Warning: This may be a bit longer than some care to read, but I seldom post.<br>Your readership is appreciated.<br><br>Reformation Day is Oct. 31. Let us remember that "all" Reformers are<br>fallible--very, very fallible--and some, as in churches everywhere, may not believe<br>or be what they profess and appear as.<br><br>"On October 27, 1553 John Calvin, founder of Calvinism, had Michael Servetus,<br>Spanish physician, burned at the stake just outside Geneva for his doctrinal<br>heresies. Thus, the originator of the popular doctrine of "once saved, always <br>saved" (known in certain circles as "the perseverance of the saints") violated the<br>cry of the Reformation--"Sola Scriptura"--by murdering a doctrinal heretic without<br>Scriptural justification. This event was something Calvin had considered long<br>before Servetus was even captured, for Calvin wrote his friend, Farel, on<br>Feb. 13, 1546 (seven years prior to Servetus' arrest) and went on record
as<br>saying:<br><br>'If he {Servetus} comes {to Geneva}, I shall never let him go out alive if my <br>authority has weight.'<br><br>Calvin's authority had ultimate weight and is why some referred to Geneva as the <br>"Rome of Protestantism" and Calvin as the "Protestant Pope of Geneva." During<br>Servetus' trial, Calvin wrote: 'I hope that the verdict will call for the death penalty.'<br>Obviously, Calvin fed and sheltered a prolonged and murderous hate in his heart<br>and was willing to violate Scripture to put another to death and in a most cruel<br>manner. And though Calvin consented to Servetus' request to be beheaded, he<br>acquiesced to the mode of execution employed by fire."<br><br>(Some words above have been changed, though not the meaning; the above <br>taken from www.sullivan-county.com/news/mine/servetus.htm -- "His Ashes<br>Cry Out Against John Calvin" article by Dan Corner). For those interested, it<br>would highly be recommended to read
this brief, but concise article at the above<br>website. It is a very important part of church history from the Reformation period<br>that is generally, unfortunately, concealed; it does not show Calvinism in the<br>glory it chooses to foster.<br><br>Servetus was cruelly imprisoned, treated atrociously, and the Geneva Calvinists<br>*prolonged* his death by fire savagely having no care for the excruciating pains<br>of his body let alone for the good of his eternal soul. And yet he did not even<br>come close in any imagination to what Sitler did.<br><br>Christ stated in Matthew 12:31,32, "Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin<br>and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy<br>Spirit shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word against<br>the Son of man, it shall be forgiven unto him: but whosoever speaketh against<br>the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world,
neither in the<br>world to come." Michael Servetus did not deny Christ as God, and he may very<br>well have accepted Christ as his Lord and Savior. We cannot with absolute <br>certainty look into the hearts of men; only God is able. Servetus had stated,<br>"I shall admit these three things: first, this man is Jesus Christ; second, he is<br>the Son of God; third, he is God." See www.bcbsr.com/topics/servetus.html<br>His final words while being burned alive was, "Jesu, thou Son of the eternal God,<br>have compassion upon me!" Farel, good friend of Calvin, noted "that Servetus<br>might have been saved by shifting the position of the adjective and confessing <br>Christ as the Eternal Son rather than as the Son of the Eternal God." (See<br>note #12 on the sullivan-county.com site). And yet a heartless modern day<br>Calvinist comments on Servetus' final agonizing words while being burned alive<br>tied to a stake saying, "This phrase
epitomizes the essence of his Trinitarian<br>error" for he said "Son of the eternal God" rather than "eternal Son of God." <br>(See the bcbsr website). Such true Christian love.<br><br>Whether Servetus was a heretic or not, execution (sanctioned state murder in <br>this instance) is not the penalty for this offense. Titus 1:9-14 states how a <br>heretic was to be dealt with. (See the Sullivan County website).<br><br>Some Official Reasons for being burned alive:<br>*Accused of teaching against infant baptism<br>*Accused of defaming John Calvin<br>*Accused of refraining from marriage for a "long time"<br>*Accused of denying the Trinity<br>None above are biblical justifications for the death penalty.<br>(See www.bcbsr.com/topics/servetus.html for a Comprehensive List of Official<br>Charges)<br><br>Though I personally believe in eternal security for a true Believer, and Dan<br>Corner's article *may* not, it still stands that there is nothing to suggest that
<br>Calvin ever repented of this sin/crime, and "the next year Calvin published a <br>defense in which further insults were heaped upon his former adversary in most<br>vindictive and intemperate language." (See note # 13 on the Sullivan site). How<br>sweet the serrated edge, even after death.<br><br>Concerning the two Michaels, what seems to be pride, envy, malice and <br>arrogance on the part of John Calvin and Douglas Wilson is manifested to those<br>whom they perceive to "cross" them. In the article, "The Murder of Michael<br>Servetus" under the bcbsr website, it is stated, "in fact in his book "Calvin And<br>His Enemies" Rev. Thomas Smyth D.D. admits that Servetus was not really<br>condemned because of his doctrine, but because of the manner in which he <br>maintained them. Meaning that he was not a man-pleaser, but spoke his<br>manner (much as Jesus did). In this way he offended the religious elite (much<br>as Jesus did) and was condemned to
death not because of his doctrine, but<br>because he humiliated the proud. Yet many Calvinists simply place the blame<br>on Servetus. 'If ever a poor fanatic thrust himself into the fire,' says <br>J.T. Coleridge, 'it was Michael Servetus.' While they strive to hold John Calvin<br>as the victim of circumstance."<br><br>Servetus' attitude was shown to be far more Christlike than Calvin's bloodthirsty,<br>serrated one. After Servetus' murder, Calvin stated "Many people have accused<br>me of such ferocious cruelty that (they allege) I would like to kill again the man<br>I have destroyed. Not only am I indifferent to their comments, but I rejoice in the<br>fact that they spit in my face." "Whoever shall now contend that it is unjust to<br>ptu heretics and blasphemers to death will knowingly and willingly incur their<br>very guilt." The excuse that such terrible behavior was the custom of the time is<br>not biblical justification.
Calvin had in possession the same Scriptures we have<br>and the same responsibility to search God's Word independently of his coveted<br>agenda. "This is an example not uncommon of how even popular institutional<br>leaders in the church can end up committing atrocious crimes. Because of<br>their elitist attitude, they cannot handle humiliation and thus react with even<br>bloodthirsty hostility. Chirst's death was one example, and Servetus' another."<br><br>Read the complete, brief, and also concise article above on the bcbsr site to see<br>the serrated statements of John Calvin in comparison to what's been seen <br>coming from Doug Wilson's serrated attitude and tongue.<br><br>On Doug Wilson's blog under "Rights and Privileges"--Topic: A Justice Primer<br>(9/27/06), D. Wilson states, "I have banned Michael Metzler from this list, and<br>I did so because of his boorish lack of manners. This issue is not a <br>"disagreement" in itself, of some
kind of allergic reaction on my part to primary<br>documents. All sorts of people express disagreement with various things said<br>on this blog, and they do so within the bounds of Christian discourse, and they<br>do so untrammeled by me. Michael was warned a number of times before he<br>was evicted, but the warnings only made the situation worse." How much like<br>the Rev. Thomas Smyth's statement above concerning Calvin's attitude towards<br>Michael Servetus.<br><br>Wilson writes on his blog under "Ligonier: Catnip of the Internet!"--Topic: A<br>Justice Primer under # 7 on 9/26/06, "The witnesses that come out of the<br>woodwork whenever something like this errupts on the internet are consistent in<br>one thing only -- their malice and envy." Really? Malicious about what and <br>envious towards you (or Ligonier) about what? Is one envious about your wealth,<br>house, wife, children, power, influence, or could it be your
*winsome* ways,<br>unchristian serrated attitude and mouth, lies, deceit, intimidation, arrogance and<br>such untarnished honor? Those who voice antagonism towards you in a way<br>*perhaps* they shouldn't, may just be following your serrated edge which has a <br>different feel when not being dished out by you and yours, but be assured, <br>whether you care or not, there are those at opposite ends of you who pray for<br>you--and not imprecatory prayers--we all need biblical prayer as Christ<br>commanded. The accusers of Jesus aren't yours. Christ had none of the<br>commodities and characteristics listed above, except His might as the Almighty<br>God which He never used to abuse the spirits of men. Christ said "...I am come<br>that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the<br>good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep" (John 10:10,11).<br>Our sustenance comes not from you, Doug, but
from our Creator. And let it be<br>known that anonymous accusers are not mentioned in Deuteronomy 19 as you<br>state in your above topic under # 1, but it is false witnesses who are to be <br>penalized. In this same article of yours under # 2 you state, "The Bible prohibits<br>solitary accusation against elders (I Tim. 5:19); this means that two or three<br>(accountable) witnesses are required for each specification." You fail to continue<br>the following Scripture, verse 20, which states, "Rebuke before the whole<br>assembly those leaders who continue sinning, as a warning to the others." That<br>being said, biblical mandate warrants you to step down from the pastorate, <br>though it doesn't appear that you will as it seems from your past and current<br>conduct you rationalize the end justifies the means. And this is why the <br>Reformed seem not to police their pastors and other elders, etc., and they should<br>because of their
postmillennial stance.<br><br>An admonition to any...I John 4:1, Dear people, believe not every spirit, but test<br>the spirits to see whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone<br>out into the world." (While this Scripture is pertaining to those who deny Jesus<br>Christ came in the flesh as God's only begotten Son, this does not mean that<br>one who professes Christ as God incarnated will alone qualify one for pastorship<br>as dictated by the Bible).<br><br>"That we henceforth be no more little children, tossed to and fro, and blown along<br>by every wind of teaching, at the mercy of people clever in devising ways to <br>deceive" (Ephesians 4:14).<br><br>"The mind of a person with discernment gets knowledge, and the ear of the wise<br>seeks knowledge" (Proverbs 18:15).<br><br>"Now the people here were of nobler character than the ones in Thessalonica, in<br>that they eagerly received the Word, and searched the Scriptures daily, whether<br>those
things were so that Paul was saying" (Acts 17:11).<br><br>"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is valuable for teaching the truth,<br>convicting of sin, correcting faults and training in right living..." (II Timothy 3:16).<br><br>"Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; test your own selves"<br>(II Corinthians 13:5).<br><br>"For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet <br>pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ" (Galatians 1:10).<br><br>"For our appeal was not of deceit, nor of impure motives, neither do we try to <br>trick people: But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the Gospel,<br>even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts"<br>(I Thessalonians 2:3,4).<br><br>Concerning Re Kirker Wisdom, Hmmm....imprecatory prayers or wishes,<br>heirdoug. How Christlike. More Calvins, more Farels. I rest my
case.<br><br><Scimitar><br><p> 
<hr size=1>Stay in the know. Pulse on the new Yahoo.com. <a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=42974/*http://www.yahoo.com/preview"> Check it out.</a>