God or Baal: Two Letters on the Reformation of Worship and Pastoral Service

by John Calvin

This book consists of two open letters by the young John Calvin to evangelical believers who desired to stay and work within the Roman Catholic Church. The first letter exposes the idolatry involved in the Mass, while the second denounces the papal abuses of the pastoral office of the church. Together, they form a resounding call for the necessity of a thoroughgoing Reformation. This translation from David C. Noe makes the two letters available together for the first time in English. Noe also provides a helpful introduction to Calvin’s early life and the problem of evangelical believers remaining in the Roman Catholic Church. This book does not merely provide a helpful view of how Calvin believed the moderate French reform movement should decide between God and the worship of false prophets. It is also an opportunity for us to reflect on the abiding significance of the need for reformation. Table of Foreword - Bruce Gordon The First We Must Flee the Forbidden Rites of the Wicked, and Maintain the Purity of the Christian Faith The Second The Christian Man’s Obligation Either to Fulfill or Renounce the Priestly Offices of the Papal Church Author John Calvin (1509–1564) was a pastor in Geneva, Switzerland, and a prominent preacher and theologian during the Protestant Reformation. Editor David C. Noe is professor of classics at Calvin University in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and a pastor in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. His work can be found at latinperdiem.com. Endorsements “For too long a picture of the young Calvin’s theology has been only partially available in English, with the result that key moments in the development of his reforming vision have been obscured. David Noe’s crisp and complete translation of Calvin’s first publication after his arrival in Geneva makes the full scope of Calvin’s early reforming priorities accessible and so illuminates for English readers the emergence of central themes in Calvin’s religious thought between the writing of the first (1536) and second (1539) editions of the Institutes. “In this treatise, consisting of two open letters published in March 1537, Calvin for the first time openly criticizes the moderate French evangelical reform movement of which he had recently been a part. He intensifies concerns with idolatry, more aggressively attacks the Mass, and distinguishes the respective duties of laity and those holding church office to conform outer behavior to their Reformed religious convictions when living as religious minorities. Read together, these two letters stand as Calvin’s earliest public declaration of an emerging sense of his professional obligations as an office holder in a Reformed church shaped by the radical evangelicalism of his recent but from this point on abiding associates, Guillaume Farel and Pierre Viret. “This translation will serve, among other things, as an excellent classroom resource for unpacking the emergence of the distinctively Calvinist concern with the ethics of religious dissimulation and the potentially polluting effects of ceremonies judged to be illicit—matters that reflect the growing centrality of the glory of God and an increasing fascination with the complexities of human nature in both his theology and his work as church Reformer.” — Barbara Pitkin, senior lecturer in religious studies, Stanford University

213 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 19, 2020

About the author

French-Swiss theologian John Calvin broke with the Roman Catholic Church in 1533 and as Protestant set forth his tenets, known today, in Institutes of the Christian Religion (1536).

The religious doctrines of John Calvin emphasize the omnipotence of God, whose grace alone saves the elect.

* Jehan Cauvin
* Iohannes Calvinus (Latin)
* Jean Calvin (French)

Originally trained as a humanist lawyer around 1530, he went on to serve as a principal figure in the Reformation. He developed the system later called Calvinism.

After tensions provoked a violent uprising, Calvin fled to Basel and published the first edition of his seminal work. In that year of 1536, William Farel invited Calvin to help reform in Geneva. The city council resisted the implementation of ideas of Calvin and Farel and expelled both men. At the invitation of Martin Bucer, Calvin proceeded to Strasbourg as the minister of refugees. He continued to support the reform movement in Geneva, and people eventually invited him back to lead. Following return, he introduced new forms of government and liturgy. Following an influx of supportive refugees, new elections to the city council forced out opponents of Calvin. Calvin spent his final years, promoting the Reformation in Geneva and throughout Europe.

Calvin tirelessly wrote polemics and apologia. He also exchanged cordial and supportive letters with many reformers, including Philipp Melanchthon and Heinrich Bullinger. In addition, he wrote commentaries on most books of the Bible as well as treatises and confessional documents and regularly gave sermons throughout the week in Geneva. The Augustinian tradition influenced and led Calvin to expound the doctrine of predestination and the absolute sovereignty of God in salvation.

Calvin's writing and preaching provided the seeds for the branch of Protestantism that bears his name. His views live on chiefly in Presbyterian and Reformed denominations, which have spread throughout the world. Calvin's thought exerted considerable influence over major figures and entire movements, such as Puritanism, and some scholars argue that his ideas contributed to the rise of capitalism, individualism, and representative democracy in the west.

Reviews

[Peter Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting book, that is quite different from most of my Calvin reading. It is a more difficult read than much of Calvin's writing perhaps because of them being written in high Latin.

The first letter is written to a Protestant friend living in Catholic France. Calvin gives good advice on how to navigate that situation. He shows what areas his friend does not need to worry about (not eating meat on Fridays) and what areas he should make sure he doesn't compromise (the Mass). In the end, Calvin encourages him to flee because participation in the Mass is a grave sin and will immediately out him as a non-Catholic. The letter also unmasks some reasons why people will compromise by participating in false worship. The key take away for me was that what happens in worship is central. When worship is compromised, you need to leave. Calvin also gives good advice on what ways we can work with compromised believers and what ways we cannot.

The second letter is a scathing rebuke of a former friend who became a Roman Catholic bishop. In it Calvin again attacks the Mass. But his main focus is on the luxurious lifestyle this man will now lead, as well as the fact that he does not minister directly to the people. His is getting paid a lot while not even doing the job a bishop is supposed to do. I cannot remember reading something strong, particularly a letter given directly to a person. In the final paragraph Calvin tells his friend abandon your post or you are a not a Christian.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish I could give this book a 5 star, but the read was difficult. I've read Calvin before, but this was hard to get through. I understood what was being written, but it lacked a good flow (translated from high Latin). Besides that it was an amazing book addressing Papist, the Mass, and Communion. Calvin very much had a pastoral voice and here you are hearing him deal with wolves.

I love how Calvin accurately applies scripture and addresses the twisting of scripture in his day. Some times he was harsh, but he was also dealing with great abuses. If you are interested in the historical responses that Calvin gave to papist in his day, this book will interest you. If you are not familiar with the Reformation, I would highly recommend something else before starting with this book. If you are interested in reading Calvin, but don't know where to start, I would recommend looking for his letters on prayer (start with the prayer section of the Institutes of the Christian Religion).