Bayle on Johannes Sturmius, Note F.

John Calvin

Note F from Bayle's Dictionary Entry on Johannes Sturmius [Link]:

I have mentioned, in another place[1], the encomium he bestowed upon Calvin's Institutions.] And I said that this encomium concerns the edition of the year 1543, which is the third. I went upon two reasons: one is, that it is certain the second edition is that of the year 1539[2]; the other is that these words of Sturmius, ‘Institutio Christianae Religionis quam primo inchoatam, deinde locupletatam, hoc  vero anno absolutam edidit’; [- - - - ‘The Institution of the Christian religion, which he first begun, and afterwards, enlarged; but the compleat edition of it he published this year,’] suit only with the third edition. But to conceal nothing, I ought to mention here what I have read in the second Anti-Pappus, viz. that Calvin being minister at Strasburgh, enlarged his Institution, and published it in the same city, apud Wendelinum Rihelium[3], and that Sturmius prefixed to that book the judgment he made of it.  Ego meam sententiam in fronte eus libri de Calvino affixi[4]. Which does not agree with the third edition, viz. that of the year 1543, for Calvin was not at Strasburgh that year; he returned to Geneva in September 1541.  My conjecture is thus: Sturmius knowing that the book was reprinting at Strasburgh in 1543, inserted some words, in his judgment, which shewed that it was a third edition. And therefore it is true that the words of Sturmius, which I have quoted in the article of CALVIN, (citat. 27.) concern the third edition, and consequently I have said nothing but what is true; but I think I should have observed that Sturmius had prefixed the same encomium[5] to the second edition, 1539. Let those who have this second edition, judge whether my conjecture be right or not.

---

[1] In the article CALVIN, remark [F].

[2] This appears by a short epistle of Calvin to the reader, dated at Strasburgh, August 1, 1539.

[3] [Additional Editor’s Note] Wendelinum Rihelium was the name of the Strasbourg publisher.]

[4] Sturmius, Anti-Pappo, secondo, p. 111.

[5] Except the words, which signify that it is the third edition.