Reformed Bundle, L (45 vols.)

The 500th birthday of John Calvin, celebrated in 2009, occasions a look at how others have remembered Calvin’s life and thought on previous anniversaries of his birth. Calvin and the Reformation: Four Studies commemorated in 1909 the 400th birthday of John Calvin with articles by Émile Doumergue, August Lang, Herman Bavinck, and B. B. Warfield. These articles were compiled by William Park Armstrong on behalf of the Princeton Theological Review into this singular volume, which was reissued in book form for a general audience. Calvin and the Reformation: Four Studies evaluates the status of Calvin studies, explores his historical impact, and examines the influence since the Reformation of the dominant theological themes found in Calvin’s sermons, commentaries, and the Institutes of the Christian Religion.

Contending for the Faith offers a selection of Reymond’s papers in the areas of systematic theology and apologetics. The one thing these articles generally have in common is their apologetic flavor—that is to say, each in its own way contends for the biblical and Reformed faith. Many of these papers have never been previously published.

Robert offers them to a broader readership as they address topics that are, in many cases, being debated within the Church at large today. We are given unique insights into a huge range of subjects from creation to Lord’s Day observance, from the Trinity to Islam. This is a hugely significant contribution to the defense of the Christian faith that makes points that are difficult to ignore.

Calvin’s views on the Sabbath are the subject of claim and counterclaim. This book brings together two controversial themes: Calvin’s ideas on Church/state relationships and on the Sabbath. Richard Gaffin traces the development of Calvin’s beliefs through his comments and writings. Gaffin also helps us to understand the relationship between the Ten Commandments and the New Testament. Not only does Gaffin show what Calvin thought, he also critiques his conclusions and compares them to other Reformers and confessional statements of the period. Calvin’s conclusions have a much wider implication than on how we honor the Sabbath; Griffin’s analysis is both surprising and thought provoking.

The history of seventeenth century England was tumultuous. During this period England underwent a civil war, a regicide, an experiment with republican government, a restoration of monarchy and constant upheavals in politics and religion. As the century began, Puritans were poised against Episcopalians, Parliament against the forces of an absolutist monarchy and the question hung in the air—what kind of Christian expression would be the Church of England eventually reflect?

The five points of Calvinism—total depravity, unconditional election, limited atonement, irresistible grace, and the perseverance of the saints—were first defined by the Synod of Dordrecht years after Calvin’s death in response to the theological positions of Arminius. These claims were enormously influential in the construction of all Reformed confessions during the seventeenth century and thereafter. In this concise volume, Robert Lewis Dabney traces the history of Calvin’s original ideas and the fruition of those ideas in later Reformed communities. Dabney pays particular attention to the development of the five points within Presbyterian churches and orients his discussion towards those with little or no formal theological training. Dabney thoroughly explains each point with numerous Scripture references and historical anecdotes.

In this volume, Francis Robert Beattie argues that Calvinism is the system of theology best equipped to deal with modern thought. He also shows why Calvinism has thrived in America, especially with regard to history, philosophy, science, and sociology. Calvinism, according to Beattie, remains popular as a worldview because of its understanding of human history and its scheme of civil government.

The volume was put together from his lectures on the Catechism in Neustadt, Germany—lectures which he edited and prepared for publication, although the final publication was completed in 1584, posthumously. This version contains an introduction from the translator, a general prolegomena with reference to the catechism of the Christian religion, and a special prolegomena with reference to the catechism.

For 30 years D. Clair Davis taught church history at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. His influence will not be fully known until the next life, but as a measure of the esteem that he is held, in this remarkable volume has been prepared.

Kuyper’s classic work on Calvinism is derived from the content of his Stone Lectures at Princeton Theological Seminary delivered during the academic year of 1898–1899. The domain of Calvinism, he argues, is broader than narrow confessionalism. Rather, it is a system of principles which are rooted in the past, strengthen us in the present, and provide confidence for the future with regard to three fundamental relations in all of human life—our relation to God, our relation to one another, and our relation to the world. He then articulates this all-of-life approach in the context of religion, politics, science, and art. His final lecture discusses the possibilities for the future of Calvinism.

Europe is the birthplace of all the Reformed churches, whether they go back to Zwingli, Calvin, or Knox, and James I. Good’s Famous Places of the Reformed Church acts as a historical guidebook from the Swiss Reformation to the early 20th century.

James I. Good’s The Origin of the Reformed Church in Germany begins in 1529 with the Protestation at Speyer and covers the years, events, and people until the Synod of Dort in 1619.

The Early Fathers of the Reformed Church in the United States explores the lives of six early settlers of the U.S. that had a large impact on the Reformed Church: Peter Minuit, Rev. Samuel Guldin, Rev. John Philip Boehm, Rev. George Michael Weiss, Rev. Michael Schlatter, Rev. Joihn Philip Leydich, and Rev. William Otterbein.

“Just as Deborah and Esther, with the Marys of the New Testament, aided in making up Bible history, so the women of the Reformed Church have helped to make her history great.” James I. Good’s Women of the Reformed Church celebrates the spirit and work of women in the history of the Reformed Church from the 16th and 17th centuries, including Anna Reinhard and Idelette D’Bures.

Aid to the Heidelberg Catechism contains the complete Heidelberg Catechism, as well as an abbreviated version. A brief history of the Bible is included, as well as a short history of the Reformed Church, a collection of hymns, and a section dedicated to advice for catechumens. Aid to the Heidelberg Catechism was written for use in Sunday school classrooms and for teachers of young Christians.

Life Pictures of John Calvin for Young and Old is a short biography that serves as a great presentation of John Calvin’s life and works.

John Calvin had a profound understanding of the atoning work of Christ. In this book, Robert Peterson first examines what Calvin says regarding the love of God, the Incarnation, and Christ’s offices of Prophet, Priest, and King. He goes on to consider Calvin’s comments on other aspects of Christ’s work: he is the Second Adam, the Victor, the Substitute, the Sacrifice, and the Example.

The Bible is divided, quite literally, into two covenants. With this understanding we should be intent to understand the idea of covenant and its implications for us as believers. David examines the theology of covenant in a way that confirms the consistency of the Scriptures. With a greater revelation of covenant comes a worldview that empowers and informs our relationship with Jesus Christ.

Long regarded as one of the pre-eminent theologians in America, Roger Nicole has devoted a lifetime to teaching and defending the orthodox belief on issues under attack, including the inspiration of Scripture, the nature of the atonement, the existence of hell, and more recently the openness of God issue.

As well as his major theological works, Roger Nicole has had a productive ministry writing essays for publication. For the first time, a selection of his best work has been compiled into one volume. In every essay you will find something fresh, something deep, something relevant, or something arresting to take away with you.

In 1909, on Calvin’s 400th birthday, the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church gathered to hear a dozen addresses on the life and influence of John Calvin. Many of America’s foremost theologians spoke on Calvin’s theology and its historical influence, including B.B. Warfield, James Orr, Richard Reed, and Charles Merle D’Aubigne. Their lectures were collected into this singular volume and, taken together, serve as an important retrospective not only on Calvin’s life and influence, but on the state of Calvinism in the early twentieth century.

The doctrine of predestination aroused opposition in Calvin’s own day, and it remains—nearly 500 years later—one of Calvin’s most contentious and most-debated doctrines. In this concise volume, Fred Klooster offers an excellent summary to this difficult doctrine. He analyzes, in particular, Calvin’s doctrine of double predestination. This volume concludes with a detailed bibliography.

There are many who find the doctrine of Hell disturbing and uncomfortable. It sits uneasily with many Christians, and is a doctrine that for many preachers, gathers dust, filed away somewhere quiet. For those who find Hell a problem, a far more comfortable option has been redeveloped, and has gathered support in recent years. It is annihilationism, an idea that proposes that rather than the lost suffering an endless punishment in Hell they are destroyed. It is not a new idea.

Evangelical authors have penned critiques highlighting the weakness of annihilationism but Chris Morgan goes further, summarizing the strengths and weaknesses of the major protagonists on both sides. He also points to America’s most influential theologian, Jonathan Edwards, as an example of how to best answer annihilationism’s claims.

Edwards used all the weapons he had at his disposal to present a convincing and effective response to those proposing the doctrine in his day, one that those who seek to respond to annihilationists today will benefit from.

William Wilberforce (1759–1833) was a truly inspiring man. An evangelical Christian, he was the key voice that led to the abolition of slavery in the British Empire, which then led to its ultimate abolition worldwide. Abolishing slavery was, according to Wilberforce’s critics, impractical, idealistic and fantastically uneconomic. But Wilberforce was convinced that slavery was an evil that needed to be eradicated, and was finally fulfilled a mere three days before his death.

What would have happened if William Wilberforce had followed the conventional wisdom of today and kept his religious beliefs separate from his political opinions, not tried to impose his beliefs on others, or had allowed the desire to be relevant, tolerant, and popular to outweigh any desire to stand for what was right?

This is a fascinating look at William Wilberforce’s life. The energy, persistence, and unashamedly evangelical faith is a shining example to all Christians today. The parallels for the Christian today who holds the unpopular positions that following Christ entails, should be abundantly clear.

The Reformation has been studied from many standpoints: as a political movement, as a polemical or theological movement, or as an economic or moral or ecclesiastical movement. But historian James I. Good believes we should focus on the missionary aspect. Good sketches the careers and achievements of notable Reformers with simplicity, clearness, and conciseness, while exploring the Reformation as a missionary movement.

History of the Reformed Church of Germany 1620–1890 is a continuation of The Origin of the Reformed Church in Germany and begins with the Thirty Years’ War. Good includes a detailed introduction, illustrations, hymns, maps, and a helpful appendix.

James I. Good’s History of the Reformed Church in the United States 1725–1792 begins with a thorough introduction describing the missionary efforts in the 16th century to North and South America. Good’s History then covers the years, events, and people who formed the early American Reformed Church until just after the American Revolution.

Through biographical sketches of some 30 missionaries, Good gives a comprehensive view of missions from various branches of the Reformed Church to countries and continents across the globe.

James I. Good’s Historical Handbook of the Reformed Church in the United States contains a short history of the Reformed Church in the United States meant to be taught in Sunday school classrooms. Each chapter includes study questions.

God speaks—but how? Philosophers and theologians have attempted various answers to this question for dozens of centuries, and their rhetoric has sharpened dramatically in the wake of nineteenth century liberalism. Herman Bavinck offers a Reformed perspective on divine revelation in The Philosophy of Revelation, which incorporates the content of his Stone Lectures at Princeton Theological Seminary during the academic year of 1908–1909. These lectures were first published under the direction of Geerhardus Vos and B. B. Warfield, and have profoundly influenced the Reformed understanding of divine revelation during the twentieth century.

Bavinck evaluates divine revelation in light of various philosophical schools of thought contemporary to his own time and still influential in ours—such as naturalism, pragmatism, and nihilism. He defends the credibility of theism and the tenability of divine revelation against these philosophical trends, even before the influence of nineteenth century intellectual giants had begun to wane: the naturalism of Charles Darwin, the pragmatism of William James, and the nihilism of Frederick Nietzsche. Bavinck’s experience with liberalism during his time as a student at the University of Leiden also makes him well-equipped to counter skepticism about divine revelation, mystery, and supernatural events.

In The Philosophy of Revelation, Bavinck shows that religion in general and Christianity in particular allows individuals to know certain truth through the phenomenon of divine revelation. Bavinck’s classic work constitutes an important addition to the libraries of philosophers, pastors, and theologians—especially Reformed theologians.

For many of us the book of Job stands directly in the center of one of the most complicated problems of life—the interaction between divine sovereignty and human responsibility. Its implications for a world of suffering and injustice is one that has provoked much tortuous thought for both Calvinists and Arminians.

How Job deals with tremendous suffering—losing most of his earthly possessions, family and health—and how God deals with Job’s suffering, does not necessarily make a nicely packaged story. The issues Job faced are ones that all Christians will struggle with to one degree or another. Calvin is still an influential theologian and was an excellent preacher. Derek Thomas uses Calvin’s sermons on Job as a model for preachers today.

Written in an inoffensive yet honest way, Robert Reymond has studied the essential divisions between Roman Catholics and the Reformed church to find out the real issues and points of conflict.

Reymond looks at historical watersheds of doctrine, the development of Roman Catholic authority and contemporary attempts at rapprochement (including “Evangelicals and Catholics Together” and Robert Sungenis’ “Not by Faith Alone”). In doing so he helps us understand the great truths of salvation worked out through the sacrifice of Jesus, the Messiah.

The Westminster Confession is a foundational document for countless churches worldwide. Churches of all sizes claim it as their confession, and hold to it with varying degrees of closeness. However, how many people actually have any real knowledge of the Confession or feel it is only of relevance to their church leaders?

Joey Pipa’s study book is the ideal tool for all Christians who seek to gain a better understanding of their faith through exploring an integral cornerstone of Reformed Christianity. Pipa has produced an accessible, user-friendly study aid, which illuminates the Westminster Confession for all Christians, showing it is not just a document for intellectual theologians, but is as relevant in our own lives today as when it was written.

Long regarded as one of the pre-eminent theologians in America, Roger Nicole has devoted a lifetime to defending orthodox Christian doctrines. Here is a collection of his essays on the key doctrine of the sovereignty of Jesus.

Following in the footsteps of Plato, Aristotle, Cicero, Horace, Quintilian, and countless other preeminent thinkers, Sacred Rhetoric: A Course of Lectures on Preaching marks the great Southern theologian Robert Lewis Dabney’s deft foray into the utmost concern of all preachers—the eloquent oration of God’s Word. This non-denominational textbook, based on Dabney’s years of teaching Pulpit Rhetoric in Union Theological Seminary, advances the practices of the classic rhetoricians while emphasizing the specific needs of the Christian preacher.

Still in print after nearly 140 years (under the title Evangelical Eloquence), Sacred Rhetoric guides the reader through every aspect of effective oration in 24 lectures. Sermon craft, argument, persuasion, style, action, preparation, and much more is covered in detail. All the while, Dabney remains steadfast in insuring that “the necessity of eminent Christian character is urged throughout as the foundation of the sacred orator’s power, and that a theory of preaching is asserted, with all the force which I could command, that honours God’s inspired word and limits the preacher most strictly to its exclusive use as the sword of the Spirit.”

Calvin on Scripture and Divine Sovereignty contains three lectures delivered by John Murray at the Reformed Fellowship in Grand Rapids, Michigan in May, 1959. Murray’s lectures reflect on Calvinism on the 450th birthday of Calvin and the 400th anniversary of publication of the definitive Latin edition of Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion in 1559. In these lectures, Murray explores Calvin’s doctrine of Scripture, which plays a central role in the grounding and development of Calvin’s theology. He also shows how Calvin’s foremost doctrine—the sovereignty of God—rests squarely on Scripture for its foundation.

Predestination is one of the most mysterious and controversial doctrines of the Christian church, but in this classic account, Jerome Zanchius presents a concise explanation of the terms and ramifications of this doctrine. Zanchius, a sixteenth-century Reformed clergyman and scholar, was influenced by the great Reformers of his day, such as Martin Bucer, Phillip Melanchthon, Martin Luther, and John Calvin. He gives succinct detail on the love and will of God, election and reprobation, foreknowledge, and predestination, beginning with the attributes of God. This edition also includes a history of Calvinism and Arminianism, biographies of both Zanchius and his translator, Augustus Toplady, and an introduction to God’s characteristics.

The Doctrine of Absolute Predestination is not only an essential introduction to the doctrine of predestination; it provides invaluable insight by one of the most beloved Reformers. It gives insight into one of the key turning points in Christian theology. Perfect for students, professors, and anyone interested in the history and theology of the Reformers.

The Church today is built on the Reformation’s linguistic heritage yet is in danger of losing that strong foundation. Many seminaries no longer require that their students learn the biblical languages for their divinity degrees—some do not even teach them! Yet these are the basic tools of any study of the Bible, and if we don’t teach the Bible, then what is the church teaching?

If we need encouragement as to what can happen to our sermons and Bible study when we develop a knowledge of the languages that the Scriptures are written in then Calvin is an excellent encourager. John Currid shows us how Calvin used a knowledge of the biblical languages to provide richness, depth and accuracy to his understanding of Scripture—and his exposition of it.

The doctrine of predestination—as controversial as it is—has received comparatively little thoughtful attention, and is rarely understood even in Reformed circles. It is a doctrine, however, contained in the creeds of confessions of most evangelical churches, and Christians would do well to explore it more thoughtfully.

The tendency of our enlightened age is to look upon Calvinism as outdated and obsolete. Because of this contemporary attitude toward Calvinism, and because of the general lack of thoughtful and well-reasoned writing on Reformed doctrines, The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination is of great importance. In this volume, Boettner does not aim to set forth a new system of theological thought, but rather gives a re-statement of Reformed theology. He affirms Calvinism as both the teaching of the Bible and as an important part of the church’s history.

In this classic account, John Brown provides an insightful overview of the lives and influence of the Puritans. Brown seeks to show how the Puritans affected politics and the social climate of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, in addition to outlining their ideology and key characters. This volume documents how the word “Puritan” came to be used and applied, as well how the term changed over the course of history. Brown points out the impact of Calvin, Luther and the Reformation on the Puritan fathers. This edition includes an index and a bibliography, including a preface by the author.

The Reformed Reformation traces the historical development of Luther and Zwingli’s theology and their contributions to the Reformation. Good explores some of the teachers that influenced these men, such as Professor James Lefevre of France and Professor Thomas Wyttenbach of Basel.

Switzerland has always occupied a prominent place in the history of Protestant Europe. Good begins History of the Swiss Reformed Church Since the Reformation in the 16th century with an introduction to the early city-centers of the Reformed Church: Zurich and Geneva. Good’s History then covers major religious events in Switzerland up to the 19th century.

Although it is titled after the 19th century, this volume begins in 1793, when the Reformed Church of Pennsylvania became independent from the Reformed Church of the Netherlands in Europe. Good divides this volume into three parts: “The Early Church (1793–1844)”, “The Liturgical Controversy (1844–1878)”, and “Events After the Liturgical Controversy (1878–1910).”

James I. Good’s The Heidelberg Catechism in its Newest Light was published in commemoration with the 350th anniversary of the Heidelberg Catechism. Good explores the history of the document, its sources and authors, the history of its circulation, and its significance for today.

Rambles Round Reformed Lands is James I. Good’s travelogue of three trips through Germany and Switzerland. Good visits sites important to Reformed Church history and blends his personal reminiscences among historical anecdotes.

The Marrow of Modern Divinity takes a detailed look at the redemptive-historical and covenantal understanding of the Gospel as well as practical direction for living the Christian life. Edward Fisher’s book also gives an in-depth account of the Decalogue as well as making use of it when in company of unbelievers or Christians.

The information covered in The Marrow of Modern Divinity gives you a greater knowledge of the gospel and the biblical message. Such topics as biblical and God’s sovereignty in the covenant of grace, our assurance in Christ and being sanctified by grace instead of by the law are just a few of the subjects covered in Fisher’s book.

“This is the gospel, that sins are remitted in the name of Christ; and no heart ever received tidings more glad.” Huldrych Zwingli’s contribution to the Reformation may have been just as important as Luther and Calvin’s, yet many still don’t know much about him, let alone read his powerful works. Zwingli preached against ecclesial corruption, fasting, the requirement of celibacy on the clergy, the veneration of saints, excommunication, and more—setting the stage for the Swiss Reformation.

In ‘Christ Our Captain’, Jim West presents a succinct biography of the First Reformer of Switzerland before providing original translations of excerpts from some of Zwingli’s most important writings—writings appearing here for the first time in English. Covering topics such as prayer, salvation, heaven, and more, West’s translations emanate the clarity and power of Zwingli’s voice, and his commentary helps contextualize and illuminate the pious nature of a man whom so few have read. ‘Christ Our Captain’ is a primary text for understanding the life and writings of Zwingli, and a must-have for Reformation studies.

The Puritans are remembered for their vast expository on the Bible, their simplification of doctrine and worship, and their passionate preaching. This remarkable collection of classical sermons consists of six volumes of practical as well as doctrinal discourses, preached by some of the most renowned Puritan ministers of the seventeenth century. Published between 1659 and 1689, over seventy preachers contributed to these historically important volumes, including such luminaries as Thomas Manton, Richard Baxter, John Howe, Matthew Poole, and John Owen. This extraordinary anthology is packed with solid Scriptural exegesis and profound spiritual insight.

Filled with the devotional spirit and energy that Puritan sermons were notorious for, the Puritan Sermons Collection is a window into the English Reformation of the seventeenth century. Advocating their autonomy from Rome, these preachers were among the powerful political force that left the Church of England and condemned the practices of the Catholic Church. Although some of these sermons exude the contentious politics of the day, the sermons contained in these volumes symbolize the powerful and historically significant impact the Puritans had on Christianity and biblical exegesis. Each volume contains over 25 distinguished sermons, and with Logos Bible Software, all of them are searchable and direct translations from Greek, Hebrew, and Latin are readily available.

The Puritans dedicated their lives to consistent study of the Bible, treasured devotional feelings and close communion with God. As a people, they wanted to eliminate impurities in the church in the area of secularity and corruption and promoted religion and the impact and it’s power it has on people. Benjamin Brook wrote The Lives of the Puritans with the mindset that it be a historical narrative of facts.

In his book, Benjamin Brook gives a history of the Puritans as well as discussions about their reservations regarding rites, ceremonies, Lent, and their views regarding baptism. The majority of his book gives a history of those who played a major role in Puritan history such as Richard Sibbes and Henry Scudder. The 3-volume Lives of the Puritans includes a biography of over 450 Puritan theologians who lived during 1495–1693 and gives background into their lives, accomplishments and contributions.

First published in 1732, The History of the Puritans has been a historical standard on the life and times of the Puritan fathers. In this collection, the influence of the Puritans in England is carefully documented and traced over the course of over a hundred years, beginning with the time of Henry the VIII. Daniel Neal, a minister and historian, tracks the Puritans’ effects on politics and social change, resulting in a dynamic and contextual exploration of this time frame. This set is essential for understanding how the Puritans helped to shape England, as well as comprehending the key events and figures involved.

The Decades of Henry Bullinger include 50 godly and learned sermons, divided into five decades containing the chief and principal points of Christian Religion. Each sermon in the 4-volume collection is a culmination of multiple sermons given on the topic and encompasses his lifelong ministry—over 1,800 pages of sermons and related material. The Decades are meant to encourage, uplift, and inspire ministers to uphold their high calling of preaching God’s word. Bullinger implores, “But let the ministers of our time well weigh the condition and manner of the time; and then, no doubt, they shall see that it is high time to bestir them to the doing of their duties.” He provides careful admonishment for shepherds to guard their flocks against the enemy and stand vigilant to promote truth and godliness.

The collection opens with a riveting explanation of Bullinger’s works in the preface of First and Second Decades, boldly exclaiming his focus and passion for preaching and teaching. Bullinger then covers the Four General Synods, or Councils, and provides historical significance and relevance of the various creeds that came from these councils. The sermons that follow resonate with sympathy, love, grace, and tenderness not indicative of his time. With a passion for truth and God’s word, Bullinger delivers messages that spurred and shaped the Reformation, yet still impact today’s church.

“This is the gospel, that sins are remitted in the name of Christ; and no heart ever received tidings more glad.” Huldrych Zwingli’s contribution to the Reformation may have been just as important as Luther and Calvin’s, yet many still don’t know much about him, let alone read his powerful works. Zwingli preached against ecclesial corruption, fasting, the requirement of celibacy on the clergy, the veneration of saints, excommunication, and more—setting the stage for the Swiss Reformation.

Huldreich Zwingli: The Reformer of German Switzerland is filled with rich insight into the life and theology of Zwingli and contains numerous illustrations and photographs. Zwingli expert and historian Samuel Jackson provides an in-depth biography of one of the Reformation’s unsung heroes. Also included in this edition is John Martin Vincent’s essay “An Historical Survey of Switzerland before the Reformation” and an additional chapter on Zwingli’s theology by Frank Hugh Foster.

Huldrych Zwingli is well known as a reformer and theologian of the sixteenth century, but he is not so well known as an educator. Zwingli first wrote this treatise in Latin and it was printed at Basel in 1523, then again in 1526, with the full title of “How One Ought to Bring Up and Instruct Youth in Good Manners and Christian Discipline.” The present English translation, together with a sketch of the educational life of Zwingli, will add new interest to the study of Christian education in the Reformation period.

“This is the gospel, that sins are remitted in the name of Christ; and no heart ever received tidings more glad.” Huldrych Zwingli’s contribution to the Reformation may have been just as important as Luther and Calvin’s, yet many still don’t know much about him, let alone read his powerful works. Zwingli preached against ecclesial corruption, fasting, the requirement of celibacy on the clergy, the veneration of saints, excommunication, and more—setting the stage for the Swiss Reformation.

Simpson begins his biography of Zwingli with an introduction to the Reformation in Switzerland, and gives a great introduction to the points of union and divergence between Luther and Zwingli. Moving through Zwingli’s birth to his death at the Second War of Cappel, Simpson provides keen insight into Zwingli’s theology and the doctrinal differences that separated the German and Swiss Reformers.

Does theological inquiry belong to the church or the university? Is God properly understood within the Church, or within secular contexts? As an unapologetic Calvinist, Kuyper offers a sweeping overview of the history, the task, the method, and the organization of theology. He places theology alongside the sciences, and calls for more interaction between theology and the other disciplines. The Encyclopedia of Sacred Theology: Its Principles helped fuel the rise of Neocalvinism in the twentieth century and continues to undergird Reformed theology in the twenty-first. The Encyclopedia of Sacred Theology: Its Principles also includes an introduction by B. B. Warfield.

The Holy Spirit remains an afterthought to the bulk of our theological inquiry and receives, in Kuyper’s own words, “a scant portion of our piety.” All professing Christians acknowledge the work of the Holy Spirit in one way or another, and great works have been written on the Spirit’s role in justification and sanctification, regeneration, the anointing of the Spirit, the intercession of the Spirit—and since Kuyper’s lifetime, on the gifts of the Spirit such as speaking in tongues. Nearly all of these treatises expand the Church’s understanding of the Holy Spirit, and nearly every one conforms to orthodox Christianity. Yet all remain deficient, because their scope is too narrow: Various groups of Christians and denominations grasp the Spirit’s work so differently from one another that all fail to see the Holy Spirit’s work in its entirety.

In this classic Reformed approach in The Work of the Holy Spirit, Kuyper attempts to address the theological and doctrinal shortcomings regarding the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. His pneumatology is biblically comprehensive, theologically expansive, and ecclesiastically faithful.

The Work of the Holy Spirit includes a lengthy introduction by B. B. Warfield.

Augustus M. Toplady was an eighteenth-century Anglican minister and a fervent defender of Calvinism. His passionately Reformed, controversial views landed him at the center of many debates. This collection contains many of the sermons, letters, essays, and political writings that sparked ire and debate among his contemporaries.

The first volume of The Works of Augustus M. Toplady includes a complete biography of Toplady, as well as an introduction to his defense of Calvinism. It discusses the history of Calvinism and its impact on European politics. Through his letters and sermons, we see how Toplady pitted the relevance and truth of Calvinism against Arminianism, backing his claims with historical evidence, biographies, and Scripture.

The Works of Augustus M. Toplady contains not only a definitive defense of Reformed thinking but also significant eighteenth-century theological writings. With 500-plus pages of material, the reader will gain a greater understanding of the historical influence of Calvinism and delve into Toplady’s considerable theological knowledge.

Augustus M. Toplady was an eighteenth-century Anglican minister and a fervent defender of Calvinism. His passionately Reformed, controversial views landed him at the center of many debates. This collection contains many of the sermons, letters, essays, and political writings that sparked ire and debate among his contemporaries.

The second volume of The Works of Augustus M. Toplady is a continuation of Toplady’s defense of Calvinism. He discusses the accession of James I (pointing out James’ Calvinistic beliefs of James) and the publication of the King James Bible. Tracing events right up to the reign of Charles II, he then compares Puritanism and Calvinism, outlining the benefits of Calvinism for society, and provides a succinct chronology of England from Egbert to Henry VIII.

The Works of Augustus M. Toplady contains not only a definitive defense of Reformed thinking but also significant eighteenth-century theological writings. With 400-plus pages of material, the reader will gain a greater understanding of the historical influence of Calvinism and delve into Toplady’s considerable theological knowledge.

Augustus M. Toplady was an eighteenth-century Anglican minister and a fervent defender of Calvinism. His passionately Reformed, controversial views landed him at the center of many debates. This collection contains many of the sermons, letters, essays, and political writings that sparked ire and debate among his contemporaries.

The third volume of The Works of Augustus M. Toplady contains 10 sermons, speeches, and several essays on Scriptural and political subjects. He covers such topics as marriage, the Apostle’s Creed, Advent, and the assurance of faith. He also includes a section on unsound doctrine.

The Works of Augustus M. Toplady contains not only a definitive defense of Reformed thinking but also significant eighteenth-century theological writings. With 500-plus pages of material, the reader will gain a greater understanding of the historical influence of Calvinism and delve into Toplady’s considerable theological knowledge.

Augustus M. Toplady was an eighteenth-century Anglican minister and a fervent defender of Calvinism. His passionately Reformed, controversial views landed him at the center of many debates. This collection contains many of the sermons, letters, essays, and political writings that sparked ire and debate among his contemporaries.

The fourth volume of The Works of Augustus M. Toplady contains biographies of many of the famous theologians of Toplady’s day, including Isaac Watts, George Whitefield, and Elizabeth Rowe. It includes an account of natural history, a discussion of female education in the 1700s, and miscellaneous remarks on historical incidents.

The Works of Augustus M. Toplady contains not only a definitive defense of Reformed thinking but also significant eighteenth-century theological writings. With 500-plus pages of material, the reader will gain a greater understanding of the historical influence of Calvinism and delve into Toplady’s considerable theological knowledge.

Augustus M. Toplady was an eighteenth-century Anglican minister and a fervent defender of Calvinism. His passionately Reformed, controversial views landed him at the center of many debates. This collection contains many of the sermons, letters, essays, and political writings that sparked ire and debate among his contemporaries.

Toplady returns to his defense of Calvinism in the fifth volume of The Works of Augustus M. Toplady. Including letters, essays, sermons, biographies of influential Calvinists, as well as a translation of Zanchy’s The Doctrine of Absolute Predestination Stated and Asserted, this volume goes over the five points of Calvinism in great detail and advises how to preach on this topic. This work includes essays on perseverance and family prayer.

The Works of Augustus M. Toplady contains not only a definitive defense of Reformed thinking but also significant eighteenth-century theological writings. With the collection’s 500-plus pages of material, the reader will gain a greater understanding of the historical influence of Calvinism and delve into Toplady’s considerable theological knowledge.

Augustus M. Toplady was an eighteenth-century Anglican minister and a fervent defender of Calvinism. His passionately Reformed, controversial views landed him at the center of many debates. This collection contains many of the sermons, letters, essays, and political writings that sparked ire and debate among his contemporaries.

The sixth volume of The Works of Augustus M. Toplady compiles Toplady’s debates with John Wesley over the doctrine of Calvinism and such topics as philosophical necessity and Scriptural references. It includes an essay on the qualities of matter and a collection of letters, poems, and hymns.

The Works of Augustus M. Toplady contains not only a definitive defense of Reformed thinking but also significant eighteenth-century theological writings. With the collection’s 500-plus pages of material, the reader will gain a greater understanding of the historical influence of Calvinism and delve into Toplady’s considerable theological knowledge.

The first volume covers the first 64 questions of the Larger Catechism, including topics such as what it means to enjoy God, the existence of God, his provision, the nature and history of the Bible, God’s nature, and the doctrine of the Trinity. Ridgley also addresses God’s decrees for his people, election of the saints, and the will of God. Ridgley speaks on creation, the nature of man, the fall of humanity, sin, the covenant of grace, Christ as mediator of grace, Christ’s humility, as well as the life of Christ on earth. He also commentates on redemption and salvation in this volume, as well as the role of the Church in the world.

This second volume includes Ridgley’s observations on questions 65–196. Topics include calling of the saints, communion with Christ, doctrines of justification, sanctification, adoption, and faith, perseverance of the saints, the role of assurance in faith, judgment and punishment, as well as an exposition of the Ten Commandments. He provides commentary on the sacraments of baptism, prayer, and communion. Ridgley also goes into great detail on the Lord’s Prayer and the use of the word, “amen.”

In a world where war is a persistent reality in media and in film, there is a larger, consequential war being waged everyday that is often neglected: the Spiritual war inside of us. Written in the English Puritan era but just as powerful and inspiring today, William Gurnall’s timeless epic The Christian in Complete Armour serves as a beautifully written and action-packed spiritual guidebook

A call to arms for Christians, Gurnall’s expounded sermons on Ephesians 6:10–20 are as practical as they are illuminating. With stunning prose and page-turning excitement, the battle for the soul and the descriptions of the God-given protections and weapons ascribed to the believer are detailed and explained. Gurnall’s masterpiece has been inspiring Christians since the 17th century, and has never been as applicable and urgently needed as the present day.

Richard Sibbes wrote extensively on the relationship between suffering and sin and on the suffering of Christ. Volume one of this collection contains numerous works on these topics, including The Bruised Reed—the work for which Sibbes is best known. He also writes about the place of saints and the nature of those whom God loves and has called. Sibbes is well-positioned to speak of suffering and of those in the church’s history who have suffered, given his history of writing from within a shifting and often dangerous political climate. Volume one also includes a lengthy biography of Richard Sibbes, written by Alexander Balloch Grosart.

Volume two contains Sibbes’ writings explorations of the relationship between Christ and the church, beginning with the life of Christ and the Holy Spirit’s ongoing role in the ministry of the Church. The church, Sibbes shows, rests on God’s faithfulness and Christ’s work but is also obligated to fulfill Christ’s commission. He writes extensively on the metaphor of the church as Christ’s bride.

Volume two also includes a lengthy treatise on those who leave the church and later return, whom Sibbes artfully labels “returning backsliders.” He reminds readers—then and now—of the twin commands of love and punishment, as well as the scope of God’s grace and the nature of both public and private repentance with regard to those who have returned to the church. Sibbes’ treatise on the church concludes with a rich account of the feast—biblical notions of the feast, the feast at the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, and the feast of Christ’s Second Coming.

Volume three contains Sibbes’ lengthy and detailed commentary on 2 Corinthians 1. Since Sibbes never distinguished biblical exposition from thoughtful and engaging preaching, much of this commentary draws from material in Sibbes’ sermons and thus remains eminently accessible and entirely void of technical elitism. Like the commentaries written by other Puritan writers such as John Owen and Thomas Goodwin, Sibbes approaches 2 Corinthians from a position of piety and posture of prayer.

Afitting sequel to volume three, volume four brings together all of Richard Sibbes’ works on 1 and 2 Corinthians. Numerous sermons, treatises, and discourses make up this comprehensive commentary on Paul’s two epistles to the church in Corinth. Sibbes explores at length the key themes of Pauline theology, such as the relationship between the Gospel and the Law, judgment, and the resurrection.

Volume five continues Sibbes’ expositions and treatises on Pauline epistles. This volume includes a lengthy exposition of Philippians 2 as well as Sibbes’ exploration of the redemption of bodies and the relationship between the physical and the spiritual realms.

Although Sibbes devotes much of his theological exploration and biblical exposition to New Testament themes, volume six is devoted to the Old Testament. His treatises, collected here, on the covenant in the Old Testament brought covenant theology—central to Reformed theology—to the fore. Sibbes also writes at length about Josiah and the implications of the life of Josiah for theological reflection. The volume concludes with lengthy treatises on the relationship between wealth and poverty as well as on appropriate occasions for violence in Christianity.

Volume seven contains more than 30 of Richard Sibbes’ sermons not found in other volumes. A prolific theologian and biblical scholar, Sibbes remained best known for his preaching and for his lengthy career at Gray’s Inn. He preached on stories in Scripture—such as the story of Balaam—as well as on Jesus’ miracles, the life of Mary, and theological topics such as grace, salvation, prayer, and the resurrection. Volume seven concludes with two sermons on Christ’s Second Coming.

Both scriptural and practical, The Christian’s Daily Walk, by Henry Scudder, has become a classic Puritan devotional work. Scudder plumbs the depths of Scripture to describe the attributes of a holy life, and instructs his readers how to live lives of service and devotion to God. Scudder describes the practice of spiritual devotion, the means of acquiring the peace of God, and the characteristics of those who walk with God.

The Christian’s Daily Walk was first published in the early seventeenth century, but it did not attain wide readership until it was endorsed by John Owen and Richard Baxter several decades after its initial publication. In fact, Baxter wrote that there was no book better equipped “to be the daily companion of Christians, to guide them in the practice of a holy life.” By the nineteenth century, it had become a bestselling Puritan devotional and a standard work applying biblical truth to daily Christian living.

The Works of the Rev. Henry Scougal contains his most well-known work, The Life of God in the Soul of Man, along with nine of Scougal’s discourses. Scougal writes about purity before God and devotion to his will, and he calls his readers toward a life of piety and devotion to God. His writings profoundly affected John and Charles Wesley and George Whitefield—one of the key leaders of the Great Awakening. In fact, Whitefield later wrote of The Life of God in the Soul of Man, “I never knew what true religion was till God sent me this excellent treatise.” Scougal’s Works were also influential in the spread of Methodist revival during the nineteenth century.

Although The Life of God in the Soul of Man was first written for a private audience, Scougal allowed it to be published in 1677—a year before his death. It quickly became a bestselling work, and was reissued five times between 1677 and 1727. In 1735 it was reprinted, and nine discourses added, along with a sermon by George Garden preached at Scougal’s funeral. This combined edition was re-titled The Works of the Rev. Henry Scougal, and it has remained the standard edition of The Life of God in the Soul of Man for nearly three centuries.

This 3-volume set includes all of the works of John Howe, one of the most famous and influential Puritan thinkers, including his well-known book, The Living Temple. The Works of the Reverend John Howe is an essential collection for any serious student of Puritan thinking and those interested in learning more about the spiritual legacy of the Puritans. Howe was a respected, faithful minister and Christian thinker, who was known for his day-long church services. During the Act of Uniformity, in which religious freedom was prohibited, Howe gave up his church and became a chaplain under Oliver Cromwell.

Howe wrote extensively on doctrines of the Trinity, predestination, and community of believers, in addition to leading discussion groups of clergyman on matters of doctrine. His writings continue to inspire Christians today to lead holy lives, inspired by a right knowledge of God.