--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Calvinism, as we have seen, starts from a…" description: "\"“Calvinism, as we have seen, starts from a double decree of absolute predestination, which antedates creation, and is the divine program of human histo..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/218/philip-schaff-16413_calvinism_calvinism-as-we-have-seen-starts-from-a_3031965.jpg" --- # Calvinism, as we have seen, starts from a double decree of… ![“Calvinism, as we have seen, starts from a double decree of absolute predestination, which antedates creation, and is the divine program of human history. This program includes the successive stages of the creation of man, an universal fall and condemnation of the race, a partial redemption and…” quote by Philip Schaff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/218/philip-schaff-16413_calvinism_calvinism-as-we-have-seen-starts-from-a_3031965.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/218/philip-schaff-16413_calvinism_calvinism-as-we-have-seen-starts-from-a_3031965.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/218/philip-schaff-16413_calvinism_calvinism-as-we-have-seen-starts-from-a_3031965.jpg) > ““Calvinism, as we have seen, starts from a double decree of absolute predestination, which antedates creation, and is the divine program of human history. This program includes the successive stages of the creation of man, an universal fall and condemnation of the race, a partial redemption and salvation, and a partial reprobation and perdition: all for the glory of God and the display of his attributes of mercy and justice. History is only the execution of the original design. There can be no failure. The beginning and the end, God’s immutable plan and the issue of the world’s history, must correspond.”” [Philip Schaff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-schaff/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Calvinism teaches that God's unchangeable plan determines all events, leaving no room for failure or deviation. **In simple terms:** God's plan decides everything, with no chance of failure. Key Takeaway Recognize limits of human control in destiny. Themes theodicy predestination divine sovereignty history Mood serious introspective Type theological philosophical When to use this quote - personal decision‑making - ethical debates - spiritual counseling - historical analysis Key Concepts determinism theology Questions to Reflect On - Do you accept predetermined outcomes? - How does this view affect personal responsibility? A Different Perspective Human agency may feel constrained by deterministic views. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Absolute Predestination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absolute-predestination-4957181/) [Calvinism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/calvinism/) [Calvinism Seen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/calvinism-seen-4957180/) [Creation Divine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creation-divine-272575/) [Creation of man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creation-of-man/) [Glory of god](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/glory-of-god/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Predestination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/predestination/) [Programming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/programming/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) ## Related quotes > [“To produce something new is always a gamble, and God’s creation of man in His image and after His likeness involved a certain degree…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophrony-sakharov/to-produce-something-new-is-always-a-gamble-and-god-s-creation-of-man/) [Sophrony Sakharov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophrony-sakharov/) > [“If God is love (1 John 4:7) but intended Christ’s atoning death to be the propitiation for only certain people so only they have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-e-olson/if-god-is-love-1-john-4-7-but-intended-christ-s-atoning-death-to-be/) [Roger E. 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The one restricts the saving grace to the elect: the other extends it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-schaff/calvinism-emphasizes-divine-sovereignty-and-free-grace-arminianism/) [Philip Schaff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-schaff/) > [Who touches money touches dirt; and the less religion has to do with it, the better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-schaff/who-touches-money-touches-dirt-and-the-less-religion-has-to-do-with/) [Philip Schaff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-schaff/) > [The person of Christ is to me the greatest and surest of all facts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-schaff/the-person-of-christ-is-to-me-the-greatest-and-surest-of-all-facts/) [Philip Schaff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-schaff/) > [The style of the Bible in general is singularly adapted to men of every class and grade of culture, affording the child the simple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-schaff/the-style-of-the-bible-in-general-is-singularly-adapted-to-men-of/) [Philip Schaff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-schaff/) > [“Calvin sets the absolute sovereignty of God and the infallibility of the Bible over against the pretended sovereignty and infallibility of the pope. 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It is either…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-schaff/the-resurrection-of-christ-is-therefore-emphatically-a-test-question/) [Philip Schaff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-schaff/) > [In our country we ask no toleration for religion and its free exercise, but we claim it as an inalienable right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-schaff/in-our-country-we-ask-no-toleration-for-religion-and-its-free/) [Philip Schaff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-schaff/) > [It is more than a book, it is an institution which rules the Christian world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-schaff/it-is-more-than-a-book-it-is-an-institution-which-rules-the-christian/) [Philip Schaff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-schaff/) [Explore all 40 Philip Schaff quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-schaff/) ## More Calvinism quotes > [“Finally, the Reformers also agreed that worship should be in the vernacular and that the twofold structure of Word and sacrament be maintained. 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Webber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-webber/) > [My Calvinism persuades me that we are open to God, in the sense that we are not delimited, not organisms with fixed attributes in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/my-calvinism-persuades-me-that-we-are-open-to-god-in-the-sense-that/) [Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/) > [Lutheranism restricted itself to an exclusively ecclesiastical and theological character, while Calvinism put its impress in and outside the church upon every aspect of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-kuyper/lutheranism-restricted-itself-to-an-exclusively-ecclesiastical-and/) [Abraham Kuyper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-kuyper/) > [My hope arises from the freeness of grace, and not from the freedom of the will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-haddon/my-hope-arises-from-the-freeness-of-grace-and-not-from-the-freedom-of/) [Charles Haddon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-haddon/) > [“Ah! Gentle, gracious Dove, And art thou grieved in me, That sinners should restrain thy love, And say, “It is not free: It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-wesley/ah-gentle-gracious-dove-and-art-thou-grieved-in-me-that-sinners/) [Charles Wesley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-wesley/) > [Calvinism is the consistent endeavor to acknowledge the Creator as the Lord, working all things after the counsel of His will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-i-packer/calvinism-is-the-consistent-endeavor-to-acknowledge-the-creator-as/) [J. I. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer/) > [The alternative of hypothetical universalism, according to which Christ's work is sufficient for all but efficient only for the elect, was alive and well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-d-crisp/the-alternative-of-hypothetical-universalism-according-to-which/) [Oliver D. 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This program includes the successive stages of the creation of man, an universal fall and condemnation of the race, a partial redemption and salvation, and a partial reprobation and perdition: all for the glory of God and the display of his attributes of mercy and justice. History is only the execution of the original design. There can be no failure. 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