Tracts & Letters (Vol 5) - Calvin - VI - Letters CCXXXIII to CCXLIX

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

My summary
Today we read letters from 1549 addressed to the Ministers of the church of Montebeliard, Bullinger, Bucer, the Pastors of the church of Berne, Viret, Farel, Madame De Cany, Madame De La Roche-Posay, Bucer, Lady Anne Seymour, and the Pastors of the church of Zurich.

The content of today's letters included:
(i) the highly sought after union with Zurich and Geneva over the theology of the Lord's supper;
(ii) union between Berne and Geneva;
(iii) the death of Calvin's wife;
(iv) alliances with the King of France (which Zurich refused to do);
(v) the English reformation;
(vi) persecutions in Europe.

What grabbed me
It was sad to read of death of Calvin's wife: 'Although the death of my wife has been exceedingly painful to me, yet I subdue my grief as well as I can. Friends, also, are earnest in their duty to me. It might be wished, indeed, that they could profit me and themselves more ; yet one can scarcely say how much I am supported by their attentions. But you know well enough how tender, or rather soft, my mind is. Had not a powerful self-control, therefore, been vouchsafed to me, I could not have borne up so long. And truly mine is no common source of grief. I have been bereaved of the best companion of my life, of one who, had it been so ordered, would not only have been the willing sharer of my indigence, but even of my death. During her life she was the faithful helper of my ministry. From her I never experienced the slightest hindrance. She was never troublesome to me throughout the entire course of her illness; she was more anxious about her children than about herself.'

The loss of such a helper would be truly devastating.

Next week's reading
Read Letters CCL to CCLXVII.

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