Tracts & Letters (Vol 1) - Calvin - VIII - Commence 'Reforming the Church'

Required reading
Tracts and Letters (Volume 1) by John Calvin (Available from Amazon or free here).  Commence 'Reforming the Church' by reading up to the paragraph beginning 'The next question relates to the value and merit of works' (pg 160 of the Banner edition).

My summary
Today we begin a letter Calvin wrote to the Emperor, Charles V, encouraging him to reform the church.

Firstly Calvin outlines the evils of the church that compel the Reformers to seek remedies.

Calvin believes that the two major evils of the Roman Catholic church are:
(i) false worship (e.g. statues, ceremonies);
(ii) teaching salvation by faith AND works.

These two evils are closely followed by:
(iii) false teaching about the sacraments;
(iv) false church government (e.g. bishops rarely teach the people, clergy are guilty of gross sin).

Then Calvin moves onto the remedies to these evils.  He encourages true worship through removal of statues and true prayer to God alone, not saints.

At the end of the reading Calvin begins to correct their teaching on salvation, particularly that many is unable to save himself.

What grabbed me
Great statement at the end of the reading about the inability of man to effect his own salvation, even in a small way with God's assistance: 'For, when we tell a man to seek righteousness and life out of himself, i.e., in Christ only, because he has nothing in himself but sin and death, a controversy immediately arises with reference to the freedom and powers of the will. For, if man has any ability of his own to serve God, he does not obtain salvation entirely by the grace of Christ, but in part bestows it on himself. On the other hand, if the whole of salvation is attributed to the grace of Christ, man has nothing left, has no virtue of his own by which he can assist himself to procure salvation. But though our opponents concede that man, in every good deed, is assisted by the Holy Spirit, they nevertheless claim for him a share in the operation. This they do, because they perceive not how deep the wound is which was inflicted on our nature by the fall of our first parents. No doubt, they agree with us in holding the doctrine of original sin, but they afterwards modify its effects, maintaining that the powers of man are only weakened, not wholly depraved. Their view, accordingly, is, that man, being tainted with original corruption, is, in consequence of the weakening of his powers, unable to act aright; but that, being aided by the grace of God, he has something of his own, and from himself, which he is able to contribute. We, again, though we deny not that man acts spontaneously, and of free will, when he is guided by the Holy Spirit, maintain that his whole nature is so imbued with depravity, that of himself he possesses no ability whatever to act aright. Thus far, therefore, do we dissent from those who oppose our doctrine, that while they neither humble man sufficiently, nor duly estimate the blessing of regeneration, we lay him completely prostrate, that he may become sensible of his utter insufficiency in regard to spiritual righteousness, and learn to seek it, not partially, but wholly, from God.'

Surprise, surprise - Calvin is a Calvinist!

Next week's reading
Continue 'Reforming the church' by reading up to the paragraph that begins 'I trust I have now clearly shown, as I proposed, that in correcting the corruption of the Church, we have by no means been more urgent than the case demanded' (pg 198 of the Banner edition).

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