HISTORY OF THE REFORMATION IN THE TIME OF CALVIN (16 Books Now In 1 Complete Volume)

by Jean-Henri Merle d'Aubigné

Merle D’Aubigne published two series of historical works for which he is most famous. The first was The History of the Reformation in the Sixteenth Century, a five volume set containing twenty books and covering every country in Europe and every major figure of that time. He stated, “I believe that the Reformation is a work of God; this must have been already seen. Still, I hope to be impartial in tracing its history. Of the principal Roman Catholic actors in this great drama, for example, of Leo X, Albert of Magdeburg, Charles V, and Doctor Eck—I believe I have spoken more favourably than the greater part of historians have done.” The second series was The History of The Reformation in the Times of Calvin and was originally published as sixteen books bound in eight volumes.
Each volume was published and released as the author completed the books which were contained in that volume. Therefore, each volume (with the exclusion of volume 2) has its own introduction. The volumes were broken down thusly: Volume 1 contained Book 1 and part of 2, Volume 2 contained the remainder of book 2 and all of book 3, Volume 3 contained books 4 and 5, Volume 4 contained books 6 and 7, Volume 5 contained books 8 and 9, Volume 6 contained book 10 and part of 11, Volume 7 contained the remainder of book 11 and all of books 12 and 13, and Volume 8 contained books 14, 15, and 16.

Genres: History, Church History

Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1849

About the author

Jean-Henri Merle d'Aubigné (16 August 1794 – 21 October 1872) was a Swiss Protestant minister and historian of the Reformation.

D'Aubigné was born at Eaux Vives, a neighbourhood of Geneva. A street in the area is named after him. The ancestors of his father, Robert Merle d'Aubigné (1755–1799), were French Protestant refugees. The life Jean-Henri's parents chose for him was in commerce; but in college at the Académie de Genève, he instead decided on Christian ministry. He was profoundly influenced by Robert Haldane, the Scottish missionary and preacher who visited Geneva and became a leading light in Le Réveil, a conservative Protestant evangelical movement of spiritual revival.

When d'Aubigné went abroad to further his education in 1817, Germany was about to celebrate the tercentenary of the Reformation; and thus early he conceived the ambition to write the history of that great epoch. Studying at Berlin University for eight months 1817–1818, d'Aubigne received inspiration from teachers as diverse as J. A. W. Neander and W. M. L. de Wette.

In 1818, d'Aubigné took the post of pastor of the French Protestant church at Hamburg, where he served for five years. In 1823, he was called to become pastor of the Franco-German Brussels Protestant Church and preacher to the court of King William I of the Netherlands of the House of Orange-Nassau.

During the Belgian revolution of 1830, d'Aubigné thought it advisable to undertake pastoral work at home in Switzerland rather than accept an educational post in the family of the Dutch king. The Evangelical Society had been founded with the idea of promoting evangelical Christianity in Geneva and elsewhere, but a need arose for a theological seminary to train pastors. On his return to Switzerland, d'Aubigné was invited to become professor of church history in such a seminary, and he also continued to labor in the cause of evangelical Protestantism. In him the Evangelical Alliance found a hearty promoter. He frequently visited England, was made a D.C.L. v Oxford University, and received civic honours from the city of Edinburgh. He died suddenly in 1872.

The first portion of d'Aubigne's Histoire de la Reformation – History of the Reformation of the Sixteenth Century – which was devoted to the earlier period of the movement in Germany, i.e., Martin Luther's time, at once earned a foremost place among modern French ecclesiastical historians, and was translated into most European languages. The second portion, The History of the Reformation in Europe in the Time of Calvin, dealing with reform in the French Reformer's sphere, exhaustively treats the subject with the same scholarship as the earlier work, but the second volume did not meet with the same success.

Among minor treatises authored by d'Aubigné, the most important are his vindication of the character and the aims of Oliver Cromwell, and his sketch of the trends of the Church of Scotland.

(From Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Morris · Rating 3 out of 5]

If the phrase "the polemics of the sixteenth century" means nothing to you, this book will immerse you in the Protestant side (emotions and arguments).

Nothing is sharper than Luther's running "commentary" on the text of his excommunication (p. 231).

Another great anecdote is the account of a "Saxon nobleman, who had heard Tetzel at Leipsic" and bought a pardon from him for a sin that he had "an intention of committing." The sin? Robbing Tetzel on his way out of town. (p. 91)

Luther's sermon, preached while on his way to Worms and in the church of the Augustinians at Erfurth, where he "had been accustomed in former times to unclose the doors and sweep out the church," is on pp.235-6.

A very long read, and one which I can take only in small doses, since I hope the polemics of the 16th century give way to "one, holy, catholic and apostolic church," by the grace of the Holy Spirit.

(Page numbers are from the edition published in London by the Religious Tract Society circa 1846.)

[Wesley Hankins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating view of the reformation

Although not an easy series to read due to the archaic style and antiquated punctuation, every sincere student of church history, and even of secular history, should consider the excellent, often quoted, insight of this author.
The role played by the Papacy in the major events of history have been too little understood; and in truth, many of the major events in history that seem only secular, will come into clear focus when the role of the Roman Church is discovered below the surface.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this work, D'Aubigne brings to life the start of the Reformation in Europe. To do so, he goes back to the pre-papal days of the catholic church and traces how it became distorted by those who sought power and honor. Reading more like a novel than a book of history, we are with Luther as he is awakened to the gospel, as he is tried, and as he is used to spread the Reformation in Germany. Likewise with Zwingle as he is used to proclaim the gospel in Switzerland. Finally, D'Aubigne takes us to England, beginning with the primitive church in the British isles then providing a brief history of how it became a captive of the Papacy. My only complaint with the book was the amount of detail given to the attempt by Henry VIII to secure divorce. While an important part of the Reformation in England, more attention could have been given to other events. In all, a highly recommended book.

[Caleb Meyers · Rating 4 out of 5]

1 on weight, 2 on logic, 2 on style, 2 on research, 1 affections. 8 out of 10. This book would gain a five star if it didn't focus so much on the magisterial reformation. I did not enjoy the work nearly as much as d'Aubigné's biography of Luther and his history of the Reformation in England. Hopefully Volume 2 will be better.

[wyclif · Rating 3 out of 5]

An expansive, but dated, narrative history of the Protestant Reformation. The prose style is also florid and what you might expect from a 19th-century author. Veers toward hagiography, but useful as a road map of how the Lutheran and Calvinistic Reformation proceeded.

[Husseyhousehold · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read the book in seminary for a Church History course. This book, containing several volumes in one binding (if you get the cheap-skate's PB version), was very instrumental in magnifying the work of the Spirit in the Reformation era in my mind.

Where most historians treat of facts and timelines, here you'll find a faith-building work that presents the events in a well-researched story. The various tales are woven together with the main character being the very Spirit of God, moving in the hearts and minds of familiar and not-so-familiar characters.

There is a wealth of information that is here presented in a way that the reader can trust he's not being lead down the deconstructionist/revisionist track. The author was a historiographer with a faith that is often missing in our skeptical age. What a refreshing notion: history not written by a postmodern mind! A history written with an understanding of "Sacred" vs. the horrible fiction of "Secular" coloring everything black.

[Wesley Hankins · Rating 5 out of 5]

A work well worth reading

This encompassing work on the Reformation should be read by anyone interested in what the world was like in the early 16th century. For the evangelical Christian and for all invested with spiritual insight, this work is a call to sobriety. The works of a fanatical, superstitious, and dedicated religionists may yet again appear with no boundaries. Fanaticism may again raise it’s ashen head joined with fear through a melding of religion and environmental conviction, and good men could, thinking they serve the greater good, decide to help purify the world of all who do not submit to what seems to them an obvious truth.

[Coyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent historical overview of the Reformation, given that it was written in the early 1800s. The prose is fast-paced and vivid, much more like a novel than a history.

[John Lowery · Rating 5 out of 5]

This may be a standard work on the Reformation, but familiarity should not breed contempt. Wonderful stuff