Quotes from John Calvin

The sum is, that the worship of God must be spiritual, in order that it may correspond with His nature. For although Moses only speaks of idolatry, yet there is no doubt but that by synecdoche, as in all the rest of the law, he condemns all fictitious services which men in their ingenuity have invented.

Is it faith to understand nothing, and merely submit your convictions implicitly to the Church?

He who neglects to pray alone and in private, however assiduously he frequents public meetings, there gives his prayers to the wind.

All whom the Lord has chosen and received into the society of his saints ought to prepare themselves for a life that is hard, difficult, laborious and full of countless griefs.

We are not to look to what men in themselves deserve but to attend to the image of God which exists in all and to which we owe all honor and love.

It is a promise which eminently deserves our observation that all who are united to Christ and acknowledge Him to be Christ and Mediator will remain to the end safe from all danger, for what is said of the body of the Church belongs to each of its members since they are one in Christ.

As far as sacred Scripture is concerned, however much froward men try to gnaw at it, nevertheless it clearly is crammed with thoughts that could not be humanly conceived. Let each of the prophets be looked into: none will be found who does not far exceed human measure. Consequently, those for whom prophetic doctrine is tasteless ought to be thought of as lacking taste buds.

In a way, the futile excuses many people use to cover their superstitions are demolished. They think it is enough to have some sort of religious fervor, however ridiculous, not realizing that true religion must be according to God's will as the perfect measure; that He can never deny Himself and is no mere spirit form to be changed around according to individual preference.

He only who is reduced to nothing in himself, and relies on the mercy of God is poor in spirit

He who has learned to look to God in everything he does is at the same time diverted from all vain thoughts.

Prayer unaccompanied by perseverance leads to no result.

Doctrine is not an affair of the tongue but of the life.