Faith and Revelation, Works of Thomas Halyburton, vol 3, published by the James Begg Society, hardback, 455 pages, £12.99.
The previous two volumes in this edition of Halyburton’s Works were warmly welcomed in this magazine. This third volume is of the same high standard, but would prove difficult for many readers. Halyburton (1674-1712) was one of Scotland’s most noted ministers and was a professor of theology in St Andrews for the last two years of his life. He wrote this book to oppose Deism, then a powerful force, among the educated classes of Europe, in favour of an unbelieving attitude to the Scriptures.
Halyburton focuses here on the difference between “natural and revealed religion”. He sets out two main principles of the Deists: they all (1) “reject revealed religion and plainly maintain that all pretences to revelation are vain, cheat and imposture”, (2) “maintain that natural religion is sufficient to answer all the great ends of religion, and the only rule whereby all our religious practices are to be squared”. He then proceeds, at considerable length, to argue against the Deists’ ideas. He shows the insufficiency of natural religion because it cannot make God known to us or show us how to worship Him; it cannot show us where our happiness lies or point us to “a sufficient rule of duty”; and it cannot show us how to obtain pardon of sin.
1Both books reviewed here are available from the Free Presbyterian Bookroom.
He also emphasises the insufficiency of natural religion to subdue sin’s power.
One might be inclined to question the value of reprinting a volume which deals with a heresy which no longer exists as such. But, although probably no one today would call himself a Deist, we must bear in mind that the same principles underlie much of modern religion. B B Warfield, pointed out in 1895 that the doctrine of Albert Ritschl, a German modernist theologian, implied that God is far away and silent, working always and only through natural causes. He asked, “When will the Church at large awaken to the fact that the problem which ‘the new religious thinking’ is putting before her is simply the old eighteenth-century problem in a fresh form?” He went on: “Is Christianity a natural religion, the crown and capstone it may be of natural religion, but only natural religion for all that? Or is Christianity a supernatural religion – supernatural in origin, in sanctions, in power and in issue?” Halyburton’s work on Deism is thus still valuable today; the arguments against such heresies are always fundamentally the same.
The Case for Traditional Protestantism: The Solas of the Reformation, by Terry L Johnson, published by Banner of Truth Trust, paperback, 182 pages, £6.25. This book is an exposition of five Biblical truths rediscovered at the Reformation, which became the motivating and energising principles of the Reformers – the unique place of Scripture, of Christ, of faith, of grace and of the glory of God as the great aim in life. The first chapter introduces these truths generally, very much through an account of how they were made matters of consciousness and conviction to Martin Luther. The next four chapters deal in turn with Scripture, Christ, faith and grace. Two further chapters consider the implications of a concern to do all to the glory of God. An Appendix brings together some of the most significant statements of the Reformed Confessions on the doctrine of justification.
The worthy aim of the author is indicated in his Preface: “We share their vision of a gospel purged and purified according to the Word of God and a church restored to its biblical and apostolic integrity”. The thoroughness and extent of the reformation wrought by the proclamation of these rediscovered truths with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven is seen in that “the reformation in the theology of the church quickly spilled over into the church’s worship and form of government . . . into family life . . . into society, as educational, political, economic and cultural institutions and activities were reformed to the glory of God” (pp 16,17).
Scripture is set forth (in the light of 2 Tim 3:16,17) as inspired by God, infallible, inerrant, authoritative and sufficient, and the roles of tradition, the Church and reason are examined in relation to Scripture. The uniqueness of
Christ is discussed in terms of His being the only Saviour, the only sacrifice for sin and the only Mediator. Faith is discussed particularly in its relation to justification, along the lines indicated by a study of the Epistle to the Romans, justification by faith being what Calvin called “the principal hinge on which religion turns” and what Luther described as “the article by which the Church stands or falls”; it was “this article of faith more than any other which brought the Reformers into conflict with medieval Roman Catholicism” (p 76). The chapter on faith is largely a discussion of the nature, ground, means and elements of justification, and the contrast with Roman doctrine then and now is shown. “We should not view this conflict as a remote history lesson, unrelated to ministry. It is instead the heart of the gospel and the key to mission today” (p 77).
The grace of God is explained (from Eph 2:1-10) in terms of the favour, the provision and the power of God. The election and predestination of God are given their place as essential to preserving “the graciousness of grace” (p 121). The chapters on the glory of God show that “zeal for the glory of God provided the driving energy behind the Protestant programme of reform” (p 124) and led to reformation not only in theology but in worship, church government, family life, culture and society. The point is well made that “family worship in the home became a hallmark of Protestantism for generations and right up to the recent past. Few practices of our forefathers are in more need of reviving today than this” (p 149).
The book sets these truths forth over against Romanism ancient and modern and against much modern Evangelicalism, but it is written in the form, not so much of a polemic against error, as a positive statement of truth. Someone in error on these truths should be able to study the matter without the manner giving needless offence. While some things might be put differently, it can be commended to those who would like an attractively-written and easily-read introduction to, or refresher course in, these important truths.
One blemish is the failure to adhere to the Authorised Version of the Bible in quotations – the source of the translation used is not indicated. Apart from arguments for the Authorised Version drawn from the authenticity of the original text and the faithfulness of the translation, we believe that the proliferation of translations has contributed considerably to ignorance of Scripture, inability to recall the words of Scripture accurately and lack of confidence in the authority of Scripture – and so has undermined Reformation achievements.
Some aspects of the treatment of the reform of worship are also unsatisfactory. It is properly recognised that Luther retained the basic structure and ritual of the Latin service, “less the canon of the mass” (p 125), and that the other Reformers went further than he did in reforming worship because they
acted on the regulative principle, explained here as meaning “that worship must be ‘according to Scripture’ . . . governed by biblical principles and filled with biblical content. All extra-biblical ceremonies and rituals must be eliminated so as not to detract the attention of the worshippers from the God-given elements and signs.” William Cunningham states the principle somewhat more precisely: “It was Christ’s mind and will that nothing should be introduced into the government and worship of the Church unless a positive warrant for it could be found in Scripture” (The Reformers and the Theology of the Reformation, p 32).
Our author says that “the Reformation saw a great outpouring of biblical hymns, whether Lutheran chorales or Calvinistic Psalmody. Our hymn book today continues to reflect this Protestant commitment to rich biblical content in sung praise, that ‘the Word of Christ’ may ‘dwell richly’ in us (Col 3:16)”. In view of the wide variety of hymn books used in Protestant churches and controversies over them, we wonder at the use of the term “our hymn book”. The regulative principle loses much of its significance if it cannot identify the psalms, hymns and spiritual songs which we are to sing with grace in our hearts to the Lord.
(Rev) Hugh M Cartwright