Tracts & Letters (Vol 5) - Calvin - XI - Letters CCCXIV to CCCXXVI

Required reading
Tracts and Letters (Volume 5) by John Calvin (Available from Amazon or free here) - Read Letters CCCXIV to CCCXXVI.

My summary
Today we read letters from 1553 addressed to Cranmer, Monsieur De Marolles, Viret, Bullinger, the Five Prisoners of Lyons, Madame De Cany, Farel, Denis Peloquin, Louis De Marsac and the Pastors of Frankfort.

The content of today's letters included:
(i) encouragement to the five martyrs of Lyons;
(ii) the reformation in England, particularly in regard to the death of the King;
(iii) troubles at Geneva over the right of the pastors to exercise church discipline;
(iv) the heretic Servetus.

What grabbed me
It was sad to read about the end of the martyrs of Lyons.

I found helpful Calvin's counsel to them before they died: 'You know, however, in what strength you have to fight — a strength on which all those who trust, shall never be daunted, much less confounded. Even so, my brothers, be confident that you shall be strengthened, according to your need, by the Spirit of our Lord Jesus, so that you shall not faint under the load of temptations, however heavy it be, any more than he did who won so glorious a victory, that in the midst of our miseries it is an unfailing pledge of our triumph. Since it pleases him to employ you to the death in maintaining his quarrel, he will strengthen your hands in the fight, and will not suffer a single drop of your blood to be spent in vain. And though the fruit may not all at once appear, yet in time it shall spring up more abundantly than we can express. But as he hath vouchsafed you this privilege, that your bonds have been renowned, and that the noise of them has been everywhere spread abroad, it must needs be, in despite of Satan, that your death should resound far more powerfully, so that the name of our Lord be magnified thereby. For my part, I have no doubt, if it please this kind Father to take you unto himself, that he has preserved you hitherto, in order that your long-continued imprisonment might serve as a preparation for the better awakening of those whom he has determined to edify by your end. For let enemies do their utmost, they never shall be able to bury out of sight that light which God has made to shine in you, in order to be contemplated from afar.'

Such good pastoral advice in such a difficult situation.

Next week's reading
Read Letters CCCXXVII to CCCXXXIX.

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