lol. The "obsession" Calvin warns against belongs to Rome. Calvin was well-acquainted with Rome's propensity to turn every tenet of Christianity into some kind of idolatry. Calvin clearly states no one knows if Mary remained a virgin after Christ was born. As the excerpt from Calvin continues...
"What took place afterwards, the historian does not inform us. Such is well known to have been the practice of the inspired writers. Certainly, no man will ever raise a question on this subject, except from curiosity..." -- Calvin
Here Calvin speaks against referring to Mary as the "Mother of God." ...
"I do not doubt that there has been some ignorance in their having reproved this mode of speech, that the Virgin Mary is the Mother of God
I cannot dissemble that it is found to be a bad practice ordinarily to adopt this title in speaking of this Virgin: and, for my part, I cannot consider such language as good , proper, or suitable
for to say, the Mother of God for the Virgin Mary, can only serve to harden the ignorant in their superstitions." - Calvin
Roman Catholic apologists pluck a stray sentence out of context and declare it to be Calvin's entire theology. In context, Calvin is saying something very different. Here is a great essay that reveals the lie that says Calvin agreed with Rome about Mary. Far far from it...
With extraordinary ignorance have the Papists, by an enchanters trick, changed this salutation into a prayer, and have carried their folly so far, that their preachers are not permitted, in the pulpit, to implore the grace of the Spirit, except through their Hail, Mary. But not only are these words a simple congratulation. They unwarrantably assume an office which does not belong to them, and which God committed to none but an angel. Their silly ambition leads them into a second blunder, for they salute a person who is absent..." - Calvin"Next comes the third clause, that she (Mary) is blessed among women. Blessing is here put down as the result and proof of the Divine kindness. The word Blessed does not, in my opinion, mean, Worthy of praise; but rather means, Happy. Thus, Paul often supplicates for believers, first grace and then peace, (Romans 1:7; Ephesians 1:2,) that is, every kind of blessings; implying that we shall then be truly happy and rich, when we are beloved by God, from whom all blessings proceed. But if Marys happiness, righteousness, and life, flow from the undeserved love of God, if her virtues and all her excellence are nothing more than the Divine kindness, it is the height of absurdity to tell us that we should seek from her what she derives from another quarter in the same manner as ourselves.
"Enchanter's trick."
Precisely.
One need only pluck this one sentence from the dunghill to recognize Calvin's position on Mariology is nothing more than low grade fertilizer.
(note to mod; "dunghill" is in reference to Luke 14:35)
henceforth all generations shall call meblessedHappy.
Enchanting.
So, does this mean that YOU don't know either? Because if you DO claim to know, do you have some Scripture that Calvin was unaware of?
"I do not doubt that there has been some ignorance in their having reproved this mode of speech, that the Virgin Mary is the Mother of God I cannot dissemble that it is found to be a bad practice ordinarily to adopt this title in speaking of this Virgin: and, for my part, I cannot consider such language as good , proper, or suitable for to say, the Mother of God for the Virgin Mary, can only serve to harden the ignorant in their superstitions." - Calvin
First of all, do have have a source for this?
Secondly, WHY do you think Calvin refers to her a the Virgin Mary if he does not believe she remained one?
Finally, NOWHERE here does he reject the term Mother of God, he calls it "bad practice ordinarily," that IS NOT a rejection.
Roman Catholic apologists pluck a stray sentence out of context and declare it to be Calvin's entire theology. In context, Calvin is saying something very different.
On the contrary, Calvin says he DOES NOT KNOW and that NOBODY CAN and a great many Calvinists interpret this to mean that Calvin rejected the perpetual virginity of the Blessed Mother.