For Christ's Crown & Covenant!

Ladies of the Covenant - Electric Scotland Posted at This Day in Presbyterian History: A Better Possession, and A Lasting One by Rev. David T. Myers Barbara Cunningham had all of the characteristics of a powerful family by her ancestry. But of far more importance than these temporal goods was that her ancestors were all warm supporters of the Protestant Reformation of Scotland. Continuing in that rich biblical tradition, Barbara Cunningham married William Muir of Caldwell in 1657, thus enabling her to be known as Lady Caldwell. Her husband, like her ancestors, was zealous in his adherence to Presbyterianism, and especially to those who had been ejected from their parishes in 1662. Even though it was considered traitorous to do so, he abstained from attending the churches where Anglican priests now were in charge. Cited to appear before the civil authorities to explain his absence, the date was delayed time and again. Of course, this was of the Lord. When Covenanters began to ta...

Posted at Log College Press: Reformed Presbyterian minister David McAllister’s Poets and Poetry of the Covenant is a worthy homage to the heroic faith of the Scottish Covenanters in verse, which we have highlighted on this blog previously, but its prose introduction should not be overlooked. It is a helpful overview of what the Covenanters stood for, and what inspired so many powerful poetic tributes. Let us briefly sketch the leading principles for which the heroes and martyrs of these songs of the Covenant contended: I. The supreme authority of God's Word in all the relations of human life. In the church, as one of their own number said, "they took their pattern, not from Rome, not even from Geneva, but from the blessed Word of God." They held that the state was bound to regulate all its affairs by the same law of ultimate authority. The Bible was to them a national as well as an ecclesiastical law-book. Kings and noblemen and lowlier citizens were all under its...

By Jared Olivetti - Posted at Gentle Reformation: Ever since I came into the Reformed Presbyterian church twenty years ago, I've been hearing about this kingdom . Though I grew up in reformed churches, the idea of Jesus being the Mediatorial King over the world for the sake of the Father wasn't a significant part of my thinking. But these covenanters, they had this grip on Jesus-as-King and they refused to let it go. And so I was taught the beauty, power and hope of Jesus' kingship. And with that kingship came lots of talk about the kingdom--which makes sense, since Jesus came proclaiming a kingdom and the apostles kept right on preaching that same kingdom. But my speaking about the kingdom was always (and remains to a degree) a little sloppy. I began at some point to talk about "building" the kingdom, thinking I was doing Jesus a favor by getting on board with His project. The problem is that the Bible never speaks this way. Continue reading...