[HarleyD]

Calvin came later, and his acolyte Knox after that. Calvinism was never more than a significant minority in Protestant theology and after reaching its zenith in the late 1800s, has been in decline ever since.

You will find that many of the Protestant confessionals of the early 1600s contain many of Calvin's beliefs. Whether these were his beliefs that were poured into the confessionals or whether these were Protestant beliefs that he articulated in his Systematic Theology which is still in use today, is argumentative.

Calvinism has been in decline (until recently) since the late 1800 due to the likes of people like Joseph Armenian who challenged the confessionals or Charles Finney who introduced a social oriented doctrine. That doesn't make Calvin wrong. Instead, it makes other Protestants wrong who believe the confessionals starts out as, "God has a wonderful plan for your life." and is concluded in three more steps.

I liken the errors of Protestantism to the errors of the Catholic Church who have bastardized the gospel so much that it is unrecognizable. People need to go back and look at what the scriptures actually tell them rather than making up things. While not perfect, a good place to start is Calvin's Systematic Theology.

[Quix]

People need to go back and look at what the scriptures actually tell them rather than making up things

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MUCH AGREE WITH THAT!

[Cronos]

You will find that many of the Protestant confessionals of the early 1600s contain many of Calvin's beliefs. Whether these were his beliefs that were poured into the confessionals or whether these were Protestant beliefs that he articulated in his Systematic Theology which is still in use today, is argumentative.

Ok, this is the non-theological, historical thread debate :-P

well, no, not really -- Calvin, Luther, Zwingli, etc. couldn't agree with themselves and split up (Meeting at Warburg? I can't remember)

[Cronos]

1. The Church has not in any way "bastardized" the Gospel.
2. We know what scriptures tell us and we follow it as the faith handed down to us from the Apostles