Tracts & Letters (Vol 3) - Calvin - VII - Tract 2 continued

Required reading
Tracts and Letters (Volume 3) by John Calvin (Available from Amazon or free here) - Continue Tract II (The Adultero-German Interim) by reading Chapters 19 to 26.

My summary
Today we continue the 'Interim, or declaration, of religion of his imperial majesty Charles V'.

Last week we read the first eighteen chapters of the declaration and so now we read the remaining chapters.  Next week we will read Calvin's rebuttal.

Once again the titles of the chapters are a good summary of what today's reading was about:
(xix) of sacred unction;
(xx) of the sacrament of orders;
(xxi) of the sacrament of matrimony;
(xxii) of the sacrifice of the mass;
(xxiii) of the commemoration of saints;
(xxiv) of the remembrance of the dead in Christ;
(xxv) of joining communion with sacrifice;
(xxvi) of ceremonies and the use of the sacraments.

What grabbed me
Terrible teaching regarding the sacraments: 'The Sacraments which we have already explained undoubtedly confer great and multiplied benefits on the human race. They either regenerate men when languishing under our old carnal nature, or confirm them when regenerated in the grace which they have received, or restore them, when they have lapsed, into the grace from which they have fallen, or unite them when restored more firmly to Christ ; for which salutary purpose the grace of Christ is not wanting in the Sacraments, but is rather given to men through those Sacraments as instruments.'

Sacraments do not regenerate.  Only the Holy Spirit regenerates through repentance and faith.

Next week's reading
Continue Tract II (The Adultero-German Interim) by starting 'John Calvin on the true method of giving peace to Christendom and reforming the church' and reading up to the paragraph beginning 'Now, to leave everything else, if they wish the Roman Pontiff" to be recognised as Head of the whole Church, they must, in the first place, give us a true bishop ; for who is to have pre-eminence among bishops but one, and an excellent one in the order of bishops?' (Page 374 in the Banner edition).

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