastor, correct the disorder of your lives ... Re-establish pure discipline. – John Calvin, to the Council of Geneva
The Good Samaritan, when he came upon the man who had fallen among thieves, did not ask him to what denomination he belonged. – Katherine Zell
List of Popes
| Innocent VIII | 1484–92 |
| Alexander VI | 1492–1503 |
| Pius III | 1503 |
| Julius II | 1503–13 |
| Leo X | 1513–21 |
| Hadrian VI | 1522–3 |
| Clement VII | 1523–34 |
| Paul III | 1534–49 |
| Julius III | 1550–5 |
| Marcellus II | 1555 |
| Paul IV | 1555–9 |
| Pius IV | 1559–65 |