On August 22, 1572, Gaspard Comte de Coligny (1519–72), Admiral of France, bent to adjust his shoe or perhaps to open a letter. That unexpected movement saved his life. The bullet, fired by Charles de Louviers (d. 1583) from an upstairs window . . . Continue reading →
Church History
Political Sermons From The Past: Alexander Shields’ “Defensive Arms Vindicated”
The abridged sermons in this series were generally delivered between 1744 and 1795, a half-century period that is definitely pre-partisan. Thus, these should be received as free from the bias of modern partisanship. Continue reading →
Featley: The Sweet Dipper (Part 6)
And this is the firm tradition of the universal Church, in respect of the baptism of infants, who certainly are as yet unable “with the heart to believe unto righteousness, and with the mouth to make confession unto salvation,” as the thief could do; nay, who even, by crying and moaning when the mystery is performed upon them, raise their voices in opposition to the mysterious words, and yet no Christian will say that they are baptized to no purpose.—Augustine. Continue reading →
Featley: The Sweet Dipper (Part 5)
The actual account of the meeting between Featley and the Baptists is quite interesting. The substance of it begins when Featley was challenged by an anonymous “Scotch-man” who challenged him thus: Master Doctor, we come to dispute with you at this time, . . . Continue reading →
The Abiding Validity Of Ad Fontes
Just today on social media, I ran across a marvelous quote attributed to Augustine: “If you believe what you like in the Gospel, and reject what you don’t like, it is not the Gospel you believe, but yourself.” Before I did anything . . . Continue reading →
On Churchless Evangelicals (Part 1)
I was once a churchless evangelical. As a young Christian I attended a medium-sized (three-hundred member) Southern Baptist congregation for a few years without joining. It was not really a problem. Of course they would like to have seen me baptized (as . . . Continue reading →
Featley: The Sweet Dipper (Part 4)
As noted previously, Featley’s volume, Καταβαπτιστοι καταπυστοι, which he politely translated as Dippers Dipt, was subtitled, The Anabaptists Duck’d and Plung’d over Head and Ears, at a Disputation at Southwark.1 This record of the event went through two editions in 1645 and I . . . Continue reading →
Featley: The Sweet Dipper (Part 3)
Today, under the influence of the Marxists, we would call William Kiffen a working-class guy who became successful. His opponent in the 1642 debate featured in Dippers Dipt, Daniel Featley (1582–1645), was also a working-class fellow.1 He was born in Oxford, but we . . . Continue reading →
Featley: The Sweet Dipper (Part 2)
In this installment, we focus on the major Baptist figure present at the debate, William Kiffin (1616–1701). He is worthy of attention, first because he was a central figure in the debate between Featley and the Baptists, but also because he was, as a nineteenth-century Baptist historian wrote, “FATHER OF THE PARTICULAR BAPTISTS. He played a “significant role” in the drafting of the London Confession of Faith (1644) and was the second signatory to the Second London Baptist Confession (1677) in 1689. A nineteenth-century historian called Kiffin an “extraordinary” person in the Particular Baptist tradition. One anonymous writer called him the “ordained Mufti of all heretics and sectaries. Continue reading →
Featley: The Sweet Dipper (Part 1)
In this series I intend to consider what was perhaps the earliest Reformed response to the Particular Baptist movement, a treatise by the Anglican theologian and Westminster Divine, Daniel Featley (1582–1645), which recounts a disputation (think of a debate) between Featley, an . . . Continue reading →
Our Aim Is Love: Dr. A. Craig Troxel—WSC 2024 Annual Conference
Wisdom says, “keep the heart with all vigilance, because from it flow the springs of life.” Paul agrees. To safeguard love as the proper aim of the ministry, we must also consider its source in a “pure heart.” The fountainhead impacts everything . . . Continue reading →
Our Aim Is Love: Dr. Bradley J. Bitner—WSC 2024 Annual Conference
Paul argues in 1 Timothy 1:5-7 that being mindful of the goal in Christian ministry and discipleship keeps us from swerving and wandering. That goal is love–not a love of power or position or platforming, not a love of winning the argument, . . . Continue reading →
Review: The Case for Christian Nationalism By Stephen Wolfe
The rise of Donald Trump, the renewed call for a “Christian America,” the novel promotion of Christian nationalism—these three things are recent realities in the American political and religious scenes. Indeed, they are related realities. Furthermore, these three realities are not helping . . . Continue reading →
Video: Trueman On Why Protestants Need Classical Christian Theology
©R. Scott Clark. All Rights Reserved. RESOURCES Subscribe To The Heidelblog! The Heidelblog Resource Page Heidelmedia Resources The Ecumenical Creeds The Reformed Confessions The Heidelberg Catechism Recovering the Reformed Confession (Phillipsburg: P&R Publishing, 2008) Why I Am A Christian What Must A . . . Continue reading →
Heidelminicast Q&A: What Distinguishes Dispensationalists From Reformed Christians?
Dr Clark answers a question asking about some of the differences between Dispensational and Reformed Christians. Continue reading →
Heidelminicast Q&A: Is The “Wider Hope” Of Salvation Through Natural Revelation Orthodox?
Dr Clark answers a question about the possibility of a “wider hope” of salvation through natural knowledge. Continue reading →
Heidelminicast Q&A: What About The Reformed Church In America?
Dr Clark answers a question on how Reformed Christians should think about the Reformed Church in America. Continue reading →
Heidelminicast: The St Nicholas Of History
Dr Clark tells the true story of St Nicholas. Continue reading →
Review: The Trial of the 16th Century: Calvin and Servetus By Jonathan Moorhead
Jonathan Moorhead (PhD, Dallas Theological Seminary) has taught at The Master’s Academy International in Russia and the Czech Republic. He specializes in church history, theology, and apologetics. Drawing from his expertise, his recent monograph on the trial of Michael Servetus and Calvin’s . . . Continue reading →
Dr. Clark on the Active Obedience of Christ: WSC Annual Conference
R. Scott Clark on The Foolishness of the Gospel at the Westminster Seminary California Annual Conference. Note: This audio was originally recorded in 2004. RESOURCES Subscribe To The Heidelblog! The Heidelblog Resource Page Heidelmedia Resources The Ecumenical Creeds The Reformed Confessions The . . . Continue reading →