On this day, in the year 1622, a 44 year old capuchin friar known as Fidelis of Sigmaringen was trying to convert the inhabitants of Seewis im Prättigau, (in eastern Switzerland,) to Romish superstition. This was a Reformed City, and they had mustered in order to defend their community against the military onslaughts of the pope and his minions. A platoon arrested him outside a church, where he was fomenting popish errors, and executed him for the crime of heresy. Well done. Glory be to God!
For Reformation Sunday:
Monday, October 31, 2022 marks the 505th anniversary of Martin Luther’s posting of the 95 theses on the door of the cathedral church in Wittenberg, which is often referred to as the beginning of the Protestant Reformation.
Click on the following link to listen to audio of a lecture that I gave on another Reformer, Ulrich Zwingli and “The Swiss Reformation” in Denver at Providence Orthodox Presbyterian Church five years ago to mark the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/18mfsgXEQGtlJdJk-_eOSCSToBoBwRWx-/view?usp=drivesdk
(Tap the down arrow “download” icon and it should play for you.)
Monday, October 31, 2022 marks the 505th anniversary of Martin Luther’s posting of the 95 theses on the door of the cathedral church in Wittenberg, which is often referred to as the beginning of the Protestant Reformation.
Click on the following link to listen to audio of a lecture that I gave on “The German Reformation” in Denver at Providence Orthodox Presbyterian Church five years ago to mark the 500th anniversary:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1K_y4vfaQD4OaPAsAUjqwQlucvK8QKjGS/view?usp=drivesdk
(Tap the down arrow “download” icon and it should play for you.)
Dear Friends, Brothers, and Sisters,
Did you know that 2019 marks the 500th anniversary of the Swiss Reformation, that which birthed, not the Lutheran, but the Reformed churches?! We haven’t heard much about it this year, have we? But here it is.
On January 1, 1519, when a priest named Ulrich Zwingli began his ministry at the Großmünster cathedral in Zürich, Switzerland he did something radical. He began preaching through the gospel according to Matthew at the beginning of chapter one, and continued until he finished the book! In preaching through Matthew, Zwingli revived the ancient practice of the lectio continua, the continuous reading and preaching through books of the Bible as opposed to the lectio selecta, the selective lectionary noting different passages for different Sundays and holy days. The result was epic. It led to the Reformation in Switzerland, the most thoroughly biblical and intentional Reformation of them all, exerting tremendous influence in Scotland, England, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Hungary, and all over the world, conforming the belief and practice of the Church to the word of Christ and removing those unwarranted doctrines and practices which had crept in slowly over the ages in the Roman Catholic Church.
Luther’s Reformation in Germany in many ways tried to retain as much tradition from Rome as possible without contradicting the gospel, including its view of the corporeal (physical) presence of Christ in holy communion, feast days, altars, allowing vestments, and lectionary readings. In comparison to the German Reformation, to which we Reformed are nonetheless very much indebted, the Swiss Reformation was much more thoroughgoing in its Sola Scriptura “Scripture Alone” approach to the worship and government of the church, casting aside those practices that did not have a Scriptural warrant. And this emphasis on practicing only that form of worship and government that has Scriptural warrant, still guides the worship and government of our Reformed churches today in the OPC and in sister churches.
It is in commemoration of this providence of God 500 years ago that I have published a book summarizing the German and Swiss reformation, comparing and contrasting the two. At a mere 48 pages, it is accessible and possibly a helpful introduction for a churchgoer or other interested person who would like to have a basic grasp of the persons and events of the Protestant Reformation. It is written in a warm and affectionate tone as the fruit of my readings and study of this topic. I hope that this little book may be beneficial to some.
The Reformation in Germany and Switzerland is available for order here.
The paperback costs $5.45. The e-book is $3.99.
Be blessed! Give thanks for God’s work in history. And be Reformed!
If, as William Ames put it, theology is the “science of living blessedly forever”, Reformed Theology is its most self-consistent and biblical expression. Forged in the ancient struggles of the church fathers against pernicious heresies, formed in the 16th century struggle to rescue the true Church from her Babylonian captivity, and bathed in the blood of the martyrs, it consists of a series of doctrinal loci (derived entirely from the sixty-six books of Scripture,) and their logical interrelation. It fits together as a seamless system, but no one particular doctrine overshadows the rest; the whole counsel of God in Scripture is summarized and systematized without any artificial construct or over-emphasis of one over the other. The starting point for theology is God Himself, and His self-revelation both general and special. From there His decrees are understood, and His means of carrying them out (in Creation and Providence.) From there we understand Man, the Covenants, the Fall, and Christ the Mediator. These loci are more or less expressed commonly by all the major Reformed theologians who wrote systematic theologies from Calvin to Turretin, Dabney and Hodge. They are furthermore clearly expressed in the Reformed confessions, as sources of instruction but also protection for the Church, such as the Westminster Confession of Faith, the Belgic Confession, the Canons of Dordt, the French Confession of Faith, the Scots’ Confession, the Heidelberg catechism, etc. Reformed theology has been tested and tried, and has corrected much false teaching in Church history. It must continue to be refined, but must never alter or remove those landmarks that have been established based upon careful reflection on the Holy Scriptures. Reformed theology is Christianity come to its own, its fullest and most consistent expression. It magnifies the grace of God over the pride of man, humbles the sinner, and comforts the penitent. It is powerful medicine to cure the spiritual condition of everyday people that we meet. It is motivation and an effective tool for evangelism. It is a powerful method of discipleship. It is what every true Christian would like to know and believe, even if they do not know it yet.
I’ve just had the pleasure of completing Pierre Viret: The Angel of the Reformation by R. A. Sheats. This is the finest specimen of a spiritual biography that I can recall reading in recent memory. Here are 6 reasons why I recommend that you read it.
1. It is an action-packed, page-turning thriller. From conflicts with Romanists, Protestant magistrates trying to control the church, & ignorant parishioners, to empoisonment, to illness, to blessed fruit, to a surprisingly gentle character in the face of opposition, capture, and imprisonment, I just couldn’t put this book down. The action is non-stop.
2. It is well-written. Sheats writes with an effusiveness and expressiveness of style that can only come from being immersed in 16th century French literature for months without end. Her English prose ebbs, flows, and punches.
3. It is doxological. As a spiritual biography should be, it glorifies God in all things. This book will drive you to your knees in thanks to God for His mighty acts in history.
4. It fills in important historical gaps. Pierre Viret (1511-1571) is a name that is largely forgotten, but it clearly should not be. Viret, along with the more famous Calvin and Farel together formed the triumvirate. These three pastors worked closely together, were dear friends, and were used mightily in French-speaking Switzerland.
5. Pierre Viret is an inspirational figure. Dauntless, courageous, always loving, gentle, and pastoral. Here are some notable quotes from the author: “If Farel was the Peter of the French Reformation, and Calvin was the Paul, without a doubt Viret was the John.” “The only thing that holds me to my post is Him. –Pierre Viret”
6. The beautiful glossy color photographs on location in Switzerland and France. They made me want to go visit all those places. Now, I have to someday. Honestly.
I won’t say that you must read it. I will only say that if you don’t, you’re really missing out.
Order here.
Read my expanded book review on the Ordained Servant Online.
Indeed, in the days prior to the establishment of Calvin’s Academy in Geneva in 1559, the preeminent place of study in the pays de Vaud was unquestionably Lausanne. The Academy turned out countless pastors for the Reformed faith, and aside from the preachers who left the Academy to proceed as missionaries to the surrounding Roman Catholic countries were many world-renowned men of the Faith who also received their training at Viret’s school. Some such students included Zacharias Ursinus and Casper Olevianus, authors of the Heidelberg Catechism of 1562, and Guido de Bres, author of the Belgic Confession of 1561.
R. A. Sheats, Pierre Viret: The Angel of the Reformation, p. 92
From Pastor Riley, to the members and friends of Hope Congregational Church,
Greetings in the name of Him who is reforming His Church, bringing her to greater conformity to His will!
The days are getting shorter and the nights are getting longer. Temperatures are dropping. Perhaps spending more time indoors than we normally do in the summer months will give us time to reflect on some important topics. The one I would like to focus on at the moment is Reformation. Reformation is a work of God found in the Scriptures, when He conforms and reforms His Church to His will as expressed in His holy word. In the days of Hezekiah the King there was a mighty reformation, a time of revival and smashing the idols that people had been following instead of God. We see the same thing occur under the reign of Josiah after the book of the law was rediscovered. There are times of blessing when the word of God is rediscovered, ignorance is uprooted, and idols are smashed for the glory of God and the blessing of His Church.
On October 31, 1517 such a work of God began through the humble protest of a conscientious monk and Bible professor at Wittenberg University named Martin Luther. 
In the middle ages Christianity had overtaken Europe, although North Africa and Asia Minor (modern day Turkey), once important centers of the Christian faith, had for the most part been overrun by Islam through successive conquests. In the Middle Ages Bibles were scarce, and if available, it was only available in the Latin Vulgate translation. As a result, many superstitions and errors had developed to cloud and obscure the gospel of Jesus Christ based on some key mistranslated passages in the Vulgate. A general ignorance prevailed over Christian people, who generally did not have access to the Bible and heard homilies in Latin every Sunday, a language they could not understand. Due to the interest of Renaissance scholarship, the original Hebrew and Greek Scriptures became more widely available in western Europe for the first time. God used these events to bring about a reform movement back to the source of truth, the Holy Scriptures, and to restore the purity of the gospel in the tenets of the Reformation: upon the Scriptures alone, in Christ alone, by grace alone, through faith alone, for God’s glory alone. On Sunday, November 3rd, in the afternoon following a potluck at church, you will have an opportunity to learn more. I would like to invite everyone, including friends, relatives and neighbors to our first ever Reformation History talk.
Church History is important to the body of Christ. It is our history, as God’s people. It lets us know where we’ve come from, gives us an opportunity to praise God for what He has done, warns us of the errors of the past (which tend to keep reappearing under new names), and gives us hope that the God of our fathers is the same God who leads us today. As we follow Him, in thankfulness for what He has done in history, let us also remember that as His Church we are to be ever increasing in our knowledge and application of what He requires of us. A watchword of the 16th century Reformation was, Semper Reformanda – “always reforming”, (from Latin.) God has helped us until now, but we always have room for improvement. The correct attitude toward obedience to God as His church is to always be willing to change in ways (and only in those specific ways) that God requires of us in His word, the Holy Bible. Just as individual Christians are to be brought more and more into conformity to Christ, so it is with His Church made up of them. May God continue to richly bless us and reform us in accordance with His word.
Reformation History Talk
On a providential day: October 31, 1517, a humble protest by a conscientious monk and University Bible professor named Martin Luther set off a chain of events which changed the world and altered the course of history. Let us take time to reflect on a mighty work of God in the past and its contemporary relevance.
What: First-Ever Reformation History Talk
When: Sunday, November 3rd, 2013 1:00 PM
Location: Hope Congregational Church, 40981 County Road GG, Bethune, CO
Topic: What was the Protestant Reformation? Why was it necessary? And what does it mean for us today?
Speaker: Rev. Riley Fraas
Come and join us for a discussion followed by a question and answer period and special music from the Hope Congregational Church Choir. No RSVP needed. Bring a friend. You won’t want to miss this historic occasion.
Facebook event page: http://tinyurl.com/kh4gpjj
Exodus 15:1 I will sing unto the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.
High Plains Parson 