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Theodore Beza: A Reassessment

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 February 2009

Robert Letham
Robert Letham
Affiliation:
London Bible College, Green Lane, Northwood, Middlesex, HA6 2UW
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Extract

The claim in recent years of a radical disjunction between the theologies of Calvin and the Calvinists has frequently come to focus on the seminal influence of Calvin's successor at Geneva, Theodore Beza. Scholars who have suggested Beza as the main culprit behind an increasing trend in sixteenth century Reformed theology to a rationalistic, scholastic, predestinarian rigidity include Ernst Bizer, Walter Kickel, Basil Hall, Brian G. Armstrong, Johannes Dantine, Edward A. Dowey Jun., John W. Beardslee III, and R. T. Kendall. Indeed, in order to appreciate Beza's significance we are compelled to see him in comparison with his great predecessor.

Type
Research Article
Information
Scottish Journal of Theology , Volume 40 , Issue 1 , February 1987 , pp. 25 - 40
Copyright
Copyright © Scottish Journal of Theology Ltd 1987

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References

1 Bizer, Ernst, Frühorthodoxie und Rationalismus (Zurich, 1963)Google Scholar; Kickel, Walter, Vernunft und Offenbarung bei Theodor Beza (Neukirchen, 1967)Google Scholar; Hall, Basil, ‘Calvin against the Calvinists’ in (ed.) Duffield, G. E., John Calvin (Appleford, 1966), pp. 19–37Google Scholar; Armstrong, Brian G., Calvinism and the Amyraut heresy: Protestant scholasticism and humanism in seventeenth century France (Madison, 1969)Google Scholar; Dantine, Johannes, Die Prädestinationslehre bei Calvin and Beza (Göttingen, D.Theol. thesis, 1965)Google Scholar; Dowey, Edward A. Jun., The knowledge of God in Calvin's theology (New York, 1952), p. 218Google Scholar; IIIBeardslee, John W., Reformed dogmatics (Grand Rapids, repr., 1977), pp. 19–20)Google Scholar; Kendall, R. T., Calvin and English Calvinism to 1649 (Oxford, 1979), pp. 29–37.Google Scholar

2 Beza, Theodore, Tractationum theologicarum 1 (Geneva, 1570), 170–201.Google Scholar

3 Beza, Theodore, Tractationum theologicarum 3 (Geneva, 1582), 402–447.Google Scholar

4 Cf., Hall, pp. 25–28; Armstrong, pp. 27–42, 136–137, 198–199; Beardslee, pp. 19–20; Kickel, pp. 99, 106–107, 116, 120, 136–137, 141, 149–150, 167–169.

5 Tractationum 1: 173, 177, 179, 344, 362, 418; 3: 404, 426, 438.

6 Cf., Godfrey, W. Robert, ‘Reformed thought on the extent of the atonement to 1618’ The Westminster Theological Journal 37 (1975), pp. 137–142Google Scholar; Armstrong, pp. 41–42, 137–138; Hall, p. 27; Kendall, pp. 13f., 29f.

7 Karl Barth, CD II/2, 335–336; Kendall, pp. 33f.; Kickel, pp. 150–153.

8 Kendall, pp. 29–37.

9 Bizer, pp. 6–12; Kickel, pp. 99f.; Hall, pp. 25–28; Armstrong, pp. 41f., 130f.

10 Raitt, Jill, The eucharistic theology of Theodore Beza: Development of the Reformed doctrine (Chambersburg, 1972)Google Scholar; Bray, John S., Theodore Beza's doctrine of predestination (Stanford University Ph.D. dissertation, 1971)Google Scholar, subsequently published in 1975, but consulted in its original format. The 1980 Cambridge University Ph.D. thesis of Ian McPhee on the thought of Beza has not been available to me.

11 Armstrong, p. 32f; also see Bray, pp. 5–12.

12 Kristeller, Paul O., Renaissance thought (New York, 1961), p. 116.Google Scholar

13 Beza, Traaationum 1: 171, 179; Bray, p. 104. Bray indicates that Beza's sermons contain hardly any reference to predestination (p. 131). Nor are there any significant references in his letters. Predestination does not occupy a foundational place in works such as Altera brevis fidei confessio in Traaationum 1: 259–265; Petit catechisme in Tractationum 1: 689–694; Quaestionum et responsionum in Tractationum 1: 669–707; or Theses theologicae (Geneva, 15912).

14 E.g., De aeterna pradestinatione Dei (Geneva, 1552).Google Scholar

15 ‘… primus locus Theologiae, … est de Electione nostri ad haereditatem aeternam.’ Bucer, Martin, Praelectiones doctiss. in epistolam D.P. ad Ephesios (Basel, 1561), p. 19cGoogle Scholar. Stephens, W. P. agrees that election shapes Bucer's theology, in his The Holy Spirit in the theology of Martin Bucer (Cambridge, 1970), p. 23Google Scholar. As for Zwingli, , see his De providentia Dei (1530) in Opera (Zurich, 1545)Google Scholar. Additionally Gottfried Locher, W., Zwingli's thought: New perspectives (Leiden, 1981), pp. 121–141.Google Scholar

16 Beza, Tractationum 1: 173, 175, 190, 194, 196, 3: 417; Theses 16–18, 20, 165; cf., Calvin, Institute 3, 22, 11: 3, 23, 2.

17 Contra John T. McNeill who misunderstands Calvin's comment in his Institute 2, 12, 5 when he claims that Calvin favours the supralapsarian view of the decrees of God, LCC 20, p. 469, n.5. The passage concerned refers to whether Christ would have been incarnate if Adam had not sinned. Calvin points out that the decree of election was before the creation of the world, not subsequent to the fall of Adam. Both infralapsarian and supralapsarian would agree to that. The point at issue between them is not whether the decree of election precedes the fall but whether the decree of election precedes the decree concerning the fall. Calvin does not comment on that question.

18 ‘Praedestinatio vero nihil aliud sit quam eius voluntatis ad certum finem sive salutis sive exitii destinatio, negari iusta ratione non potest. Praedestinationem & ad ultimum ilium duplicem finem & ad utrinque subordinata media pertinere.’ Beza, Tractationum 3: 402. Also, ‘Deus enim ab aeterno ex mera sua voluntate omnia, quod ad causarum etiam ordinem attinet, antecedente, ac proinde nulla neque dignitatis neque indignitatis praevisae habita ratione, eos duntaxat, quos ipsi visum est, sive singulares homines, sive integros etiam populos, alios quidem amori & saluti, alios vero odio & exitio destinavit.’ Ibid., 3: 438.

19 Ibid., 1: 173–174.

20 Ibid., 3: 404–405.

21 Hall, p. 27; Armstrong, pp. 41–42, 137–138; Kendall, pp. 29f., 210. This, at least is the strong implication even where it is not spelled out explicitly.

22 ‘Multorum dixit, & non omnium, quia multi vocari, pauci vero electi. Posset quidem omnium tollere, sed multi indignos se reddunt, ingratique Christo salutem oblatam sua incredulitate respicunt.’ Ioannes Oecolampadius, In epistolam ad Hebraeos (Strassburg, 1534), p. 104. Also, in Commentariorum in Daniel propheiarum (Geneva, 1558), p. 107.Google Scholar

23 Cited by Stephens, W. P., The Holy Spirit in the theology of Martin Bucer, p. 106.Google Scholar

24 Vermigli, Pietro Martire, Common places (London, 1583) 3, 1, 44–47Google Scholar; ‘They [objectors] grant also, that Christ died for us all; and thereof they inferre, that his benefite is common unto all men. Which we also will easilie grant, if onlie the worthinesse of the death of Christ be considered: for as touching it, it might be sufficient for all the sinners of the world. But although in itself it bee sufficient, yet it neither had, nor hath, nor shall have effect in all men. Which the Schoole-men also confesse, when they affirme, that Christ hath redeemed all men sufficientlie, but not effectualie: for thereunto it is necessarie, that the death of Christ bee healthfull unto us, that we take hold of it; which cannot otherwise be done, but by faith: which faith we have before abundantlie declared to be the gift of God, and not to be given to all men.’ Ibid., 3, 1, 44. Also see In epistolam S. Pauli ad Rom[anos] (Basel, 1560), pp. 985–986.

25 Beza, Theodore, Ad Acta Coloquii Montisbelgardensis Tubingae edita (Geneva, 1588), p. 249.Google Scholar

26 Godfrey, W. Robert, WTJ 37 (1975), pp. 140–144.Google Scholar

27 Significant discussion has taken place in recent years on Calvin's view on the extent of the atonement, to be noted later in this article.

28 Beza, Tractationum 1: 684; 3: 404.

29 ‘Aliter igitur Christus considerandus est ut causa praedestinationis efTiciens cum Patre et Spiritu Sancto: Aliter ut primum ipsius Praedestinationis, de servandis per misericordiam in ipso electis effectum.’ Ad Ada Coloquii Montisbelgardensis, p. 200.

30 Beza, Tractationum 1: 2–5; Beardslee, pp. 19–20.

31 Tractationum 1: 180–183.

32 Confessio, p. 21.

33 Tractationum 1: 181–182; Calvin, Institute 2, 12, 3.

34 Kendall, pp. 35f.

35 WTJ 43 (1980–81), pp. 155–164.

36 SJT 34(1981), pp. 179–184.

37 Calvin and the Calvinists (Edinburgh, 1982).Google Scholar

38 ‘Was Calvin a Calvinist?’ SJT 36 (1983), pp. 535–540.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

39 M. Charles Bell, ‘Calvin and the extent of the atonement’ EQ 55 (1983), pp. 115–123; J. B. Torrance, ‘The incarnation and “Limited atonement”’ Ibid., pp. 83–94.

40 ‘Calvin and the covenant: unity and continuity’ Ibid., pp. 65–81.

41 ‘The quest for the historical Calvin’ Ibid., 95–113.

42 ‘John Calvin's view of the extent of the atonement’ WTJ 47 (1985), pp. 197–225.

43 ‘… ex his consequitur, sanctificationem veluti primum esse gradum a quo progredi incipiamus ad declarationem primariae nostrae salutis causae, id est, aeternae illius ac gratuitae nostrae electionis.’ Confessio, pp. 49–50.

44 Tractationum 1: 200–201.

45 Among those who have maintained that Beza bases assurance on sanctification are: K. Barth, CD II/2, pp. 335–336; Kendall, pp. 33f; Kickel, pp. 150–153. Favouring a difference of emphasis is John S. Bray, ‘The value of works in the theology of Calvin and Beza’ SCJ 4 (1973), pp. 77–86.

46 ‘Electum igitum esse me primum ex sanctificatione in me inchoata … Huic adiiciam testimonium Spiritus meam conscientiam erigentis … Et hue spectat seria meditatio beneficiorum Dei … Ex sanctificatione ista & consolatione Spiritus colligimus Fidem. Inde ad Christum assurgimus, cui quisquis datus est, necessario est ab aeterno in eodem electus, nee unquam eiicietur foras.’ Tractationum 1: 687–688 (1576) = 1: 702(1570).

47 Confessio, pp. 21–22.

48 Tractationum (1570) 1: 186, 200, 702–703; Confessio, pp. 30–33.

49 Tractationum 1: 175.

50 Contra Barth, CD II/2, pp. 335–336.

51 Epistolarum theologicarum 1 (Geneva, 1572), p. 136.Google Scholar

52 Tractatiomim 1: 177, 185–187, 678, 691; Confessio, pp. 17–18; Episwlarum 1: 56, 226; Theses, pp. 56, 58, 64.

53 Confessio, p. 19.

54 Tractatiomim (1576) 1: 690.

55 Episwlarum 1: 226.

56 Traaalionum 1: 263.

57 Ibid., 1: 186, 678; Novum Tesiamentum (Geneva, 1582)Google Scholar, Romans 1.17; Theses, p. 50.

58 Confessio, p. 21.

59 Tractationum 1: 684.

60 ‘Fidem appellamus certam quandam scientiam, quam Spiritus sanctus sua una gratia ac bonitate magis ac magis insculpit cordibus Electorum: qua scientia sit, ut eorum unusquisque in corde suo certior factus suae electionis, sibiipsi applicet promissionem salutis in Iesu Christo.’ Confessio, p. 19.

61 ‘Hinc ergo salutis intellectae notitia nascitur, & hanc rursus notitiam assensio sequitur, eaque non simplex & nuda … sed cum eo coniuncta, quod πληρφορ⋯αν Paulus noster passim appellat: ipsius videlicet Evangelicae promissionis, cui tanquam verissime assensum fuerit, applicationem ad propriam credentis conscientiam …’ Tractationum 3: 405.

62 Confessio, p. 19; Tractarionum 1: 185; Theses, p. 163.

63 Tractationum 1: 185–186; Theses, pp. 57, 66.

64 Novum Testamemum, Romans 1.17.

65 Theses, p. 66.

66 Tractationum 1: 170. Calvin put repentance after faith; Institute 3, 3, 1.

67 ‘Itaque quamvis nemo ad Christum perveniat qui non vitam emendat… negamus tamen quod affirmatis, vitae correctionem iter ad Christum esse: sed potius, quum natura oleastri simus, fide nos prius inseri in oleam oportere dicimus, ut ipsius succo in nobis vim suam exerente, bonos fructus feramus: neque quia vitam correximus, ideo nos ad Christum venire, sed contra, quia Christus prior nos dilexit, ad nos venit, & in nobis est, & nos in ipso, id circo nos vitia nostra ita agnoscere fatemur ut in emendatione vitae quotidie proficiamus …’ Tractationum 1: 102.

68 Ibid., 1: 327–328; Theses, p. 103.

69 Theses, pp. 18, 58, 60.

70 Basel, 1599.

71 Geneva, 1588.

72 Institute, 3, 24, 4–5.