Tracts and Letters (Volume 4) by John Calvin (Available from Amazon or free here) - Read Letters LI to LXII.
Two subjects were the primary focus of the letters we read today: the Diet at Worms and Ratisbon; and Calvin's call back to Geneva.
But in the letters to Nicolas Parent we also see Calvin's pastoral concern for his current charge at the church of Strasbourg. Parent was filling in for Calvin while he was at the Diet.
What grabbed me
In a letter to Viret who was the current minister in Geneva but keen to have Calvin back, Calvin writes: '... there is no place under heaven of which I can have a greater dread, not because I have hated it, but because I see so many difficulties presented in that quarter which I do feel myself far from being equal to surmount. Whenever the recollection of former times recurs to my mind, I cannot but shudder throughout with heartfelt alarm at the thought, that I may be forced to expose myself a second time to these sort of contests. Had I merely to superintend that church, I would feel more at ease upon the matter, certainly I would be much less alarmed at the prospect, but you must understand well enough that there is much more in this matter than I can describe. This much, however, I may say in one word, while from many tokens I wot very well that he whom you wot of, who can do the most mischief of all, entertains an implacable hatred towards me : when I call to mind how all around him there lie open to his hand so many inlets of approach on every side, ready for mischief-making, how many bellows may be set agoing for lighting up the fires of contention, how many opportunities presented which I can never be well provided against, it quite appals me.'
The wound Geneva caused was deep and hard to forget.
It is so sad to see the family of God inflict such pain on ministers who love it so dearly.
Next week's reading
R
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