Another charge that was leveled against the reformers goes along with the idea of "novelty" which Calvin discussed in Section 3. This, however, is a bit more specific. It is the claim that the church fathers oppose Reformation teaching.
Calvin's answer to this charge is, I think, right on target and reveals his skill not only as a patristic scholar (that is, a scholar of the church fathers), which he most certainly was, but also his skill as a controversialist. He well understands how to turn an opponent's arguments back upon him.
It is as if Calvin is issuing a challenge to Rome. "You want to talk about the Fathers? Fine. I'll meet you on your own ground." And he does.
The Fathers taught against the church accumulating wealth for herself. Why don't you listen to them?
The Fathers taught against the imposition of man-made laws upon the people of God. Why don't you listen to them?
The Fathers taught against images in the church. Why don't you listen to them?
The Fathers taught against prayers for the dead. Why don't you listen to them?
The Fathers taught against Transubstantiation. Why don' t you listen to them?
The Fathers taught against withholding the cup from the Lord's people. Why don't you listen to them?
The Fathers taught against clerical celibacy. Why don't you listen to them?
The Fathers taught the supremacy of the authority of Scripture. Why don't you listen to them?
The truth is, Calvin concludes, that Rome rejects the Fathers!
Can evidence be gleaned from some church fathers for some of the above mentioned doctrines? Certainly. But the argument from Rome is couched in terms of the "universal teaching of the Fathers." Calvin's argument is that there is no such thing, and that as regards these particular issues and many others, Rome followed the wrong Fathers!
Neither does he fail to bring us back to the ultimate issue, which is the authority of Scripture, not the Fathers.
"All the fathers with one heart have abhorred and with one voice have detested the fact that God's Holy Word has been contaminated by the subtleties of sophists and involved in the squabbles of dialecticians."
Flowing from this argument, Calvin asserts in Section 5 that their appeal to the Fathers is really an appeal to "custom". This is Calvin's refutation against the argument that "We've always done it this way."
"...evil custom," he says, "is nothing but a kind of public pestilence in which men do not perish the less though they fall with the multitude."
Once again he throws the accusations of his accusers back upon them. Calvin will stand on the authority of Scripture and leave the authority of "We've always done it this way," to Rome.
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