ReformedBooksOnline seeks to align itself directly in the middle of the current of the majority, historically reformed viewpoint. We are Reformed because we believe that the Reformed theology of the Reformation and Puritan eras is the most consistent with Scripture. But why the emphasis on the majority, historic view within Reformed theology?
Scripture teaches that ‘the Church of the living God’, and her purely reformed according to the Word of God, is ‘the pillar and ground of the truth.’ (1 Tim. 3:15), the Church having been entrusted by God with the deposit of revelation and apostolic teaching (1 Cor. 11:2; 2 Thess. 2:15; 2 Thess. 3:6) and given teachers by Christ to faithfully exposit and defend the teaching of the oracles of God for the upbuilding of the saints (Eph. 4:11-14; 1 Cor. 12:28; 2 Tim. 1:13; Titus 1:9; Acts 15:5-6).
Thus, we may expect that where there is consensus in the majority of the Church through the generations, there is additional confirmation that our own interpretation of Scripture is not of our own private interpretation (1 Pet. 1:20-21), but is that of the Holy Spirit, as recognized and confirmed by the slow, careful, independent and united testimony of the brightest, best and most godly saints across the ages that God has illuminated his Church with.
Thus, ‘in the multitude of counselors there is safety,’ (Prov. 11:14) and we are told by the Lord, ‘Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls.’ (Jer. 6:16)
All this is not to say that there is complete uniformity in the testimony of the Church. Reformed history is an ocean; there is no one perfect, untarnished hallway of spotless truth through it. There is a broad diversity and allowance for difference of opinion on almost every matter.
As we would expect from such diversity, some parts are less reformed and others more reformed according to the Word of God. Thus, not all things with the label ‘reformed’ are created equal. We make no apologies for holding the principles of the Scottish Reformation Church and Puritan era to be, as it was considered in the day of the Westminster Assembly, an ‘example of the best reformed Churches’. Yet, that which is the most clear, that which we unite on, that which is most assuredly Biblical, and that which defines reformed theology, is her historic confessions, especially the Westminster Confession of Faith.
Yet, many are Confessional without being historical. History is important: it shows us the blind-spots of our own day. Many of the practices and teachings tat go for Reformed truth in our day are only the product of the last few hundred years of the American, synergistic melting pot. And that is an important secondary purpose of ReformedBooksOnline: to bring the modern Reformed Church back into line with majority, historic reformed views and practices.
Thus you will find us here advocating for the Biblical and majority, historic reformed views of the Establishment Principle (that the civil government is to uphold the 1st Table, as well as the 2nd Table, of God’s Law), that Natural Law is Biblical, that the Antichrist is the Papal line, that the whole Lord’s Day is to be kept pure unto God, Family Worship is to be kept daily, that Images of Christ, the God-man, are wrong, as well as all Religious Images in Worship, that Religious Holy-Days are contrary to the Regulative Principle of Worship, that the Lord’s Supper is to be prepared for, that common bread, wine and a common cup are to be used in it, that there are 4 offices in Church government, including that of the office of Teacher,