Systematic Theology (Volume 1 of 3)Strong, Augustus Hopkins
Religion
Systematic Theology (Volume 1 of 3)
Strong, Augustus Hopkins
Baptists -- Doctrines; Theology, Doctrinal
_The Reformed Theology._—The word “Reformed” is here used in its
technical sense, as designating that phase of the new theology
which originated in Switzerland. Zwingle, the Swiss reformer
(1484-1531), differing from Luther as to the Lord’s Supper and as
to Scripture, was more than Luther entitled to the name of
systematic theologian. Certain writings of his may be considered
the beginning of Reformed theology. But it was left to John Calvin
(1509-1564), after the death of Zwingle, to arrange the principles
of that theology in systematic form. Calvin dug channels for
Zwingle’s flood to flow in, as Melanchthon did for Luther’s. His
Institutes (“Institutio Religionis Christianæ”), is one of the
great works in theology (superior as a systematic work to
Melanchthon’s “Loci”). Calvin was followed by Peter Martyr
(1500-1562), Chamier (1565-1621), and Theodore Beza (1519-1605).
Beza carried Calvin’s doctrine of predestination to an extreme
supralapsarianism, which is hyper-Calvinistic rather than
Calvinistic. Cocceius (1603-1669), and after him Witsius
(1626-1708), made theology centre about the idea of the covenants,
and founded the Federal theology. Leydecker (1642-1721) treated
theology in the order of the persons of the Trinity. Amyraldus
(1596-1664) and Placeus of Saumur (1596-1632) modified the
Calvinistic doctrine, the latter by his theory of mediate
imputation, and the former by advocating the hypothetic
universalism of divine grace. Turretin (1671-1737), a clear and
strong theologian whose work is still a text-book at Princeton,
and Pictet (1655-1725), both of them Federalists, showed the
influence of the Cartesian philosophy. The Reformed theology aimed
to build a _new_ church, affirming that what is not derived from
the Bible is against it. It emphasized the formal principle of the
Reformation, the sole authority of Scripture.
In general, while the line between Catholic and Protestant in
Europe runs from west to east, the line between Lutheran and
Reformed runs from south to north, the Reformed theology flowing
with the current of the Rhine northward from Switzerland to
Holland and to England, in which latter country the Thirty-nine
Articles represent the Reformed faith, while the Prayer-book of
the English Church is substantially Arminian; see Dorner, Gesch.
prot. Theologie, Einleit., 9. On the difference between Lutheran
and Reformed doctrine, see Schaff, Germany, its Universities,
Theology and Religion, 167-177. On the Reformed Churches of Europe
and America, see H. B. Smith, Faith and Philosophy, 87-124.
(_c_) The period of Criticism and Speculation,—in its three divisions: the
Rationalistic, represented by Semler (1725-1791); the Transitional, by
Schleiermacher (1768-1834); the Evangelical, by Nitzsch, Müller, Tholuck
and Dorner.
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