The most exhaustive refutation
to the teaching of eternal
security ever written.
801 shocking pages.
[This article is copyrighted by Daniel D. Corner,
1995.
Permission is granted to copy this article IN ITS ENTIRETY only for free distribution.]
"On Monday I received a phone call from the chairman of the board of the church I pastor. Brother Phil was upset some of his fellow Christian school board members were pestering him about not being a Calvinist. They were saying his simple Bible believing faith was simplistic and he needed to study John Calvin to understand what it means to be saved. He asked me for help. Well I had long ago in college studied Calvin and decided his position on predestination was not in line with the clear teaching of Scripture. Well I had two funerals to do this week and no time to prepare anything. Well I located your work: His Ashes Cry Out Against John Calvin on the internet. I read this work word for word to the men's Sunday School class and the reaction was - every fellow agreed who needs a murderer to teach Bible doctrine! Thank the Lord your article His Ashes Cry Out Against John Calvin headed off a very devisive issue. I am waiting to hear what the school board members think when they read His Ashes Cry Out Against John Calvin! Thank you."
John Calvin-Great Theologian or Heretic?
You are about to read an important part of church
history from the Reformation period that has been so concealed in our day that very
few people know the facts. Brace yourself for a shock.
On October 27, 1553 John Calvin, the founder of Calvinism, had Michael
Servetus, the Spanish physician, burned at the stake just outside of Geneva for
his doctrinal heresies!(1) Hence, the originator of the popular doctrine of "once
saved, always saved" (known in certain circles as "the perseverance of the saints")
violated the cry of the Reformation -- "Sola Scriptura" -- by murdering a doctrinal
heretic without Scriptural justification. This event was something Calvin had considered
long before Servetus was even captured, for Calvin wrote his friend, Farel, on February
13, 1546 (seven years prior to Servetus' arrest) and went on record as saying:
Evidently, in that day Calvin's authority in Geneva, Switzerland had ultimate
"weight." This is why some referred to Geneva as the "Rome of Protestantism"(3) and
to Calvin as the "Protestant 'Pope' of Geneva."(4)
During Servetus' trial, Calvin wrote:
All this reveals a side of John Calvin that is not well-known or very appealing, to
say the least! Obviously, he had a prolonged, murderous hate in his heart and was
willing to violate Scripture to put another to death and in a most cruel way. Although
Calvin consented to Servetus' request to be beheaded, he acquiesced to the mode of
execution employed. But why did Calvin have a death wish for Servetus?
From the time that Calvin had him arrested on August 14th until his
condemnation, Servetus spent his remaining days:
Let it be noted that the Calvinists of Geneva put half-green wood around the feet
of Servetus and a wreath strewn with sulfur on his head. It took over thirty minutes to
render him lifeless in such a fire, while the people of Geneva stood around to watch
him suffer and slowly die! Just before this happened, the record shows:
Although we essentially have the same in the conversion of the repentant thief
(Lk. 23:42,43 cf. Lk. 18:13) and the Scripture, "Everyone who calls on the name of the
Lord will be saved" (Acts 2:21; Rom. 10:13), Farel still reckoned Servetus an unsaved
man at the end of his life:
As the Roman Catholics of 1415 burned John Hus(14) at the stake over
doctrine, John Calvin, likewise, had Michael Servetus burned at the stake. But was
doctrine the only issue? Could there have been another reason, a political one?
Is it possible for a man such as John Calvin to have been a "great
theologian" and at the same time to act in this reprehensible way and afterwards
show no remorse? Dear reader, do you have a heart that could, like John Calvin,
burn another person at the stake?
Let us illustrate this another way. Suppose a man from your congregation with a
reputation for being a spiritual leader captured your neighbor's dog, chained it to a
stake, then used a small amount of green kindling to slowly burn the dog to death.
What would you think of such a person, especially if he afterwards showed no
remorse? Would you want him to interpret the Bible for you? To make the matter
even worse for John Calvin, a person, unlike a dog, is created in the image of God!
Like it or not, we can only conclude from this evidence that John Calvin's heart was
darkened, and not enlightened, as a result of his murderous hate for Servetus. At best,
Calvin was spiritually blinded by this hate and therefore, spiritually hindered from rightly
dividing the word of truth.(17) At worst, which was apparently the case, John Calvin
himself was unsaved, according to Scripture:
The Greek adds an important word to 1 Jn. 3:15 that is sometimes omitted in
English translations. That word is "continuing" or "abiding" (NKJV) and states that
murderous people don't have eternal life continuing in them.
Dear reader, since murderers are unsaved and John Calvin was a murderer,
then Calvin was unsaved! Moreover, since the unsaved are darkened in their spiritual
understanding (Eph. 4:18) and Calvin was unsaved based on Scripture, then Calvin
was darkened in his spiritual understanding.
Jesus said we can "know" people by their fruit (Mt. 12:33) -- be it John
Calvin or anyone else! Similarly, the Apostle John wrote:
Can you say Calvin did what was "right" regarding Servetus? If not, then doesn't
this make him a "child of the devil," according to this verse and others already cited?
Though some will rant and rave over this conclusion, can we Scripturally come to any
other?
No other evidence is needed to objectively assess Calvin's spiritual status.
However, two other men should also be briefly mentioned:
How should a heretic or any false teacher be dealt with, that is, if one is willing to
abide by the Biblical guidelines? Paul wrote Titus and touched upon this very issue,
which first starts out as a qualification for eldership in the church:
Clearly, then, a false teacher should be "silenced," not by having him
killed, as Calvinism's founder did, but by refuting him with Scripture. This is the
true Christian method.
If Calvin's example is the standard, the next time the Jehovah's Witnesses
or Mormon missionaries come to our door, we should physically overpower them,
bind them to a stake, and make human candles out of them
Also, false teachers should be openly named as Paul openly named
Hymenaeus and Philetus who were destroying the faith of some of the Christians
whom Paul knew:
This is also an important preventative against a false teacher's spiritual poison.
Why did Calvin grossly violate these Scriptural guidelines? Since Paul's Holy
Spirit inspired directives (and example) regarding how to deal with a heretic were
diametrically opposed by Calvin, isn't it safe to assume that Calvin was governed by a
different spirit than Paul had? Moreover, why have these facts about John Calvin's life
rarely been mentioned in our day? The answer to this last question is obvious. They
are both an embarrassment and refutation to the Calvinists who proudly refer to
themselves by his name! Since they are the evangelical majority and it is their power
and influence that has the greatest sway over what is disseminated throughout our land
and even the world, this information about their founder is seldom, if ever, heard. Many
people are only now learning the shocking facts about Calvinism's founder as they read
them for the first time!
Three important questions remain: (1) Can John Calvin be Scripturally
justified for murdering Michael Servetus? (2) Does a murderous hate, according
to Scripture, render one spiritually unable to accurately interpret the Scriptures?
(3) Can a murderer be saved according to Rev. 21:8?
All these answers have a bearing on the credibility of Calvin's popular
"perseverance of the saints" doctrine, among others. Regretfully, Calvin's version of
Christianity is the prevalent view in our land, but is his view Scriptural? To answer in
the affirmative is to say that Calvin's double predestination is true, that is, some are
predestined for Heaven and others are predestined for Hell without free choice on
their part!(20) This would violate many Scriptures, especially 2 Pet. 3:9:
Furthermore, Calvin's teachings declare Jesus' work on the cross was NOT
infinite, because according to that teaching, He did not shed His blood for every
human, but only for the elect -- those predestined to be saved. This is clearly refuted by
1 Jn. 2:2:
Also, his "perseverance of the saints" doctrine would assert that God's power will
keep a truly saved person secure, in spite of grievous sins committed after
regeneration and/or any doctrinal heresies that would be embraced, thus violating
many Scriptural examples and warnings which prove the opposite!
It should be apparent that, from the founder down to us today, the "perseverance
of the saints" doctrine (most commonly known as "once saved always saved") has most
often been a "license for immorality" taught under the banner of grace. See Jude 3,4.
As Calvin's own theology allowed for his actions against Servetus, many in our
day are sexually immoral, liars, drunkards, filled with greed, etc., while they
profess salvation. This is a ramification of Calvin's perverted grace message -- a
teaching which has "spread like gangrene" from a man who could openly burn
another to death and for the remaining 10 years and seven months of his life,
never publicly repent of his crime.
"If he [Servetus] comes [to Geneva], I shall never let him go out alive if my
authority has weight."(2)
"I hope that the verdict will call for the death penalty."(5)
"To rescue Servetus from his heresies, Calvin replied with the latest edition of
his 'Institutes of the Christian Religion,' which Servetus promptly returned with
insulting marginal comments. Despite Servetus's [sic] pleas, Calvin, who
developed an intense dislike of Servetus during their correspondence, refused to
return any of the incriminating material."(6)
"Convicted of heresy by the Roman Catholic authorities, Servetus escaped the
death penalty by a prison break. Heading for Italy, Servetus unaccountably
stopped at Geneva, where he had been denounced by Calvin and the
Reformers. He was seized the day after his arrival, condemned as a heretic
when he refused to recant, and burned in 1553 with the apparent tacit
approval of Calvin."(7)
In the course of his flight from Vienne, Servetus stopped in Geneva and made
the mistake of attending a sermon by Calvin. He was recognized and arrested
after the service.(8)
"Calvin had him [Servetus] arrested as a heretic. Convicted and burned to
death."(9)
" ... in an atrocious dungeon with no light or heat, little food, and no sanitary
facilities."(10)
"Farel walked beside the condemned man, and kept up a constant barrage of
words, in complete insensitivity to what Servetus might be feeling. All he had in
mind was to extort from the prisoner an acknowledgement [sic] of his theological
error -- a shocking example of the soulless cure of souls. After some minutes of
this, Servetus ceased making any reply and prayed quietly to himself. When
they arrived at the place of execution, Farel announced to the watching crowd:
'Here you see what power Satan possesses when he has a man in his power.
This man is a scholar of distinction, and he perhaps believed he was acting
rightly. But now Satan possesses him completely, as he might possess you,
should you fall into his traps.'
When the executioner began his work, Servetus whispered with trembling voice:
'Oh God, Oh God!' The thwarted Farel snapped at him: 'Have you nothing else
to say?' This time Servetus replied to him: 'What else might I do, but speak of
God!' Thereupon he was lifted onto the pyre and chained to the stake. A wreath
strewn with sulfur was placed on his head. When the faggots were ignited, a
piercing cry of horror broke from him. 'Mercy, mercy!' he cried. For more than
half an hour the horrible agony continued, for the pyre had been made of
half-green wood, which burned slowly. 'Jesus, Son of the eternal God, have
mercy on me,' the tormented man cried from the midst of the flames ...."(11)
"Farel noted that Servetus might have been saved by shifting the position of the
adjective and confessing Christ as the Eternal Son rather than as the Son of the
Eternal God."(12)
"Calvin had thus murdered his enemy, and there is nothing to suggest that
he ever repented his crime [sic]. The next year he published a defence [sic] in
which further insults were heaped upon his former adversary in most vindictive
and intemperate language."(13)
"As an 'obstinate heretic' he had all his property confiscated without more ado.
He was badly treated in prison. It is understandable, therefore, that Servetus
was rude and insulting at his confrontation with Calvin. Unfortunately for him, at
this time Calvin was fighting to maintain his weakening power in Geneva.
Calvin's opponents used Servetus as a pretext for attacking the Geneva
Reformer's theocratic government. It became a matter of prestige -- always
the sore point for any dictatorial regime -- for Calvin to assert his power in
this respect. He was forced to push the condemnation of Servetus with all
the means at his command."(15)
"Ironically enough, the execution of Servetus did not really bolster the strength of
the Geneva Reformation. On the contrary, as Fritz Barth has indicated, it
'gravely compromised Calvinism and put into the hands of the Catholics, to
whom Calvin wanted to demonstrate his Christian orthodoxy, the very best
weapon for the persecution of the Huguenots, who were nothing but heretics in
their eyes.' The procedure against Servetus served as a model of a Protestant
heretic trial .... it differed in no respect from the methods of the medieval
Inquisition .... The victorious Reformation, too, was unable to resist the
temptations of power."(16)
"But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually
immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars -- their place
will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death" (Rev.
21:8).
"We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man
who says, 'I know him,' but does not do what he commands is a liar and the
truth is not in him" (1 Jn. 2:3,4).
"And you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding [continuing] in
him" (1 Jn. 3:15, NKJV).
"This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the
devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is
anyone who does not love his brother" (1 Jn. 3:10).
"Two other famous episodes concerned Jacques Gruet and Jerome Bolsec.
Gruet, whom Calvin considered a Libertine, had written letters critical of the
Consistory and, more serious, petitioned the Catholic king of France to intervene
in the political and religious affairs of Geneva. With Calvin's concurrence he was
beheaded for treason. Bolsec publicly challenged Calvin's teaching on
predestination, a doctrine Bolsec, with many others, found morally repugnant.
Banished from the city in 1551, he revenged himself in 1577 by publishing a
biography of Calvin that charged him with greed, financial misconduct, and
sexual aberration."(18)
How Should A Heretic Be Dealt With?
"He [the elder] must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught,
so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who
oppose it. For there are many rebellious people, mere talkers and deceivers,
especially those of the circumcision group. They must be silenced, because
they are ruining whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach --
and that for the sake of dishonest gain" (Titus 1:9-11).
"Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and
Philetus, who have wandered away from the truth. They say that the
resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some" (2
Tim. 2:17,18).
"No event has more influenced history's judgment of Calvin than the role
he played in the capture and execution of the Spanish physician and
amateur theologian Michael Servetus in 1553. This event has
overshadowed everything else Calvin accomplished and continues to
embarrass his modern admirers."(19)
"The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He
is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to
repentance."
"He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the
sins of the whole world."
"Servetus' ashes will cry out against him as long as the names of these two
men are known in the world."(21)
The true plan of salvation is repentance towards God and faith in Christ Jesus (Acts 20:21). We prove our repentance by our deeds (Acts 26:20). The Lord Jesus taught the road to life is "hard" and only a "few" will find it (Mt. 7:13,14, NKJV). Many get saved, but afterwards fall away (Lk. 8:13; Jn. 6:66; 1 Tim. 1:19; etc.). In other words, after initial salvation we must endure to the "end" to enter the kingdom of God and escape the lake of fire (Mt. 10:22; Heb. 3:14; Rev. 2:10,11). Eternal life comes to the repentant the moment such believe on Jesus for salvation (Jn. 3:16; 6:47; 1 Jn. 5:12,13), but there is another important aspect of eternal life that many are totally unware of in our day because of the false teaching of eternal security. According to true grace teaching, eternal life is also a HOPE (Titus 3:7), yet to be REAPED (Gal. 6:8,9) in the AGE TO COME (Mk. 10:30) for only the ones who PERSIST IN DOING GOOD (Rom. 2:7) and DO NOT GROW WEARY AND GIVE UP (Gal. 6:9).
If a saved person sows to please his sinful nature he'll die spiritually (Rom. 8:13; Gal. 6:8,9). The prodigal is a clear example of this (Lk. 15:24,32). The end result of sin is spiritual death, so DO NOT BE DECEIVED (James 1:14-16). For more information regarding the believer's security, see our what's new page. Our 801 page book, The Believer's Conditional Security, is the most exhaustive and comprehensive refutation to eternal security ever written. It will not be refuted!
Because of the teaching of once saved always saved, grace has been taught as a license for immorality for so long, and without challenge, that when Scripture is quoted, such as 1 Cor. 6:9,10 or Rev. 21:8, it is disregarded, and the giver of God's Word is falsely accused of teaching legalism, bondage, works, etc. This reflects how truly dark are the days in which we live! The ACID TEST question to know if a ministry or local congregation is teaching a license for immorality as condemned by Jude 3,4 is: Does true grace allow the sexually immoral in heaven? If their answer is "YES," avoid it like the AIDS virus! To sit under this teaching influence could mean that your soul and the souls of your loved ones will be eternally damned as a result. To support and promote such a ministry and teaching is to share in its wicked work (2 Jn. 9-11). This includes your financial donations! Flee from such a ministry or congregation and encourage others to do the same before it's eternally too late.
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