Morning Prayer (1662 Book of Common Prayer)

For Psalm 18, Prof. Calvin comments on 18.31: “For who is God besides the Lord? And who is the Rock except our God?”

ISBE on Exodus: Prof. R. K. Harrison notes some reaction to the Graffie by Pedersen, the Uppsala school, von Rad and others, postulating a long oral period of transmission, again, reflecting a European view of the generation of literature.

For Genesis 2.4ff: Prof. Keil is still discussing the concept of toledoth.

For Joshua 23-24, Joshua’s farewell and death are in view.

For Isaiah 6.5-8, Prof. Henry notes that Isaiah’s commissioning service was for Isaiah to harden hearers, but also to strengthen those who are the remnant and provide predictive comments.

ISBE on Mark: Dr. R. P. Martin offers some comments on Dr. Vincent Taylor’s belief that Mark had “notes.” It almost sounded like 3x5 cards from which the Gospel was written. Conjectural and reasonable.

For Mathew 5.6, Prof. Jamiesson comments on “Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.” He comments on OT visions of God, but also the divine invisibility and yet visibility through Creation, Providence and the communio sanctorum.

For Romans, Prof. Hodge comments on 2.26-28 and the advantages and disadvantages of being a Jew. This much, all without exemption are born in the First Adam.

For Revelation 15.5-8, Prof. Henry speaks of the angels going forth from the heavenly Temple. Destruction is coming.

In the Global Anglican, Prof. Blocher recalls a youthful memory in 1943-1944 in his home-village in southern France, a processional when one statue of the Lady Mary met another statue of the Lady Mary. He notes he understands the piety of this deformed religion.  

For Systematic Theology (locus 2), Prof. Hodge attempts a discussion of “Mysticism” without much clarity, although he cites an important point: the exaltation of feelings as the source of theology over the Bible. Soon enough, we expect a forensic exam of Schleiermacher.

For Theology Proper (locus 2), Prof. Reymond lists with gentle, exegetical glosses the OT texts that predict the Messiah’s Advent.

For Ecclesiology (locus 6), Prof. Berkhof begins to discuss the “attributes” of the Church, contrasting Rome’s view that the hierarchy of the church defines her while Protestants incline to stressing the invisible nature. He has moved the ball up the field much.

For Apostolic Christianity, Vol. 1 (0-100) Prof. Schaff discusses the synagogue in Jewish life. There was mandatory reading classes, weekly instruction and it was local. The Temple was the culmination of Jewish life and worship with three annual visits. Earlier, the Prof. noted that 1 million would flock to Jerusalem for the Passover.

For Medieval Christianity, Vol. 4 (590-1073), Prof. Schaff continues his discussion of Mohammed’s character.

For the Swiss Reformation Vol. 8 (1519-1605), Prof. Schaff begins his discussion of Calvin’s importance by a summary of Luther, Zwingli, and Calvin. Calvin was a “theologian,” a “premier theologian” as Melanchthon noted. Melancthon and Calvin remained cordial and were in correspondence despite theological differences—predestination, free will, and the Eucharist.

For Dr. Cranmer, Prof. MacCulloch discusses Dr. Cranmer’s early years at Jesus College (19). It took him 8 years to get a 4-year BA. That is, 1511. Two theories: (1) Cranmer was slow or (2) family issues. Maybe both. We’ll note later that he was in the bottom third of his class while Latimer was in the top third. The anonymous biographer cites Cranmer’s 40-year old memory that a lecturer was incompetent on some things and that he skipped off difficult topics. Sophistry, logic and philosophy were the staple-topics for the BA. Dr. Cranmer preserved his text-books in his library—his library was stocked with medieval scholastic texts.

EDT on Princeton Theology: Dr. Noll comments on Archibald Alexander, 1772-1851. The Hodges and Warfields worked out the preliminary principles of Alexander: Reformed Theology, orthodoxy, and Biblical authority. Also, they worked reason as a tool for exegesis and theology. They stressed experimental piety without enthusiasm. Alexander had been an itinerant evangelist in Virginia, a Professor at Hampden-Sydney College, and served as a Pastor of Pine Street Presbyterian Church before arriving at Princeton in 1812. As such, Dr. Noll thinks he brought a warm and depth with perhaps greater insights to humanity.

For the Creeds of Christendom, 1.164, Prof. Schaff believes that the Immaculate Conception virtually put the worship of a sinless woman in the place of worshipping Christ. Also, Infalliblism installed a man-God in Rome for the God-Man in heaven.

Westminster Larger Catechism 127:

Q. 127. What is the honor that inferiors owe to their superiors?
A. The honor which inferiors owe to their superiors is, all due reverence in heart, word, and behavior; prayer and thanksgiving for them; imitation of their virtues and graces; willing obedience to their lawful commands and counsels; due submission to their corrections; fidelity to, defense, and maintenance of their persons and authority, according to their several ranks, and the nature of their places; bearing with their infirmities, and covering them in love, that so they may be an honor to them and to their government.