Institutes of Christian religion - Calvin - LXVIII - Chapter 12 of Book 4

Required reading
Institutes of Christian religion by John Calvin (Available from Amazon or free here) - Read Chapter 12 of Book 4.

My summary
This week Calvin teaches us further about church discipline.

Firstly Calvin speaks about the discipline of the people.  We learn:
(i) the process of discipline;
(ii) the differing levels of sin;
(iii) the ends of discipline;
(iv) the ways to execute discipline;
(v) that no one is exempt from discipline;
(vi) the moderation that should be used in discipline;
(vii) the difference between excommunication and anathema;
(viii) discipline of a multitude.

Secondly Calvin teaches us about fasting.  We learn:
(i) the ends of fasting;
(ii) what fasting signifies;
(iii) when fasting should be called for;
(iv) what fasting is;
(v) the dangers of superstitions associated with fasting.

Thirdly Calvin speaks about the discipline of clergy.  Most of the section is dedicated to a discussion of the Roman Catholic prohibition of marriage for priests while sexual immorality is largely ignored.

What grabbed me
I enjoyed Calvin's section on fasting - an underrated discipline of the Christian life in my experience of the Western world.

I liked his clear teaching on the ends of fasting: ' A holy and lawful fast has three ends in view. We use it either to mortify and subdue the flesh, that it may not wanton, or to prepare the better for prayer and holy meditation; or to give evidence of humbling ourselves before God, when we would confess our guilt before him. The first end is not very often regarded in public fasting, because all have not the same bodily constitution, nor the same state of health, and hence it is more applicable to private fasting. The second end is common to both, for this preparation for prayer is requisite for the whole Church, as well as for each individual member. The same thing may be said of the third. For it sometimes happens that God smites a nation with war or pestilence, or some kind of calamity. In this common chastisement it behoves the whole people to plead guilty, and confess their guilt. Should the hand of the Lord strike any one in private, then the same thing is to be done by himself alone, or by his family. The thing, indeed, is properly a feeling of the mind. But when the mind is effected as it ought, it cannot but give vent to itself in external manifestation, especially when it tends to the common edification, that all, by openly confessing their sin, may render praise to the divine justice, and by their example mutually encourage each other.'

There are a number of benefits to fasting - if only we valued them more!

Next week's reading
Read Chapter 13 of Book 4.

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