John Dick (1764–1833)Lectures on TheologyVol. 2, excerpt from Lecture XCVIII. I concluded the last lecture by observing that Episcopalians appeal to antiquity in favour of their scheme of ecclesiastical government. Many of them have too much wisdom to think that any decisive argument can be drawn from the Scriptures, and they therefore have recourse to… Read More Episcopacy Refuted: Historical Arguments
John Dick (1764–1833)Lectures on TheologyVol. 2, excerpt from Lecture XCVII. In the Church of England, there are three ecclesiastical orders,—Deacons, Priests, and Bishops. The lowest is the order of Deacons, whose office it is to baptize, to read the Scriptures, homilies, and prayers to the people, to assist the Priests in the distribution of the… Read More Episcopacy Refuted: Scriptural Arguments
Q. 10. What are the personal properties of the three persons in the Godhead?A. It is proper to the Father to beget the Son (Heb. 1:5-6, 8), and to the Son to be begotten of the Father (John 1:14, 18), and to the Holy Ghost to proceed from the Father and the Son from all… Read More The Holy Spirit Proceeds From The Father & The Son
William Apollonius (1602-1657)A Consideration of Certain Controversies (1644), pp. 130-143. Whether it be lawful for churches to prescribe to themselves constituted laws and forms, and certain canons, by ecclesiastical authority, wherein articles of faith, and things necessarily required by God for the government and discipline of the churches, are out of the holy Scriptures expounded… Read More The Discretionary Power of the Church | Willem Apollonius
William Apollonius (1602-1657)A Consideration of Certain Controversies (1644)VI. Of Classes, and Synods, and their Authority, pp. 90-130. Question 1. Whether Classes and Synods have an authoritative power, whereby they may authoritatively judge causes ecclesiastical, with ecclesiastical jurisdiction; so as that particular Churches ought to submit themselves to their decrees, under the penalty of ecclesiastical censure? We judge… Read More Synodal Authority Proven From Scripture | Willem Apollonius
Question: Whether the exercise of preaching is a perpetual institution in the Church of God, whereby private men who bear no church office, may, for the exercise of the gifts of the Spirit, publicly before the whole body of the church preach the Word of God with all authority in the name of God, and explain and apply it, for instruction, confutation, reprehension, and consolation of the hearers?… Read More Private Men May Not Preach | Willem Apollonius
Whether the ecclesiastical power, or power of the keys, be given by Christ to the multitude or all the members of a church as the first and immediate subject: so as believers not bearing any church office may by themselves immediately exercise all ecclesiastical jurisdiction, discipline, and causes ecclesiastical, save only the Sacraments. And consequently, whether private Christians being church members have such an ecclesiastical power as that they may authoritatively admit church members to ecclesiastical communion, reprove by ecclesiastical authority such as commit offences, bind by excommunication and church censures, absolve from excommunication, and authoritatively remit sins? Whether to them also belongeth the conferring the power of the keys on the Ministers and Pastors of the Church, and that power which giveth to the Ministers an ecclesiastical office; and consequently, the examination of Pastors, the sending unto and confirming them in that church office by imposition of hands, and again authoritative suspending and removing Pastors from that function?… Read More Of Ecclesiastical Power | Willem Apollonius
Whether no other external visible church be described in Scripture, and acknowledged by the Word of God, but a parochial or particular church: which is confined to such limits, as that of necessity it must be such as may be contained, and ought to meet, ordinarily in one place, for the celebrating of God’s public worship, and all the ordinances of God with mutual edification: so that the constitution of such a church, which by reason of their multitude, or some other cause, cannot in all their members meet ordinarily in one place for the celebration of the worship of God and exercise of all God’s ordinances, is unlawful and repugnant to the Word of God and the Apostles institutions concerning the constitution of a church described in the holy Scripture?… Read More The Church as an Institution | Willem Apollonius
Whether there be none to be admitted into the communion of the external visible Church, but who is endued with the real internal holiness of regeneration, and with justifying faith in Christ: or, who upon strict examination doth manifest such evident signs of true faith, and real internal holiness, as may convince the consciences of the Church to which he joineth himself, of his sincere faith, repentance and communion in Christ: and that if any congregation admit others, in whom there is not evident proof of these signs, they admit impure and false church members?… Read More What is a Church Member? | Willem Apollonius
“Others, not elected, although they may be called by the ministry of the Word (Mat. 22:14), and may have some common operations of the Spirit (Mat. 7:22; 13:20-21; Heb. 6:4-5), yet they never truly come unto Christ, and therefore cannot be saved (John 6:64-66; 8:24): much less can men, not professing the Christian religion, be… Read More Common Operations of the Spirit
