Historical Highlights 1550AD-1600AD
Reformed Church
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1552: |
Geneva declares Calvin's Institutes to be "well and saintly made, and its teaching the holy doctrine of God;" Book of Common Prayer produced reflecting Protestant doctrine for the church in England |
1553: |
King Edward VI dies, Mary Tudor ("Bloody Mary") becomes Queen of England, she abolishes the Book of Common Prayer and replaces it with the traditional Latin Rite (Catholic); John Knox flees Scotland when Mary Queen of Scots returns to her throne, he goes to Geneva where he meets and is influenced by Calvin |
1555: |
Rome introduces the doctrine of the Perpetual Virginity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Mary's virginity preserved after the birth of Jesus); Mary Tudor burns Ridley and Latimer; John Knox returns to Scotland; many English Protestants flee England to the safety of Geneva; Peace of Augsburg gives German princes a right to choose Catholicism or Lutheranism; Thomas Cranmer (Archbishop of Canterbury) executed by Mary Tudor, Cranmer was chief architect of Book of Common Prayer |
1558: |
Queen Elizabeth ascends to the throne of England, she restructures the Church of England to include both Catholic and Protestant elements |
1559: |
Puritanism (English Calvinists) is born in England believing that Elizabeth's reforms were inadequate (which they were) and there was a need to "purify" the Church of England of Roman belief and practice; Act of Uniformity requires uniformity of worship in England; Calvin founds the Genevan Academy to train theologians from all over England |
1560: |
John Knox's First Book of Discipline, a plan for ordering the new Scottish Reformed church based on the Genevan model; Geneva Bible, an English translation prepared by English Puritans during their exile in Geneva under Mary Tudor; Scots Confession adopted by Scottish Reformed church |
1561: |
Belgic Confession, a wonderful Reformed statement of faith, produced mostly by Guido de Bres, written to inform Spain (Catholic) that adherents of the Reformed faith were not rebels, de Bres and thousands later martyred |
1562: |
Thirty Nine Articles becomes official doctrine of Anglican church; John Knox's Book of Common Order |
1563: |
Foxes' Book of Martyrs; Heidelberg Catechism, a classic Reformed statement of faith by Zacharius Ursinus and Caspar Olevianus to instruct young people and guide pastors and teachers |
1564: |
Calvin dies, Theodore Beza replaces him |
1566: |
Heinrich Bullinger's Second Helvetic Confession, an exposition and summary of the Reformed faith |
1570: |
Elizabeth I excommunicated marking the final separation between England and Rome |
1572: |
Knox dies |
1575: |
Calvinism supplants Lutheranism among the Dutch |
1580: |
Book of Concord becomes the official confession of Lutheranism |
1587: |
Queen Elizabeth executes Mary Queen of Scots; Knox's History of the Reformation in Scotland (published posthumously) |
1593: |
Sweden adopts Augsburg Confession and becomes officially Lutheran |