John Calvin.
Institutes of the Christian Religion.
Book Fourth.
Of the Holy Catholic Church.
A new translation by Henry Beveridge, Esq.
Edinburgh:
printed for the Calvin Translation Society.
M.DCCC.XLVI.
Contents
Argument.
Book Fourth.
Of the Holy Catholic Church.
Chapter 1. Of the true Church. Duty of cultivating unity with her,
as the mother of all the godly.
Chapter 2. Comparison between the false church and the true.
Chapter 3. Of the teachers and ministers of the Church. Their
election and office.
Chapter 4. Of the state of the primitive Church, and the mode of
government in use before the papacy.
Chapter 5. The ancient form of government utterly corrupted by the
tyranny of the papacy.
Chapter 6. Of the primacy of the Romish see.
Chapter 7. Of the beginning and rise of the Romish papacy till it
attained a height by which the liberty of the church
was destroyed, and all true rule overthrown.
Chapter 8. Of the power of the church in articles of faith. The
unbridled license of the papal church in destroying
purity of doctrine.
Chapter 9. Of councils and their authority.
Chapter 10. Of the power of making laws. The cruelty of the pope and
his adherents, in this respect, in tyrannically oppressing
and destroying souls.
Chapter 11. Of the jurisdiction of the church and the abuses of it,
as exemplified in the papacy.
Chapter 12. Of the discipline of the Church, and its principal use
in censures and excommunication.
Chapter 13. Of vows. The miserable entanglements caused by vowing
rashly.
Chapter 14. Of the sacraments.
Chapter 15. Of Baptism.
Chapter 16. Paedobaptism. Its accordance with the institution of
Christ, and the nature of the sign.
Chapter 17. Of the Lord's Supper, and the benefits conferred by it.
Chapter 18. Of the Popish mass. How it not only profanes, but
annihilates the Lord's Supper.
Chapter 19. Of the five sacraments, falsely so called. Their
spuriousness proved, and their true character explained.
Chapter 20. Of civil government
Argument.
In the former Books an exposition has been given of the three
parts of the Apostles' Creed concerning God the Creator. the
Redeemer, and the Sanctifier. It now remains to treat, in this last
Book, of the Church, and the Communion of Saints, or of the external
means or helps by which God invites us to fellowship with Christ,
and keeps us in it.
The twenty Chapters of which it consists may be conveniently
reduced to three particular heads, viz., 1. Of the Church. 2. Of the
Sacraments. 3. Of Civil Government.
The first head occupies the first thirteen Chapters; but these
may all be reduced to four, viz., 1. Of the marks of the Church, or
the means by which the Church may be discerned, since it is
necessary to cultivate unity with the Church. This is considered in
Chapters 1. and 2. - 2. Of the rule or government of the Church. The
order of government, Chap. 3. The form in use in the primitive
Church, Chap. 4. The form at present existing in the Papacy, Chap.
5. The primacy of the Pope, Chap. 6. The gradual rise of his
usurpation, Chap. 7. - 3. Of the power of the Church. The power in
relation to doctrine as possessed either by individuals, Chap. 8; or
universally as in Councils, Chap. 9. The power of enacting laws,
Chap. 10. The extent of ecclesiastical jurisdiction, Chap. 11. - 4.
Of the discipline of the Church. The chief use of discipline, Chap.
12. The abuse of it, Chap. 13.
The second general head, Of the Sacraments, comprehends three
particulars, - 1. Of the Sacraments in general, Chap. 14. - 2. Of
the two Sacraments in particular. Of Baptism, Chap. 15. Of
Paedobaptism, Chap. 16. Of the Lord's Supper, Chap. 17. Of profaning
the Lord's Supper, Chap. 18. Of the five Sacraments falsely so
called, Chap. 19.
The third general head, Of Civil Government. This considered
first generally, and then under the separate heads of Magistrates,
Laws, and People.
Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, Volume 4
(continued in part 2...)
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