But it is objected, that the Christian church did not enjoy the assistance of the civil power during the first three centuries. If this had been such a benefit, God would certainly have conferred it upon her. Besides, she flourished as long as she was without it, but became corrupt as soon as she received… Read More Objection: No Establishment of Religion Until the 4th Century
The following is a brief description of the light of nature excerpted from Jus Divinum Regiminis Ecclesiastici, or, the Divine Right of Church Government, pgs. 8-11, by the London Provincial Assembly of 1646. A thing may be said to be of divine right, or (which is the same for substance) of divine institution, divers ways. 1. By the… Read More The Light of Nature
Q. Do the precepts of the first table express the rights of God, which he demands shall be embodied in the civil constitutions of the nations, that their governments may be his ordinance? A. Yes. They contain “the things of God,” which all nations are bound nationally to “render” him (Matt. 22:21). Q. Can you… Read More An Overview of the Ten Commandments Enforced by the Civil Magistrate
With the rapid destruction of the institution of marriage in recent times many well-intentioned people have begun to question whether the civil government ought to have any say in the institution to begin with. The arguments usually boil down to the idea that marriage is an institution of the family, or perhaps of the church,… Read More The Role of the Civil Magistrate with Regard to Marriage
II. What one true excellence is there in the whole independent government in any one point, wherein it really differs from the presbyterial government? Take for instance a few points of difference. In the Independent Government. In the Presbyterial Government. No other visible Church of Christ is acknowledged, but only a single congregational meeting in… Read More Independency vs. Presbyterianism
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
Purely Presbyterian 