Who Are The True Catholics? (2)
Part 1 In his treatise defending the Reformation understanding of Scripture against resurgent Romanism Perkins counted 22 issues between Protestants (his term) and Rome: 1 Of Free-will. 2 Of Original...
View ArticleWho Are the True Catholics? (3): Original Sin
Part 2 The next point of contention is over the doctrine of original sin, i.e., the teaching that “in Adam’s fall sinned we all.” The issue is not whether we sinned in Adam but whether, as Perkins put...
View ArticleWho Are the True Catholics? (4) The Assurance of Salvation
Part 3: Original Sin Perkins’ third point against Rome concerned the assurance of salvation. According to Perkins, the Protestants and Rome agree that: A man in this life may be certain of salvation;...
View ArticleWho Are the True Catholics? (5a): Justification
Part 4: Who are the True Catholics (4): Assurance of Salvation In theological terms, there were two principles of the sixteenth-century Protestant Reformation: the formal principle and the material...
View ArticlePerkins on the Two Covenants in Gal 4:24-25
(HT: Particular Voices) The two testaments are the Covenant of works and the Covenant of grace, one promising life eternal to him that does all things contained in the law; the other to him turns and...
View ArticleWilliam Perkins: Two Kingdoms as the Answer to Monasticism
This serves to decry unto us the blind error of many ages before us, wherein it has been thought, and is by Papists at this day, to be a state of perfection, to live as a monk or hermit out of all . ....
View ArticleWilliam Perkins on Baptismal Regeneration
Paul, Rom. 4. stands much upon this to prove that justification by faith is not conferred by the sacraments. And from the circumstance of time he gathers that Abraham was first justified and afterward...
View ArticlePerkins on the Mediatorial Kingship of Christ
Therefore Christ, as he is God, has under him, emperors, kings, princes to be his vicegerents; who therefore are called gods (Ps 82:1). But as he is Mediator, i.e., a priest, prophet, and king of the...
View ArticlePerkins: The Basic Principle In Application
The basic principle in application is to know whether the passage is a statement of the law or of the gospel. For when the Word is preached, the law and the gospel operate differently. The law exposes...
View ArticlePerkins On Christ’s Active Obedience And Our Gratitude
CHAP. XXXVII. CONCERNING THE SECOND DEGREE OF THE DECLARATION OF GODS LOVE. The second degree, is Justification, whereby such as believe, are accounted just before God, through the obedience of Christ...
View ArticleWilliam Perkins On The Rule Of Worship And 1 Corinthians 14 Contra Good...
V. Will worship, when God is worshiped with a naked and bare good intention, not warranted by the word of God. (Colossians 2:23) “Which things have indeed a shew o wisdom in will worship, and humility,...
View ArticleWilliam Perkins: Who Are The True Catholics?
There are truly important works that have simply been forgotten or unjustly ignored. One of those is William Ames’ Fresh Suit Against Human Ceremonies in defense of the Reformed theology and practice...
View ArticlePerkins: God Finds In Our Good Works More To Damn Than To Save
Q: How is he accepted righteous before God? A: By the righteousness of Christ imputed to him [2 Col 5:21]. Q: What profit comes by being thus justified? A: Hereby and by no other means in the world,...
View ArticleThe Threefold Distinction In the Law Is Basic Reformed Theology
The law in general, is that part of God’s Word, which commands things just, honest, and godly, and being thus conceived, it is threefold: ceremonial, judicial, and moral. The ceremonial law, is that...
View ArticlePerkins: By Nature We Seek To Contribute To Our Salvation But The Gospel….
By nature we desire to stand upright and righteous before God by some good thing in ourselves; as the rich man in the gospel, he demands of Christ, ‘What good thing shall I do to be saved?’ [Matthew...
View ArticleNew In Print: The Works of William Perkins Volume 9
Few theologians are as important to Reformed tradition as William Perkins (1558–1602). Remarkably, as important as he was, Perkins works went out of print and remained so for centuries. We are truly...
View ArticlePerkins: We Exclude Good Works From The Act Of Justification And Salvation
“And here let it be remembered that we are not patrons of licentiousness and enemies of good works. For though we exclude them from the act of our justification and salvation, yet we maintain a...
View ArticlePerkins: The Doctrine Of A Two-Stage Justification Is A “Popish Device”
“That popish device of a second justification is a satanical delusion for the Word of God does acknowledge no more but one justification at all, and that absolute and complete of itself. There is but...
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