Concise Church History of the Old and New Testaments

Notice to the Reader.

is the one who has it best, who can compare original: "conferiren," from the Latin conferre. them all with one another and make use of the best from them. But this is possible for very few.

The diligent investigation of the church histories church histories: accounts of the development and struggles of the Christian faith published until now shows that very few are suitable for unlearned and simple minds. I will not even speak of the universal histories universal histories: historical works that attempt to cover the entire human story, mixing secular and religious events, which mix worldly and church history together and thereby give the reader a somewhat confused concept of the matters from the start.

Among the church histories that have become known among Protestants original: "Protestirenden" since the Reformation, the Magdeburg Centuries original: "Magdeburgischen centuriæ," a massive 13-volume work from the 16th century intended to prove the Lutheran church was the true heir to the early church. are too large and extensive for such people, and perhaps also the Epitome of Osiander original: "epitome Osiandri," a condensed summary of church history by the theologian Lucas Osiander., a part of which David Förter translated into German.

The smaller authors who followed have also done their part, but nevertheless have not always satisfied every reader. For in the previous century The 1600s., many still lacked sufficient information. Their intention also rarely goes further than the exposure of the Papacy original: "entdeckung des Pabstthums," referring to the common Protestant goal of highlighting perceived errors or corruption in the Roman Catholic Church.. Some only began to more closely investigate the old controversies original: "controversien," formal theological disputes. for the sake of their own party, which were perhaps being stirred up again. And many a person indeed has the will, but not the opportunity