am fully entitled to say that in this man there was
exhibited to all an example of the life and death of the Christian,
such as it will not be easy to depreciate, such as it will be difficult
to emulate."

Though Calvin built his theology on the foundations laid by earlier
reformers, and especially by Luther and Bucer, his peculiar gifts of
learning, of logic and of style made him pre-eminently the theologian
of the new religion. The following may be regarded as his
characteristic tenets, though not all are peculiar to him.

The dominant thought is the infinite and transcendent sovereignty of
God, to know whom is the supreme end of human endeavour. God is made
known to man especially by the Scriptures, whose writers were "sure
and authentic amanuenses of the Holy Spirit." To the Spirit speaking
therein the Spirit-illumined soul of man makes response. While God is
the source of all good, man as a sinner is guilty and corrupt. The
first man was made in the image and likeness of God, which not only
implies man's superiority to all other creatures, but indicates his
original purity, integrity and sanctity. From this state Adam fell,
and in his fall involved the whole human race descended from him.
Hence depravity and corruption, diffused through all parts of the
soul, attach to all men, and this first makes them obnoxious to the
anger of God, and then comes forth in works which the Scripture calls
works of the flesh (Gal. v. 19). Thus all are held vitiated and
perverted in all parts of their nature, and on account of such
corruption deservedly condemned before God, by whom nothing is
accepted save righteousness innocence, and purity. Nor is that a being
bound for another's offence; for when it is said that we through
Adam's sin have become obnoxious to the divine judgment, it is not to
be taken as if we, being ourselves innocent and blameless, bear the
fault of his offence, but that, we having been brought under a curse
through his transgression, he is said to have bound us. From him,
however, not only has punishment overtaken us, but a pestilence
instilled from him resides in us, to which punishment is justly due.
Thus even infants, whilst they bring their own condemnation with them
from their mother's womb, are bound not by another's but by their own
fault. For though they have not yet brought forth the fruits of their
iniquity, they have the seed shut up