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Faith in the Time of Plague Edited by Stephen M. Coleman and Todd M.Rester Hardcover, 309 pg. Westminster Seminary Press, 2021 Read: November 7-December 12, 2021

The main point? Two rocks must be steered clear of: stupid boldness and exceedingly vicious fear. On the first, one does those things that while we fear nothing—would often lose ourselves and others. On the second it happens that as we would look to our own life, we would desert the work of Christ. Therefore, let us fear what can happen if we fail to avoid those evils. But let us be confident in the Lord and let us remain as steadfast as possible—even to the point of death—in our calling and in the work of Christ.

What’s Faith in the Time of Plague About?

The Editors describe the book like this:

The body of extant plague writings is vast and much of it remains unavailable in English. The selections in this book were determined to a great extent by the treasures that came to light in translating the 1655 pamphlet Variorum tractatus theologici de peste, which makes up Part I of the book. This collection of tracts is an unparalleled Post-Reformation treatment of the plague, from pastoral and scholarly points of view. Part II consists of those Reformation and Post-Reformation works that Beza, Rivet, Voetius, and Hoornbeeck [the authors in Part I] engaged with frequently (Zanchi, Abbot, and Ursinus). Alongside those pieces are additional contemporary works that we felt would be especially useful for pastors, scholars, and interested readers to have available in book form (Zwingli, Luther, Lavater, and Rawlet), and which give the reader a more complete picture of the Reformed tradition’s branch of plague writings. Each of these eleven authors addresses the unique questions posited by the plague in distinct ways, yet each does so by definitively Reformed methods—grounded in Scripture, historically informed, and always with the issue of faith in Christ at the forefront.

There are also two appendices, On Mortality by Cyprian of Carthage—a work that multiple authors in the main texts refer to (and likely shape even those who don’t) and the section Prayer and Thanksgiving from the Book of Common Prayer—an application of all the theology of the main texts.

Part 1: Variorum tractatus theologici de peste

The various works in part one are careful, methodical, Scriptural, and thorough—they cover all the bases. The treatise by Beza seems to both reflect the thinking of the rest of the Reformation as much as it shapes everything that comes after (or at least everything in the book).

Some parts of this took some work to get through, but it was worth it.

Part II: Reformation and Post-Reformation Plague Writings

Others sin on the right hand. They are much too rash and reckless, tempting God and disregarding everything which might counteract death and the plague. They disdain the use of medicines; they do not avoid places and persons infected by the plague, but lightheartedly make sport of it and wish to prove how independent they are. They say that it is God’s punishment; if he wants to protect them he can do so without medicines or our carefulness. This is not trusting God but tempting him. God has created medicines and provided us with intelligence to guard and take good care of the body so that we can live in good health.

For me, this part of the book (roughly a third) was the most rewarding. Luther’s Whether One May Flee from a Deadly Plague covered most/all of the points in Part I, but in a pithier and more digestible fashion. Which is what you expect from Luther, right?

Zwingli’s Plauge Hymn is great. I really don’t know what else to say.

The most moving, the most personal entry in the volume is John Rawlet’s A Letter to my Mother is clearly part of that preparation for death mentioned in the post last week. In this printing, it’s an eleven-page letter* written by an Anglican minister in London sure he was soon to contract the plague and die. He was wrong about contracting the plague and never sent the letter—but he was ready for it.

* Hard to fathom in the age of texts, tweets, and email.

An Unimportant Observation

I’m pretty sure I’ve never run into the word “licit” as often as I have in this work. Like most people (especially those who read a lot of Crime Fiction), I run across “illicit” all the time. But “licit”? Almost never.

Maybe it’s a quirk of the translators, but I doubt it. It’s just refreshing to see the word—and it’s one I’m going to try to use more often.

So, what did I think about Faith in the Time of Plague?

One thing that struck me was how often these Reformation authors appealed to earlier theologians (like Cyprian). But largely not about plagues or other diseases. Instead, it was how they approached the response to persecution—could believers flee from it, or do they have to run toward it or simply wait for it? Both persecution and disease come from the Lord—as both trial and result of sin.

I have to say, I’m not sure I’d have approached it that way before.

Those looking for easy answers to “how would the early Church or Reformers” deal with COVID-19 (or the like)”, will be disappointed. There are no quick and easy answers here. But this can remind readers that the Church has been through similar—and worse—times before. She likely will again. There have been careful, pastoral responses to it in the past, and that can be true again. We don’t have to have a snappy, one-size-fits-all approach at the first sign of trouble, but we are called to gracious, Christ-honoring, people-serving responses.

These are some excellent examples of how to do it. This isn’t the easiest, breeziest thing I’ve read this year—it might even be the furthest from it. But it’s an invaluable resource and I’m glad Westminster Seminary Press brought it to us.