Posted in Establishments, Parish in American Context, The Church in America on October 22, 2024| Leave a Comment »
You read it right. There is actually a Christian religious establishment within the U.S. of A., and I imagine that it is completely free of whites. So for you R2K-types, assorted Anabaptists, and secular liberals, “put that in your pipe and smoke it!”
Posted in Church of Scotland, Constantine, Establishments, Parish in American Context, Parish Theory & Practice, Religious Marketplace, The Church in America, Thomas Chalmers on October 8, 2024| Leave a Comment »
In this public lecture of the Scottish Reformation Society, I will be discussing Thomas Chalmers’ (1780-1847) defense of church establishments over against Adam Smith’s critique. Chalmers championed such an establishment as a “Great Home Mission.”‘ Yet is this a merely an academic question? Does Chalmers have something to offer is in modern, pluralistic America? You might be surprised. Join us Friday, October 18 at 2:30 p.m. Eastern-U.S. / 7:30 p.m. U.K. Watch through Facebook Live. More information below:
Posted in Culture, Establishments, Sabbatarianism & the Church Calendar, Sacred & Secular, Secularization, The Church in America, tagged bible, christianity, jesus, rest, sabbath on June 25, 2024| Leave a Comment »
Here’s a delightful old volume on Sabbath laws in the United States. As I skim through these, a few short observations. 1. We have collectively forgotten what was once a cultural norm. Hence the fitness of the imperative, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” 2. Freedom of thought, speech, and religion obviously had a big asterisk (at least from our 2024 context). Tolerance was clearly not a free-for-all for every pagan and libertine. 3. This gives the lie to the radical secular-sanitizing narratives of liberals who decry ‘Christian nationalism,’ as well as the hardcore R2K types like Daryl Hart who make strange bedfellows with the same.
A few samples from states in which I’ve lived:
(more…)Posted in Establishments, Patronage, Puritans & Puritanism, Sacred & Secular, The Godly Prince, Two Kingdoms Theology on March 12, 2024| Leave a Comment »
“10. He may and ought to remove all false worships, and endure no corrupt preaching, or writing, or meetings for that end, or administrating of corrupted sacraments, or any ordinance other than what is allowed; for, Josiah did cause the people stand to the Covenant that was made, and having removed all idolatrous worship, he made Israel to serve the Lord, that is, he made them abandon corrupt worship, and wait on pure ordinances, as keeping of the sabbaths, offering of sacrifices, etc. and that according to the manner prescribed by the Lord.
“Neither was it a wronging of their liberty, to do so, because:
1. It was the preservation of their liberty, to keep them from the abominable bondage of these evils.
2. It was their duty to abstain from these, and to follow the ordinances purely, and the magistrate may well put people to that.
(more…)Posted in Articles, Church of Scotland, Confessional Subscription, Constantine, Establishments, Free Church of Scotland, Historiography, Medieval Church, The Church in America, The Kingdom of God, Two Kingdoms Theology on March 4, 2024| Leave a Comment »
Establishments got some good press last week, at least on a respectable Reformed podcast. Kudos to Christ the Center for welcoming on Timon Cline to a panel discussion last Friday. While I’ve never heard of Timon before, I am sure going to read and listen to more of him. And I’m sure I’m not alone!
The panel discussion focused on Dr. Alan Strange’s newly published book, Empowered Witness: A Panel Discussion on Politics, Culture, and the Spiritual Mission of the Church. Giving feedback and critiques were D. G. Hart, Nick Wilborn, and Timon Cline. I’ve not read Strange’s book, so I’m only commenting on the video. The discussion up to Timon and related rejoinders was interesting enough. But Timon sure rocked the boat pretty hard when he brought up the obvious (at least from a historical Reformed perspective and not an American echo-chamber), that is, what about the spiritual nature in the church in light of the classic, confessionally Reformed and Presbyterian endorsements of religious establishments?
It’s clear that Dr. Strange was a bit flustered, though keeping a gracious demeanor. Sadly, though a respectable and accomplished Reformed scholar whom I otherwise appreciate, Strange’s response to Timon was more or less a rigmarole of informal fallacies and non-answers. Hart, however, just became flummoxed and unhinged. In contrast to Cline’s calm, measured demeanor, and even more importantly, to his much more careful, close, and logical reasoning (they guy’s a practicing lawyer, and it shines), Hart just full-on melted down, notwithstanding a clever little jab about Timon’s alleged tap-dancing like James Cagney. But even that was more amusing than apropos, as it only thinly veiled his chagrin. The young no-namer clearly bested his betters.
(more…)Posted in Commerce & Christianity, Contemporary Parochialism, Establishments, Gathered Church Ecclesiology, Locality & the Law of Residence, Missiology, Parish Theory & Practice, Patronage, Religious Marketplace, Thomas Chalmers on January 31, 2024| Leave a Comment »
Apologies to everyone who tried to watch the livestream—technical issues. Here is the audio:
Posted in Establishments, New England Puritanism, Puritans & Puritanism, Sabbatarianism & the Church Calendar, The Godly Prince on December 20, 2023| Leave a Comment »
Thomas Shepard (1605-1649), on civil magistrates promoting the true religion. “Thesis 20. And if superiors in families are to see their gates preserved unspotted from such provoking evils, can any think but that the same bond lies upon superiors in commonwealths, who are the fathers of those great families, whose subjects also are within their gates, and the power of their jurisdictions? The civil magistrate, though he hath no power to impose new laws upon the consciences of his subjects, yet he is bound to see that the laws of God be kept by all his subjects; provided always, that herein he walk according to the law and rule of God, viz., that, 1, ignorant consciences in clear and momentous matters be first instructed; 2, doubting consciences have sufficient means of being resolved; 3, bold and audacious consciences be first forewarned. Hence it is, that though he hath no power to make holy days, and to impose the observation of them upon the consciences of his subjects, (because these are his own laws,) yet he may and should see that the Sabbath day, (the Lord’s holy day,) that this be observed, because he doth but see to the execution of God’s commandment herein.”
Posted in Articles, Commerce & Christianity, Establishments, Thomas Chalmers, WPE Editor on November 2, 2023| Leave a Comment »
Just published another article on Thomas Chalmers. This is also a fantastic journal, and well worth the low cost to purchase. Get your copy here. For past articles I’ve written on Chalmers, visit the ‘About’ page and scroll to the bottom.
Posted in Catholicity, Church of Scotland, Connectionalism & Conciliarism, Ecclesiology, Establishments, Separatism & Schism, The Visible Church on August 30, 2023| Leave a Comment »
A tremendous, two-part treatment that anyone identifying with historic Presbyterian should read by my friend, Matthew Vogan.
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Whole doctrine catholicity | “Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners” (Song 6:10)?