DOCSLIB.ORG

In Our Glorious Christ PRACTICAL RELIGION by Rev

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
In Our Glorious Christ PRACTICAL RELIGION by Rev The MessengerVOLUME 59 NO.2 FEBRUARY 2012 EDITION >> 2 Church News 3 The Secret Strength of the Church 5 Natural Disasters 8 Free Reformed Pastors’ Retreat 2011 12 Christ’s Glory As Our Lord 14 How To Live By Faith 16 Changes at the House of Mourning 18 News Notes & Comments 20 A Reformed Book Store 22 Teaching the Doctrine of Predestination Pastorally 24 Announcements THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE FREE REFORMED CHURCHES OF NORTH AMERICA>> FEBRUARY 2012 I THE MESSENGER 1 CHURCH NEWS >> NEW ADDRESS: NIPISSING PREACHING STATION - 2012 SYNODICAL COMMITTEE MEETINGS New email address for Rev. Jerrold Lewis is: Powassan (south of North Bay, Ontario, off The 2012 Spring meetings are scheduled to [email protected] Hwy. 11) Services are held every Sunday take place March 21 - 23 with the Brantford at 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM (for the winter FRC as host church. The 2012 Ministerial LACOMBE, Alberta season) with a potluck fellowship lunch in Retreat is scheduled for Oct 17-19 at Crieff The Free Reformed Church of Lacombe meets between. When no ministers are scheduled to (Puslinch). The 2012 Fall meetings are in the Trinity Lutheran Church, 5227 C & E Trail, preach, the worship services of the Brantford scheduled to take place October 22 - 25 with Lacombe, AB. Worship services are held at 9.00 Free Reformed Church are broadcast. For St. George FRC as host church. a.m. and 3.00 p.m. information and location, email info@ Hans VanDoodewaard, Coordinator nipissingfrc.com, call Albert Wassink (705- Email: [email protected] Volume 5 CALGARY, Alberta 724-3519) or John Janssen (705 493-0259). January/February 2012 Worship Services are held every Lord’s Day at Check online: www.nipissingfrc.com for the OPEN WINDowS The law of the Lord i converting th s perfect, e soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure preaching schedule, detailed directions and , making wise the simple. 9.30 a.m. and 4.00 p.m. and are conducted by Psa BI-MONTHLY CHILDREN’S lm 19:7 Rev. Hans Overduin, the pastor. Sunday school, other information. PUBLICATION Catechism and Adult Sunday school classes are Radio Broadcast (North Bay Area): The Banner This Christian full-colour held after the morning service. Location: 6167 of Truth Radio Broadcast can be heard every magazine for children ages 6th Street SE, Calgary AB T2H 1L9 (northwest Sunday on 103.5 FM at 8.30 AM and covers a 4 to 12 is filled with fresh corner of Blackfoot and Glenmore Trails). For radius of about 40 to 50 kilometres around ideas to open children’s information contact: Rev. Hans Overduin, Tel. North Bay. minds for a closer look at the Bible, history, 403 474-5385; email: [email protected] vocations, and the world. Open Windows also ADMISSION TO contains colouring contests, puzzles, stories, OXFORD COUNTY, ONTARIO MINISTERIAL STUDIES and book reviews to encourage our children to PREACHING STATION Is the Lord calling you to the ministry in the be readers. A magazine for the whole family, The Free Reformed Preaching Station of Free Reformed Churches of North America? it is also an excellent tool for neighbourhood Oxford County meets at the Woodstock If you believe He is, the committee wishes outreach programs, school libraries, and home- Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Highway 59, to hear from you by March 1, 2012. Please schooling. Annual Subscription for 2012 is ½ km south of Hwy. 401. Worship services contact the secretary of the committee for $17.75. Make cheques payable to: are held at 12.30 p.m. and 6.30 p.m. every more information. Prospective students Lord’s Day. For Bible study times or other are asked to consult the Handbook for FREE REFORMED PUBLICATIONS. information, please contact Mr. Peter Theological Education prior to contacting Send cheque with your order to: Kuivenhoven at 519-879-6263 or email: the secretary of the committee. Open Windows, 18 Chapala Crescent S.E., [email protected] (Oxford County includes the Calgary, AB T2X 3M4 Canada city of Woodstock, the towns of Ingersoll and Rev. D. H. Kranendonk, Secretary Tillsonburg). Theological Education Committee of the Free Reformed Churches 69 Albert Street, SS1, Mitchell, ON N0K 1N0 CANADA YOU ARE INVITED TO A Tel. 519.348.0436; SPEAKER EVENING Email: [email protected] Rev. A. T. Vergunst plans to speak on “You and the Griever” DATE: Saturday February 18, 2012 TIME: 7:30 p.m. PLACE: Dundas FRC Meeting Room Rev. A. T. Vergunst has been pastor of the Carterton Reformed Congregation of New Zealand since 2004, before which he served the Kalamazoo Netherlands Reformed Congregation We welcome young people in the workforce, college, and university to attend our meetings. Hosted by the Free Reformed Student Society A collection to defray the costs of the meeting will be taken 2 THE MESSENGER I February 2 012 The Messenger February 2012 • VOLUME 59 - NO.2 EDITOR THE SECRET Rev. C. Pronk 655 Park Road North, Unit 29 Brantford, ON N3R 0A2 CANADA STRENGTH Tel/Fax: 519 751-4470; Email: [email protected] OF THE The Editor reports to the Synodical Publications Committee Assistant EDITOR CHURCH>> Dr. G. M. Bilkes BY REV. G. HAMSTRA Email: [email protected] M E D I T A T I O N COMMITTEE MEMBERS Rev. D. H. Kranendonk, Secretary Decreasing Zeal 69 Albert Street, SS1, Mitchell, ON N0K 1N0 Several years after the Babylonian captivity, the prophet Zechariah Tel/Fax: 519 348-0436; Email: [email protected] was called to admonish consolation and encouragement to the people • Dr. G.M. Bilkes • Dr. L.W. Bilkes • Mr. S. Byl of God. Born in Babylon, he was among the first exiles who returned • Rev. J. Koopman • Rev. J. Overduin • Mr. H. VanDoodewaard • Rev. J. Lewis to the Promised Land. He witnessed the early endeavours of the restoration of the temple. The Not by might, nor by SUBSCRIPTION RATE Canada & U.S.A. - $30.00 annually inception of this undertaking was characterized power, but by for individually mailed subscriptions. by great zeal. The foundation of the temple was My Spirit, saith the The Messenger is published 11 times per year. completed within thirteen months. LORD of hosts. SUBSCRIPTIONS/REMITTANCES ZECHARIAH 4:6B Requests for subscriptions, all payments and Shortly after, the Samaritans opposed the inquiries regarding rates, invoices, and all rebuilding of the house of God. These enemies remittances should be addressed to: successfully sought the aid of the Persian court and caused substantial THE MESSENGER difficulties. Gradually, a change took place in the convictions and inner c/o Janey Slingerland, Administrator feelings of the people. Their interest in the temple and the worship of 18 Chapala Crescent S.E., Calgary, AB T2X 3M4 Tel. 403-254-6591; Email: [email protected] God was waning. They erroneously viewed the encountered opposition as a divine indication that the work on the temple should be discontinued. All notices for family announcements, obituaries, Consequently, they devoted their time and energy solely to their own anniversaries, and non-commercial advertisements for the MARCH 2012 issue should reach the copy homes and interests. Formalism and materialism became the real dangers. editor, Frederika Pronk, no later than Thursday, The attitude of the people certainly required a strong and firm correction. February 9, 2012, and should be sent to: For this purpose the Lord raised up the prophets Haggai and Zechariah. THE MESSENGER 655 Park Road North, Unit 29,Brantford, ON Zechariah’s Visions N3R 0A2 CANADA The name Zechariah means, “the Lord remembers.” This was also the Tel/Fax: 519 751-4470 theme of the prophet’s message. During one memorable night, Zechariah E: [email protected] received a series of eight visions. When the prophet related these visions and the lessons, he brought renewed hope and courage to a disheartened people. The Jews “prospered through the prophesying” (Ezra 6:14). The fifth vision described in chapter four, is a remarkable one. The prophet saw certain things that were familiar to him, such as the golden candlestick. However, the vision contained also certain unknown elements, such as the rounded bowl with oil, the seven pipes running from the bowl to each of the seven lamps, and the two olive trees on either side of the bowl. The vision was puzzling to Zechariah. He needed an explanation from the Read The Messenger on the interpreting angel. Free Reformed website: www.frcna.org February 2012 I THE MESSENGER 3 MEDITATION CONTINUED... >> The Purpose of the Church Holy Spirit they will become a plain before Zerubbabel. The candlestick with its burning and shining lamps was The opposing forces may be mighty, yet the Church a symbol of the theocracy, of the church of God. The will prosper by the Holy Spirit’s intervention. In the candlestick is also an emblem of the New Testament troublesome times of Zechariah this comfort was Church. This is evident from the last words of exceedingly precious. In due time Zerubbabel would Revelation, chapter one: “the seven candlesticks which bring forth the headstone, that is the crowning stone. thou sawest are the seven churches.” The symbol points He had begun the work and would also finish it. The to the purpose of the Church, namely that it must Lord, in His powerful grace, would provide even in this present the light of God’s truth and grace to a lightless day of small things. world that is estranged from God. At no time may we neglect our responsibility We must constantly The Power of the Holy Spirit regarding the glorious mission. acknowledge anew, So it has always been, and so it will ever on the one hand our be in the Church of Christ.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Principles of Theology an Introduction to the Thirty
    THE PRINCIPLES OF THEOLOGY AN INTRODUCTION TO THE THIRTY-NINE ARTICLES BY W. H. GRIFFITH THOMAS 1 CONTENTS Article Introduction I. Of Faith in the Holy Trinity II. Of Christ the Son of God III. Of His Going Down into Hell IV. Of His Resurrection Articles 4-10 V. Of The Holy Spirit VI. Of the Sufficiency of the Scriptures VII. Of the Old Testament VIII. Of the Three Creeds IX. Of Original or Birth-Sin X. Of Free-Will XI. Of Justification Articles 11-21 XII. Of Good Works XIII. Of Works before Justification XIV. Of Works of Supererogation XV. Of Christ Alone without Sin XVI. Of Sin after Baptism XVII. Of Predestination and Election XVIII. Of Obtaining Salvation by Christ XIX. Of the Church XX. Of the Authority of the Church XXI. Of the Authority of General Councils XXII. Of Purgatory Articles 22-25 XXIII. Of Ministering in the Congregation XXIV. Of Speaking in the Congregation XXV. Of the Sacraments XXVI. Of the Unworthiness of Ministers Articles 26-35 XXVII. Of Baptism XXVIII. Of the Lord’s Supper XXIX. Of the Wicked Which Eat Not the Body of Christ XXX. Of Both Kinds XXXI. Of Christ’s One Oblation XXXII. Of the Marriage of Priests XXXIII. Of Excommunicate Persons XXXIV. Of the Traditions of the Church XXXV. Of the Homilies XXXVI. Of Consecrating of Ministers Articles 36-Appendix XXXVII. Of Civil Magistrates XXXVIII. Of Christian Men’s Goods XXXIX. Of a Christian Man’s Oath 2 INTRODUCTION Revelation [This section is summarised from the writer’s article “Revelation,” in Hastings’ One Volume Bible Dictionary.
    [Show full text]
  • Foxe's Constantine-FINAL3.Pages
    Constantine in Scriptural Mode: John Foxe’s “Magisterial” Revisions to Acts and Monuments’ Second Edition (1570) by Wesley Miles Goudy A Thesis submitted to the Faculty of Wycliffe College and Graduate Centre for Theological Studies of the Toronto School of Theology. In partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Theology awarded by Wycliffe College and the University of Toronto. © Copyright by Wesley Miles Goudy 2018 Constantine in Scriptural Mode: John Foxe’s “Godly” Magisterial Revisions to Acts and Monuments Second Edition (1570) Wesley Miles Goudy Doctor of Theology Wycliffe College and the University of Toronto 2018 Abstract This project explores a new vision of the Protestant magistrate as represented in the alterations which John Foxe made to his Ecclesiastical History, in Acts and Monuments’ second edition (1570), a highly influential and controversial work which has been credited with shaping the course of English historiography from the Reformation to the Victorian era. The work has also been read in abridged form under the title Foxe’s Book of Martyrs. Foxe made incremental revisions to the work, which began as a 1554 Latin martyrology and ended in a fourth 1583 revision to this English-language ecclesiastical history, still known by the title Acts and Monuments. Yet relatively little scholarship has been devoted to explicating the nature and motivation for Foxe’s revisions, beyond his effort to provide literary and historical support for the English Reformation in the face of Roman Catholic opposition. The most significant revisions appear between the first and second editions of Acts and ii Monuments (1563, 1570), resulting in a textual expansion of some 500 pages.
    [Show full text]
  • The Use and Abuse of John Calvin in Richard Hooker's
    Perichoresis Volume 10. Issue 1 (2012): 3-22 DOI 10.2478/v10297-012-0001-9 THE USE AND ABUSE OF JOHN CALVIN IN RICHARD HOOKER’S DEFENCE OF THE ENGLISH CHURCH * DAVID NEELANDS Trinity College, University of Toronto ABSTRACT. At times Richard Hooker (1554-1600), as an apologist for the Church of England, has been treated as “on the Calvinist side”, at others as an “anti-Calvinist”. In fact, Hooker and his Church were dependent on John Calvin in some ways and independent in others. Hooker used recognized sources to paint a picture of Calvin and his reforms in Geneva that would negatively characterize the proposals and behaviour of those he opposed in the Church of England, and yet he adopted Calvinist positions on several topics. A judicious treatment of Hooker’s attitude to John Calvin requires careful reading, and an understanding of the polem- ical use of the portrait of Calvin. Calvin was indeed grave and learned, but he was human and, as an authority, inferior to the Church Fathers, who were formally recognized as authorities in the Church of England. KEY WORDS: Richard Hooker, Calvin, Calvinism, sanctification, internal witness of the Holy Spirit, predestination, Presbyterian system Introduction Although Calvin has, since the eighteenth century, frequently been inter- preted as the theological genius behind the Church of England’s theological position, especially expressed in the Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion (1563, 1571), such a conclusion is historically inaccurate. Voices of the Continental Reformation were indeed profoundly important in the development of offi- cially-approved English doctrinal and disciplinary standards, but Calvin’s voice itself came relatively late in the process, which was well under way by the mid 1530s and before Calvin had published the first edition of the Insti- tutes .
    [Show full text]
  • Understanding Calvinism: B
    Introduction A. Special Terminology I. The Persons Understanding Calvinism: B. Distinctive Traits A. John Calvin 1. Governance Formative Years in France: 1509-1533 An Overview Study 2. Doctrine Ministry Years in Switzerland: 1533-1564 by 3. Worship and Sacraments Calvin’s Legacy III. Psycology and Sociology of the Movement Lorin L Cranford IV. Biblical Assessment B. Influencial Interpreters of Calvin Publication of C&L Publications. II. The Ideology All rights reserved. © Conclusion INTRODUCTION1 Understanding the movement and the ideology la- belled Calvinism is a rather challenging topic. But none- theless it is an important topic to tackle. As important as any part of such an endeavour is deciding on a “plan of attack” in getting into the topic. The movement covered by this label “Calvinism” has spread out its tentacles all over the place and in many different, sometimes in conflicting directions. The logical starting place is with the person whose name has been attached to the label, although I’m quite sure he would be most uncomfortable with most of the content bearing his name.2 After exploring the history of John Calvin, we will take a look at a few of the more influential interpreters of Calvin over the subsequent centuries into the present day. This will open the door to attempt to explain the ideology of Calvinism with some of the distinctive terms and concepts associated exclusively with it. I. The Persons From the digging into the history of Calvinism, I have discovered one clear fact: Calvinism is a religious thinking in the 1500s of Switzerland when he lived and movement that goes well beyond John Calvin, in some worked.
    [Show full text]
  • Complete Issue
    EDITORIAL Within the structure of Scottish piety, the celebration of communion was a highlight, not only for those who took the elements, but also for the hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of hearers who often attended several sacramental festivals during the summer months. 1 The connection between the sacrament and spiritual awakening, where the communion season became a 'converting ordinance' in the experience of many who attended, can be traced back to the 1630s and is best exemplified in the revival at Shotts.2 Thomas Boston spoke of such occasions as 'sweet gospel day[s]', 'great days[s] of the gospel', or 'sweet time[s] of the gospel' .3 Robert Wodrow speaks of the 'fair-days of the Gospel' 4 indicating that through the drama of the word and sacrament, many people were reborn and revived, as sinners were converted and believers were renewed in their faith. 5 The Supper was so important to Calvin that he attempted to institute a weekly celebration in Geneva because he believed the Supper was spiritual nourishment for the life of the church. The Lord's Supper stood out in thinking of pastoral ministers in Scotland as one of the chief means of grace which God provided to the See Leigh Schmidt, Holy Fairs; George B. Bumet, The Holy Communion in the Reformed Church of Scotland 1560-1960 (Edinburgh, 1960); Gwen Kennedy Neville, Kinship and Pilgrimage: Rituals of Reunion in American Protestant Culture (Oxford, 1987) pp. 35-9. John Livingston speaks of how 'the night before I had been with some Christians, who spent the night in conference and prayer.
    [Show full text]
  • The Lord's Supper in the Reformed Confessions
    THE LORD'S SUPPER IN THE REFORMED CONFESSIONS BY B. A. GERRISH "Schaff's judgment, that Calvin's eucharistie teach­ ing 'must be regarded as the orthodox Reformed doctrine/ oversimplifies the evidence. In actual fact, Zwingli's view continued to find its way into the confessions even after Calvin's emergence as foremost leader of the Reformed Church. More­ over, Bullinger's Second Helvetic Confession (1561/3) exhibits a third eucharistie type. There seem to be, then, three doctrines of the Eucharist in the Reformed confessions, which we may label 'symbolic memorialism/ 'symbolic parallelism/ and 'symbolic instrumentalism! " URRENT interest in the Reformed confessions raises afresh an old question: do the historic Reformed confessions, despite C their varied authorship, present a uniform "system of doc- trine"? As a step toward an answer, my purpose is to take a test case, the doctrine of the Lord's Supper and to inquire what the con­ fessions say about it. The Lord's Supper is a particularly appro­ priate choice at the present time, since the ecumenical dialogue has given special prominence to the doctrines of the ministry and the sacraments. The opening of conversations with the Lutherans (not to mention the Roman Catholics) obliges Presbyterians to reconsider their traditional eucharistie theology; and it becomes a matter of great importance to determine the "official" Reformed position, if there is one, as defined by the historic confessions. It would be no great surprise if the classical Reformed confessions of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries were found to contain a variety of eucharistie theologies. The confessions are both numer- 224 THE LORDS SUPPER 225 ous and in origin diverse,1 and it is common knowledge that the Re­ formed theologians of Switzerland were at first divided among them­ selves on the meaning of the Lord's Supper.
    [Show full text]
  • Reformed Confessions List: Vol. 1 Introduction 1. Huldrych Zwingli
    Reformed Confessions of the 16th and 17th Centuries in English Translation: 4 Vols. Set (1523-1693) James T. Dennison, Jr. Reformed Confessions List: Vol. 1 Introduction 1. Huldrych Zwingli, Sixty-Seven Articles (1523) 2. Huldrych Zwingli, Short and Christian Instruction (1523) 3. The Ten Theses of Bern (1528) 4. The Confession of the East Friesland Preachers (1528) 5. William Farel, Summary (1529) 6. Huldrych Zwingli, Fidei ratio (1530) 7. The Tetrapolitan Confession (1530) 8. Confession of the Vaudois (1530 or 1531) 9. Huldrych Zwingli, Exposition of Christian Faith (1531) 10. Articles of the Bern Synod (1532) 11. The Synod of Chanforan (1532) 12. The Confession of Angrogna (1532) 13. The (First) Basel Confession (1534) 14. The Bohemian Confession (1535) 15. The Lausanne Articles (1536) 16. The First Helvetic Confession (Second Basel Confession) (1536) 17. John Calvin’s Catechism (1537) 18. John Calvin, Geneva Confession of Faith (1536/37) 19. John Calvin, Catechism (1538) 20. Waldensian Confession of Merindol (1541) 21. The Confession of the Waldensians of Provence (1543) 22. The Confession of the Vaudois of Merindol (1543) 23. Walloon Confession of Wessel (1544/45) 24. John Calvin, Catechism (1545) 25. Juan Diaz, Suma de la Relijion Cristiana (1546) 26. Juan Valdes, Catechism (1549) 27. Consensus Tigurinus (1549) 28. Thomas Cranmer, Anglican Catechism (1549) 29. The London Confession of John à Lasco (1551) 30. The Large Emden Catechism; or Catechism of the Immigrant Church in London (1551) 31. The Confession of the Glastonbury Congregation (1551) 32. Confessio Rhaetiae (1552) 33. John Calvin, Consensus Genevensis (1552) Vol. 2 34. The Forty-Two Articles of the Church of England (1552/53) 35.
    [Show full text]
  • The Westminster Confession of Faith
    CENTERPOINT SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH FALL 2016 The Westminster Confession of Faith (1) CONFESSIONS 1. “No Creed but the Bible!” – some contemporary problems that make the very idea of a Confession or Creed unnecessary at best and deeply suspicious at worst. a. History is bunk b. Language is slippery (“a word means what I say it means”) c. No other “church” can tell us what to believe. We are the church – period! d. Misgivings about theology – especially Systematic (formulaic) theology i. Inductive v. deductive Bible Study (top-down/Bottom-up) ii. Unity of truth – WHOLE Bible. Big picture v. little picture iii. Imposition of “foreign” grids (e.g. Aristotelian philosophy) e. “Doctrine” [noun: a belief or set of beliefs held and taught by a church, political party, or other group]; “Dogma” [noun: a principle or set of principles laid down by an authority as incontrovertibly true]. i. “Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim. 1:13). Pattern = ὑποτύπωσις. KJV “the form of sound words.” Every discipline has its own set of specialist words. Paul does not simply say, “memorize the Old Testament.” ii. Phil 2:5-11 as a summary of basic Christology; iii. 1 Tim 3:16 “Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.” iv. 2 Thess. 2:15 “So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions [παράδοσις] that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter.” v.
    [Show full text]
  • The Westminster Doctrine of Predestination James
    THE WESTMINSTER DOCTRINE OF PREDESTINATION JAMES CRICHTON MASTER OF THEOLOGY UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW FACULTY OF DIVINITY ProQuest Number: 11018036 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a com plete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. uest ProQuest 11018036 Published by ProQuest LLC(2018). Copyright of the Dissertation is held by the Author. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States C ode Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106- 1346 CONTENTS INTRODUCTION Page 1 Chapter 1 Confession and Community Page 8 The Biblical Evidence Page 8 {*? The Evidence of the Creeds Page 11 Chapter 2 The Seventeenth Century Confessions Page 13 Europe Page 13 !;! The British Churches Page 15 Chapter 3 Covenant, Confession, Compromise? Page 19 , a The Theology of the English Church Page 19 r< The Theology of the Scottish Church Page 25 c The Divisive Factor - Government Page 29 d) The Solemn League and Covenant Page 32 ,e The Proof Texts Page 39 The Westminster Machinery Page 40 Chapter 4 Why Predestination Page 43 a’ The Day and Age Page 43 W The Supreme Judge Page 47 >c< The Biblical Evidence Page 51 The God of Predestination Page 59 e The Author of Sin Page 63 Human Freedom and Responsibility Page 67 Chapter 5 History of the Doctrine Page 71 Augustine Page 71 fb Luther Page 73 Calvin Page 75 Beza and Supralapsarianism Page 80 Arminianism Page 83 Amyraldism Page 89 Federalism Page 91 Chapter 6 The Westminster Statement Page 94 Chapter The Doctrine in Practice Page 109 Mission Page 109 Assurance and Moral Effort Page 115 Personal Faith Page 119 Conclusion Page 122 Bibliography Page 126 SUMMARY In scope this work is both theological and historical.
    [Show full text]
  • History of the Confession
    THE ORIGIN AND FORMATION OF THE WESTMINSTER CONFESSION OF FAITH As early as 1540, two great types of the reform of religion in northern Europe had made themselves manifest. Luther had molded the one type. Calvin had molded, or begun the molding of, the other. Luther was for retaining of medieval doctrine, government, worship, many things - whatever seemed to him desirable and not forbidden in the Word of God. Calvin was for bringing the Church into conformity with the pattern shown in the Word. He would have the Church hold the faith taught in the Word, govern itself according to the principles taught in the Word, and conduct its exercises of worship according to maxims derivable from the Word. He believed in the sufficiency of the Scriptures as a rule of faith and practice, and would have had the Church conform in all respects to Scripture teaching. Lutheranism was the great type of moderate reform in northern Europe. Calvinism was the great type of thoroughgoing reform. Owing to the peculiar genius of the German people and to the peculiar favoring providences, Lutheranism prevailed widely throughout north Germany and Scandinavia, but not a few in these regions carved a more thoroughgoing reform. Owing to the peculiar genius of the French, the Dutch, and south Germans, and to favoring providences, Calvinism prevailed in France, in the Netherlands, and in certain south German States and cities; amongst these peoples, however, there were some who had a greater love for features of the medieval Church and would have retained them. There were, thus, on the Continent two great types of reform movement, the one dominant in the one quarter, and other dominant in other quarters.
    [Show full text]
  • The Harmony of the Reformed Confessions
    THE HARMONY Reformed Confessions, AS RELATED TO THE PRESENT STATE OF EVANGELICAL THEOLOGY. An Essay delivered before the General Presbyterian Council at Edinburgh, July 4, i8jj. BY Philip Schaff, Professor of Sacred Literature in the Union Theological Seminary, New York. Together avith the Action of the Council on Confessions and Formulas of Subscription. NEW YORK: DODD, MEAD & COMPANY, 751 Broadway. 1877. NOTICE. The following Essay, or the substance of it, was delivered by appointment in Edinburgh, at the first session of the First General Presbyterian Council, on the Fourth of July, 1877, and led to an action which will direct wide attention to the question of creeds, and bring it before the next General Council, to be held in Phila- delphia in 1SS0. It has been published in England and Scotland, and is now re-published in America, together with the resolutions of the Council thereon, in the hope that it may help to prepare the way for a wise solution of an important and difficult problem of the Reformed Churches. New York, Oct., 1877. C.JUN 18 HKOLOI CONT . THE HARMONY OF THE REFORMED CONFESSIONS. PAGE Cranmer's Proposal of a Reformed Consensus 5 The Reformed Confessions 9 The Harmony of the Reformed Confessions 15 1. Bibliology 16 2. Theology and Christology 17 3. Anthropology and Soteriology iS 4. Predestination 21 5. Ecclesiology 26 6. Sacramentology 2S 7. Eschatology 3° The Theological Revolution 3 1 The Revival of Evangelical Theology 34 The Relation of Modern Evangelical Theology to the Re- formed Confessions 36 1. Bibliology 3§ 2. The Theological Standpoint 42 3.
    [Show full text]
  • Reformed Orthodoxy in Britain Carl R
    Reformed Orthodoxy in Britain Carl R. Trueman IntroductIon Dutch church history of the time. Thus, while uritanism,” like so many “isms” British theologians did produce a vast amount of “Pthroughout history, has proved very dif- literature on classical theological themes, such as ficult to define, and I am aware that no definitive the doctrine of scripture, God, Christology, and solution will be found in this essay. Thus, what I predestination, much of the focus of public debate offer here is a brief theological and ecclesiastical was on differences in polity and liturgy between history of the twin poles that are, Erastians, Presbyterians and Independents. His- Carl R. Trueman is Vice with different degrees of emphasis, torians have tended to focus on these matters of President for Academic Affairs and 1 Professor of Historical Theology often seen as constitutive of the being of primary interest. Thus, Puritan studies, a and Church History at Westminster Puritan identity in the sixteenth field where perhaps one might have expected more Theological Seminary in Glenside, and seventeenth centuries: reli- of a theological concern, has been dominated on Pennsylvania. gious experience, which separates the whole by those whose interests are more with He previously served on faculty at the true believer from one with the sociology and psychology of the movement(s) the Universities of Nottingham and only an intellectual faith; and the than with its doctrinal contribution.2 Aberdeen in the UK. Dr. Trueman’s development of Reformed Ortho- The last twenty years have, however, witnessed recent books include John Owen: doxy, particularly as it played out the growth in interest among academics in the Reformed Catholic, Renaissance Man (Ashgate, 2007), Republocrat: in the ecclesiological struggles in theological writings of Britain during this time.
    [Show full text]