Tracts & Letters (Vol 1) - Calvin - X - Conclude 'Reforming the Church'

Required reading
Tracts and Letters (Volume 1) by John Calvin (Available from Amazon or free here).  Conclude 'Reforming the church'.

My summary
Today we complete Calvin's letter to Charles V.

Calvin continues to answer the charge that the Protestant church has interrupted the peace of the Christian world.  Calvin reasons that the Protestants are justified in disrupting the peace because of:
(i) the corruption of the Roman Catholic church, particularly the clergy;
(ii) the fact that the Roman Catholic church is not the true church;
(iii) the impotency of the papal office and general councils.

Calvin closes the letter urging Charles to act against the Roman Catholic church and uphold the Protestant faith.

What grabbed me
When Calvin denies the validity of the Roman Catholic church, he gives the best possible defence against the attack that he is disrupting the church: 'It is not enough, therefore, simply to throw out the name of Church, but judgment must be used to ascertain which is the true Church, and what is the nature of its unity. And the thing necessary to be attended to, first of all, is, to beware of separating the Church from Christ its Head. When I say Christ, I include the doctrine of his gospel, which he sealed with his blood. Our adversaries, therefore, if they would persuade us that they are the true Church, must, first of all, show that the true doctrine of God is among them; and this is the meaning of what we often repeat, viz., that the uniform characteristics of a well-ordered Church are the preaching of sound doctrine, and the pure administration of the Sacraments.'

Doctrine is of vital importance, for once you lose sound doctrine, you cease to have Christ as your head and you cease to be his body.

Next week's reading
Read 'A paternal admonition by the Roman Pontiff'.

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