On Mon, 6 May 1996, R.J. Stansbury wrote:
> The 16th Century reformers, in order to defend the notion that they were
> still the "true" church had to develop the doctrine of both a visible and
> invisible church; the latter of course being made up of God's elect, the
> former of both elect and non-elect. The question was, "is there any
> idea/theology of the invisible church in the MA?"
Although the language is not exactly the same, you might look at
Marguerite Porete's idea about Holy Church the Great (governed by love) and
Holy Church the Little (governed by reason); cf. Mirror of Simple Souls,
ch. 43, etc.
Also Hans Becker (burned 1458), who spoke of two churches, one here
below and another risen; cf. Robert Lerner, The Heresy of the Free Spirit
in the Later Middle Ages, Notre Dame: UND Press, 1972.
Wycliffe's Augustinianism has already been mentioned. Jan Hus was
condemned at the Council of Constance among other things for his doctrine
that the church was the community of the predestined.
--
Paul Chandler || Yarra Theological Union
[log in to unmask] || Melbourne College of Divinity
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