Tracts & Letters (Vol 2) - Calvin - XI - Chapter 10 commenced (Last admonition...)

Required reading
Tracts and Letters (Volume 2) by John Calvin (Available from Amazon or free here) - Commence Chapter X (Last admonition of John Calvin to Joachim Westphal) by reading up to the paragraph beginning 'The third head which he has undertaken to refute is, that we communicate in the flesh and blood of Christ, but in such manner, that the reality of his human nature remains entire' (page 379 in the Banner edition).

My summary
Now we commence yet another tract from Calvin against Westphal.

The tract itself is a response to Westphal's own publication of a letter written to one of his friends answering the charges in Calvin's last tract.

Calvin admits his harsh language in the last tract but deems it necessary for such a heretic as Westphal.

Calvin then moves on to answers Westphal's claims that Melancthon and Augustine are opponents of Calvin's teaching.  Most of today's reading is thus concerned with looking at Westphal's use of Augustine's writings.

What grabbed me
I liked Calvin's cracking of Westphal's foundation for condemning the reformers: 'What does Westphal do ? To shake himself free of all annoyance by a single word, he puts a black mark on any of his colleagues that he chooses, and forthwith contends that they are to be driven into exile. If they request to be heard, he says, that the unseasonable application is not to be listened to, because they are already more than convicted. If he did not distrust his cause, would not some sense of shame force him even against his will into discussion ? For however specious he deems it to pretend that we have been convicted, it is a miserable and shabby cowardice to admit no investigation. But how, pray, does he prove that we were convicted ? The consent of many churches ought, he says, to suffice for condemnation. Why, then, does not he in his turn acquiesce in the judgment of our churches, by which he is condemned ? Is it because he is near to the frozen ocean, and while he beholds its shore, considers it the utmost limit of the globe, that he regards all other churches wherever dispersed as nonentities ? Let him learn, if he would not make himself ridiculous, to give a place to churches of some note, whose suffrages approve our doctrine.'

Great logic.  If you base your condemnation on someone because of the judgement of 'the churches', the question is which churches?  Why not Protestant churches?

Scripture should be the final arbiter, not tradition.

Next week's reading
Continue Chapter X (Last admonition of John Calvin to Joachim Westphal) by reading up to the paragraph beginning 'We must now see how dexterously they dispose of our arguments which they pretend to be woven of sand, because Irenaeus so spoke of heretics.' (page 418 in the Banner edition).

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