The Calvinist InternationalThe Reformed tradition in light of catholic Christianity
At long last, the final installment of Chytraeus’ reasons for certainty in Christian doctrine. If readers recall (are there any?), Chytraeus noted that the chief reason for certitudo was divine authority and revelation in Holy Scripture. He then went on to list several sequentia testimonia that confirm this authority and revelation a posteriori. This […]
Herewith the next several sequentia testimonia that confirm Christian doctrine: the kind of doctrine it is, for example, revealing things unknown to human reason. There are some interesting ones in this portion of the list. Chytraeus has a kind of succession (series) from the early church, but it is a succession of teaching and of […]
I mentioned some time ago that I would post something on why Chytraeus makes a nice irenic figure. To do that, I’m mostly just going to summarize and quote some of the material in his entry in The New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge, vol 3. Georg Loesche notes in that article that Chytraeus […]
Chytraeus now lists the confirming testimonies mentioned in the previous section. In both editions I am consulting, the numbering of the list stops partway through, though the list itself continues, so I will supply the missing numbers. The first four “testimonies” are miracles, experience, antiquity, and prophecy. Chytraeus’ assertion about the conviction of the truth […]
In his next Q/A, Chytraeus deals with the Scripture principle as he gives the reason for certainty in Christian doctrine. Certainty is rooted in authority and the expression of that authority (revelation). The two are intimately connected: for spiritual authority to be binding, it must have a dixit Dominus, and we find that with certainty […]
Here is the final part of Chytraeus’ answer regarding the differences between Christian and non-Christian religion. He grants, as one also finds in Calvin (as Steven recently noted), that by nature there is some knowledge of God’s law–here Chytraeus focuses specifically on knowledge concerning the duties man owes to God. We see this in Plato […]
Chytraeus continues to contrast Christian with non-Christian religion. Pagans, he said previously, do indeed have some knowledge of God and his attributes, but their worship is perverse because it is not governed by his Word. Now he adds that they are, crucially (pun intended; sorry), ignorant of the Gospel of God’s free grace in Christ. […]
Reading Allen Guelzo’s For the Union of Evangelical Christendom: The Irony of the Reformed Episcopalians is an equally enlightening and surprising read. The REC doesn’t seem terribly “Reformed” or “Episcopalian” according to the popular understanding of those terms. It’s really more of a piece with 19th cent. evangelicalism. This is, one supposes, why the REC viewed themselves […]
Chytraeus continues his exposition of non-Christian religion in answer to the question, “What is the difference between Christian and gentile religion?“. He grants that pagan philosophers achieved a certain kind of knowledge of God from the observation of nature, a knowledge that is general and relates to some of his primary attributes (wisdom, justice, etc.). […]
Continuing on (this answer is very long and will come in a few installments)… quod est discrimen inter Religionem Christianam et Ethnicam? RELIGIO Ethnica est sine certo Dei verbo, & sine vera in Christum fide vagantem, loco unius veri Dei varia & commenticia numina & idola multiplicia colere ceremoniis & operibus ac sacrificiis humano arbitrio […]