©emocracs an& IReltgion.
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merely a foreign settler in the world, a view whichis in fact the heritage from the monastic life.
There is something impressive in the way inwhich Calvin and after him Anglo-American Puri-tanism pushed the doctrine of Luther to its logicalculmination in the dogma of Predestination, the" horrible edict." In the general break-up of thetraditional types of fellowship and association, theCalvinist stands alone face to face with his God inicy elevation above a world upon which the Electhas to put the stamp of his mastership in maioremdei gloriam!
Calvin in his church-state granted even lessfreedom of conscience than Luther, and indeedemulated the Roman Catholic inquisition. To aman like John Cotton , freedom of conscience wasGodless scepticism. We see the after effects ofsuch a position still at work to-day in the penallegislation directed in certain States of U.S.A. against the Darwinian theory.
In matters economic Calvinism opened up theway for the capitalistic revolution. Thus Calvin—and the fact is significant of the economic changesof his epoch—abandoned the prohibition of intereston loans by his explanation that in many instancesa loan is more profitable for the debtor than for thecreditor. So Calvin and his followers in NewEngland became in effect protagonists in thecause of Capitalism, and paved the way for thecleavage between classes and even for slavery. InBoston of old days, slave traffic was a flourishingtrade.