Tracts & Letters (Vol 1) - Calvin - II - Life continued

Required reading
Tracts and Letters (Volume 1) by John Calvin (Available from Amazon or free here).  Continue reading the Life of Calvin up to page lxx (stop at the paragraph beginning 'In the following year, (1556,) Calvin, while preaching, was suddenly seized with ague, and ultimately obliged to leave the pulpit').

My summary
Calvin spends a prosperous time at Strasburgh but the people of Geneva eventually win him back.

Back in Geneva, again and again Calvin is seen refuting error as it occurs in Geneva and even throughout the world.  The subject of predestination is a particularly regular problem with people accusing Calvin of teaching that God is the author of sin.

Calvin also has trouble with the Genevan council as to who has the right to practice church discipline.

What grabbed me
Calvin was obviously a born debater.  I thoroughly enjoyed the account of Calvin vs the monk Jerome Bolsec: ' Having come to Geneva, and found there was no room for him [Jerome Bolsec] among the learned physicians of that place, in order to show that he was a divine, he began to babble out errors and absurdities concerning predestination. This he at first did in private to certain individuals, but at length even in public before the congregation. Calvin had at first refuted him, and been contented to give him a gentle reprimand; and afterwards sending for him endeavoured to teach him the true doctrine. But either owing to the monkish ambition engrained in his nature, or spurred on by factious individuals, who were looking out for some one through whom they might assail Calvin, he openly dared, in presence of the congregation, when that passage of John was expounded, "He who is of God heareth the words of God; and in that you hear not, ye are not of God," to bring forward free-will, and the foresight of works, in order to subvert the doctrine of an eternal decree of predestination prior in order to all other causes whatever. He even added insult and mere seditious invective against the true doctrine.  He is thought to have acted with the greater boldness, because, from not seeing Calvin in his place, he thought he was absent. And so, indeed, he was, at the commencement; but coming in after he had begun his harangue, had kept standing behind some other persons. The monk's oration being ended, Calvin suddenly appeared, and although it was obvious he had nothing premeditated, he certainly then showed, if ever, what kind of man he was. For he so confuted, mauled, and overwhelmed him with proofs from Scripture, quotations from authors, especially from Augustine, and, in fine, by numerous weighty arguments, that all felt exceedingly ashamed for the brasen-faced monk, except the monk himself.'

Poor bloke didn't know what him!

Next week's reading
Conclude reading the Life of Calvin.

Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.