A HISTORYof Christian Doctrine The Reformation to the Holiness Movement A . D . 1500–1900 Volume 2 David K. Bernard A HISTORYof Christian Doctrine The Reformation to the Holiness Movement A . D . 1500–1900 Volume 2 A History of Christian Doctrine, Volume Two The Reformation to the Holiness Movement, A.D. 1500-1900 by David K. Bernard ©1996 David K. Bernard Hazelwood, MO 63042-2299 ISBN 1-56722-187-4 Cover Design by Paul Povolni All Scripture quotations in this book are from the King James Version of the Bible unless otherwise identified. All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced, stored in an electronic system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of David K. Bernard. Brief quotations may be used in literary reviews. Printed in United States of America Printed by Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Bernard, David K., 1956– A history of Christian doctrine / by David K. Bernard. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. Contents: v. 1. The Post-Apostolic Age to the Middle Ages, A.D. 100-1500. ISBN 1-56722-036-3 (pbk.) 1. Theology, Doctrinal—History. 2. Church history. 3. Oneness doctrine (Pentecostalism)—History. I. Title. BT 21.2.B425 1995 230'.09—dc20 95-35396 CIP Contents Preface . 9 1. The Protestant Reformation . 11 2. Martin Luther and Early Lutheran Theology . 27 3. Ulrich Zwingli and Early Reformed Theology . 49 4. The Anabaptists . 65 5. The Radical Reformation . 89 6. John Calvin and His Reformed Theology . 113 7. The Reformation in Great Britain . 137 8. The Catholic Reformation . 161 9. Lutheran Orthodoxy . 183 10. Reformed Orthodoxy . 201 11. The Pietists and the Methodists . 217 12. The Nineteenth Century . 241 13. The Holiness Movement . 269 Appendixes . .287 A. Dates in the History of Christianity . 289 B. Oneness Believers in History . 295 C. Baptism in Jesus’ Name in History . 297 D. Speaking in Tongues in History . 299 E. Holiness Teaching in History . 301 Notes . 305 Select Bibliography . 319 Index . .325 Preface This book surveys the history of Christian doctrine from approximately A.D. 1500 to 1900. It generally fol- lows chronological order and identifies the most signifi- cant events in church history, but the emphasis is on tracing doctrinal developments. To further this purpose, it discusses some events thematically rather than in strict chronological sequence. We will use the words church and Christian in the most general sense, recognizing that the visible church structure is not necessarily the New Testament church as defined by message and experience. We will discuss the major groups of people who have identified themselves as Christian. Occasionally material in this book may seem complex and foreign, but some treatment of details is necessary to provide background and to impart a feel for significant issues and problems. The main objective is to introduce the leading historical figures and movements in Christen- dom and to convey a basic understanding of their doc- trines. This information will provide various perspectives on biblical issues and will aid in dialogue with people of dif- ferent backgrounds. The reader will see when, how, and why certain biblical doctrines were abandoned and cer- tain unbiblical doctrines embraced, and will see how God has worked to restore and revive fundamental truths that were largely forgotten. This book arose out of teaching two semesters of 9 A History of Christian Doctrine church history for five years at Jackson College of Min- istries in Jackson, Mississippi. The rough draft was tran- scribed from lectures taped for the extension program of Kent Christian College in Dover, Delaware. Special thanks goes to Claire Borne for transcribing this material. It was an immense project! After considerable additions, dele- tions, and revisions, this book is the result. It is important to remember that only the Bible is our authority for doctrine. History cannot alter or replace biblical truth. Nor can history prove the validity of doc- trine, but it can provide insight into how key doctrines were handled over the centuries. It can help to dispel the myth that our fundamental doctrines are of recent origin. The clear teaching of Scripture is enough to tear away the shrouds of nonbiblical tradition, but a historical survey can aid in the process. 10 1 The Protestant Reformation In the sixteenth century, the Protestant Reformation brought dramatic changes to Christianity and instituted the modern era. Beginning with Martin Luther in 1517, significant numbers of people in Western Europe chal- lenged and soon rejected many important features of medieval theology. In addition to Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy, there emerged a third branch of Christendom, called Protestantism. The Road to the Reformation A number of individuals and groups had already repudiated some Roman Catholic practices and beliefs, but they had not successfully threatened the entire sys- tem. In the twelfth century, two strong groups had arisen 11 A History of Christian Doctrine as alternatives to the institutional church of the Middle Ages. The Waldenses, or Waldensians, sought to return to a more biblical theology and a more holy lifestyle. The Albigenses, or Albigensians, also desired a purer, more simple life but brought elements of Persian dualism into their thinking. In response, the Roman Catholics established the Inquisition to root out “heretical” beliefs and people. Although no one knows how many people were impris- oned, tortured, or executed, a crusade called by Pope Innocent III in the early thirteenth century slaughtered twenty thousand men, women, and children in the town of Béziers, France, because it refused to surrender its heretics. Under its first grand inquisitor, the Dominican monk Tomás de Torquemada, the Spanish Inquisition burned at the stake about two thousand people.1 The Inquisition was successful in exterminating the Albigens- es, and it severely curtailed the Waldenses. By the early sixteenth century, the times were ripe for the Reformation. Undeniably the hand of God was at work. In addition, volume 1 of A History of Christian Doctrine discusses several important reasons for the beginning of widespread skepticism and the greater will- ingness to question traditional doctrines:2 • The Crusades raised questions by bringing new influence from the Muslim world and from ancient Greek philosophy preserved by the Arabs. • The corruption of the clergy and the papacy caused great disillusionment and questioning. • The Catholic Church was guilty of many economic abuses, including ecclesiastical taxation, absenteeism, simony, and the sale of indulgences. 12 The Protestant Reformation • The rise of nationalism made people less willing to submit to the Roman pontiff, especially in political mat- ters. • Mysticism, an emphasis on subjective religious experience, helped undermine the authority of the church. • Nominalism, the philosophical view that universal concepts and ideas have no objective reality, also helped undercut the church’s authority. • The Catholic humanists, led by Desiderius Eras- mus (1466-1536) of Rotterdam, questioned and reinter- preted many traditional doctrines, proposed ethical reforms, and proved as forgeries some supposedly ancient documents that the church and pope used to sup- port their claims of political power. • Theological and spiritual conviction was undoubtedly the most important factor. • The invention of the printing press in 1456 by Johann Gutenberg facilitated the spread of dissent. For the first time, the Bible and other literature could be pub- lished cheaply and made available to the masses. The common people were able to compare the teachings of the church with Scripture in a way that few had been able to do before. Now, dissenters could present their views to thousands via simple tracts, and it was almost impossible to destroy all the literature. Without the printing press, it is doubtful that the Reformation could have succeeded to the extent that it did. Despite earlier dissenters such as Peter Waldo, John Wyclif, and John Hus (or Huss), the Reformation did not take place with them but with Martin Luther. Although Luther initially sought only to reform the doctrines and 13 A History of Christian Doctrine practices of the Roman Catholic Church from within, the intransigent response of the pope and the logic of Luther’s own views rapidly moved him to break away totally and found the Protestant movement. Historically, he is unique as the man who successfully precipitated the break with Rome. Theologically, he is unique in that he clearly enunciated the doctrine of justi- fication by faith and made it the basis of his entire theolo- gy. Other groups and individuals before him had attacked many of the same elements of Roman Catholicism as he did, and some of them operated to a great extent on the basis of justification by faith, but they did not clearly express their opposition to the Catholic Church in those terms. It was left to Luther to proclaim the central princi- ple by which the entire Catholic system was attacked and upon which the entire Reformation was built. Martin Luther and His Ninety-five Theses Martin Luther was born in 1483 in Eisleben, Ger- many, to a family of peasant background, but by the time he was eighteen they apparently had some money, for he enrolled at the University of Erfurt, the best in Germany at the time. As a young man, Luther enjoyed life and lived exuberantly, but he was a pious Catholic. He first saw a complete copy of the Bible at the university at age twenty. In 1505 Luther earned the master’s of arts degree and, following his father’s wishes, began to study law. That summer, however, his life changed drastically. Short- ly after a close friend was unexpectedly killed, Luther was caught in a sudden thunderstorm and almost struck by lightning.