An Assertion of the Government of the Church of Scotland (1641) Second Part, Chapter 7 In the third place, we take an argument from the example of the Jewish church; for, as in their commonwealth there was a subordination of civil courts, every city having its proper court, which did consist of seven magistrates, if… Read More Presbyterianism in the Old Testament Church | George Gillespie
Reformed Theology has always held that God’s Law is best understood as having a threefold division, some being moral, some ceremonial, and some judicial. Chapter 19 of the Westminster Confession explains this threefold division. The moral law, summarily comprehended in the 10 commandments (WLC 98), is rooted in God’s character as well as the created… Read More The Judicial Law: General Equity vs. Particular Equity
In our last post we saw that barrenness and being elderly do not preclude marriage, and that barrenness or impotence after marriage do not nullify the marriage. Additionally we examined the four lawful reasons Scripture gives for married couples to abstain from sexual intercourse. Abstaining is not a sinful act per se, but can be… Read More Contraception pt. 4: Onanism
The first post in this series examined abortifacients, health risks, and social consequences as well as a brief history of contraception. The second post went into the dominion mandate to “be fruitful and multiply” and how procreation is one of the fundamental purposes of marriage. This leads to a few questions and possible objections which we… Read More Contraception pt. 3: Barrenness, the Elderly, Natural Family Planning
In our first post we took a preliminary look at abortifacients, noting that hormonal contraception has the possibility of causing an abortion and is thus not an option for pro-life Christians regardless of their stance on preventing conception. We also examined some health risks associated with contraception, delaying and limiting child bearing, and neglecting nursing. Additionally we… Read More Contraception pt. 2: Dominion and the Purposes of Marriage
In this series we will evaluate the use of contraception in light of Scripture. Additionally, we will demonstrate that the unanimous position of the Church as a whole down through history has been one of opposition to contraception until very recently in the West. We will examine the dominion mandate, the purposes and duties of… Read More Contraception pt. 1: Abortifacients, Health Risks, Societal Factors
The doctrine of the two kingdoms is often confused as a distinction between church and state, but this is not the case. While Christ’s reign over all things in power and over His church in grace do indeed relate to the institutions of the church and the civil magistracy, the kingdom of power is not… Read More Confessional Two Kingdoms
There is a moral duty inherent in the law of nature to acknowledge God and to worship Him alone. The first commandment obliges all persons, not just as individuals, but also as families and nations; all people and institutions that God sovereignly reigns over are morally bound to acknowledge and submit to Him, and according to each… Read More What is National Covenanting?
Natural law is the reflection of God’s moral character and the moral order of creation (sometimes referred to as the secondary law of nature) as designed by God, which is written on the human heart (Rom. 2:14-15). It is no different in substance than the ten commandments (which are a summary of the entire moral… Read More The Law of Nature and the Civil Enforcement of the First Table
Although this excerpt is in relation to 1 Corinthians 11:14 and men having long hair being disgraceful, the argument Calvin makes is more widely applicable to all cultural norms and the importance of them being conformed “to the word of God, the law of nature, and human decency.“ Sermon on 1 Corinthians 11:11-16 Men, Women,… Read More The Importance of Customs Being Conformed to Nature | John Calvin
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