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

Monday, August 24, 2009

In Principio ... Deus: Marrow Theology: Our Natural Desire to be Justified by Works

In Principio ... Deus: Marrow Theology: Our Natural Desire to be Justified by Works

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This is a commendable post, In Principio from what appears to be a Reformed perspective and blogsite. Francis Pieper, the Lutheran dogmatician, repeatedly stresses the same outlook--humanity's perpetual desire for self-justification. However, that is a stress and outlook of all the Reformation traditions, including Reformation Anglicanism--or at least two to three generations deep into the Laudian period.

Luther said somewhere (commentary on Galatians?) that we must sing, preach, pray, liturgize, catechetize, repeat, and reassert justification by faith alone. This sola of the Reformation goes to the heart of the issue, trusting in one's own righteousness, merits, value and works.

I heard a serious man tonight tell an 88-year old woman that St. Paul teaches justification by works. He claims the title "Anglican." That is not historic Anglicanism.

With Luther, again, this issue of total depravity and sola fide must be taught, lived, prayed, preached, etc. Even as Christians, justified and in the way, long in the way, as elders in the way, we forget this. The result, if unchecked, is Pharisaicism, e.g. Luke 18.9ff, the Gospel lection for the Eleventh Sunday after Trinity.

Thank God for this reminder from the Reformed blogsite.

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