john calvin

“ God preordained, for his own glory and the display of His attributes of mercy and justice, a part of the human race, without any merit of their own, to eternal salvation, and another part, in just punishment of their sin, to eternal damnation. ”

“ A perfect faith is nowhere to be found, so it follows that all of us are partly unbelievers. ”

“ It is a most blessed thing to be subject to the sovereignty of Lord. ”

“ We must guard against depriving believers of anything disclosed about predestination in Scripture, lest we seem either wickedly to defraud them of the blessing of their God or to accuse and scoff at the Holy Spirit for having published what it is in any way profitable to suppress. ”

“ No one knows the one-hundredth part of the sin that clings to his soul. ”

“ Let that ethical philosophy therefore of free-will be far from a Christian mind. ”

“ The human testimonies which go to confirm it will not be without effect, if they are used in subordination to that chief and highest proof, as secondary helps to our weakness. ”

“ All events whatsoever are governed by the secret counsel of God. ”

“ God works in his elect in two ways: inwardly, by his Spirit; outwardly, by his Word. ”

“ Free-will cannot will good and of necessity serves sin. ”