Did Calvin write in 3rd person "The Eternal Predestination of God?"

[ArturoH89]

I've honestly only used Calvin's works as a reference and can hardly say that I've read his works outside of the Institutes. That being said, my question may sound ignorant, but I'd appreciate the help!

I was reading Calvin's Calvinism "The Eternal Predestination of God" and "The Secret Providence of God from this website (https://www.the-highway.com/calvin's_calvinism_index.html).

In Section VII "A brief reply..." The page has the following:
//
A BRIEF REPLY
INTENDED TO REFUTE THE CALUMNIES
OF A CERTAIN WORTHLESS PERSON,
BY WHICH HE ENDEAVOURED TO POLLUTE THE DOCTRINE OF THE ETERNAL PREDESTINATION OF GOD.
BY JOHN CALVIN.
Section VII
//

In most of the sections, he refers to himself as "I" but in this brief reply, he seems to be writing in third person OR someone is writing about him.

//
Now it is evident that JOHN CALVIN is attacked by this sentence. But it is well known that JOHN CALVIN is too far removed from the blasphemy with which this worthless being would charge him to need any lengthened protection of himself from its malignity.

John Calvin constantly declares aloud throughout his writings, wherever sin is the subject of discussion, that the name of God is not to be mingled or mentioned with sin...
//

Does anyone know if Calvin wrote section VII of this work? If so, any clue as to why he wrote in 3rd person?

 

[Phil D.]

That is quite interesting. I can't find much about it, but there seems to be various things that indeed raise the question of authorship. As you indicated, I've not seen anywhere else where Calvin wrote in third person form like that. In addition, the sometimes vitriolic language in the treatise is quite uncharacteristic of his other writings, even those against his various nemeses like Servetus. If I had to guess, I would say it was most likely written by someone other than Calvin.

 

[MW]

It turns out to be a different work of Calvin's directed to Castellio in 1554. Henry Cole has added it to the translation for thematic reasons and made it part of his "Calvin's Calvinism."