The Decades of Heinrich Bullinger

Fifty Sermons Divided into Five Decades Containing the Chief and Principle Points of Christian Religion
(1587 English Translation)

Table of Contents Prepared by
Ryan Glomsrud M.A. (D.Phil. Cand., Pembroke College, Oxon)

Volume I

  1. The Preface (pp. 1-11)
  2. Of the Four General Synods or Councils (pp. 12-35)
  3. The First Decade of Sermons (pp. 36- 192)
    1. First Sermon: Of the Word of God; the cause of it; and how, and by whom, it was revealed to the world (36-57)
    2. Second Sermon: Of the Word of God; to whom, and to what end, it was revealed; also in what manner it is to be heard; and that it doth fully teach the whole doctrine of godliness (57-70)
    3. Third Sermon: Of the sense and right exposition of the word of God, and by what manner of means it may be expounded (70-81)
    4. Fourth Sermon: Of true faith; from whence it cometh; that it is an assured belief of the mind, whose only stay is upon God and his Word (81-97)
    5. Fifth Sermon: That there is one only true faith, and what the virtue thereof is (97-104)
    6. Sixth Sermon: That the faithful are justified by faith without the law and works (104-122)
    7. Seventh Sermon: Of the first articles of the Christian faith contained in the Apostles’ Creed (122-140)
    8. Eighth Sermon: Of the latter articles of the Christian faith contained in the Apostles’ Creed (140-157)
    9. Ninth Sermon: Of the latter articles of Christian faith contained in the Apostles’ Creed (157-180)
    10. Tenth Sermon: Of the love of God and Neighbor (180-192)
  4. The Second Decade of Sermons (pp. 193-435)
    1. First Sermon: Of laws, and of the law of nature, then of the laws of men (193-209)
    2. Second Sermon: Of God’s law, and of the two first commandments of the first table (209-237)
    3. Third Sermon: Of the third precept of the Ten Commandments, and of swearing (237-253)
    4. Fourth Sermon: Of the fourth precept of the first table, that is, of the order and keeping of the Sabbath-Day (253-267)
    5. Fifth Sermon: Of the first precept of the second table, which is in order the fifth of the Ten Commandments, touching upon honour due to the parents (267-298)
    6. Sixth Sermon: Of the second precept of the second table, which is in order the sixth of the Ten Commandments, thou shalt not kill: and of the magistrate (298-322)
    7. Seventh Sermon: Of the office of the magistrate, whether the care of religion appertain to him or no, and whether he may make laws and ordinances in cases of religions (323-344)
    8. Eighth Sermon: Of judgment, and the office of the judge; that Christians are not forbidden to judge; of revengement and punishment; whether it be lawful for a magistrate to kill the guilty; wherefore, when, how, and what the magistrate must punish; whether he may punish offenders in religion or no (345-369)
    9. Ninth Sermon: Of war; whether it be lawful for a magistrate to make war. What the Scripture teacheth touching war. Whether a Christian man may bear the office of a magistrate. And of the duty of subjects (370-393)
    10. Tenth Sermon: Of the third precept of the second table, which is in order the seventh of the Ten Commandments; thou shalt not commit adultery of wedlock; against all intemperance; of continency (393-435)

Volume II

  1. Dedication to Prince Edward VI, King of England and France (pp. 3-16)
  2. The Third Decade of Sermons (pp. 17-432)
    1. First Sermon: Of the fourth precept of the second table, which is in order the eighth of the Ten Commandments, thou shalt not steal. Of the owning and possessing of proper goods, and of the right and lawful getting of the same; against sundry kinds of theft (17-48)
    2. Second Sermon: Of the lawful use of earthly goods; that is, how we may rightly possess, and lawfully spend, the wealth that is rightly and justly gotten; of restitution, and alms-deeds (48-64)
    3. Third Sermon: Of the patient bearing and abiding of sundry calamities and miseries; and also of the hope and manifold consolation of the faithful (64-111)
    4. Fourth Sermon: Of the fifth and sixth precepts of the second table, which are in order the ninth and tenth of the Ten Commandments, that is, thou shalt not speak false witness against they neighbor; and, though shalt not covet they neighbor’s house, & c. (111-124)
    5. Fifth Sermon: Of the ceremonial law of God, but specifically of the priesthood, time, and place appointed for the ceremonies (125-167)
    6. Sixth Sermon: Of the sacraments of the Jews; of their sundry sorts of sacrifices, and certain other things pertaining to the ceremonial law (167-217)
    7. Seventh Sermon: Of the judicial laws of God (217-236)
    8. Eighth Sermon: Of the use or effect of the law of God, and of the fulfilling and abrogating of the same; of the likeness and difference of both the testaments and people, the Old and the New (236-300)
    9. Ninth Sermon: Of Christian liberty, and of offences. Of good works, and the reward thereof (300-357)
    10. Tenth Sermon: Of sin, and of the kinds thereof; to wit, of original and actual sin, and of sin against the Holy Ghost; and lastly, of the most sure and just punishment of sins (358-432)

Volume III

  1. The Fourth Decade of Sermons (pp. 1-114)
    1. First Sermon: Of the Gospel of the grace of God, who hath given his Son unto the world, and in Him all things necessary to salvation, that we, believing in Him, might obtain eternal life (1-55)
    2. Second Sermon: Of repentance, and the causes therefore; of confession, and remission of sins; of satisfaction and indulgences; of the old and new man; of the power or strength of men, and the order of things pertaining to repentance (55-114)
  2. Dedication to Edward VI, King of England and France (pp. 115-122)
  3. The Fourth Decade of Sermons CONTINUED (pp. 123-408)
    1. Third Sermon: Of God; of the true knowledge of God, and of the diverse ways how to know him; that God is one in substance and three in persons (123-173)
    2. Fourth Sermon: That God is the creator of all things, and governeth all things by his providence; where mention is also made of the goodwill of God to usward, and of predestination (173-194)
    3. Fifth Sermon: Of adoring or worshipping, of invocating or calling upon, and of serving the only, living, true, and everlasting God; also of true and false religion (194-238)
    4. Sixth Sermon: That the Son of God is unspeakably begotten of the Father; that He is consubstantial with the Father, and therefore true God. That the selfsame Son is true man; consubstantial with us; and therefore true God and Man, abiding in two unconfounded natures, and in one undivided Person (238-273)
    5. Seventh Sermon: Of Christ, King and Priest; of His only and everlasting kingdom and priesthood; and of the name of a Christian (273-297)
    6. Eighth Sermon: Of the Holy Ghost, the third person in the Trinity to be worshipped, and of His divine power (297-326)
    7. Ninth Sermon: Of good and evil spirits; that is, of the holy angels of God, and of devils or evil spirits; and of their operations (327-365)
    8. Tenth Sermon: Of the reasonable soul of man; and of his most certain salvation after the death of the his body (365-408)

Volume IV

  1. Biographical Notice of Henry Bullinger (pp. vii-xxxi)
  2. The Fifth Decade of Sermons (pp.3-526)
    1. First Sermon: Of the holy catholic church; what it is, how far it extendeth, by what marks it is known, from whence it springeth, how it is maintained and preserved, whether it may err. Also of the power and studies of the church (3-48)
    2. Second Sermon: That there is one catholic church; that without the church there is no light or salvation. Against schismatics. Wherefore we depart from the upstart church of Rome. That the church of God is the house, vineyard, and kingdom of God; and the body, sheepfold, and spouse of Christ; a mother and a virgin (49-92)
    3. Third Sermon: Of the ministry, and the ministries of God’s word; wherefore and for what end they are instituted of God. That the orders given by Christ unto the church in times past were equal. Whence and how the prerogative of ministries sprang, and of the supremacy of the bishop of Rome (93-127)
    4. Fourth Sermon: Of calling unto the ministry of the Word of God. What manner of men, and after what fashion, ministers of the Word must be ordained in the church. Of the keys of the church. What the office of them is that be ordained. Of the manner of teaching the church; and of the holy life of the pastors (128-163)
    5. Fifth Sermon: Of the form and manner how to pray to God; that is, of the calling on the name of the Lord; where also the Lord’s Prayer is expounded; and also singing, thanksgiving, and the force of prayer is entreated (163-226)
    6. Sixth Sermon: Of signs, and the manner of signs; of sacramental signs: what a sacrament is; of whom, for what causes, and how many sacraments were instituted of Christ for the Christian church; of what things they do consist; how these are consecrated; how the sign and the thing signified in the sacraments are either joined together or distinguished; and of the kind of speeches used in the sacraments (226-293)
    7. Seventh Sermon: That we must reason reverently of sacraments; that they do not give grace, neither have grace included in them. Again, what the virtue and lawful end and use of the sacraments is. That they profit not without faith; that they are not superfluous to the faithful; and that they do not depend upon the worthiness or unworthiness of the minister (293-351)
    8. Eighth Sermon: Of holy baptism; what it is; by whom, and when it was instituted, and that there is but one baptism of water. Of the baptism of fire. Of the rite or ceremony of baptism; how, of whom, and to whom it must be administered. Of baptism by midwives; and of infants dying without baptism. Of the baptism of infants. Against Anabaptism or re-baptizing; and of the power of efficacy of baptism (351-401)
    9. Ninth Sermon: Of the Lord’s holy supper; what it is, by whom, when, and for whom it was instituted; after what sort, when, and how oft it is to be celebrated, and of the ends thereof. Of the true meaning of the words of the super, “This is my body.” Of the presence of Christ in the supper. Of the true eating of Christ’s body. Of the worthy and unworthy eaters thereof: and how every man ought to prepare himself unto the Lord’s supper (401-478)
    10. Tenth Sermon: Of certain institutions of the church of God. Of schools. Of ecclesiastical goods, and the use and abuse of the same. Of churches and holy instruments of Christians. Of the admonition and correction of the ministers of the church, and of the whole church. Of matrimony. Of widows. Of virgins. Of monks. What the church of Christ determineth concerning the sick; and of funerals and burials (478-526)
  3. Appendix I: Dedication to the Marque of Dorset (pp. 528-545)
  4. Appendix II: Dedication to Masters Gualter, Simler, etc. (pp. 546-558)
  5. Index of Subjects and Persons (pp. 559-586)
  6. Index of Various Writers Quoted and Referred to (pp. 587-590)

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