Anglican Persecution of Catholics: 1559-1829

Last updated on: August 1, 2022 at 11:21 am By Dave Armstrong

[originally posted on my blog on 10 March 2008] *** [slightly abridged version of Part I of the article, “Penal Laws,” in The Catholic Encyclopedia; original written by Edwin Burton, E. A. D’Alton & Jarvis Kelley, 1911. I created several new paragraph breaks] *** Catholics lost not only freedom of worship, but civil rights as well; their estates, property, and sometimes even lives were at the mercy of any informer. The fact that these laws were passed as political occasion demanded deprived them... Read more

16th Century Calvinist, Lutheran, & Zwinglian Intolerance

Last updated on: July 29, 2022 at 5:24 pm By Dave Armstrong

The following are excerpts from a two-volume hardcover set that I have in my library: Toleration and the Reformation, by Joseph Lecler, S.J. (New York: Associated Press / London: Longmans, originally 1955; translated by T. L. Westow in 1960); from Volume 1, page numbers provided below. ***** [p. 202] Persecuted as they were, snice their origin, by Zwingli and his disciples in Switzerland, the Anabaptists soon suffered the same fate in Germany at the hands of both Lutherans and Catholics.... Read more

Jason Engwer, Trent Horn, & My 50 NT Petrine Proofs

Last updated on: July 28, 2022 at 5:00 pm By Dave Armstrong

Catholic apologist Trent Horn, on his popular YouTube channel, The Counsel of Trent, did a show entitled, “The ‘Pauline parody argument’ against the papacy (with Suan Sonna)” [7-27-22] This was directed towards a 2012 article from Protestant anti-Catholic apologist Jason Engwer, entitled, “51 Biblical Proofs Of A Pauline Papacy And Ephesian Primacy.” What viewers wouldn’t know, however, is that Jason’s original parody was directed towards my 1994 piece, 50 New Testament Proofs for Peter’s Primacy & the Papacy (later published... Read more

Protestantism: Historical Cause of Religious Toleration?

Last updated on: July 28, 2022 at 1:10 am By Dave Armstrong

Francisco Tourinho, a Brazilian Calvinist apologist (whom I’ve recently been debating on justification), wrote the following comment on one of his Facebook pages (7-26-22): While it is true that the early Reformers supported the death penalty for heretics, it is also true that it was from the Protestant medium that tolerance and breakup with that custom emerged. It was from the Protestant medium that emerged what is defended throughout the civilized world: [the notion] that people should be free to... Read more

A Pharaoh’s Death (Ex 2:23) & Exodus Chronology

Last updated on: June 20, 2023 at 9:53 am By Dave Armstrong

A reader sent me the following question: You identify the Ramses and Pithom of Exodus with cities built during Ramesses II’s reign. This would make Ramesses the Pharaoh of Exodus 1, who enslaved Israel and gave the midwives that bloody order. Because of Exodus 2:23, we know that at least one Pharaoh died during Moses’ stay in Midian. Therefore, making Ramesses the Exodus 1 Pharaoh makes his son Merneptah [r. 1213-1203] or perhaps a later king, the Exodus Pharaoh, which... Read more

Review of “God Loves the Autistic Mind” (Fr. Matthew P. Schneider)

Last updated on: July 26, 2022 at 3:18 pm By Dave Armstrong

The full title of this book is God Loves the Autistic Mind: Prayer Guide for Those on the Spectrum and Those Who Love Us (Boston, Pauline Books & Media, 10 June 2022). See the publisher’s book page and Amazon page for more information and purchase. In a press release for this book, it was noted that “more than 3.5 million people in the United States live with autism.” One of them is my oldest son, Paul (now 31): a very... Read more

Catholic Transubstantiation vs. Lutheran Consubstantiation

Last updated on: July 22, 2022 at 1:20 pm By Dave Armstrong

[originally posted on 4-2-20 on Facebook] *** I was asked: “Does the Catholic Church explicitly condemn the Lutheran doctrine of consubstantiation?” * Yes, at the Council of Trent, canons on the Eucharist: specifically these three: CANON II.-If any one saith, that, in the sacred and holy sacrament of the Eucharist, the substance of the bread and wine remains conjointly with the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, and denieth that wonderful and singular conversion of the whole substance... Read more

Reply to Francisco Tourinho on Justification: Round 2 (Pt. 3)

Last updated on: August 30, 2023 at 6:49 pm By Dave Armstrong

[St. John Henry Cardinal Newman (1801-1890): author of arguably the most penetrating and in-depth book about justification ever written (published when he was a Protestant): Lectures on the Doctrine of Justification (1838)] See Part 1 / Part 2 * I use Google Translate to render his Portugese text into English. Francisco’s words will be in blue. My words from my previous reply will be in green. * Justification, however, is the opposite: if it is currently justified, it is not a... Read more

Reply to Francisco Tourinho on Justification: Round 2 (Pt. 2)

Last updated on: September 21, 2022 at 1:05 pm By Dave Armstrong

[see book and purchase information] See: Part 1 / Part 3 Francisco Tourinho is a Brazilian Calvinist apologist. He described his theological credentials on my Facebook page: I have the respect of the academic community for my articles published in peer review magazines, translation of unpublished classical works into Portuguese and also the production of a book in the year 2019 with more than 2000 copies sold (with no marketing). In addition I have higher education in physical education from Piauí State... Read more

Reply to Francisco Tourinho on Justification: Round 2 (Pt. 1)

Last updated on: September 21, 2022 at 12:26 pm By Dave Armstrong

See: Part 2 / Part 3 Francisco Tourinho is a Brazilian Calvinist apologist. He described his theological credentials on my Facebook page: I have the respect of the academic community for my articles published in peer review magazines, translation of unpublished classical works into Portuguese and also the production of a book in the year 2019 with more than 2000 copies sold (with no marketing). In addition I have higher education in physical education from Piauí State University and theology from the... Read more

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