Watch out for naughty Ford-Battles

Professor Tony Lane DD(Oxon) warns against “the indexes to the McNeill / Battles translation of the Institutes. These are indexes to the notes in this edition, not to Calvin’s text…. Also, no distinction is made between Calvin’s own biblical and patristic references and those of the editors. The biblical references in the text may or may not go back to Calvin and some of Calvin’s own references are dropped. Calvin’s marginal patristic references are usually (but not always) found in the footnotes, but these notes make no distinction between the references given by Calvin and those of the editors. In short, this edition is highly misleading as an indicator of which biblical and patristic references Calvin himself cited.” (John Calvin: Student of the Church Fathers (Edinburgh, T&T Clark, 1999), pxiii)

This seems a great shame in the standard scholarly edition of the English translation of Calvin’s Institutes.

I don’t think there is anything better available? I don’t know where we are supposed to go (except to Lane) to find out which is which? How did he tell? Are there Latin and French editions only where the distinctions are made clear? What of Beveridge’s older English version?

The most important modern work of theology deserves a near perfect edition. Who will make this their life’s work?