In response
to Sebastian Catellio, John Calvin wrote the following which really plays into
the common claim that Calvinism is Gnostic in the sense that knowledge of truth
doctrines is reserved for only an elect few, and total depravity blinds all
outsiders thereto:
. . . I define predestination . . . as the free
counsel of God by which he governs the human race and every single part of the
universe according to his immense wisdom and incomprehensible justice . . . you
are prevented from seeing anything in perfect light by your depravity of mind,
your appetite for being quarrelsome, and the diabolical pride that has blinded
you. (John Calvin, The Secret Providence
of God, ed. Paul Helm [trans. Paul
Helm; Wheaton: Crossway, 2010], 62)
On Calvinism, see:
An Examination and Critique of the Theological Presuppositions Underlying Reformed Theology