TESTIMONY OF THE REFORMED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN SCOTLAND: HISTORICAL AND DOCTRINAL. "Ye are my witnesses."-ISAIAH xliii. 10. GLASGOW: GEORGE GALLIE, 99 BUCHANAN STREET. EDINBURGH: JOHN MACLAREN, 138 PRINCES STREET. MDCCCLXVI. 1866 Resolution of the General Committee of the Synod of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Scotland anent republication of the Testimony. "The Committee having again taken the matter into consideration, unanimously agree to republish the Testimony without delay." (Signed,) WILLIAM ANDERSON, Convener. GLASGOW, 15th Aug., 1865. N.B.-The present edition of the Testimony is simply a reprint of the edition formerly in use in the Church. this in mind; as also that the HISTORICAL in 1839, and the DOCTRINAL in 1837. Readers are requested to bear PART I.-HISTORICAL. A BRIEF SKETCH OF THE CONTENDINGS OF THE WITNESSES, FROM THE EARLIEST PERIOD TO THE PRESENT TIME. Act of Synod adopting the Historical Part of the Testimony of the Reformed Presbyterian Church. "The Synod resume consideration of the Overture on the Historical part of the Testimony and emendations. A member of Court engages in prayer. It is moved and unanimously agreed, that this work, previously transmitted to Sessions, and carefully reviewed in Synod, be adopted as the Historical part of the Testimony of the Church. In arriving at this determination, the Court feel themselves bound to express their deep obligations to the Committee, and especially to the Rev. STEWART BATES, the writer, for the diligence and perseverance they have manifested; and above all, to acknowledge with gratitude to the Head of the Church, his great goodness in preserving among them unity of sentiment and affection, in times of prevailing excitement and division. "The Synod re-appoint the former Committee, with the addition of Dr. WILLIAM SYMINGTON, to take charge of the printing and publication of the work." (Signed) JAMES MACGILL, Moderator. Extracted from Minutes of Synod held at Edinburgh, May 13, 1839. Session 15. CONTENTS. THE apostasy and rebellion of men, render it proper there should be public witnesses to plead the cause of God...Different classes of witnesses... The works of creation... The works of providence...The Holy Scriptures...A certain number of the saints... Distinction between saints and witnesses... FROM THE CREATION TO THE INCARNATION OF CHRIST. CHAP. I.-Contendings of the Witnesses before the Deluge. 1656 Years. Abel...Enoch...Noah...Doctrines embraced in their testimony, CHAP. II. From the Deluge to the Giving of the Law at Mount Sinai. Tendencies of fallen humanity illustrated by two experiments...Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, witnesses...Nature of their testimony...Importance of this era... The church receives a more exact organization... Is constituted more openly a covenant Society... Witnesses not of the family of Abraham...Melchizedeck ...Lot...Job and his friends...Jethro... Separation of the seed of Abraham from the other tribes of men...Sojourning of the Israelites in Egypt...Joseph, Transactions at Mount Sinai...Tribes of Jacob enter into covenant with God... 277303 |