"Explore John Calvin's Iconic Institutes of the Christian Religion" 

I’m so glad you learned a lot! Thanks so much for your support!

My pleasure Charles, I hope you enjoyed it!

Thanks for your comment! I’ll try to look into your points and give a thoughtful (hopefully) response soon!

@@SBOKKE The one striking conclusion for me, when I look at Calvin's views or any other Reformer's views, is that they still came away rejecting, not necessarily meaning to, the very thing Jesus established which was a visible, authoritative church... 'Whoever hears you hears Me. Whoever rejects you rejects Me'; 'Whoever sins were forgive or retain are forgiven or retained'; 'Whatever you bind or loose on earth will be bound or loosed in heaven'. All Catholic and Orthodox clergy can trace their ordination by laying on of hands back to the previous generations all the way back to the Apostles. Some Protestants claim that privilege but with no provable evidence. I've read a fair number of post-Reformation interpretations of such verses but one fact still remains. The ancient universal church, through the centuries, still embraced the catholic/Orthodox views. I also find that the original Reformers were much closer to Catholicism/Orthodoxy than modern Evangelicalism is to the Reformers. It's a fascinating study to find the evolution of certain practices eg. Sola Scriptura, Faith alone, TULIP, the sawdust rail, the anxious bench, the altar call, born again, personal Lord and Savior, the sinner's prayer, four spiritual laws, the Romans Road, etc, and the demise of church authority and polity and the sacraments.

@@SBOKKE Dr. David Anders did his PhD dissertation on Calvin on his way, as he said, to convert all the Catholics :) He said he was shocked to find that Calvin knew nothing about what David's Presbyterian church taught. For example, David said Calvin never mentioned to his congregation anything about the modern concept of being 'born again'. David finished college, left the faith, went through a period of depression and eventually read his way into the Catholic Church. I've linked David's conversion story if you care to watch. God bless ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-R5NT32Y-Mrk.html

@@SBOKKE Actually, I have found the Reformers to be much closer to Catholic/Orthodox worship than Modern Reformed and Evangelical worship is. The Reformers, like the Catholic/Orthodox churches of their times, practiced an ecclesial authoritative polity with salvation initiated through the sacraments. Particularly, the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and the Eucharist. I trace the devolution of this church polity and sacramental worship to, among others, the Puritans after their beliefs and practices were rejected by the Church of England. This was followed by the congregational style of worship that estranged those Christians from original Christianity teachings which, in short, led to the eventual mere symbolism of the sacraments, especially baptism, including infant baptism and the Eucharist. It's a fascinating study and one that leads to a better understanding of just how modern Protestants came to the interpretations, conclusions, practices and traditions they all embrace, each in their own particular denomination. Still, the Catholic Church considers them all, if baptized in the Trinitarian formula with the correct intent, to be our separated brethren in Christ. The church prays daily for the unity of all Christians. God bless

I do agree that the faith alone seteriology is different from the Catholic and Arminian thinking. In the end, we each pick and choose our own trusted sources. I am beginning to learn that cordial and loving exchange is the best we can do since we all have our being in the same Creator. I see love as the key. Scripture even say...these three remain, fath, hope and love and the greatest of these is love. I often default back to Paul's words...'all that counts is faith working through love'. That's why I cherish Ephesians 2:8-10. It tells us by what, through what and for what we are saved and it's all 100% a gift. As Augustine of Hippo wrote ' Lord, when You crown our merits, You crown Your own gifts'. God bless