Calvin on Affections
In his introduction to the Psalter, Calvin discusses truly Reformed worship and contrasts it with the worship practices of the Roman church. In that context, he says the following:
“Now this cannot be done unless we are taught to understand everything which has been ordained for our use. For to say that we can have devotion, either at prayer or at ceremony, without understanding anything about them, is a gross delusion, no matter how much it is commonly said. A good affection toward God is a thing neither lifeless nor bestial, but is a quickening movement proceeding from the Holy Spirit when the heart is truly touched and the understanding enlightened…”
From Elsie McKee, ed., John Calvin: Writings on Pastoral Piety (New York: Paulist, 2001), 92.
