Francis Turretin (1623 - 1687), was one of those great Calvinist theologians who ministered so efficaciously to the church in Geneva.

Turretin had many distinguished instructors, including John Diodati, who held the chair of Calvin and Beza, as well as Theodore Tronchin and Frederick Spanheim. In 1648 Turretin became a pastor to the Italian congregation at the church in Geneva, and in 1653 he assumed the chair of his teacher, Theodore Tronchin. It was in 1674 that he published his greatest work, Institutio Theologiae Elenecticae.

It is said that as Turretin's father lay on his deathbed in 1631, the children were summoned for a parting blessing, and to Francis the father said, "This child is sealed with the seal of the living God."

Even in his own day, Turretin's Institutio was considered foundational and served as the basis for a catechism, for, as anyone who has read it knows, it is overflowing with profound biblical and spiritual truths, and these truths, born from the Scripture itself, have refreshed and edified the saints for more than three hundred years now.

"No distinction of God's decrees is more frequently urged by the Socinians, Remonstrants and others who contend for the idol of free will, than that of the absolute and conditional. Yet none is attended with greater absurdities or has fewer claims to acceptance. The design of the Socinians and their followers on this subject is to confirm the figment of middle knowledge (scientia media), to establish election from foreseen faith and to extol the strength of the human will." The Decrees Of God

"We do not deny that various decrees can be called conditional because they have conditions subordinate to them, although it must be confessed that it is a less proper way of speaking because the condition ought not to be confounded with the means; and it is one thing for a thing to be decreed under a condition, but another for it to be decreed as to be brought about through such means." The Decrees Of God

"Every decree of God is eternal; therefore it cannot depend upon a condition which takes place only in time." The Decrees Of God

"God's decrees depend on his good pleasure. Therefore they are not suspended upon any condition outside of God." The Decrees Of God

"It is absurd for the Creator to depend upon the creature, God upon man and the will of God (the first cause of all things) upon the things themselves. But this must be the case if the decrees of God are suspended on any condition in man." The Decrees Of God

"Conditional decrees cannot be granted without supposing that he who decreed either was ignorant of the event or that the event was not in the power of the one decreeing or that he determined nothing certainly or absolutely concerning the event. All this, being highly derogatory to God, cannot and ought not to be ascribed to him." The Decrees Of God

"It is one thing to maintain that God has not decreed to save anyone except through legitimate means; another that the decree to save these or those persons through legitimate means is conditional and of uncertain event (which the adversaries feign). Although faith and perseverance are related as the condition prerequisite to the decreed salvation (so that without them it ought not to be expected), yet they hold not the relation of powerful conditions to God's eternal decree of bestowing salvation upon this or that one in Christ. Indeed so far from God having decreed salvation to them under such a condition, on the contrary (by the very same decree by which he decreed salvation to them) he also decreed faith and perseverance to them and all the other means necessary for salvation." The Decrees Of God

"It is one thing for the thing decreed to be conditional; another for the decree itself. The former we grant, but not the latter. There can be granted an antecedent cause or condition of the thing willed, but not immediately of the volition itself. Thus God wills salvation to have the annexed condition of faith and repentance in the execution, but faith and repentance are not the condition or cause of the act of willing in God, nor of the decree to save in the intention." The Decrees Of God

"Conditional promises and threatenings do not favor conditional decrees because they do not pertain to the decreeing will, but to the preceptive will and are appendages to the divine commands, added to stimulate and excite men. So he who promises and threatens under an uncertain condition does not predict or decree what will actually happen, but only what may happen by the performance or neglect of the condition. Hence such promises and threats show only the necessary connection of the condition with the thing conditioned, but involve no futurition of the thing. Now the decrees have a categorical verity concerning the thing about to be or not about to be." The Decrees Of God

"The gospel proposition -- to save sinners if they believe -- is founded upon some decree. Not indeed of the futurition of the thing (as if it decreed to give salvation to all under the condition of faith), but of the connection by which God willed indissolubly to join faith with salvation." The Decrees Of God

"I properly infer that all sinners would be saved if they would believe -- not from any conditional decree, but from this most certain general truth which God has sanctioned by his absolute decree (viz., that faith is the infallible means of salvation). For as he has appointed faith as the only way of bringing men to salvation, hence arises the truth of this hypothetical proposition -- if a sinner believes he will be saved (which denotes only the certainty of consequence, but does not involve the positing of the consequent)." The Decrees Of God

"The various passages of Scripture which speak of future things, this or that condition being fulfilled (such as Gen. 20:7; 2 S. 17:1-3 with v. 14; 24:13; jet. 16:31 4; 17:24-26; 38:17, 18; 42:9, 10), do not favor any conditional decrees, but only denote various promises and threats. Indeed they show the certainty of the connection of one with the other: for example, of obedience and preservation and salvation, of rebellion and destruction. But they do not show the futurition of the event either absolute or conditional or what God has particularly decreed concerning these or those things. Therefore this is the more true, that since God (who has all things in his own power) knows that such a condition will never take place (since he himself has not decreed it), he cannot be said to have decreed anything under that condition. For nothing can be conceived more absurd than to maintain that God decrees something under a condition which at the very moment of decreeing he knows never will take place." The Decrees Of God

"So far is God from changing his decrees to suit the changes of men, that on the contrary every change of human acts proceeds from the eternal and irrevocable decree of God (who in this way brings to pass what he had decreed should take place through promises and threats). Nor does he change his former opinion by the prayers of the pious, but by those very prayers accomplishes what he had determined should come to pass. Thus when God changes what he has made, when he takes away from man the life he has given, when he destroyed the world he had created, the change is in the things, not in God. For from eternity, he decreed to make the change and unless he did so, the decree to make the change would be changed." The Decrees Of God

"Although the relative properties of God (such as mercy and justice) suppose for their exercise in the objects about which they are occupied, some quality (as for instance misery and sin), it does not follow thence that the decree made concerning the salvation or condemnation of men is conditional. For although it is supposed in order to its formation, still it is not suspended on it, but will be most certainly and infallibly fulfilled according to the good pleasure of God. Whatever is said against conditional decrees applies equally to the hypothetical will because there can be no act of will concerning future things out of itself which does not involve the notion of a decree. Hence they cannot escape who, while omitting the expression conditional decree, still retain the hypothetical will; for they mean the same thing, the name only being changed." The Decrees Of God

"Now although we do not deny that the reprobate (who live in external communion with the church) are called by God through the gospel; still we do deny that they are called with the intention that they should be made actual partakers of salvation (which God knew would never be the case because in his decree he had ordained otherwise concerning them). Nor ought we on this account to think that God can be charged with hypocrisy or dissimulation, but that he always acts most seriously and sincerely." Effectual Calling

"The external call is extended to the reprobate as well as to the elect; but in a different manner -- to the elect primarily and directly. For their sake alone the ministry of the gospel was instituted to collect the church and increase the mystical body of Christ (Eph. 4:12). They being taken out of the world, preaching would no longer be necessary because the word of God cannot return unto him void (Is. 55:11). But to the reprobate, it is extended secondarily and indirectly because, since they are mingled with the elect (known only to God, 2 Tim. 2:19), the call cannot be addressed to men indiscriminately without the reprobate as well as the elect sharing in it (in order that the end ordained by God may be obtained); as a fisherman in casting his net intends only to catch good fish, but indirectly closes in his net the bad also mixed with the good." Effectual Calling

"We think that this doctrine [Predestination] should neither by wholly suppressed from a preposterous modesty, nor curiously pried into by a rash presumption, but taught soberly and prudently from the word of God, so that two dangerous rocks may be avoided, on the one hand of "affected ignorance," which wishes to see nothing, and blinds itself purposely in things revealed; on the other of "unwarrantable curiosity," which busies itself to see and understand everything even in mysteries. They strike upon the first, who, sinning in defect, think that we should abstain from the proposition of this doctrine; and upon the latter, who, sinning in excess, wish to make everything in this mystery scrupulously accurate, and hold that nothing should be left undiscovered in it. Against both we maintain with the Orthodox, that Predestination can be taught with profit, provided this is done soberly from the word of God." Institutio Theologiae Elencticae, Question 6

"Predestination should be taught... Because Christ and the Apostles frequently taught it... Nor otherwise do Peter, James and John express themselves, who speak repeatedly of this mystery whenever occasion offered. Now if it was proper for them to teach, why is it not for us to learn? Why should God teach what would have been better to be unspoken? Why did he wish to proclaim those things which it would be better not to know? Do we wish to be more prudent than God, or to prescribe rules to Him?" Institutio Theologiae Elencticae, Question 6

"Predestination should be taught... because it is one of the primary Gospel doctrines, and foundations of faith. It cannot be ignored without great injury to the Church and to believers, since it is the fount of our gratitude to God, the root of humility, the foundation and most firm anchor of confidence in all temptations, the fulcrum of the sweetest consolation, and the most powerful spur to piety and holiness." Institutio Theologiae Elencticae, Question 6

"The importunity of the Adversaries, who have corrupted this primary head of faith [Predestination] by deadly errors, and the infamous calumnies they are accustomed to heap upon our doctrine, impose upon us the necessity of handling it, so that the truth may be fairly exhibited, and freed from the most false and iniquitous criminations of evilly disposed men; as if we introduced a fatal and stoical necessity, as if we would extinguish by it all religion in the minds of men, and soothe them on the bed of security and profanity, or hurl them into the abyss of despair; as if we made God cruel, hypocritical, and the author of sin, I shudder to relate it. Now as all these things are perfectly false, they ought unquestionably to be refuted by a sober and healthy exhibition of this doctrine from the word of God." Institutio Theologiae Elencticae, Question 6

"Although wicked men often abuse this doctrine imporperly understood; its lawful use towards the pious ought not therefore to be denied, unless we wish to have more regard for the wicked than for believers. If, on account of the abuse of some persons we should abstain from the proposition of this mystery, we must equally abstain from most of the mysteries of the Christian Religion, which the wicked abuse, or laugh at or satirize; such as the mystery of the Trinity, the Incarnation, the Resurrection, and the like." Institutio Theologiae Elencticae, Question 6

"If some abuse this doctrine [Predestination], either to licentiousness, or to desperation; this happens not per se, from the doctrine itself, but accidentally, from the vice of men, who most wickedly wrest it to their own destruction. Indeed, there is no doctrine from which more powerful incentives to piety can be drawn, and richer streams of confidence and consolation flow." Institutio Theologiae Elencticae, Question 6

"The Mystery of Predestination is too sublime to be comprehended by us, as to the why, and he is rash who would attempt to find out or to assign the reasons and the causes of it; but this does not hinder it from being taught in Scripture as to the fact, and from being firmly held by us. Two things, therefore, must be distinguished here, the one what God has revealed in his Word, the other what He has concealed; the former we cannot despise unless wickedly, the latter we cannot investigate unless rashly... To neglect things revealed argues ingratitude, but to search into things concealed argues pride. We must not therefore deny what is plain; because we cannot comprehend what is hidden, as Augustine expresses it." Institutio Theologiae Elencticae, Question 6

"Predestination must be considered not so much a priori, as a posteriori; not that we may descend from causes to effects, but ascend from effects to causes; not that we should curiously unroll the book of life, in order to see if our names are written therein, which is forbidden to us, but that we should diligently consult the book of conscience, which we are not only permitted, but also commanded to do, that we may know whether the seal of God is stamped upon our hearts, and whether the fruits of election, viz; faith and repentance, may be found in us, which is the safest way of procceding to the saving knowledge of that doctrine." Institutio Theologiae Elencticae, Question 6