# The light of nature in the WCF



## Pergamum (Dec 21, 2010)

I would love to know more about how the Framer's understood the light of nature as the phrase was used in the WCF?


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## Semper Fidelis (Dec 22, 2010)

Interestingly enough, it was another episode that caused us to focus on that very question about 3 years ago...

http://www.puritanboard.com/f30/light-nature-21038/


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## Semper Fidelis (Dec 22, 2010)

Here is something that puts "light of nature" within a context of Reformed thought at the time of the WCF:


> Records of the Westminster Assembly manifest no great debate over the subject of the first chapter of the proposed confession. Several of the most important predecessors of the confession—both Helvetic confessions, the Genevan Harmony, and the Irish Articles—as well as many of the major systems of Reformed theology began with a discussion of the source of theology in the Scriptures. The other option, which became increasingly the model for full-scale systems, was to define “theology” and to speak of the knowledge of God in general before moving on to the Scriptural revelation. Westminster does, in fact, note this latter order by commentary on natural knowledge of God briefly by way of showing its insufficiency and pointing to the necessity of the Scriptures. The inability of humanity to attain right knowledge and true worship of God through the light of nature led God to “reveal himself and to declare his will unto his Church.”
> 
> Muller, R. A. (2003). Post-Reformation reformed dogmatics: The rise and development of reformed orthodoxy; volume 2: The cognitive foundation of theology (2nd ed.) (87–88). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.


The Reformed saw all knowledge as stemming from God revealing Himself to creatures. I've pasted, below, a paper I wrote on the nature of knowledge (or theology) as revelation below. I could not paste the footnotes but it owes to Muller's work as well as excerpts from _The Infallible Word_. The bottom line is that "light of nature" in Reformed usage can be thought of as revelation (knowledge) that comes from creation and providence to man as God reveals Himself in distinction from special revelation. Both are revelation of God but the Reformed are always quick to note that fallen man has no ultimate fruition in the light of nature due to his suppression and rebellion of God as its source. He is ethically in rebellion to the very light he uses as a weapon against the God Who is the font of all reason and knowledge.



> Man’s approach to knowledge and science was always intended to be marked by obedience to the Creator. Man was created as an analogue of God; his thinking, his willing and his doing were to be understood to be analogical to the thinking and willing of God. In this sense, then, all knowledge comes from the Creator: philosophy, science, and theology are not to be thought of as independent spheres of knowledge but as part of a united truth insofar as they are analogically understood the way God reveals them.
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> This Biblical notion of the nature of all truth and knowledge as originating in God the Creator is foreign not only to pagans today but many Christians as well. Many Christian systems treat supernatural knowledge as a sphere independent of natural knowledge. This divergence stems from the history of philosophy where man is the measure and knowledge is attained from the human mind working outwardly. The notion that man must bow the knee in obedience, that “…the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom…” is met with the scorn of unbelief. Because he is fallen in Sin, man is inclined to create systems of theology that see man as the subject of investigation and God as the speculative source of inquiry. The Reformed, however, not only had a distinct Creator/creature view of theology but it is an important feature that needs to be remembered as Christians of all ages are apt to fall into the pattern of human philosophy that does not glorify God. This Reformed distinction of theology is known as the Archetypal/Ectypal distinction.
> 
> ...


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## Pergamum (Dec 22, 2010)

Thanks Rich.... that was exactly what I was looking for.


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