John Calvin prayed to Philip Melanchthon After the Latter's Death

Socrates58 ^ | September 19, 2009

[NYer]

O Philipp Melanchthon! . . . I appeal to you who live in the presence of God with Christ, and wait for us there until we are united with you in the blessed rest . . . I have wished a thousand times that it had been our lot together!

(from online paper, "John Calvin -- True Presbyterian," by Francis Nigel Lee [pdf / html]; his own sources provided: J. Calvin: Clear Explanation of the Holy Supper, in Reid’s Theological Treatises of John Calvin, S.C.M., London, p. 258; see an alternate 1978 printing listed on amazon and this exact excerpt -- and larger context -- from it)

The same thing is found in Tracts Related to the Reformation, Volume 2, translated by Henry Beveridge, Edinburgh: Calvin Translation Society, 1849; "True Partaking of the Flesh and Blood of Christ," pp. 496-497):

Thou hast said a hundred times, when weary with labour and oppressed with sadness, thou didst lay thy head familiarly on my bosom, Would, would that I could die on this bosom! . . . Certainly, thou hadst been readier to maintain contests, and stronger to despise obloquy, and set at nought false accusations. . . . I have not indeed forgotten what thou didst write.

Further online documentation: one / two.

John T. McNeill, editor of the 1960 edition of Calvin's Institutes, mentions it as well, in his article, "Calvin as an Ecumenical Churchman," Church History, vol. 57, 1988.

[vladimir998]

Holy Cow!

John Calvin “WORSHIPPED” the saints?

Bwahahahahahahahahaha!!!

[fatboy]

Calvin wrote extensivly, including his Institutes of the Christian Religion and commentaries on most of the books of the Bible. He did not believe in prayers to the dead. Anyone who knows anything about Calvin knows this already.

BTW, I’m not a strict Calvinist but I do love the truth.

[Mad Dawg]

I think that the point, if there is one, might be that, as I suggested, Calvin's heart might have understood something his mind rejected.

Or, maybe, it's that those who do not believe Catholic truth are reduced to impotent cries of grief, meaninglessly directed at their beloved dead.

In any event, I daresay we'll all find out soon enough.

[Tennessee Nana]

What year was that ???

[GCC Catholic]

If it’s genuine, and the intention is the one that it seems to be, it must have been written between April 1560 and May 1564, after Melanchthon’s death and before Calvin’s.

I wonder if someone can pin it down to a particular work/date.

[raynearhood]

I read your post source and, even though I don't consider myself a “Calvinist” - whatever that is supposed to mean anyway - I don't see this text as an actual prayer to a dead person like you do. It seems to me as though Calvin was wistfully talking to his friend as if he was still there with him. Wishing he could be there in reality to take some of the “heat” off him for their common theology...

...Am I judging this too harshly?

No, you don't judge to harshly. Your assessment is dead on.

You can easily compare this to something like a father playing catch with his kids reminiscing about playing catch with his passed father saying, "Oh Dad, I wish you were still here. You would have so much fun with the kids." The big difference being Calvin was despairing over being attacked.

[topcat54]

Reading this monologue (the complete version is available online), I don't see how it qualifies as a prayer. Surely no one in the 16th century schooled in the abominations of Rome would have read it as such.

[topcat54]

When you find Calvin praying to Mary or one of the archangels, wake us up.