nounsecond declension
dēcrētum horribile
dēcrētum horribile n sg (genitive dēcrētī horribilis)
Meaning
- EcclesiasticalLatinpredestination (Calvinist doctrine)
Decreti horribilis mendacia tollite vana, / Non homines odit, quos creat ipse, Deus.
You spread vain lies of the fearful decree, / God does not hate men, which he himself creates.1620, Johannes Gisenius, Calvinismus, hoc est, errorum Zwinglio-Calvinianorum methodica enumeratio […] , front matter:Anne vero religiosius divina permissio appellari valde horribilis à vobis potest, quàm à Calvino, decretum horribile: cavillationum vos pudeat.
As for whether you may label divine permission more piously extremely fearful, the fearful decree as in Calvin: be ashamed of your sophistries.1652, Marcus Friedrich Wendelin, Exercitationes theologicae vindicies, pro theologia Christiana, page 259:
Declension
| form | singular | plural |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | dēcrētum horribile | — |
| genitive | dēcrētī horribilis | — |
| dative | dēcrētō horribilī | — |
| accusative | dēcrētum horribile | — |
| ablative | dēcrētō horribilī | — |
| vocative | dēcrētum horribile | — |
Origins
Literally “the fearful decree”, though the horribile is often interpreted as “worthy of horror”. Introduced as a fixed phrase by John Calvin.