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• From History of the Christian Church: The Complete Set of Eight Volumes (1858)

  It was a dangerous step, and the entering wedge of a new caesaropapacy,—the rule of statecraft over priestcraft. But it seemed to be the only available help under the circumstances, and certainly served a very useful purpose. Luther had full confidence in the God-fearing Elector, that he would not abuse the authority thus temporarily conferred on him. The Elector, after considerable delay, resolved upon the visitation in July, 1527, on the quasi-legal basis of the Diet of Speier, which a year before had temporarily suspended, but by no means abolished, the Edict of Worms. He directed Melanchthon to prepare a "formula of doctrine and rites" for the instruction of the visitors. Melanchthon elaborated in Latin, and more fully in German, a summary of the evangelical doctrines of faith and duty, which may be regarded as the first basis of the Augsburg Confession. He treats, in seventeen articles, of faith, the cross (affliction), prayer, the fruits of the Spirit, the magistrate, the fear of God, righteousness, judgment, the sacraments (Baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and Confession), the sign of the eucharist, penitence, marriage, prohibited cases, human traditions, Christian liberty, free-will, and the law. The order is not very logical, and differs somewhat in the German edition. The work was finished in December, 1527. Luther wrote a popular preface and notes to the German edition, and explained the object. He shows the importance of church visitation, from the example of the apostles and the primary aim of the episcopal office; for a bishop, as the term indicates, is an overseer of the churches, and an archbishop is an overseer of the bishops. But the bishops have become worldly lords, and neglect their spiritual duties. Now, as the pure gospel has returned, or first begun, we need a true episcopacy; and, as nobody has a proper authority or divine command, we asked the Elector, as our divinely appointed ruler (Rom. 13), to exercise his authority for the protection and promotion of the gospel. Although he is not called to teach, he may restore peace and order, as the Emperor Constantine did when he called the Council of Nicaea for the settlement of the Arian controversy.733 Melanchthon wisely abstained from polemics, and advised the preachers to attack sin and vice, but to let the pope and the bishops alone. Luther was not pleased with this moderation, and added the margin: "But they shall violently condemn popery with its devotees, since it is condemned by God; for popery is the reign of Antichrist, and, by instigation of the Devil, it terribly persecutes the Christian church and God’s Word."734

• From History of the Christian Church: The Complete Set of Eight Volumes (1858)

  His heroic faith, the moving power and crowning glory of his life, shines with wonderful luster in these letters. The greater the danger, the stronger his courage. He devoted his best hours to prayer. His "Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott," was written before this time,991 but fitly expresses his fearless trust in God at this important crisis, when Melanchthon trembled. "Let the matter be ever so great," he wrote to him (June 27), "great also is He who has begun and who conducts it; for it is not our work .... ’Cast thy burthen upon the Lord; the Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon Him.’ Does He say that to the wind, or does He throw his words before beasts? ... It is your worldly wisdom that torments you, and not theology. As if you, with your useless cares, could accomplish any thing! What more can the Devil do than strangle us? I conjure you, who in all other matters are so ready to fight, to fight against yourself as your greatest enemy." In another letter he well describes the difference between himself and his friend in regard to cares and temptations. "In private affairs I am the weaker, you the stronger combatant; but in public affairs it is just the reverse (if, indeed, any contest can be called private which is waged between me and Satan): for you take but small account of your life, while you tremble for the public cause; whereas I am easy and hopeful about the latter, knowing as I do for certain that it is just and true, and the cause of Christ and God Himself. Hence I am as a careless spectator, and unmindful of these threatening and furious papists. If we fall, Christ falls with us, the Ruler of the world. I would rather fall with Christ than stand with the Emperor. Therefore I exhort you, in the name of Christ, not to despise the promises and the comfort of God, who says, ’Cast all your cares upon the Lord. Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.’ I know the weakness of our faith; but all the more let us pray, ’Lord, increase our faith.’ "

• From The Well of Loneliness (1928)

  476 THE WELLE OF LONELINESS he’s coming to dinner. Better tell Pauline at once, will you, darling? ’ But Mary must naturally ask a few questions. What was he like? Where had Stephen known him? — she had never men- tioned a man called Hallam — where had she known him, in London or at Morton? And finally: ‘ How old were you when you knew him?’ * Let me think — I must have been just eighteen.’ ‘How old was he? ’ ‘ Twenty-two — very young — I only knew him for quite a short time; after that he went back to British Columbia. But I liked him so much — we were very great friends — so I’m hoping that you’re going to like him too, darling.’ ‘Stephen, you are strange. Why haven’t you told me that you once had a very great friend -a man? I’ve always thought that you didn’t like men.’ ‘ On the contrary, I like them very much. But I haven’t seen Martin for years and years. I’ve hardly ever thought about him until I got his letter this morning. Now, sweetheart, we don’t want the poor man to starve — you really must go off and try to find Pauline.’ When she had gone Stephen rubbed her chin with thoughtful and rather uncertain fingers. 2 He came. Amazing how little he had changed. He was just the same clean-shaven, bony-faced Martin, with the slow blue eyes and the charming expression, and the loose- limbed figure that slouched from much riding; only now there were a few faint lines round his eyes, and the hair had gone snow-white on his temples. Just beside the right temple was a deep little scar -it must have been a near thing, that bullet. | He said: * My dear, it is good to see you.’ And he held Ste- phen’s hand in his own thin brown ones. THE WELL OF LONELINESS 477 She felt the warm, friendly grip of his fingers, and the years dropped away. ‘I’m so glad you wrote, Martin.’ ‘ So am I. I can’t tell you how glad I am. And all the time we were both in Paris, and we never knew. Well, now that I’ve found you, we'll cling like grim death, if you don’t mind, Stephen.’ As Mary came into the room they were laughing. She looked less tired, Stephen thought with satisfaction, ot ‘perhaps it was that her dress became her — she was always at her best in the evening. Stephen said quite simply: ‘ This is Martin, Mary.’ They shook hands, and as they did so they smiled. Then they stared at each other for a moment, almost gravely.

• From Under the Banner of Heaven (2003)

  Joseph taught and encouraged his adherents to receive personal communiqués straight from the Lord. Divine revelation formed the bedrock of the religion. God, of course, regularly communicated with Joseph as well his followers. The imparting of heavenly truth began with The Book of Mormon, but by no means did it end there. The Lord routinely issued commandments to Joseph, continually revealing sacred principles that needed to be revised or changed outright. Indeed, the notion that each Mormon prophet receives guidance from an ongoing series of revelations was, and remains, one of the religion’s crucial tenets. These revelations are compiled in a thin volume titled The Doctrine and Covenants, which in some ways has supplanted The Book of Mormon as the Latter-day Saints’ most consequential scriptural text. With these revealed scriptures guiding the way, Joseph made his divine mission known: his job was to reinstate the Lord’s One True Church and thereby prepare the earth for the Second Coming of Christ, which was surely imminent. Joseph explained to his rapt followers that they were the Lord’s Elect—God’s own peculiar people, the true sons and daughters of Israel—and every one of them would be called on to play a crucial role in the Last Days before the Millennium drew nigh. They were, Joseph declared, Latter-day Saints. SEVEN THE STILL SMALL VOICE From its inception, the revelatory tradition in Mormonism engendered strife. The doctrine of modern, continuing revelation, begun by Joseph Smith and accepted by most groups claiming descent, leaves social order open to counterclaims that strike at the heart of ecclesiastical order. If one person may speak for God, why may not another? By claiming an ongoing dialogue with divinity, Joseph Smith opened the door to a social force he could barely control. RICHARD L. SAUNDERS, “THE FRUIT OF THE BRANCH,” DIFFERING VISIONS: DISSENTERS IN MORMON HISTORY Yea, thus saith the still small voice, which whispereth through and pierceth all things, and often times it maketh my bones to quake while it maketh manifest, saying: And it shall come to pass that I, the Lord God, will send one mighty and strong . . . to set in order the house of God. THE DOCTRINE AND COVENANTS, SECTION 85 The brick farmhouse stands by itself, surrounded by snow-covered fields in a sparsely populated Utah valley. Mist rises off a nearby river in the eight-degree cold. Inside, a tall, blue-eyed man sits at an uncluttered desk, studying a book through wire-rimmed spectacles. As he bends closer to the page to wrest meaning from the lines of type, winter sunlight streams through a nearby

• From History of the Christian Church: The Complete Set of Eight Volumes (1858)

  Das macht, er ist gericht’t; Ein Wörtlein kann ihn fällen. The word of God will never yield To any creature living; He stands with us upon the field, His grace and Spirit giving. Take they child and wife, Goods, name, fame, and life, Though all this be done, Yet have they nothing won: The kingdom still remaineth. Das Wort sie sollen lassen stan1018 Und keinÕn Dank dazu haben. Er ist bei uns wohl auf dem Plan1019 Mit seinem Geist und Gaben. Nehmen sie den Leib, Gut, Ehr, Kind und Weib; Lass fahren dahin, Sie haben’s kein’n Gewinn; Das Reich muss uns doch bleiben VOLUME VIII. MODERN CHRISTIANITY - THE SWISS REFORMATION——————————— This is a reproduction of the Third Edition, Revised ——————————— PREFACE.This volume concludes the history of the productive period of the Reformation, in which Luther, Zwingli, and Calvin were the chief actors. It follows the Protestant movement in German, Italian, and French Switzerland, to the close of the sixteenth century. During the last year, the sixth-centenary of the oldest surviving Republic was celebrated with great patriotic enthusiasm. On the first day of August, in the year 1291, the freemen of Uri, Schwyz, and Unterwalden formed, in the name of the Lord "a perpetual alliance for the mutual protection of their persons, property, and liberty, against internal and external foes. On the same day, in 1891, the great event was commemorated in every village of Switzerland by the ringing of bells and the illumination of the mountains, while on the following day—a Sunday—thanksgiving services were held in every church, Catholic and Protestant. The chief festivities took place, from July 31 to Aug. 2, in the towns of Schwyz and Brunnen, and were attended by the Federal and Cantonal dignitaries, civil and military, and a vast assembly of spectators. The most interesting feature was a dramatic representation of the leading events in Swiss history—the sacred oaths of Schwyz, Brunnen, and Grütli, the poetic legend of William Tell, the heroic battles for liberty and independence against Austria, Burgundy, and France, the venerable figure of Nicolas von der Flue appearing as a peacemaker in the Diet at Stans, and the chief scenes of the Reformation, the Revolution, and the modern reconstruction. The drama, enacted in the open field in view of mountains and meadows and the lake of Luzern, is said to have equalled in interest and skill of execution the famous Passion Play of Oberammergau. Similar celebrations took place, not only in every city and village of Switzerland, but also in the Swiss colonies in foreign lands, notably in New York, on the 5th, 6th, and 7th of September.2 Between Switzerland and the United States there has always been a natural sympathy and friendship. Both aim to realize the idea of a government of freedom without license, and of authority without despotism; a government of law and order without a standing army; a government of the people, by the people, and for the people, under the sole headship of Almighty God.

• From History of the Christian Church: The Complete Set of Eight Volumes (1858)

  He wrote in May a public "Admonition to the Clergy assembled at the Diet," reminding them of the chief scandals, warning them against severe measures, lest they provoke a new rebellion, and promising the quiet possession of all their worldly possessions and dignities, if they would only leave the gospel free. He published a series of tracts, as so many rounds of musketry, against Romish errors and abuses. He kept up a lively correspondence with Melanchthon, Jonas, Spalatin, Link, Hausmann, Brenz, Agricola, Weller, Chancellor Brück, Cardinal Albrecht, the Elector John, the Landgrave Philip, and others, not forgetting his "liebe Kethe, Herr Frau Katherin Lutherin zu Wittenberg." He dated his letters "from the region of the birds" (ex volucrum regno), "from the Diet of the jackdaws" (ex comitiis Monedu, larum seu Monedulanensibus), or "from the desert" (ex eremo, aus der Einöde). Melanchthon and the Elector kept him informed of the proceedings at Augsburg, asked his advice about every important step, and submitted to him the draught of the Confession. He approved of it, though he would have liked it much stronger. He opposed every compromise in doctrine, and exhorted the confessors to stand by the gospel, without fear of consequences. His heroic faith, the moving power and crowning glory of his life, shines with wonderful luster in these letters. The greater the danger, the stronger his courage. He devoted his best hours to prayer. His "Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott," was written before this time,991 but fitly expresses his fearless trust in God at this important crisis, when Melanchthon trembled. "Let the matter be ever so great," he wrote to him (June 27), "great also is He who has begun and who conducts it; for it is not our work .... ’Cast thy burthen upon the Lord; the Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon Him.’ Does He say that to the wind, or does He throw his words before beasts? ... It is your worldly wisdom that torments you, and not theology. As if you, with your useless cares, could accomplish any thing! What more can the Devil do than strangle us? I conjure you, who in all other matters are so ready to fight, to fight against yourself as your greatest enemy." In another letter he well describes the difference between himself and his friend in regard to cares and temptations. "In private affairs I am the weaker, you the stronger combatant; but in public affairs it is just the reverse (if, indeed, any contest can be called private which is waged between me and Satan): for you take but small account of your life, while you tremble for the public cause; whereas I am easy and hopeful about the latter, knowing as I do for certain that it is just and true, and the cause of Christ and God Himself. Hence I am as a careless spectator, and unmindful of these threatening and furious papists.

• From History of the Christian Church: The Complete Set of Eight Volumes (1858)

  If we fall, Christ falls with us, the Ruler of the world. I would rather fall with Christ than stand with the Emperor. Therefore I exhort you, in the name of Christ, not to despise the promises and the comfort of God, who says, ’Cast all your cares upon the Lord. Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.’ I know the weakness of our faith; but all the more let us pray, ’Lord, increase our faith.’ " In a remarkable letter to Chancellor Brück (Aug. 5), he expresses his confidence that God can not and will not forsake the cause of the evangelicals, since it is His own cause. "It is His doctrine, it is His Word. Therefore it is certain that He will hear our prayers, yea, He has already prepared His help, for he says, ’Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, these may forget, yet will not I forget thee" (Isa. 49:15). In the same letter he says, "I have lately seen two wonders: the first, when looking out of the window, I saw the stars of heaven and the whole beautiful vault of God, but no pillars, and yet the heavens did not collapse, and the vault still stands fast. The second wonder: I saw great thick clouds

• From History of the Christian Church: The Complete Set of Eight Volumes (1858)

  But in so far as our ministry is concerned, there is none of us who will not be able thus to speak: — " ’O Lord, I have, indeed, experienced how difficult and grievous it was to bear the invidious accusations with which I was harassed on the earth; but with the same confidence with which I then appealed to Thy tribunal, I now appear before Thee, because I know that in Thy judgment truth always reigns—that truth by whose assurance supported I first ventured to attempt—with whose assistance provided I was able to accomplish whatever I have achieved in Thy Church. " ’They charged me with two of the worst of crimes—heresy and schism. And the heresy was, that I dared to protest against dogmas which they received. But what could I have done? I heard from Thy mouth that there was no other light of truth which could direct our souls into the way of life, than that which was kindled by Thy Word. I heard that whatever human minds of themselves conceive concerning Thy Majesty, the worship of Thy Deity, and the mysteries of Thy religion, was vanity. I heard that their introducing into the Church instead of Thy Word, doctrines sprung from the human brain, was sacrilegious presumption. " ’But when I turned my eyes towards men, I saw very different principles prevailing. Those who were regarded as the leaders of faith, neither understood Thy Word, nor greatly cared for it. They only drove unhappy people to and fro with strange doctrines, and deluded them with I know not what follies. Among the people themselves, the highest veneration paid to Thy Word was to revere it at a distance, as a thing inaccessible, and abstain from all investigation of it. " 'Owing to this supine state of the pastors, and this stupidity of the people, every place was filled with pernicious errors, falsehoods, and superstition. They, indeed, called Thee the only God, but it was while transferring to others the glory which thou hast claimed for Thy Majesty. They figured and had for themselves as many gods as they had saints, whom they chose to worship. Thy Christ was indeed worshipped as God, and retained the name of Saviour; but where He ought to have been honored, He was left almost without honor. For, spoiled of His own virtue, He passed unnoticed among the crowd of saints, like one of the meanest of them. There was none who duly considered that one sacrifice which He offered on the cross, and by which He reconciled us to Thyself—none who ever dreamed of thinking of His eternal priesthood, and the intercession depending upon it—none who trusted in His righteousness only. That confident hope of salvation which is both enjoined by Thy Word, and founded upon it, had almost vanished.

• From History of the Christian Church: The Complete Set of Eight Volumes (1858)

  He even travelled from Neuchàtel to Strassburg, and spent two days there, pressing him in person and trying to persuade him, as well as Capito and Bucer, of the absolute necessity of his return to Geneva, which, in his opinion, was the most important spot in the world. Dufour arrived at Strassburg in November, called upon the senate, followed Calvin to Worms, where he was in attendance on the Colloquy, and delivered the formal letter of invitation, dated Oct. 22, and signed by the syndics and Council of Geneva. It concludes thus: "On behalf of our Little, Great, and General Councils (all of which have strongly urged us to take this step), we pray you very affectionately that you will be pleased to come over to us, and to return to your former post and ministry; and we hope that by God’s help this course will be a great advantage for the furtherance of the holy gospel, seeing that our people very much desire you, and we will so deal with you that you shall have reason to be satisfied." The letter was fastened with a seal bearing the motto: "Post tenebras spero lucem." Calvin was thus most urgently and most honorably recalled by the united voice of the Council, the ministers, and the people of that city which had unjustly banished him three years before. He was moved to tears by these manifestations of regard and confidence, and began to waver. But the deputies of Strassburg at Worms, under secret instruction from their government, entered a strong protest against his leaving. Bucer, Capito, Sturm, and Grynaeus, when asked for advice, decided that Calvin was indispensable to Strassburg as the head of the French Church which represented Protestant France; as a theological teacher who attracted students from Germany, France, and Italy, to send them back to their own countries as evangelists; and as a helper in making the Church of Strassburg a seminary of ministers of the gospel. No one besides Melanchthon could be compared with him. Geneva was indeed an important post, and the gate to France and Italy, but uncertain, and liable to be involved again in political complications which might destroy the evangelical labors of Calvin. The pastors and senators of Strassburg, urged by the churches of Zürich and Basel, came at last to the conclusion to consent to Calvin’s return after the Colloquy of Worms, but only for a season, hoping that he may soon make their city his final home for the benefit of the whole Church.613 Thus two cities, we might almost say, two nations, were contending for the possession of "the Theologian." His whole future life, and a considerable chapter of Church history, depended on the decision. Under these circumstances he could make no definite promise, except that he would pay a visit to Geneva after the close of the Colloquy, on condition of getting the consent of Strassburg and Bern.

• From History of the Christian Church: The Complete Set of Eight Volumes (1858)

  But should the whole exceed the above-mentioned sum, I believe it will be no great matter, especially after my debts are paid, the doing of which I have carefully committed to my said brother, having confi-dence in his faith and good-will; for which reason I will and appoint him exe-cutor of this my testament, and along with him my distinguished friend, Lawrence Normand, giving power to them to make out an inventory of my effects, without being obliged to comply with the strict forms of law. I empower them also to sell my movables, that they may turn them into money, and execute my will above written, and explained and dictated by me, John Calvin, on this 25th day of April, in the year 1564.’1264 "After I, the aforesaid notary, had written the above testament, the afore-said John Calvin immediately confirmed it with his usual subscription and handwriting. On the following day, which was the 26th day of April of same year, the same distinguished man, Calvin, ordered me to be sent for, and along with me, Theodore Beza, Raymond Chauvet, Michael Cop, Lewis Enoch, Nicholas Colladon, and James Bordese, ministers and preachers of the Word of God in this Church of Geneva, and likewise the distinguished Henry Scrimger, Professor of Arts, all citizens of Geneva, and in presence of them all, testified and declared that he had dictated to me this his instrument in the form above written; and, at the same time, he ordered me to read it in their hearing, as having been called for that purpose. This I declare I did articulately, and with clear voice. And after it was so read, he testified and dec-lared that it was his last will, which he desired to be ratified. In testimony and confirmation whereof, he requested them all to subscribe said testament with their own hands. This was immediately done by them, month and year above written, at Geneva, in the street commonly called Canon Street, and at the dwelling-place of said testator. In faith and testimony of which I have written the foresaid testament, and subscribed it with my own hand, and sealed it with the common seal of our supreme magistracy. "Peter Chenalat." Calvin’s Farewell to the Syndics and Senators of Geneva, April 27, 1564. From Beza’s Vita Calvini. The Latin text in Opera, XXI. 164 sqq. The French text in vol. IX. 887–890. Comp. Rég. du Conseil, fol. 38, in Annales, XXI. 815. Translated by Henry Beveridge, Esq., for "The Calvin Translation Society," 1844 (Calvin’s Tracts, vol. I. lxxxix-xciii). "This testament’ being executed, Calvin sent an intimation to the four syndics, and all the senators, that, before his departure out of life, he was desirous once more to address them all in the Senate house, to which he hoped he might be carried on the following day. The senators replied that they would rather come to him, and begged that he would consider the state of his health.

• From History of the Christian Church: The Complete Set of Eight Volumes (1858)

  He voluntarily separated from the Roman Church, in 1546, at the sacrifice of home and fortune. He removed to Chiavenna in 1547, travelled in Switzerland, France, England, Germany, and Poland, leading an independent life as a student, without public office, supported by the ample means of his father. He studied Greek, Hebrew, and Arabic with Pellican and Bibliander at Zürich and with Foster at Wittenberg, that he might reach "the fountain of the divine law" in the Bible. He made Zürich his second home, and died there in the prime of early manhood, leaving his unripe doubts and crude opinions as a legacy to his more gifted and famous nephew, who gave them definite shape and form. Laelius was learned, acute, polite, amiable, and prepossessing. He was a man of affairs, better fitted for law or diplomacy than for theology. He was constitutionally a sceptic, of the type of Thomas: an honest seeker after truth; too independent to submit blindly to authority, and yet too religious to run into infidelity. His scepticism stumbled first at the Roman Catholic, than at the Protestant orthodoxy, and gradually spread over the doctrines of the resurrection, predestination, original sin, the trinity, the atonement, and the sacraments. Yet he remained in respectful connection with the Reformers, and communed with the congregation at Zürich, although he thought that the Consensus Tigurinus attributed too much power to the sacrament. He enjoyed the confidence of Bullinger and Melanchthon, who treated him with fatherly kindness, but regarded him better fitted for a secular calling than for the service of the Church. Calvin also was favorably impressed with his talents and personal character, but displeased with his excessive "inquisitiveness."920 L. Socinus came to Geneva in 1548 or 1549, seeking instruction from the greatest divine of the age. He opened his doubts to Calvin with the modesty of a disciple. Soon afterwards he addressed to him a letter from Zürich, asking for advice on the questions, whether it was lawful for a Protestant to marry a Roman Catholic; whether popish baptism was efficacious; and how the doctrine of the resurrection of the body could be explained. Calvin answered in an elaborate letter (June 26, 1549),921 to the effect that marriage with Romanists was to be condemned; that popish baptism was valid and efficacious, and should be resorted to when no other can be had, since the Roman communion, though corrupt, still retained marks of the true Church as well as a scattered number of elect individuals, and since baptism was not a popish invention but a divine institution and gift of God who fulfils his

• From History of the Christian Church: The Complete Set of Eight Volumes (1858)

  Their friendship was based upon respect and affection and was never disturbed. The relation of the two men resembled that between Zwingli and Bullinger, and was most useful to the Church. It was of course perfectly understood by Beza that he was to be Calvin’s successor, so the year which passed before Calvin died was a year of preparation for the new duties. At last the time came, and Calvin passed away. Beza conducted the funeral, and shortly after wrote his classical life of his patron, friend, and predecessor. The city Council elected him Calvin’s successor; the Venerable Company of Pastors, as the presbytery of Geneva called itself, elected him their moderator, and continued him in this office till 1580, when he compelled them to allow him to retire. So he continued Calvin’s leadership in city and church affairs. He preached and lectured to the students. He received the fugitives from France, and the visitors from other lands. He gave his advice and opinion upon the innumerable things which turned up daily. He conducted an enormous correspondence. And every now and then he had to enter the field of controversy and repel "heretics," like Ochino and Castellio, or Lutherans like Andreä and Selnecker. Nor could this leadership have fallen into better hands. For Beza, although inferior to Calvin in theological acquirements and acumen, was his superior in knowledge and experience of court life and in grace of manner. He was eminently fitted to be the host of the Protestant scholars and martyrs, who flocked or fled to Geneva from every quarter. And so the theological school became under him the most famous of its kind in the world, and the little republican city was the virtual capital of Continental Protestantism. Incessantly occupied as he was by public affairs, but bearing his burdens with courage and faith, he was suddenly called upon to transact delicate business of a private nature. In 1568 the plague entered Geneva and carried off his stepbrother Nicolas,1299 who had succeeded his father as bailiff of Vezelay, joined the Huguenots, and come as a fugitive to Geneva with his wife, Perrette Tribolé, when Vezelay fell into Roman Catholic hands. He had been only a few days in the city when he died. Beza felt it incumbent upon him to go to Burgundy to see whether he could not save at least a part of their inheritance for his two nephews; and this errand, after a great deal of trouble, he accomplished successfully. In 1571, after an absence of some eight years, he was again summoned to France, this time by Coligny and the young Prince de Béarn, to attend the seventh national Synod of the Reformed Church of France convened in La Rochelle. The Venerable Company of Pastors would not part with him without a protest, but yielded to the express wish of the Syndics of the Republic.

• From Introduction to the Hebrew Bible and Deutero-Canonical Books (2018)

  If the birth of Samuel links him with the judges, his call in chapter 3 anticipates that of the later prophets. As we shall later see, the call of the prophets takes either of two forms: it can be a vision, as in the calls of Isaiah and Ezekiel, or it can be an auditory experience, where a voice is heard but no form is described. The paradigm example of the auditory call is the story of Moses at the burning bush. Jeremiah is another example. Samuel’s call experience is of the auditory type. Unlike Moses or Jeremiah, however, Samuel is not given a mission. Rather, he is given a prophecy of the destruction of the house of Eli. Revelations of coming judgment are very much the stock and trade of the later prophets. Samuel does not function as a medium of such prophecies in the books of Samuel after 1 Sam 4:1, except in the case of Saul. The revelation in chapter 3, however, establishes his credentials as a prophet, and at the end of the chapter we are told that all Israel knew that he was a trustworthy prophet of the Lord, and that he continued to receive and relay the word of the Lord at Shiloh. We shall find that he functions as a prophet in other ways. He is a seer, who can find things that are missing (chap. 9). In a strange interlude in 1 Sam 19:20, he appears as conductor of a band of ecstatic prophets. More importantly, he anoints kings and can also declare that they have been rejected by God. Samuel’s interaction with Saul prefigures the interaction between kings and prophets later in the Deuteronomistic History.

• From Introduction to the Hebrew Bible and Deutero-Canonical Books (2018)

  death. (The nephesh or soul survives after death as a shadowy spirit, like a ghost, but is not really alive.) There is no joy or vitality in Sheol. The dead do not praise the L ORD , nor do any that go down into the silence. (115:17) For in death there is no remembrance of you; in Sheol who can give you praise? (6:5) This is the common destiny of all humankind in most of the Hebrew Bible. Even though the psalmist often thanks God for deliverance from the jaws of death, the reprieve is of necessity short-lived. O L ORD , what are human beings that you regard them, or mortals that you think of them? They are like a breath; their days are like a passing shadow. (144:4) You have made my days a few handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing in your sight. Surely everyone stands as a mere breath. Surely everyone goes about like a shadow. Surely for nothing they are in turmoil; they heap up and do not know who will gather. (39:5-6; cf. 90:3-6; 103:15-16) In light of this rather gloomy prospect, we might expect the Psalms to be somewhat depressing, but this is not at all the case. The psalms of complaint do not focus on the ultimacy of death, but on more immediate dangers from which deliverance is possible. Sometimes the deliverance is already effected. In Psalm 18 the psalmist confesses that when “the cords of Sheol entangled me,” God “reached down from on high, he took me; he drew me out of mighty waters” (18:5, 16.) Consequently, the psalms as a whole are animated by trust rather than fear. Even though I walk in the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for you are with me. (23:4) The L ORD is my light and my salvation.

• From Introduction to the Hebrew Bible and Deutero-Canonical Books (2018)

  Psalm 1 at the beginning of the collection and from the sheer length of the Torah psalm, Psalm 119. No doubt there is much to be learned from the Psalms. They teach the majesty of God and the needfulness of humanity, and encourage people to trust in the mercy and fidelity of God. Yet the prayers for vengeance serve as a reminder that the Psalms must also be read critically. The book of Psalms is not a book of moral instruction. It is primarily a record of ancient Israel and Judah at prayer. Countless generations of Jews and Christians have felt the words of the Psalter appropriate to express their own prayers and feelings. The need to express feelings, however, is no guarantee that those feelings are edifying or that they can serve as moral guidelines.

• From Reading Biblical Literature: Genesis to Revelation (2016)

  Reading Biblical Literature: Genesis to Revelation84 internal brooding to speak directly to God, and he finds that telling the truth is a major step toward healing. The process is completed through forgiveness, which brings a restoration of relationship. Psalm 23 ‹ Psalm 23, which begins, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want,” is one of the most well-known passages in the Bible. The hallmark of this psalm is its use of extended metaphor, depicting God’s relationship to people as that of a shepherd to his sheep. The evocative quality of this image allows the psalm to be connected to human experience in various ways, contributing to its broad appeal. ‹ The psalm takes up the theme of life’s vulnerability. There is no sense of crisis here, as we’ve seen in some other psalms. But there is a sense that life can be uncertain, so that help and support are needed each day. Contrary to some of the inscriptions on the individual poems, the collection of psalms grew over time and explores themes of perennial interest. Lecture 12—Psalms: The Bible’s Songbook 85 ‹ The sense of vulnerability is heightened in verse 4, which says, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. Your rod and your staff they comfort me.” People hear this vivid imagery as offering assurance of God’s presence. Even as life slips away, people are not left alone. ‹ In the final verses of the psalm, the imagery changes. God is no longer a shepherd but the host at a banquet. And people are no longer sheep but guests. The psalm says, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life. And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” ‹ As the imagery changes, the sense of vulnerability persists because there are still unnamed “enemies” in view. Yet the sense of protection and care also persists and even grows. God not only provides the basics but offers a life so abundant that it seems like a banquet. And if enemies treat a person with contempt, God offers a place of honor and dignity. Suggested Reading Brown, ed., The Oxford Handbook of the Psalms. Jacobson and Jacobson, Invitation to the Psalms. Questions to Consider 1. The psalms were written in a cultural context that differs from those of modern readers. In what ways do the ancient poetic images seem strange and difficult to interpret? In what ways do they remain accessible and engaging? 2. The lecture noted points at which the psalms use evocative imagery that can be connected to human experience in various ways. What possibilities does that present for interpretation? What problems might arise in the process?

• From Reading Biblical Literature: Genesis to Revelation (2016)

  Lecture 25—The Dynamics of Forgiveness in Matthew 167 ● In Isaiah, the promise of Immanuel meant deliverance from military invasion. But in Joseph’s dream that changes, so that Immanuel is to bring deliverance from human sin. He is a Messiah of a spiritual kingdom, not a kingdom of mortals on earth. Everything in Joseph’s dream seems counterintuitive, yet Joseph responds to it with trust. And he proceeds with the marriage, despite the threat of scandal. ‹ With that, the story moves forward to the time of Jesus’s birth in Bethlehem. But then the story takes a surprising turn, because the first people to arrive to see the child are foreigners with a rather dubious pedigree—magi (astrologers). They come from the east and are, in a sense, pagans and outsiders to the tradition of Israel. ● The magi are led to follow a star, which takes them initially to Jerusalem. In a remarkable display of trust, they go to the court of King Herod the Great and ask where to find the child, whom they somehow know has been born king of the Jews. Herod gathers the Jewish leaders, who have a ready answer. The Scriptures say the king will come from Bethlehem. ● Interestingly, the insiders who have the answer remain in Jerusalem, while the outsiders who ask the question travel on to Bethlehem. There, they worship the child and offer him their gifts. Thus, even as Matthew affirms the distinctive Davidic tradition by tying the story of Jesus to Bethlehem, the story emphasizes the importance of outsiders by bringing in the magi. ‹ This opening section of Matthew then jumps forward in time to an account of John the Baptist and the baptism of Jesus that is similar to that of Mark’s gospel. Matthew also includes an episode that appears in Mark in which Jesus is tested by the devil, but Matthew’s version is much more detailed. This period of testing is often called the temptation of Christ. In Matthew’s gospel, Jesus must trust that the way forward means resisting the allure of evil. Transformation ‹ The next major section of the gospel centers on the teaching of Jesus. In chapters 5 through 7, we come to the Sermon on the Mount, which is a hallmark of Matthew’s gospel. It’s here that we find the Golden Rule and other good, practical advice. Interestingly, however, much of the Sermon on the Mount Reading Biblical Literature: Genesis to Revelation168 Thomas Jefferson put together his own version of the New T estament, omitting all references to miracles and giving the Sermon on the Mount a prominent place.

• From Reading Biblical Literature: Genesis to Revelation (2016)

  166 LECTURE 25 The Dynamics of Forgiveness in Matthew I n the Gospel of Matthew, a central concern is one’s way of life. The narrative was written for Christian readers who lived perhaps 50 years after the crucifixion of Jesus. During those years, the followers of Jesus formed communities that were located in various cities in the Roman Empire. As those communities handed on the message of Jesus from one generation to the next, they had to ask how it would shape their way of life. In this lecture, we’ll explore that question by focusing on passages that are distinctive of Matthew’s gospel; specifically, we’ll take up four elements: trust, transformation, community, and redemption. Trust ‹ Matthew introduces Jesus by tracing his ancestry from Abraham to King David, then to the exile in Babylon and through the generations that followed. That genealogy gives us the sense that the whole sweep of Israel’s story is moving toward the moment when Jesus appears as Israel’s Messiah. But then a crisis threatens to derail the process. ‹ The situation is that Jesus’s mother, Mary, is engaged to a man named Joseph. She is pregnant, and Joseph knows that he is not the father. He decides to end the relationship quietly to avoid a public scandal. But Joseph has a dream, in which an angel tells him that the child has been conceived through the Holy Spirit. And the angel says this fulfills what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: “Behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (“God with us”). ● In later Christian tradition, the idea that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary became an official teaching of many churches, and in some cases, it has been the focus of theological debate. But in Matthew’s narrative, the words of Isaiah identify Jesus as the child through whom God’s purposes will be worked out.

• From Reading Biblical Literature: Genesis to Revelation (2016)

  Lecture 11—Solomon, a Study in Contradictions 77 the first time. The writer tells of Solomon offering countless sheep and oxen as sacrifices. Then, a cloud—signifying divine glory—fills the temple. ‹ At this point, Solomon offers a prayer that defines the significance of the temple. We learn that the temple is where God is uniquely present. The prayer says that God’s dwelling place is actually in heaven, which means that God can’t be confined to any one place on earth. Instead, the temple is the place where God has made his “name” to dwell. ● The emphasis on the name shows that God has a particular identity, and it’s an identity that is revealed through what he does for people. If someone asks which God is worshipped in the temple, the response is that it’s the God who delivered Israel out of slavery. It’s the God who made a covenant with them and shows steadfast love to them. ● Those commitments give God his identity. Thus, when people come to the temple for worship, it’s a tangible way of turning toward the God whose identity has been made known in this way. ‹ Solomon’s prayer depicts the temple as a visible sign of God’s willingness to listen to people who need help. The prayer tells of people who are victims of wrongdoing, who suffer from hunger and illness. Solomon recognizes that such people may come from Israel or from other nations. And in every case, Solomon asks that as they turn toward the temple, the God who dwells in heaven might hear them and act graciously to them. The temple is to be a focus for prayer— for Israel and for people everywhere. ‹ If the main theme of Solomon’s prayer is that God should faithfully listen to people, then the conclusion of the prayer brings that idea full circle. If God listens to people, then people should also listen to God. They should heed his commandments and lead lives of integrity and compassion, as God desires. In the context of 1 Kings, that seems logical enough. But here, the writer shows us a third contradiction in Solomon: that between his public devotion to God and his readiness to support the worship of other gods when that seems convenient. ● Through making political marriage alliances with neighboring countries, Solomon has accumulated 700 wives and 300 concubines. T o keep all his wives happy, Solomon builds sanctuaries to the various gods they worship.

• From Reading Biblical Literature: Genesis to Revelation (2016)

  Lecture 25—The Dynamics of Forgiveness in Matthew 167 ●In Isaiah, the promise of Immanuel meant deliverance from military invasion. But in Joseph’s dream that changes, so that Immanuel is to bring deliverance from human sin. He is a Messiah of a spiritual kingdom, not a kingdom of mortals on earth. Everything in Joseph’s dream seems counterintuitive, yet Joseph responds to it with trust. And he proceeds with the marriage, despite the threat of scandal. ‹With that, the story moves forward to the time of Jesus’s birth in Bethlehem. But then the story takes a surprising turn, because the first people to arrive to see the child are foreigners with a rather dubious pedigree—magi (astrologers). They come from the east and are, in a sense, pagans and outsiders to the tradition of Israel. ●The magi are led to follow a star, which takes them initially to Jerusalem. In a remarkable display of trust, they go to the court of King Herod the Great and ask where to find the child, whom they somehow know has been born king of the Jews. Herod gathers the Jewish leaders, who have a ready answer. The Scriptures say the king will come from Bethlehem. ●Interestingly, the insiders who have the answer remain in Jerusalem, while the outsiders who ask the question travel on to Bethlehem. There, they worship the child and offer him their gifts. Thus, even as Matthew affirms the distinctive Davidic tradition by tying the story of Jesus to Bethlehem, the story emphasizes the importance of outsiders by bringing in the magi. ‹This opening section of Matthew then jumps forward in time to an account of John the Baptist and the baptism of Jesus that is similar to that of Mark’s gospel. Matthew also includes an episode that appears in Mark in which Jesus is tested by the devil, but Matthew’s version is much more detailed. This period of testing is often called the temptation of Christ. In Matthew’s gospel, Jesus must trust that the way forward means resisting the allure of evil. Transformation ‹The next major section of the gospel centers on the teaching of Jesus. In chapters 5 through 7, we come to the Sermon on the Mount, which is a hallmark of Matthew’s gospel. It’s here that we find the Golden Rule and other good, practical advice. Interestingly, however, much of the Sermon on the Mount Reading Biblical Literature: Genesis to Revelation 168 Thomas Jefferson put together his own version of the New Testament, omitting all references to miracles and giving the Sermon on the Mount a prominent place.