For Christ's Crown & Covenant!

Originally published at  Alexander Henderson on the original Covenanters’ respect for the King’s majesty | Reformed Covenanter :  As they have done and suffered much for vindicating and maintaining the liberty of their Religion, that what belongeth unto God may be rendered unto God; So do they desire, that according to the rule of righteousness, each man have his own, and above all men, That the things which are Caesar’s be rendered unto him, and to give him that which is God’s were a wronging both of God and Caesar . They have ever been willing to taxes and to pay subsidies above that which they were able. They join with the inward reverence of their hearts, external honour and obedience in all things lawful. They pour forth their prayers to God in private and public, for all blessings spiritual and temporal upon his Royal Person and Government, and upon his Progeny; and for the same blessings upon the Queen’s Majesty, especially that God by his Spirit would give unto her t...

Listen to the PODCAST HERE . Geddes had been sitting on a three legged stool, and she rushed to the front of the church and flung her stool at the Dean. Soon others joined in, and the riot began. The protest spilled over into the street, general disorder ensued and the whole service was abandoned, as the dignitaries fled to safely. On the 3rd Sunday of July, 1637, a riot occurred in the Scottish capital city of Edinburgh, and the roots of the riot lay in a church Service in St Giles Cathedral, that ancient building that stands majestically on the Royal Mile. Charles I was the second of the Stuart kings to straddle the thrones of England and Scotland, having ascended to the throne after his father, James 1st of England and 6th of Scotland. Charles was totally convinced that he was divinely appointed, to rule not just the nation, but to rule the church. He had a problem. In Scotland, although the populace were generally supportive of the monarchy, the influence of John Knox and the Pres...

Direct Link:  The 1680 Battle of Aird's Moss and the Covenanter's Memorial, East Ayrshire - YouTube

Changing Eschatology in the RPCNA (Part 1) By Robert Kelbe - Posted at Gentle Reformation This is the first in a two-part series on the change in eschatology within the RPCNA. The first part will explore the postmillenialism prevalent until the middle of the 20th century. The second part will explore the change to amillenialism under the influence of J. G. Vos and the Blue Banner. Introduction: The 1807 Testimony In 1807, the Reformed Presbyterian Church, now the RPCNA, published its first Testimony called Reformation Principles Exhibited which had been approved by the Presbytery the year before. Roughly following the chapter divisions of the Westminster Confession of Faith, this original testimony of the RPCNA adds a final chapter on “Testimony-Bearing”. The last paragraph of that last chapter states that The church may not recede from a more clear and particular testimony to a more general and evasive one but the witnesses must proceed in finishing their testimony rendering it more p...

 By Warren Peel - Posted at Gentle Reformation: Published June 17, 2022 This week the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Ireland held its 211th annual meeting of Synod, when all the ministers and representative ruling elders of each of the congregations in Ireland met together to review the work and finances of the church. This year was special however because on Wednesday afternoon we held a service of covenant renewal. This biblical practice of covenanting is something that the Reformed Presbyterian Church has always engaged in throughout its history, particularly at times of revival or times of crisis (hence the name ‘Covenanter,’ often used interchangeably of our denomination). We see the church in Scripture periodically responding to God’s covenant of grace by renewing her covenant with the Lord, recommitting herself to be loyal to the demands of his Word no matter what the cost (e.g. Deut 29; Josh 24; Neh 10). Covenant renewal is an opportunity to nail our colours to the mast, b...

Image by Billy McCrorie - Wikipedia Posted at This Day in Presbyterian History: The Time Was Not Ripe This mysterious phrase is found on a stone memorial on the grounds of the Battle of Rullion Green which is located eight miles south of Edinburgh, Scotland. It tells the tragic story of defeat in the first battle of the Scot Covenanters—Presbyterians all—against the English government of Charles II. This battle was part of the Killing Times era of Scottish Covenanters. In essence, the Anglican government had declared war against the Presbyterians of Scotland, asking for unconditional surrender on their part. Their pastors—some 400 of them—had been ejected from their pulpits, their manses, and their parishes. When some of them began to preach to their people in the fields and moors, that whole scene became a dangerous practice, with fines leveled against the attenders, and imprisonment and death as well. All that was needed was a spark to ignite the smoldering indignation of the Scottis...

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...

"In the museum at Greyfriars Kirk in Edinburgh, Scotland, there is one of only a few original copies of the National Covenant. The National Covenant was presented there in the kirkyard. It was discussed and signed in front of the pulpit on February 28, 1638..." Listen here...

Source: Ulster Worldly Posted at Ulster Worldly : "Here is a brief overview of the timeline of Scottish Presbyterianism in America. For a more full picture, consult an article called American Presbyterian Churches—A Genealogy, 1706-1982 by Russell E. Hall.  "The first the Reformed Presbytery was started by Scottish Covenanters in 1774. Six years later, the majority of the Covenanters united with the Associate Presbyterian Church (the Seceders) to form the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church.  "In 1798, a remnant of the Covenanters re-organized their presbytery and in 1809 formed a Synod." Read more here. 

Scotland's Forgotten Reformation from Scotland's Forgotten History on Vimeo . Watch at Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/264095757 Website: scotlandsforgottenhistory.com/

Source: Wikipedia By Stephen Nichols - Posted at 5 Minutes in Church History : Thomas Boston was born in 1676 and died in 1732. He was born in Scotland to a covenanter family. He was educated at Edinburgh, and for a time, was a schoolmaster. In 1699, he became the pastor at a small parish church in Simprin. While he was the minister of this small congregation, he wrote a number of books. Continue reading...

Posted at  Jardine's Book of Martyrs : In 1685, the Covenanters may have trained for a rising that they later refused to join. When he was captured by John Graham of Claverhouse , among the things that John Brounen gave intelligence of was a field preaching by James Renwick at the back of Cairn Table hill on the edge of Ayrshire when 260 men mustered for weapons training in early 1685. It is clear that Renwick’s Covenanters were preparing for a confrontation with the Scottish Army, as records of their musters are extremely unusual. The Cairn Table muster was the largest gathering of armed militant Society people between the Battle of Bothwell Bridge and the Revolution. The question is why? The historical evidence does not make it clear when the muster took place. Can a time frame for the muster be pinned down? Was it on Sunday 22 March, 1685? Why did it take place? In his letter of 3 May, 1685, Claverhouse gave an account of his interrogation of John Brounen, whom he...

Posted at This Day in Presbyterian History: More than an ordinary man? Alexander Peden was born sometime during the year 1626 in Scotland. His father was a small business man who left him a small inheritance. He could have entered into any of the social positions in the area, but a call from God came to him early to seek the proclaim the good news of everlasting life to his neighbors. Graduating from the University of Glasglow, he was ordained and became the pastor of New Luce, in Galloway, in his native Scotland. It was here that his congregation discovered that Pastor Peden was more than an ordinary man. Let Rev. J.M. Dryerre sum it up for us. He writes, “his prayers were conversations with a personal friend. His sermons were visions of the glory of God which had come to him in his meditations, and filled his people with awe. His talk was about God and His will in regard to downtrodden Scotland. Tall in stature and well-built, he proclaimed his message from God.” (Heroes ...

By Rev. Robert K McEvoy - Posted at The Salty Scrivener : Born near Haddington in 1505, Knox studied at the university of St Andrews, and upon graduating (at a very young age) was admitted into holy orders. An early disciple of George Wishart, Knox soon developed a deep distaste for Roman Catholicism and the clergy of Rome, who had done to death his friend and mentor. Knox was captured by the French and made a galley slave, escaping to England in 1550, where he preached at Newcastle, Berwick and London. Edward VI of England offered him a bishopric, but Knox refused on principle and after the King’s death made his way to Geneva, where he became a close friend of John Calvin. In 1554, at the request of some of the nobility, Knox returned to Scotland, where he began to preach and campaign against the mass, with such success that people in droves began to turn away from the Catholic worship. He spent another time in Geneva, between 1556 and 1559, after which he returned to Scotland...