CALVIN, JOHN, the illustrious Reformer, was born at Noyon in Picardy, on the loth of July 1509 ; and died at Geneva on the 27th of May t564. His father Gerard's name was Chauvin, which was afterwards Latinized by his son (in the dedication of his first work on Seneca's treatise De Clementia) into the more euphonious shape of Calvinus. In this article we omit all reference to the vast and various labours of this great man, which contributed so much to change the opinions of mankind, and which have given him an imperish able renown. Even the mention of his polemical and miscellaneous writings would be here out of place ; we therefore confine ourselves to a record of his Biblical lVorks. These fill seven of the nine folio volumes of the best and classical edition of his works, which was published at Amsterdam in 1667. The contents of all these volumes are in Latin ; but the Latin is by no means Calvin's com position in every instance ; many of his exegetical works are, in fact, most carefully prepared* versions of his Homilies and Prelections—which he ad dressed to crowded audiences in vernacular French —rendered into the more enduring form of that classic tongue which made them intelligible to the learned throughout Europe, by the help of a de voted staff of pious scholars whom he had gathered around him at Geneva. These versions were gene rally, perhaps in every instance but three, carefully revised and prefaced by Calvin himself. In our enu meration of the biblical works of our illustrious author, we propose to classify the contents of the Amsterdam edition into (1) The treatises which Calvin himself wrote and published ; and (2), Those which were taken down from his oral de livery, translated into Latin by learned friends of the reformer, and published either (a) with pre faces by Calvin's own hand, or (b) with prefaces by other editors.
J. The treatises which were wholly the produc tion of Calvin are (following the order of the Amsterdam edition)—[[] Commentarii in Libras Mosis et golden in Cenesin seorsim, reliquis IV in formam Harmonia digestis ; necnon in Abram Iosua. This work, though arranged the first amongst his collected writings (Amst. ed. vol. TO, was yet the very last which proceeded from his pen. The dedication to Henry of Navarre bears the late date of Aug. 1st, 1563. Of the greater portion of this work Mr. Home says :—` His har mony of the four last books of the Pentateuch has been much and deservedly admired for its ingenuity. The history contained in them forms a distinct part. The rest is comprised under the following divisions—(a) Those passages which assert the excel lence of the Law by way of preface ; (b) The ten commandments, under each of which are compre hended all those parts of the Law which relate to the same subject, and this it is which forms the great body of the IIarmony ; (c) The sum of the Law, containing those passages which enjoin love to God and love to our neighbour ; (d) The use of the Law ; and, lastly, its sanctions and threats.'
Introduct., vol. v. p. 287, 9th ed. The bulk of the work (which Mr. Home thus epitomises) is pre ceded by a commentary on Genesis, and followed by one on Joshua. Hengstenberg has edited the best modern edition of the commentary on Genesis, Berlin, 1838. [2.] Com men/aril in Librunz Psal mono,: (A inst. ed. vol. iii. pt. 1). The dedication is dated July 23, 1557. This work was translated into French four years afterwards. Tholuck's is the best modern edition of this very valuable com mentary, which is marked by some of Calvin's best characteristics of style, lucidness, grasp of the sub ject, and absence of all affectation in treating it. [3.] Commentarii in Eva'. IV, quorum trey PrthreS in formanz Harmonize sunt digesti; quartos very seorsim explicator, good pauca cum reliquis com mit/on habeat ; necnon in Acta Apostolorum. The dedication of the harmony to the magistrates of Frankfort bears' the date of August 1, 1555 ; of the Gospel of St. John, addressed to the municipal authorities of Geneva, January 1, 1553 ; of the Acts, addressed to the Prince Nicholas Radziwil, Palatine of Wilna, etc., August 1, 156o. The Harmony, which as such is not held in high respect (owing to Calvin's simply grouping like passages of the Evangelists together mechanically, without any order of time, which he supposes the sacred authors neglected), was at once, like all his writings, trans lated into French ; into English by Eusebius Paget, 1584 ; and into German by Woligr. Haller, 159o. The best modern edition is by Tholuck. (Amst. ed. vol. vi. throughout.) [4.] Commentarii in 011111a fIN. S. Palzli A postai, algae chino in Ep. ad Hebraos, necnox in Epp. canonicas ; with various dedications to men illustrious in rank or in connec tion with the Reformers. These commentaries have been praised for the perspicuity and judicious tone of the author—among other critics by the Romanist Father Simon (Histoire critique des princi paux commentateurs du NO117). Test. C. L. p. 748). The commentary on the Ep. to the Romans (Cal vin's earliest Biblical work) has been especially commended, as exhibiting some of his very best exegetical qualities. This work was soon translated into French, and has often been republished. Tho luck's is again the best modern edition. (Amst. ed. vol. vii., throughout.) 2. We come now to the second class of Cal vin's treatises, viz. those which were taken down from his oral delivery, translated into Latin by learned friends ; and published either (a) with pre faces in Calvin's own hand, or (b) with prefaces by other writers ; and, first, we mention those which Calvin himself revised and prefaced—again follow ing the order of the Amsterdam edition.