1) Calvin referred to Mary as "Mary" as often if not more times than her referred to her as the "Virgin Mary."
2) When Calvin referred to her as the "Virgin Mary" he was speaking about those Scriptures which detailed Christ's birth.
If you were to actually read the Commentaries, you would see Calvin refers to Mary as "Mary" most of the few times he even mentions her. Which is not often.
The RCC's delirium about Mary's speculated perpetual virginity reveals just how screwy Rome is about all sexuality.
I'm ping the other two of you to this excellent excerpt from Calvin's Commentary on Luke...
From JOHN CALVIN ON THE GREATNESS OF MARY (Calvin in black)
What Calvin says, I know no Protestant would deny. In Gods providence, Mary was chosen to be the mother of Jesus Christ. Indeed, that is a great honor. But note what Calvin went on to say, "And yet Christs reply is so far from assenting to this female voice, that it contains an indirect reproof." Calvin goes on to the real point of this text. I have bolded some of the key statements Calvin makes. He says, "Nay, rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God. We see that Christ treats almost as a matter of indifference that point on which the woman had set a high value. And undoubtedly what she supposed to be Marys highest honor was far inferior to the other favors which she had received; for it was of vastly greater importance to be regenerated by the Spirit of God than to conceive Christ, according to the flesh, in her womb; to have Christ living spiritually within her than to suckle him with her breasts. In a word, the highest happiness and glory of the holy Virgin consisted in her being a member of his Son, so that the heavenly Father reckoned her in the number of new creatures. In my opinion, however, it was for another reason, and with a view to another object, that Christ now corrected the saying of the woman. It was because men are commonly chargeable with neglecting even those gifts of God, on which they gaze with astonishment, and bestow the highest praise. This woman, in applauding Christ, had left out what was of the very highest consequence, that in him salvation is exhibited to all; and, therefore, it was a feeble commendation, that made no mention of his grace and power, which is extended to all. Christ justly claims for himself another kind of praise, not that his mother alone is reckoned blessed, but that he brings to us all perfect and eternal happiness. We never form a just estimate of the excellence of Christ, till we consider for what purpose he was given to us by the Father, and perceive the benefits which he has brought to us, so that we who are wretched in ourselves may become happy in him. But why does he say nothing about himself, and mention only the word of God? It is because in this way he opens to us all his treasures; for without the word he has no intercourse with us, nor we with him. Communicating himself to us by the word, he rightly and properly calls us to hear and keep it, that by faith he may become ours." So, in Calvins estimate, though it was an honor for Mary to bear Christ Jesus, much more important was that she was given spiritual life by our Lord. In fact all of us are blessed if we are given spiritual life by Jesus. Luke 11:27. Blessed is the womb. By this eulogium the woman intended to magnify the excellence of Christ; for she had no reference to Mary, whom, perhaps, she had never seen. And yet it tends in a high degree to illustrate the glory of Christ, that she pronounces the womb that bore him to be noble and blessed. Nor was the blessing inappropriate, but in strict accordance with the manner of Scripture; for we know that offspring, and particularly when endued with distinguished virtues, is declared to be a remarkable gift of God, preferable to all others. It cannot even be denied that God conferred the highest honor on Mary, by choosing and appointing her to be the mother of his Son. And yet Christs reply is so far from assenting to this female voice, that it contains an indirect reproof.
You will note that in this excerpt, Calvin refers to Mary once as "the Virgin" and three times as simply "Mary."
Happy Mary.
Happy Totally Depraved Mary.
Distorting Mary, distorting man, distorting God, distorting man's relationship to God.
Pretzel Theology.
Here are the questions:
1. 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?
2. WHY do you think Calvin refers to her a the Virgin Mary if he does not believe she remained one?
Now, I realize you say that the second one has something to do with affirming the Virgin Birth, but what group was Calvin addressing that was DENYING the Virgin Birth? It is axiomatic that ALL mothers were once virgins, but they aren't called that once they no longer are.
Anyhow, in RE: your theory about how and why Calvin refers to the BVM...
In his "commentary" on LUKE 2:48-52 "48. And his mother said to him Those who think that the holy virgin spake in this manner, for the purpose of showing her authority, are, in my opinion, mistaken." "The holy virgin would a thousand times rather have died, than deliberately preferred herself to God"
In the commentary on John 2:1-11 "the Papists call us malignant and envious; and what is worse they maliciously slander us as deadly foes to the honor of the holy Virgin." "The holy Virgin acknowledges both, for she abstains from addressing him any farther" "Here the holy Virgin gives an instance of true obedience which she owed to her Son"
And finally an extended citation:
Luke 11:27. Blessed is the womb. By this eulogium the woman intended to magnify the excellence of Christ; for she had no reference to Mary, whom, perhaps, she had never seen. And yet it tends in a high degree to illustrate the glory of Christ, that she pronounces the womb that bore him to be noble and blessed. Nor was the blessing inappropriate, but in strict accordance with the manner of Scripture; for we know that offspring, and particularly when endued with distinguished virtues, is declared to be a remarkable gift of God, preferable to all others. It cannot even be denied that God conferred the highest honor on Mary, by choosing and appointing her to be the mother of his Son. And yet Christs reply is so far from assenting to this female voice, that it contains an indirect reproof.My use of the citations in no way are an endorsement of his opinions, only to show that "When Calvin referred to her as the "Virgin Mary" he was speaking about those Scriptures which detailed Christ's birth" does not seem to hold water.
Nay, rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God. We see that Christ treats almost as a matter of indifference that point on which the woman had set a high value. And undoubtedly what she supposed to be Marys highest honor was far inferior to the other favors which she had received; for it was of vastly greater importance to be regenerated by the Spirit of God than to conceive Christ, according to the flesh, in her womb; to have Christ living spiritually within her than to suckle him with her breasts. In a word, the highest happiness and glory of the holy Virgin consisted in her being a member of his Son, so that the heavenly Father reckoned her in the number of new creatures.