Excerpt from The Eleventh Annual Report of the Calvin Society: Instituted in May 1843, for the Publication of New Translations of the Works of John Calvin A few days before his death, in one Of their latest confer emees, Calvin, when Shewing to Theodore Beza the most highly valued Of his possessions - the manuscripts in his library and the documents included in his extensive correspondence with the most illustrious persons Of his time, requested that they should be carefully collected after his death; and that a selection from his own letters, made by his friends, should be presented to the Reformed Churches, as a crowning testimony Of the anxious interest and affection Of their founder. This request of the dying Reformer, although deeply graven on the hearts of his disciples, Jean de Bud , Laurent de Nor mandie, Charles de J onvillers, and Theodore de Beze, was but tardily and imperfectly fulfilled. Nearly three centuries have passed Since his death, and notwithstanding the reverence that attends upon the honoured name of Calvin, and the numerous elaborate works which have been devoted to his memory by eminent authors in France and other lands, the earnest desire of the Reformer has never been fully complied with: the precious documents of his correspondence have remained forgotten amid the dust of those libraries and other places of record, whence forthe first time this inestimable treasure is now drawn forth, to be added to the history of the world. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.