Meet the Puritans

For part 1 of this series, see here . T here are two errors that need to be avoided regarding the doctrine of the imitation of Christ. One error is theological liberalism or moralism , which teaches that Jesus suffered and died merely to set an example for us to follow. This is a serious error and...

Editor's Note: This is the final post in a four-part series on the life and relevance of Samuel Rutherford ( 1600-1661) . Find previous entries here . Rutherford as a Preacher There is no getting around the fact that Rutherford was an exceptional preacher. Historian Robert Wodrow even goes so far...

A s we have seen in our study of the preceding articles in the Thirty-Nine Articles , article 25 on the sacraments maintains that they are not only badges and tokens of Christian men’s profession, but “…certain sure witnesses, and effectual signs of grace, and God’s good will towards us, by the...

Paul T. Nimmo and David A. F. Fergusson, The Cambridge Companion to Reformed Theology (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2016). 345pp. Paperback. W hat is Reformed Theology? This is a valid and important question. Answering it may be more difficult than appears at first. Unlike Lutheran...

Editor's Note: This is the third post in a four-part series on the life and relevance of Samuel Rutherford ( 1600-1661) . Find previous entries here . A Ministry of Sacrifice and Suffering B eing called to the small, obscure parish of Anwoth did not give Rutherford an opportunity to take it easy...

Right Reception of the Lord’s Supper T he Lord’s Supper was to be taken seriously, after much preparation, careful self-examination, and Christ-centered participation. Edwards wrote, “’Tis the most solemn confirmation that can be conceived of.... It is more solemn than a mere oath.” [1] He later...

H aving considered God in his essence and attributes then his unity of essence in the diversity of three persons, we will know give attention to his decrees (eternal purposes) according to the Puritans. In the next post, we will then discuss how those decrees are carried out in creation and...

O ne of the great fictional adventure stories of all-time is one of the oldest: The Odyssey by Homer. In this book, the main character, Odysseus, along with his crew, are sailing home. During their long journey, they are forced to sail through a narrow strait between two rock peaks. There were two...

Editor's Note: This is the second part of a four-part series on the life and relevance of Samuel Rutherford ( 1600-1661) . Read part one here . Rutherford's Conversion Rutherford received the M.A. degree in 1621 from Edinburgh and, two years later, was appointed Regent of Humanity for the...

A s we've seen in our ongoing study of "The 39," when the articles discuss essential doctrine, they begin with the general principles of the doctrine before continuing to a more specific examination. Article 25 set out the general principles on the nature of a sacrament. Now article 26 answers the...