James Durham,Commentary on Revelation,pp. 742-746. A Brief View of the Series of the Whole Book of the Revelation This whole book is formed by way of an epistle. Chapter 1. Beside some general circumstances, the matter of the book generally is divided in these two: 1. The things that then were, or the present state… Read More A Brief Summary of the Book of Revelation
William PerkinsWorks IV, pp. 484-485. The end of popery is to pull down the kingdom of Christ and to disannul His laws, as will appear by a short view in every commandment. And therefore it cannot be the true religion. The first commandment teaches us to choose and acknowledge the true God for our God… Read More Roman Catholicism Violates All Ten Commandments
David Clarkson (1622-1686)Practical Works, vol. 3, ch. 7. Listen to a reading of this treatise here. “The Lord loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob.” Psalm 86:2. That we may apprehend the meaning of these words, and so thereupon raise some edifying observation, we must inquire into the reason why the… Read More Public Worship to be Preferred Before Private
God did not approve the polygamy of the fathers or commend it, but did only tolerate it as a lesser evil for the preventing of a greater. Marriage is the indivisible conjunction of one man and one woman only. This Christ of purpose teaches (Matt. 19) where He says that “God created them at the first man and woman,” and not women (v. 4), “that a man must forsake father and mother, and cleave to his wife,” not to his wives (v. 5), that “they twain shall be one flesh” (v. 6). And in all this Christ makes no new law, but only revives the first institution of marriage made in paradise. And Moses having set down this divine institution, adds withal that Lamech was the first that broke it by taking many wives.… Read More Polygamy in the Old Testament
Having seen that Christ did not institute a papacy in the church, and that Peter was not a pope or universal bishop, one may ask when and how the papacy came to exist and how it became what it is today. The papacy did not appear immediately at one time, rather it developed over a long period of time. Attempting to identify the first pope is akin to asking: When does food become rotten? It is not easy to pinpoint at one specific time because it is a gradual process.… Read More Who Was the First Pope?
Edward LeighBody of Divinity, p. 474. It is a question between us and the Papists, Whether Peter exercised a primacy at Rome? There is a primacy, 1. Of order and degree. 2. Of authority and jurisdiction. The first, with St Jerome, Protestants will easily ascribe unto St Peter, but not the other. Those words Matthew… Read More Peter Did Not Exercise Primacy at Rome
It is very evident that Peter neither was a general bishop of the entire church nor had a position of supremacy over the other apostles and over the church. Thus, the pope of Rome is neither a successor of Peter nor the head of the church.… Read More The Pope Is Not Peter’s Successor
A Short Treatise on Deaconsby James Guthrie (1612?–1661) That we may also understand what doth belong unto deacons, we shall speak of them briefly, after the same order. (1.) Of their name. (2.) Of their institution. (3.) Of their calling. (4.) Of their duty and qualification. Of the Name, Deacon. The word “deacon” [διακονέω, διάκονος], largely taken,… Read More The Duties of Deacons
The ordinary state and condition of God’s church and people in this world is to be in affliction. Hence Paul says that “we must come to heaven through manifold afflictions” (Acts 14:22). The Lord knows what is best for His servants and children. And therefore He has set down this for a ground that “all that will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution” (2 Tim. 3:12).… Read More Suffering With The People of God
“But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice.” (Matthew. 9:13)… There is much to be learned from God’s expressing himself in his word that he likes mercy to them that stand in need of it, better than the offering of the richest sacrifice. Three things especially we learn in it: 1. The respective value and preference of duties. 2. The guise of hypocrites, as our Saviour pinches and taxes the Pharisees often by this point. 3. The excellence of mercy.… Read More Moral Duties Before Ritual
