Required reading
Discussions (Vol 2) by Robert L. Dabney (Available from Amazon or free here) - Commence 'The revised book of discipline' (The chapter with the same name as the last) by reading up to the paragraph beginning 'V. The next feature of the Revised Discipline which Dr. Thornwell proceeds to defend...'
My summary
Today we begin yet another discussion of some of the changes for the book of discipline that were proposed by the committee of the general assembly.
Dabney takes issue with the alterations concerning:
(i) the power of ecclesiastical inquest;
(ii) the rule which permits a court to condemn the offender without process when his offence is committed in open court;
(iii) striking from the roll of communicants the names of those who voluntarily avow that they do not consider themselves converted persons;
(iv) the definition of what constitutes an offence in the disciplinable sense.
What grabbed me
Much similar material to the last chapter.
But I continue to enjoy Dabney's defense of the Scriptures as the only rule for discipline: ' But this leads us to answer, third, that to use fair inferences from God's word in judging men is proper, but Dr. Thornwell, in making our standards the statute book, presents them as such because they are themselves inferences from the Bible. Are we to be judged, then, by inferences from inferences ? The new article says that the Confession and Catechisms are accepted by us " as standard expositions of the teachings of Scripture, both as to faith and practice." Now, are our judges to go to expounding the expositions ? We had thought the nature of an exposition was, that it expresses and applies the meaning of the document to the case in hand, in such a way as to preclude the need of further explanation. Dr. Hodge told us that the beauty of the new plan would be, we should be done with uncertainties and inferences as to our church rights, and every man would know, from the express words of the constitution, how he stood. But now, it seems, we are to be tried in very many cases, not by fair inferences direct from God's word, but by a human exposition of a human exposition of God's word ! We fear that after this double distillation, very little of the divine, infallible justice will remain in the residum in some cases. We echo the sentiment of the writer whom Dr. Thornwell criticises : " May God forbid that any thing shall ever be the statute book of Presbyterian Church courts, as to Christian morals, except the Holy Bible." '
The Bible is our only rule of faith.
Next week's reading
Conclude 'The revised book of discipline' (The chapter with the same name as the last).
Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.
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