Presbyterian & Reformed

So this should be the “Hey, I’m rocking it with the holinezz” part of the week. It’s not. The thing that keeps leaping out at me over and over and over in this week’s sermon is the idea that we are a nation, a priesthood. We belong to something. We are knit together in ways [...]

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RL Dabney  Effectual Calling What is the nature and agency of the moral revolution usually called effectual calling or regeneration? This change must be more than an outer reformation of conduct; it is an inward revolution of first principles which regulate conduct. It must go deeper than a change of purpose as to sin and godliness; [...]

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RL Dabney  Original Sin What Presbyterians really mean by terms such as “Original Sin,” “Total Depravity,” and “Inability of the Will” is defined by our Confession of Faith, Chapter IX, Section iii: “Man, by his fall into a state of sin, hath wholly lost all ability of will to any spiritual good accompanying salvation; so [...]

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RL Dabney  Introduction Historically, this title (“Calvinism”) is of little accuracy or worth; I use it to denote certain points of doctrine, because custom has made it familiar. Early in the seventeenth century the Presbyterian Church of Holland, whose doctrinal confession is the same in substance with ours, was much troubled by a species of [...]

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WHAT Presbyterians Believe By Rev. G. Aiken Taylor, Ph.D. It is frequently pointed out that the word “Presbyterian” refers to the Eldership and that Presbyterianism, as such, is a form of church government. Presbyterianism is not only a form of government in the Church, but is also a well-defined system of beliefs or of doctrine. In [...]

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      We have now completed our exposition of Presbyterianism.  It must strike every one that it is no device of man.  It is not an external framework, having no connection with the inward life of the Church.  It is a real growth.  It is the outward expression of the inward law of the Church’s being.  [...]

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III.  As then presbyters are all of the same rank, and as they exercise their power in the government of the Church, in connection with the people, or their representatives, this of necessity gives rise to Sessions in our individual congregations, and to Presbyteries, Synods, and Assemblies, for the exercise of more extended jurisdiction.  This [...]

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2.  But secondly, it is admitted that there were, during the apostolic age, officers of a higher grade than presbyters, viz: apostles and prophets.  The latter, it is conceded, were temporary.  The only question, therefore, relates to the apostles.  Prelatists admit that there is no permanent class or grade of church officers intermediate between apostles [...]

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Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the Holy Scriptures or by evident reason-for I can believe neither pope nor councils alone, as it is clear that they have erred repeatedly and contradicted themselves-I consider myself convicted by the testimony of Holy Scripture, which is my basis; my conscience is captive to the Word [...]

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II.  The second great principle of Presbyterianism is, that presbyters who minister in word and doctrine are the highest permanent officers of the Church.        1.  Our first remark on this subject is that the ministry is an office, and not merely a work.  An office is a station to which the incumbent must be [...]

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