Books Should Be Free
Loyal Books
Free Public Domain Audiobooks & eBook Downloads
Search by: Title, Author or Keyword

Author Collection


By: John Calvin (1509-1564)

Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin Institutes of the Christian Religion

Institutes of the Christian Religion is John Calvin’s seminal work on Protestant systematic theology. Highly influential in the Western world and still widely read by theological students today, it was published in Latin in 1536 and in his native French in 1541, with the definitive editions appearing in 1559 (Latin) and in 1560 (French). The book was written as an introductory textbook on the Protestant faith for those with some learning already and covered a broad range of theological topics...

Book cover A Treatise on Relics
Book cover Commentary on the Epistles of Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians, Volume 1

John Calvin was an influential French theologian and pastor during the Protestant Reformation. Calvin's writing and preachings provided the seeds for the branch of theology that bears his name. Originally trained as a humanist lawyer, he broke from the Roman Catholic Church around 1530. After religious tensions provoked a violent uprising against Protestants in France, Calvin fled to Switzerland. Calvin developed his theology in his biblical commentaries as well as in his sermons and treatises. Calvin produced commentaries on most of the books of the Bible...

Book cover Commentary on the Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Ephesians

In 1548, Calvin published his "Commentaries on six of St Paul's Epistles, viz., Corinthians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and Timothy. In his "Commentaries," the peculiar doctrines which mark his system of theology occur, of course, in a scattered manner, as the occasion of his text may call them forth.

Book cover Sermons upon the Epistle of Saint Paul to the Ephesians

While many of Calvin's sermons are now lost after they were sold by weight by the library of Geneva, his sermons on Ephesians have been preserved, having been translated into Early Modern English by Arthur Golding . Arthur Golding's claim to fame is that his translation of Ovid's Metamorphoses influenced Shakespeare. A comparison with Calvin's commentary on the same letter shows that Calvin saw preaching as no mere explanation of the text - the sermons work consecutively through the text but circle round on the point many time with brief illustration and continuous application to the hearers...

Book cover Selection of the Most Celebrated Sermons of John Calvin

In offering this selection of Sermons to the publick, the publisher has not been governed by Sectarian principles, but has selected Sermons upon various subjects, that the reader may understand the general doctrine held forth by those eminent divines. When we consider the mental darkness which enveloped the world in the days of Luther and Calvin, under Popish superstition and idolatry, and that theirs were some of the first attempts to emancipate the human intellect from more than "Egyptian darkness,"...

Book cover Two Godly and Learned Sermons

Two godly and learned sermons, made by that famous and worthy instrument in God's church, John Calvin. Which sermons were long since translated out of Latin into English, by Robert Horne late Bishop of Winchester, at what time he suffered exile from his country, for the testimony of a good conscience, as his Apology in the beginning of the book will witness. And because these sermons have long lain hidden in silence, and many godly and religious persons, have been very desirous of them: at their earnest request they are now published.

Book cover Scripture Texts with Expositions and Sentence-prayers from Calvin's Commentaries on the Minor Prophets

The prayers of John Calvin, however, have received little attention, as compared with the fame which crowns his theological writings. His commentaries upon Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and the minor prophets were originally delivered in the form of lectures, each followed by appropriate petitions. Both lectures and prayers were extemporaneous. In his epistle dedicatory, prefaced to the commentary upon the minor prophets, and addressed to the King of Sweden, Calvin says: "Had it been in my power I would rather have tried to prevent the wider circulation of that extemporaneous kind of teaching, intended for the particular benefit of my auditory, and with which benefit I was abundantly satisfied.

Book cover Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans

Of all commentators I believe John Calvin to be the most candid...He was no trimmer and pruner of texts. He gave their meaning as far as he knew it. His honest intention was to translate the Hebrew and the Greek originals as accurately as he possibly could, and then to give the meaning which would naturally be conveyed by such Greek and Hebrew words: he laboured, in fact, to declare, not his own mind upon the Spirit's words, but the mind of the Spirit as couched in those words. Dr. King very truly says of him, "No writer ever dealt more fairly and honestly by the Word of God...

Book cover Institutes Of The Christian Religion Book 1 (Allen Translation)

Now, my design in this work has been to prepare and qualify students of theology for the reading of the divine word, that they may have an easy introduction to it, and be enabled to proceed in it without any obstruction. For I think I have given such a comprehensive summary, and orderly arrangement of all the branches of religion, that, with proper attention, no person will find any difficulty in determining what ought to be the principal objects of his research in the Scripture, and to what end he ought to refer any thing it contains...

Book cover Institutes of the Christian Religion, Books 1-4 (Allen Translation)

At the head of the list of Calvin’s writings stands his great dogmatic treatise — the Institutes of the Christian Religion. In a very literal sense this book may indeed be called his life-work. It was the first book he published after he had "devoted himself to God," and thus introduces the series of his works consecrated to the propagation of religion. But from its first appearance in the spring of 1536 to the issue of its definitive edition in 1559 — throughout nearly a quarter of a century...

Book cover Sermons on Psalm 119

The reading-over of these present sermons will sufficiently declare what commodity and profit they may bring with them: As in very deed the author of them right well showeth throughout all his work, in what sort the Lord God hath heretofore been served and also how ordinarily he is served by him. And therefore, for a full recommendation as well of the author as also of the work itself, I intend through God his assistance to set forth none other thing than the same fruit and profit, which they have already gotten that have read them and that fruit which they may make report of, that shall hereafter read them...


Popular Genres
More Genres
Languages
Paid Books