Much of traditional liturgy is rejected some in the

 → much of traditional liturgy is rejected
• → some in the Reformed tradition will reject use of musical instruments in worship
• Geneva/Holy Commonwealth
o Attempted to set up model Christian community
 Union of Church & state
 Everybody must b Christian
 Sign creed
 catechism in schools
 Banished
 failed
• View of church and state
o Godly magistrate maintains civil order and religious uniformity
o Ordained by God
o Supports idea of Holy Commonwealth
o Alliance of church and state
 State enforces religious laws as civil laws
 Legislative leaders should b Christians
• View of the Lord’s Supper and baptism
o Lord Supper
 spiritual nourishment
 weekly
• Sacraments offer and present Christ
o but don’t bestow grace
o Infant baptism
 sign of covenant
• Can b forgiven by Christ’s act on the cross
 Present in OT
• Circumcision= way that infants enter into God’s family
• View of Scripture
o Inspired Word of God (divine origin)
o Confirmed by the inner witness of the Holy Spirit
 to see the Bible as Word is a gift from God
o Scriptures are not a source book of natural science
o Calvin wrote many commentaries on Scripture
• View of God’s sovereignty and providence

32
o providence
 “Nothing takes place by chance”
• even the smallest details are subject to God’s direction
 Calvin appeals to the mystery and incomprehensibility of God’s actions
• Humans must not believe that they and God are subject to same standards of judgment
o There is an “abyss” between us
 We will never b able to fully understand God
 Calvin doesn’t blame God who is called utterly loving and just in the Scriptures
o The sovereignty of God
 Absolute sovereignty of God= God decrees & executes everything
 Bible= teaches God’s particular direction in individual lives
 Predestination
 Doesn’t mean God knows absolutely who’s chosen (the elect)
 How to judge who might b saved:
• Participation in the 2 sacraments (baptism & Lord’s Supper)
• Upright moral life
• Public profession fo the faith
 Consequence of faith= effort to introduce the kingdom of God on earth
• No1 can b a true Christian w/o aspiring to holiness in his life
• Pursuit of moral righteousness
o Primary feature of Calvinism
o Made character a fundamental test of genuine religious life
 Taught that no man has any claim to absolute power
• Encouraged the growth of representative assemblies & stressed their right to resist the tyranny of
monarchs
o Key factor in development of modern const gov
• Church ≠ subject to secular gov except in secular matters
o church= obligation to God to guide the secular authorities in spiritual matters
• Images in worship
o condemned as idolatry
o The Reformed Tradition said only items which has clear biblical basis can be retained from the tradition.