What do you think?
Rate this book
The Reformation In England, Volume 1 of 2
Dr Merle d'Aubigne (1794-1872) devoted a lifetime to the study of the Reformation. His Spiritual insight remains unsurpassed.
476 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1866
8 people are currently reading
107 people want to read
About the author
Jean-Henri Merle d'Aubigné
522 books16 followersJean-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)
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)
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
February 11, 2024
Obviously, this nineteenth-century history of the English Reformation is dated and would not meet modern standards of objectivity, but it is a useful overview of the period. Merle d'Aubigné, unlike most academic historians, was a very clear writer. He also references some useful primary sources, which are worth consulting.
December 27, 2024
Wonderful. History, as it should be written.
April 15, 2020
This book is wonderful and it fully deserved this re-read. Which yes, it is a re-read because I first bought and read this...back in 2016, as a birthday present to myself, I believe! Anyway, this is volume one of a two-volume set put out by Banner of Truth, extracted from D'Aubigne's much more voluminous volumes on church history (originally published in the 19th century). I hesitate to know what to say about this work. It is utterly marvelous, although surely I am a bit biased because this book just hits all the right marks for me. I love reading about true, real-life history...I love reading about the work of God in our world...and yes I love a good narrative well told. And this book contains all of the above. It speeds through the first ten or so centuries after Christ, showing the rise of the church in Britain and its eventual submission to Rome (the Roman church, that is)...before eventually slowing down a bit to show the build-up to the actual Reformation in England (early 16th century). This volume ends with the fall of Cardinal Wolsey (the most ardent and powerful defender of the Roman church in England, to be sure) and the seeds have been planted for Henry VIII to break away from the Roman church and to start his own, with himself at the head. What I truly loved about this book was that it wasn't a dry book written by an impartial author. This author is very much partial (and honestly, if you're coming at this from a Roman Catholic perspective, you will most likely be greatly aggravated by some of his phrasings) and very much passionate for the kingdom of God. Honestly though? That's what I want and love to see in a book like this. The author is oh so aware of the power of God and the fact that His church is not built by men, but by God Himself, through the work of the Holy Spirit using the very Word of God. The author is passionate for God, passionate for His Word, and oh so delighted as he chronicles the work of God during these times. The author takes great pains to point out that no matter the fact that Henry VIII made some political decisions (surely not with pure religious motivations!) to break away from Rome, this was not the Reformation. The Reformation was already going on (and had been going on!) with men and women and children being exposed to the truths of the Scripture and realizing that salvation was not dependent on adhering to the Roman Catholic practices, oh no - salvation comes from faith in Christ alone, no earthly mediator required. But the author doesn't overly focus on either the religious events or the political ones. He will spend a few chapters outlining the political maneuverings in Europe and England (and oh were my eyes opened to see the underhanded tactics used...21st century politics has nothing on 16th century politics!) and then he'll spend a few chapters talking about the religious awakenings and work of the Spirit in enlivening souls, in colleges and cities both. So many brave men and women of the faith were discussed, from Bilney and Fryth to Tyndale and Latimer. It was horrifying to see the persecution these people underwent (from being locked in dungeons to torture to literal burnings at the stake) but it also fired my heart anew with passion for my Lord. We all live such soft and easy lives in comparison - oh that we were more thrilled with the work of our Lord and to live in accordance to His will at all times. To see these Christians (men, women, children all!) sacrifice everything for their Lord - are we called to less? Assuredly not. But I wander far afield. Simply put, this book is magnificent and I would ask you all to read - to remember the deeds of the Lord and be encouraged that even to this day, He is yet working. I can't wait for Volume II.
September 5, 2025
This first of a two volume history of the Reformation in England by d"Aubigne is a fast paced and easy to read account which is excellent all 'round. Volume 1 is divided into four books, each ranging from eleven to sixteen chapters and covering aspects of English history from the 2nd to the 16th century. The work follows three streams of thought: the political/religious controversy between King Henry VIII and the pope of Rome; the spiritual developments in England from the 2nd century forward and especially the 16th century influence of the Reformation on the continent; and biographical sketches of key personalities (John Wycliffe, Henry VIII, Catherine of Aragorn, Anne Boleyn, William Tyndale, Archbishop Wolsey, Pope Clement VII and others).
In light of these three streams, the book will be compelling for anyone interested in political intrigue, or religious influence and how religion impacts nations, or church/state relations, or brief biographical sketches, or martyrology. I had the impression before reading volume one of d'Aubigne's history, that martyrdoms were rare in England until the reign of 'Bloody Mary'—but this is not accurate. d'Aubigne observed, at the close of this volume, that "the father of this church in England was not Henry VIII . . . he was not 'the father of the reformation of England' as some have observed, but it's executioner" and "in it's renovation the church became a church of martyrs." One will have to read the book to learn why he concluded volume one of his history in this way.
In light of these three streams, the book will be compelling for anyone interested in political intrigue, or religious influence and how religion impacts nations, or church/state relations, or brief biographical sketches, or martyrology. I had the impression before reading volume one of d'Aubigne's history, that martyrdoms were rare in England until the reign of 'Bloody Mary'—but this is not accurate. d'Aubigne observed, at the close of this volume, that "the father of this church in England was not Henry VIII . . . he was not 'the father of the reformation of England' as some have observed, but it's executioner" and "in it's renovation the church became a church of martyrs." One will have to read the book to learn why he concluded volume one of his history in this way.
January 20, 2021
This is an indepth history of the reformation in England (as the name suggests).
There are many characters and names and sometimes I did get lost. The good thing is that the chapters are relatively short, so even if you are totally lost in one chapter, you can persevere to the end.
The key point here that the author tries to show is that the reformation in England was in a way quite independent of the reformation on the continent. Often we attribute Luther with all the credit for the reformation, but Aubigne shows that even long before the reformation there were many pre-reformation figures in England.
He also shows that King Henry had little to do (in a positive way) with the reformation, but rather it was those who were faithful to the Scriptures in England.
There are many characters and names and sometimes I did get lost. The good thing is that the chapters are relatively short, so even if you are totally lost in one chapter, you can persevere to the end.
The key point here that the author tries to show is that the reformation in England was in a way quite independent of the reformation on the continent. Often we attribute Luther with all the credit for the reformation, but Aubigne shows that even long before the reformation there were many pre-reformation figures in England.
He also shows that King Henry had little to do (in a positive way) with the reformation, but rather it was those who were faithful to the Scriptures in England.
June 12, 2024
Not satisfied with the view of those willing to owe the reformation of the English church to the work of men, d’Aubigné endeavours to illustrate the workings of God - and not least God’s word - in his volume. Of particular significance in his history are the stories of pious and martyred men and women which he weaves throughout, demonstrating through their lives God’s taking part in this reformation.
Depriving this volume of a higher rating is the reliability of its historical narrative, which is dated, and often not in line with modern scholarship. Though not sufficient cause to avoid this book, certainly I wouldn’t use this volume as an historical reference
Depriving this volume of a higher rating is the reliability of its historical narrative, which is dated, and often not in line with modern scholarship. Though not sufficient cause to avoid this book, certainly I wouldn’t use this volume as an historical reference
January 20, 2018
I knew Henry VIII couldn't obtain a divorce permit from the Pope, but I never knew exactly why. This book devotes chapter upon chapter to the Henry VIII's divorce (and its geopolitical implications) and although it sounds dull, the brief chapters and conversational prose make it a great read. D’Aubigné depicts Wolsey as the central villain—to an extent that seems implausible—but this is excusable because it makes the story a thrill. This volume concludes with Wolsey's death and Thomas More's ascent to power. In other words, there's still a long way to go. But I look forward to volume two.
August 2, 2019
Anything and everything I've seen from Banner of Truth Trust has had a strident, over-the-top anti-Catholic bias. At least it's more than clearly stated, however. So dredging up Merle d'Aubigne from the murky depths is quite consistent.
Unless your mind is made up and you consider such as Fox's Book of Martyrs top-notch, meticulous history, go for a balanced assessment such as the monumental The Reformation in England, by Philip Hughes.
Unless your mind is made up and you consider such as Fox's Book of Martyrs top-notch, meticulous history, go for a balanced assessment such as the monumental The Reformation in England, by Philip Hughes.
April 28, 2020
Pregnant with celestial fire.
August 25, 2024
This is a fascinating 19th century account. Looking forward to volume 2 and the other biographies I picked up because of it (3 Thomases—Cromwell, More, & Wolsey).
October 17, 2010
Standard work on the reformation. Superb
August 14, 2012
Good take on the messiness of the reformation.
December 30, 2013
Volume 1 is an excellent popular history of the pretext to the Reformation.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews