Theodore Beza

Theodore Beza (Theodore de Beze or de Besze) (June 24, 1519 - October 13, 1605) was a French Protestant Christian theologian and scholar who played an important role in the early Reformation. He was closely associated with Calvinism. He lived most of his adult life in Switzerland.

The Colloquy of Mumpelgart

The last polemical conflict of importance Beza

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encountered from the exclusive Lutherans was at

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the Colloquy of Mumpelgart, Mar. 14-27,

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1586, to which he had been invited by the Lutheran

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Count Frederick of Württemberg at the wish of the

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French noblemen who had fled to Mumpelgart.

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As a matter of course the intended union which

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was the purpose of the colloquy was not brought

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about; nevertheless it called forth serious

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developments within the Reformed Church.

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When the

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edition of the acts of the colloquy, as prepared

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by J. Andrea, was published, Samuel Huber, of

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Burg near Bern, who belonged to the

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Lutheranizing faction of the Swiss

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clergy, took so great offense at the

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supralapsarian doctrine of predestination

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propounded at Mumpelgart

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by Beza and Musculus that he felt

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it to be his duty to denounce Musculus to the

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magistrates of Bern as an innovator in doctrine.

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To adjust the matter, the magistrates arranged a

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colloquy between Huber and Musculus (Sept. 2,

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1587), in which the former represented the

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universalism, the latter the particularism, of grace.

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As the colloquy was resultless, a debate was

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arranged at Bern, Apr. 15-18, 1588, at which the

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defense of the accepted system of doctrine was

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at the start put into Beza's hands. The three

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delegates of the Helvetic cantons who presided at

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the debate declared in the end that Beza had

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substantiated the teaching propounded at

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Mumpelgart as the orthodox one, and Huber was

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dismissed from his office.

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