England can claim a prominent place in the history of the interpretation of the Bible. Although this view in Kristeller's work is also associated with a rather narrow understanding of the concept.
Grundmann tends to see the most important impulse towards the rise of a heretical movement engaged in critical discussion with the
It is the rejection of the whole outward form of the church and of any formal worship; The writings of pseudo-Joachim, including especially the commentary of Jeremiah, should be mentioned here.
29 while in other respects there are close connections with the thought-
Criticism of the outward manifestations of the church was more or less widespread in the century in which Wyclif lived; his reasons went much deeper. It is unnecessary for us to follow in detail the further fortunes of the Lollards.
2 Erasmus
In any case, it is vital to see where he places his theological predecessors: not among the scholastic theologians of his time (whose syllogisms and words he points out with biting disdain),*' but among the church fathers early, Jerome (and through him the Greek Fathers, above all Origen, who was branded a heretic) and Augustine. The conviction of Christ's incarnation in the scriptures, in which he continues to live and work.'= Kohls judgment errs in the next sentence, for he defines these comments as 'sacred theology and theology of the word, seeing these expressions as synonyms; here the scriptural theology of the Reformation is introduced into a total theological system which is essentially remote from the thought of the Reformers, as Kohls himself makes quite clear in his discussion of the later controversy between Luther and Erasmus. We can also follow Kohls to the extent that he shows Neoplatonic elements in Erasmus' understanding of the discoverer.
41 phenomenon but lies behind the whole of Erasmus’ theology, including
This is where the description of the Jews as a "criminal, stubborn and rebellious people"97 appears, which will play such a prominent role in the Enlightenment. Regarding the interpretation of the Old Testament, it is interesting to note that Erasmus can choose evidence for his spiritual, anti-ceremonial position from the Old Testament as well.
47 Johann Pfefferkorn really would prefer to have the old Jewish writings
Luther clearly recognized the ominous side of this position and spoke out clearly against Erasmus in the matter of servum arbitrium. Ultimately, they go back to Ernst Troeltsch, who would distinguish between the large groups of 'churches' and 'sects'.
51 of scripture and their ethics (with an anthropology in the background
The same can be said about A. Ritschl's attempt to connect the Franciscan lay movement with the Anabaptists.15 It was easy to object that in church history it is not possible to trace a single movement of this type and that there is no recognizable connection between the leaders of the Anabaptists and the medieval sects."6 Instead, a different explanation was given, especially for the Swiss Anabaptist group that originated in Zurich, which has since been widely accepted. Nevertheless, it can be argued that although Luther and the Radical Reformers share some common features, among the latter more Anabaptists than Spiritualists, it was logical for the latter to soon break away from the Lutheran and Zwinglian Reformations. mation, because in the decisive points of their understanding of themselves, they were on completely different foundations from the all-encompassing sola fide.24 This is shown above all in their ecclesiology, their understanding.
We also find a fairly large degree of variation on the left wing of the Reformation in terms of 'ceremonies'. In short, he is Spirit, so he has shown us a trace of the divine nature.
57 the Law of God; how that Law is done away with and yet must be
Kiwiet describes Marbeck’s theology in terms of the basic notion of
The attitude of the 'left wing of the Reformation' towards the Old Testament is predominantly negative and does not correspond to the popular image, which is largely shaped by the events in Munster. In controversy with the Reformers, the "left wing" vigorously disputes that the Old Testament is a directly binding force in shaping the life of the church and politics.
63 Spiritualists there is a basic polemic against all outward forms of the
Related to this is the dualistic view of the world as the head of powers that are hostile to God. 176. In another passage 4, Muntzer speaks of 'the protection of the Holy Spirit, which teaches us faith by the pure power of God.
67 with its character as a minority is the necessary manifestation of this
Even in Muntzer, the Old Testament is the basis on which the criteria of the law must be established. "The Left Wing of the Reformation" 69 of the kingdom of God, with the coloring of the Old Testament.
71 characteristic is the statement from Contra libellum Calvini which he
Christ plays a central role for his understanding of the law, but when we notice how he views Christ 1. Instead, we must work out the nucleus verae pietatisv3 in which the real lasting meaning of the law (the Old Testament commandments) lay
79 could not in any way do justice to the Old Testament if it were looked
All his views come together here.'“' Evidently, the teaching of the church in Bucer underwent a perceptible development in the successive periods of his activity. 36 A further concern is the selection and appointment of ministers of the church and the main tasks of pastors and church servants, whose.
83 Pope does. But also one should not allow anyone who is born and
Those who use the term ‘Puritans’ immediately find themselves confronted with a mass of questions and a vast amount of research
It was the impressive consistency and decisiveness of Puritan action that first managed to attract the interest of modern observers.7 W.Haller took things a step further with his work The Rise of Puritanism,' by referring to the widespread preaching activity of the Puritans as the real center of their actions and the deeper cause of the fact that despite all opposition they gained the upper hand in the church in the longer term. However, this brings us back to the question of the central content of this preaching and how it differed from the message of the conformist church.
However, before we can concern ourselves with this theme we must consider a basic problem of research connected above all with the
An important point on the way to an answer seems to be that for the Puritans the carrying out of the preaching in general and in all places was a fundamental requirement, which they also sought to fulfill with a certain method of organization." With his argument that a clergy ' such as can read the scriptures and preach well to the people', is quite enough, and the regulation that the number of preachers for each county should be limited to three or four, l' the queen's response to these concerns'* shows not only the effect of domestic poli&. Despite the extensive literature on the outward forms of Puritanism as a phenomenon produced as a result of the 'Weber syndrome'.
Despite the extensive literature about the external forms of Puri- tanism as a phenomenon, produced as a result of the ‘Weber syndrome’,
95 Puritans paid tribute to the thought forms of their time.46 Nevertheless,
If we want to arrive at an open assessment of the character of Puritanism we may not overlook the strongly humanistic traits which
Trinterud has recently73 put this above all other considerations. The real driving force of Puritan activity, its criticism of the church and the
Moreover, the recognition of an ecclesiastical superior was an external control of the free play of the spirit.'' Although this passage only mentions partial aspects,78 the connection of the Puritan movement with the development described so far can be clearly seen. . The problem of the opposition between Puritanism and Anglicanism is often tacitly assumed and rarely treated as a theme.
99 significant degree of right on their side,.83 this was evidently a fight for
The first occasion on which an explicitly Puritan attitude can be seen, though the name ‘Puritan was not yet current, is the conflict with
It lies in the tension between the thought and life of the Great Church with its medieval tradition, which had already undergone changes as a result of humanism and partly also the Reformation, and an opposite attitude, which was also by no means free from tradition, but drew its themes partly from the spiritualist and rationalist sectarianism of the late Middle Ages (Lollardry) and partly from tendencies with a humanist colour, which mainly stemmed from the Reformation in Switzerland and southern Germany. Already in his Lenten sermons for the king in 1550, 96 Hooper had put forward typically Puritan objections to vestments: all clerical vestments had slipped into the church as a relic of the obsolete Aaronic priesthood and were also papist characteristics; kneeling at communion was forbidden because it might indicate an idolatry of the sacraments.
The confrontation which began under Edward VI continued in different circumstances during the reign of Mary among the English
On the other hand, the anti-clerical and anti-ceremonial stance of the Christian humanists, and Erasmus in particular, was clearly reflected.” These controversies also ended relatively quickly, as the Puritans' main messengers were soon silenced by being sent to the provinces.
103 liamentary moves between 1566 and 1585 led nowhere because of the
This is said to be characterized by the further incursion of rationalism into the theology of the various parties represented in the Church of England. On the other hand, it is impossible to draw a direct line from the Levellers to the thought of the 18th century, although they share.
On the other side, it is impossible to draw a direct line from the Levellers to the thought of the eighteenth century, although they share
The Crisis of Biblical Authority in England The Puritan Age 105 has been widely noted and celebrated in idealist and political historiography. Of course, the Levellers were "radical" and their concepts of an ideal system of government were a reversal of accepted notions of "democracy from above".
However, we can already recognize with William Tyndale (c.1495-1536),‘%
135 Already in the second edition of the Prologue to the New Testament, printed separately in 1531,136 a series of passages was inserted in which he explicitly refers to the meaning of 'deeds' for the Christian life137 and invites people 'to follow'. the footsteps of Christ '13*. The Scripture contains three things: first, the law, to condemn all flesh; secondly, the gospel, that is, promises of mercy to all who repent and acknowledge their sins at the preaching of the law, and consent in their hearts that the law is good, and submit as scholars to learn the to keep laws. law.
107 true Christian society was a commonwealth of saints living singly and
The position of the Conformists was first developed in principle, in a way which was not just limited to practical aspects, by Richard
However, since perfection cannot be achieved through the state either, the meaning of the 'supernatural way' begins at this point. Based on these presuppositions, Hooker can then proceed in the second book of his Laws to discuss the question of the authority of Scripture with the Puritans.
119 ogy.232
In this context, the Decalogue has direct relevance even to the actions of the redeemed, although it is treated in the context of the covenant of works. Some years ago E.F.Kevan made a thorough study of the Puritans' understanding of the law.*‘j3.
123 strengthened it even more. Evidently this trait established itself even
S.Coolidge has ventured to argue for such a conclusion with his reference to the Puritan usage of terminology with a strong Pauline
- For the purpose of grouping the various stages of Puritanism, the second ‘party’ within Puritanism, the group which held out against the
The reference, then, is not to the justifying faith of the Reformers, but to the obligation required by a binding ordinance. 314 In a letter of June 1566315 Beza can describe the attitude of the anti-Vestmentian party in a very similar way: 'For there are some of opinion that nothing at all should be added to the simplicity of the Apostolic Church, and therefore that (why without exception) all things are to be done by us as the apostles did, and whatever the church that succeeded after the apostles has added even earlier things, they think they must be done away at once.” As in Wyclif, so also in Hooper is the reference above all to ceremonies.
127 existing order of the church for a constitution corresponding to an ideal
As the state church was not ready to accede to such demands at this or a later time, separatist communities soon came into being.343
In this context, the Reformation Treaty is particularly important, because for the first time there is a strict dividing line between the spiritual authority that applies in the church and the secular authority of the civil government. The magistrates have no spiritual power in the church; rather, as the kingdom of Christ, this is a spiritual kingdom in which the power of the keys is exercised through the preaching of the word.
131 has pointed out351 that at one point in his ‘Treatise’ Browne has accorded
In the light of the absolutism of the time, this is an extraordinarily bold idea!. 386 The ten commandments remain unchanged forever (as opposed to the changing ceremonial commandments).387 this is also true of the second commandment.
135 theme because it adopts a position over the question of the relevance
H.Kressner, in his short study of the ‘Swiss Origins of the Anglican State Church’,391 deserves credit for having been the first to note the
The work in which Jacob explicitly bases his demands on the second commandment of the Decalogue, A plain and clear Exposition of the Second Commandment,379 is particularly interesting in the current context. The protest of the Presbyterians is not against the authority of the crown, but only against the rule of the episcopate.
139 monstrate the supremacy of the crown over the church by referring to
Before these changes took full effect, the rational school of Anglican theology* produced the best-known testimony to their understanding
54 If we read these remarks with Erasmus in mind, we can see that the same ethics of the disciple is at the heart of the whole approach. 59 This mixture of rationalism and moralism would necessarily influence the enormous importance of the Bible for Protestants in the direction of a more critical attitude towards the Bible.
The first half of the time of great transition represented by the seventeenth century is already characterized by an abundance of intel-