John Calvin (1509–1564) on God’s Boundless Display of Goodness in the Gospel Call

When he [God] first shines with the light of his word on the undeserving, he gives a sufficiently clear proof of his free goodness. Here, therefore, boundless goodness is displayed, but not so as to bring all to salvation, since a heavier judgment awaits the reprobate for rejecting the evidence of his love.

John Calvin, Institutes, 3.24.2; trans. Henry Beveridge.

When he first shines with the light of his Word upon the undeserving, he thereby shows a sufficiently clear proof of his free goodness [Lat. gratuitae bonitatis; Fr. bonté gratuite]. Here, then, God’s boundless goodness [Lat. immensa Dei bonitas; Fr. la bonté infinie de Dieu] is already manifesting itself but not to the salvation of all; for a heavier judgment remains upon the wicked because they reject the testimony of God’s love [Lat. testimonium amoris Dei; Fr. le tesmoignage de l’amour de Dieu].

John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, ed. J. T. McNeill, trans. F. L. Battles, 2 vols., LCC (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2006), 2:967; Institutio, 3.24.2.

Verbi sui luce dum immerentibus primum affulget, eo gratuitae bonitatis suae specimen satis luculentum exhibet. Hic ergo iam se exserit immensa Dei bonitas, sed non omnibus in salutem: quia reprobos manet gravius iudicium, quod testimonium amoris Dei repudient.

John Calvin, Institutio Christianae Religionis, 2 vols. (Berolini: Gustavum Eichler, 1834), 2:159.

Puis que Dieu esclaire par sa parolle à ceux qui n’ont rien merité: en cela il donne un signe assez clair de sa bonté gratuite. Or en cest endroit la bonté infinie de Dieu se monstre desja: mais ce n’est pas pour le salut de tous, d’autant que la condamnation des reprouvez sera plus grieve, de ce qu’ils ont rejetté le tesmoignage de l’amour de Dieu.

Jean Calvin, Institution de La Religion Chrétienne (Genève: E. Beroud & C., 1888), 447–448.

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