Theodore Beza

The Puritans of New England believed that religious freedom applied to you only if you lived and believed and worshiped as they did.

But then along came Roger Williams, who introduced the concept of religious liberty for all, and then the truth would go marching on through men like Ulrich Zwingli in Zurich, and John Wesley and his brother Charles in England, through Philip Melanchthon, and Thomas Cranmer, and Hugh Latimer, and Nicholas Ridley, and Theodore Beza, and John Knox in Scotland, and Hassan Jerome, and William Farrell, and Roger Williams, and many others.

So when did the Reformation end? Or has it ended? Perhaps there's still a work to be done, a work of reform, a work of calling people to faithfulness to God and to faith in the Word of God.

Throughout the rest of this series, 500, you'll meet some of the great characters of the Reformation.

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A Little Catechism by Theodore Beza.

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So be it.

Psalm 25 The Lord revealeth his secrets unto them which fear him and maketh them to know his covenant.

End of A Little Catechism by Theodore Beza A Declaration of the True Manner of Knowing Christ Crucified by William Perkins This is a LibriVox recording.

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But he performed a great work for the Protestant cause at a time when the Counter-Reformation in the Catholic Church made a militant and organized Protestantism necessary for its continued existence.

Calvinism has produced a type of man similar to the founder himself, men like John Knox, Theodore Beza, William of Nassau, and Oliver Cromwell, of remarkable strength of will, extraordinary devotion, and indomitable energy.

Calvin died in 1564 as poor as a mendicant monk in spite of the remarkable power he had exercised for more than twenty years.

He was succeeded in Geneva by his pupil Theodore Beza.

End of Section 19 Section 20 of the Renaissance and the Reformation by Emmeline Tanner This LibriVox recording is in the public domain, read by Pamela Nagami Book 3, Chapter 12 The Reformation in England and Scotland Part 1 A.

The Reformation in England The Reformation in England differs very considerably in character and history from the movements in Germany and Switzerland.

An edict of July 1561 forbade all meetings for worship conducted in any other manner than according to the rites of the Catholic Church, but relaxed the severity of the punishments for heresy.

About the same time a religious conference in which Protestants were invited was held at Poissy.

As Ayer notes, the problem was not in Geneva, but in France, where, quoting here, "...French Protestants lived in an environment that was hostile to their beliefs and practices, making the threat of idolatry even greater." Before, and quoting again such pressure, some Protestants assumed the attitude of compromise and deceit that came to be known as Nicodemism.

Theodore Beza explained, and I quote, "...at this time there were some persons in France who, having fallen away at first from fear of persecution," had afterwards begun to be satisfied with their conduct as to deny that there was any sin giving bodily attendance on popish rites provided their minds were devoted to true religion the most pernicious error which had been condemned of old by the fathers calvin refuted with the greatest clearness He went on to say, the consequence was that from time to time the name of Nicodemites was applied to those who pretended to find a sanction for their misconduct in the example of that most holy man, Nicodemus.

Close quote.

As Beza noted, and as Eyre follows him, Calvin was not the only one to face this problem.

It was read with avidity in the cottage of the peasant, in the workshop of the artisan, and in the chateau of the noble.

In reference to this extraordinary man, of whom it has been said, "On Calvin some think heaven's own mantle fell, while others deem him instrument of hell," Theodore Beza writes, "I do not believe that his equal can be found.

Besides preaching every day from week to week, very often and as much as he was able, he preached twice every Sunday.

He lectured on theology three times a week.

So with the changes having been changed, right, mutatis mutandis, my understanding of the history has changed, but my understanding of the theology hasn't changed.

I still believe that the imputation of the active obedience of Christ, and I would point to, for example, Amandus Pallanus, we have published in another volume published The treatise, The Free Justification of Man the Sinner Before God, 1615, in Justification by Faith Alone, selected writings from Theodore Beza, Amandus Polanus, Francis Turretin, and translated by my dear friend Casey Carmichael.

That's volume six.

in the Classic Reformed Theology series.

But I think they were wrong.

And I think Polanus was right.

Beza was right.

and the others who've defended the imputation of active obedience.