Calvin's Calvinism: God's Eternal Predestination and Secret Providence together with A Brief Reply and Reply to the Slanderous Reports by John Calvin. These works by John Calvin were translated from the Latin and first published by Henry Cole in 1856. As a first edition, in 1987, the RFPA reprinted Sovereign Grace Union's 1927 publication. The RFPA's significantly revised second edition, which includes two historcial introductions, will be a Book Club selection. This work contains John Calvin's clearest teaching on God's sovereign decree of predestination. He wrote this treatise against the error promoted in his day, that God elected all men to salvation in Christ, and reprobation is merely the result of wicked men who deprive themselves of the benefit of universal election. In Calvin's day already, many preferred not to hear about predestination. He wrote: I know full well that no mention whatever can be made of God's eternal predestination, but, in a moment, numberless unholy and absurd thoughts rush into the mind. (p. 76.) Calvin refused to be silent about this doctrine - it is too important a truth. Calvin writes: "This great subject is not, as many imagine, a mere thorny and noisy disputation, nor a speculation which wearies the minds of men without any profit, but a solid discussion eminently adapted to the service of the godly." Why is that? He insists: It builds us up soundly in the faith, trains us to humility, and lifts us up into an admiration of the unboun