Christian Missiology  

Why Japan was Evangelized so Late and so Little?

Didn’t God Love Japan?

Proof of Human Freewill

by

Jonathan Ramachandran

 free PDF link for this paper:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1sm9WRFFh-KmonWj8kdCRikORSqCOyhTO/view?usp=sharing

TQ

1.0  Questions to Ponder

Some have asked me, Why don’t you be a pastor or missionary? I have applied to ministry works but got rejected because I don’t risk myself  with modern Pentecostal way of “speaking in tongues” (but am neutral toward those who do, let God Judge), I believe in “Non Elect Salvation” as possibility (not doctrine) due to first Christianity evidences presented in other papers (which some use to discriminate me further) and also I speak up against “Prosperity Gospel” (which also makes easy theological enemies) apart from other doctrines such as I don’t believe in women pastors as per all protestant founders as shown in #DoctrineBook with published proof (and let those who believe in women pastors practice out of freewill and let God Judge one day which is more accurate).

Also I have never taken a salary for missionary work and neither for theology work so those who work as missionaries and theology must be more accurate since they are paid, fair?

Also I pointed some disciplinary errors of some Pentecostal leaders whom their own accreditation organisation are investigating when their error affected me and so I did nothing out of my own authority (but if other Pentecostals don’t like it, why not they speak up against their own “accreditation organisation” which is investigating it? And this means I did it within ‘their own version of Christian Law’).

Why all these is important? Doctrinal accuracy shines in higher heavens level compared to lower stars level for converting many as Daniel 12:3 prophesies and Church Fathers taught likewise. So nothing to be worried about since if you turned out more right on more doctrines, then you will shine brighter as a Christian and vice versa, fair, right?

Only when we take into account all these we can say that we’re fulfilling the “Great Commission” fully because Christ did not just say “make disciples” (i.e. converts) but also Said in this same Bible Verse “20teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you;” (Matthew 28:20, NKJV).

Also “Justice” part (where I complained against wrongdoing) is as important as “Righteousness” (living holy) to give “All Glory” to God as it is also Written, “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne;” (Psalm 89:14, NKJV) and for “Leaders/Pastors etc.” it is to be done publicly (1 Timothy 5:20) so I followed Bible Verses in this, do you?

Regarding past sins, some of your own Pentecostal leaders have terrible pasts, right? Ask and see. So that part is forgiven and judged already so no one is talking about that. Shalom.

Motto: Don’t study and write only when it’s for getting a degree, masters or phD but even if it’s aimed at none of these. Will we study Bible, Church History and related fields if there’s no money nor certificate to be earned? Therefore, this paper is written formally (while my other pdfs written in an informal style in free downloadable books*) to demonstrate personal lifelong learning and promote critical thinking in these areas. The things we do for money are for a living but the things we do for free (Charity Doctrine in Gospel things too) reveals our heart as Christ Said, “33“Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves money belts that do not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near nor does a moth destroy. 34For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Luke 12:33 – 34, NASB). For those who say otherwise, ask them back this, does the Love of God only do things when indirect love offerings, money through paid courses or degrees are to be earned? Which Bible Verse? This is not to brag around but to put forth a point to think about since these words judge me too. Thank you for reading this!

*Free download links can be found in last pages of free pdf below including my music compositions (as of 13 August 2024) of this “Non Elect Salvation Possibility”:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mk5aYTc7pyQKb9f5Pn8NiQpZjfh-O0w5/view?usp=sharing

My #ORCID link: https://orcid.org/0009-0008-4669-1077 (more free Gospel related thoughts and research pdfs and their links in “works” section).

Note: Regarding font styles, spacings and some other rules, these are all man-made and it’s good to follow when submitting to an institution or journal but are of no big deal when written in a free speech manner like this.

2.0 Table of Contents

Questions to Ponder .………………………………………………………………. 1     

Reflection ……………………………………………………………………….…… 4

Introduction ………………………………………………………………..………… 4

St. Francis Xavier as First Missionary to Japan ………………………………… 6

Modern Christianity in Japan ………………….…………………………………… 8

Conclusion …………………………………………………………………………. 11

Bibliography ………………………………………………………………………… 14

Appendix (Church Father quotes on FreeWill) …………………………………. 16

FreeWill Conclusion ……………………………………………………………….. 27

3.0 Reflection

Moravians were of a mix of beliefs but they focused on agreeing on some basic tenets and did evangelism together. This caused church growth and the people had some choice in regards to which extra beliefs suited them best. John Wesley was a product of this movement and caused great revival. The best way to learn what say an anointed man like John Wesley taught is to read his writings directly and emulate his faith in a private way (Hebrews 13:7) even if others oppose some aspects of it.

4.0 Introduction

Japan is a bit of a secular country on the outside but is religious on the inside by rule of tradition. This means most Japanese practice religion out of a rule of tradition in order to maintain harmony with nature as well as promote health and wealth type of prosperity. They hope that by practising their religion, they would have good health and be able to continue earning the money by their hardworking lifestyle which in turn can finance their secular enjoyment lifestyle in regard to food, luxury, holidays, materialistic things since it’s an expensive place to live in generally and much money is needed. According to the US government report in 2020, the total population of Japan is about 125.5 million out of which we have 88.9 million Shinto followers (48.6 percent), 84.8 million Buddhists (46.3 percent), 1.9 million Christians (1 percent), and 7.4 million adherents of other religious groups (4 percent) [1].

The name St. Francis Xavier (7 April 1506 – 3 December 1552) is like a Tsunami in missions. This is because ever since the time of the Blessed Apostles, perhaps, not one mission work has been as fruitful as the one led by St. Francis in the land masses of East Indies to Japan even. This golden era of mission lasted for 10 years between 1542 – 1552. St. Francis was of noble birth and was the first Jesuit missionary in the order founded by St. Ignatius of Loyola. King John III and Pope Paul III appointed St. Francis as the apostolic missionary to India [2].

St. Francis founded a college in Goa which educated the youths there as catechists but he didn’t stop there. He visited a particular race nominal Christian race of east Indians namely, Parawians and it is claimed that St. Francis’ work was supported by miracles which helped him establish 45 churches along this fishing coastline. His missionary feats in other places were equally incredible. A key difference is that St. Francis of Xavier was converting in mass numbers in places where there were no adjacent Christian colonies even. One such incident was the conversion 25 000 people in the city of Tolo in the Island of Molo. Not stopping at that, by 1548, St. Francis has converted more than 200 000 heathens along the Eastern Coast from Cape Comorin. Another example, when St. Francis arrived at Travancore it was fully idolatrous but by the time he left it after a few months, it was entirely Christian [3]. 
One of the other rare times this type of incident has occurred was during the times of St. Gregory Thaumaturgus (c. 213 AD – c. 270 AD) who was also known for miracles too (hence the nickname St. Gregory the Wonderworker) of whom St. Basil the Great (c. 330 AD – c. 378 AD) says that when St. Gregory entered Neocaesarea there were only 17 Christians but by the time of his death, there were only 17 pagans (because the whole city has been converted to Christianity) with claims of miracles too [4].

5.0 St. Francis Xavier as First Missionary to Japan

This same St. Francis Xavier was the first Christian missionary to Japan. St. Francis arrived in 1549 with a high ranking Japanese official whom he had baptized at Goa. We know that St. Francis is a seasoned missionary by the time he landed in Japan. His strategy of converting nobility worked and this included a few princes so the natives also followed. The Bonzes (Buddhist monks) were the only ones opposing him. Nevertheless, many Churches were started and St. Francis was aiming for his next country, China. Unfortunately, on 3 December 1552, at age 46, St. Francis Xavier died from a fever. For the Roman Catholics, St. Francis Xavier is called the “Apostle of India and Japan”.

Initially, St. Francis was welcomed in Japan because its leaders were eager to trade with the outside world. So this was not a war and convert type of mission which the Portuguese did in Latin America. St. Francis noticed that there were many of noble birth and so he did something new which is to allow some of the local heathen culture to be retained or assimilated into Christianity and this helped in the conversions. This Society of Jesus to which he belonged to had great missionary success and Nagasaki became the centre of Christian works in Japan. Some local customs were integrated into local Catholicism but of course anything which directly contradicts the tenets of faith had to be discarded. Eventually, when the Japanese leaders changed their worldview that foreigners meant invaders, they turned on the Christians and persecuted and killed them in hordes especially between 1614 AD – 1642 AD which produced thousands of martyrs for Christ [5].

The Jesuits actually travelled much. For example, from Goa, their missionary work visited Malacca (Malaysia) and also Macao (China) before landing on the shores of Japan [6]. The Portuguese played politics as well by noticing that the Japanese were very divided into many nobilities and clans which were fighting against each other. Hence the Portuguese sold firearms to them to win their trust and get trade routes as well as settlements from which they did their missionary work safely [7]. St. Francis did doctrinal debates with the locals including against Buddhist priests and a Japanese convert by the name of Yajiro was responsible for translating all that was necessary for salvation [8]. Some Jesuit missionaries even became vegetarian and wore silk clothes which signified priests and were ready to debate any Buddhist monk [9]. Other cultural adaptations included bathing everyday, wearing clean clothes and housekeeping which were fundamental to Japanese lifestyle [10]. Some feudal lords converted into Christianity and protected the Jesuits purely for monetary reasons to keep their monopoly of the trade treaty with Portugal [11].

The Jesuits followed in St. Francis’ footsteps and Christianity in Japan flourished especially due to the mastery of the local language. In 1581 AD, there were already 200 churches and 150 000 Christians. Jesuits, who had good funding, gave much gifts to the converts. The Jesuits competed with the Buddhists by producing more extravagant Churches and rituals which are adorned with incense, icons, imageries, celibacy, decorated altars and even grand processions on the streets. The Buddhists were plotting to overthrow Christianity. By the end of the 16^th century, there were about 600 000 Christians in Japan. In 1587 AD, Hidejoshi (the effective ruler of Japan) decreed that all foreign missionaries are banned from the country. Initially, the Jesuits stopped all public preaching but some eventually withstood the decree and were crucified as martyrs for Christ. This eventually led to some bloody civil wars that ended in some corrupt truces and practices which eventually led to the end of the Japanese Church [12].

We must understand that the Jesuits were the Catholic’s greatest missionary frontliners and that they evangelized both India and Japan 150 years earlier than any protestant group [13]. One of the reasons for increased persecution was because the Dutch Calvinists (protestants) did not like the Japanese Catholic converts and so they incited the Japanese government to turn on them. These Calvinists made the Japanese government believe that the Jesuits were on a mission to convert Catholics so that Portuguese and Spain can take over Japan. Japanese rulers believed the Dutch. For example, in 1638, the Japanese government itself requested the help of the Dutch to bomb 37 000 who tried to save themselves behind the walls of Simabarra. Thus the Protestants played a crucial role in the demise of the Japanese church and their return to heathenism with such actions [14]. 

6.0 Modern Christianity in Japan

This demise of Christianity in Japan lasted for 2 centuries and the return of Christianity this time included both the Catholics and Protestants together [15] in 1862 via the Amerian’s Harris Trade Treaty [16] with the Japanese which included some conditions on religious freedom. The anti-conversion Law was removed but the public were not aware of it much and the legal permission of Christianity in Japan was only achieved via the Meiji Constitution and it was the Americans who attracted the Japanese toward Christianity with messages of equality, human rights, philanthropy (Charity Doctrine) and democracy [17].  The Protestant missionaries made their presence clear and that they are different from the Catholics but both focused on the medical, educational and social work to encourage conversions via the visible manifestation of the Love of God. This is a Biblical strategy and missions in other places too worked well with this.

An idea sold which was profitable at that time was that for Japanese people to become as successful in the areas of science, military and industrial strength as per the Western people, they need to convert into Christianity. Religion was seen as the reason why the Western people were so successful. So it gave an elevated sense to convert into Christianity as the “elect” since a Japanese can now identify as having them same religion as the greats of the Western world [18]. A problem is that this attracted those who lusted after the wealth and power of the Western civilization to be converted in Protestant Christianity which stands in contrast to the Jesuits who focused on the poor and common people equally [19].

Christianity in 19^th century Japan flourished when missionaries opened schools (both public and private) which helped the Japanese people to get to know them better with personal relationships coupled with the newfound interest of learning about the Western civilization [20]. The assimilation of previous belief systems such as chivalry and moral code based on the Bushido and Confucianism whilst converting into Christianity helped make Christianity attractive especially in light of the Puritanism movement which sometimes proved a higher level of morality among the missionaries which was respected [21]. During this period, homegrown Protestant theologians of Japanese descent flourished and though the Catholics tried to open their own theological schools, they generally failed to attract the intellectuals [22]. 

By the end of the 19^th century, the Protestant Churches in Japan faced some opposition from the government as well as was introduced into something called “New Theology” which is basically liberal theology by the German mission and American Unitarians. Some theological discussions went as far as questioning the miracles as well as the virgin birth and resurrection of Christ Himself! Due to this, many of the intellectuals and educated class left the church since they  assumed that all these questioned the authenticity of Christianity [23].

In the 20^th century, Japan was at war with Korea and colonized it thinking that it was its moral duty to do so to educate them including being their spiritual leaders [24]. During this time period, Koreans viewed Christianity as a uniting force to fight against Japanese imperialism while the Japanese viewed Christianity as originated from its worst Western enemies [25].

When Japan lost the world war II, evangelism was a little successful between 1945 – 1947 because allied forces supported Christian missions. However, the effects of the recent world war cannot be undone as anti-American sentiments grew among intellectuals and academicians so churches ceased to attract converts [26]. Some Japanese theologians were apologizing for the war while others were locked in Karl Bath’s theology of pacifism. Japanese Barthians became more focused on the word of God from an inward point of view and ceased to engage in social and political issues. They did not engage in social justice but rather just kept aloof and found themselves only dealing with things which happens inside the church [27].

The Church was not critical toward the imperialism and colonialism and there was a popular phrase which is often quoted to describe Japanese theologians during this time period namely, “many of them did only theology as though nothing had happened” [28] and the influence of Barth is accused for such a philosophical thought. The efforts of reconciling with the other churches in Asia itself failed because not enough work was put into it. Pacifism has affected all denominations of Christianity in Japan as they see the state as separate from religion today and hence refuse to engage in the political and social spheres aggressively. All these have affected evangelism in Japan negatively till today [29].

7.0 Conclusion

A distinctive feature of St. Francis Xavier’s missionary work is that he never remained in one locality or one country only but moved around. The claims of miracles is difficult to accept as a protestant since it’s done by a Roman Catholic who prayed to Virgin Mary and was on the opposite side when Martin Luther’s reformation was as its peak. Perhaps we can learn something deeper here, namely that though St. Francis’ missionary work converted many and even had claims of miracles and all that, in comparison, Martin Luther’s reformation efforts were focused on doctrinal accuracy and did not have any miracles and all that. Similarly in modern times, even Christians easily get wooed by claims of miracles and join certain denominations easily because of such experiences but at the same time are not moved by doctrinal accuracy points if they are presented in black and white like Luther’s.

Number of converts is a great thing and it has the final reward of “stars” level of glory only unless it is accompanied by greater doctrinal accuracy only then, it will attain the greater “heavens” level final reward and glory levels as prophesied in Daniel 12:3 [30]. So a missionary work which focuses not just on conversion but also teaching the new Christian converts how to maximize heavenly reward via New Testament Charity Doctrine for “treasure in heaven” [31] and likewise “New Testament Traditions” too will represent a wholistic evangelistic work especially in the area of “crowning” [32] beyond just “being saved even so by fire” with no rewards for the worst level among the saved ones [33].

St. Francis’ establishment of college is significant because it ensures a continuity of biblical knowledge to be shared in a locality even when he dies. The monetary support given by the Portuguese and Spanish governments helped the Jesuits to bestow gifts to new converts in Japan which helped counter the Buddhist monk’s oppositions. The strategy of assimilating some of the local Japanese culture into the local Catholic Churches deferred conflict and attracted more believers. Usually when a high ranking official or nobility in an area is converted to Christianity, it’s easier to convert others in that same vicinity. The psychological battle of outward displays of religiosity by showing the people that Catholicism is vibrant with colours, rituals, imageries and functional religious acts beyond just praying and listening to a sermon helped make it more attractive than Buddhism.

Modern churches have realized this and introduced even secular ideas such as music, dance, arts and other physical activities such as sports too in their premises or via their organization in order to attract more potential converts. We must take note that St. Francis’ mission was the first time in entire Christian history that Japan is hearing the Gospel [34].

This fact itself has created theological issues the most common of which are these questions for us to ponder together, “Why God did not take interest in saving Japanese souls prior to the 16^th century? And did all the unlearnt go to Hell (or at least the majority)? Did God pre-ordain not one Japanese to receive salvation till this time? or Did God allow freewill as a choice even in missions which can explain that the Gospel spreads only as much as we as a Church are willing to work together and fund missionary works?” and if only Protestants are saved then not only the Japanese are not reached yet (so late in time) but those praying to Virgin Mary type Roman Catholic Japanese converts who died as martyrs and all that also are all unsaved?

In regard to Protestantism, similar strategies of assimilating with local culture instead of totally discarding it also helped in the spread of Christianity in Japan initially. This was boosted with the change of hostile policies toward Christianity allowing more and more religious freedom.

Protestant missionaries emphasized on the wealth and power display of the West as well as highlighted their supremacy in science, technology and industry which attracted some converts. Next, came in the intellectual period of liberal theology as well as theologians who caused many to stumble from their faith when they started questioning the supernatural occurrences in the Bible.

During the period of intense intellectual growth and thinking in Christian theology by Japanese theologians, the world wars happened which biased these thoughts toward repentance, apologies and the end result here was pacifism. Too afraid to repeat any mistakes of the past, Japanese churches turned inward and only focused on its internal activities and did not even engage in the local political and social sphere. All this resulted in lesser evangelism and caused the number of Christians to drop to the low levels which we see today.

So if there were to be a new successful mission into Japan, the churches must go in to overcome each of the challenges listed here as well as adapt to the current generation’s worldview and influence them back to the tenets of the Gospel including the ones which makes the church practical in real life by engaging actively even in the social sphere at least for the betterment of human life here.

8.0 Bibliography

Arimichi Ebisawa & Saburo Ouchi. Nihon Kirisuto Ky shi. [Christian History in Japan]. Tokyo: Nihon Kirisuto Kyodan, 1970.

Arthur, Jim. Church History, A Survey. Self Published (January 2004, USA).
Available online: https://www.judeministries.org/downloads/churchHistory.pdf
(15 August 2024).

Bible. Unless noted, all Scripture is taken from the New King James Version (NKJV). Nashville: Published by Thomas Nelson, 1996, c1982. NKJV and other translations used are available online: https://biblehub.com (12 August 2024).

Birkhaeuser, J. A. (Reverend). History of the Church from its First Establishment to our Own Times. Designed for the Use of Ecclesiastical Seminaries and Colleges. Sixth Ed. Published by Fr. Pustet and Co., New York & Cincinnati 1899. Available online: https://classicalliberalarts.com/resources/ENR-CHH.pdf (14 August 2024).

C. R. Boxer. The Christian Century in Japan 1549–1650. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1951.

Dohi, Akio. Nihon Protesutanto Kirisuto Ky shi. [History of Protestantism in Japan]. 5th ed. Tokyo:  Shinkyo Shuppan, sha, 2004.

Gonoi, Takashi. Nihon Kirisuto Ky shi. [Christian History in Japan]. Tokyo: Yoshikawa Kobunkan, 1990.

Government Reports (US). 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom: Japan. Available online: https://www.state.gov/reports/2020-report-on-international-religious-freedom/japan/ (14 August 2024).

Inoue, Yoshio. Sengo Kyokaishi to Tomoni. [Along with the Church after the War]. Tokyo: Shinkyo Shuppansha, 1995.

Kurtz, J. H. Church History (Volumes 1-3). Translated by John Macpherson. Produced by Jon Ingram, Richard Hulse and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (17 March 2016). Available online: https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/51491/pg51491-images.html
(14 August 2024).

Mullins, Mark. Perspectives on Christianity in Korea and Japan: The Gospel and Culture in East Asia. Chapter on ‘Christianity Transplanted: Toward a Sociology of Success and Failure’. Ed. By  Mark R. Mullins & Richard Fox Young. Lampeter, Wales: The Edwin Mellen Press, 1995.

Miyazaki, Kentaro. ‘Roman Catholic Mission in Pre-Modern Japan’. In: Handbook of Christianity.  in Japan. Ed. by Mark Mullins. Leiden: Brill, 2003.

Shelley, Bruce L. Church History in Plain Language. 4^th Ed., revised by R. L. Hatchett. Published by Thomas Nelson, Nashville, 2013. Available online: https://uoeldcu.org/site/uploads/docs/Church%20History%20in%20Plain%20Language%20by%20Bruce%20Shelley.pdf (15 August 2024).

Steele, M. William. Handbook of Christianity in Japan. Chapter on ‘Christianity and Politics in Japan’. Ed. by Mark R. Mullins et al. Brill, 2003.

Van Dam, Raymond. Hagiography and History: The Life of Gregory Thaumaturgus. Classical Antiquity, Vol. 1, No. 2 (Oct., 1982). Published by: University of California Press. Available online: https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/211336018.pdf
(14 August 2024).

Wilmer, Haddon. The Blackwell Companion to Political Theology. Chapter on ‘Karl Barth’. Ed. By William T. Cavanaugh et al. Blackwell, 2003.

Yasuo Furuya, ed. A History of Japanese Theology. Grand Rapids MI: Eerdmans.

9.0 Appendix (Church Father quotes on FreeWill)

Quotes below are from this source ( https://uncomplicatedchristianity.com/early-church-fathers-quotes-by-topic/free-will/ ), can be used because it’s just quoting “freely available” Church Father translated writings from famous mentioned sources.

Tatian 

Our free will has destroyed us. We who were free have become slaves. We have been sold through sin. Nothing evil has been created by God. We ourselves have manifested wickedness. But we, who have manifested it, are able to reject it again.”

The Logos, too, before the creation of men, was the Framer of angels. And each of these two orders of creatures was made free to act as it pleased, not having the nature of good, which again is with God alone, but is brought to perfection in men through their freedom of choice, in order that the bad man may be justly punished, having become depraved through his own fault, but the just man be deservedly praised for his virtuous deeds, since in the exercise of his free choice he refrained from transgressing the will of God.

Die to the world, repudiating the madness that is in it. Live to God, and by apprehending Him lay aside your old nature. We were not created to die, but we die by our own fault. Our free-will has destroyed us; we who were free have become slaves; we have been sold through sin. Nothing evil has been created by God; we ourselves have manifested wickedness; but we, who have manifested it, are able again to reject it.

Novatian

And after these things He also placed man at the head of the world, arid man, too, made in the image of God, to whom He imparted mind, and reason, and foresight, that he might imitate God; and although the first elements of his body were earthly, yet the substance was inspired by a heavenly and divine breathing. And when He had given him all things for his service, He willed that he alone should be free. And lest, again, an unbounded freedom should fall into peril, He laid down a command, in which man was taught that there was no evil in the fruit of the tree; but he was forewarned that evil would arise if perchance he should exercise his free will, in the contempt of the law that was given. For, on the one hand, it had behooved him to be free, lest the image of God should, unfittingly be in bondage; and on the other, the law was to be added, so that an unbridled liberty might not break forth even to a contempt of the Giver. – On the Trinity

Irenaeus

And not merely in works, but also in faith, has God preserved the will of man free and under his own control, saying, “According to thy faith be it unto thee; ” thus showing that there is a faith specially belonging to man, since he has an opinion specially his own. And again, “All things are possible to him that believeth; ” and, “Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee.” Now all such expressions demonstrate that man is in his own power with respect to faith. And for this reason, “he that believeth in Him has eternal life while he who believeth not the Son hath not eternal life, but the wrath of God shall remain upon him.” In the same manner therefore the Lord, both showing His own goodness, and indicating that man is in his own free will and his own power, said to Jerusalem, “How often have I wished to gather thy children together, as a hen [gathereth] her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Wherefore your house shall be left unto you desolate.” – Against Heresies, Book IV

God made man a free [agent] from the beginning, possessing his own power, even as he does his own soul, to obey the behests (ad utendum sententia) of God voluntarily, and not by compulsion of God. For there is no coercion with God, but a good will [towards us] is present with Him continually. And therefore does He give good counsel to all. And in man, as well as in angels, He has placed the power of choice (for angels are rational beings), so that those who had yielded obedience might justly possess what is good, given indeed by God, but preserved by themselves. On the other hand, they who have not obeyed shall, with justice, be not found in possession of the good, and shall receive condign punishment: for God did kindly bestow on them what was good; but they themselves did not diligently keep it, nor deem it something precious, but poured contempt upon His super-eminent goodness. Rejecting therefore the good, and as it were spuing it out, they shall all deservedly incur the just judgment of God, which also the Apostle Paul testifies in his Epistle to the Romans, where he says, “But dost thou despise the riches of His goodness, and patience, and long-suffering, being ignorant that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? But according to thy hardness and impenitent heart, thou treasurest to thyself wrath against the day of wrath, and the revelation of the righteous judgment of God.” “But glory and honour,” he says, “to every one that doeth good.” God therefore has given that which is good, as the apostle tells us in this Epistle, and they who work it shall receive glory and honour, because they have done that which is good when they had it in their power not to do it; but those who do it not shall receive the just judgment of God, because they did not work good when they had it in their power so to do. – Against Heresies, Book IV

No doubt, if any one is unwilling to follow the Gospel itself, it is in his power [to reject it], but it is not expedient. For it is in man’s power to disobey God, and to forfeit what is good; but [such conduct] brings no small amount of injury and mischief. And on this account Paul says, “All things are lawful to me, but all things are not expedient;” referring both to the liberty of man, in which respect “all things are lawful,” God exercising no compulsion in regard to him; and [by the expression] “not expedient” pointing out that we “should not use our liberty as a cloak of maliciousness, for this is not expedient….If then it were not in our power to do or not to do these things, what reason had the apostle, and much more the Lord Himself, to give us counsel to do some things, and to abstain from others? But because man is possessed of free will from the beginning, and God is possessed of free will, in whose likeness man was created, advice is always given to him to keep fast the good, which thing is done by means of obedience to God. – Against Heresies, Book IV

But the wheat and the chaff, being inanimate and irrational, have been made such by nature. But man, being endowed with reason, and in this respect like to God, having been made free in his will, and with power over himself, is himself the cause to himself, that sometimes he becomes wheat, and sometimes chaff. Wherefore also he shall be justly condemned, because, having been created a rational being, he lost the true rationality, and living irrationally, opposed the righteousness of God, giving himself over to every earthly spirit, and serving all lusts; as says the prophet, “Man, being in honour, did not understand: he was assimilated to senseless beasts, and made like to them.” – Against Heresies, Book IV

Ignatius

I write to the Churches, and impress on them all, that I shall willingly die for God, unless ye hinder me. I beseech of you not to show an unseasonable good-will towards me. Suffer me to become food for the wild beasts, through whose instrumentality it will be granted me to attain to God. I am the wheat of God, and let me be ground by the teeth of the wild beasts, that I may be found the pure bread of Christ. Rather entice the wild beasts, that they may become my tomb, and may leave nothing of my body; so that when I have fallen asleep [in death], I may be no trouble to any one. Then shall I truly be a disciple of Christ, when the world shall not see so much as my body. Entreat Christ for me, that by these instruments I may be found a sacrifice [to God]. I do not, as Peter and Paul, issue commandments unto you. They were apostles; I am but a condemned man: they were free, while I am, even until now, a servant. But when I suffer, I shall be the freed-man of Jesus, and shall rise again emancipated in Him. And now, being a prisoner, I learn not to desire anything worldly or vain. – To the Romans

Shepherd of Hermas

“Sir, these commandments are great, and good, and glorious, and fitted to gladden the heart of the man who can perform them. But I do not know if these commandments can be kept by man, because they are exceeding hard.” He answered and said to me, “If you lay it down as certain that they can be kept, then you will easily keep them, and they will not be hard. But if you come to imagine that they cannot be kept by man, then you will not keep them. Now I say to you, If you do not keep them, but neglect them, you will not be saved, nor your children, nor your house, since you have already determined for yourself that these commandments cannot be kept by man.” – Book II, Commandments

“If then,” [he said,] “man is lord of all the creatures of God and masters all things, cannot he also master these commandments?” “Aye,” said he, “the man that has the Lord in his heart can master [all things and] all these commandments.”

Justin Martyr (Justin of Rome)

For as in the beginning He created us when we were not, so do we consider that, in like manner, those who choose what is pleasing to Him are, on account of their choice, deemed worthy of incorruption and of fellowship with Him. For the coming into being at first was not in our own power; and in order that we may follow those things which please Him, choosing them by means of the rational faculties He has Himself endowed us with, He both persuades us and leads us to faith. – First Apology

In the beginning He made the human race with the power of thought and of choosing the truth and doing right, so that all men are without excuse before God; for they have been born rational and contemplative. – First Apology

But lest some suppose, from what has been said by us, that we say that whatever happens, happens by a fatal necessity, because it is foretold as known beforehand, this too we explain. We have learned from the prophets, and we hold it to be true, that punishments, and chastisements, and good rewards, are rendered according to the merit of each man’s actions. Since if it be not so, but all things happen by fate, neither is anything at all in our own power. For if it be fated that this man, e.g., be good, and this other evil, neither is the former meritorious nor the latter to be blamed. And again, unless the human race have the power of avoiding evil and choosing good by free choice, they are not accountable for their actions, of whatever kind they be. But that it is by free choice they both walk uprightly and stumble, we thus demonstrate. – First Apology

For not like other things, as trees and quadrupeds, which cannot act by choice, did God make man: for neither would he be worthy of reward or praise did he not of himself choose the good, but were created for this end; nor, if he were evil, would he be worthy of punishment, not being evil of himself, but being able to be nothing else than what he was made.- First Apology

But neither do we affirm that it is by fate that men do what they do, or suffer what they suffer, but that each man by free choice acts rightly or sins; and that it is by the influence of the wicked demons that earnest men, such as Socrates and the like, suffer persecution and are in bonds. – Second Apology

But since God in the beginning made the race of angels and men with free-will, they will justly suffer in eternal fire the punishment of whatever sins they have committed. And this is the nature of all that is made, to be capable of vice and virtue. For neither would any of them be praiseworthy unless there were power to turn to both [virtue and vice]. – Second Apology

For God, wishing both angels and men, who were endowed with freewill, and at their own disposal, to do whatever He had strengthened each to do, made them so, that if they chose the things acceptable to Himself, He would keep them free from death and from punishment; but that if they did evil, He would punish each as He sees fit. –Dialogue with Trypho

Clement of Alexandria

From us, then, are demanded the things which are in our own power, and of the things which pertain to us, both present and absent, the choice, and desire, and possession, and use, and permanence. – The Stromata, or Miscellanies — Book VII

Now sinners are called enemies of God — enemies, that is, of the commands which they do not obey, as those who obey become friends, the one named so from their fellowship, the others from their estrangement, which is the result of free choice

Tertullian

For again He says, “Let him who is able to receive, receive;” that is, let him who is not able go his way. That rich man did go his way who had not “received” the precept of dividing his substance to the needy, and was abandoned by the Lord to his own opinion. Nor will “harshness” be on this account imputed to Christ, the Found of the vicious action of each individual free-will. “Behold,” saith He, “I have set before thee good and evil.” Choose that which is good: if you cannot, because you will not–for that you can if you will He has shown, because He has proposed each to your free-will–you ought to depart from Him whose will you do not. – On Monogamy

Origen

Now, if this is not to be understood of the Spirit of God, but of the nature of the soul itself, that will be called its better part which was made in the image and likeness of God; whereas the other part, that which afterwards, through its fall by the exercise of free-will, was assumed contrary to the nature of its original condition of purity—this part, as being the friend and beloved of matter, is punished with the fate of unbelievers. – De Principiis — Book II

Let us begin, then, with those words which were spoken to Pharaoh, who is said to have been hardened by God, in order that he might not let the people go; and, along with his case, the language of the apostle also will be considered, where he says, “Therefore He has mercy on whom He will, and whom He will He hardens.” For it is on these passages chiefly that the heretics rely, asserting that salvation is not in our own power, but that souls are of such a nature as must by all means be either lost or saved; and that in no way can a soul which is of an evil nature become good, or one which is of a virtuous nature be made bad… If we can show, e.g., that by one and the same act God has pity upon one individual, but hardens another; not purposing or desiring that he who is hardened should be so, but because, in the manifestation of His goodness and patience, the heart of those who treat His kindness and forbearance with contempt and insolence is hardened by the punishment of their crimes being delayed; while those, on the other hand, who make His goodness and patience the occasion of their repentance and reformation, obtain compassion…Now it is not incorrect to say that the sun, by one and the same power of its heat, melts wax indeed, but dries up and hardens mud: not that its power operates one way upon mud, and in another way upon wax; but that the qualities of mud and wax are different, although according to nature they are one thing, both being from the earth. In this way, then, one and the same working upon the part of God, which was administered by Moses in signs and wonders, made manifest the hardness of Pharaoh, which he had conceived in the intensity of his wickedness but exhibited the obedience of those other Egyptians who were intermingled with the Israelites, and who are recorded to have fled Egypt at the same time with the Hebrews…”Despisest the riches of His goodness, and forbearance, and long-suffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? but, after your hardness and impenitent heart, treasure up unto yourself wrath on the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God.” Such are the words of the apostle to him who is in his sins. Let us apply these very expressions to Pharaoh, and see if they also are not spoken of him with propriety, since, according to his hardness and impenitent heart, he treasured and stored up for himself wrath on the day of wrath, inasmuch as his hardness could never have been declared and manifested, unless signs and wonders of such number and magnificence had been performed. –De Principiis — Book III

To show more clearly, however, what we mean, let us take the illustration employed by the Apostle Paul in the Epistle to the Hebrews, where he says, “For the earth, which drinks in the rain that comes oft upon it, and brings forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, will receive blessing from God; but that which bears thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing, whose end is to be burned.” Now from those words of Paul which we have quoted, it is clearly shown that by one and the same act on the part of God – that being by which He sends rain upon the earth – one portion of the ground, when carefully cultivated, brings forth good fruits; while another, neglected and uncared for, produces thorns and thistles…Now, although it is due to the beneficial action of the rain that the earth has produced herbs of both kinds, it is not to the rain that the diversity of the herbs is properly to be ascribed; but on those will justly rest the blame for the bad seed, who, although they might have turned up the ground by frequent ploughing, and have broken the clods by repeated harrowing, and have extirpated all useless and noxious weeds, and have cleared and prepared the fields for the coming showers by all the labor and toil which cultivation demands, have nevertheless neglected to do this, and who will accordingly reap briers and thorns, the most appropriate fruit of their sloth…Let us therefore view those signs and miracles which were done by God, as the showers furnished by Him from above; and the purpose and desires of men, as the cultivated and uncultivated soil, which is of one and the same nature indeed, as is every soil compared with another, but not in one and the same state of cultivation. From which it follows that every one’s will, if untrained, and fierce, and barbarous, is either hardened by the miracles and wonders of God, growing more savage and thorny than ever, or it becomes more pliant, and yields itself up with the whole mind to obedience, if it be cleared from vice and subjected to training. –De Principiis — Book III

Let us now look to the expression, “It is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy.” For our opponents assert, that if it does not depend upon him that willeth, nor on him that runneth, but on God that showeth mercy, that a man be saved, our salvation is not in our own power. For our nature is such as to admit of our either being saved or not, or else our salvation rests solely on the will of Him who, if He wills it, shows mercy, and confers salvation. Now let us inquire, in the first place, of such persons, whether to desire blessings be a good or evil act; and whether to hasten after good as a final aim be worthy of praise. If they were to answer that such a procedure was deserving of censure, they would evidently he mad; for all holy men both desire blessings and run after them, and certainly are not blameworthy. How, then, is it that he who is not saved, if he be of an evil nature, desires blessing, and runs after them, but does not find them? For they say that a bad tree does not bring forth good fruits, whereas it is a good fruit to desire blessings. And how is the fruit of a bad tree good? And if they assert that to desire blessings, and to run after them, is an act of indifference, i.e., neither good nor bad, we shall reply, that if it be an indifferent act to desire blessings, and to run after them, then the opposite of that will also he an indifferent act, viz., to desire evils, and to run after them; whereas it is certain that it is not an indifferent act to desire evils, and to run after them, but one that is manifestly wicked. It is established, then, that to desire and follow after blessings is not an indifferent, but a virtuous proceeding. Having now repelled these objections by the answer which we have given, let us hasten on to the discussion of the subject itself, in which it is said, “It is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy.” In the book of Psalms–in the Songs of Degrees, which are ascribed to Solomon–the following statement occurs: “Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it; except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.” –De Principiis — Book III

After this there followed this point, that “to will and to do are of God.” Our opponents maintain that if to will be of God, and if to do be of Him, or if, whether we act or desire well or ill, it be of God, then in that case we are not possessed of free-will. Now to this we have to answer, that the words of the apostle do not say that to will evil is of God, or that to will good is of Him; nor that to do good or evil is of God; but his statement is a general one, that to will and to do are of God. For as we have from God this very quality, that we are men that we breathe, that we move; so also we have from God (the faculty) by which we will, as if we were to say that our power of motion is from God, or that the performing of these duties by the individual members, and their movements, are from God. From which, certainly, I do not understand this, that because the hand moves, e.g., to punish unjustly, or to commit an act of theft, the act is of God, but only that the power of motion is from God; while it is our duty to turn those movements, the power of executing which we have from God, either to purposes of good or evil. And so what the apostle says is, that we receive indeed the power of will, but that we misuse the will either to good or evil desires. In a similar way, also, we must judge of results. –De Principiis — Book III

The words, moreover, used by the Apostle Paul, that “it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy;” in another passage also, “that to will and to do are of God:” and again, elsewhere, “Therefore hath He mercy upon whom He will, and whom He will He hardeneth. Thou wilt say then unto me, Why cloth He yet find fault? For who shall resist His will? O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him who hath formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another to dishonour?–these and similar declarations seem to have no small influence in preventing very many from believing that every one is to be considered as having freedom over his own will, and in making it appear to be a consequence of the will of God whether a man is either saved or lost. –De Principiis — Book III

Lactantius (I think original web source attributed this quote wrongly to Methodius)

For this cause, therefore, a mediator came – that is, God in the flesh – that the flesh might be able to follow Him, and that He might rescue man from death, which has dominion over the flesh. Therefore He clothed Himself with flesh, that the desires of the flesh being subdued, He might teach that to sin was not the result of necessity, but of man’s purpose and will. –THE DIVINE INSTITUTES. BOOK IV

Methodius (Methodius of Olympus)

Now those who decide that man is not possessed of free-will, and affirm that he is governed by the unavoidable necessities of fate, and her unwritten commands, are guilty of impiety towards God Himself, making Him out to be the cause and author of human evils. – THE BANQUET OF THE TEN VIRGINS; OR, CONCERNING CHASTITY. DISCOURSES VIII & IX

10.0       FreeWill Conclusion

[From Page 893 onward of the #ChiliasmBook]

Free Will cannot save you but it can determine the type of Salvation for if not, there wouldn’t even be three harvests of the Gospel namely thirtyfold, sixtyfold vs hundredfold which are “Reward” Level according to Christ in Matthew 19:29 below itself (please notice the Word “Hundredfold” carefully in Verse below to “realize” this and that this Reward occurs only in the REGENERATION (i.e. FIRST BODILY RESURRECTION) and NOT ON EARTH NOW as SOME PROSPERITY PASTORS DECEIVE YOU by TAKING YOUR MONEY and SHOWING IT OFF that they are chosen or getting that reward now, can you ‘see’ it?):

“… 27Then Peter answered and said to Him, “See, we have LEFT ALL and FOLLOWED YOU. Therefore what shall we have?” 28So JESUS SAID TO THEM, “Assuredly I say to you, that in the REGENERATION, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29And EVERYONE who has LEFT HOUSES or brothers or sisters or father or mother or WIFE or children or LANDS, for MY NAME’S SAKE, shall RECEIVE a HUNDREDFOLD, and INHERIT ETERNAL LIFE. 30But MANY who are FIRST will be LAST, and the LAST FIRST. …” (Matthew 19:27 – 30, NKJV)

Because if God Worked out our “reward level” in Heaven, it would be nothing short of Perfect or everybody gets “Hundredfold” Reward among Christians even. Since this is not the case, Christ’s Own Words above Reveal that this “Reward” of “Hundredfold” is by “Free Will (Choice)” of doing any of the listed things above “as it is Written“.

[From Page 7 onward of the #ChiliasmBook]

Notice that in the “Perfection” Way of “Following Christ”, Most Blessed Lord Jesus Christ Himself Revealed that it involves the “Charity Doctrine” part to a man who believed in “keeping all the Torah including the 10  Commandments” meaning that “Charity Doctrine” is different and also cannot be skipped for any ‘toward-perfection’ spirituality and it is to be done not with Church Money/Donations only but also “own possessions” (example put some for family and others to Charity at end of life via a will, which can be a modern adaptation of common-use hoarded money as per Acts 2:44 – 45, Acts 4:32 seems same in principle as it has ‘safety net of common hoarded cash’).

“… [21JESUS said to him], “IF you want to be PERFECT, go, SELL what YOU HAVE and GIVE to the POOR, and YOU WILL HAVE TREASURE IN HEAVEN; and come, FOLLOW ME.” 22But when the young man heard that saying, he went away SORROWFUL, for he had GREAT POSSESSIONS. 23Then JESUS said to His disciples, “Assuredly, I say to you that it is HARD for a RICH MAN TO ENTER THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. 24And AGAIN I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. …” – The GREATEST ONE, The ONLY KING, GOD in FLESH, Most Blessed Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 19:21 – 24, NKJV) 

End.

---

[1] Government Reports (USA). 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom: Japan. Available online: https://www.state.gov/reports/2020-report-on-international-religious-freedom/japan/  (14 August 2024).

[2] Birkhaeuser, J. A. (Reverend). History of the Church from its First Establishment to our Own Times. Designed for the Use of Ecclesiastical Seminaries and Colleges. Sixth Ed. Published by Fr. Pustet and Co., New York & Cincinnati 1899. 501. Available online:
 https://classicalliberalarts.com/resources/ENR-CHH.pdf (14 August 2024).

[3] Birkhaeuser, J. A. (Reverend). History of the Church …  502.

[4] Van Dam, Raymond. Hagiography and History: The Life of Gregory Thaumaturgus. Classical Antiquity, Vol. 1, No. 2 (Oct., 1982). Published by: University of California Press. 284. Available online: https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/211336018.pdf (14 August 2024).

[5] Shelley, Bruce L. Church History in Plain Language. 4th Ed., revised by R. L. Hatchett. Published by Thomas Nelson, Nashville, 2013. 358 – 359. Available online: https://uoeldcu.org/site/uploads/docs/Church%20History%20in%20Plain%20Language%20by%20Bruce%20Shelley.pdf (15 August 2024).

[6] Miyazaki, Kentaro. ‘Roman Catholic Mission in Pre-Modern Japan’. In: Handbook of Christianity  in Japan. Ed. by Mark Mullins. Leiden: Brill, 2003, 3-4.

[7] C. R. Boxer. The Christian Century in Japan 1549–1650. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1951, 24.

[8] C. R. Boxer. The Christian Century in Japan 1549–1650. ‘Extracts from a Letter Written by Francis Xavier, S.J., to the Jesuits at Goa dated Kagoshima, November 5, 1549’. 401.

[9] Gonoi, Takashi. Nihon Kirisuto Ky shi. [Christian History in Japan]. Tokyo: Yoshikawa Kobunkan, 1990. 41.

[10] C. R. Boxer. The Christian Century in Japan 1549–1650. … 214.

[11] Miyazaki, Kentaro in Handbook of Christianity … 7.

[12] Kurtz, J. H. Church History (Volumes 1-3). Translated by John Macpherson. Produced by Jon Ingram, Richard Hulse and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (17 March 2016). 150.2 Foreign Missions. Available online: https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/51491/pg51491-images.html (14 August 2024).

[13] Arthur, Jim. Church History, A Survey. Self Published (January 2004, USA). 94.

Available online: https://www.judeministries.org/downloads/churchHistory.pdf (15 August 2024).

[14] Birkhaeuser, J. A. (Reverend). History of the Church …  503.

[15] Gonoi, Takashi. Nihon Kirisuto Ky shi.  … 250.

[16] Dohi, Akio. Nihon Protesutanto Kirisuto Ky shi. [History of Protestantism in Japan]. 5th ed. Tokyo: Shinkyo Shuppan, sha, 2004. 10.

[17] Arimichi Ebisawa & Saburo Ouchi. Nihon Kirisuto Ky shi. [Christian History in Japan]. Tokyo: Nihon Kirisuto Kyodan, 1970. 74.

[18] Dohi, Akio. Nihon Protesutanto Kirisuto Ky shi. … 31 – 33.

[19] Gonoi, Takashi. Nihon Kirisuto Ky shi.  … 270.

[20] Arimichi Ebisawa & Saburo Ouchi. Nihon Kirisuto Ky shi. … 167 – 168.

[21] Ibid.80.

[22] Yasuo Furuya, ed. A History of Japanese Theology. Grand Rapids MI: Eerdmans. 7.

.

[23] Arimichi Ebisawa & Saburo Ouchi. Nihon Kirisuto Ky shi. … 322, 324 – 326.

[24] Dohi, Akio. Nihon Protesutanto Kirisuto Ky shi. … 312.

[25] Mullins, Mark. Perspectives on Christianity in Korea and Japan: The Gospel and Culture in East Asia. Chapter on ‘Christianity Transplanted: Toward a Sociology of Success and Failure’. Ed. By  Mark R. Mullins & Richard Fox Young. Lampeter, Wales: The Edwin Mellen Press, 1995. 72 – 73.

[26] Gonoi, Takashi. Nihon Kirisuto Ky shi.  … 307.

[27] Steele, M. William. Handbook of Christianity in Japan. Chapter on ‘Christianity and Politics in Japan’. Ed. by Mark R. Mullins et al. Brill, 2003. 361.

[28] Wilmer, Haddon. The Blackwell Companion to Political Theology. Chapter on ‘Karl Barth’. Ed. By William T. Cavanaugh et al. Blackwell, 2003. 124.

[29] Inoue, Yoshio. Sengo Kyokaishi to Tomoni. [Along with the Church after the War]. Tokyo: Shinkyo Shuppansha, 1995. 129.

[30] Daniel 12:3 reads, “Those who are wise shall shine Like the brightness of the firmament, And those who turn many to righteousness Like the stars forever and ever” (NKJV).

[31] Luke 12:33 – 34 reads, “33Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves money belts that do not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near nor does a moth destroy. 34For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (NASB).

[32] 2 Timothy 2:5 reads, “And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules” (NKJV).

[33] 1 Corinthians 3:15 reads, “If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire” (NKJV).

[34] Shelley, Bruce L. Church History in Plain Language. … 346.

Moravians

to John Wesley (Methodist)

Some Historical Highlights

by

Jonathan Ramachandran

26^th August 2024

Table of Contents

Reflection …………………………………………………………………………….. 3

Introduction ………………………………………………………………………….. 4

1. Pre-Reformation Moravian Church History ……………………………………. 4

2. John Huss and Moravian Church History ……………………….……….……. 6

3. Moravian Church in the Reformation ….…………………………………….… 8

Conclusion …………………………………………………………………………… 9

Bibliography …………………………………………………………………………. 14

Note: Regarding font styles, spacings and some other rules, these are all man-made and it’s good to follow when submitting to an institution or journal but are of no big deal when written in a free speech manner like this.

Free pdf link for this paper:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1M8OoA98wDrcBMsJMaLeAj-S-3fGMqKkk/view?usp=drive_link

Reflection

Martin Luther rephrased means that justification comes by faith alone but the faith which saves is never alone and is accompanied by good works.  Missions is obligatory for every Christian based on the Great Commission but it’s not just about converting to Christianity as Christ also Said to “teach them to observe all that I commanded you” (Matthew 28:20) which includes His holiness commands, His Charity Doctrine commands, both of which are found in the Gospels and the third is His “Written” New Testament Tradition commands (1 Corinthians 14:37) which was taught in every church (2 Thessalonians 2:15) and not the Corinthians only (1 Corinthians 4:17). Crowning and higher final rewards require us to follow New Testament rules (2 Timothy 2:5) and reward is not based on number of converts only which is lower stars level glory but accuracy or insight even into prophecy and doctrine which if more accurate, shines as heavens level glory in comparison as Daniel 12:3 reveals. Relative measure sets in as “more is given, more is required” (Luke 12:48) to attain to final reward or get a beating as Christ Taught also that a poor widow’s giving of love with 2 coins (Luke 21:1 – 3) which may not have tangible effects compared to rich’s giving which fed many but yet He Said she gave more and so merits more treasure in heaven and reveals her heart of love in Luke 12:33 – 34 (so analogy of almost no conversion but accuracy versus many conversion but lesser accuracy).

Introduction

The entire Moravian movement began with the life and actions of one man: Jan Huss (anglicized as John Hus or John Huss). Some see Jan Huss as the first proto-protestant (referring to protestant type ideas prior to the Protestantism before 1517) while others see John Wycliffe as the first. Wycliffe’s writing has certainly influenced Jan Hus strongly [1].

1. Pre-Reformation Moravian Church History

Christianity began in Bohemia and Moravia via two Roman Catholic brothers Cyril and Methodius who brought the gospel there in 863 AD. They were fondly nicknamed “the apostles of the Slavs”. One the evangelism strategies which they modified and it worked well in converting the Slavs is that they did the liturgy, worship and preaching in the mother tongue of the Slavs. This was not common since such Church practices were done in Latin and so the already jealous German bishops aroused the suspicion as to whether they were loyal to the pope (John VIII) or not. Hence they were summoned to Rome but Cyril died shortly after in Rome (869 AD).

Methodius, on the other hand, succeeded in proving his loyalty to the pope and his role as archbishop of Moravia was now endorsed directly by the pope himself. Not only that, Methodius was permitted by pope John VIII to also use the Slavic liturgy the brothers invented under the condition that the Latin version was read first. This region was subjected to much turmoil and instability due to warring nations but yet these missionaries succeeded in new ground evangelism [2].

Another key missionary strategy which lead to the conversion of the Moravians was the success of Cyril and Methodius to convert and baptize, Radislav, king of the Slavs. Cyril went further and invented a Slavic alphabet called “Cyrillic” which was used in Scripture translation into the local language. The German clergy was jealous of them because the Bohemians were first evangelized by the Germans but their missionary work did not produce as many converts as done by these brothers. For example, 14 Bohemian nobleman and their families were baptized by the brothers in 845 AD. Also, while Cyril focused on the Moravians, his brother Methodius concentrated on the Bohemians and with this divide and conquer missionary strategy, they were fruitful as well [3].  

The story of Cyril and Methodius also teaches us that sometimes the more sophisticated part of the missionary work such as the translation of the Bible into the newly created Slav characters would only be much fruitful later. This is because after Cyril died, Methodius attempted to use the locally translated Scripture for evangelism but realized it was not useful since many of the Slavs were not able to understand them. Interestingly, in Bulgaria, not only Prince Boris accepted Christ via the efforts of Methodius which lead to a Bulgarian revival but also Cyril’s alphabets became infused into the Bulgarian language which became a common practice from 900 AD onward, all these helping to spread the Gospel by both word of mouth and through written letters. Bulgaria itself became the heart of Slavic Christianity during those times. [4]. 

A point to note is that these are all the spread of Roman Catholic Christianity at the beginning but the pendulum of conversion flung toward Orthodox Christianity while Protestantism struggled in Bulgaria all the time. This is because a common prevalent thought is, the Gospel was brought into Bulgaria by some type of Catholic or Orthodox via Cyril and Methodius (note that the “Great Schism” in 1054 AD between the Catholic and Orthodox has not happened yet, so Catholic and Orthodox are considered united in a timeline before this) and thus when the local Church leadership chose the Orthodox swing later, the people followed. For example, in 2022, a USA government report states that 69.5% of the total population of 6.9 million are Eastern Orthodox Christian, followed by Muslims (10.7%), Protestants (1.4%), Roman Catholics (0.7%) where the rest of them are either atheists or those who don’t know or don’t want to specify their religion [5].

2. John Huss and Moravian Church History

John Huss (1369 AD – 6 July 1415 AD) was greatly influenced by John Wycliffe (c. 1328 AD – 31 December 1384 AD) where both were Roman Catholic priests. Wycliffe became appointed as fellow and professor of theology at University of Oxford when he supported the refusal of payment from the English monarchy to the Roman Papal religious authority. He was among the first to call the papal as the “antichrist” and so the Catholics called him heretic and his followers were called by a derogatory name Lollards. Wycliffe did the translation of the Bible from Latin to English for his followers, the Lollards. In 1382 AD, when Wycliffe attacked the doctrine of transubstantiation (i.e. viewing the Eucharist as symbolic rather than the real body and blood of Lord Jesus Christ), even the University of Oxford kicked him out [6].

When the writings of Wycliffe reached Prague from Oxford, Huss not just received them with gladness but also translated and spread them. One of such writings was Trialogus. Huss managed to influence King Wenceslaus to grant Bohemians special privileges and when he became Rector at the University of Prague, his preaching of the doctrines of Wycliffe reached its peak in boldness. These doctrines covered both Church order and also civil affairs [7].

John Huss started his preaching with attack on existing clergy on matters such as blind obedience toward priests who teach traditions of men with no Bible Verses to support it and specifically pointed to some priests going into taverns (which usually means getting drunk), also some priests going for a dance in public entertainment areas (which usually has touchy dancing with women whom one is not married to or has dirty dance moves as well as immodest clothing) and some others enjoying food and drink in abundance with charitable giving of laymen (sometimes eating expensive meals which even the rich don’t eat often).

Huss did not just preach vocally but also wrote his famous book De Ecclesia in Latin which was translated into English. He stressed that only Christ is the head of the Church and not the pope. When Huss went against the sale of indulgences to obtain forgiveness of sins, some of his friends even turned against him and this would eventually lead to his martyrdom [8]. Here we see a missionary strategy namely to leave writings behind so that even if a missionary passes away, his writings can be used to benefit future generations.

Moravian Barons supported Huss from the beginning and even wrote to protest his arrest and imprisonment to king Sigismund during the early months of 1415 itself and this was done repeatedly as well but to no avail as he was burned at the stake on 6 July 1415 by the Roman Catholic Church [9]. 

One of the strange stories that arose next was that of John of Nepomuk who died in 1393 AD for some other reasons but whose story was modified by the Catholics to include miracles and make him a saint in order to confront the image of John Huss who is now a national saint that has been martyred. Protestant historians commonly mock this canonization of purely fictitious saint and confessor who was even canonized by Pope Benedict XIII in 1729 AD [10]. 

3. Moravian Church in the Reformation

The followers of John Huss became Hussites. The Moravians also accepted John Huss. The Unitas Fratrum (or United Brethren) who called themselves Bohemian and Moravian Brethren were formed under the leadership of a local pastor Michael Bradacz. This grew to about 400 congregations by the turn of the 16^th century [11]. Personally, Huss wrote hymns and even encouraged others to sing in their own mother tongues. The Moravian Brethren were productive in this area from early times itself and this impacted the reformers of the 16^th century [12]. Between 1522 AD – 1524 AD, the Moravian and Bohemian brethren met with Martin Luther and were filled with joy. However the doctrinal frictions were evident between the Brethren’s leader Luke of Prague and Martin Luther in some areas. For example, Luke held to the seven sacraments, rejected the doctrine of justification by faith alone and even disagreed with Luther’s view of freedom which seems to run down the disciplines of celibacy and virginity [13].

The real formation of the Unitas Fratrum or Moravians formally was by Count Zizendorf who let them live in his estate and they became known as Herrnhuters. One of the unique characteristic of the Herrnhuters which we can learn from is that they allowed three major diversity of doctrine among them namely, Lutheran, Calvinistic and Moravian and they even welcomed Christians of other denominations without asking them to renounce their tenets [14]. A mixed denominational Christian example from among these is for example “Moravian Anabaptists” [15] who heavily believed in non-violence and would not even defend themselves if attacked nor would they enlist as a soldier. They highly emphasized on love to the extent of frequently giving mutual aid and it was not uncommon to see them practice a redistribution of wealth among themselves which mirrors the communal living practices of the first Pentecostal Church upon whom the baptism of the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts [16] took place.

Conclusion

We saw earlier that in the original regions where Moravian Christianity started, introducing Protestant ideas are difficult since these go by the logic that God himself used Cyril and Methodius to convert our first forefathers into Christianity and so it means we must remain Orthodox like them even if it means to pray to Virgin Mary. Though we as Protestants discard such logic citing doctrinal accuracy via Sola Scriptura, however in practice, some of us will still choose to follow say a Pentecostal or other Protestant interpretation or doctrinal approach even if presented with evidence which can contradict these under the same logic that if evangelism in that locality was first pioneered by a Pentecostal/other Protestant missionary, then we must remain likewise.

In other words, doctrinal interpretation and understanding is heavily influenced by who was the first missionary sent to convert a locality rather than Bible based debate. Pentecostalism spread fast based on this and grew in numbers elsewhere when their missionaries realized this and went into lands where the Gospel was not found or least found beginning with the 20^th century onward. Indeed, even within Protestantism, the Pentecostals targeted an approach of selling the idea of health and prosperity toward the poor and vulnerable in the promise that God wants to give these to them and it worked and made their numbers to spread mightily! [17] Traditional Protestants, Catholics and Orthodox do not cite such promises because we are to follow God regardless if He gives us “health or wealth” as that was beautifully summarised by Apostle St. Paul himself that “he can do all things in Christ” included to “enjoy prosperity as well as accept poverty” meaning there was “no lack of faith” which caused any pendulum to swing from “good health to sickness” nor from “prosperity to poverty” as that can happen to anyone (Philippians 4:11 – 17).

The focus of right Biblical theology to counter the error of Prosperity Gospel is to realize that the aim of the Gospel in the context of money is to be content regardless of being “rich or poor” (Philippians 4:11 – 13) [18] and to be “ready to share with the poor or those in distress” if we have more (Philippians 4:14) [19] which is Charity Doctrine. Indeed, whatever the Bible Warns usually comes true, namely here, it is warned that though many other Churches converted many, but not even one was interested in sharing money with poorer Christians except this Philippians Church (Philippians 4:15 – 16) [20]. So God’s Will in true evangelism is not doing money making business in Church but rather Charity Doctrine with each other after conversion as these Bible Verses describe in a nutshell (Philippians 4:11 – 17) and the Churches which practice that can be called Sola Scriptura in this area of evangelism. Also, the experience based claim of “knowing God” is only true to the extent a person does the commands of God as Christ Taught “who His Friends are” [21] which includes this to command to lay down one’s life for the brethren [22] to emulate “His Love” via “Charity Doctrine” [23] as the visible manifestation of it (all definitions here handled Sola Scriptura with no interpolations even).

In short, all these Bible Verses teach us that Biblical evangelism is only complete with Charity Doctrine. So greater the relationship with God, greater the relative measure in Charity Doctrine. Notice that those Churches that did not share any money with the poor were rich and neither did God nor apostle St. Paul even pronounce any poverty curse to them! So being a selfish rich Christian who is healthy is not proof of God’s approval either and God won’t do anything to remove on this earth but will judge in the Spirit World which can lead to loss of Salvation if serious (Luke 16:19 – 31, Christ’s Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus [24]) or loss of heavenly reward to attain to “fruit” which is “added into an account” (Philippians 4:17) [25] and note that “how much fruits” is what makes the difference between “thirtyfold, sixtyfold and hundredfold” reward levels meaning “Charity Doctrine” can help “increase fruits” toward “hundredfold” for sure [26]. And remember, false prophets are known even within the context of how much they practice these “fruits” too as Christ Warned! [27]

Last but not least, the influence of a Moravian Bishop namely Peter Bohler (31 December 1712 – 27 April 1775) toward the conversion of the great Methodist Churches co-founder John Wesley (28 June 1703 – 2 March 1791) is undeniable. We can read this not from an interpretation but directly from the words of Wesley himself since he kept a journal. Bohler encouraged Wesley early on to “preach faith till you have it” [28].

John Wesley certainly held Bohler in high regard and called him a man with “fruits of a living faith” [29]. Interestingly, Wesley was converted to Christianity during the “Aldersgate Conversion Experience” which happened in a Moravian setting and included even Bohler’s presence and encouragements prior mainly and it impacted him to the point that he visited the Moravians for the next 3 months in Germany [30].

Peter Bohler was a Christian Universalist meaning he did not believe in eternal hell for anyone and probably so did some of the Moravians who were present during Wesley’s “Aldersgate Conversion Experience”. Far from the usual claim that if such Christians were present, they might invite the presence of the “devil” due to the error of “full universalism”, it was there where one of the greatest Protestant founders, John Wesley himself was converted. Why would God choose such a person like Bohler to influence and convert Wesley?

In fact, Bohler’s universalism was well known and the other Methodist Churches’ founder, George Whitefield who is an ardent Calvinist clearly wrote a letter to John Wesley to keep away from Bohler due to the fact that Bohler is a Christian Universalist [31]. Wesley probably knew this all along and it did not bother him much and we can probably see Wesley’s own words in his journal possibly regarding this letter too as follows, to quote:

“1741. Sunday, February 1.—A private letter, written to me by Mr. Whitefield, was printed without either his leave or mine, and a great numbers of copies were given to our people, both at the door and in the Foundry itself. Having procured one of them, I related (after preaching) the naked fact to the congregation and told them, “I will do just what I believe Mr. Whitefield would, were he here himself.” Upon which I tore it in pieces before them all. Everyone who had received it, did the same. So that in two minutes there was not a whole copy left. Saturday,

March 28.—Having heard much of Mr. Whitefield’s unkind behavior, since his return from Georgia, I went to him to hear him speak for himself that I might know how to judge. I much approved of his plainness of speech. He told me that he and I preached two different gospels; and therefore he not only would not join with or give me the right hand of fellowship, but was resolved publicly to preach against me and my brother, wheresoever he preached at all. …

Monday, April 6.—I had a long conversation with Peter Bohler. I marvel how I refrain from joining these men. I scarcely ever see any of them but my heart burns within me. I long to be with them, and yet I am kept from them.

Thursday, May 7.—I reminded the United Society that many of our brethren and sisters had not needful food; many were destitute of convenient clothing; many were out of business, and that without their own fault; and many sick and ready to perish:  that I had done what in me lay to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, to employ the poor, and to visit the sick; but was not, alone, sufficient for these things; and therefore desired all whose hearts were as my heart: …” [32].

Please take note how even such a highly anointed level in the Holy Spirit preacher (by God’s Grace), John Wesley, writes in his own words above (in his journal) regarding the “unkind attitude of Whitefield”, how he “longs” to be with “Bohler type Moravian Christian Universalists” despite the fact that he knows about it and is supposed to keep away? And how Wesley’s thought next revolved around “Charity Doctrine” which was highly emphasized by the Moravians too.

So even the great faith of John Wesley had all these traits and best is, this is not an interpretation but his own words in his own journal. So if we emulate Wesley’s faith likewise and keep the weaker non elect salvation as a possibility, it seems similar [33], isn’t it? Mysterious indeed.

Bibliography

Arthur, Jim. Church History, A Survey. Self Published (January 2004, USA).
Available online: https://www.judeministries.org/downloads/churchHistory.pdf
(12 August 2024).

Bible. Unless noted, all Scripture is taken from the New King James Version (NKJV). Nashville: Published by Thomas Nelson, 1996, c1982. NKJV and other translations used are available online: https://biblehub.com (10 August 2024).

Birkhaeuser, J. A. (Reverend). History of the Church from its First Establishment to our Own Times. Designed for the Use of Ecclesiastical Seminaries and Colleges. Sixth Ed. Published by Fr. Pustet and Co., New York & Cincinnati 1899. Available online: https://classicalliberalarts.com/resources/ENR-CHH.pdf (12 August 2024).

Calvary Pandan Bible-Presbyterian Church. John Huss: The Goose of the Reformation. Published by Calvary Pandan Bible-Presbyterian Church in Singapore (2015). Available online: https://static.calvarypandan.sg/images/books/john%20huss.pdf (12 August 2024).

Catholic Encyclopaedia: “Jan Hus“. Available online: https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07584b.htm (9 August 2024).

Government Reports (USA). 2022 Report on International Religious Freedom: Bulgaria. Available online: https://www.state.gov/reports/2022-report-on-international-religious-freedom/bulgaria/ (12 August 2024).

Journal of Moravian History. Peter Boehler’s Universalist Letter by Jared S. Burkholder. Volume 23, Issue 2, October 2023. 129–142. Available online: https://scholarlypublishingcollective.org/psup/moravian-history/article-abstract/23/2/129/382848/Peter-Boehler-s-Universalist-Letter?redirectedFrom=fulltext or https://doi.org/10.5325/jmorahist.23.2.0129 (13 August 2024).

Kurtz, J. H. Church History (Volumes 1-3). Translated by John Macpherson. Produced by Jon Ingram, Richard Hulse and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (17 March 2016). Available online: https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/51491/pg51491-images.html (12 August 2024).

Schaff, David S. John Huss – His Life, Teachings and Death – after Five Hundred Years. Published by Charles Scribner’s Sons, New York (1915). Available online: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/590be125ff7c502a07752a5b/t/5c1867ed032be4e5c9ded95c/1545103355721/Schaff%2C+David+Schley%2C+John+Huss.pdf (12 August 2024).

Shelley, Bruce L. Church History in Plain Language. 4^th Ed., revised by R. L. Hatchett. Published by Thomas Nelson, Nashville, 2013. Available online: https://uoeldcu.org/site/uploads/docs/Church%20History%20in%20Plain%20Language%20by%20Bruce%20Shelley.pdf (12 August 2024).

Wesley, John. The Tyndale Series of Great Biographies. The Journal of John Wesley. By Hugh Price Hughes, Augustine Birrell, K. C. and edited by Percy Livingstone Parker. Published by Moody Press (Chicago, 1951). Available online: https://ccel.org/w/wesley/journal/cache/journal.pdf (13 August 2024). 

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[1] Catholic Encyclopaedia: “Jan Hus“. Available online: https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07584b.htm (9 August 2024).

[2] Kurtz, J. H. Church History (Volumes 1-3). Translated by John Macpherson. Produced by Jon Ingram, Richard Hulse and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (17 March 2016), Chapter 79. The Slavs in German Countries. Available online: https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/51491/pg51491-images.html (12 August 2024).

[3] Birkhaeuser, J. A. (Reverend). History of the Church from its First Establishment to our Own Times. Designed for the Use of Ecclesiastical Seminaries and Colleges. Sixth Ed. Published by Fr. Pustet and Co., New York & Cincinnati 1899. 267 – 268. Available online:
https://classicalliberalarts.com/resources/ENR-CHH.pdf  (12 August 2024).

[4] Arthur, Jim. Church History, A Survey. Self Published (January 2004). 77, 85. Available online: https://www.judeministries.org/downloads/churchHistory.pdf (12 August 2024).

[5] Government Report-US. 2022 Report on International Religious Freedom: Bulgaria. Section I,

Religious Demography. Available online: https://www.state.gov/reports/2022-report-on-international-religious-freedom/bulgaria/ (12 August 2024).

[6] Kurtz, J. H. Church History (Volumes 1-3). … Chapter 119. Evangelical Efforts at Reform.

[7] Birkhaeuser, J. A. (Reverend). History of the Church from its First … 477.

[8] Calvary Pandan Bible-Presbyterian Church. John Huss: The Goose of the Reformation. Published by Calvary Pandan Bible-Presbyterian Church in Singapore (2015). 28 – 31. Available online: https://static.calvarypandan.sg/images/books/john%20huss.pdf (12 August 2024).

[9] Schaff, David S. John Huss – His Life, Teachings and Death – after Five Hundred Years. Published by Charles Scribner’s Sons, New York (1915). 183,186, 197 – 199, 338. Available online: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/590be125ff7c502a07752a5b/t/5c1867ed032be4e5c9ded95c/1545103355721/Schaff%2C+David+Schley%2C+John+Huss.pdf (12 August 2024).

[10] Kurtz, J. H. Church History (Volumes 1-3). … Chapter 116. Popular Movements.

[11] Kurtz, J. H. Church History (Volumes 1-3). … 119. Evangelical Efforts at Reform.

[12] Kurtz, J. H. Church History (Volumes 1-3). … 115a. Public Worship and the Religious Education of the People.

[13] Kurtz, J. H. Church History (Volumes 1-3). … 139. The Reformation in Other Lands.

[14] Birkhaeuser, J. A. (Reverend). History of the Church from its First … 742.

[15] Shelley, Bruce L. Church History in Plain Language. 4th Ed., revised by R. L. Hatchett. Thomas Nelson, Nashville, 2013. 319.  Available online: https://uoeldcu.org/site/uploads/docs/Church%20History%20in%20Plain%20Language%20by%20Bruce%20Shelley.pdf  (12 August 2024).

[16] Acts 2:44 – 45 reads, “44Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, 45and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need” (NKJV).

[17] Shelley, Bruce L. Church History in Plain Language. …  534. Reads, “Pentecostal denominations followed. The largest in the United States were  the Assemblies of God, the Church of God in Christ, the Church of God, and the Pentecostal Holiness Church. These were usually filled with socially and economically depressed people. That is the reason the secular press took note in 1960 when the Pentecostal experience broke out in middle-class Lutheran  and Episcopal congregations. That made hot copy.”

[18] Philippians 4:11 – 13 reads, “11Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: 12I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (NKJV).

[19] Philippians 4:14 reads, “14Nevertheless you have done well that you shared in my distress” (NKJV).

[20] Philippians 4:15 – 16 reads, “15Now you Philippians know also that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church shared with me concerning giving and receiving but you only. 16For even in Thessalonica you sent aid once and again for my necessities” (NKJV).

[21] John 15:14 reads, “14You are My friends if you do whatever I command you “(NKJV).

[22] John 15:13 reads, “13Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” (NKJV).

[23] 1 John 3:16 – 18 reads, “16By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? 18My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth” (NKJV).

[24] Luke 16:19 – 20, 22 – 25, reads, “19“There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. 20But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, 21desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. … The rich man also died and was buried. 23And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24“Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’ 25But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented” (NKJV).

[25] Philippians 4:17 reads, “17Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account” (NKJV).

[26] Matthew 13:23 reads, “But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty” (NKJV).

[27] Matthew 7:15, 16, 18 – 20 reads, “15“Beware of false prophets, … 16You will know them by their fruits.  18A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20Therefore by their fruits you will know them” (NKJV).

[28] Wesley, John. The Tyndale Series of Great Biographies. The Journal of John Wesley. By Hugh Price Hughes, Augustine Birrell, K. C. and edited by Percy Livingstone Parker. Published by Moody Press (Chicago, 1951). 49. Available online: https://ccel.org/w/wesley/journal/cache/journal.pdf (13 August 2024). 

[29] Wesley, John. … The Journal of John Wesley … 52.

[30] Wesley, John. … The Journal of John Wesley … 55.

[31] Journal of Moravian History. Peter Boehler’s Universalist Letter by Jared S. Burkholder. Volume 23, Issue 2, October 2023. 129–142. The Abstract reads, “Although the belief in universalism has been attributed to Peter Boehler since the eighteenth century, the matter has not been clearly documented. However, a letter, written by Boehler and preserved in the Moravian Archives, provides greater clarity as it contains a defense of a future “restitution of all things.” Possibly sent to George Whitefield, the letter detailed in this article not only provides evidence of Boehler’s restorationist beliefs, but also points to the role that universalism may have played in the Moravians’ 1740 schism with Whitefield”. Available online: https://doi.org/10.5325/jmorahist.23.2.0129  (13 August 2024).

[32] Wesley, John. … The Journal of John Wesley … 83.

[33] Hebrews 13:7 reads, “7Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct” (NKJV).