Boanerges,

This is in partial response to your post:


[color:"0000FF"]Anti-Calvinist ideology:[/color]

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. -- That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,

Calvinist language:
"Whoever shall now contend that it is unjust to put heretics and blasphemers to death will knowingly and willingly incur their very guilt. "John Calvin

* * * * * *


Quote
http://www.geocities.com/calvinismheresy/defenders.html

We are quoting from the Calvinist CONFESSION OF FAITH, Revised in the National Synod, Held at Dordrecht, in the years 1618 and 1619. This confession is included into THE THREE FORMS OF UNITY (with the Heidelberg Catechism and the Canons of Dordrecht), and is also known as The BELGIC CONFESSION. It is traditionally accepted by the Reformed Churches and denominations.

Listen how it promotes the union of the church and the state. The civil government is not only to regulate, promote, and/or punish with sword civil matters, but religious matters as well.

XXXVI - Of Magistrates

We believe that our gracious God, because of the depravity of mankind, hath appointed kings, princes and magistrates, willing that the world should be governed by certain laws and policies< to the end that the dissoluteness of men might be restrained, and all things carried on among them with good order and decency. For this purpose he hath invested the magistracy with the sword, for the punishment of evil-doers, and for the protection of them that do well. And their office is, not only to have regard unto, and watch for the welfare of the civil state; but also that they protect the sacred ministry [of a Calvinist kind]; and thus may remove and prevent all idolatry and false worship [all other religious beliefs and expressions]; * that the kingdom of anti-christ may be thus destroyed [by sword and the stake] and the kingdom of Christ promoted."

And then, the modern Calvinist publishers have added this comment,
* This phrase, touching the office of the magistracy in its relation to the Church, proceeds on the principle of the Established Church, which was first applied by Constantine and afterwards also in many Protestant countries. HISTORY, however, does no support the principle of State domination over the Church, but rather the separation of Church and State.

Do you see what they say, "History ... does not support the principle" of Church-State union. So, it's not the Bible they are building their doctrine, but it is history that FORCES them to change their doctrine and practice, and adopt democratic, pluralistic, tolerant point of view (separation of church and state)! Meanwhile, in 16th and 17th century thousands of Anabaptists, Mennonites, Baptists, and Quakers suffered because of this Babylonian principle. Has the history continued to "support" union of church and state, Calvinists would still be teaching and practicing that. And persecuting the people of God.