Reformed Churchmen

We are Confessional Calvinists and a Prayer Book Church-people. In 2012, we remembered the 350th anniversary of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer; also, we remembered the 450th anniversary of John Jewel's sober, scholarly, and Reformed "An Apology of the Church of England." In 2013, we remembered the publication of the "Heidelberg Catechism" and the influence of Reformed theologians in England, including Heinrich Bullinger's Decades. For 2014: Tyndale's NT translation. For 2015, John Roger, Rowland Taylor and Bishop John Hooper's martyrdom, burned at the stakes. Books of the month. December 2014: Alan Jacob's "Book of Common Prayer" at: http://www.amazon.com/Book-Common-Prayer-Biography-Religious/dp/0691154813/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417814005&sr=8-1&keywords=jacobs+book+of+common+prayer. January 2015: A.F. Pollard's "Thomas Cranmer and the English Reformation: 1489-1556" at: http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Cranmer-English-Reformation-1489-1556/dp/1592448658/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1420055574&sr=8-1&keywords=A.F.+Pollard+Cranmer. February 2015: Jaspar Ridley's "Thomas Cranmer" at: http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Cranmer-Jasper-Ridley/dp/0198212879/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422892154&sr=8-1&keywords=jasper+ridley+cranmer&pebp=1422892151110&peasin=198212879

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Lutheran and Reformed Confessions: Schaff, Creeds, Vol.1, 11

"The Lutheran and Reformed confessions almost entirely agree in their theology, christology, anthropology, soteriology, and eschatology, but they differ in the doctrines of divine decrees and the nature and efficacy of the sacraments, especially the mode of Christ's presence in the Lord's Supper."

Schaff, Creeds of Christendom, Vol. 1, 11.

Anglicans can sit this one out since this, confessionally, is far above their latitudinarian indifferentism and incompetence. They are incapable of institutional maturity, thanks to the leaders (hint, hint, the bishops and 99% of all weak presbyters). The 1979 and 1928 BCP a theology does not make. Nor good music either, although the 28 BCP and hymns transcend the theology of the "low churchmen" with "low theologies." The Great Reformation Confessions made substantial advances over the earlier Councils and Teachers, especially the ante-post Nicean teachers...far beyond the statism of the east and far beyond Tridentine errors. Mature adults "reassess" themselves. Not so with the Greeks, Papists and Anglican children.

4 comments:

CB in Ca said...

Schaff is necessary for any Christian's Library. His research is impeccable.

Eric said...

Indeed, this is why I departed from Anglicanism after about ten years ago for Lutheranism. That being said, I also agree with Schaff and do read Reformed thinkers as well and am currently working through Ursinus' Commentary on the Heidelberg Catechism.

Something I remember from my Anglican days is that as soon as most Anglicans get into deep theology, they invariably have to borrow from Geneva, Wittenberg, Rome, or Constantinople.

Reformation said...

@Charles, yes, Schaff is good. Will work through him over next few months, including the 8-volume.

@Eric, alas, someone--and there are some othes, such as Charles above--who understands the difficulties of being an Anglican in exile. Looking seriously at a WELS congregation. I most certainly would join, but am Reformed--or Mercerbergish, Nevin--on the Table and do not want to make any difficulties for the pastor or the fine Catholics of the Reformation at that church.

Regards.

Eric said...

I have been doing some reading of Schaff & Nevin and there are some greatly appealing aspects of the Mercersburg Theology. Schaff's Principle of Protestantism did much to appeal to and repair my former Anglo-Catholicism.