I could remember I was once an Independent Baptist before deciding to go Reformed. Since tomorrow is the death anniversary (and feast day) of Ignatius of Loyola. The world underwent the dark ages under the bondage of Roman Catholicism or Catholicism. Catholicism called itself the true universal church (since the word catholic is synonymous to universal, derived from the Greek words kath and oles meaning all throughout), the Popes were the successors of Peter, have misquoted the line of Ignatius of Antioch, and has left nothing but dim lights. However, the Dark Ages weren’t so dark as God’s Word can’t be bound. Sometime before, pre-Reformation groups such as the Baptists and Waldenses emerged to preach the Gospe;. I heard that Baptists were called as such because they insisted on baptism by immersion. John the Baptist was called as such because he was a baptizer–not a member of any specific denomination.
History of the Jesuit Order was it that was founded on September 27, 1540. 1540 would be 23 years after the Reformation wat was first launched in 1517. Martin Luther soon had the Diet of Worms on April 17, 1521. It was where Luther said his famous statement, “Unless I am convinced by Scripture and plain reason, my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will not recant anything, for to go against conscience would be neither right nor safe. God help me. Here I stand, I can do no other.” The Reformation wasn’t about the founding of denominations. The Reformers just wanted to be biblical like every other martyr. Jan Hus and Girolamo Savonarola were martyred for going against the Popes of their time. Savonarola blasted the papal corruption and paid for it with his life. So did Hus. Later, William Tyndale was burned at the stake for the English Bible. Martin Luther translated the Latin Vulgate (which he had) into German for the common people. It was considered heresy to do so. Yet, Rome has the nerve to say that she gave the world the Bible and that for centuries, they spent compiling it. Yet, history has proven that the Vatican has banned Bible reading for the laymen for centuries. Fortunately, brave men of God always provided ways to bypass it even at the cost of their very own lives.
Another important reformer was John Calvin. It would be interesting to know that Ignatius of Loyola and Calvin were once classmates at the University of Paris. Luther thundered truths against Antinomianism. Later, Calvin debated Cardinal Jacopo Sadoleto also said, “We deny that good works have any share in justification but we claim full authority for them in the lives of the righteous… It is obvious that gratuitous [grace wrought] righteousness is necessarily connected with regeneration. Therefore, if you would duly understand how inseparable faith and works are, look to Christ who as the Apostle teaches (1 Corinthians 1:30) has been given to us for justification and for sanctification. Wherever, therefore, that righteousness of faith, which we maintain to be gratuitous, is there too Chris is, and where Christ is, there too is the Spirit of holiness, Who regenerates the soul to newness of life. On the contrary, where seal for integrity and holiness is not vigor, there neither is the Spirit of Christ nor Christ Himself, and wherever Christ is not, there is no righteousness, nay there is no faith for faith cannot apprehend Christ for righteousness without the Spirit of sanctification.”
The Jesuits proceeded with their Ignatian Spirituality. They used the slogan “Ad Majorem De Gloriam” or “For the greater glory of God.” The Jesuits were created to continue the counter-reformation, something that Charles Borromeo, a nephew of Pope Pius IV, was spearheading. The Inquisition run by the Dominicans for a long time failed to do its job. The Jesuits became a militia of sorts. Yet, Calvin didn’t back off as he proceeded with his mission. It’s also false to accuse Calvin of the death of the heretic (and most likely criminal) Michael Servetus. What would be interesting is that according to The Two Pilgrims–“After the city council sentenced Servetus to death by burning, Calvin unsuccessfully pleaded with the city council to execute Servetus in a more humane manner such as beheading instead of burning. And while Servetus waited for his execution, Calvin visited him, pleaded with him to recant to save his life, and prayed with him.”
Calvin had many contributions that would continue into history. Even some non-Calvinists have actually acknowledged that though they dislike Calvinism–they still appreciate Calvinist scholars. Calvin’s contributions would have the (1) Institutes of Christian Religion which is four volumes, (2) the Geneva Bible which has good marginal notes and forerunner of the beloved King James Version (KJV), (3) Calvin’s Commentaries, and other works. Later, we have famous Calvinist preachers such as Matthew Henry (whose commentary is widely used even by non-Calvinists), John Gill (who wrote his famous exposition), Charles Spurgeon, Jonathan Edwards, Louis Berkoff (known for his book Systematic Theology), and John Newton (the writer of “Amazing Grace”) and the writers of the Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary (Robert Jamieson, Andrew Fausset, and David Brown). Many Calvinist scholars were also involved in (1) building educational and ecclesiastical institutions, (2) writing hymns, (3) writing books, (4) preaching sermons, and (5) translating the Bible. This led to the KJB in all its editions with the 1769 version as the latest. I may have abandoned KJV Onlyism but I still keep a copy of the KJV for reference purposes.
The KJV translation was done by Puritan scholars. Reformed theology practically dominated the scholars who gave us the KJV. Spurgeon was a Calvinist who used the KJV and later used the Revised Version (RV)–a predecessor to the English Standard Version (ESV) which I use here for easier reading though I find myself still loving the KJV the most. These guys used whatever manuscripts they had during their time to prepare the KJV. The KJV became a milestone. The scholars couldn’t complete it without other previous references such as the Geneva Bible for references. The KJV translators used whatever references they found in due diligence from the 1611 version up to the 1769 version.
The Jesuits as the sore losers they are proved that again, they weren’t living up to Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam but Ad Majorem Jesuit Gloriam (for the Greater Glory of the Jesuits) with how often they, by their actions, opposed God’s work by attacking true Bible-believing Christians. The theologian Augustus Toplady would later confirm of Arminianism as the Road to Rome. Many people claim to be Arminian but believe in the perseverance of the saints, are neither Calvinist nor Arminian just like Dr. Vernon McGee and Harry Allen Ironside. Ironside believed that only those who truly endured to the end were saved however rejected unconditional election to be the root of it. McGee was busy weeding out false converts but rejected unconditional election even if he believed in the perseverance of the saints. What the heretic Jacobus Arminius taught was that at the moment David sinned, he had lost salvation which is no different than the Roman Catholic heresy of mortal and venial sin. Augustus Toplady a conservative Calvinist called Arminianism the Road to Rome. To believe you are a born-again Christian but to adhere to Arminianism is just as dangerous as to adhere to Antinomianism which teaches God’s grace is a license to sin which is just as heretical and not to mention, the Jesuits may have used Arminianism, and Antinomianism to creep into the Protestant and Baptist churches today one way or another, has become more open to infiltration to Rome than ever before.
Today, the cry of any sound preacher this, “If a dog barks when its master is attacked, I would be a coward if I saw God’s truth attacked and yet would remain silent.”, something that John Calvin had quoted himself years ago. Once again, Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam, or “For the greater glory of God.” is pretty much what Reformed Theology is about. The five Solas call for Soli Deo Gloria or Glory to God Alone. The five Solas are the principles carried out even before Luther or Hus. The Jesuits wear “Ad Maiorem De Gloriam” in vain. Reformed Theology can freely lift it up because they are the ones who truly live to what it stands for.
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