All Articles For Contending for the Faith

In our preceding article, appraising that form of Rationalism which is known as Deistical Rationalism, we observed, in the first place, that it is surely contrary to the teachings of the Word of God. And, in the second place, we also pointed out that this presentation is contrary to all that which is taught us by history. However, this is not all. 

Augustine (died in the year 430)) the greatest theological authority of the Latin church, at first referred the words, “On this rock I will build my church,” to the person of Peter, but afterward expressly retracted this interpretation, and considered the petra (rock, H.V.) to be Christ, on the ground of a distinction between petra(upon this rock) and Petrus (thou art Peter); a distinction which Jerome also makes, though with the intimation that it is not properly applicable to the Hebrew and Syriac Cephas. “I have somewhere said of St.

Rationalism is that system or theory which elevates Reason above the Scriptures. Of course, the Reformation did not deny the activity of the mind, did not maintain that faith is unreasonable or irrational. But Rationalism elevates Reason above the Word of God. It does not believe because the object of its faith is set forth in the Scriptures, but because that object of its faith falls within the scope and boundaries of its ability to comprehend and understand. It accepts only that which is reasonable, humanly comprehensible. Hodge, in his Systematic Theology (Vol.

At last the Roman bishop, on the ground of his divine institution, and as successor of Peter, the prince of the apostles, advanced his claim to be primate of the entire church, and visible representative of Christ, who is the invisible supreme head of the Christian world. This is the strict and exclusive sense of the title, Pope. 

The Reformation was a protest against human authority, asserted the right of private conscience and judgment, and roused a spirit of criticism and free inquiry in all departments of knowledge. It allows, therefore, a much wider scope for the exercise of reason in religion than the Roman church, which requires unconditional submission to her infallible authority. It marks a real progress, but this progress is perfectly consistent with a belief in revelation on subjects which lie beyond the boundary of time and sense.

In our preceding article we called attention to the many objections against the theory of False Mysticism. We noted that this Mysticism has no support in the Scripture. We also called attention to the fact that it is contrary to what we read in the Scriptures. And, in the third place, we noted that it is contrary to fact and experience. We will now continue with the listing of these objections. 

Constantine the Great.

The North African bishops and councils in the beginning of the fifth century, with all traditional reverence for the apostolic see, repeatedly protested, in the spirit of Cyprian, against encroachments of Rome, and even prohibited all appeal in church controversies from their own to a transmarine or foreign tribunal, upon pain of excommunication.

The most prominent among the Quakers were George Keith, Samuel Fisher, and William Penn. The last named was a man of a British admiral, and he proved his sincerity by the sacrifices and sufferings to which his adherence to a sect, then despised and persecuted, subjected him. Anyone who is somewhat familiar with American history has surely heard of William Penn. His name is associated with the state of Pennsylvania. 

We concluded our preceding article with the observation that it is truly a remarkable phenomenon that the episcopal form of church government should characterize the Church of God for about fifteen hundred years, from the time of the apostles to the Reformation. It is a truly remarkable phenomenon because it is undoubtedly true that the Word of God supports the Presbyterian form of church government. And one can hardly deny that this phenomenon is worthy of a little investigation.