Required reading
Institutes of Christian religion by John Calvin (Available from Amazon or free here) - Conclude Chapter 19.
My summary
Today Calvin finishes his critique of the other 'sacraments' of the Roman Catholic church.
Firstly Calvin argues against Extreme Unction, primarily by showing that James does not teach that anointing of the sick is a sacrament.
Secondly Calvin denies that Orders are a sacrament. In particular he ridicules:
(i) the many different offices;
(ii) the failure to perform such offices;
(iii) the introduction of certain ceremonies to the offices without Biblical support (e.g. the tonsure).
Thirdly Calvin shows that marriage is not a sacrament either: 'The last of all is marriage, which, while all admit it to be an institution of God, no man ever saw to be a sacrament, until the time of Gregory. And would it ever have occurred to the mind of any sober man? It is a good and holy ordinance of God. And agriculture, architecture, shoemaking, and shaving, are lawful ordinances of God; but they are not sacraments. For in a sacrament, the thing required is not only that it be a work of God, but that it be an external ceremony appointed by God to confirm a promise. That there is nothing of the kind in marriage, even children can judge. '
What grabbed me
I appreciated Calvin's clarity in arguing against any power in the oil used to anoint the sick: 'James, in ordering simply that the sick be anointed, seems to me to mean no other anointing than that of common oil, nor is any other mentioned in the narrative of Mark. These men deign not to use any oil but that which has been consecrated by a bishop, that is warmed with much breath, charmed by much muttering, and saluted nine times on bended knee, Thrice Hail, holy oil! thrice Hail, holy chrism! thrice Hail, holy balsam! From whom did they derive these exorcisms? James says, that when the sick man shall have been anointed with oil, and prayer shall have been made over him, if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him—viz. that his guilt being forgiven, he shall obtain a mitigation of the punishment, not meaning that sins are effaced by oil, but that the prayers by which believers commended their afflicted brother to God would not be in vain.'
The power in the action is prayer, not the oil.
Next week's reading
Commence Chapter 20 of Book 4 by reading Chapters 1 to 13.
Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.
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