A fallible, yet sturdy monument to far better times, when men feared God and kept His day. Lord, let your Wind blow once again!
Archive for the ‘Sabbatarianism & the Church Calendar’ Category
Shepard on civil magistrates & the true religion
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.”
Mather to ministers: barter not the Lord’s day for men’s!
Posted in New England Puritanism, Puritans & Puritanism, Sabbatarianism & the Church Calendar, Worship, True & False on December 22, 2022| Leave a Comment »
“Since in Religion you are not Servants of Men, in true fidelity to Christ you must in your Places peaceably oppose and refuse whatever Innovations, Injunctions, or Traditions of Men. 48 4.1919. Would any change the Lord’s Day for another Day, or command other Feasts to be equally regarded; or forbid you to sanctifie the Lord’s Holy Day, or suppress the Use of his Holy Word; or set up another Rule of Faith and Judge of Controversies? do they devise new Modes of Worship, or mingle their own Fancies with his Institutions? For Conscience sake, receive them not, but obey Christ above all Men, Mic. 6.16 But still preserving the Honour due to the Persons of Superiors, and to their Authority in all all other matters, Rom, 13. 1. Faithful Magistrates will ask no more, and humble Bishops dare no more equal their Canons to His, than Apocryphal Stories to Divine Scripture. When Corruptions grow general, its time for them that are on the Lord’s side, to shew themselves for him, Exod. 32. 26.”
“Pure, Primitive Devotion”
Posted in New England Puritanism, Psalmody, Psalmody in Culture, Puritans & Puritanism, Sabbatarianism & the Church Calendar, Worship, True & False, WPE Audio on November 18, 2022| Leave a Comment »
Taxonomy of Sabbath positions
Posted in Catechesis, Sabbatarianism & the Church Calendar, Theological Diagrams on July 26, 2022| 1 Comment »
The following chart gives a kind of basic taxonomy of various positions on the Sabbath within Christianity. This very helpful piece was designed by my elder, Brad Snyder. Well done, sir!
[Note, this was designed for our catechism class, which focuses on the education of our young people. Some parts could require more elucidation and explanation for adults.]
Witchcraft today?
Posted in Gospel Proclamation, Sabbatarianism & the Church Calendar, Spiritual Warfare; the Occult on October 26, 2021| Leave a Comment »
I paused from my morning series on the Gospel of Luke to preach a topical sermon on the subject of witchcraft. I seek to answer from the Scriptures whether witchcraft is real and whether it is a real threat in the modern day.
Following the sermon, we had a youth discussion time, in which we watched the this video that illustrates the allure of contemporary ‘neo-paganism’ and then discussed it critically from Scripture.
While the sermon was not primarily an expose of Halloween, I have preached directly as well as written on that topic in the past.