VII. JOHN CALVIN ON THE SALVATION OF - The Works of F. N. Lee

We saw too how Calvin noted: that even ignorant adults are punished with fewer stripes than
knowledgeable adults; that Jesus Christ healed the daughter even of a Canaanite woman; and
that He came to seek and to save infants that were lost. It was seen that the Reformer:
repeatedly denied any justificatory need for baptism; seems to have exempted infants from
God' swrath but not from His mercy in Romans chapters one to eleven; and was careful about
the implication for infants of First Corinthians 7:14 & 15:21f, Ephesians 2:2f, and Hebrews
2:13.
It was also seen how John Calvin believed that First John 3:7f teaches Christ came to destroy
the devil' s work, and that children are saved before and without infant baptism. He insisted
against the many Anti-Calvinistic Gnesio-Lutherans such as Westphal and Heshusius - that
many infants were regenerated long before their infant baptisms and that, though tainted, they
are not necessarily unregenerated. For the genius of Geneva was convinced that original sin
cannot stop infants from being regenerated. Consequently, it is therefore irresponsible to
argue that any early-dying infants go to hell.
We further noted Calvin never said that reprobate infants die while still babies -- but that he
does say the impiety of parents cannot bar the salvation of their tiny offspring. Indeed,
Calvin very strongly condemned the anti-trinitarian Anabaptist Servetus -- also and even
specifically for suggesting that those dying as babies are lost.
Last, Calvin viewed Paedobaptism as the seal of pre-existing infant salvation. Not
surprisingly, then, he also condemned Castellio -- for damning early-dying infants. Indeed, as
we shall later see, also the Synod of Dordt would here uphold Calvin against Castellio.
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