The Covenanted Reformation Defended
Against Contemporary
Schismatics:
A
Response and Antidote Primarily to the Neopresbyterian Malignancy and
Misrepresentations, and the Manufactured "Steelite" Controversy,
Found in Richard Bacon's A Defense Departed; With a Refutation of Bacon's Independency,
Popery, Arminianism, Anabaptism and Various Other Heresies (Including an
Exhibition of His Opposition to Scripture and the Covenanted Reformation, in
General; and His Opposition to John Calvin, John Knox, the General Assembly of
the Church of Scotland [Especially 1638-1649], Samuel Rutherford, George
Gillespie, the Testimony of the Covenanter Martyrs, the Reformed Presbytery,
the Puritan Reformed Church of Edmonton and a Host of Other Prominent Reformers
from Past Generations, in Particular) _ With Copious Notes on Mr. Bacon's
Backsliding and His Blackening of the Blue Banner; as Well as Various Replies
to Other Modern Malignants
by
Greg Barrow
Copyright
1998
Publisher's
Preface
Dr. Reg Barrow
Copyright 1998
Foreword
Dr. Larry Birger, Jr.
Copyright 1998
Related (at Puritan
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Covenanters
and Covenanted Reformation - George
Gillespie - Covenant Theology and Covenanting - Reformed Presbytery, RPNA Protesters, etc.
- Samuel Rutherford - Second Reformation - Separation, Unity, Uniformity, etc. - Solemn League and Covenant - COVENANTER HD COLLECTION
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Table of Contents
Publisher's
Preface - by Reg Barrow
Foreword - by
Larry Birger, Jr.
Dedication
The Covenanted Reformation Defended
Against Contemporary Schismatics
Introductory remarks
A. The Puritan Reformed Church considers Mr. Bacon
an erring and disorderly brother in the Lord
B. The Puritan Reformed Church desires Mr. Bacon's
correction
C. A description of the format of this response
D. Mr. Bacon has misstated the issues
Misrepresentation
#1:
Mr. Bacon represents our dispute as a
"tempest in a teapot."
A. Mr. Bacon appeals to the majority
B. Mr. Bacon condemns the Covenanter martyrs as
being too rigid and implies that the Covenanters strayed from the doctrines of
Second Reformation Presbyterianism
C. A Description of Richard Cameron's martyrdom
Misrepresentation
#2:
The Puritan Reformed Church of
Edmonton denounces true churches and maintains that they are the only duly
constituted Church upon the face of the earth.
A. Mr. Bacon's charges are scandalously unqualified
B. The disposition of the Puritan Reformed Church
of Edmonton toward those who disagree with us
C. The true state of the question
D. The doctrinal position of the Puritan Reformed
Church regarding the "being" and "well being" of the Church
as it relates to the term "true church"
a. The Westminster Confession of Faith Chapter
(25:2) defines an essentially true church as having one mark, viz., the
profession of the true religion
b. An examination of the Reformers doctrine
regarding the "being" of the church
c. The Puritan Reformed Church of Edmonton
unequivocally states that there are many truly constituted churches
(essentially considered) in the world
d. Distinguishing between the "being" and
the "well being" of the church
e. The Puritan Reformed Church of Edmonton agrees
with both Samuel Rutherford and the 1560 Scottish Confession, while Mr. Bacon
misrepresents all parties involved
f. What is Mr. Bacon really saying about all other
churches when he attempts to form a new presbytery instead of joining an
already existing one?
g. Mr. Bacon is a promoter of independent
denominationalism
h. The worldwide vision of the Puritan Reformed
Church of Edmonton
Misrepresentation
#3:
The Puritan Reformed Church maintains
that a church cannot be truly and biblically constituted without formally
swearing and adopting the Solemn League and Covenant.
A. The Puritan Reformed Church of Edmonton
unequivocally states that it is NOT necessary to swear the Solemn League and
Covenant to be a truly constituted church (as to "being" or essence)
B. The true state of the question
C. The Puritan Reformed Church of Edmonton
maintains that, in a land already bound by the covenants, it is necessary to own
and renew the National Covenant and the Solemn League and Covenant to be a
truly constituted church as to well being, viz., a faithful church
D. Mr. Bacon ignorantly compares us to keepers of
Roman Catholic tradition
E. Mr. Bacon unwittingly becomes an Arminian
spokesman
F. Mr. Bacon admits his confusion in his
"Defense Departed"
G. A description of the Covenants, their binding
nature, purpose, and relevance to the modern day church
a. The Original Intent of the Covenanters was to
Swear an Everlasting Covenant Never to be Forgotten
o
In what sense are
these covenants deemed everlasting and perpetual?
o
A definition of the
term "moral person"
o
The deep pit of
covenant breaking
b. The National Covenant and the Solemn League and
Covenant are intended to maintain and preserve the truly constituted church
(bene esse), and are not intended to create a truly constituted church (esse)
o
The Purpose of
Swearing the National Covenant and the Solemn League and Covenant
o
Mr. Bacon says it is
not necessary to take the Covenant of the three kingdoms
c. The covenanting parties in the National Covenant
and the Solemn League and Covenant
o
Mr. Bacon disputes
with John Cunningham, John Guthrie and Thomas M'Crie
d. Who are the posterity referred to in the
Covenants?
o
Canada and the United
States were a part of "his Majesty's dominions" when the Covenant was
sworn and consequently we are morally and formally bound to own, renew, and
adopt these "everlasting covenants"
e. The Essence of Covenants _ Intrinsic Obligation
o
Moral obligation
without formal obligation is precisely what Mr. Bacon pleads for. This, in
essence, destroys the whole concept of covenanting
f. Do the Circumstantial details of the Solemn
League and Covenant bind us?
g. Positive Application of the Covenants to modern
Times and Circumstances
o
Covenant Renewal
o
Alexander Henderson
agrees with the Reformed Presbytery (the so-called Steelites)
h. The Negative Sanction of the Covenants _
Withdrawal, Censure and Separation
o
Covenant subscription
is a term of communion for all members of Church and State (in a Covenanted
nation)
o
An examination of the
Acts of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. (1638-1649 Inclusive)
o
Excommunication of
those who would not swear or subscribe the Confession of Faith in Geneva
o
The faithful
contendings of the "Protesters", exemplifying their steadfast
application of the biblical principles of withdrawing and separating from
corrupt individuals and pretended assemblies Samuel Rutherford refuses to serve
communion with Reformed Presbyterian ministers, Robert Blair and James Wood
o
The
"Protesters" walk out of General Assembly of 1651, denying the
"Resolutioners" pretended authority
o
Distinguishing
between the "settled" and "broken" state of the Church
Misrepresentation
#4:
The Puritan Reformed Church of
Edmonton (PRCE) is guilty of imposing the traditions of men upon the conscience
by requiring terms of communion that are unscriptural.
A. Mr. Bacon has not done his homework - a direct
refutation of his libel regarding the PRCE's view of their own subordinate
standards
B. What are terms of communion?
C. An examination of Mr. Bacon's Popish principles
D. A Triple Standard in the Reformation
Presbyterian Church?
E. An examination of Mr. Bacon's latitudinarian
principles in regard to his terms of communion
F. The danger of latitudinarian schemes of union
and fellowship
o
The Apostles Creed as
a Term of Communion?
G. Does Joining the Puritan Reformed Church of Edmonton
require Implicit Faith?
H. How does one become a member of the Puritan
Reformed Church of Edmonton?
o
The Rights of Visible
Church Members
o
What are the
qualifications for Baptism?
o
What are the
qualifications for admission to the Lord's Table? _ (positive/negative)
o
What did the
Reformers mean by such as are "found to be ignorant" in Larger
Catechism #173?
o
The Westminster
Divines define what they understood to be the minimal competent knowledge
necessary to be admitted to the Lord's Table
o
Mr. Bacon teaches
something distinctly different from the Westminster Larger Catechism
o
Positive and Negative
Agreement in the membership and communion of the church
I. The Extensive Nature of Terms of Communion
a. Fully Subscribing to Confessions and Catechisms
is a term of communion b. That Presbyterial Church Government and manner of
worship are alone of divine right and unalterable; and that the most perfect
model of these as yet attained, is exhibited in the Form of Government and
Directory for Worship, adopted by the Church of Scotland in the Second
Reformation
c. Taking and Renewing Covenants are a term of
communion
d. Historical Testimony as a term of Communion
o
How did the General
Assembly of Scotland view their own history?
o
Are our terms of
communion too lengthy?
e. Mr. Bacon absurdly condemns our last Term of
Communion
J. Conclusion
Appendices
Appendix E: The Six Terms
of Communion of the Puritan Reformed Church of Edmonton
Quotations
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Chapter three from this book, "How
the Solemn League & Covenant Binds the USA, Canada, Australia, etc.,
Today," is now FREE in AUDIO in three parts at:
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DEBATE on the Meaning of the Church in Reformation Thought by Greg Barrow
Covers
some of the most important (and often forgotten, in our day) aspects of the
Reformation doctrine of the church (championed by Calvin, Knox, et al.). Includes
many citations from Reformation leaders & confessional statements of the
best Reformed churches. This is chapter 2 in Greg Barrow's The Covenanted Reformation Defended
(free at: http://www.swrb.com/newslett/actualnls/misrep2.htm ).
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Eschewing Ecclesiastical Tyranny (Protestant Biblical
Separation)
by
Greg Barrow (DEBATE with Richard Bacon) 1 Corinthians 2:15
The
classic Reformation position on biblical separation, Protestant private
judgment, the visible church, etc. -- contra Antichrist (the Papacy) and
wayward liberal Protestants. This is appendix G from The
Covenanted Reformation Defended: "A
brief examination of Mr. Bacon's principles regarding the visible church and
the use of private judgment. Also, some observations regarding his ignoble
attack upon Mr. Kevin Reed in his book entitled The Visible Church in the Outer
Darkness."
This
FREE audio MP3 is at: http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?sermonid=7702201426
Protestant Antidote to Modern Disunity (1/5)
by
Greg Barrow (DEBATE with Richard Bacon)
Defection
from Reformation teaching on separation, unity, church membership, church
government, terms of communion, creeds, confessions, covenants, etc., exposed
(in modern Presbyterian and Reformed churches) and corrected in accordance with
Scripture and the best teachers and preachers of the (first and second)
Protestant Reformations. This is chapter four from the book The Covenanted Reformation Defended: "Misrepresentation #4: The
Puritan Reformed Church of Edmonton (PRCE) is guilty of imposing the traditions
of men upon the conscience by requiring terms of communion that are
unscriptural."
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Protestant Antidote to Modern Disunity (2/5)
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Protestant Antidote to Modern Disunity (3/5)
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Solemn League and Covenant - Covenanters
and Covenanted Reformation - George
Gillespie - Covenant Theology and Covenanting
- Reformed Presbytery, RPNA Protesters, etc.
- Samuel Rutherford - Second Reformation - Separation, Unity, Uniformity, etc.
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