Day 118 — Book 1, Chapter 14, §15

Yesterday: the enemy is a great host under one prince. Today: why we may never make peace with him. Calvin gives three if-arguments — if God's glory is dear to us, if we have zeal for Christ's Kingdom, if we care for our own salvation — and each one ends in the same verdict: no peace, no truce. Then he proves the enemy's character from Scripture (Gen 3, Matt 13, John 8, 1 John 3), and closes with a diagnosis: his whole nature is depraved.

Why examiners love it. Twelve sentences, a parade of constructions: a One thing which ought to V is, that… pseudo-cleft with both A and B (S1), three parallel if… we ought/must… conditionals with him who… relatives (S2–S4), a But such is the character… , where…, that he may both… and… inversion with a stacked purpose clause (S5), Such, too, is… inversion (S6), two fronted-object sentences — Truth he assails…, light he obscures… (S8–S9), all in order that… ellipsis (S9), and There must be extreme depravity in a mind bent on… (S11). The traps are scope-flips: Calvin does not say the devil is God's equal rival, not that peace is merely unwise (he says we ought to make no peace nor truce), and not that the devil's evil is original to his creation (that is §16's job).

Text traps. ⚠️ animate (S1, S3) = give spirit to, spur. ⚠️ contest (S1) = struggle, conflict. ⚠️ aims at (S2) = is directed toward. ⚠️ conspires its ruin (S3) = plots its destruction. ⚠️ seducing… from his allegiance (S5) = leading astray from loyalty. ⚠️ plunge headlong (S5) = hurl down head first. ⚠️ tares (S6) = weeds that look like wheat. ⚠️ abode not (S7) = did not stand/remain. ⚠️ perdition (S9) = utter ruin. ⚠️ malignant (S10) = actively ill-willed. ⚠️ intimated (S12) = hinted, indicated (not "frightened").

Today's 3 Big Points

1. One thing which ought to animate us to perpetual contest with the devil is, that he is everywhere called both our adversary and the adversary of God. (S1) → One thing… is, that… pseudo-cleft + both A and B + ought to. Formula 1.
2. But such is the character given to Satan in the third chapter of Genesis, where he is seen seducing man from his allegiance to God, that he may both deprive God of his due honour, and plunge man headlong in destruction. (S5) → inverted such is N… , that… frame + where-clause with seen V-ing + that he may both V1 and V2. Formula 2.
3. The minds of men he involves in error; he stirs up hatred, inflames strife and war, and all in order that he may overthrow the kingdom of God, and drown men in eternal perdition with himself. (S9) → fronted object (OSV) + semicolon verb series + elliptical and all in order that…. Formula 3.

One thing which ought to animate us to perpetual contest with the devil is, that he is everywhere called both our adversary and the adversary of God. For, if the glory of God is dear to us, as it ought to be, we ought to struggle with all our might against him who aims at the extinction of that glory. If we are animated with proper zeal to maintain the Kingdom of Christ, we must wage irreconcilable war with him who conspires its ruin. Again, if we have any anxiety about our own salvation, we ought to make no peace nor truce with him who is continually laying schemes for its destruction. But such is the character given to Satan in the third chapter of Genesis, where he is seen seducing man from his allegiance to God, that he may both deprive God of his due honour, and plunge man headlong in destruction. Such, too, is the description given of him in the Gospels (Mt. 13:28), where he is called the enemy, and is said to sow tares in order to corrupt the seed of eternal life. In one word, in all his actions we experience the truth of our Saviour’s description, that he was “a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth,” (John 8:44). Truth he assails with lies, light he obscures with darkness. The minds of men he involves in error; he stirs up hatred, inflames strife and war, and all in order that he may overthrow the kingdom of God, and drown men in eternal perdition with himself. Hence it is evident that his whole nature is depraved, mischievous, and malignant. There must be extreme depravity in a mind bent on assailing the glory of God and the salvation of man. This is intimated by John in his Epistle, when he says that he “sinneth from the beginning,” (1 John 3:8), implying that he is the author, leader, and contriver of all malice and wickedness.

[THESIS]      S1        The devil is everywhere called OUR adversary AND God's adversary → perpetual contest
[3 REASONS]   S2–S4     if God's glory is dear → struggle; if zeal for Christ's Kingdom → irreconcilable war;
                        if anxiety for our salvation → no peace nor truce
[PROOF 1]     S5–S6     Gen 3 (seduces man from allegiance) · Matt 13:28 (the enemy sows tares)
[PROOF 2]     S7–S9     John 8:44 "murderer from the beginning" → lies/darkness/error/hatred/strife, all to overthrow God's kingdom
[VERDICT]     S10–S11   his whole nature is depraved, mischievous, malignant — extreme depravity in a mind bent on assailing God's glory
[TEXT]        S12       1 John 3:8 "sinneth from the beginning" = author, leader, contriver of all wickedness

Examiner's Eye. - ⚠️ Two-sided trap (S1): both our adversary and the adversary of God — the devil opposes God and us; an option naming only one is wrong. - ⚠️ Three conditions (S2–S4): glory of God → struggle; Kingdom of Christ → irreconcilable war; own salvation → no peace nor truce. Do not swap the pairings; the last one is the truce sentence. - ⚠️ Scope trap (S5): Gen 3 shows him seducing man from allegiance to God with a double aim (both deprive God of his due honour, and plunge man headlong) — not only harming man. - ⚠️ Source trap (S6/S7/S12): Matt 13:28 = the enemy sows tares; John 8:44 = murderer from the beginning; 1 John 3:8 = sinneth from the beginning. Three different texts. - ⚠️ Direction trap (S10–S12): Calvin says the devil's nature is depraved — but the origin of that depravity (not from creation) is explained in §16. Today's section does not yet say it.

Formula 1 — One thing which ought to V is, that S V… + both A and B (S1)

One thing (which ought to V ... ) is, that  S  is  (everywhere)  called  both  A  and  B
  → pseudo-cleft: the news is held back in the `that`-clause; `both` must take two matching items

⚠️ Trap. (a) which ought to animate modifies One thing, not the devil. (b) both A and B — two parallel items; never both A or B. (c) is called X = passive 5th pattern (call O C). (d) the comma before that is old punctuation, not a clause break. Drill. One reason to trust God is that he is called both our Father and our Judge. → One thing which ought to encourage us to prayer is, that God is everywhere called both our Father and our Judge.

Formula 2 — such is N (given to X) , where S is seen V-ing…, that S may both V1 and V2 (S5)

Such  is  [N given to X in Y],  where  S  is  seen  V-ing ... ,  that  S  may  both  V1 ...  and  V2 ...
  → inverted `such is`; `where`-scene with `be seen V-ing`; purpose `that… may`

⚠️ Trap. (a) such… that is NOT result here — may marks purpose. (b) seen seducing = see O V-ing passive. (c) deprive X of Y / plunge X in(to) Y — keep the prepositions. (d) both… and… joins two verb phrases under one may. Drill. Scripture portrays the serpent: he is shown tempting Eve so that he may rob God of obedience and bring ruin on her. → Such is the character given to the serpent in Genesis, where he is seen tempting Eve, that he may both deprive God of his due obedience, and bring Eve to ruin.

Formula 3 — fronted object + semicolon series + elliptical and all in order that… (S8–S9)

O  S  V ... ;  S  V1 ... ,  V2 ... ,  and  (all)  in order that  S  may  V3 ...  and  V4 ...
  → OSV for contrast; the verb of `and all` is understood (= he does all this)

⚠️ Trap. (a) In The minds of men he involves, the first noun is the object, not the subject. (b) and all in order that = and (he does) all (this) in order that — all is not a subject. (c) with himself = along with himself. (d) the semicolon keeps the same subject he. Drill. He hides the truth with falsehood; he stirs up pride, inflames envy, and does all this to ruin the Church. → The truth he hides with falsehood; he stirs up pride, inflames envy, and all in order that he may ruin the Church.

The doctrine at stake. §13 stated the rule (everything said of devils serves vigilance); §14 gave the facts of number and unity; §15 now gives the motive and the character. The motive is relational: three if-reasons rest on three loves — God's glory, Christ's Kingdom, our own salvation. The character comes from the biblical profile: deceiver, enemy, murderer, sinner from the beginning. Calvin's conclusion is practical: since he is God's adversary and ours, no peace and no truce is possible. Chapter 14 then moves in §16 to the question this raises: how can a creature of a good God be so wicked? (Answer: depravation, not creation.)

The argument shape. Thesis (S1) → three conditional reasons (S2–S4) → two narrative proofs (S5–S6) → John 8:44 (S7) with its consequences (S8–S9) → verdict (S10–S11) → 1 John 3:8 (S12). Notice: law-court sequence — motive, deed, character, witness.

Historical lineage. The adversary language is the plain meaning of Heb. śāṭān (Job 1–2; Zech 3:1–2) and Gk antidikos (1 Pet 5:8). Augustine (City of God XI–XII) reads John 8:44 and 1 John 3:8 as showing the devil's fall and perversity without making evil a substance (an anti-Manichean point Calvin reuses in §§3, 16). Gregory the Great (Moralia) and Luther (Ein feste Burg, 1529; "the old evil foe… with earnest now he means") use the same adversary picture. Calvin’s distinctive note here is the triple if — he argues from what we love, not from fear of the enemy’s power.

Later reception. Reformed dogmatics (Turretin; Bavinck, Reformed Dogmatics III) quote this section when treating the "kingdom of darkness" — evil has a head, but under God. Barth (CD III/3 §50) accepts the opposition ("the nothingness") but refuses to give it independent standing — close to Calvin’s §16–17 guardrail. Contemporary biblical scholars note that Gen 3 never names Satan; the identification (Wis 2:24; Rev 12:9) is a canonical reading Calvin assumes.

Guardrails against over-reading. (1) irreconcilable war is spiritual resistance (Eph 6; 1 Pet 5), not a license for violence against people. (2) author, leader, and contriver of wickedness ≠ the creator of evil, nor equal to God; §16–18 insist on his creaturely status and God’s rule over him. (3) his whole nature is depraved describes his present state; the origin of that state (not creation) comes in §16. (4) The three if-reasons are motives for vigilance, not proofs that we can win by our own strength (S12 of §13: arms come from God).

1. S1 — Job 1–2; Zech 3:1–2; 1 Pet 5:8. "Adversary": Heb. śāṭān, Gk antidikos — the devil as opponent in the heavenly court and on the ground.
2. S2–S4 — Ps 115:1; Matt 6:9–10; Eph 6:11–12. Glory of God · Kingdom of Christ · salvation: the three loves behind the three conditionals; Eph 6 grounds the "war".
3. S5 — Gen 3:1–5, 13. The serpent's temptation: seducing man from his allegiance to God — Wis 2:24 and Rev 12:9 ("that old serpent, called the Devil and Satan") supply the identification.
4. S6 — Matt 13:24–30, 36–39. "An enemy hath done this" — the wheat and the tares (Gk zizania); the Lord himself explains the enemy as "the devil".
5. S7 — John 8:44. "He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth… he is a liar, and the father of it" (Gk anthrōpoktonos ap’ archēs).
6. S8–S9 — 2 Cor 4:4; 2 Cor 11:14; 1 Pet 5:8. Blinding minds; Satan as "an angel of light"; the roaring lion "seeking whom he may devour" — error, deceit, destruction.
7. S12 — 1 John 3:8. "He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning" (Gk ap’ archēs hamartanei) — Calvin’s author, leader, and contriver.

How Calvin uses Scripture: he lets one pattern unify multiple witnesses — Genesis (deed), the Gospels (parable), John’s Gospel and Epistle (character) — and draws the practical conclusion himself: no truce.

① Grammar — which statement about the grammar of §15 is wrong?

(A) In S1, One thing which ought to animate us to perpetual contest with the devil is, that he is everywhere called… is a pseudo-cleft whose that-clause gives the content of One thing, and both our adversary and the adversary of God is a correlative pair. (B) In S5, that he may both deprive God of his due honour, and plunge man headlong in destruction is a purpose clause, not a result clause after such. (C) In S9, and all in order that he may overthrow… means that all is the subject of a new clause. (D) In S8, Truth he assails with lies is a fronted-object (OSV) sentence meaning he assails truth with lies.

Answer: (C). Rationale: In S9, and all in order that… is elliptical: and (he does) all (this) in order that…; all is the object of the understood verb, not a subject. (A) Formula 1. (B) Formula 2 — may signals purpose. (D) Formula 3.

② Comprehension — which statement is consistent with §15?

(A) Calvin says the devil is the adversary of God only, since man is merely his tool, and that we should therefore leave the fight to God. (B) Calvin says that, if God's glory is dear to us, if we have zeal for Christ's Kingdom, and if we care for our salvation, we must struggle with, wage irreconcilable war with, and make no peace or truce with the devil, who is called the adversary of both God and us. (C) Calvin says the devil is evil because God created him evil, as Gen 3 and John 8:44 show. (D) Calvin says that since the devil's character is so malignant, an occasional truce is wise so that believers may recover strength.

Answer: (B). Rationale: (A) scope-flip — S1 says both our adversary and the adversary of God; (C) direction/scope-overreach — §15 never says God created him evil (§16 explicitly denies it: not from creation, but from depravation); (D) direction-flip — S4: no peace nor truce.

③ Composition — use Formula 1 and Formula 2.

Compose one English sentence (≈30 words): One reason to be vigilant is that the tempter is called the enemy of God and of the Church. The Gospels show him sowing weeds in the field so that he may corrupt the seed.

Model answer: One thing which ought to keep us vigilant is, that the tempter is everywhere called both the adversary of God and the adversary of the Church; for such is the description given of him in the Gospels, where he is said to sow tares, that he may both corrupt the seed and destroy the harvest. Examiner's intent: pseudo-cleft One thing which ought to V is, that… + both A and B (Formula 1) + inverted such is N… where…, that he may… (Formula 2). Alternative accepted (Formula 3): The minds of men he involves in error; he stirs up hatred, and all in order that he may overthrow the Church.

One-line summary: The devil is called the adversary of God and of us, so — if God's glory is dear, if we love Christ's Kingdom, if we care for our salvation — we may make no peace nor truce with him; Gen 3, Matt 13:28, John 8:44 and 1 John 3:8 show his whole nature depraved, the author, leader, and contriver of all wickedness; the grammar keys are the One thing which ought to V is, that… pseudo-cleft with both A and B (S1), the such is N…, where… , that he may both V1 and V2 frame (S5), and the fronted-object O S V series with elliptical and all in order that… (S8–S9).

Homework (10 min).

1. Structure restoration. Restore the base pattern of S9: The minds of men he involves in error; he stirs up hatred, inflames strife and war, and all in order that he may overthrow the kingdom of God, and drown men in eternal perdition with himself. (Answer shape: He involves the minds of men in error; he stirs up hatred and inflames strife and war — and he does all this in order that he may overthrow the kingdom of God and drown men in eternal perdition together with himself.)
2. Composition. Write one sentence using Such is the character given to X in Y, where he is seen V-ing…, that he may both V1 and V2 about a biblical figure of your choice.
3. Preview (tomorrow). §16 opens But as the devil was created by God, we must remember that this malice which we attribute to his nature is not from creation, but from depravation. — watch But as… , we must remember that…, the relative which we attribute to his nature, and the not from X, but from Y contrast (origin of evil in the creature, not in the Creator).

Where we stopped: Book 1, Ch. 14, §15 끝. 다음은 Book 1, Ch. 14, §16.