Tracts and Letters (Volume 2) by John Calvin (Available from Amazon or free here) - Conclude XI (Clear explanation of sound doctrine...in order to dissipate the mists of Tileman Heshusius) and also read all of the last tract entitled 'The best method of obtaining concord provided the truth be south without contention'.
Most of today is spent over-viewing the Church Fathers' understanding of the Lord's supper and how they are in line with Calvin. Fathers mentioned include Irenaeus, Tertullian, Hilary, Cyril, Clement Alexandrinus, Origen, Cyprian, Eusebius, Dionysius of Alexandria, Athansius, Epiphanius, Basil, Ambrose, Gregory Nazianzen, Jerome, Chrysostom, Augustine and Epistle to Dardanus.
At one point Calvin sums up how Heshusius has misued the Fathers: 'The substance of all his sophistical jargon may be formed into a syllogism thus :
Whatever is called the body of Christ is his body substantially and in reality.
Irenseus, Tertullian, Cyprian, Justin, Ambrose, Jerome, Augustine, and several others, call the bread of the sacred Supper the body of Christ :
Therefore, the bread of the Supper is the body of Christ substantially and in reality.'
The rest of the tract covers similar material from Calvin's other tracts (and Calvin once again admits this).
The final short tract (The best method of obtaining concord, provided the truth be sought without contention) is basically a brief overview of Calvin's understanding of the Lord's supper.
What grabbed me
I liked the way he places emphasis on the importance of context: 'Let the reader attend to the design of Irenaeus. He is not discussing whether or not we eat Christ corporeally : he is only contending that his flesh and blood are meat and drink to us, so as to infuse spiritual life into our flesh and blood. The whole question cannot be better solved than by attending to the context. '
If you're going to quote someone, read them fully. Not just the bit that you think supports your view.
Otherwise someone who knows the work better than you may just prove you rather foolish.
Next week's reading
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.
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