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Book Reviewsa true Reformedchurch becausesuch a church is lacking, Calvinnow says in plain English, "Emigrateto anothercountry, regardlessofthe costr' To ReformedChristians who remain in apostatizingchurchesbecause oftheinfluence of their wife, orchildren,or parents, o~ grandparents,or because leaving for thetrue church will mean ridiculeand the loss of friends, Calvinnow says in plain English,"Leave that church and its Goddishonoringworship for achurch that worships Godrightly."To participate in corruptworship, regardless that one inwardlydissents, is forbidden:I answe.r that part ofthe yokeof Jesus Christ is to confesshis name, and to declare thatwe desire to purely worshipGod alone..I say that faith isnot buried 'in the heart, butproduces fruits outwardly.From this it is clear that thosewho dissemble in order toplease idolaters, signifyingthat they are of their band.have neither faith nor zeal toobey God. Rather they arelike lost beasts, taking cheerin a wicked and perverse license(p. 283).The believermust be mem-November, 2001ber ofa true, instituted congregation,where the gospel ispurely preached, the truth isconfessed, and God is worshipedas He requires in His Word. Thefundamental trouble with theNicodemites is that they do notappreciatewhat a treasure it is to havefreedom. not only to serveGod purely and to make publicconfession of one's faith.but also to be in a well orderedand governed church,where the word of God ispreached, and where the sac-',raments are properly administered.since these are themeans by which God's childrenmay be confirmed in thefaith and are stirred up to liveand die in his obedience.Calvin added: "Now, it seemedto me that this point was veryneedful in ourday, because thereare many fanciful Christianswho mock those who take painsto getto foreign and faroffcountriesin order to enjoy such freedom"(pp. 130, 131).So much is it the duty ofevery believer to be an activemember of a true church that"they are without excuse, whoare in a far-offland and are keptby the world from every meansofrelocating to a country where61
the gospel is preached" (p. 212).Indeed, "for the sake of God'sworship we ought to forget everything,tothepoint ofrenouncingour own lives" (p. 293).Some of the Nicodemitesrepented and moved to Genevaand other places where Reformedworship was possible.Others reacted by criticizingCalvin for his rigor and his allegedlack ofsympathy for theirplight. One Nicodemite chargedCalvin with teaching that "onecannot get to paradise except byway of Geneva." The equivalentin ourday is the angry accusationthat 4'you people thinkthat-you ate the only ones goingto heaven."Many will find the bookoffensive. All hardenedNicodemites will stumble at it.So also will the delicate "brothersof charity." In his zeal forthe glory of God in right worshipand in his holy anger againstour readiness to put our ownconvenience and ease beforeGod's honor, Calvin is ironicand severe. He grants that contemporaryNicodemites resemblethe original in one re..spect: both bury Jesus. In his"Response to a Certain Dutchman"who defended Nicodemism,among the names thatCalvin calls the wicked Dutchmanare "oaf," "crackpot,""blunderer,""wretch," "dog," 44wild animal," 4'beast," "baboon,"44clod," "joker," "dimwit,"44blockhead," and "bulldog."This book is long overdueand sorely needed. It is divineencouragement (for Calvin deriveshis instruction and admonitionfrom Holy Scripture) tothose who take seriously membershipin a true church and participationin the right publicworship of God. •Treatises against theAnabaptists andagainstthe Libertines,by John Calvin. Tr. anded. Benjamin Wirt Farley.GrandRapids: Baker, 1982. 336pp. $29.99 (paper). [Reviewedby David J. Engelsma.]At its beginning, the sixteenthcentury Reformation ofthe church was threatened fromtwo quarters: the Roman CatholicChurch and the Anabaptists.The worth ofthis translation oftwo ofJohn Calvin's outstand-62PRTJ
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ProtestantReformedTheologicalJourna
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EDITOR'S NOTESProf. Russell J. Dyks
Page 5 and 6:
For there are many, even l unruly,
Page 7 and 8:
happen to hold unwittingly to some
Page 9 and 10:
tion oftheir false teachings. II Pe
Page 11 and 12: est, they are very weak, at worst,
Page 13 and 14: truth~' (see I Tim. 4: 1 - 4). Ever
Page 15 and 16: Thomas Bradwardine:Forgotten Mediev
Page 17 and 18: ated grace and uncreated grace. Unc
Page 19 and 20: Bradwardine faces the question ofth
Page 21 and 22: the age, namely, that having set fo
Page 23 and 24: did not identify Thomas Bradwardine
Page 25 and 26: The first is that Bradwardine was a
Page 27 and 28: to Bradwardine as oneof"two pre-emi
Page 29 and 30: Gospels, Acts, and Revelation. Sir
Page 31 and 32: power of the papacy in Bradwardine'
Page 33 and 34: The Serious Callof the Gospel -Is t
Page 35 and 36: elieve th~s proclamation with uprig
Page 37 and 38: to bring good news with their "fig
Page 39 and 40: nation, we read of Melchisedek, the
Page 41 and 42: official activity ofa monarch's her
Page 43 and 44: 8): "Calling is ofthose elect and r
Page 45 and 46: ut all his posterity unable to obey
Page 47 and 48: alone, and He saves whom He will. E
Page 49 and 50: have moved away from the notion oft
Page 51 and 52: every member ofthe visible, institu
Page 53 and 54: fulfilling this calling is their pa
Page 55 and 56: contingent. Further, Calvin did not
Page 57 and 58: ofacceptance in terms of merit, ins
Page 59 and 60: covenant ofgrace and works, or it i
Page 61: Spiritual, Suffers Them to DefileTh
Page 65 and 66: "They do not hold that JesusChrist
Page 67 and 68: II Corinthians 3:6 that "the letter
Page 69 and 70: is to oppose and to repulsethat sec
Page 71 and 72: Rightly Divided: Readings inBiblica
Page 73 and 74: is necessary speaks volumesabout th
Page 75 and 76: Guilt, Grace and Gratitude,Lectures
Page 77 and 78: 76ted under the new? If it wererigh
Page 79 and 80: er to keep himself holy; forthe Sab
Page 81 and 82: there is room for both positionsin
Page 83 and 84: Dr. Gannett's eschatologyalso effec
Page 85 and 86: that, but man has a corrupt nature(
Page 87 and 88: the love of God is "universal"(p. 5
Page 89 and 90: ever, throughout the book thereis n
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