"For Christians to be linked in association with ministers who do not preach the gospel of Christ is to incur moral guilt. A Union which can continue irrespective of whether its member churches belong to a common faith is not fulfilling any scriptural function, The preservation of a denominational association when it is powerless to discipline heretics cannot be justified on the grounds of the preservation of 'Christian unity.' It is error which breaks the unity of churches, and to remain in a denominational alignment which condones error is to support schism." (cited in The Forgotten Spurgeon, Murray, pp. 164-165).
"Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them." - Romans 16:17, KJV
John Calvin wrote, "If it be asked, then, by what things chiefly the Christian religion has a standing amongst us, and maintains its truth, it will be found that the following two not only occupy the principal place, but comprehend under them all the other parts, and consequently the whole substance of Christianity, viz., a knowledge first, of the right way to worship God; and secondly of the source from which salvation is to be sought. When these are kept out of view, though we may glory in the name of Christians, our profession is empty and vain." - Cited in, Carlos, Eire, War Against the Idols: The Reformation of Worship, p. 198, citing from Calvin's On the Necessity of Reforming the Church FREE at: http://www.swrb.com/newslett/actualnls/NRC_ch00.htm.
The Necessity of Reforming the Church (1543) by John Calvin (Free Online Book) Written in 1543 this short book covers the principal disputes of the first Reformation. Kevin Reed summarizes the main points of this treatise as follows: "Calvin declares the biblical doctrine of justification. The reformer also unfolds the wider scope of the Reformation, as he states the need to restore biblical doctrine and practice regarding the proper means of worship,the correct administration of the sacraments, and the government of the church. Calvin defends the reformers against the charge of schism. He rebukes the spirit of ungodly toleration which masquerades as 'moderation.' The Necessity of Reforming the Church is more than just an historic monument to the Reformation. It is a spiritual manifesto, calling us to repentance in our own era of religious corruption." This book is also free in MP3 audio here.
I was one of those who had profited much from using the plethora of out-of-print Reformation materials offered by Still Waters Revival Books in the 62 CDs (Puritan CDs and Reformation CDs) for a number of years in my ministry -- works that I could only have found in select libraries (usually hundreds of miles away from my residence).
With the CDs, it took a little while to go to the index of each set, locate the documents I needed, and then find the correct CD. Of course, the time was always well spent in finding that particular document that I needed.
However, now that I have the Puritan Hard Drive, I am able to use my time much more efficiently in finding that particular document I need by quickly searching for it and finding it in a matter of seconds. It's like going from "dial up" to "high-speed" Internet!
And for all of those documents that have a font that are in block letters, I am able to simply cut and paste from the Puritan Hard Drive to my own document with ease.
Amazing surprises do come in small packages!
May the Lord continue to use this most profitable tool to promote a Third Reformation that encompasses the whole world (Isaiah 2:2-4)!
How To Overcome Instability In Your Communion With Christ By Charles Spurgeon (Free MP3) Famous Creation Scientists From Newton to Sarfati (Creation Magazine LIVE! Free Video) Putin and the Russian Government Ban Internet Pornography Farewell...[ abbreviated | read entire ]
