MATTHEW BARRETT at the TGC website
Again, let's acknowledge that Calvin's speculations here are not derived from actual transcripts he provides of conversations he had with the Christian God. No, instead, like all of those who have a very different take on Him, they are derived solely from how he himself interpreted the Bible and the historical accounts of Christianity. None of what he claims goes much beyond that.Unfree and Coerced?
Doesn’t Calvin’s argument imply that man is coerced? Not at all, Calvin replies. Man sins willingly. Yes, it is out of necessity, but not out of compulsion. Such a distinction is one of Calvin’s chief points in his treatise against Pighius, who argues that necessitas (necessity) implies coactio (coercion).
Well, unless, of course, someone here can provide us with more definitive evidence regarding Calvin and the Christian God.
Then that truly convoluted distinction between doing something out of necessity willingly but not being compelled to. Now, sure, if all one need do here is to make that distinction "in their head", I can imagine any number of arguments that revolve entirely around a "world of words".
But if one is asked to demonstrate how "for all practical purposes" he or she chooses particular behaviors out of necessity willingly but is not compelled to...?
How exactly does that work? Especially given the added conundrum that revolves around reconciling an omniscient Christian God with human autonomy. God know everything you will ever do but you are still doing it of your own volition.
Then, of course, way, way, way up into the intellectual clouds we go:
How is this sort of spiritual/philosophical/intellectual assessment not utterly dependent on how one defines the meaning of words used to define the meaning of yet more words still placed in a particular order.However, as Paul Helm explains, for Calvin “it does not follow from the denial of free will that what a person chooses is the result of coercion.” Coercion negates responsibility, but necessity is “consistent with being held responsible for the action, and being praised or blamed for it.” Therefore, Calvin can affirm that man “acts wickedly by will, not by compulsion.”
How do you connect the dots between acting wickedly by will but not out of compulsion given that the Christian God is said to be "all-knowing"?
And please try to explain it us in such a way that it involves more than just your own "spiritual/philosophical/intellectual" world of words assessment.