John Calvin, the French Protestant who broke from the Roman Catholic Church was one of the greatest and most influential of Christian thinkers. He had to leave his native France to escape religious persecution, and spent the rest of his life living and working in Switzerland and Germany.

The Protestants, of course, needed a clear statement for the reasons behind their break from the Pope, and Calvin became their leading and clearest spokesman. A true heir of Augustine and Paul, he successfully systematized the Protestant faith in his Institutes -- a marvel of theological completeness and clarity that served as a model for almost all succeeding theologies in the Protestant movement.

Though greatly despised throughout history, Calvin's clear understanding of the message of the Bible shows his grasp of the truth of God's Word that has stood the test of time. As is true with most of God's despised saints, only the few with genuine faith will know the truth when they see it. "My sheep know my voice."

BOOK ONE: Of the Knowledge of God

Beveridge Translation