Tracts & Letters (Vol 4) - Calvin - XIII - Letters CXXXI to CXLIII.

Required reading
Tracts and Letters (Volume 4) by John Calvin (Available from Amazon or free here) - Read Letters CXXXI to CXLIII.

My summary
Today we read letters from 1545 addressed to Farel, Viret, Monsieur De Falais, John Cavent, Melanchthon, Bullinger, the Pastors of Schaffhausen, Oswald Myconius, Joachim Wadian and Madame De Falais.

The content of today's letters included:
(i) the massacre of the Waldenses of Provence;
(ii) the relocation of Monsieur De Falais to Geneva;
(iii) Luther's tyranny.

What grabbed me
I continue to find Calvin's thoughts on Luther fascinating. 

Calvin writes to Melancthon: 'Your Pericles allows himself to be carried beyond all due bounds with his love of thunder, especially seeing that his own case is by no means the better of the two. We all of us do acknowledge that we are much indebted to him. Neither shall I submit myself unwillingly, but be quite content, that he may bear the chief sway, provided that he can manage to conduct himself with moderation. Howbeit, in the Church we must always be upon our guard, lest we pay too great a deference to men. For it is all over with her, when a single individual, be he whosoever you please, has more authority than all the rest, especially where this very person does not scruple to try how far he may go. Where there exists so much division and separation as we now see, it is indeed no easy matter to still the troubled waters and bring about composure. But were we all of that mind we ought to be, some remedy might, perhaps, be discovered; most certainly we convey a mean example to posterity, while we rather prefer, of our own accord, entirely to throw away our liberty, than to irritate a single individual by the slightest offence. But, you will say, his disposition is vehement, and his impetuosity is ungovernable; — as if that very vehemence did not break forth with all the greater violence when all shew themselves alike indulgent to him, and allow him to have his way, unquestioned. If this specimen of overbearing tyranny has sprung forth already as the early blossom in the springtide of a reviving Church, what must we expect in a short time, when affairs have fallen into a far worse condition? Let us therefore bewail the calamity of the Church, and not devour our grief in silence, but venture boldly to groan for freedom. '

Luther did indeed do much good for the church, but he also caused a fair bit of trouble. 

Next week's reading
Tracts and Letters (Volume 5) by John Calvin (Available from Amazon or free here) - Read Letters CXLIV to CLXII.

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