Chapter 18

To close Book 1, Calvin gives a great segue to books that are yet to come. He mentions, in chapter 18, the problem of human evil within a discussion of particular providence. If God is so particularly provident, then why are human being such evil bastards?

Calvin's answer: That's what God must have intended.

Sweet Lord. Are you kidding me?

We are going to have to deal SO much with this, apparently, in the near future, that I will only give a few quick responses here. Then, I will gladly bid farewell to Book 1.

• God is more glorified by human sin, than the lack of human sin. God sounds like a sleazy politician. Whatever makes him look good, must be better!
• God is the providential overseer of the evil in our world, but not the author of it. Really? That is, essentially, the same thing as an author saying, 'I wrote the book, but the characters are so sadistic that I cannot be held responsible for their crazed wickedness.'

When Calvin gets to the Judas parts at the end of this chapter, I thought I was going to beat my head into a wall. 

He sounds like he wants to have his cake and eat it, too. Just because God is provident over the destiny of mankind does not mean that God is provident over the actions. Judas is a perfect example. If God determined that Christ was to be sacrificed, betrayal was not integral. Judas, however, found himself swept up in the winds of providence and his own evil proclivities. 

There, a way that God is provident without becoming the author of sin. 

Calvin, however, thinks we cannot have one without the other. 

Sigh. 

So long, Book 1. Good riddance.