Reformed Churchmen

We are Confessional Calvinists and a Prayer Book Church-people. In 2012, we remembered the 350th anniversary of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer; also, we remembered the 450th anniversary of John Jewel's sober, scholarly, and Reformed "An Apology of the Church of England." In 2013, we remembered the publication of the "Heidelberg Catechism" and the influence of Reformed theologians in England, including Heinrich Bullinger's Decades. For 2014: Tyndale's NT translation. For 2015, John Roger, Rowland Taylor and Bishop John Hooper's martyrdom, burned at the stakes. Books of the month. December 2014: Alan Jacob's "Book of Common Prayer" at: http://www.amazon.com/Book-Common-Prayer-Biography-Religious/dp/0691154813/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417814005&sr=8-1&keywords=jacobs+book+of+common+prayer. January 2015: A.F. Pollard's "Thomas Cranmer and the English Reformation: 1489-1556" at: http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Cranmer-English-Reformation-1489-1556/dp/1592448658/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1420055574&sr=8-1&keywords=A.F.+Pollard+Cranmer. February 2015: Jaspar Ridley's "Thomas Cranmer" at: http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Cranmer-Jasper-Ridley/dp/0198212879/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422892154&sr=8-1&keywords=jasper+ridley+cranmer&pebp=1422892151110&peasin=198212879

Friday, June 27, 2014

27 June 363 AD. Julian the Apostate & Eternal Reprobate Dies. Churches Rejoice.


27 June 363 AD.  Julian the Apostate Dies.  Churches Rejoice.

Dr. Rusten tells the story.  Rusten, E. Michael and Rusten, Sharon. The One Year Christian History. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2003. Available at: http://www.amazon.com/The-Year-Christian-History-Books/dp/0842355073/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1393302630&sr=8-1&keywords=rusten+church+history

It was a happy day for Christians when the Roman Emperor, Julian the Apostate, died.  Good, he’s been dispatched to meet His Maker and Judge for further disposition.

Julian was born in 331 AD.  He was the nephew of Constantine the Great (CG), the liberator of Christians from imperial persecutions and the one legitimating Christianity as a legal religion.

Julian was 6 when CG died.  The Empire went to 3 of CG’s sons: Constantine II, Constans, and Constantius.  After a series of internal wars, Constantius emerged as the Emperor.

Julian received a Christian education.  He was baptized. He was even elected to be a lector, or, reader, in the Church.  But, he believed his Christian teachers were hypocrites. He also didn't like Christian austerity.

Julian went to Athens.  He was schooled in Homer, Plato and Aristotle.  He privately embraced the Greek pantheon.  He told a confidant that he conversed (sounds like a TFO talking to the dead) with Jupiter, Minerva, Apollo and Hercules.  He concealed these commitments. He was a Great Necromancer like John Henry Newman, consorting with familiar spirits.

In 356, Emperor Constantius made Julian the Governor of Gaul.  Constantius was in Constantinople and threatened from the East by the Persian.  He ordered Julian to give aid from Gaul, but Julian was averse to the order, and the Army mutinied and declared Julian the Emperor.  Constantius died before a Civil War developed.

As an Emperor, Julian set about to restore ancient paganism, necromancy, restoration of heavy and punitive taxes on Christians, removal of Christians from military and government offices, prohibition of Christians from teaching, the reopening of pagan temples and the restoration of pagan sacrifices.  He was all-in as an Anti-Christ, anti-Gospeller, anti-Bible and anti-Christian.  Sounds like the clerics at the Council of Trent, but we digress.

After 8 years of abusive rule, he went to war against the Persians.  He died as a result of received wounds. The Army elected Jovian as the replacement.

When news of Julian’s death was received, the church were thankful.

Daniel 4.17: “The Most High rules over the kingdoms of the world and given them to anyone He chooses.”

Sources

Frend. The Rise of Christianity. 593-617.

Norman, J.G.G. “Julian the Apostate.” NIDCC. 555.

Schaff.  History of the Christian Church. 3: 41-60.

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