Subject: Call from God! |
Bible Note: Dear srts5, You wrote, "I am absolutely positive Francis Roberts wrote that. Just not the Francis Roberts you are thinking of." (sic) Ah... that explains it. You wrote, "I am however puzzled by the statement 'very solidly Scriptural, Puritan'." Doctor Francis Roberts was an English Puritan born in 1609 and died in 1675. I will briefly -- not exhaustively -- explain a bit of the obvious disconnect: No Puritan would presume to assert broadly, without knowing them, that they belong to Christ (Jeremiah 6:14; Matthew 7:20-24), as your Roberts has done. No Puritan would presume to assert that God needed anything from men (Psalm 50:12-14; Isaiah 40:14-18; Acts 17:25), as your Roberts has done. No Puritan would affirm assurance outside of the promises and work of God (Matthew 7:21-24; John 3:8; Luke 6:43-45; Acts 4:12), as your Roberts has done. No Puritan would presume to assert that God could be thwarted by human willingness (Zechariah 4:6; Romans 9:16), as your Roberts has done. No Puritan would presume to speak for God (Jeremiah 23:31-32; Matthew 7:22), as your Roberts has done. Actually, Francis Roberts -- the Puritan -- wrote, "There must be constant caution that all tongues, arts, histories, translations, and comments be duly ranked in their proper place, in a subserviency under, not a regency or predominancy over the Holy Scriptures, which are to control them all. For when Hagar shall once usurp over her mistress, it's high time to cast her out of doors till she submit herself." Although it is kind of you to share with us what your Roberts has written, we are a Study Bible Forum. Our love, interest, focus, and rule is the Word of God itself. It alone has the authority to bind and persuade. Hence, had your Roberts made her assertions backed by the Word of God -- that which God holds above His own Name -- we receive enlightenment, edification, and encouragement. You wrote, "I find the two [Scriptural and Puritan?] to be at odds..." I would be interested in what you can cite from American, Dutch, English, or Scottish Puritans that you find contrary to Scripture (providing references to that, too, of course). To what extent are you familiar with them? You continued, "...unless you wish to return to the law." My wishes, your wishes, our wishes would neither make the long dead Puritans more Scriptural or less Scriptural in their doctrines -- they were what they were by the grace of God. If you like, we can discuss Pro-Nomianism (legalism) and Anti-Nomianism (libertinism) -- in the light of the Word -- in another thread. I can speak somewhat knowledgeably about the Puritan understanding of these things. However, I can speak a bit more knowledgeably about the Historic Baptist understanding, if you are interested. In Him, Doc |