Not a Bare Permission

Abstract

How does God ordain creaturely evil while preserving their freedom? In this article, I compare Calvin’s views on God’s relationship to evil with those of the English Reformed. I survey Calvin’s views from his commentaries and the Institutes, arguing that they share several salient features with the views of the English Reformed. However, I also note that the English Reformed more readily use the language of “contingency” and “divine permission” with respect to creaturely evil; this difference is reflected in the language of Westminster, which more closely reflects the language of the English Reformed instead of Calvin.