Fortunetly it is available on line and I've looked at the section on Calvin.
I have to thank you for pointing it out to me. The information there has greatly increased my admiration for that Godly man.
However I did not find anything there that matched the charges you made against him.
"As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly. Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool than of him." (Pro. 26:11-12)
This is Calvinism... Hanging tortured anabaptists in cages...
Cages of Munster's Lambertikirche (same as Switzerland), where the Anabaptists were tortured and hung
If you had truly read Schaff, and what Calvin did, you would know that Calvinism has a sadistic godless side that promotes the punishment, fining, imprisonment, and execution, of every person in world the world today...
Crimes include:
- Dancing
- Gambling
- Drunkenness
- Visiting a tavern
- Profane language
- Luxury
- Excess
- Extravagence
- Immodesty in dress
- Playing licentious or irreligious music
- Eating too many meals
- Reading bad books
- Watching plays
- Having or giving the name of Roman Catholic Saint... including names like, Lawrence, Simeon, Henry, Stephen, Emma, Abraham, Arnold, Nicola, Michael, John, Mary, Peter, William, Catherine, Joan, James, Francis, Thomas, Louis, Charles, Greg, Anna... Instead you had to named "Abraham*, Moses, David, Daniel, Zechariah, Jeremiah, Nehemiah" etc
- Heresy
- Idolatry
- Blasphemy
- Adultery
- Irreligion
- Immorality
- Hypocrisy
- Infidelity
- Missing a gathering at public worship
- Missing a sermon
- Laughing during a sermon
- 'Witchcraft'
- Sedition
- Atheism
(* Self-contradictory: Abraham of Rostov, 1073)
"The death penalty against heresy, idolatry, and blasphemy, and the barbarous custom of the torture were retained. Adultery, after a second offence, was likewise punished by death... prohibitive and protective laws intended to prevent and punish irreligion and immorality."
As @GregLogan said, it's all detailed by Phllip Schaff, in History of the Christian Church, Chapter 8, Constitution and Discipline of the Church of Geneva,
HISTORY OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH*
Except Scripture says:
- "Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man." (Gen. 9:6)
- "Thou shalt not kill." (Exo. 20:13; Deu. 5:17)
- "He that smiteth a man, so that he die, shall be surely put to death." (Exo. 21:12)
- "And he that killeth any man shall surely be put to death." (Lev. 24:17)
- "And if he smite him with an instrument of iron, so that he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death." (Num. 35:16)*
- "But if a man come presumptuously upon his neighbour, to slay him with guile; thou shalt take him from mine altar, that he may die." (Exo. 21:14)
- "Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword." (Mt. 26:52)*
- "He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword." (Rev. 13:10)
* In fact, while the Council of Geneva liked to burn people at the stake, Calvin instead preferred to execute them by the sword. This is what he wanted to do to Michael Servetus. i.e. Calvin was certainly like Peter with the same violent streak.
Calvin's Calvinism was indeed a
police state:
"When a refugee from Lyons once gratefully exclaimed, "How glorious is the liberty we enjoy here," a woman bitterly replied: "
Free indeed we formerly were to attend mass, but now we are compelled to hear a sermon." Watchmen were appointed to see that people went to church. The members of the Consistory visited every house once a year to examine into the faith and morals of the family.
Every unseemly word and act on the street was reported, and the offenders were cited before the Consistory to be either censured and warned, or to be handed over to the Council for severer punishment. No respect was paid to person, rank, or sex." (Schaff, s.107, The Exercise of Discipline in Geneva)
"(Michael) Servetus was burnt for heresy and blasphemy. The last is the most flagrant case which, more than all others combined, has
exposed the name of Calvin to abuse and execration; but it should be remembered that he wished to substitute the milder punishment of the sword for the stake, and in this point at least he was in advance of the public opinion and usual practice of his age." (Schaff, s.107, The Exercise of Discipline in Geneva)
Remembering that Servetus fled Catholics in France to seek
asylum and
refuge in Geneva... and this happened...
Life in Calvin's Geneva was perhaps worse than being in Count Dracula's castle with Vlad the Impaler.
Calvin was a murderer...
He wrote to his friend Farel, boasting of his intention to murder Servetus:
"Servetus wrote to me me lately, and beside his letter sent me a great volume full of his ravings, maintaining with incredible presumption in the letter that I shall there find things stupendous and unheard of till now. he declares himself ready to come hither if I wish him to; but I shall not pledge my faith to him; for
if he did come here, I would see to it, in so far as I have authority in this city, that he should not leave it alive." (Stefan Zweig, The Right to Heresy: Castellio against Calvin, 1936; you can read an extract here
Chapter 4: THE RIGHT TO HERESY or How JOHN CALVIN Killed A Conscience)
The Lord warned, "Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him." ( 1 Jn 3:15)