The Decades of Henry Bullinger | 2‑Volume Reformation Commentary Set on History, Doctrine & Church Life | Reformation Heritage Hardcover

by Heinrich Bullinger

Henry Bullinger was one of the most widely esteemed leaders of the Reformed Churches. The Decades was the most famous of the 150 treatises and manuscripts that he wrote. The Decades derives its name from being a series of fifty theological sermons divided into five groups of ten sermons each. Each sermon is a helpful, detailed exposition of an important doctrine. Combined, they encompass the field of theology in a form readable for the typical layperson. These sermons became more popular than Calvin's Institutes in England, and are here reprinted for the first time since 1850, together with a new introduction on Bullinger's life by George Ella and on The Decades by Joel R. Beeke.
Table of
First Decade of Sermons
The Word of God
The Word of God
The Exposition of God's Word
True Faith
The Force of Faith
Justification by Faith
The Apostles' Creed, Articles 1-4
The Apostles' Creed, Articles 5-8
The Apostles' Creed, Articles 9-12
The Love of God and Our Neighbor
Second Decade of Sermons
The Law of Nature and of Men
First and Second Commandments
Third Commandment
Fourth Commandment
Fifth Commandment
Sixth Commandment
Sixth Commandment
Sixth Commandment
Sixth Commandment
Seventh Commandment
Third Decade of Sermons
Eighth Commandment
Eighth Commandment
Eight Commandment
Ninth and Tenth Commandments
Ceremonial Laws of God
Ceremonial Laws of God
Judicial Laws of God
Use, Fulfilling, and Abrogation of the Law
Christian Liberty, Works, and Merits
Sin
Fourth Decade of Sermons
The Gospel
Repentance
God
Creation, Providence, and Predestination
Adoring, Calling Upon, and Serving God
The Son of God Our Lord Jesus Christ
Christ's Kingdom and Priesthood
The Holy Ghost
Angels and Devils
The Reasonable Soul of Man
Fifth Decade of Sermons
The Holy Catholic Church
The Unity of the Church
The Ministry of the Word of God
The Ministry of the Word of God
Prayer to God
The Sacraments
The Sacraments
Holy Baptism
The Lord's Holy Supper
The Institutions of the Church

Genres: Theology

2050 pages, Hardcover

Published January 12, 2021

About the author

Heinrich Bullinger was a Swiss reformer, the successor of Huldrych Zwingli as head of the Zurich church and pastor at Grossmünster. A much less controversial figure than John Calvin or Martin Luther, his importance has long been underestimated; recent research shows that he was one of the most influential theologians of the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century.

Reviews

[Peter Bringe · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is sermonic (being composed of sermons, or at least adapted from sermons) and thorough, going point by point through doctrines of the faith. Bullinger teaches the Bible and makes ample use of the early church fathers in teaching it. He addresses some matters that other authors might not. Not many systematic theologies spend a 90-page chapter on the ceremonial law of the Old Testament. The thoroughness can get a little tedious at times, and the translation is from the 1500s, so the language (while not complicated) is not as smooth or easy as a modern translation could be. I especially liked certain parts, like his sermons on the Ten Commandments.

Here are a few quotes from the book:

“And in the making of heaven and earth he hath declared the great love that he beareth to mankind. For when as yet they were not, neither were able with deserts and good turns to provoke God to do them any good; then God first of his own mere and natural goodness made heaven and earth, a most excellent and beautiful palace, and gave it them to dwell in, putting under man’s dominion all the creatures of this whole world.”

“For what is he, though he were the wisest, the cunningest, and diligentest writer of the natural history, that leaveth not many things untouched for the posterity to labour in, and beat their brains about? … The most wise Lord will always have witty men, that are enriched with heavenly gifts, to be always occupied and evermore exercised in the searching out and setting forth the secrets of nature and of the creation.”

“Let the father instruct his children in manners. We all from our birth are clownish and rude; and all children have unseemly and uncivil manners: which evil is made double as much by evil custom and clownish company.”

“For the Lord hath in no place forbidden mirth, joy, and the sweet use of wealth, so far forth that nothing be done undecently, unthankfully, or unrighteously.”

“Let the husband be the head of the wife, to wit, her adviser and counsellor, her ruler and guide, her sweet yokefellow and admonisher in all her affairs, her assured aid and faithful defender. Let the wife be obedient unto her husband, even as we see the members obey the head: let her yield herself to her husband to be ruled and governed; let her not despise his honest counsels and indifferent commandments. Let them think that they twain are one body, or the members of one body. … Such a mutual knitting together, and working, and love, and charity, and good-will, and fellowship, let there be betwixt man and wife.”

“We must think that the kingdom of heaven and the other special gifts of God are not as the hire that is due to servants, but as the inheritance of the sons of God.”

“And therefore, when God's mind was to declare the favour and good-will that he bare to mankind, and to make us men partakers wholly of himself and his goodness, by pouring himself out upon us, to our great good and profit, it pleased him to make a league or covenant with mankind. Now he did not first begin the league with Abraham, but did renew to him the covenant that he had made a great while before. For he did first of all make it with Adam, the first father of us all, immediately upon his transgression, when he received him, silly wretch, into his favour again, and promised his only-begotten Son, in whom he would be reconciled to the world, and through whom he would wholly bestow himself upon us, by making us partakers of all his good and heavenly blessings, and by binding us unto himself in faith and due obedience. This ancient league, made first with Adam, he did afterward renew to Noah, and after that again with the blessed patriarch Abraham. And again, after the space of four hundred years, it was renewed under Moses at the mount Sinai, where the conditions of the league were at large written in the two tables, and many ceremonies added there-unto. But most excellently of all, most clearly and evidently, did our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ himself shew forth that league; who, wiping away all the ceremonies, types, figures, and shadows, brought in instead of them the very truth, and did most absolutely fulfill and finish the old league, bringing all the principles of our salvation and true godliness into a brief summary, which, for the renewing and fulfilling of all things, and for the abrogation of the old ceremonies, he called the new league, or new testament."

[James Horgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finished the first volume in this edition which contains the first three decades.

Bullinger takes a biblical theological approach a number of doctrinal topics. I can see why this was required reading for Elizabethan Church of England ministers as it would have taught them both to read the whole of the Bible and to think Biblically.

The edition is preceded by a somewhat odd essay by George Ella who, for his own reasons, wants to drive a wedge between Bullinger and Calvin. The casual reader would instead find Bullinger referring approvingly to Calvin in his work.

The Decades were originally a set of sermons or talks probably given to theological students in Zurich. As they went on so did Bullinger to triple the length, producing two hour talks (and the rest). They are helpful and encouraging and show us, refreshingly, that we still find the same truths in the Bible now as then.

As one would expect Bullinger is plain and forceful on the depth of our sin and the greatness of the redemption we have in Christ. This needs to be at the heart of our lives and in our churches.

Bullinger is somewhat soft on when the obligations of Christian subjects to ungodly rulers reach breaking point. But no doubt that enabled the work to pass the censorship of Elizabeth I. Those chapters aside the rest of the work is robust.

Overall, good wholesome reading for those who want to know what the Reformers taught. Nothing feeble-minded or wishy-washy about them.

[Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great mix of church history, Reformed systematic theology, and edifying sermons that are still relevant to today's readers.

Bullinger is a fascinating combination of a leader with strong convictions, but an equal amount of grace applied to others. He is a person we could all emulate!