Marriage is a creation ordinance, not a sacrament. It is common to mankind and of public interest in every commonwealth. The essence of marriage lies in a mutual compact between a man and a woman, whereby they bind themselves to an indissoluble...
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All that labor in word and doctrine, are bound to preach the Gospel publicly, but this is a part, not the whole, of the ministry they have received of the Lord. Undoubtedly, some of the greatest labors wrought on behalf of the Gospel have...
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The body, being prepared for burial, John 19:40; Acts 9:37, upon the day of burial is to be decently attended from the place of preparation to the place appointed for public burial. The place of burial is not to be under the “altar,” or in the place of assembling the Church, for...
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When our Saviour excuses his apostles for not fasting, he does not say that fasting was abrogated, but reserves it for calamitous times, and conjoins it with mourning. Religious fasting is an appointment of God to humble a people and loose the power of sin over their lives...
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The keeping of a day of thanksgiving is to be performed by the saints, Ps. 145:10. In order to this, there should be, some convenient time before, notice given that the day might be kept in a spiritual manner...
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That the Book of Psalms ought to be used to the exclusion of all other songs appears in the following: 1.) Songs, to be suitable for the celebration of God’s praise, must be descriptive, not of anything human, but of the divine...
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That the first day of the week, or Lord’s day, is the only day to be kept under the Gospel appears: 1.) Because there is an implicit command, concerning the observation of the Lord’s day, 1 Cor. 16:2. From which place, we may reason thus...
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The principle of sola Scriptura is the formal principle of the Protestant reformation. It is a Latin term, in the ablative case, which indicates that it is adjectival modifier of a verb—in this case the verb is judge. It describes the motion something (i.e., judgment) moves. Sola...
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The doctrine of the perspicuity of the Scriptures relates to its clarity in matters necessary to salvation, Ps. 119:105, 130. Protestants affirm that, in these matters of faith, Scripture can be understood by believers...
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The assertion, by the Reformers, of the right of private judgment is an assertion of the faith priority of the inward teaching of the Spirit of God bearing testimony to the truth of the Word, 1 John 2:20, 27; over the...
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