A Reference to Calvin in a letter by Charles Darwin

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sastark

Puritan Board Graduate
I'm doing research for a paper and came across this reference to Calvin by Charles Darwin:

I have been deeply interested in Wollaston's book [On the Variation of Species, 1856], though I differ greatly from many of his doctrines. Did you ever read anything so rich, considering how very far he goes, as his denunciations against those who go further; "most mischievious," "absurd," "unsound." Theology is at the bottom of some of this. I told him that he was like Calvin burning a heretic. It is a very valuable and clever book in my opinion.

Charles Darwin to J. D. Hooker, Down, June 17, 1856 (Life and Letters, 1:431-432)

As quoted in David Hull, Darwin and His Critics, Harvard University Press, 1973, page 126.

Emphasis added.
 
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The last sentence of Darwins book "The Origin of Species" says that the Creator, (the C is capitalized so it's referring to God) controlled all of the processes of the described Evolution in the book. This last sentence of the book is only in the 2nd edition though, not the first edition.
 
I'm doing research for a paper and came across this reference to Calvin by Charles Darwin:

Theology is at the bottom of some of this. I told him that he was like Calvin burning a heretic. It is a very valuable and clever book in my opinion.

Shows the sort of sophistocation it takes to despise righteous judments.

Cheers,

Adam
 
I was reading the news today, and apparently a song called "Hallelujah" occupied the top two spots on the charts of somewhere or other. So I found the lyrics to it. At first it looked kind of intriguing -- being about King David the poet and so forth. But as I read more, I realized it was basically a typical pop song with some Biblical elements thrown in totally out of context. And what interests the non-Christian world about King David? Why, the story of Bathsheba, of course. They don't care that David is a type of Christ. They don't care that David defeated Israel's enemies and led the people back to God. They don't care that David was an inspired prophet through whom we got most of the book of Psalms.

Similarly, I personally find it frustrating when I try to introduce friends from e.g. the Mennonite or Brethren camps to Reformed soteriology and Calvin, to have to deal with complications like this.

I shall probably never be a famous man of God. But if through some strange act of Providence I am, I am pretty sure that the primary things the unbelieving world at large will remember about me will be my moral failures.
 
I shall probably never be a famous man of God. But if through some strange act of Providence I am, I am pretty sure that the primary things the unbelieving world at large will remember about me will be my moral failures.
Where did that come from? Geneva was run by the Council of 200 and the Little Council. Calvin was an employee and had no more right to burn anyone than your local meter reader.
 
I shall probably never be a famous man of God. But if through some strange act of Providence I am, I am pretty sure that the primary things the unbelieving world at large will remember about me will be my moral failures.
Where did that come from? Geneva was run by the Council of 200 and the Little Council. Calvin was an employee and had no more right to burn anyone than your local meter reader.

It may also be noted that the Brethren and Mennonites may need an attitude adjustment with regard to the Old Testament. What they regard as "moral failings" would be attributable to Moses and the Levites, Elijah, David, Hezekiah, Josiah, and a host of other godly men who subdued kingdoms and wrought righteousness.

Cheers,

Adam
 
It may also be noted that the Brethren and Mennonites may need an attitude adjustment with regard to the Old Testament. What they regard as "moral failings" would be attributable to Moses and the Levites, Elijah, David, Hezekiah, Josiah, and a host of other godly men who subdued kingdoms and wrought righteousness.

Cheers,

Adam

The above is very true, and helps somewhat.

Of course, Adam, you and I are going to regard this issue a little differently, and I don't think we should take the thread off topic.
 
The above is very true, and helps somewhat.

Of course, Adam, you and I are going to regard this issue a little differently, and I don't think we should take the thread off topic.

Andrew,

Good point! I was simply pointing out that if something is immoral now, then it has always been immoral, and Brethren and Mennonists should be made to see how many saints they accuse of immorality. It might help to open dialogue to free them from their abyss of error.

Cheers,

Adam
 
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