AlexanderHenderson1647
Puritan Board Freshman
Hello PBers, I found a great free book offer a while back and wanted to encourage you to check it out. I found it in World Magazine. I was thumbing through and saw an advert "Free Book- Federal Vision: Heresy at the Root" published by the PRC. I wrote for my copy- see the message I sent below. It came in a short while. There were also two very well done little pamphlets enclosed with the hardcover book on the subject of the 5 points of Calvinism and Children in the Covenant. I've finished all of it and found it remarkably edifying and educational. I've loved it.
This hits right at the heart of the subject of the Federal Vision, Norman Shepherd and perversions of the doctrines of grace and the covenant of grace. Mind you, it is certainly not a piece that would make for an "introduction to the Reformed Faith." But, it is a remarkable treatment of the subject and very disturbing. Where I find it the most helpful is in the fact that none have taken aim at this in the Reformed community in a thoroughgoing, layman accessible manner- the nature of the covenant itself in contrast with the FV heresy with a look at the history and development of the creeping perversions. Justification and sacramentology have been well worn, but I can think of none besides Englesma who gets to the heart of the matter.
It evenhandly uncovers the many who held/hold such unBiblical perspectives and shows how they are/were in high seats of power in our shared Reformed circles. It is a sound vindication of the 3 Forms of Unity and the Westminster Standards and roundly identifies the Reformed doctrine of the Covenant of Grace and defends the same. My suggestion is that you read or reread the Westminster Confession/Catechisms, the Canons of Dort, the Heidelberg Catechism and the Belgic Confession in preparation as he deals at length with those documents, besides the Scriptures.
My qualifications are few. It gets a bit repetitive at points as the second portion of the book delves deeper into points already well made in the first section. In some places, he spends ample space talking of applications to PRC as it relates to the matter which takes from the more general appeal/common ground. But, even that is somewhat helpful for we nonPRC in putting us in the know about the "state of affairs" with a sister denomination. He polemicizes Postmillenialism briefly which is an unnecessary distraction, misguided, and wrong in its characterizations of we who do hold this perspective of eschatology. He chafes a little overmuch at the use of term "covenant of works" as used in the Westminster Standards, though he takes no issue with the original intention of the Confessors' meaning. I didn't walk away from this portion with any disagreement on the whole, though. None of the above were deal breakers. And besides these brief caveats, I have few reservations in wholeheartly recommending this read.
All you need to do is write an email similar to the one I drafted below to the email address in the address line you see in the message:
"From: Christopher Henderson's Email Address
Date: Sun, Jul 22, 2012 at 10:56 AM
Subject: Free book- Federal Vision: Heresy at the Root offer
To: [email protected]
I would like a copy of the book advertised in World magazine, please.
Thank you for doing this, it is a VITAL topic!
Christopher Henderson
My Address Street number
Dayton TN 37321"
This hits right at the heart of the subject of the Federal Vision, Norman Shepherd and perversions of the doctrines of grace and the covenant of grace. Mind you, it is certainly not a piece that would make for an "introduction to the Reformed Faith." But, it is a remarkable treatment of the subject and very disturbing. Where I find it the most helpful is in the fact that none have taken aim at this in the Reformed community in a thoroughgoing, layman accessible manner- the nature of the covenant itself in contrast with the FV heresy with a look at the history and development of the creeping perversions. Justification and sacramentology have been well worn, but I can think of none besides Englesma who gets to the heart of the matter.
It evenhandly uncovers the many who held/hold such unBiblical perspectives and shows how they are/were in high seats of power in our shared Reformed circles. It is a sound vindication of the 3 Forms of Unity and the Westminster Standards and roundly identifies the Reformed doctrine of the Covenant of Grace and defends the same. My suggestion is that you read or reread the Westminster Confession/Catechisms, the Canons of Dort, the Heidelberg Catechism and the Belgic Confession in preparation as he deals at length with those documents, besides the Scriptures.
My qualifications are few. It gets a bit repetitive at points as the second portion of the book delves deeper into points already well made in the first section. In some places, he spends ample space talking of applications to PRC as it relates to the matter which takes from the more general appeal/common ground. But, even that is somewhat helpful for we nonPRC in putting us in the know about the "state of affairs" with a sister denomination. He polemicizes Postmillenialism briefly which is an unnecessary distraction, misguided, and wrong in its characterizations of we who do hold this perspective of eschatology. He chafes a little overmuch at the use of term "covenant of works" as used in the Westminster Standards, though he takes no issue with the original intention of the Confessors' meaning. I didn't walk away from this portion with any disagreement on the whole, though. None of the above were deal breakers. And besides these brief caveats, I have few reservations in wholeheartly recommending this read.
All you need to do is write an email similar to the one I drafted below to the email address in the address line you see in the message:
"From: Christopher Henderson's Email Address
Date: Sun, Jul 22, 2012 at 10:56 AM
Subject: Free book- Federal Vision: Heresy at the Root offer
To: [email protected]
I would like a copy of the book advertised in World magazine, please.
Thank you for doing this, it is a VITAL topic!
Christopher Henderson
My Address Street number
Dayton TN 37321"
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