In 1593, in response to strict censorship in England, English Puritans in Scotland printed a volume of letters, petitions and arguments titled Parte of a Register, which was smuggled into England. Manuscripts for a second book were collected but never published, and were later acquired by Roger Morrice (1628 1702), the Puritan diarist. They are now housed at Dr Williams's Library in London. This is a two-volume study of the 257 documents, which date from 1570 to 1590. They include Puritan letters, petitions, arguments and records of persecution by ecclesiastical authorities, and together constitute valuable evidence of the aims and concerns of the early Puritan movement. Compiled by the ecclesiastical historian Albert Peel (1886 1949) and first published in 1915, this catalogue itemises the contents of the collection. Volume 2 contains the second part of the list, and indexes of manuscripts, authors, people, places and subjects.

In On Time, Punctuality, and Discipline in Early Modern Calvinism, Max Engammare explores how the sixteenth-century Protestant reformers of Geneva, France, London, and Bern internalized a new concept of time. Applying a moral and spiritual code to the course of the day, they regulated their relationship with time, which was, in essence, a new relationship with God. As Calvin constantly reminded his followers, God watches his faithful every minute. Come Judgment Day, the faithful in turn will have to account for each minute. Engammare argues that the inhabitants of Calvin s Geneva invented the new habit of being on time, a practice unknown in Antiquity. It was also fundamentally different from notions of time in the monastic world of the medieval period and unknown to contemporaries such as Erasmus, Vives, the early Jesuits, Rabelais, Ronsard, or Montaigne. Engammare shows that punctuality did not proceed from technical innovation. Rather, punctuality was above all a spiritual, social, and disciplinary virtue.

This book is a study of the relationship between ideology and social behaviour. Professor Crew analyses the attitudes and characters of the Calvinist ministers who preached in the Netherlands in the mid-sixteenth century and their effect on the popular religious upheavals which occurred during the summer of 1566. The hedge-preaching and iconoclasm which erupted in the period before the Dutch Revolt have been the subject of considerable speculation among historians, who have have developed a variety of interpretations of these events. Professor Crew views the Troubles in the broader context of the international Calvinist movement and iconoclastic violence in France and England. She questions whether the Netherlands ministers were clearly and strongly Calvinist, whether they shared specific characteristics of personality, social status or education, and whether they were 'charismatic leaders' in the sense given to the term by Max Weber.

By the time of the Calvinist Reformation, the cities of Holland had established a very long tradition of social provision for the poor in the civic community. Calvinists however intended to care for their own church members, who were by definition 'within the household of faith', through the deaconate, a confessional relief agency. This book examines the relationship between municipal and ecclesiastical relief agencies in the six chief cities of Holland - Dordrecht, Haarlem, Delft, Leiden, Amsterdam and Gouda - from the public establishment of the Reformed Church in 1572 to the aftermath of the Synod of Dort. The author argues that the conflict between charitable organizations reveal competing conceptions of Christian community that came to the fore as a result of the Dutch Reformation. This is the first comparative study of poor relief in Holland, which contributes to our understanding of the Reformation throughout Europe.

What do the Canons of Dordt mean to people in the Las Vegas airport---and does anyone there even care? In the movie Hardcore, a pious Calvinist elder tries unsuccessfully to explain the TULIP theology of his Dutch Reformed faith to a prostitute in the Las Vegas airport. This incongruous conversation demonstrates how Calvinism is often perceived today: irrelevant, harsh, even disrespectful. Beginning with this movie scene, Calvinism in the Las Vegas Airport addresses the weaknesses of Calvinism and points to its strengths. How does Calvinism shed light on today? Instead of reciting the Canons of Dordt, what s a more compassionate way to relate to nonbelievers? What might it look like to live out the doctrines of TULIP with gentleness and respect? This conversational book provides answers and shatters some stereotypes. Calvinism in the Las Vegas Airport encourages you to live every aspect of life---business, family, education, politics, activities, and more---before the face of a generous, sovereign God. Calvinists and non-Calvinists alike will find this an enjoyable read. You will discover that Reformed theology can speak relevantly and compellingly today, both to you and to people in the Las Vegas airport. Does Calvinism Have Anything to Do with the 21st Century? What do you think about Calvinism? Do you view it positively or negatively? Or has its day passed? Let s face it, many non-Calvinists hold a less-than-positive view, sometimes due to caricatures. This friendly, conversational book helps clear up some misconceptions and distorted views. If you re not a Calvinist, here is an engaging inside look. And if you are a Calvinist, Richard Mouw shows how to live gently and respectfully with others---Christians and non-Christians---who hold different perspectives. Calvinism in the Las Vegas Airport focuses not on what Calvinists believe but on how they live. From a movie scene to the author s personal experiences in Las Vegas, you are invited to travel with Mouw and see the Reformed faith in a new light. Yes, it still does travel well "

This book is the first modern intellectual biography of the Scottish theologian and political theorist Samuel Rutherford (c. 1600-1661). Its main purpose is to provide a thorough discussion of Rutherford's religious and political ideas, and their role in the ideology of the Scottish Covenanters whose rebellion against Charles I marked the beginning of the British troubles in the mid-seventeenth century. The book also constitutes an important multidisciplinary case study in the Calvinist and Puritan traditions.

Dutch society has enjoyed a reputation, or notoriety, for permissiveness since the sixteenth century. The Dutch Republic in the Golden Age was the only society that tolerated religious dissenters of all persuasions in early modern Europe. Paradoxically, it was committed to a strictly Calvinist public Church and also to the preservation of religious plurality. R. Po-chia Hsia and Henk van Nierop have brought together a group of leading historians from the U.K., the U.S. and the Netherlands. Their outstanding essays probe the history and myth of Dutch religious toleration.

Balmer examines the clash of Dutch and English cultures in colonial New York and New Jersey and charts the decline of a European culture in North America. He shows that the combination of political intrigue, English cultural imperialism and internal socioeconomic tensions eventually drove the Dutch away from their hereditary customs, language and culture. After Leisler's Rebellion in 1689, the Dutch Reformed Church divided, largely along socioeconomic lines, into an orthodox camp, anchored in New York City, and a pietist faction whose stronghold lay in rural areas, especially northern New Jersey. Balmer argues that the divisions in the Dutch Reformed Church persisted into the Revolutionary era and that the religious alignments of the Dutch in the middle of the eighteenth century provide the most accurate predictors of political sympathies during the American Revolution.

This inspiring collection of essays spells out the relevance of John Calvin's theology for today in three areas: Faith ? Calvin's theology asks how God deals with the persistent presence of human sin. For Calvin, the chief end of life is to know God and devote our life to his glory. The still topical point is that we are freed from our fixation with ourselves, thereby recognising and living out our true reality in relation to God. Ecumenism ? The unity of the Church in Christ is of central importance to Calvin. We must do our utmost to make it visible. In Calvin's view, if there is agreement in the understanding of God and grace, all other differences have no divisive importance. This still characterises Reformed understanding today. Public responsibility ? Calvin posed the question about the church's public responsibility as no other Reformer did. Part 3 reveals the sources of the worldwide impact of Calvin's and Reformed theology on politics, the law, scholarship and the organising of life in society, including civil society.

The Covenant of the Torch made with Abraham is the most significant among all the covenants in the Bible. Why? It's the most detailed yet condensed summary of God's divine administration for redemption that outlines the work of restoration of His godly people and holy land.In this book, Rev. Abraham Park brings to life the Covenant of the Torch and helps us to understand accurately, and in chronological detail 692 years of redemptive history starting from Abraham, including the great exodus, the wilderness journey and the conquest of Canaan.Just as his best-seller The Genesis Genealogies has helped readers to better understand the time frames and relationships in The Book of Genesis, Rev. Park now helps us to study the books of Exodus up to Joshua carefully and to realise what those events and participants tell us regarding God's larger plan. This book offers: A detailed chronology of 692 years from Abraham to the Israelites' conquest of Canaan. The first-ever map of all 42 campsites in the wilderness. colour photos of the locations in the wilderness journey. A theologically sound method of viewing God's Word through the perspective of God's administration in the history of redemption. Wisdom and insight on how to overcome the spiritual wilderness in our lives of faith today. Despite periods of spiritual darkness, unbelief, complaining and grumbling by the people of God as they wandered in the desert, we see God's faithfulness in fulfilling His Word and the Covenant of the Torch. And by understanding the chronological flow of the biblical events in a systematic manner, we gain a much broader and deeper grasp of God's plan of salvation.This title is part of The History of Redemption series which includes: Book 1: The Genesis GenealogiesBook 2: The Covenant of the TorchBook 3: The Unquenchable Lamp of the CovenantBook 4: God's Profound and Mysterious ProvidenceBook 5: The Promise of the Eternal Covenant

This book examines the disputes about the eucharist that were carried out in the popular press in 16th-century France. Christopher Elwood's focus is on the way in which power is symbolized in eucharistic doctrine, and how representations of power in the context of theological discussion influenced understandings of power in other spheres of life. By concentrating on writings that were accessible to and likely to be read by a popular, lay audience, Elwood seeks to discover what ideas concerning the eucharist were actually conveyed to readers. His central argument is that the Calvinist eucharistic theory propounded in the 16th century included a way of construing power and the relation between the sacred and society that contributed in a very significant way to the ideological, social, and political unrest that characterized the Reformation period.

Edward Hendrie uses God's word to strip the sheep's clothing from false Christian ministers and expose them as ravening wolves preaching an anti-gospel. The anti-gospel is based on a myth that all men have a will that is free from the bondage of sin to choose whether to believe in Jesus. The Holy Bible, however, states that all men are spiritually dead and cannot believe in Jesus unless they are born again of the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 2:1-7; John 3:3-8. God has chosen his elect to be saved by his grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Ephesians 1:3-9; 2:8-10. God imbues his elect with the faith needed to believe in Jesus. Hebrews 12:2; John 1:12-13. The devil's false gospel contradicts the word of God and reverses the order of things. Under the anti-gospel, instead of a sovereign God choosing his elect, sovereign man decides whether to choose God. The calling of the Lord Jesus Christ is effectual; all who are chosen for salvation will believe in Jesus. John 6:37-44. The anti-gospel has a false Jesus, who only offers the possibility of salvation, with no assurance. The anti-gospel blasphemously makes God out to be a liar by denying the total depravity of man and the sovereign election of God. All who preach that false gospel are under a curse from God. Galatians 1:6-9.

On 1 July 1523, Johann van den Esschen and Hendrik Voes, two Augustinian friars from Antwerp, were burned on the Grand Plaza in Brussels, thereby becoming the first victims of the Reformation. Despite being well-known, the event barely registers in most Reformation histories. By tracing its origins and examining the impact of the executions on Martin Luther, on the Reformed Augustinian world, and on the early Reformation in the Low Countries and the German speaking lands, this study definitively demonstrates that the burnings were in fact the denouement of broader trends within Late Medieval Reformed Augustinianism, as well as a watershed in the early Reformation. In doing so, it also reveals the central role played by the Augustinian friars of Lower Germany in shaping both the content and spread of the early Reformation, as well as Wittenberg's influence on the events leading up to these first executions.

Gospel-Centered Theology for Today Evangelical Theology, Second Edition helps today's readers understand and practice the doctrines of the Christian faith by presenting a gospel-centered theology that is accessible, rigorous, and balanced. According author Michael Bird the gospel is the fulcrum of Christian doctrine; the gospel is where God meets us and where we introduce the world to God. And as such, an authentically evangelical theology is the working out of the gospel in the various doctrines of Christian theology. The text helps readers learn the essentials of Christian theology through several key features, including: A "What to Take Home" section at end of every part that gives readers a run-down on all the important things they need to know. Tables, sidebars, and questions for discussion to help reinforce key ideas and concepts A "Comic Belief" section, since reading theology can often be dry and cerebral, so that readers enjoy their learning experience through some theological humor added for good measure. Now in its second edition, Evangelical Theology has proven itself in classrooms around the world as a resource that helps readers not only understand the vital doctrines of Christian theology but one that shows them how the gospel should shape how they think, pray, preach, teach, and minister in the world.

Calvin's eucharistic doctrine has been approached in the past from the standpoint of his polemic with the Lutherans and the Zwinglians, but Father McDonnell believes that Calvin's primary position was determined by his rejection of Roman Catholicism. The author, therefore, explores Calvin's eucharistic doctrine through a comprehensive analysis of his stand against the Roman Catholic Church. Introductory chapters are devoted to the broader currents of pre-Reformation thought: Scotist tradition, devotiomoderna, humanism, and the Platonic renewal. The study continues with a discussion of St. Augustine, the medieval disputants, and the doctrines of Calvin's contemporaries-Luther, Bucer, and Melanchthon. The final chapter considers the relevancy of Calvin's objections to Catholic eucharistic doctrine and their relation to modern developments in Catholic sacramental thought. Originally published in 1967. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

Examining the relationship between Hooker's activities and his writings, Frank Shuffelton considers his role in the crises of early New England politics and religion. The author analyzes Hooker's works and shows that as preacher and pastor, theologian and architect of the Puritan religious community, Thomas Hooker voiced concerns that remained important throughout American history. The analysis of Hooker's career is especially valuable for the information it provides concerning his close involvement with the major issues of the day: the conflict between Roger Williams and the Bay Colony; the antinomian controversy; the political and religious striving of the Massachusetts Bay Colony; and the forming of a truly American community. The author distinguishes several phases in Hooker's activities that correspond to his cultural and geographical milieu at different times. He discusses Hooker's education, first pastoral experience, and career. Originally published in 1977. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

Winner of the David H. Pinkney Prize of the French Historical Society Winner of the Frances Richardson Keller-Sierra Prize of the Western Association of Women Historians Winner of the Award for Best Scholarly Work of the National Huguenot Society The Edict of Nantes ended the civil wars of the Reformation in 1598 by making France a kingdom with two religions. Catholics could worship anywhere, while Protestants had specific locations where they were sanctioned to worship. Over the coming decades Protestants' religious freedom and civil privileges eroded until the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes, issued under Louis XIV in 1685, criminalized their religion. The Robillard de Champagne, a noble family, were among those facing the Revocation. They and their co-religionists confronted the difficult decision whether to obey this new law and convert, feign conversion and remain privately Protestant, or break the law and attempt to flee secretly in what was the first modern mass migration. In this sweeping family saga, Carolyn Chappell Lougee narrates how the Champagne family's persecution and Protestant devotion unsettled their economic advantages and social standing. The family provides a window onto the choices that individuals and their kin had to make in these trying circumstances, the agency of women within families, and the consequences of their choices. Lougee traces the lives of the family members who escaped; the kin and community members who decided to stay, both complying with and resisting the king's will; and those who resettled in Britain and Prussia, where they adapted culturally and became influential members of society. She challenges the narrative Huguenots told over subsequent generations about the deeper faith of those who opted for exile and the venal qualities of those who remained in France. A masterful and moving account of the Hugenots, Facing the Revocation offers a deeply personal perspective on one of the greatest acts of religious intolerance in history.

Dissenting Daughters reveals that devout women made vital contributions to the spread and practice of the Reformed faith in the Dutch Republic in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The six women at the heart of this study: Cornelia Teellinck, Susanna Teellinck, Anna Maria van Schurman, Sara Nevius, Cornelia Leydekker, and Henrica van Hoolwerff, were influential members of networks known for supporting a religious revival known as the Further Reformation. These women earned the support and appreciation of their religious leaders, friends, and relatives by seizing the tools offered by domestic religious study and worship and forming alliances with prominent ministers including Willem Teellinck, Gijsbertus Voetius, Wilhelmus a Brakel, and Melchior Leydekker as well as with other well-connected, well-educated women. They deployed their talents to bolster the Dutch Reformed Church from 1572, the first year its members could publicly organize, to the death of this book's last surviving subject Cornelia Leydekker in 1725. In return for their adoption of religious teachings that constricted them in many ways, they gained the authority to minister to their family members, their female friends, and a broader audience of men and women during domestic worship as well as through their written works. These "dissenting daughters" vehemently defended their faith - against Spanish and French Catholics, as well as their neighbors, politicians, and ministers within the Dutch Republic whom they judged to be lax and overly tolerant of sinful behavior, finding ways to flourish among the strictest orthodox believers within the Dutch Reformed Church.

An unprecedented history of the entire Huguenot experience in France, from hopeful beginnings to tragic diaspora Following the Reformation, a growing number of radical Protestants came together to live and worship in Catholic France. These Huguenots survived persecution and armed conflict to win-however briefly-freedom of worship, civil rights, and unique status as a protected minority. But in 1685, the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes abolished all Huguenot rights, and more than 200,000 of the radical Calvinists were forced to flee across Europe, some even farther. In this capstone work, Geoffrey Treasure tells the full story of the Huguenots' rise, survival, and fall in France over the course of a century and a half. He explores what it was like to be a Huguenot living in a "state within a state," weaving stories of ordinary citizens together with those of statesmen, feudal magnates, leaders of the Catholic revival, Henry of Navarre, Catherine de' Medici, Louis XIV, and many others. Treasure describes the Huguenots' disciplined community, their faith and courage, their rich achievements, and their unique place within Protestantism and European history. The Huguenot exodus represented a crucial turning point in European history, Treasure contends, and he addresses the significance of the Huguenot story-the story of a minority group with the power to resist and endure in one of early modern Europe's strongest nations.

Set against the background of post-revolution Scottish ecclesiastical politics, this book addresses the hitherto largely neglected religious dimension to the debates on Anglo-Scottish Union. Focusing predominantly on the period between April 1706 and January 1707, the book examines the attitudes and reactions of Presbyterians to the treaty and challenges many of the widely held assumptions about the role of the church and other groups during the debate. The focal point of the Kirk's response was the Commission of the General Assembly. Through the extensive use of church records and other primary sources the work of the commission in pursuit of church security through its debates, committees and addresses, is discussed at length. The book also examines the church and groups like the Cameronians and Hebronites in relation to the parliamentary debate, the pursuit of alternatives to incorporation, popular protest, addressing and armed resistance.

Updated edition of classic introduction to the essential tenets of Calvinistic theology: its history and content, a biblical defense, and a guide to further study.

Christianity Today Book Award ECPA Top Shelf Book Cover Award Apart from the doctrine of God, no doctrine is as comprehensive as that of creation. It is woven throughout the entire fabric of Christian theology. It goes to the deepest roots of reality and leaves no area of life untouched. Across the centuries, however, the doctrine of creation has often been eclipsed or threatened by various forms of gnosticism. Yet if Christians are to rise to current challenges related to public theology and ethics, we must regain a robust, biblical doctrine of creation. According to Bruce Ashford and Craig Bartholomew, one of the best sources for outfitting this recovery is Dutch neo-Calvinism. Abraham Kuyper, Herman Bavinck, and their successors set forth a substantial doctrine of creation's goodness, but recent theological advances in this tradition have been limited. Now in The Doctrine of Creation Ashford and Bartholomew develop the Kuyperian tradition's rich resources on creation for systematic theology and the life of the church today. In addition to tracing historical treatments of the doctrine, the authors explore intertwined theological themes such as the omnipotence of God, human vocation, and providence. They draw from diverse streams of Christian thought while remaining rooted in the Kuyperian tradition, with a sustained focus on doing theology in deep engagement with Scripture. Approaching the world as God's creation changes everything. Thus The Doctrine of Creation concludes with implications for current issues, including those related to philosophy, science, the self, and human dignity. This exegetically grounded constructive theology contributes to renewed appreciation for and application of the doctrine of creation-which is ultimately a doctrine of profound hope.

The Oxford Handbook of Calvin and Calvinism offers a comprehensive assessment of John Calvin and the tradition of Calvinism as it evolved from the sixteenth century to today. Featuring contributions from scholars who present the latest research on a pluriform religious movement that became a global faith. The volume focuses on key aspects of Calvin's thought and its diverse reception in Europe, the transatlantic world, Africa, South America, and Asia. Calvin's theology was from the beginning open to a wide range of interpretations and was never a static body of ideas and practices. Over the course of his life his thought evolved and deepened while retaining unresolved tensions and questions that created a legacy that was constantly evolving in different cultural contexts. Calvinism itself is an elusive term, bringing together Christian communities that claim a shared heritage but often possess radically distinct characters. The Handbook reveals fascinating patterns of continuity and change to demonstrate how the movement claimed the name of the Genevan reformer but was moulded by an extraordinary range of religious, intellectual and historical influences, from the Enlightenment and Darwinism to indigenous African beliefs and postmodernism. In its global contexts, Calvinism has been continuously reimagined and reinterpreted. This collection throws new light on the highly dynamic and fluid nature of a deeply influential form of Christianity.