[PAR35]

According to Calvin, man's (and the angels') sin was ordained by God. God planned for it, set it up, and caused it to happen.

Or we can look at what Calvin said.

Book 1, Chapter XVII, Sec. 5.

"God's Providence does not exculpate our wickedness"

"The same men wrongly and rashly lay the happenings of past time to the naked providence of God...If all such men are serving God's will, why should they be punished? On the contrary, I deny that they are serving God's will..."

[aruanan]

"God's Providence does not exculpate our wickedness"

"The same men wrongly and rashly lay the happenings of past time to the naked providence of God...If all such men are serving God's will, why should they be punished? On the contrary, I deny that they are serving God's will..."

To which we appose:

"The devil and wicked men are so held in on every side with the hand of God, that they cannot conceive, or contrive, or execute any mischief, any farther than God himself doth not permit only, but command. Nor are they only held in fetters, but compelled also, as with a bridle, to perform obedience to those commands." (Calv. Inst., b. 1, c. 17, S. 11.)

Flip-flopping is a problem with Calvin as is also his giving words different meanings at different times. Of course, he's denying they're "serving" God's will. If every motion of every atom of your body, every thought you think, every action you take is determined before all time and creation began by the will of God alone, unconditioned by any foreknowledge of God or choice by man, then it is impossible that anyone should "serve" God, except in the sense that the table I make "serves" my purpose by holding my dinner plate.