Ancient Paths vs the Ancient Path

The YouTube video channel ancientpathstv produces some interesting content. It’s done by a Presbyterian pastor and has critiques of pretty much every other Christian sect including Eastern Orthodoxy.

I’ve enjoyed the videos in the Anabaptists and the “radical reformation” quite a bit. They show the lawlessness and even warfare that resulted from that path of Protestantism.

One critique of Orthodoxy is on the filioque. It notes the messiness of the conciliar process. Here’s my thoughts on the process in general.

Consensus

Reaching Consensus over contentious issues has always been messy from the very beginning.

The model is from Acts 15 – the first council of the church where we read the phrases there “no mall dissension and disputation” (15:2), “when there had been much disputing” (15:7). They took it to Jerusalem where after hearing both sides James then said “Wherefore my sentence is” (15:19). Followed by “Then pleased it the apostles and elders, with the whole church” (15:22).

If it was messy in the early church with the original Apostles present, then it’s going to be even more messy as many heresies arose. But the pattern was set of the church meeting in council, arguing it out, and reaching the conclusion. Those that reject the ruling find themselves outside the Church.

The other choice is what we see today where every man [every Reformer in this case] does what is right in his own eyes and anathematizes the others.

Citing the Fathers

The Reformed have a pattern of picking the parts of the Fathers they like and rejecting the consensus when they disagreed. As the video noted, in the final edition of the Institutes, Calvin cherry picked 800 references from the Fathers. I’m sure he did so after being criticized for not following the Fathers.

The Historical Result

If you read Protestant history carefully you will see the politics of the Reformation to the most extreme degree. Princes and Kings who wanted to get divorces (not just Edward VIII) and were denied by the church had them granted in exchange. Princes who wanted Catholic Church lands and monasteries and took them. Princes who didn’t want to pay tithes to Rome. Princes in dispute with other princes over lands. These are all political motivations which were greatly magnified along with wars in Europe. In the end we see the end of Christendom in Europe. Good job Reformers. They dumped out the bathwater and threw the baby along with it.

The Wars that Resulted (Grok)

Since 1500, numerous religious wars have been fought in Europe, primarily driven by the conflicts stemming from the Protestant Reformation and subsequent Counter-Reformation. Here are some of the key religious wars during this period:

1. German Peasants’ War (1524–1525): This was one of the first major uprisings influenced by religious reform ideas, particularly those of Martin Luther. Although it was as much about social and economic grievances as it was about religion, it played a significant role in the early conflicts of the Reformation.
2. The Schmalkaldic Wars (1546–1555): These were conflicts within the Holy Roman Empire between Lutheran princes and the Catholic Habsburg Emperor Charles V. The First Schmalkaldic War ended with the Peace of Augsburg in 1555, which allowed each prince within the Holy Roman Empire to choose Catholicism or Lutheranism for his territory.
3. The French Wars of Religion (1562–1598): These were a series of civil wars fought between French Catholics and Protestants (Huguenots). The conflict included notorious events like the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre in 1572. It ended with the Edict of Nantes in 1598, granting Huguenots substantial rights within France.
4. The Eighty Years’ War or Dutch Revolt (1568–1648): Also known as the Dutch War of Independence, this conflict had significant religious undertones, with the Dutch Protestants seeking independence from Spanish Catholic rule. The war concluded with the Peace of Westphalia in 1648, recognizing the independence of the Dutch Republic.
5. The Thirty Years’ War (1618–1648): This was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history, beginning as a religious war between Protestants and Catholics within the Holy Roman Empire but evolving into a broader geopolitical struggle. It resulted in the Peace of Westphalia, which recognized the coexistence of Catholicism, Lutheranism, and Calvinism within the empire.
6. Wars of the Three Kingdoms (1639–1651): While these wars encompassed more than just religious conflict, including issues of governance, they were significantly influenced by religious tensions between Catholics, Anglicans, and Puritans in England, Scotland, and Ireland. The conflict led to the execution of Charles I and the establishment of the Commonwealth.
7. The Savoyard–Waldensian Wars (1655–1690): These were smaller-scale conflicts in the Western Alps between the Duke of Savoy, who aimed to impose Catholicism, and the Waldensians, a Protestant sect.
8. The Toggenburg War (1712): A brief conflict in Switzerland between Catholic and Protestant cantons, it was essentially the last of the wars of religion in Switzerland, ending with the Second Peace of Baden.

These wars highlight the deep religious divisions in Europe following the Reformation, where conflicts often intertwined religious, political, and territorial ambitions. However, it’s important to note that while religion was a significant factor, these wars often had complex motivations including political power, economic interests, and national identity.