For Christ's Crown & Covenant!

 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...

Amazon Kindle Version By Rev. David T. Myers - Posted at This Day in Presbyterian History: The young man needed a service project in order to become an Eagle Scout. What Nathaniel Pockras of Ohio eventually chose and finished became a great service not only to the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America ministers and members, but also to historic Presbyterians in general. He printed on-line the 788 pages of the Rev. W. Melancthon Glasgow’s History of the Reformed Presbyterian Church , which was long out of print and extremely rare for any current minister or member to own one. The original book was written with the approval of the Reformed Presbyterian Synod of America and by a resolution passed in its Session at Newburg, New York on June 8, 1887. It was copyrighted by the author in 1888. Its subtitle was “with sketches of all her ministers, congregations, missions, institutions, publications. etc, and embellished with over fifty portraits and engravings.” Who said l...

By Rev. David Silversides - Posted at Sermon Audio : Postmillennialism and Revelation 20 Description: 1. Why Premillennialism must be rejected. Some fatal objections to this view. 2. Why Amillennialism must be rejected. Satan's little season fatal to five main tenets of Amillennialism. 3. Why Rushdoony's Postmillennialism must be rejected. 4. Why orthodox, Puritan Postmillennialism is the truth. 1) Binding of Satan must be the progress of the gospel. 2) The thousand years must refer to period of great gospel advance. 3) The reigning with Christ refers to the glorious advance of the cause for which the martyrs died. 4) The first resurrection is the glorious reviving of the church on earth. 5) The second resurrection is the resurgence of ungodliness in Satan's little season. 5. Some confirmatory evidence. 1) Parallel Ez 37-48 2) Destruction of antichrist, 2 Thess 2:8; Isa 11:4. 3) Israel's ingathering, Rom 11 4) OT prophecy, Ps 22:27; 67:7;7...

Editor's Note: I am pleasantly surprised to discover this index page for "Scottish Covenanters" at ancestry.com . I hope you will find it helpful. For Christ's Crown & Covenant, Angela Somers-Wittman Posted at ancestry: About Scottish Covenanters Index In the 17th century conflict arose between Church and State in Scotland. Those who remained steadfast in their Presbyterian beliefs and refused to take an oath to the king saying that he was the head of the church became known as Covenanters. They believed that Christ was the head of the church and were punished for this belief. Many were forced to pay the ultimate price for this by laying down their lives. The Royalists and Dragoons, who were seeking their lives, chased the Covenanters from glen to glen, especially in the Lowlands. If anyone was found hiding them, they suffered imprisonment and/or death as well. This punishment was not just reserved for the strong and healthy -- children and the eld...

By Angela Wittman Sarah Livingston - Photo Courtesy of WLOX - 13 A friend recently sent me this link to a story about a home schooled teen, Sarah Livingston, and her re-enactment of the Scottish Covenanters for a Mississippi History Day Competition at USM this past June where she won first place in the Performance category and the Overall prize in the high school division. Sarah is quoted in the news story as saying she wrote her own script and found her own props for the ten minute performance before the judges. To prepare for the competition she not only studied the history of the Covenanters, but she also studied the Scottish accent to make her performance more realistic. In my opinion, this is quite remarkable for a seventeen year-old young lady! May the good Lord bless Sarah Livingston and her quest to introduce others to the Scottish Covenanters through historical drama; she truly appears to be a twenty-first century Lady of the Covenant. News Source : http://www.wlo...

By Angela Wittman Readers may be familiar with the National Reform Association and the movement for a national Christian amendment acknowledging Christ as Lord in the United States Constitution. This movement has a noble history and was led by men with theological roots to the Scottish Covenanters. Wikipedia reports the movement began during the Civil War: In February 1863, while the American Civil War was being fought, a coalition of eleven Protestant denominations from seven northern states gathered to discuss the state of the nation. Seeing the Civil War as God's punishment for the omission of God from the Constitution, they discussed a proposed amendment to alter the wording of the Preamble to acknowledge God. The idea that civil governments derive their legitimacy from God, and Jesus in particular, was alleged to be based on Biblical passages such as Psalms 2 and Romans 13. Raymond Joseph was a senior pastor of Southfield Reformed Presbyterian Church , Southfield, Michigan (F...

By Angela Wittman As we conclude Alexander McLeod's Discourse: Negro Slavery Unjustifiable , let us learn from his words and the spilled blood of Americans in the War Between the States that God will not be mocked. If only God's people had heeded the words of Pastor McLeod preached 60 years earlier and followed the direction given on how to repent and extricate themselves from the sin of slave-holding, the War may have been avoided or at the very least would not have been as bloody as it was ( the total death count has been estimated at 600,000 and perhaps even up to 700,000 men ). [Emphasis in bold text is mine, AW] III. To make some improvement. In his walk of faith, the Christian considers himself bound to the practice of every known duty. By the test of obedience, the nature of his love to God is tried. This is the love of Gods that ye keep his commandments, and his commandments are not grievous. [17] This disposition inclines and fits him for making a practical improveme...

By Angela Wittman Alexander M’Leod's Negro Slavery Unjustified continued from Part Six : [Bold text emphasis is mine, A.W.] This naturally leads us to consider another objection—the most plausible argument that can possibly be offered in defence of the unhallowed practice of holding our fellow men in perpetual bondage. OBJECTION IV. "God permitted the ancient Israelites to hold their fellow creatures in servitude. Men and women were bought and sold among them. The bond servant is called his master’s money. Exod. 21:21. Had it been wrong in its nature to enslave any human being, God could not have granted the Hebrews a permission to do it. Negro slavery, stripped of some accidental cruelties, is not necessarily wicked." ANSWER. This objection requires minute attention. The fact is granted. Heaven did permit the Hebrews to purchase some of the human race for servitude. The general principle deduced from this fact is also granted. It is, in certain cases, lawful to enslave...

By Angela Wittman In our study of Alexander McLeod's booklet Negro Slavery Unjustified , we now come to the section where he refutes objections which had been raised. In order to not overwhelm the reader or miss any important point raised, I'll go through the objections raised and responses given a few at a time. Once again, please note that the text in bold is my emphasis on that particular point. I have now finished what I designed to say in confirmation of the doctrine of the proposition, and shall proceed, II. To refute objections offered to the principle I have been defending. It is not to be expected that every objection shall now occur. Some that are made probably I never heard; and some which I have heard may have escaped my recollection. I shall not, however, designedly evade any that has the appearance of argument. I shall examine each in order to ascertain its full value. OBJECTION I. "Nature has made a distinction between man and man. One has stronger intellect...

By Angela Wittman Pastor McLeod continues to lay out the injurious results for a nation (America in particular) and its people which tolerate and practice enslavement of their fellow human beings. As you read this excerpt from Negro Slavery Unjustifiable (printed in the early 1800s), look at America as it is today in 2011 and you will see how the awful effects of our historical past of tolerating slavery still bears fruit today. Clearly this is an evil which God has judged and one which we need to fully repent of. [Emphasis in bold text is mine. AW] 6. The last argument I shall use for confirming the doctrine of the proposition, shall be taken from the pernicious consequences of the system of slavery. To this manner of reasoning there can be no valid objection, if it be kept within proper boundaries. That evil consequences follow a certain practice is not always a decisive evidence that the practice is wrong; but it is a sufficient reason for us to pause, and examine it in the light o...

By Angela Wittman Let us continue with Pastor McLeod's pamphlet Negro Slavery Unjustified (printed in 1802) as he explains how American slavery of Negroes was in violation of the Commandments of God: 4. The practice which I am opposing is a manifest violation of four precepts of the decalogue. If this can be shown, it will be an additional confirmation of the doctrine of the proposition. Revelation informs us , that whosoever offends in one point is guilty of all. James 2:10. And the reason is added, because the same authority is wantonly opposed in that one point which gives sanction to the whole of divine revelation. By inference, therefore, the whole decalogue is violated; but there is a direct breach of the fifth, the sixth, the eighth and the tenth commandments. The fifth requires the performance of those duties which respect the several relations in which we stand to one another; and particularly enforces obedience to our natural parents. The Christian’s duty to the wretche...