Can something else be substituted for the bread and wine in the Lord’s Supper in case of necessity? Polanus’s opinion

Polanus, Syntagma, vol. 2, p. 3213Q. If the Churches are gathered in those regions of the globe, and in those places, where not even a drop of wine is found, and cannot be obtained, then, should the communion of the Lord’s table be done away with? Or is it lawful for believers to use simple…

Are the Reformed philosophically Thomist?

I have long thought there is something fishy going on in Reformed scholarship as far as Thomism, the problem of universals, metaphysics, etc is concerned. Or, to state things another way, I believe we are being sold a bill of goods. There are a lot of things that could be said on this, including that…

The Problem with Vague Preaching

From William Fenner (1600-1640), Christs Alarm to Drowsie Saints, p. 51 Secondly, as a minister may be the cause of his people’s deadness by his not preaching, so he may be the cause of their deadness by his preaching, when the manner of it is dead. Preaching may be dead in the manner of it,…

Franciscus Junius, Theses on Justification

From The Select Disputations of Franciscus Junius; trans. Charles Johnson. [Note: Junius was the respondent, not the president, of this disputation. Therefore, even though this disputation is attributed to Junius in Kuyper’s edition of his works, it would more properly be attributed to Grynaeus, the president. There is another disputation from 1599 on justification where…

Franciscus Junius on the Mass

‘Mass’ [missa] is said from ‘sending’ [missio], Isid. etymol.; Honor. liber de Euch., as how, in ancient times, those prayers and petitions by which sermons were concluded (today, the collects of the Papists) were called ‘missae’, since they were offerings sent [missae] by believers; like how Cyprian, Ep. 14, and lib. de bono patientiae, said ‘remissam peccatorum’ in place of ‘remissio peccatorum’ [the remission of sins]. And this from the ancient formula that tended to be spoken by the deacon before the recitation, “Catechumeni, et quisquis non communicat, foras exeant.” [“Let the catechumens and anyone who does not partake of communion depart.”] And then, “cum pace ite, missa est.” [“Go in peace, it is sent.”] And this rite, with the advance of time, was repeated afterwards, before the conclusion of the assembly.

Amandus Polanus on the Holiness and Wrath of God

Amandus Polanus divides all the attributes of God into his proper attributes and his figurative attributes. Both are really and truly attributed to God, but the figurative attributes are less literal, and are attributed on account of a certain analogy to created things.God’s hatred of sin, and wrath against sinners, is discussed by Polanus both…

Gisbertus Voetius on the Problems with Scholastic Theology

From Gisbertus Voetius, Selectarum disputationum theologicarum, pars 1, De theologia scholastica, theses 7-9, p. 21-26; translated by Charles Johnson. “So much for its exegetical treatment; now its critical treatment follows. This has two parts, the first of which is a censure, and the second of which will indicate the use of Scholastic Theology. In the…

No, Roman Catholic authors are not better on the doctrine of God.

There is a common myth today that Roman Catholic writings on the doctrine of God are way better and more profound that Protestant ones. Here is why I think that is completely wrong: All citations from Voetius are from his Disputationes, vol. 1, de Theologia Scholastica. Full translation upcoming. Note: After I wrote this post,…

The Myth of Orthodox, Classical Arminianism

It has become popular in recent years to claim a kind of “Classical Arminianism.” It is my contention, however, that this “Classical Arminianism” is a mere specter. It did not exist at the time of the Synod of Dort as the theology of the Remonstrants at that Synod, and it does not exist today, except as the private theological fancy of a few men yearning for a stronger historical basis to their belief than Arminians have formerly found.

Herman Bavinck and the Flawed Historiography of Everyone’s Favorite Dutchman

Bavinck has many good qualities, but his dependence on low-quality secondary sources mars plenty of his historical assertions. Reader beware.