William PerkinsAn Exposition of the Creed of the ApostlesWorks vol. 5, pp. 229-236 Now follows the third and last degree of Christ’s humiliation, He “descended into hell.” The Descent Clause not part of the original Creed. It seems very likely that these words were not placed in the Creed at the first [Symbol, P. Viret],… Read More He Descended into Hell | William Perkins
Herman WitsiusEconomy of the CovenantsBook 4, ch. 15, vol. 2, pp. 413-421. Of the Benefits of the New Testament. We may reckon among the benefits of the New Testament the restoration of the Israelites, who were formerly rejected, and the bringing them back to the communion of God in Christ. Paul has unfolded this mystery… Read More The Future Restoration of Israel
The outward baptism doth not save us of itself, but the inward, because outward baptism is common to the hypocrites as well as to the faithful, it comes not unto the soul, and it hath no saving power in itself. This may serve to admonish us, not to put too much trust and confidence in the outward Sacraments, or to rely thereupon, that we are baptized and partake of the Lord’s Supper, but always to seek the spiritual grace of the Sacraments.… Read More Baptism Now Saves You | William Ames
There is one party holding opinions on the subject admitting of various modifications, but agreeing in this, that they ascribe a high spiritual efficacy to the Sacraments apart from the faith or spiritual act of the receiver. By this party, the views of the Sacraments already stated are regarded as defective in the way of ascribing to Sacraments a less virtue than really belongs to them.… Read More Defective Views of the Sacraments: Inherent & Independent Virtue
There is one party who deny the grand and characteristic distinction between sacramental and other ordinances already enunciated, and hold that the Sacraments have no virtue except as badges of a Christian profession, and signs of spiritual truth. By this party, the views of the Sacraments already stated by me are held to be erroneous in the way of attributing to them a greater virtue than actually belongs to them.… Read More Defective Views of the Sacraments: Bare Memorialism
“Though the sacraments are connected with the thing signified nevertheless both are not received by all men: the ungodly indeed receives the sacrament to his condemnation but he does not receive the truth of the sacrament. As Judas, and Simon the sorcerer, both indeed received the sacrament, but not Christ, who was signified by it,… Read More Sacraments: The Savor of Death to Ungodly Partakers
Men’s institutions cannot be admitted and practiced in the worship of God, without incurring the guilt of a very great sin. There is not only a sin committed by them that invent and appoint them, nor only by them that preach them and tie them upon men’s consciences, but it is also no small sin in those that comply with, and yield conformity to them. Indifferency in the matter is not sufficient to justify a tradition in worship. A divine precept is necessary to warrant every part of religious worship.… Read More The Sinfulness of Worshiping God With Men’s Institutions
‘For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sin.’ (Hebrews 10:4) These were called “sin offerings,” because they were types of Christ’s sacrifice, which did indeed take away sin, but they themselves could not, and that by reason of the disproportion betwixt the means of cleansing on the one side, and the thing cleansed, together with the filth cleansed away on the other side. The means were merely external, earthly and carnal, namely, the blood of beasts. The thing to be cleansed, was the soul of man, which is a spiritual substance.… Read More The Impotency of External Rites in Spiritual Matters
It is a judicial action of the church, consisting in two things here noted: first, in examination of false doctrine and false teachers; secondly, in condemnation afterward. The examination of them is set down in these words: “and hast examined them that say they are apostles, and are not” (Rev. 2:2); and their condemning or sentence giving in the words following, “and has found them liars” (Rev. 2:2).… Read More How To Combat False Teachers
What does the Bible mean by the terms “stumbling block,” “offence,” and “scandal” (Matthew 18; Acts 15; Romans 14; 1 Corinthians 8; 1 John 2:10; Revelation 2:14; etc.)? The following excerpt is from James Durham’s A Treatise Concerning Scandal (pp. 4-17). James Durham’s rich and exhaustive treatise was last published by Naphtali Press in 1990,… Read More What Does “Stumbling Block” Mean?
