Since Copper Hill will be 200 years old in 2016 I thought I would start a little series on church history in America or at least the last 200 years of American church history. I have only written engineering papers, reports and a few letters since High School so feel free to correct the English or ask questions if it is not clear. I am hoping to promote discussion so if you have questions or a different point of view that would be helpful. I will write a little at a time so no one edition will be too long. When and if we get to the end and we want to use this in a Bible study with James or Galatians it may work. One of the ideas running through this is the Sadducees and Pharisees are gone but the ideas of the traditionalist and legalist stay on. That is one of the reasons the Bible is still alive today. Another idea is that God works through the events of history. The Jewish faith was one of the first faiths to have the idea of progress. Time did not just go around in a circle like the months of the year. However, progress is not always a straight line. Another idea that runs through the history is even the church can become corrupt. I am going to try to link the church history to the events of the time.
However, to start the story in America I think we need to talk about a few things that happened in Europe before America was founded to understand why people came to the colonies and how they saw the world. Jan Huss (http://www.greatsite.com/timeline-english-bible-history/john-hus.html) (1369- 6 July 1415) was a contemporary and a follower of John Wycliff. (We just passed the 600th anniversary of Huss’ death.) Huss or Hus was born is Huss Bohemia (now part of the Czech Republic) to a poor family. He graduated for the University of Prague with a master’s degree. The University of Prague is the oldest University in Central Europe inspired by the Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV. Huss became a teacher and then the rector of Bethlehem Chapel in Prague. His town of Huss means “Goose” and as we will see later why Luther and others referred to him as the Cooked Goose. Huss became a follower of Wycliff. Wycliff (1331-1384) was a church reformer in England who questioned the role of the Pope and stressed the individual’s interpretation of the Bible over Church authority. Huss wrote hymns in his native language and did the mass in his congregation’s native language not Latin. For communion he server the people both the bread and the wine when the custom of the church at the time was the people only received the bread and the clergy received both. Aside from these reforms that did not please the Pope he lived in the time of the Western Schism (1378-1417) where different factions of the church had different popes. At one time there were even 3 popes. To try to solve the power structure problems in the church the Council of Constance was called. They decided on one pope (Martin V) and they burned Jan (John) Huss at the stake for heresy. At the time the Holy Roman Empire and the church each wanted to be the political power in Europe. Huss wanted to reduce the corruption in the church and spread the word that truth is in the Bible. To Huss, Christ is our savior and real power is with Christ not in the church structure. When the clergy went counter to the Bible, Huss said they were wrong.
Huss is important to Methodist not just because of his call for reforms but his later influence on John Wesley. After Huss was burned at the stake, his followers started the Hussite movement which was to become the Moravian Church. When John Wesley came to Georgia he was on a ship with Moravians and was impressed with their conviction and piety which later became part of the foundation of Methodism.
My plan is to talk about the fall of Constantinople and a little about Luther next. If you do not want the E-mails just tell me or if you think someone else would like them just tell me. I can print in on paper if it is easier.
However, to start the story in America I think we need to talk about a few things that happened in Europe before America was founded to understand why people came to the colonies and how they saw the world. Jan Huss (http://www.greatsite.com/timeline-english-bible-history/john-hus.html) (1369- 6 July 1415) was a contemporary and a follower of John Wycliff. (We just passed the 600th anniversary of Huss’ death.) Huss or Hus was born is Huss Bohemia (now part of the Czech Republic) to a poor family. He graduated for the University of Prague with a master’s degree. The University of Prague is the oldest University in Central Europe inspired by the Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV. Huss became a teacher and then the rector of Bethlehem Chapel in Prague. His town of Huss means “Goose” and as we will see later why Luther and others referred to him as the Cooked Goose. Huss became a follower of Wycliff. Wycliff (1331-1384) was a church reformer in England who questioned the role of the Pope and stressed the individual’s interpretation of the Bible over Church authority. Huss wrote hymns in his native language and did the mass in his congregation’s native language not Latin. For communion he server the people both the bread and the wine when the custom of the church at the time was the people only received the bread and the clergy received both. Aside from these reforms that did not please the Pope he lived in the time of the Western Schism (1378-1417) where different factions of the church had different popes. At one time there were even 3 popes. To try to solve the power structure problems in the church the Council of Constance was called. They decided on one pope (Martin V) and they burned Jan (John) Huss at the stake for heresy. At the time the Holy Roman Empire and the church each wanted to be the political power in Europe. Huss wanted to reduce the corruption in the church and spread the word that truth is in the Bible. To Huss, Christ is our savior and real power is with Christ not in the church structure. When the clergy went counter to the Bible, Huss said they were wrong.
Huss is important to Methodist not just because of his call for reforms but his later influence on John Wesley. After Huss was burned at the stake, his followers started the Hussite movement which was to become the Moravian Church. When John Wesley came to Georgia he was on a ship with Moravians and was impressed with their conviction and piety which later became part of the foundation of Methodism.
My plan is to talk about the fall of Constantinople and a little about Luther next. If you do not want the E-mails just tell me or if you think someone else would like them just tell me. I can print in on paper if it is easier.
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