The Forgotten Five Points of Calvinism as Stated by John
Calvin.
1) AMILLENNIALISM
"But a little later there followed the Chiliasts, who limited the reign of
Christ to a 1000 years. Now their fiction is too childish either to need or to
be worth a refutation. And the Apocalypse, from which they undoubtedly drew a
pretext for their error, does not support them. For the number 1000 does not
apply to the eternal blessedness of the church but only to the various
disturbances that awaited the church, while still toiling on the earth."
2) RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION
"Servetus lately wrote to me, and coupled with his letter a long volume of his
delirious fancies, with the Thrasonic boast, that I should see something
astonishing and unheard of. He takes it upon him to come hither, if it be
agreeable to me. But I am unwilling to pledge my word for his safety, for if he
shall come, I shall never permit him to depart alive, provided my authority be
of any avail."
3) PREDESTINATION TO HELL
" We call predestination God's eternal decree, by which he compacted with
himself what he willed to become of each man. For all are not created in equal
condition; rather, eternal life is foreordained for some, eternal damnation for
others. Therefore, as any man has been created to one or the other of these
ends, we speak of him as predestinated to life or death."
4) INFANT BAPTISM
" Now, if we choose to investigate whether it is right to administer baptism to
infants, shall we not say that a man is talking nonsense or indeed raving who
would halt with the mere element of water and outward observance, but cannot
bear to turn his mind to the spiritual mystery? If any account of this is made,
it will be evident that baptism is properly administered to infants as something
owed to them."
5) SACRAMENTS
"Therefore, let it be regarded as a settled principle that the sacraments have
the same office as the Word of God; to offer and set forth Christ to us, and in
him the treasures of heavenly grace."
Submitted by Jeffrey D. Nachimson