Calvin's argument for the Pope being the Antichrist

[Valz]

Wondering what people here think of Calvin's reasoning in explaining why the Pope is the antichrist. I have not read the Institutes but saw this quote posted in another forum:

Calvin's Institutes, Book 4, Chapter 7, Section 25
"To some we seem slanderous and petulant, when we call the Roman Pontiff Antichrist. But those who think so perceive not that they are bringing a charge of intemperance against Paul, alter whom we speak, nay, in whose very words we speak. But lest any one object that Paul's words have a different meaning, and are wrested by us against the Roman Pontiff, I will briefly show that they can only be understood of the Papacy.

Paul says that Antichrist would sit in the temple of God, (2 Thess. 2: 4.) In another passage, the Spirit, portraying him in the person of Antiochus, says that his reign would be with great swelling words of vanity, (Dan. 7: 25.) Hence we infer that his tyranny is more over souls than bodies, a tyranny set up in opposition to the spiritual kingdom of Christ. Then his nature is such, that he abolishes not the name either of Christ or the Church, but rather uses the name of Christ as a pretext, and lurks under the name of Church as under a mask.

But though all the heresies and schisms which have existed from the beginning belong to the kingdom of Antichrist, yet when Paul foretells that defection will come, he by the description intimates that that seat of abomination will be erected, when a kind of universal defection comes upon the Church, though many members of the Church scattered up and down should continue in the true unity of the faith. But when he adds, that in his own time, the mystery of iniquity, which was afterwards to be openly manifested, had begun to work in secret, we thereby understand that this calamity was neither to be introduced by one man, nor to terminate in one man, (see Calv. in 2 Thess. 2: 3; Dan. 7: 9.) Moreover, when the mark by which he distinguishes Antichrist is, that he would rob God of his honour and take it to himself, he gives the leading feature which we ought to follow in searching out Antichrist; especially when pride of this description proceeds to the open devastation of the Church.

Seeing then it is certain that the Roman Pontiff has impudently transferred to himself the most peculiar properties of God and Christ, there cannot be a doubt that he is the leader and standard-bearer of an impious and abominable kingdom."

These are the verses he cites above:

2 Thessalonians 2:4
So that we ourselves also glory in you in the churches of God, for your patience and faith, and in all your persecutions and tribulations, which you endure"

Daniel 7:25
"And he shall speak words against the High One, and shall crush the saints of the most High: and he shall think himself able to change times and laws, and they shall be delivered into his hand until a time, and times, and half a time."

The whole logic of it seems stretched/forced but I don't have time right now to go into more detail.

Bu in any cae, feel free to comment on this quote from Calvin


Valz

[ggreg]

In that case the antiChrist has reigned supreme and perverted the largest chunk of Christians for 100s of years.

Are Enoch and Elias late?

[Someone1776]

In that case the antiChrist has reigned supreme and perverted the largest chunk of Christians for 100s of years.

Are Enoch and Elias late?

The anti-Christ is supposed to have a 1,000 year reign.  Calvin believed the anti-Christ had gained control of the papacy at some point during the sixth century.  So by his reckoning the reformation represented the end of the reign of the anti-Christ and thus he believed the apocalypse was at hand.   

His ideas kind of make sense in a crazy way...except for the part where the world didn't end.  Anyway this is one of the reasons the wars of religion were so bitter. Protestants actually thought they were fighting the battle of Armageddon.   

[StrictCatholicGirl]

Paul says that Antichrist would sit in the temple of God, (2 Thess. 2: 4.)

What is meant by this? I think St. Paul was speaking more literally. The "Temple of God" was still in Jerusalem at the time St. Paul wrote this. The Church Fathers believed that near the end of the world, the Temple in Jerusalem would be rebuilt and the Anti Christ would sit in that temple.

That final quote by Daniel - about being able to change times and laws and crushing the saints - could be attributed to anyone: Pagan emporers, Catholic or Protestant kings. One could read anything into that.

[UnamSanctam]

I love discussions of the antichrist.

As I have said in other posts, some thought that the person antichrist would have to be a pope in order to cause such an apostasy.

[Valz]

That final quote by Daniel - about being able to change times and laws and crushing the saints - could be attributed to anyone: Pagan emporers, Catholic or Protestant kings. One could read anything into that.

That's quite true and only a person with an axe to grin against the Papacy like Calvin, would employ such forced logic to try and make it into a description of the Papacy.

[Roger the Shrubber]

This all coming from a man whose theology turns God into the Cause of Evil and who privately inadvertently worshiped Satan.

History is so full of strange ironies.

[Valz]

...and who privately inadvertently worshiped Satan.

Can you elaborate on this point?

Thanks!

[Vetus Ordo]

...and who privately inadvertently worshiped Satan.

Can you elaborate on this point?

Thanks!

Shrubber is overcompensating, erring on the side of überpapismus.

Heretics don't "inadvertedly" worship Satan.

[jovan66102]

Calvin's father was CFO of his diocese. He was stealing the Church's money to buy Jean a nice prebendary. He got caught, Jean didn't get his cushy clerical job and in revenge turned to Satan to help him attack Christ's Church. Every one of the Deformation heresiarchs had a personal reason for rebelling. In Calvin's case it was money/greed, in Luther and Henry VIII's case it was lust. Who leads to sin? Satan. Who leads to rebellion and disobedience to Christ's Church? Satan.