Philip Melanchthon (1497-1560): The Creator of Lutheranism Part One: Melanchthon’s Climb to Fame Part Two: Melanchthon the Preceptor of Germany Part Three: Melanchthon’s Failure as a Reformer ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Part Two: Melanchthon the Preceptor of Germany Rifts that did not break friendship Now Rome sent one agent after another, including Frederick Nausea, Cardinal Campeggio’s personal secretary to win Melanchthon for themselves. He told all these emissaries of Rome that if they had the Church’s welfare at heart, they would join him in purifying it from faulty doctrines and traditions. He told Nausea that he erred if he thought Luther wanted to abolish church practices. The fight is not about external things… Full Article
Posts Tagged Institutes
Philip Melanchthon (1497-1560): The Creator of Lutheranism Part One: Melanchthon’s Climb to Fame
Apr 3
Philip Melanchthon (1497-1560): The Creator of Lutheranism Part One: Melanchthon’s Climb to Fame Part Two: Melanchthon the Preceptor of Germany Part Three: Melanchthon’s Failure as a Reformer ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Part One: Melanchthon’s Climb to Fame ‘Big Names’ are often deceptive When studying the ‘Big Names’ of the Reformation in depth, one is led to suspect that such ‘Names’ are merely pronounced ‘Big’ because they have been highly illuminated by church historians with specific interests though equally ‘big’ men and women of God have been left unobserved. This is certainly the case with Philip Melanchthon, Heinrich Bullinger and Theodore Beza who have long been seen as mere successors and… Full Article
There are two modern movements in evangelism today which claim the backing of Reformed Christians and are even supported by many of my closest friends. I find I cannot go along with them and must make my reasons clear for thinking, believing and acting otherwise. These many brethren will remain my friends, but I want them to realize what a dangerous threat to the Gospel their views have become. Any doctrine which relieves man of his responsibility for his own sins and declares him to be innocent of the mess he is in as a fallen sinner leaves no room for the atoning work of the Cross. If we are not responsible for our own sins, there is no reason or sense in Christ taking on Himself the responsibility of our having… Full Article
Sir: Since this newspaper began, debate has continued amongst correspondents as to what true religion entails. It is interesting to note that John Calvin has invariably been put forward as representing all sides in their highly different positions. This is neither surprising nor helpful. Calvin was a second generation Reformer whose works reflect strong Lutheran, Zwinglian, Bullingerite and Bucerian influences in their conflicting aspects. Furthermore, whereas Calvin’s Swiss and Strasburg teachers were men of peace and developed their own theology within their own pastoral duties amongst churches who loved them, Calvin was a man of strife in a frequently rebellious church. The Geneva Council treated Calvin as a foreigner,… Full Article
Banner on Hypers
Nov 13
Letter to the Banner of Truth (not printed) Dear Christian Friends, I was surprised to find myself labeled a Hyper-Calvinist in your February issue with your corollary that I am not amongst those who “confront their hearers with the immediate responsibility of trusting Christ, directly encouraging them to trust him, and appealing to them to do so now!” Naturally, when one starts with a false premise one draws a faulty conclusion. Actually, I abhor Hyper-Calvinism and have aired my views against it in many publications and lectures. I am particularly suspicious of the Supralapsarian kind as found in Calvin’s Institutes, Book III, Chap. XXIII:7 and his Articles Concerning Predestination. I reject Calvin’s studies… Full Article
Irresistible Grace
Sep 21
A lecture given at the Protestant Reformation Society, August 27th, 2009, Wycliffe Hall, Oxford, England Irresistible grace represents the traditional ‘I’ in the acronym ‘TULIP’. So now I shall tease you a little. The name ‘Tulip’ comes from the same Turkish root as ‘turban’ and the flower of that name was introduced by the Turks to Europe as a symbol of the spreading Ottoman Empire, or the TULIP ERA as the Islamising of Europe was called. The popular strains Tulipa turkestanica and Tulipa kurdica point to this. Why the Turkestan turban-shaped talismanic Tulip and Turkoman black merchants robes were chosen as Christian symbols of faith and ministry by post-Reformation parties, must be the subject of… Full Article
