What is Reformed Christianity?

Introduction

“Reformed Christianity,” while under the veil of nominal goodness, is a most evil lie, which attempts to turn God into a moral monster. This theology makes God no better than satan and the other demons, and perhaps worse. It is a form of quasi-Christianity, for it is Protestant, and Protestantism can never be completely Christian because it is heretical and schismatic regarding the Body of Christ. This genus of Protestantism retains the thought of the Protestant fathers; and with utmost firmness of belief, this genus is also the most wicked of all Trinitarian Protestantism and of all under the title of Christian. As Ephesus in 431 calls the heresies of Nestorius “disgusting, perverted views,” (1) so are those of the Protestant Fathers. “Reformed” is also known as Calvinism, since it was founded by John Calvin, a prominent French-Swiss Protestant theologian, who is commonly regarded as the greatest of the Protestant theologians. Though being twenty-six years younger than Luther, he was influenced by him so much to the point of mistaking them to have been close companions or Calvin to have been a pupil, yet they had never met.

Calvin

Calvin was born at Noyon, France in 1509. In 1523, being in a financially-well, middle class family, went to the University of Paris for seminary studies, but later changed to law. Thus, he went to study at Bourges and Orleans from 1528-31. Inspired by both Protestantism and Liberalism, he began to move away from Christian orthodoxy. He fled from France to Basel in 1535 as a Protestant refugee. Basel is where he first wrote his magnum opus the “Institutes of the Christian Religion,” or simply, the “Institutes,” viewed by  Protestants as the greatest work on orthodox Christianity. It was published in 1536, exalting his repute among Protestants, though it was not finished until 1559 after various revisions.

The now reputable Calvin was one day at Geneva and was found by William Farel, another French-Protestant theologian. He sought Calvin for his possible aid in the Protestantization of Geneva, but in 1538, they were expelled. Calvin again took refuge, this time in Strasbourg, where he became “pastor” of the “church” of St. Nicholas. In 1540, still at Strasbourg, he married a certain widow, Idelette. He became involved in inter-religious conferences furtherly exalting his repute as a Protestant theologian. In 1541 he was invited to the progressively Protestantizing Geneva, and later, the city’s imposition of Calvinism upon the citizens and the eradication of Catholicism. In 1564, he died likely due to pulmonary tuberculosis.

 
Calvinist Theology

Calvin taught double predestination, which is the heresy that God creates some to go to gehenna (everlasting hell fire), but others for heaven. The distinction between those who believe in predestination (either single or double) (2) and those who believe in free will, is synergism and monergism (3). “Reformed” theology includes the denomination of Presbyterianism, and, what is ironic is that they use the word “presbyter,” yet they actually have no valid presbyters.

Calvinist theology is summarized in the acronym TULIP. Ofcourse, not all of the points of TULIP are agreed upon, since Protestants are disunified and believe whatever they desire, however, Calvnists agree on most of them. Now, Tulip is the acronym for the Calvinist heresies of (1) total depravity, (2) unconditional election, (3) limited atonement, (4) irresistible grace, and (5) perseverance of saints. 

T - Total Depravity: mankind is completely depraved through original sin, and therefore cannot do anything that is pleasing to God. Everything a man does, even if a pious and good work, is at least a venial sin. That is to say, man is incapable of virtue.

It was necessary to premise this much for the sake of some who, when they hear that human virtue is totally overthrown, in order that the power of God in man may be exalted, conceive an utter dislike to the whole subject, as if it were perilous, not to say superfluous, whereas it is manifestly both most necessary and most useful. (4)

To Luther and Calvin, there was no such thing as a good work. The only way of salvation is through faith, which is predestined. So some invincibly ignorant (5) will not be bestowed sanctifying grace, even if he lives according to the natural law written in his heart (Rom. ii. 15). 

U - Unconditional Election: some person who will be granted life everlasting is unconditionally chosen by God as so. Thus, the reprobates are also unconditionally reprobates.

The thing which he [Augustine] thus intended to assert was, that all the saints mentioned in Scripture, from the beginning of the world, as having been specially selected by God, were equally with us partakers of the blessing of eternal salvation. (6)

There is nothing that man can do to change his salvation or reprobation; it is ultimately God's selection.

L - Limited Atonement: only the elect are atoned for and the crucifixion applies solely to them. Therefore, the reprobate are not atoned for. This, Calvin did not too clearly express, and some Calvinists do not believe that he held limited atonement. But limited atonement is the only reasonable view to hold. Ofcourse, a Calvinist will not admit, for it sounds horrible to say that God only died for the elect, showing how evil their distorted God is and how they lie to themselves in order to deny this evil. If a Calvinist thinks that God died so that the reprobates could have life, that is logically impossible in order to be in accordance with Calvinism. According to Paul, God died so that “they also who live, may not now live to themselves, but unto him who died for them” (II Cor. v. 15). And those who will live for God are the elect, thus, the reprobate will never live and be atoned for.

I - Irresistible Grace: sanctifying grace is irresistible for the elect. This is under unconditional election.

P - Perseverance of the Saints: the elect (the saints) will persevere to their salvation. This is again under unconditional election.

Refutation

T - “Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit, shall be cut down, and shall be cast into the fire (Mt. vii. 19).”

Jesus exhorts the bearing of good fruit,

Jesus will not tell us to do something which we cannot,

Therefore, good fruit can be borne, meaning man is not “totally depraved.”

U - “Come to me, all you that labour, and are burdened, and I will refresh you. Take up my yoke upon you, and learn of me, because I am meek, and humble of heart: and you shall find rest to your souls. For my yoke is sweet and my burden light (Mt. xi. 28-30).”

& “Come ye after me, and I will make you to be fishers of men (Mt. iv. 19).” et al. verses.

Jesus commands man to come to him,

A command is something which can either be obeyed or disobeyed,

Therefore, one has the option to obey this, meaning there are no “elect.”

(applies to I & P since they both regard freewill)

L - “For God so loved the world, as to give his only begotten Son; that whosoever believeth in him, may not perish, but may have life everlasting (Jn. iii. 16).”

God sent His son for the salvation of the world,

The “world” is all of humanity on earth,

Therefore, salvation is possible for all, meaning there is no “limited atonement.”

PRAYER

Pater noster, qui es in caelis, sanctificetur nomen Tuum. 

     Adveniat regnum Tuum. 

Fiat voluntas tua, sicut in caelo et in terra.

     Panem nostrum quotidianum da nobis hodie. 

Et dimitte nobis debita nostra, sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris. 

     Et ne nos inducas in tentationem, sed libera nos a malo. 

Amen.

Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum. 

     Benedicta tu in mulieribus, et benedictus fructus ventris tui Iesus. 

Sancta Maria, mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatoribus, nunc et in hora mortis nostrae. 

     Amen.

Father, we ask as Thy body that thou showest these the truth, 

     who thou truly art. Good Father, have mercy on them. 

Mayst thou obliterate their false distortions regarding thee. 

     And may all the saints in thy kingdom pray for this cause. 

Amen. 

NOTES

1. Tanner, N. P. (1 Dec, 2016). Decrees of the Ecumenical Councils: Volume I: Nicaea I to Lateran V. Washington: Georgetown University Press 

2. Single Predestination: God, upon the creation of some person, destines them for 

     everlasting life. 

     Double Predestination: God, upon the creation of some person, destines them for   

     either everlasting life or everlasting death.

3. Monergism (Heretical): God is the sole operator in one’s salvation. 

    Synergism (Orthodox): God and man are cooperators in that man’s salvation. 

4. Calvin, J. (Trans. Beveridge, Henry). (1845). The Institutes of the Christian Religion. Edinburgh: Printed for The Calvin Translation Society.

5. Invincible Ignorance: ignorance through no fault of oneself.

6.Calvin, J. (Trans. Beveridge, Henry). (1845). The Institutes of the Christian Religion. Edinburgh: Printed for The Calvin Translation Society.

The bible translation used is the Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition.