| The CROWN of CHRIST - Understanding the Times in the Light of Scripture |
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| The R. P. C. N. A. is not a COVENANTER CHURCH |
Much could be said about the Reformed Presbyterian Church of
North America. She is plagued by nepotism, feminism and
wordliness. Dispensationalism, evolutionism and other errors
are tolerated in her congregations and courts. At an
International conference in the 1990s, old camp-fire choruses
were touted as awesome new Psalm selections. One
congregation has used uninspired song and musical instruments
- justified by doing this "praise time" before the minister says
the invocation and the regulative principle becomes operative!
But one defection stands out above all others. The R.P.C.N.A.
promotes herself as the "Covenanter" Chruch, both on the signs
in front of her meeting-places and in her publications. This is
far from the truth of the matter.
North America. She is plagued by nepotism, feminism and
wordliness. Dispensationalism, evolutionism and other errors
are tolerated in her congregations and courts. At an
International conference in the 1990s, old camp-fire choruses
were touted as awesome new Psalm selections. One
congregation has used uninspired song and musical instruments
- justified by doing this "praise time" before the minister says
the invocation and the regulative principle becomes operative!
But one defection stands out above all others. The R.P.C.N.A.
promotes herself as the "Covenanter" Chruch, both on the signs
in front of her meeting-places and in her publications. This is
far from the truth of the matter.
According to Johannes G. Vos, whose book The Scottish Covenanters is sold by the
R.P.C.N.A., "The perpetual obligation of the covenants [is] the formal principle of the
covenanting movement." In other words, a Covenanter is someone who believes that
the Scottish Covenants are forever binding on the Nations and Church that swore
them. Those who do not allow that the National Covenant and the Solemn League
continue to obligate Great Britain, her rebel children and the Presbyterian churches,
are simply not Covenanters.
Now, how does the R.P.C.N.A. measure up? In 1871 they swore an "American
Covenant" that America NEVER swore, and pretended that this bond was "in advance
of" the Scottish Covenants. In short, since 1871 the R.P.C.N.A. has explicitly denied
the Covenants. At that time, one minister said, "Let us bury the body of Moses in
Moab, lest it be worshipped....Much of the old Covenants is incomprehensible." He
obviously meant to say that the Scottish Covenants were dead, meaningless and
superseded like Old Testament ceremonies. Further, he judges those who contend for
their binding obligation to be idolaters. Who will insult us by identifying the
R.P.C.N.A. as the Covenanter Church?
By the time I joined the R.P.C.N.A. in the early 1990s, the apostasy of 1871 had born
its fruit. "Covenanters" were voting for Republicans (& Democrats?) since they could
now vote for "Christian" candidates! The elders of the Broomall congregation told me
that the 1871 covenant was historically important, but not binding on the church. So
now, the "American covenant" - which never was subscribed by the U.S. Government
or the people of this nation generally - is not even binding on the American church!
In 1871, the excuse was made that it was not the Covenants, but the Confession of
Faith that should bind us to the Second Reformation. The Westminster Assembly,
however, made no such distinction. Nor did the Parliament of England or the General
Assembly of the Church of Scotland. The Westminster Documents are a cloth we ought
not tear.
The R.P.C.N.A. now leaves none of the Covenanter creed unmolested. The so-called
RP Testimony uses the words "we reject this portion" in reference to the WCF. The
RPs violate the Directory for Publick Worship with their "holidays" and continuous
singing. They ignore the Form of Government and reduce the three biblical offices
(minister, lay governor & deacon) into two. They cast the Covenants aside. As one
candid RP minister has admitted, "I'm sorry you were misled - this is in no way a
covenanter church". Their own words are sufficient to condemn them.
R.P.C.N.A., "The perpetual obligation of the covenants [is] the formal principle of the
covenanting movement." In other words, a Covenanter is someone who believes that
the Scottish Covenants are forever binding on the Nations and Church that swore
them. Those who do not allow that the National Covenant and the Solemn League
continue to obligate Great Britain, her rebel children and the Presbyterian churches,
are simply not Covenanters.
Now, how does the R.P.C.N.A. measure up? In 1871 they swore an "American
Covenant" that America NEVER swore, and pretended that this bond was "in advance
of" the Scottish Covenants. In short, since 1871 the R.P.C.N.A. has explicitly denied
the Covenants. At that time, one minister said, "Let us bury the body of Moses in
Moab, lest it be worshipped....Much of the old Covenants is incomprehensible." He
obviously meant to say that the Scottish Covenants were dead, meaningless and
superseded like Old Testament ceremonies. Further, he judges those who contend for
their binding obligation to be idolaters. Who will insult us by identifying the
R.P.C.N.A. as the Covenanter Church?
By the time I joined the R.P.C.N.A. in the early 1990s, the apostasy of 1871 had born
its fruit. "Covenanters" were voting for Republicans (& Democrats?) since they could
now vote for "Christian" candidates! The elders of the Broomall congregation told me
that the 1871 covenant was historically important, but not binding on the church. So
now, the "American covenant" - which never was subscribed by the U.S. Government
or the people of this nation generally - is not even binding on the American church!
In 1871, the excuse was made that it was not the Covenants, but the Confession of
Faith that should bind us to the Second Reformation. The Westminster Assembly,
however, made no such distinction. Nor did the Parliament of England or the General
Assembly of the Church of Scotland. The Westminster Documents are a cloth we ought
not tear.
The R.P.C.N.A. now leaves none of the Covenanter creed unmolested. The so-called
RP Testimony uses the words "we reject this portion" in reference to the WCF. The
RPs violate the Directory for Publick Worship with their "holidays" and continuous
singing. They ignore the Form of Government and reduce the three biblical offices
(minister, lay governor & deacon) into two. They cast the Covenants aside. As one
candid RP minister has admitted, "I'm sorry you were misled - this is in no way a
covenanter church". Their own words are sufficient to condemn them.