Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof. (Leviticus 25:10a)If ye continue in my word, [then] are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. -- Jesus Christ (John 8:31b,32)
If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. -- Jesus Christ (John 8:36)
For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. -- (1 Corinthians 3:11)
And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest. (Matthew 21:9)
This was the Lord's public claiming of authority over Israel. He was the son of David, and so He was by natural right the King of the Jews. If He had taken possession of His own, He would have been sitting on the throne of the chosen dynasty of David by right of birth. Also as the Messiah, the Christ, He was the King of His people Israel. Concerning Him it had been said by the prophet, "Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold! thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass" (Zechariah 9:9). Our Lord Jesus literally came to Zion in this way. As King He rode to His capital and entered His palace. In His priestly royalty the Son of God went to His Father's house, to the temple of sacrifice and sovereignty. Among the tribes of Israel He is seen to be "One chosen out of the people," whom the Lord had given to be a leader and commander for the people. They might afterwards choose Barabbas and cry that they had no king but Caesar, yet Jesus was their King, as Pilate reminded them when he said, "Shall I crucify your king?" And also His cross declared, it, bearing the legal inscription, "This is Jesus the King of the Jews." Before His trial and condemnation He had put in a public claim to the rights and prerogatives of Zion's king, whom God has set on His holy hill. Would to God all fully recognized our Lord's kingdom, yielding to His sway! Oh, that you would bow before Him, and put your trust in Him! Part of His intent in riding through Jerusalem was that we also who dwell in the isles of the sea might know Him and reverence Him as King of kings and Lord of lords." -- C.H. Spurgeon commenting on Matthew 21:9 in Devotional Classics of C.H. Spurgeon, p. 86"Whereas, we all came into these parts of America with one and the same end and aim, to advance the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to enjoy the liberties of the Gospel in purity and peace." -- The New England Confederation, May 19, 1643
The roots of liberty and limited government are in the Protestant Reformation. We believe the key to the maintenance of liberty and limited government are to be found in the Scottish covenanting struggle.
The question of Paul, Is Christ divided? is one to which professing Christians have not given sufficient heed, and the evil consequences are abundantly apparent.
It was deemed essential to the salvation of men that their Redeemer should possess the powers at once of a prophet, a priest, and a king. These offices, while essentially distinct, are necessarily and inseparably connected with one another. Such a union has been by some utterly denied; and its denial has laid foundation for some capital errors, which have exerted a pernicious influence on the Christian church. By others it has been criminally overlooked; and the neglect with which it has been treated has occasioned vague and conflicting conceptions regarding the great work of man's deliverance from sin and wrath by the mediation of the Son of God.
If, as we presume will be readily admitted, the whole of Christ's offices are necessary to the salvation of fallen man, it follows that they are all essential to the character of the Saviour, and that, of course, we can not suppose him to have existed for a moment without any one of them, as this would suppose him to have been, for the time at least, no Saviour. -- William SymingtonBriefly stated, where Christ is demoted or limited, His Kingdom and crown rights are limited and demoted. There is then a shift of sovereignty from God to man, which means the triumph of the state. The state as the new sovereign becomes god walking on earth, and the result is the rapid death of all freedom. -- R.J. Rushdoony
In the final analysis, all modern ills, spiritual and temporal, are traceable to our continuing departure from the principles of the Second Reformation. . . . In particular, I am convinced that the Lord will not bless a church at peace with his enemies. Our departure from truth has led to our undernourished condition as a church; truth, as Thornwell argued, is the only food that the soul can digest.
It does no good to blame society or the church for our deficiencies before the Lord because Christ holds men, not churches and states, accountable. In the words of Hugh Miller, "Churches, however false and detestable, are never to be summoned to the bar of judgment. . . . To Christ, as his head and king, must every man render an account."
The great heresy of our times is that all men are children of God. Those within the church have lost their identity as a people of God, united in spirit and purpose. We have adopted the half-truths of our fathers for which Judah faced punishment: "Because they have despised the law of the Lord, and have not kept his commandments, and their lies caused them to err, after which their fathers have walked" (Amos 2:4b). Nevertheless, Christ loves his church, and he will see to it that his bride is prepared (Ephesians 5:27) for the great banquet. Based on the history of God's people, the needed corrections will result from either prayer or persecution, leading the people to renew their covenant promises. Let us pray that God's kingdom come, and let us covenant to fulfill our obligations to be his people. When persecution comes, let us pray that we would stand as firm as did the Scottish Covenanters. When covenanting comes, let us praise the Lord, for only in him will we stand firm. Let us ever strive to make it possible for our children to utter one of James Nisbet's praises, "O my soul! Bless and praise the Lord that I was born in a land where the glad tidings of the everlasting gospel are published and pressed with so much purity and plainness." This should be our prayer, "Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved" (Psalm 80:3). -- Edwin Nesbit Moore, from the conclusion to Our Covenant HeritageYe have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself. Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. -- The Word of The Lord (Exodus 19:4-6a)
What a loving preface to the law! If anything could have engaged rebellious man to obedience, this would have done it, but, alas, the Lord has nourished and brought up children, and theyhave rebelled against him. -- C.H. Spurgeon commenting on Exodus 19:4-6a in Spurgeon's Devotional Bible, p. 92.
How does a nation protect itself against terrorists who commit suicide to murder innocent citizens?
It is the presence of The Holy Spirit in society, The Third Person of the Holy Trinity -- it is His presence alone, that restrains evil in society. It is His presence alone that stops men from murdering their neighbors and from completely destroying society. See John Owen, "God's Presence With a People the Spring of Their Prosperity; With Their Special Interest in Abiding in Him"
In the absence of The Holy Spirit there is no restraint of evil.
Therefore, a nation that struggles to remove The Holy Trinity, The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit, from all public life, that nation will lose all restrain of evil, and will succumb to self-destruction from within. It will also succumb to destruction from ememies without. It is the presence in a nation of The Holy One of Israel, The God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob, the presence of The Triune God, that restrains evil, and that gives society order and life.
Honored citizens of The United States of America, your willful rebellion against Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ has brought the judgment of God upon this nation. God punishes a people by putting godless leaders in command. All restraint of evil has disappeared from our nation, and our leaders are helpless to stop the spread of terrorism. Repent honored citizens of this beloved nation, partake of Christ, for you are the terrorists.
And now may the Grace, the Mercy, and the Peace, of God The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit, rest and abide with you now and forevermore. Amen.
The Treasury of David, Psalm 106
http://www.spurgeon.org/treasury/ps106.htm
Q. What kind of submission may be rendered to immoral and tyrannical governments, the ordinance of Satan, such as now exist?A. Christians, in the exercise of their Christian liberty, and in the performance of the duty of "proving all things, and holding fast what is good," can submit to such governments "for wrath's sake," ONLY, which kind of submission has no respect to the power as legitimate authority, but simply, from dread of the cruelty of the tyrant, who pours forth his fury upon all who oppose his misrule. To God's moral ordinance as described, is allegiance due for conscience sake. Submission to this, is submission to God.
Q. When Christians reside under an immoral government, is not conformity to the general order of society a duty, provided this can be done without violating the divine law ?
A. If the constituted authorities of a nation are not in voluntary subserviency to the Mediator, but opposed to his authority, law, and religion, for the sake of peace and order, and for the sake of contributing as much as possible to the ease and happiness of society, and from a spirit of resignation to the Divine providence, and in order to make legitimate provision for themselves and relatives, so much conformity to the prevailing system as is consistent with their oath of allegiance to Messiah, is a duty conscientiously to be practiced, although very distinct from that obedience for conscience sake which they would render to the government of their choice, to the authority which has the sanction of the Divine approbation. Jer. xxix. 4-7, "Seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the Lord for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.:
Q. Whilst it is the duty of Christians thus to live a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty, in conformity to the laws of Christ, which are everywhere, and at all times, obligatory upon them -- is it not their duty publicly to declare their dissent from an immoral constitution of civil government, within the reach of whose power they may reside ?
A. This is, indeed, their duty. Because, 1. They are bound to defend God's moral ordinance of civil government, in the purity of which, God's own honor as "the Governor of the nations," is deeply involved. Rev. ii. 25, 26, "That which you have already hold fast till I come; and he that overcometh -- and keepeth my works unto the end -- to him will I give power in the nations," &c. Isa. viii. 16, "Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples." 2. The purity of this holy ordinance cannot be preserved, if it is confounded with the existing immoral systems, and by an indiscriminate exercise of allegiance. 3. Christians are witnesses for God among men; and having in their possession "the testimony of God," in the Holy Scriptures, respecting the true character of civil government, and the duty of national subjection to Christ and his law, and respect for his holy religion, it is their duty to apply the doctrines of inspiration upon this subject, in stating and defending the truth, and condemning the existing immoral systems, and in bearing public testimony against all who uphold them. Isa. xliii. 10, "Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord." Rev. xi. 3, "I will give power to my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and three score days, clothed in sackcloth;" xii. 17, "And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." See also Rev. xvii. 14, Acts v. 32, xxvi. 16, Micah iv. 8-18, Mark vi. 11. 4. The witnesses in Revelation are raised up not only to testify against the ecclesiastical apostasy, "The scarlet woman," or Roman church -- and "the image of the beast," -- the Papacy -- but also against "the seven-headed and ten-horned" beast -- or the civil powers -- upon which the woman rides. The nations which sustain Antichrist, and are equally, with "the man of sin," Antichristian, and are at war with the Lamb. See passages last quoted, together with Rev. xiii. 1, 2, xvii. 3-14, and xii. 11, "And they overcame him, (the devil embodied in the Roman church papacy, and civil powers,) by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony;" xvii. 14, "These, (the civil powers,) shall make war with the Lamb-and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful."
Q. Are not virtuous persons, who, in their private capacity, are endeavoring to further the true end of civil government -- the maintenance of peace and quietness in all godliness and honesty, although they dissent from the constitution of civil government of the nation in which they reside, entitled to protection ?
A. They certainly are entitled to protection in their lives, liberties, and property; "but they are not to act inconsistently with their declared dissent, and it would be tyranny to constrain them to such measures." Exod. xxii. 21, "Thou shalt neither vex a stranger nor oppress him." See also Rom. xiii. 3, 1 Tim. ii. 2, Jer. xxi. 12, Esther iii. 8, 9.
Q. Should not "Christians, testifying against national evils, and striving, in the use of moral means, to effect a reformation, relinquish temporal privileges, rather than do any thing which may appear to contradict their testimony, or lay a stumbling-block before their weaker brethren?"
A. This is unquestionably their duty. Because they cannot convince men of their own sincerity, and of the immorality of a principle or practice, whilst they themselves are found actually maintaining the immoral principle or practice, (by oath of allegiance, voting, and holding offices, &c.) and enjoying the emoluments of iniquity decreed by law. Heb. xi. 24, 26, 36, "By faith, Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. Esteeming the reproach of Christ to be greater riches than the treasures in Egypt. And others had trials of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover, of bonds and imprisonments." Numb. xxiii. 9, "Lo, the people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations." Rom. xiv. 21, "It is good neither to eat flesh, nor drink wine, nor anything whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended."
Q. Will not such a public dissent from immoral governments, and faithful testimony against them, ultimately prevail to their overthrow?
A. Yes. By these means the witnesses will prevail, however much they may suffer in the meantime, and will be the honored instruments of establishing the millennial kingdom of the Lamb. Rev. xii. 11 , "And they overcame him, by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death." Dan. vii. 22, "The Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the Most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom." Rev. xx. 4, "And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them; and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, (the civil powers,) neither his image, (the Papacy,) neither had received his mark, (yielded allegiance,) upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years." -- William L. Roberts, The Reformed Presbyterian Catechism, p. 130-133
Traditionally, law was never construed as legalist. It was always construed as a result of covenant. If we can define the word covenant as bond, that lovely four letter word, b-o-n-d, then it's a relationship, it's a solidarity with God or with another person. And from that relationship flows duty. So we can think of convent as that marvelous combination of promise and duty. And so I really see law as a response to a relationship. -- Joseph Kickasola
True, the state as the policeman can be corrupt; in fact, if the society as a whole is corrupt, the state will also be corrupt. In a healthy and godly society, the state will function successfully to restrain the minority of evil-doers. The key to the situation is not the state but the religious health of the society. -- Rousas John Rushdoony, in Institutes of Biblical Law, p. 470
If I profess with the loudest voice and clearest exposition every portion of the Word of God except precisely that little point which the world and the devil are at that moment attacking, I am not confessing Christ, however boldly I may be professing Him. Where the battle rages, there the loyalty of the soldier is proven; and to be steady on all the battlefront besides is mere flight and disgrace if he flinches at that point. -- Martin Luther
It is a poor and pitiful kind of knowledge, to know many loose parcels, and broken members of truth, without knowing the whole, or the place and the relations which they have to the rest. To know letters and not syllables, or syllables and not words, or words and not sentences, or sentences and not the scope of the discourse, are all but an unprofitable knowledge. -- Richard Baxter (I:269)
The Westminster Confession of Faith (1647, Westminster Standards) and Related Works
Contents: Chapter 9, "Corporate Faithfulness and Sanctification" (parts 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5), interactive
http://www.lettermen2.com/bcrr9cha.html#index9
Combined Interactive Contents for The Web Edition of Biblical Counsel: Resources for Renewal
http://www.lettermen2.com/combtoc.html
In the same establishment may be found believers in nearly every dogma of the Popish creed, who nevertheless have declared their faith in articles which are distinctly Calvinistic; and now last, and, to our minds, most sorrowful of all, it comes out that there are men to be found among Caledonia's once sternly truthful sons who can occupy the pulpits and the manses of an orthodox Presbyterian church, and yet oppose her ancient confession of faith. Our complaint is in each case, not that the men changed their views, and threw up their former creeds, but that having done so they did not at once quit the office of minister to the community whose faith they could no longer uphold; their fault is not that they differed, but that, differing, they sought an office of which the prime necessity is agreement. All the elements of the lowest kind of knavery meet in the evil which we now denounce. Treachery is never more treacherous than when it leads a man to stab at a doctrine which he has solemnly engaged to uphold, and for the maintenance of which he receives a livelihood. The office of minister would never wittingly be entrusted by any community to a person who would use it for the overthrow of the principles upon which the community was founded. Such conduct would be suicidal. A sincere belief of the church's creed was avowedly or by implication a part of the qualification which helped the preacher to his stipend, and when that qualification ceases the most vital point of the compact between him and his church is infringed, and he is bound in honor to relinquish an office which he can no longer honestly fulfill." -- Charles Spurgeon in "Ministers Sailing Under False Colours," Sword and Trowel, February, 1870, quoted by John W. Robbins, February 10, 2006
Carruthers, S.W. Westminster Confession of Faith: An account of the preparation and printing of the WCF's seven leading editions, to which is appended a critical text of the Confession, with notes thereon (Cerlox Bound Photocopy Series. Edmonton, AB, Canada: Still Waters Revival Books).
Carson, John L. (editor), David W. Hall (editor) To Glorify and Enjoy God: A Commemoration of the 350th Anniversary of the Westminister Assembly (Banner of Truth).
*Hetherington, William, Hetherington (The History of the Westminster Assembly of Divines (Edmonton, AB, Canada: Still Waters Revival Books).
Lee, Francis Nigel, Westminster Confession and Modern Society (Edmonton, AB, Canada: Still Waters Revival Books).
*Mitchell, Alexander F., *The Westminster Assembly: Its History and Standards (Cerlox Bound Photocopy Series. Edmonton, AB, Canada: Still Waters Revival Books, 1997).
Price, Greg, History of the Assembly at Westminster (Audio Cassette Series. Edmonton, AB, Canada: Still Waters Revival Books).
THE WESTMINSTER CONFESSION (1647, THE WESTMINSTER STANDARDS) AND RELATED WORKS
Many scholars consider alterations to the Westminster Confession of Faith (1647), originally compiled by the Westminster Assembly of Divines, to be a "reverse plagiarism," analogous to plagiarism. "Plagiarize: to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one's own use (a created production) without crediting the source; to commit literary theft: present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source." (Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary)
Revisers have altered the content of the original WCF (1647), have removed key doctrine related to Christ's Crown and Covenant, and yet have retained the name given by the Westminster Assembly. Consequently, revisers have deceived many in the Church into believing that their alterations are the work of the Westminster Assembly of Divines in 1647.
Most Presbyterian and Reformed denominations and seminaries today prescribe to the Westminster Confession of Faith (1879), the "American Version." Ideas have consequences. Because theology is truth, when men delete or alter key doctrines, or replace sound doctrine, deducted from God's infallible Word by logic, with human imaginations, then the course of history is changed.
For a detailed analysis of the devastating consequences to American history caused by non-Biblical alterations in the Westminster Confession of Faith and non-Biblical alterations to constitutional government in the United States see the following:
"A Theological Interpretation of American History"
http://www.lettermen2.com/bcrr9chc.html#stiahis
In Great Britain the Independents and Calvinistic Baptists edited the Westminster Confession (1647) for their own use, but they gave the new confessions a different name, the Savoy Declaration and the Baptist Confession. Certainly this was the honest procedure.
"In 1788 the U.S. Constitution and the revised Westminster Confession were ratified. For a detailed discussion see:
"Authority: Biblical, Confessional, Ecclesiastical" in Crossed Fingers: How the Liberals Captured the Presbyterian Church, by Gary North
http://entrewave.com/freebooks/docs/html/gncf/Chapter03.htm
See also the following:
American Revisions to the Westminster Confession of Faith (1789)
http://www.opc.org/documents/WCF_orig.html
Appendix A: Major Changes of the Savoy Declaration
http://www.bible-researcher.com/wescoappa.html
Appendix B: Major Changes of the PCUSA (1788-1958)
http://www.bible-researcher.com/wescoappb.html
Appendix C: Major Changes of the UPCUSA and PCUS (1958-1983)
http://www.bible-researcher.com/wescoappc.html
" 'Every person who has directed his attention to the events of the seventeenth century, whether with regard to their civil or their religious aspect, has felt that it was impossible fully to understand either the one or the other line of study, without taking into view the character of the Westminster Assembly, the purpose for which it met, and the result of its deliberations . . . The man who penetrates a little deeper into the nature of those unrevealed but powerful influences which move a nation's mind, and mould its destinies, will be ready to direct his attention more profoundly to the objects and deliberations of an assembly which met at a moment so critical, and was composed of the great master-minds of the age; and the theologian who has learned to view religion as the vital principle of human nature, equally in nations and in the individual man, will not easily admit that weak idea, that such an assembly could have been an isolated event, but will be disposed earnestly to inquire what led to its meeting, and what important consequences followed. And although the subject has not hitherto been investigated with such a view, it may, we trust, be possible to prove, that it was the most important event in the century in which it occurred; and that it has exerted, and in all probability will yet exert, a far more wide and permanent influence upon both the civil and the religious history of mankind than has generally been ever imagined,' writes William Hetherington in this book (SWRB, 1856, 2nd reprint edition, 1993, pp. 16-17, emphasis added). This book is probably the best popular historical account ever published regarding this unsurpassed Assembly. The history leading up to the Assembly is especially important and not only set the context for what became the major debates among the ministers present, but even dictated who was selected to this august body of scholars. These debates and their resolutions have defined and directed Christian thought and culture ever since their original ratification. Hetherington covers the period from 1531 to 1662. Many consider this era a historical high water mark for doctrinal and practical precision. Also included is a chapter on the theological productions of the Westminster Assembly and six valuable appendices (one containing six biographical notices of the Scottish Commissioners -- including Rutherford, Gillespie, Henderson and Baillie)." -- SWRB
History of the Westminster Assembly of Divines, by William Maxwell Hetherington, D. D., LL. D.
http://www.reformed.org/books/hetherington/west_assembly/index.html
"How may we confess Christ, to a changing and hostile society, in the twentieth century? Dr. Lee leads us to the teaching of the WCF, showing how it addresses every area of life with its comprehensive and Biblically faithful testimony to the Truth!" -- SWRB
"William Hetherington has written: 'Every person who has directed his attention to the events of the seventeenth century, whether with regard to their civil or their religious aspect, has felt that it was impossible fully to understand either the one or the other line of study, without taking into view the character of the Westminster Assembly, the purpose for which it met, and the result of its deliberations... (T)he man who penetrates a little deeper into the nature of those unrevealed but powerful influences which move a nation's mind, and mould its destinies, will be ready to direct his attention more profoundly to the objects and deliberations of an assembly which met at a moment so critical, and was composed of the great master-minds of the age; and the theologian who has learned to view religion as the vital principle of human nature, equally in nations and in the individual man, will not easily admit that weak idea, that such an assembly could have been an isolated event, but will be disposed earnestly to inquire what led to its meeting, and what important consequences followed. And although the subject has not hitherto been investigated with such a view, it may, we trust, be possible to prove, that it was the most important event in the century in which it occurred; and that it has exerted, and in all probability will yet exert, a far more wide and permanent influence upon both the civil and the religious history of mankind than has generally been ever imagined.' (Hetherington , History of the Westminster Assembly, pp. 16-17). Beattie (Memorial Volume, p. xxxv, 1879) called this book, 'perhaps the best single popular book on the Assembly yet published.' Read this rare item and find out why. Limited stock remaining. When our hardcover stock is depleted we will substitute a 'bound photocopy' edition in its place, at the same low price, unless you instruct us otherwise.
"In the first three lectures, the author has given a succinct account of English Puritanism from its origin to the meeting of the Westminster Assembly, and in the tenth lecture, he has given a similar account of the history of doctrine in the British Churches during the same period. The seven intervening lectures were prepared in accord with the author's desire to complete his researches on the Westminster Assembly. Throughout this work, Mitchell has endeavored to give prominence to aspects of this magnificent period in Puritan history which have hitherto been generally overlooked and to treat more briefly of those which have been previously dwelt on -- making this the ideal companion volume to Hetherington's (THE HISTORY OF THE WESTMINSTER ASSEMBLY OF DIVINES and Gillespie's notes taken at this assembly (found in his Works). Moreover, Mitchell writes in an irenic manner, making this a perfect introductory volume to Puritanism and the work of the Assembly. Mitchell notes the importance of the Westminster Assembly in the following manner, 'Richard Baxter, who was perhaps as competent as any of their contemporaries to give an impartial verdict, does not hesitate to affirm that 'the divines there congregated were men of eminent learning and godliness, ministerial ability and fidelity; and being not worthy,' he modestly adds, 'to be one of them myself, I may the more freely speak that truth which I know, even in the face of malice and envy, that so far as I am able to judge bythe information of all history . . . the Christian world since the days of the apostles had never a Synod of more excellent divines.' (p. 118). Thus, it has been noted by many, that next to the Scripture itself, there is probably more to be gained from the study of this segment of history (and the works of the men God called to produce the Puritan intellect and the Westminster family of documents) than any other single period of history -- right up to the present era. Mitchell's account of this age of brilliance is a veritable information cornucopia in which all lovers of Puritanism, the Westminster Assembly, and especially the truth of Christ (which these our forefathers in the faith so boldly proclaimed) can readily take delight! 'The Westminster Assembly, if it does not form a landmark in the history of our common Protestantism, must at least be admitted to constitute an epoch, and a notable one, in the history of Puritanism,' notes Mitchell. Don't miss this fine historical account. Hardcover copies of this item will be send until our present stock is depleted." -- SWRB
"This lecture is probably the best introductory historical account of this unsurpassed Assembly in audio format. It fulfills the same purpose for which Hetherington noted he wrote his classic (THE HISTORY OF THE WESTMINSTER ASSEMBLY OF DIVINES (only it is in audio format and much shorter):
In common with all true Presbyterians, I have often regretted the want of a History of the Westminster Assembly of Divines... Especially in such a time as the present, when all distinctive Presbyterian principles are not only called in question, but also misrepresented and condemned, such a want has become absolutely unendurable, unless Presbyterians are willing to permit their Church to perish under a load of unanswered, yet easily refuted, calumny. And as the best refutation of calumny is the plain and direct statement of truth, it is by that process that I have endeavored to vindicate the principles and the character of the Presbyterian Church (p. i.).
The Puritan history leading up to the Assembly (which this lecture takes a in-depth look at) is especially important and not only set the context for what became the major debates among the ministers present, but even dictated who was selected to this august body of scholars. Civil wars, national upheavals, emigration to the `new world' and a host of other epoch making events surrounded this momentous period of history. These debates and their resolutions have defined and directed Christian thought and national cultures ever since their original ratification -- and Hetherington (in The History of the Westminster Assembly of Divines) is not shy about noting the significance of this Assembly when he writes,
But the man who penetrates a little deeper into the nature of those unrevealed but powerful influences which move a nation's mind, and mould its destinies, will be ready to direct his attention more profoundly to the objects and deliberations of an assembly which met at a moment so critical, and was composed of the great master-minds of the age; and the theologian who has learned to view religion as the vital principle of human nature, equally in nations and in the individual man, will not easily admit the weak idea, that such an assembly could have been an isolated event, but will be disposed earnestly to inquire what led to its meeting, and what important consequences followed. And although the subject has not hitherto been investigated with such a view, it may, we trust, be possible to prove, that it (the Westminster Assembly–RB) was the most important event in the century in which it occurred; and that it has exerted, and in all probability will yet exert, a far more wide and permanent influence upon both the civil and the religious history of mankind than has generally been even imagined (p. 17).
Many consider this era a historical high water mark for doctrinal and practical Puritan precision and this work is indispensable for understanding the work accomplished by the Westminster Assembly, Presbyterian and Independent history, Cromwell and much more. For example, consider the lofty and Christ honoring goal of the Assembly as summarized by Hetherington (in The History of the Westminster Assembly of Divines):
There was one great, and even sublime idea, brought somewhat indefinitely before the Westminster Assembly, which has not yet been realized, the idea of a Protestant union throughout Christendom, not merely for the purpose of counterbalancing Popery, but in order to purify, strengthen, and unite all true Christian churches, so that with combined energy and zeal they might go forth, in glad compliance with the Redeemer's commands, teaching all nations, and preaching the everlasting gospel to every creature under heaven. This truly magnificent, and also truly Christian idea, seems to have originated in the mind of that distinguished man, Alexander Henderson. It was suggested by him to the Scottish commissioners, and by them partially brought before the English Parliament, requesting them to direct the Assembly to write letters to the Protestant Churches in France, Holland, Switzerland, and other Reformed Churches. . . . and along with these letters were sent copies of the Solemn League and Covenant, a document which might itself form the basis of such a Protestant union. The deep thinking divines of the Netherlands apprehended the idea, and in their answer, not only expressed their approbation of the Covenant, but also desired to join in it with the British kingdoms. Nor did they content themselves with the mere expression of approval and willingness to join. A letter was soon afterwards sent to the Assembly from the Hague, written by Duraeus (the celebrated John Dury), offering to come to the Assembly, and containing a copy of a vow which he had prepared and tendered to the distinguished Oxenstiern, chancellor of Sweden, wherein he bound himself 'to prosecute a reconciliation between Protestants in point of religion'. . . . [O]n one occasion Henderson procured a passport to go to Holland, most probably for the purpose of prosecuting this grand idea. But the intrigues of politicians, the delays caused by the conduct of the Independents, and the narrow-minded Erastianism of the English Parliament, all conspired to prevent the Assembly from entering farther into that truly glorious Christian enterprise. Days of trouble and darkness came; persecution wore out the great men of that remarkable period; pure and vital Christianity was stricken to the earth and trampled under foot. (pp. 337-339).
Further demonstrating his grasp of the most important events of the second Reformation, Hetherington comments on the Solemn League (the epitome of second Reformation attainments), `no man who is able to understand its nature, and to feel and appreciate its spirit and its aim, will deny it to be the wisest, the sublimest, and the most sacred document ever framed by uninspired men' (p. 134). Price gives special attention in this study to the central place of the Solemn League and Covenant in the thinking and international vision for Biblical Reformation of the Westminster Divines. Anyone interested in the work of the Westminster Assembly -- and the men, teaching and events which were at the heart of the Puritan revolution against the forces of antichrist -- should read listen to this audio track at least once." -- SWRB
History of the Assembly at Westminster by Greg Price
http://sphynx.idontknow.com/swrb/historyoftheassembly.ram
*Symington, William, The Westminster Assembly of Divines
http://members.aol.com/RSICHURCH/west1.html
*Warfield, B.B., *The Westminster Assembly and Its Work (Edmonton, Canada: Still Waters Revival Books). 20286
"Much excellent and amazing information is contained in this volume defending the greatest of Reformed standards concerning many of its most important points. Extremely pertinent for today are the chapters dealing with inspiration, God's decree (absolute sovereignty), and the Holy Spirit." -- CBD
*Westminster Assembly (1643-1652), The Westminster Confession of Faith (Glasgow, Scotland [Free Presbyterian Publications, 133 Woodlands Road, Glasgow G3 6LE]: Free Presbyterian Publication, 1994). ISBN 0902506080 (casebound) and ISBN 0902506358 (paperback), Still Waters Revival Books, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Also available from Crown and Covenant Publications:
http://www.crownandcovenant.com/product_p/ds115.htm
" 'The product of Puritan conflict,' stated Shedd, reaching 'a perfection of statement never elsewhere achieved.' All that learning the most profound and extensive, intellect the most acute and searching, and piety the most sincere and earnest, could accomplish, was thus concentrated in the Westminster Assembly's Confession of Faith, which may be safely termed the most perfect statement of Systematic Theology ever framed by the Christian Church,' writes Hetherington (The History of the Westminster Assembly of Divines), p. 345. Concerning the Shorter Catechism, which is one of the items also included in this book, Mitchell notes: 'it is a thoroughly Calvinistic and Puritan catechism, the ripest fruit of the Assembly's thought and experience, maturing and finally fixing the definitions of theological terms to which Puritanism for half a century had been leading up and gradually coming closer and closer to in its legion of catechisms' (Westminster Assembly: Its History and Standards, p. 431). The Westminster Confession of Faith is the greatest of all the creeds of the Christian church. The church of Christ cannot be creedless and live. Especially in an age of doubt and confusion, it is her duty to define and proclaim the one true faith. Nowhere has the Reformed church done this so effectively as in the Westminster Confession and family of documents. This book represents Reformed thinking at its purest and best. It was intended, as part of the Covenanted Reformation taking place during its compilation, to be adopted as the binding confessional standard for every individual, family, court, church, and legislature in the British Isles." -- SWRB
This is considered to be the definitive publication of the Westminster family of documents. It includes the following:
See also: The Scottish ReformationSelection of covenant heads for positions of leadership, Sexual relationship
The Significance of The Westminster Standards as a Creed
http://www.fpcr.org/blue_banner_articles/signific.htm
Westminster Assembly, Exhortation by the
Westminster Assembly
http://www.truecovenanter.com/covenants/candcexhortwestassembly.html
The Westminster Assembly Project
The Westminster Assembly Project exists to publish The Minutes and Papers of the Westminster Assembly.
http://www.westminsterassembly.org/
Regulations at Yale College (1745)
Showing the centrality of Calvinism and the Westminster Confession in Colonial higher education.
http://www.constitution.org/primarysources/yale.html
Presbyterian History
The Reformation in England 1 of 2 (The Providential Historical Preparation for the Westminster Assembly), Hebrews 11:2; Ephesians 4:11
Dr. C. Gregg Singer, Presbyterian History, 44 min.
http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=12607144153
The Reformation in England 2 of 2 (And America)
Dr. C. Gregg Singer, Presbyterian History, 76 min., Matthew 5:13-16; Luke 19:13
http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=126071623510
John Knox, the Scottish Covenanters, and the Westminster Assembly 1/3 (History Notes on Presbyterianism, Reformation, and Theology)
Dr. C. Gregg Singer, Presbyterian History, 52 min., Acts 1:11; Romans 13, Still Waters Revival Books
http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=124071413102
John Knox, the Scottish Covenanters, and the Westminster Assembly 2/3 (History Notes on Presbyterianism, Reformation, and Theology)
Dr. C. Gregg Singer, Presbyterian History, 46 min., Hebrews 11:39; 1 Peter 2:13-14
http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=12607114250
John Knox, the Scottish Covenanters, and the Westminster Assembly 3/3 (History Notes on Presbyterianism, Reformation, and Theology)
Dr. C. Gregg Singer, Presbyterian History, 53 min., Daniel 4:35; Acts 13:17
http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=12607114250
The Westminster Assembly
Dr. C. Gregg Singer, 50 min.
http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=12160371617
Bible Research
http://www.bible-researcher.com/index.html
Historical Setting of the Confession
http://www.bible-researcher.com/wescon01.html
Bible Sermon's Online
Free Reformed sermons available online in audio and text format, with catalogue of sermons available on audio cassette. Most sermons are preached by Rev. Maurice Roberts, Inverness, who you may know as editor of the Banner of Truth Magazine.
http://www.bible-sermons.org.uk/
The Confession of Faith (1646)
*Westminster Assembly (1643-1652), The Westminster Confession of Faith (Glasgow, Scotland [Free Presbyterian Publications, 133 Woodlands Road, Glasgow G3 6LE]: Free Presbyterian Publication, 1994). ISBN 0902506080 (casebound) and ISBN 0902506358 (paperback), Still Waters Revival Books, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Also available from Crown and Covenant Publications:
http://www.crownandcovenant.com/product_p/ds115.htm
" 'The product of Puritan conflict,' stated Shedd, reaching 'a perfection of statement never elsewhere achieved.' All that learning the most profound and extensive, intellect the most acute and searching, and piety the most sincere and earnest, could accomplish, was thus concentrated in the Westminster Assembly's Confession of Faith, which may be safely termed the most perfect statement of Systematic Theology ever framed by the Christian Church,' writes Hetherington (The History of the Westminster Assembly of Divines), p. 345. Concerning the Shorter Catechism, which is one of the items also included in this book, Mitchell notes: 'it is a thoroughly Calvinistic and Puritan catechism, the ripest fruit of the Assembly's thought and experience, maturing and finally fixing the definitions of theological terms to which Puritanism for half a century had been leading up and gradually coming closer and closer to in its legion of catechisms' (Westminster Assembly: Its History and Standards, p. 431). The Westminster Confession of Faith is the greatest of all the creeds of the Christian church. The church of Christ cannot be creedless and live. Especially in an age of doubt and confusion, it is her duty to define and proclaim the one true faith. Nowhere has the Reformed church done this so effectively as in the Westminster Confession and family of documents. This book represents Reformed thinking at its purest and best. It was intended, as part of the Covenanted Reformation taking place during its compilation, to be adopted as the binding confessional standard for every individual, family, court, church, and legislature in the British Isles." -- SWRB
This is considered to be the definitive publication of the Westminster family of documents. It includes the following:
McKee, Charles B., An Analysis and Defense of the Doctrine of the Westminster Confession of Faith, 1832
Miller, Samuel, Doctrinal Integrity: The Utility and Importance of Creeds and Confessions and Adherence to Our Doctrinal Standards (Cerlox Bound Photocopy Series. Edmonton, AB, Canada: Still Waters Revival Books, 1997).
"Miller deals with the necessity of written creeds and subscription to them. He shows that the principle doctrines of Scripture are proclaimed in the Westminster Standards and answers common objections against confessions. Creedalism is inescapable, thus this book is of prime importance for those interested in the purity and peace of the church. We bought out all the remaining stock of this title from the publisher, and we have less than 70 copies remaining. If you want a copy, please order soon to avoid disappointment, as it is unlikely that this title will be available again in the near future. Related items include: Gentry's USEFULNESS OF CREEDS or OUR REFORMATION HERITAGE." -- SWRB
http://www.swrb.com/newslett/actualnls/DI_ch0.htm
Shaw, Robert, An Exposition of the Confession of Faith of the Westminster Assembly of Divines, 1845 (Cerlox Bound Photocopy Series. Edmonton, AB, Canada: Still Waters Revival Books).
" 'All that learning the most profound and extensive, intellect the most acute and searching, and piety the most sincere and earnest, could accomplish, was thus concentrated in the Westminster Assembly's Confession of Faith, which may be safely termed the most perfect statement of Systematic Theology ever framed by the Christian Church,' writes William Hetherington in (The History of the Westminster Assembly of Divines. The WCF is without a doubt the greatest human confession ever written, 'being the chiefest part of that uniformity in religion, which by the Solemn League and Covenant' the British Isles are bound, even to this day, to uphold and defend -- in both church and state! Shaw's Exposition is the standard work on the WCF, for he admittedly states 'that he has not found it necessary to differ from the compilers of the Confession in any one point of doctrine.' This edition includes an introductory essay by Hetherington defending the use of Confessions in general and the WCF in particular. Hetherington also gives a brief outline of the historical context of the period in which the WCF was composed while demonstrating the harmonious nature of the Reformational Creeds and Confessions." -- SWRB
The Reformed Faith: An Exposition Of The Westminster Confession Of Faith, by Robert Shaw with an introductory essay by WM. M. Hetherington
http://www.reformed.org/documents/shaw/index.html
Williamson, G.I., The Westminster Confession of Faith for Study Classes (Philadelphia, PA: The Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co., 1969). [31087]
"The Westminster Shorter Catechism is unrivalled as a faithful and concise expression of God's revelation in Scripture. For decades G.I. Williamson's study manuals have served as invaluable tools for instruction in the system of doctrine summarized in this amazing catechism . . ." -- SWRB
Westminster Shorter Catechism With Proof Texts
http://www.reformed.org/documents/WSC_frames.html
Westminster Confession of Faith With Scripture Proofs
http://www.reformed.org/documents/wcf_with_proofs/
Scripture Index to the Westminster Standards (The complete Scripture index to the Westminster Confession, Larger and Shorter Catechisms.)
http://www.swrb.com/newslett/actualnls/index01.htm
A Guide to the Westminster Standards: Confession of Faith and Larger Catechism, James Bordwine, (Unicoi, TN: The Trinity Foundation, 1996).
Includes a unique, 100-page topical index to both the Confession and the Catechism.
The Epistle to the Reader
Mr. Thomas Manton's Epistle to the Reader of the Westminster Confession of Faith and Larger and Shorter Catechisms
http://www.swrb.com//newslett/actualnls/famworship.htm
Westminster Shorter Catechism With Proof Texts
http://www.reformed.org/documents/WSC_frames.html
The Shorter Catechism
*BOSTON, THOMAS, Commentary on the Shorter Catechism, 2 volumes (Cerlox Bound Photocopy Series. Edmonton, AB, Canada: Still Waters Revival Books, 1993, 1853). A Christian classic.
" `Two large volumes of over 1300 pages! Boston's work is the most comprehensive reference set ever penned on THE WESTMINSTER SHORTER CATECHISM. Concerning THE SHORTER CATECHISM, A.F. Mitchell states '...it is a thoroughly Calvinistic and Puritan catechism, the ripest fruit of the Assembly's thought and experience, maturing and finally fixing the definitions of theological terms to which Puritanism for half a century had been leading up and gradually coming closer and closer to in its legion of catechisms' (The Westminster Assembly...). THE SHORTER CATECHISM is the `king of the catechisms' for shear power of expression, combining logical cogency with succinctness. Boston's exposition is unrivalled; there is nothing else like it. Here you have the cream of Puritan catechisms married to the cream of clear Puritan exposition! This is likely Boston's most important work. A set that will meet numerous needs, ranging from use in family worship, Christian education and personal study, to sermon preparation - and for help in settling debated questions on the Presbytery floor. A one-of-a-kind set of books that will serve your family for generations to come!" -- SWRB
Boston's Commentary on the Westminster Confession
http://www.best.com/~covenant/
Westminster Shorter Catechism With Proof Texts
http://www.reformed.org/documents/WSC_frames.html
Westminster Shorter Catechism Project
"Click on any of the individual questions below to get the answer and Biblical references, as well as links to works by John Flavel, Thomas Watson, Thomas Boston, James Fisher, and John Whitecross, and others."
http://www.shortercatechism.com/
*Brown, John (of Haddington) Essay Towards an Easy Explication of the Shorter Catechism (1845) (Cerlox Bound Photocopy Series. Edmonton, AB, Canada: Still Waters Revival Books, 1997).
"The author has taken great care to correct, enlarge, and improve this edition of his catechism, particularly by adding a great number of Scripture texts in order to more clearly elucidate and confirm different points of doctrine and practice." -- SWRB
*Cotton, John (editor) and The Westminster Assembly, New England Primer: Improved for the More Easy Attaining the True Reading of English. To which is added The Assembly of Divines, and Mr. Cotton's catechism. A Christian classic.
"THE NEW ENGLAND PRIMER was the first textbook ever printed in America and was used to teach reading and Bible lessons in our schools until the twentieth century. In fact, many of the Founders and their children learned to read from THE PRIMER. This pocket-size edition is an historical reprint of the 1777 version used in many schools during the Founding Era." -- Book Description
"The New England Primer was one of the greatest books ever published. It went through innumerable editions; it reflected in a marvelous way the spirit of the age that produced it, and contributed, perhaps more than any other book except the Bible, to the molding of those sturdy generations that gave to America its liberty and its institutions."
"The Founding Fathers of this country and other Americans learned to read from this little treasure. There is much that we can learn about them and the way they thought by examining its contents. The true study of history should incorporate the study of what motivated people to do the things they did. This reprint makes for great classroom discussion. It makes for an excellent addition to any American History class at all grade levels and all ages. It is pocket-size, and kids and adults love it. I highly recommend it!" -- Reader Comment
"WEBSTER'S BLUE-BACKED SPELLING BOOK and the NEW ENGLAND PRIMER were basic, foundational textbooks used in the schools of our Republic in the 18th and 19th centuries.
"These two textbooks prove our founding fathers expected moral truths to be taught in every school subject." -- Reader Comment
*Henry, Matthew, The Catechising of Youth and Christ's Favour to Little Children Displayed, 1713 (Cerlox Bound Photocopy Series. Edmonton, AB, canada: Still Waters Revival Books).
"The two sermons noted above form foundational teaching that every family should be aware of and practice. A faithful ministry and faithful parents, who catechize their children daily, will do more for true Reformation and godliness than just about any other means to this end. Here Henry also adds simple questions to each question of the Westminster Shorter Catechism to help explain it to beginners. Very practical!" -- SWRB
Westminster Shorter Catechism With Proof Texts
http://www.reformed.org/documents/WSC_frames.html
Kelly, Douglas F., Philip B. Rollinson, and Frederick T. Marsh, The Westminster Shorter Catechism in Modern English (Presbyterian & Reformed Publishing Company).
"Since its completion in 1647 the Westminster Shorter Catechism has been unsurpassed as a concise tool for teaching the Reformed understanding of Scripture. Though the truths of the catechism are unchanging, the English language has undergone many changes, which have made using the catechism in its original form increasingly difficult." -- Synopsis
Mitchell, Alexander F., Catechisms of the Second Reformation (1886) (Cerlox Bound Photocopy Series. Edmonton, AB, Canada: Still Waters Revival Books, 1997).
"Part 1: The Shorter Catechism and its Puritan Precursors. Part 2: Rutherford's and other Scottish Catechisms of the same epoch. Includes a historical introduction and biographical notices. Explains the composition and sources of the Catechisms of the Westminster Assembly. Gives specimens of the Catechisms which were previously in use among the doctrinal Puritans in England and Scotland and those laid before the Assembly. Mitchell was Professor of Ecclesiastical History at the University of St. Andrews." -- SWRB
Westminster Shorter Catechism With Proof Texts
http://www.reformed.org/documents/WSC_frames.html
*Vincent, Thomas, Shorter Catechism Explained From Scripture (Puritan Paperback Series. Carlisle, PA: The Banner of Truth Trust), 1634, EEBO. [31078]
"Forty Puritans including John Owen, Thomas Manton, Thomas Brooks and Thomas Watson recommended this useful volume as a very worth aid for family instruction. This volume gives parents very simple explanations to take their children through the Westminster Shorter Catechism."
Vincent, Thomas. An explicatory catechism: or an explanation of the Assembly's shorter catechism. ... By Thomas Vincent, ... Glasgow, 1777. (ECCO) Gale Document Number CW3319412765
A Commentary on the Shorter Catechism, Thomas Vincent, Alternate title: A Commentary on the Shorter Catechism
http://www.e4.net
Westminster Shorter Catechism With Proof Texts
http://www.reformed.org/documents/WSC_frames.html
Westminster Shorter Catechism Project
"Click on any of the individual questions below to get the answer and Biblical references, as well as links to works by John Flavel, Thomas Watson, Thomas Boston, James Fisher, and John Whitecross, and others."
http://www.shortercatechism.com/
Vincent, Thomas, 1634-1678, An explicatory catechism, or, An explanation of the Assemblies Shorter catechism wherein all the answers in the Assemblies catechism are taken abroad in under questions and answers, the truths explained, and proved by reason and scripture, several cases of conscience resolved, some chief controversies in religion stated : with arguments aganst divers errors, itself, for the more and clear and through understanding of what is therein learned / by Thomas Vincent ..., 1673, EEBO.
*Watson, Thomas, 1620-1686 Body of Divinity (Carlisle, PA: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1965, 1890), EEBO.
"The first book published by the Trust, this has been one of the best sellers and consistently the most useful and influential of our publications . . . It deals with the foremost doctrinal and experimental truths of the Christian faith . . . It is based on the Westminster Assembly's Shorter Catechism, in which the main principles of Christianity that lie scattered in the Scriptures are brought together and set forth in the form of question and answer. This catechism is unsurpassed for its `terse exactitutde of definition' and `logical elaboration' of the fundamentals. . . . Watson conveys his thorough doctrinal and experimental knowledge of the truth in such an original, concise, pithy, pungent, racy, rich, and illustrative style that he is rightly regarded as the most readable of the Puritans." -- Publisher's Annotation
"As an introduction to Puritan theology, as a short and sweet course in Christian doctrine, as devotional reading, and as a preacher's gold-mine, Watson's work can hardly be praised too highly." -- J.I. Packer.
"Contains Watson's exposition of the Westminster Shorter Catechism, excluding the Lord's Prayer and the Ten Commandments." -- GCB
Westminster Shorter Catechism Project: Body of Divinity Contained in Sermons upon the Assembly's Catechism by the Rev. Thomas Watson
http://www.bpc.org/resources/vincent/wsc_vi_001.html
Westminster Shorter Catechism With Proof Texts
http://www.reformed.org/documents/WSC_frames.html
Scripture Index to the Westminster Standards (The complete Scripture index to the Westminster Confession, Larger and Shorter Catechisms.)
http://www.swrb.com/newslett/actualnls/index01.htm
Westminster Shorter Catechism Project
"Click on any of the individual questions below to get the answer and Biblical references, as well as links to works by John Flavel, Thomas Watson, Thomas Boston, James Fisher, and John Whitecross, and others."
http://www.shortercatechism.com/
A Guide to the Westminster Standards: Confession of Faith and Larger Catechism
(Unicoi, TN: The Trinity Foundation, 1996).
Includes a unique, 100-page topical index to both the Confession and the Catechism.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0940931303/webedbiblicalcou
*Watson, Thomas, The Lord's Prayer (Carlisle, PA: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1960, 1890), EEBO. [31081]
"Watson's three works on the Westminster Shorter Catechism is concluded by his exposition of the Lord's Prayer. In this book he analyses in detail the Preface to the prayer and the six petitions which make it up. His treatment of the second petition ('thy Kingdom come') is exceptionally full and illuminating, This book affords instruction and practical help to praying Christians." -- SWRB
"A full and powerful Puritan exposition of the Lord's Prayer. So excellent that it may be without equal." -- GCB
"A part of the writer's famous BODY OF DIVINITY. An excellent exposition combining sound doctrine with practical application." -- Cyril J. Barber
Westminster Shorter Catechism With Proof Texts
http://www.reformed.org/documents/WSC_frames.html
*Watson, Thomas, The Ten Commandments (Carlisle, PA: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1962), EEBO. [31082]
"In this book Watson (c. 1620-1686) continues his exposition of the Shorter Catechism drawn up by the Westminster Assembly. Watson was one of the most popular preachers in London during the Puritan era . . . The series of three volumes, of which this is the second (the Body of Divinity is first and The Lord's Prayer third), makes an ideal introduction to Puritan literature. There are few matters about which the Puritans differ more from present-day Christians than in their assessment of the importance of the ten commandments. The commandments, they held, are the first thing in Christianity which the natural man needs to be taught and they should be the daily concern of the Christian to the last. In this book Watson examines the moral law as a whole as well as bringing out the meaning and force of each particular commandment. In view of the important function of the law in Christian life and evangelism, this is a most valuable volume." -- SWRB
"The most famous commentary on the Ten Commandments was by Lancelot Andrews (1555-1626), a huge folio. . . ." -- Jay P. Green, Sr.
"Excellent study. Highly recommended for personal and group study. The need for understanding the Law of God is always of great importance for the Christian. Watson is an excellent expositor of it." -- GCB
Commentary on the First Table of the Decalogue by Thomas Watson from THE TEN COMMANDMENTS by Thomas Watson in WESTMINSTER SHORTER CATECHISM, 3 volumes, including A BODY OF DIVINITY, THE LORD'S PRAYER, and THE TEN COMMANDMENTS (Carlisle, PA: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1965).
The Ten Commandments, Thomas Watson
http://www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/text/ipb-e/epl-watson-10cm.html
*Westminster Divines, Shorter Catechism with Scripture Proofs (Edmonton, AB, Canada: Still Waters Revival Books).
"Catechisms have been greatly employed in the Church since the days of the Apostles. A great revival of their use took place at the Reformation. None rivals the Westminster Assembly's Shorter Catechism, for extensive use, succinctness, or clarity. Richard Baxter said of it in his day, "It is the best Catechism I ever saw -- a most excellent sum of the Christian faith and doctrine, and a fit test to try the orthodoxy of its teachers." Excellent for training youth, it has been used with profit starting as early as three years of age." -- SWRB
Westminster Shorter Catechism With Proof Texts
http://www.reformed.org/documents/WSC_frames.html
Westminster Shorter Catechism Project
"Click on any of the individual questions below to get the answer and Biblical references, as well as links to works by John Flavel, Thomas Watson, Thomas Boston, James Fisher, and John Whitecross, and others."
http://www.shortercatechism.com/
Westminster Shorter Catechism With Proof Texts, EEBO.
http://www.reformed.org/documents/WSC_frames.html
Westminster Larger Catechism With Proof Texts, EEBO.
http://www.reformed.org/documents/wlc_w_proofs/WLC_frames.html
The Shorter Catechism Illustrated, John Whitecross
http://www.bpc.org/resources/whitecross/wsc_wh_001.html
A Commentary on the Shorter Catechism, Alexander Whyte
http://www.bpc.org/resources/whyte/wsc_whyte_001.html
An Exposition of the Assembly's Shorter Catechism, John Flavel
http://www.bpc.org/resources/flavel/wsc_fl_001.html
Bible Presbyterian Church Westminster Shorter Catechism Project
http://wsc.bpc.org/
*Edwards, Jonathan, 1703-1758 The End for Which God Created the World (Philadelphia: Printed and sold by R. Aitken & Son, no. 22 Market Street, 1791).
Edwards, Jonathan. A dissertation on God's last end in the creation of the world. By the late President Edwards, A.M. Revised and corrected by the Rev. C. De Coetlogon, A.M. London, 1788. (ECCO) Gale Document Number CW3320729743
Manton, Thomas, 1620-1677, A practical exposition of the Lord's-Prayer by ... Thomas Manton, 1684, EEBO.
Ridgeley, Thomas, Commentary on the Larger Catechism (Cerlox Bound Photocopy Series. Edmonton, AB, Canada: Still Waters Revival Books).
*Robbins, John W., Ecclesiastical Megalomania: The Economic and Political Thought of the Roman Catholic Church (Unicoi, TN: The Trinity Foundation), ISBN: 0940931753 9780940931756.
The Larger Catechism
THE LARGER CATECHISM; Agreed upon by the Assembly of Divines at Westminster, with the assistance of Commissioners from the Church of Scotland, as a part of the covenanted uniformity in religion betwixt the Churches of Christ in the Kingdoms of Scotland, England, and Ireland and approved anno 1648, by the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, to be a directory for catechising such as have made some proficiency in the knowledge of the grounds of religion, with the proofs from the Scripture. -- The long title for THE LARGER CATECHISM
"Two dissertations ... / by the late reverend, learned and pious Jonathan Edwards, A.M., president of the college in New-Jersey.
Concerning the end for which God created the world."
A Dissertation Concerning the End for Which God Made the World
http://www.ccel.org/e/edwards/works/vol1/end_of_world/end.htm
Notes: Contains engraved portrait frontispiece.
"Originally entitled: A Body of Divinity: Wherein the Doctrines of the Christian Religion are Explained and Defended. Being the Substance of Several Lectures on the Assembly's Larger Catechism, we have re-titled it to better reflect its contents for contemporary readers. Consisting of over 1300 pages, this massive and extensive two-volume commentary on the Westminster Larger Catechism is unrivaled in scope or extensiveness. Ridgeley himself notes, in 'The Author's Preface' (p. ix), 'The work is large, but the vast variety of subjects will render it more tolerable. . . . especially since it is rather designed to be read in families than committed to memory . . .' The editor of this edition, John Wilson, pronounces Ridgeley's work as 'the best book of its class,' stating, 'no book in the English language, or, so far as I know, in any other, will serve so efficiently the purposes of a daily companion to a reflecting Christian in his inquiries into Divine truth, or a guide to a candidate for the Christian ministry in introducing him to his theological studies (p. xi). 'In 1731 appeared the first edition of Mr. Ridgeley's great work -- that in connection with which chiefly his name lives in history, and whose influence, as an instrument of good, will probably render him celebrated and useful for generations to come . . .(p. xxii).' Moreover he continues, 'a taste, however, for the racy and substantial theological writings of the days of Britain's moral giants has of late revived; and it will scarcely fail to adopt, as one of the richest dishes of its multifarious banquet for the intellect and the soul, Dr. Ridgeley's Body of Divinity (p. xxi).' Additionally, Wilson concludes his 'Life of the Author' with these words, 'His method of reasoning he has adapted to the capacities of those who are unacquainted with the abstruse terms made use of by metaphysicians and schoolmen, and when introduced into subjects of theology, have a tendency rather to perplex than to improve the mind. His scheme of divinity is evidently Calvinistic; but; then, he has explained his subjects with so much moderation and latitude, as to obviate many of the objections raised against the system of doctrines that passes under that name. Upon the whole, it is probable that the English language does not furnish a work of this nature that, for perspicuity of language, extent of research, accuracy of judgment, and judicious description of the numerous subjects that fall under examination, any way equals this work of Dr. Ridgeley . . . he was accounted one of the most considerable divines of his age' (emphasis added, p. xxiii)." -- SWRB
Westminster Larger Catechism With Proof Texts
http://www.reformed.org/documents/wlc_w_proofs/WLC_frames.html
The following presents, by contrast, what a Christian society should look like.
"This book is a detailed examination of the official statements of the Vatican on economic and political matters. It demonstrates the collectivism and totalitarianism of the Roman Catholic Church-State. It is the only such book written by a Christian in the twentieth century.
"This book explores the conflict between Roman Catholic social thought and human freedom, relying on official pronouncements from the Vatican to show that the political and economic theory of the Roman Church-State justifies feudalism, corporativism, liberation theology, the welfare state, and fascism.
"Dr. John W. Robbins attended Grove City College (A.B. 1969) and The Johns Hopkins University (M.A. 1970, Ph.D. 1973). He has served as chief of staff for a Member of Congress [Ron Paul of Texas], editor of The Freeman magazine, Economist for The Heritage Foundation, and Professor of Political Philosophy in The Freedom School." -- Publisher's Annotation
Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men, even when they exercise influence and not authority: still more when you superadd the tendency or the certainty of corruption by authority. -- John Emerich Edward Dalberg, Lord Acton (1834-1902) in a letter to Mandell Creighton, April 5, 1887 quoted by Gertrude Himmelfarb in Acton, Essays on Freedom and Power, pp. 335-36 (1972)
"As the world focuses it attention on the papacy, we ought to recall Lord Acton, the great Roman Catholic historian of the 19th century. Many have heard the aphorism, 'Power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely,' though it is usually misquoted as 'Power corrupts.' Few who have heard it, however, know who its author was: John Emerich Edward Dalberg, better known as Lord Acton. Fewer still realize that Acton used the aphorism in opposing the papacy, the absolute monarchy of the Roman Catholic Church.
"Acton's criticisms of the papacy and the Roman Church are some of most damning ever leveled against those institutions, and they are virtually unknown today. Yet to anyone seriously concerned about religious and political freedom, Acton’s views on the Roman Church, his own church, in particular his condemnation of the papacy, ought to be of great interest. Unfortunately, contemporary theological correctness has a taboo against criticism of Catholicism.
"Acton kept a notebook on the Inquisition in which he wrote:
[The] object of the Inquisition [was] not to combat sin -- for the sin was not judged by it unless accompanied by [theological] error. Nor even to put down error. For it punished untimely and unseemly remarks the same as blasphemy. Only unity. This became an outward, fictitious, hypocritical unity. The gravest sin was pardoned, but it was death to deny the donation of Constantine. [The Donation of Constantine was a document forged in the eighth century in which the Roman Emperor Constantine willed the Western Roman Empire to the Pope. The Roman Church taught that the Donation was genuine, and the legal basis for the pope's civil authority, for centuries. -- JR] So men learnt that outward submission must be given. All this [was] to promote authority more than faith. When ideas were punished more severely than actions -- for all this time the Church was softening the criminal law, and saving men from the consequences of crime: – and the Donation was put on a level with God's own law -- men understood that authority went before sincerity.
"Acton believed that the Inquisition was the institution by which the medieval papacy had to be condemned or acquitted. Just as a man charged with murder is judged for a single act, though be may be kind to his mother and a great philanthropist, so the papacy must be judged for the Inquisition. To Mandell Creighton, an Anglican priest, Acton wrote:
I cannot accept your canon that we are to judge Pope and King unlike other men, with a favourable presumption that they did no wrong. If there is any presumption it is the other way, against holders of power, increasing as the power increases. Historic responsibility has to make up for the want of legal responsibility. Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men, even when they exercise influence and not authority: still more when you superadd the tendency or the certainty of corruption by authority. There is no worse heresy than that the office sanctifies the holder of it. . . . For many years my view of Catholic controversy has been governed by the following chain of reasoning: 1. A crime does not become a good deed by being committed for the good of a church. 2. The theorist who approves the act is no better than the culprit who commits it. 3. The divine or historian who defends the theorist incurs the same blame. . . . To commit murder is the mark of a moment, exceptional. To defend it is constant, and shows a more perverted conscience.
"Acton turned his attention to other crimes of the Roman Church as well. Beginning on Sunday, August 24, 1572, tens of thousands of French Huguenots were massacred by the Catholics. Overnight, thousands were murdered, and the murders continued for several months. The massacre began in Paris. The sign of the cross was everywhere, and the murders took on the air of a crusade, a holy war against the infidels. The banks of the Seine became a slaughterhouse. Men, women, children, and infants were stabbed or dragged by a rope around the neck to be thrown into the river. The murder, looting, and rape went on for days in Paris.
"The Pope, Gregory XIII, reacted immediately to this Catholic Holocaust: He delivered a complimentary speech, and commended the King of France, Charles IX, who 'has also displayed before our Most Holy Master and this entire assembly the most splendid virtues which can shine in the exercise of power.' The Pope commissioned a mural in honor of the great occasion; he ordered salutes fired for Charles; he had a commemorative seal struck; and in a horrible blasphemy he ordered a special Te Deum sung. Less than two years later, at the age of 24, King Charles died in extreme pain with blood oozing from his pores. His last words were pleas to God for pardon for the murders.
"The massacre was a matter of controversy in 1868 when Acton wrote an essay in the North British Review. He concluded his long essay by saying that there was no evidence to absolve the Roman Church of premeditated murder. Acton argued that it was not only facts that condemned the papacy for this heinous crime, but the whole body of casuistry developed by the church that made it an act of Christian duty and mercy to kill a heretic so that he might be removed from sin. Acton pointed out that only when the Roman Church could no longer rely on force but had to make its case before public opinion did it seek to explain away its murders. 'The same motive which had justified the murder now promoted the lie,' he wrote. A bodyguard of lies was fabricated to protect the papacy from guilt for this monstrous sin. Acton wrote:
The story is much more abominable than we all believed. . . . S.B. [St. Bartholomew's] is the greatest crime of modern times. It was committed on principles professed by Rome. It was approved, sanctioned, and praised by the papacy. The Holy See went out of its way to signify to the world, by permanent and solemn acts, how entirely it admired a king who slaughtered his subjects treacherously, because they were Protestants. To proclaim forever that because a man is a Protestant it is a pious deed to cut his throat in the night. . . .
"For three centuries the Roman church's canon law had affirmed that the killing of an excommunicated person was not murder, and that allegiance need not be kept with heretical rulers. Murder and treason were part of the Roman church’s official teachings. Charles IX was acting as a good Catholic, and he was highly praised by the pope for his murders.
"In 1867 Pope Pius IX summoned a general council of the Roman Church to be held in Rome in 1870. It was the first general council of the Roman Church since the sixteenth century Council of Trent, at which the schismatic Roman Church had condemned all the truths of the Reformation. This time the Pope was determined to establish himself as the infallible sovereign of the Roman Church.
"Acton thought that the time of the council would be better spent abolishing many of the 'reforms' made by the Council of Trent, reforms which had perpetuated in the Roman Church a spirit of intolerant absolutism and 'austere immorality.' He opposed the doctrine of papal infallibility, because, as an historian, he knew the popes were not infallible. Acton wrote:
A man is not honest who accepts all the Papal decisions in questions of morality, for they have often been distinctly immoral; or who approves the conduct of the Popes in engrossing power, for it was stained with perfidy and falsehood; or who is ready to alter his convictions at their command, for his conscience is guided by no principle.
"After studying the history of the popes, Acton wrote:
The papacy contrived murder and massacre on the largest and also on the most cruel and inhuman scale. They were not only wholesale assassins but they made the principle of assassination a law of the Christian Church and a condition of salvation. . . . [The Papacy] is the fiend skulking behind the Crucifix.
Massachusetts Attorney General, "The Sexual Abuse of Children in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston," Thomas F. Reilly, Massachusetts Attorney General
"The mistreatment of children was so massive and so prolonged that it borders on the unbelievable," says the July 23 [2003] report of Massachusetts Attorney General Thomas F. Reilly. More than 1,000 minors were likely abused by priests over the past six decades."
This is the 79-page report in its entirety.
http://www.votf.org/ago/archdiocese.pdf
Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Knox, Samuel Rutherford, John Owen, Thomas Manton, The Westminster Assembly, James Renwick, Archibald Mason, Christopher Ness, Francis Turretin, The Reformed Presbytery, David Steel, James R. Willson, Alexander M'Leod, William L. Roberts, James Aiken Wylie, Andrew Wilet, Henry Wilkinson, James Wylie, Patrick Fairbairn, James Aiken, Andrew Wilet, Alexander Hislop, Francis Nigel Lee, Arthur W. Pink, and so forth, and so on, have all believed and argued in print that the seated Pope is the Anti-Christ of the Bible.
The Roman Church-State is "the world's oldest, largest, most powerful and most influential politico-ecclesiastical institution" and it "may also be the world's wealthiest." It is the ultimate model for every ruler who lusts for power and wealth. The playing out of its political and economic thought may be seen in nearly every institution or organization in the world.
Pope's visit means 3 White House firsts.
President says 'man of faith' and conviction deserves the special treatment
Associated Press, April. 13, 2008
"WASHINGTON - The leader of the world's 1 billion Roman Catholics has been to the White House only once in history. That changes this week, and President Bush is pulling out all the stops: driving out to a suburban military base to meet Pope Benedict XVI's plane, bringing a giant audience to the South Lawn and hosting a fancy East Room dinner.
"These are all firsts.
"A crowd of up to 12,000 is due at the White House on Wednesday morning for the pope's official, pomp-filled arrival ceremony. It will feature the U.S. and Holy See anthems, a 21-gun salute, and the U.S. Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps. Both men will make remarks before their Oval Office meeting and a send-off for his popemobile down Pennsylvania Avenue.
"The president explained the special treatment -- particularly the airport greeting.
" 'One, he speaks for millions. Two, he doesn't come as a politician; he comes as a man of faith,' Bush told the EWTN Global Catholic Network in an interview aired Friday. He added that he wanted to honor Benedict's conviction that 'there's right and wrong in life, that moral relativism has a danger of undermining the capacity to have more hopeful and free societies. . . .' "
"This week makes Bush the record-holder, with a total of five meetings with two popes. . . ."
"The current pope's approach may be softer than that of John Paul, who turned from Bush's presentation to him of the Medal of Freedom in 2004 to read a statement about his 'grave concern' over events in Iraq."
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24096388/
Bush Scandals
An extensive resource. Includes websites for the Savings and Loan Scandal of the 1980s, considered the largest theft in the history of the world, involving Neil Bush, a brother of George W., the Florida's Voting Scandal of 2001 in which Al Gore lost the presidential election. Jeb Bush, another brother of George W., was Governor of Florida and had promised to deliver the state for his brother. Other sites treat George W. Bush's suspected involvement in 911 [911 is, of course, analagous to Roosevelt's Pearl Harbor]. Note particularly "Bush Family Machinations, 1918-2000," a time-line of Bush Family crimes prior to Election 2000.
http://news4florida.tripod.com/index1.html
The Panic of '08. Lew Rockwell Interviews Ron Paul, September 18, 2008
A podcast.
http://www.lewrockwell.com/podcast/?p=episode&name=2008-09-18_029_ron_paul_talks_to_lew_rockwell.mp3
Wishart, William, parson of Restalrigg, An exposition of the Lords prayer. Delivered in two and twenty lectures, at the church of Lieth in Scotland; by Mr William Wischart parson of Restalrigg, 1633, EEBO.
Boston, Thomas, Boston's Commentary on the Westminster Confession
Thomas Boston
http://www.best.com/~covenant/
The Sum of Saving Knowledge
The Sum of Saving Knowledge: A brief sum of Christian doctrine contained in Holy Scriptures and holden forth in the Confession of faith & catechism agreed upon by the Assembly of Divines at Westminster and received by the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland., David Dickson and James Durham, EEBO.
http://www.covenanter.org/Westminster/sumofsavingknowledge.htm
The National Covenant
Henderson, Alexander, The National Covenant (1638) and Solemn League and Covenant (1643) (Cerlox Bound Photocopy Series. Edmonton, AB, Canada: Still Waters Revival Books, 1997).
The National Covenant, a Scottish Presbyterian document, primarily composed by Alexander Henderson and Archibald Johnstone of Wariston. It was composed in opposition to the 'policies of Charles I. Written in the context of the riots resulting from the imposition of 'Laud's Liturgy' in 1637 and the King's refusal to receive the petitions of supplicants for redress, the National Covenant was an appeal . . . to defend the true Reformed religion, and to decline the recent innovations in worship decreed by the King.' (DICTIONARY OF SCOTTISH CHURCH HISTORY AND THEOLOGY, 620). Furthermore, it was 'an assertion by the Kirk of freedom from royal or state control, a personal oath of allegiance to Jesus Christ, the only Head of the Church, the King of kings, and a dedication of life to him. It stemmed directly from God's covenant of grace, was in the succession of those earlier bonds the Scots had made with God for his people's defence and deliverance, and represented a call in the Pauline sense to 'conduct themselves a citizens.' (Idem.) This covenant (and the Solemn League and Covenant described below) are still binding on all true Presbyterians and the hearty and steadfast renewal of these faithful documents would constitute a mighty means toward modern reformation, seeing that much of the contemporary church and all modern states have set themselves 'against the Lord, and against his anointed' (Ps. 2:2); excepting, maybe, the African state of Zambia, which seems to be presently reforming, but not yet covenanted to the Lord. The Solemn League and Covenant was first of all a religious covenant and secondly a civil league. 'After noting that they had one king and one Reformed religion and expressing their concern about the estate of both the Church and kingdom of England and Scotland, the signatories swear to preserve 'the Reformed Religion in the Church of Scotland' and the Reformation of religion in England and to bring the churches to the 'nearest Conjunction and Uniformity in Religion', confession, government, and worship. They also bound themselves to extirpate popery and prelacy as well as superstition, heresy and whatever is contrary to sound doctrine . . . to bring to trial all who hinder such reformation of religion or divide the king from his people and to continue such 'to all Posterity' and not suffer themselves to be withdrawn from 'this blessed Union and Conjunction' (Ibid, pp. 786-789). This covenant gave teeth to the work of the Westminster Assembly and united three nations under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. It was publicly taken by the Westminster Divines and the English parliament on September 25th. 'On the 9th of October the king issued a proclamation from Oxford, denouncing this document as 'in truth nothing else but a traitorous and seditious combination against us and the established religion of this kingdom;' straitly charging and commanding all his loving subjects, upon their allegiance, 'that they presume not to take the said seditious and traitorous Covenant.' And at last an order was issued by the Parliament, in February 1644, commanding the Covenant to be taken throughout the kingdom of England by all persons above the age of 18 years; which order was accompanied by an exhortation prepared by the Assembly of Divines. In Scotland, as soon as information was received of what had taken place in London, the Committee of Estates ordered the Covenant to be subscribed by all ranks and conditions of people, on penalty of the confiscation of property, or such other punishment as his Majesty and the parliament might resolve to inflict' (Hetherington (The History of the Westminster Assembly of Divines, pp. 127-128). Furthermore, Hetherington goes on to call this bond 'the wisest, the sublimest, and the most sacred document ever framed by uninspired men' (p. 134). If you want to understand Presbyterianism these two covenant documents offer as much light as any others we know of. They are inextricably linked to the Westminster standards, historical testimony and the covenanted reformation. Some still believe that they will once again be renewed on an international basis near the beginning of the millennium, in preparation for the days when the 'earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea' (Isa. 11:9). With this sentiment we wholeheartedly concur!" -- SWRB
Westminster Assembly, National Covenant
http://www.covenanter.org/Westminster/nationalcovenant.htm
Henderson, Alexander, Preparing for Covenant Renewal (Cerlox Bound Photocopy Series. Edmonton, AB, Canada: Still Waters Revival Books, 1997). An audio cassette.
"Originally preached on the occasion of the swearing of the National Covenant of Scotland (1638). This sermon is read (by Lyndon Dohms) from the book Sermons, Prayers and Pulpit Addresses by Henderson. It is a representative example of the focus of the covenanted Reformation in its earlier stages.
*Price, Greg, The National Covenant of Scotland (Edmonton, AB, Canada: Still Waters Revival Books), 2 audio cassettes,
"This covenant has been considered (along with the Solemn League and Covenant) as one of two major historical covenants binding the moral person of the church -- since the days of the covenants of Old Testament Israel. Price gives a fascinating account of what led up to this watershed document, what is contained in it (and why) and shows why this is of great importance to the church today. If you are interested in the present testimony concerning the Lord's covenanted Zion, this is one of the best places to start. Teaching like this has not been heard in North America for some time and it marks the revival of the most consistent Calvinism that the church has attained thus far in history." -- SWRB
See also: Selection of covenant heads for positions of leadership
The Solemn League and Covenant
*CARYL, JOSEPH (1602-1673), The nature, solemnity, grounds, property and benefits of a sacred covenant: together with the duties of those who enter into such a covenant: delivered in a sermon at Westminster, at that public convention (ordered by the Honourable House of Commons) for the taking of the Covenant, by all such, of all degrees, as willingly presented themselves, upon Friday, Octob. 6 1643 (London, England: printed by E.G. for John Rothwell and Giles Calvert, 1643). Available on The Amazing Christian Library, DVD Six, CD #32. Available on Puritan Bookshelf 32 CD Set, #2 (Edmonton, AB, Canada: Still Waters Revival Books, 2001). Also available in EEBO, OCLC: 40236435.
A sermond on the Solemn League and Covenant, Nehemiah IX, 38.
*Greg Price, The Solemn League and Covenant (Cerlox Bound Photocopy Series. Edmonton, AB, Canada: Still Waters Revival Books, 1997). An audio cassette.
"Hetherington, concerning the Solemn League and Covenant (the epitome of Second Reformation attainments) writes, 'no man who is able to understand its nature, and to feel and appreciate its spirit and its aim, will deny it to be the wisest, the sublimest, and the most sacred document ever framed by uninspired men' (The History of the Westminster Assembly of Divines, [1856] SWRB reprint 1993, p. 134). What took place during the days of the writing and international subscriptions to the Solemn League and Covenant has been cited before as a foretaste of the millennial glory to come. The Reformed Presbytery writes, 'These modern pigmies are too far dwarfed in intellectual stature to measure the altitude, of our glorious Covenanted Reformation -- a Reformation which, imbedded in the law and the covenant of God, has already brought civil and ecclesiastical freedom to many millions; and which is doubtless destined to be laid in the foundation of reconstructed society in the millennial period of the world' (A Short Vindication of Our Covenanted Reformation, [1879] SWRB reprint 1996, p. 4). In this lecture Price gives a brief history of the three major causes leading up to the Solemn League and Covenant. These were: 1.) the erroneous beliefs and practices associated with the so-called divine right of Kings; 2.) the apostasy of Prelacy in doctrine (e.g. the Arminianism of Rome), worship (tolerating and introducing anti-regulativist Romish superstitions), and government (against the divine right of Presbyterianism) -- all three of these areas being a practical denial of sola Scriptura in that man ordained elements were idolatrously adopted over those clearly prescribed in Scripture; 3.) the desire of the Reformers for a covenanted Presbyterian uniformity in church and state. Price shows how many of the national Protestant churches of the day (outside of the British Isles) were also looking into swearing this covenant (including the Netherlands, France, Switzerland and Sweden), as a means to biblical unity and uniformity. In fact, this covenant was framed (primarily by Alexander Henderson) with the intention of uniting Protestants worldwide. As Price shows, this goal quickly unraveled with the coming to power of that Judas of the Covenant (Cromwell), his army and the Independents. The descending obligation of this covenant is also covered, and application is made to modern nations (like the USA, Canada, etc.) who are the national posterity of the original covenanters. Application is also made to the apostate modern church (and Price names names). It is also shown how this covenant was a term of communion in the church and how negative civil sanctions were to be applied to those who publicly opposed the Solemn League and Covenant -- students could not even enter college without proof of subscription. Price uses various historical citations from The Acts of the General Assemblies of the Church of Scotland From the Year 1638 to the Year 1649 Inclusive (available from SWRB as a rare bound photocopy) to demonstrate these historical facts. Later defections from the covenanted Reformation, such as those by Charles II and William's civilly and ecclesiastically corrupted Revolution settlement are also dealt with. The second half of the tape summarizes the six articles of the Solemn League and Covenant; concentrating on the biblical (civil, ecclesiastical and individual) responsibilities that were sworn in this covenant. Application is made to our day and the tape closes with some questions regarding American history and government and the Canadian constitution. The Solemn League and Covenant (because it was agreeable to the Word of God) formed the foundation of the Second Reformation internationally (as is seen in the letter received by the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland on June 4, 1644, from the Scottish commissioners [Rutherford, Gillespie, et al] at the Westminster Assembly; cf. The Acts . . ., pp. 228, 250). This covenant still binds the church and many nations today, and until these 'moral persons' renew this covenant (in spirit and in truth) the Lord will continue to prosecute the quarrel of His covenant. Thus, this is an exceedingly important tape as it explains one of the major, modern causes of God's wrath upon the nations and the church. When the churches and nations are granted repentance in (or preparing for) the millennium they will be found 'going forth by the footsteps of the flock' (Song 1:8) and not turned 'aside by the flock of thy companions' (i.e. those that appear religious but are actually a hindrance to the work of the building of Christ's kingdom, Song of Solomon 1:7, cf. Douglas' Strictures on Occasional Hearing, [1820] SWRB reprint 1996); and there is no 'footstep of the flock' more clearly distinguished in the bedrock of history (since the second century) than the Solemn League and Covenant.
The Solemn League and Covenant by Greg Price
http://sphynx.idontknow.com/swrb/solemn.ram
The Solemn League and Covenant
http://www.swrb.com/newslett/actualnls/crtsol.htm
TRACT, A testimony to the truth of Jesus Christ and to our Solemn League and Covenant . . . , Ephes. 6:14,15; 2 Tim. 1:7,8, 1648, Additional Title: A testimony to the trueth of Jesus Christ, and to our Solemn League and Covenant, EEBO.
See also: The application of scripture to the corporate bodies of church and state, Selection of covenant heads for positions of leadership
The Directory for the Public Worship of God
*Westminster Assembly (1643-1652), The Westminster Confession of Faith (Glasgow, Scotland [Free Presbyterian Publications, 133 Woodlands Road, Glasgow G3 6LE]: Free Presbyterian Publication, 1994). ISBN 0902506080 (casebound) and ISBN 0902506358 (paperback), Still Waters Revival Books, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Also available from Crown and Covenant Publications:
http://www.crownandcovenant.com/product_p/ds115.htm
" 'The product of Puritan conflict,' stated Shedd, reaching 'a perfection of statement never elsewhere achieved.' All that learning the most profound and extensive, intellect the most acute and searching, and piety the most sincere and earnest, could accomplish, was thus concentrated in the Westminster Assembly's Confession of Faith, which may be safely termed the most perfect statement of Systematic Theology ever framed by the Christian Church,' writes Hetherington (The History of the Westminster Assembly of Divines), p. 345. Concerning the Shorter Catechism, which is one of the items also included in this book, Mitchell notes: 'it is a thoroughly Calvinistic and Puritan catechism, the ripest fruit of the Assembly's thought and experience, maturing and finally fixing the definitions of theological terms to which Puritanism for half a century had been leading up and gradually coming closer and closer to in its legion of catechisms' (Westminster Assembly: Its History and Standards, p. 431). The Westminster Confession of Faith is the greatest of all the creeds of the Christian church. The church of Christ cannot be creedless and live. Especially in an age of doubt and confusion, it is her duty to define and proclaim the one true faith. Nowhere has the Reformed church done this so effectively as in the Westminster Confession and family of documents. This book represents Reformed thinking at its purest and best. It was intended, as part of the Covenanted Reformation taking place during its compilation, to be adopted as the binding confessional standard for every individual, family, court, church, and legislature in the British Isles." -- SWRB
This is considered to be the definitive publication of the Westminster family of documents. It includes the following:
The Form of Presbyterial Church Government
The Form of Presbyterial Church Government
http://www.covenanter.org/Westminster/formofpresbygov.htm
See also: Selection of covenant heads for positions of leadership, Sexual relationship, Bad relationships as a cause of disease and death