Is Moderate Cessationism confessional?
- Thread starter panta dokimazete
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panta dokimazete
Puritan Board Post-Graduate
As do I and am interested to hear from the brethren. 
And greetings to you!
-----Added 1/9/2009 at 12:40:45 EST-----
Note to Mods - anyway to retroactively add a public poll?
1. Yes
2. No
3. Other (please elaborate)
And greetings to you!
-----Added 1/9/2009 at 12:40:45 EST-----
Note to Mods - anyway to retroactively add a public poll?
1. Yes
2. No
3. Other (please elaborate)
Zeno333
Puritan Board Freshman
...I always felt uncomfortable when I attended the meetings in College that some friends went to, where they had the "word of knowledge" sayings, and the speaking in tongues etc etc. There was a "community" at that College that was actually called "the Community". They were very much into the Word of Knowledge things etc. They even lived together in this apartment building complex, unmarried male and female in the same apartment...(I guess it was to show they could over-come temptation etc, not sure). Well I visited that College 10 years later, and found out "The Community" had broken up....seems that one male member had this so called "word from God", that he should have this sexual affair with one of the female members....they did, scandal amassed and it broke up from it.
panta dokimazete
Puritan Board Post-Graduate
The Spirit does not contradict the Word. Ever. 1Thess 5:21
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From the article:
-----Added 1/9/2009 at 01:37:20 EST-----
From the article:
I am more in alignment with Grudem on this:
Glenn Ferrell
Puritan Board Junior
Less than four years ago I came into the Orthodox Presbyterian Church after serving as a home missionary in the Evangelical Presbyterian Church for sixteen years. One of the reasons for the EPC is that a number of their congregations were influenced by the Charismatic movement in the 70's and they would not have been a ready fit for the PCA or OPC. As far as I know, I’m the first an only EPC minister to transfer to the OPC. The latter is a better theological fit for me.
I knew I would be asked regarding my take on the cessation of charismatic gifts. Prior to my committee and floor exams by my present OP presbytery, I prepared the following statement on the continuing work of the Holy Spirit, which I read when asked regarding this subject. I offer it here for consideration and critique. I wonder if my view might be defined as "moderate" cessation? The last paragraph qualifies my cessationist views.
There are no miraculous or extraordinary spiritual gifts validating God’s Revelation today, nor is any new Revelation given. The Canon is closed, God’s Special Revelation complete. Thus defined, God’s extraordinary activity has ceased.
Our persuasion and assurance of the infallibility of the truth of Scripture and its divine authority is from an inward work of the Holy Spirit, bearing witness by and with the Word in our hearts (WCF I:5). Although the Scriptures only mean what God originally intended to say, the inward illumination of the Spirit is necessary for a saving understanding of the Word (WCF I:6).
The Spirit of God convinces us of our sin and misery, enlightening our minds in the knowledge of Christ, and renews our wills, persuading and enabling us to embrace Jesus Christ, freely offered to us in the gospel (WSC 31); confirms our assurance, dwells in us to destroy the dominion of sin and strengthen us in all saving graces to the practice of holiness (WCF XIII:1), gives or takes away our liberty to pray for particular intentions, calls and confirms men to ordained ministry, guides ministers and church judicatories in their ministry and decisions, congregations in their calling of ministers, ministers in accepting calls, and individuals in life decisions. This leading of God should always be subjected to the measure of God’s Word and the confirmation of the Church.
The Church’s neglect of the whole counsel of Scripture leads to renewal movements often tainted with abuses, exaggerations of God's Word, unbiblical presumptions of authority, and heresy. Faithful preaching of God's Word, guidance of our Reformed Confessions and Biblical church government and discipline would make such movements unnecessary.
God in His mercy sends revival and hunger into the hearts of His people, causing many to desire Him and not be satisfied with a nominal faith. Sometimes such Christians have unexpected encounters with God’s grace. For some, this is the experience of regeneration; for others, the assurance of grace and salvation. All regenerated believers have the Holy Spirit and are baptized by one Spirit into one body in Christ. As the Confession states, one may be genuinely regenerated without experiencing assurance (WCF XVIII:3). It is God's desire that we know we have eternal life (1 Jn. 5:13), and experience joy inexpressible and full of glory (1 Pt. 1:8). Any of these experiences, may be what some identify as “baptism with the Holy Spirit.” The Confessions give better and Biblical language to describe these spiritual events.
One should not base his relationship with God on the anticipation of extraordinary experiences of His grace. The Spirit of God enables us to have an assurance of grace and salvation without extraordinary extra-biblical revelation, by the use of ordinary means (WCF XVIII:3): reading and meditating on scripture, prayer, singing with grace in the heart, hearing the Word preached, receiving the Sacraments and subjection to biblical authority.
“God in his ordinary providence makes use of means, yet is free to work without, above and against them, at His pleasure.” (WCF V:3) Although there are no extraordinary works of God to confirm additions to His Word, a Sovereign God may use special providential means to guide, deliver or protect His people, especially in times of persecution, hardship, or advancement of the Kingdom, never as a contradiction, an addition to, or with the infallible certainty of canonical Revelation, but “as gracious intimations of the will of God, granted to them in answer to prayer, for their own encouragement or direction” (McCrie, Story of the Scottish Church). Scripture does not forbid one to pray for God’s special providential intervention to deliver beyond His ordinary workings through man and nature. The Spirit may give or withhold liberty and faith for such prayers or restrain such.
I knew I would be asked regarding my take on the cessation of charismatic gifts. Prior to my committee and floor exams by my present OP presbytery, I prepared the following statement on the continuing work of the Holy Spirit, which I read when asked regarding this subject. I offer it here for consideration and critique. I wonder if my view might be defined as "moderate" cessation? The last paragraph qualifies my cessationist views.
A Brief Statement on the Continuing Work of the Holy Spirit
by J. Glenn Ferrell
by J. Glenn Ferrell
There are no miraculous or extraordinary spiritual gifts validating God’s Revelation today, nor is any new Revelation given. The Canon is closed, God’s Special Revelation complete. Thus defined, God’s extraordinary activity has ceased.
Our persuasion and assurance of the infallibility of the truth of Scripture and its divine authority is from an inward work of the Holy Spirit, bearing witness by and with the Word in our hearts (WCF I:5). Although the Scriptures only mean what God originally intended to say, the inward illumination of the Spirit is necessary for a saving understanding of the Word (WCF I:6).
The Spirit of God convinces us of our sin and misery, enlightening our minds in the knowledge of Christ, and renews our wills, persuading and enabling us to embrace Jesus Christ, freely offered to us in the gospel (WSC 31); confirms our assurance, dwells in us to destroy the dominion of sin and strengthen us in all saving graces to the practice of holiness (WCF XIII:1), gives or takes away our liberty to pray for particular intentions, calls and confirms men to ordained ministry, guides ministers and church judicatories in their ministry and decisions, congregations in their calling of ministers, ministers in accepting calls, and individuals in life decisions. This leading of God should always be subjected to the measure of God’s Word and the confirmation of the Church.
The Church’s neglect of the whole counsel of Scripture leads to renewal movements often tainted with abuses, exaggerations of God's Word, unbiblical presumptions of authority, and heresy. Faithful preaching of God's Word, guidance of our Reformed Confessions and Biblical church government and discipline would make such movements unnecessary.
God in His mercy sends revival and hunger into the hearts of His people, causing many to desire Him and not be satisfied with a nominal faith. Sometimes such Christians have unexpected encounters with God’s grace. For some, this is the experience of regeneration; for others, the assurance of grace and salvation. All regenerated believers have the Holy Spirit and are baptized by one Spirit into one body in Christ. As the Confession states, one may be genuinely regenerated without experiencing assurance (WCF XVIII:3). It is God's desire that we know we have eternal life (1 Jn. 5:13), and experience joy inexpressible and full of glory (1 Pt. 1:8). Any of these experiences, may be what some identify as “baptism with the Holy Spirit.” The Confessions give better and Biblical language to describe these spiritual events.
One should not base his relationship with God on the anticipation of extraordinary experiences of His grace. The Spirit of God enables us to have an assurance of grace and salvation without extraordinary extra-biblical revelation, by the use of ordinary means (WCF XVIII:3): reading and meditating on scripture, prayer, singing with grace in the heart, hearing the Word preached, receiving the Sacraments and subjection to biblical authority.
“God in his ordinary providence makes use of means, yet is free to work without, above and against them, at His pleasure.” (WCF V:3) Although there are no extraordinary works of God to confirm additions to His Word, a Sovereign God may use special providential means to guide, deliver or protect His people, especially in times of persecution, hardship, or advancement of the Kingdom, never as a contradiction, an addition to, or with the infallible certainty of canonical Revelation, but “as gracious intimations of the will of God, granted to them in answer to prayer, for their own encouragement or direction” (McCrie, Story of the Scottish Church). Scripture does not forbid one to pray for God’s special providential intervention to deliver beyond His ordinary workings through man and nature. The Spirit may give or withhold liberty and faith for such prayers or restrain such.
greenbaggins
Puritan Board Doctor
Can we stop pushing the boundary on this? Non-cessationalism in any form is unconfessional. There is no room for it anywhere in any of the Reformed Confessions.
Modern Spiritual Gifts as Analogous to Apostolic Gifts
Modern Spiritual Gifts as Analogous to Apostolic Gifts:
Affirming Extraordinary Works of the Spirit within Cessationist Theology
Vern Sheridan Poythress
[Published in The Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 39/1 (1996): 71-101. Used with permission.]
I just excerpted a small part of this long article which is by a WTS Prof. I think both sides of the debate would enjoy reading it. It is almost all biblical theology except for this list of real life stories I am posting here. I call myself a continuist and Vern calls himself a cessationist, but when you hammer out what our walk with God can be like we end up in pretty much the same place, as did many who have gone before us. John Paton comes to my mind as well ( devout Presbyterian missionary, mid 1800's). The sufficiency of scripture is never questioned, but neither is God's pleasure or His sovereignty in what means he uses.
****************
First, the words of Samuel Rutherford are of special interest, because he was one of the people involved in drawing up the Westminster Standards.
Samuel Rutherford says:
There is a 3 revelation [a third kind of revelation, in addition to canonical revelation and to the internal testimony of the Spirit giving assurance] of some particular men, who have forefold [sic; foretold] things to come even since the ceasing of the Canon of the word, as Iohn Husse, Wickeliefe, Luther, have foretold things to come, and they certainely fell out, and in our nation of Scotland, M. George Wishart foretold that Cardinall Beaton should not come out alive at the Gates of the Castle of St. Andrewes, but that he should dye a shamefull death, and he was hanged over the window that he did look out at, when he saw the man of God burnt, M. Knox prophecied of the hanging of the Lord of Grange, M. Ioh, Davidson uttered prophecies, knowne to many of the kingdome, diverse Holy and mortified preachers in England have done the like: no Familists, or Antinomians, no David George, nor H. Nicholas, no man ever of that Gang, Randel or Wheelwright, or Den, or any other, that ever I heard of, being once ingaged in the Familisticall way, ever did utter any but the fourth sort [satanic prophecies] of lying and false inspirations: Mrs Hutchison, said she should be delivered from the Court of Boston miraculously as Daniel from the Lyons, which proved false, Becold prophecied of the deliverance of the Towne of Munster which was delivered to their enemies, and he and his Prophet were tortured and hanged, David George prophecied of the raising [p. 43] of himselfe from the dead, which was never fulfilled, now the differences between the third and fourth [satanic] revelations, I place in these. 1 These worthy reformers did tye no man to beleeve their prophecies as scriptures, we are to give faith, to the predictions of Prophets and Apostles, foretelling facts to come, as to the very word of God, they never gave themselves out as organs immediately inspired by the Holy Ghost, as the Prophets doe, and as Paul did Rom. 11. prophecying of the calling of the Jewes, and Ioh. Revel. 1.10. and through the whole booke; yea they never denounced Iudgement against those that beleeve not their predictions, of these particular events and facts as they are such particular events & facts, as the Prophets and Apostles did. But Mrs. Hutchison said Rise, Reigne, pag. 61 art. 27. That her particular revelations about future events, Were as infallible as any scripture, and that shee is bound as much to beleeve them as the Scripture, for the same Holy Ghost is author of both, ….
[p. 44] 2 The events revealed to Godly and sound witnesses of Christ are not contrary to the word: But Becold, Iohn Mathie, and Ioh. Schykerus (who kild his brother for no fault) and other Enthysiasts of that murthering Spirit Sathan who killed innocent men, expresly against the fixt command. Thou shalt not Kill, and taught the Boures of Germany to rise and kill all lawfull Magistrates, because they were no Magistrates; upon the pretence of the Impulsions and Inspirations of the Holy Ghost, were acted by inspirations against the word of God; All that the Godly reformers foretold of the tragicall ends of the proclaimed enemies of the Gospell, they were not actors themselves in murthering these enemies of God, nor would M Wishart command or approve that Norman and Ioh. Leslyes should kill the Cardinall Beaton, as they did.
2 [sic; should be 3] They had a generall rule going along that Evill shall hunt the wicked man: onely a secret harmelesse, but an extraordinary strong impulsion, of a Scripture-spirit leading them, carried them to apply a generall rule of divine justice, in their predictions, to particular Godlesse men, they themselves onely being foretellers not copartners of the act.24
1. In the life of John Flavel appears the following account:
The night before he [Flavel] embarked … , he had the following premonition by a dream; he thought he was on board the ship, and that a storm arose which exceedingly terrified the passengers, during their consternation there sat writing at the table a person of admirable sagacity and gravity, who had a child in a cradle by him that was very froward; he thought he saw the father take up a little whip, and give the child a lash, saying, Child, be quiet, I will discipline, but not hurt thee. Upon this Mr. Flavel awaked, and musing on his dream, he concluded, that he should meet with some trouble in his passage: his friends being at dinner with him, assured him of a pleasant passage, because the wind and weather were very fair; Mr. Flavel replied, That he was not of their mind, but expected much trouble because of his dream, adding, that when he had such representations made to him in his sleep, they seldom or never failed.
Accordingly, when they were advanced within five leagues of Portland in their voyage, they were overtaken by a dreadful tempest, ….25
John Howie cites a number of instances from the Covenanters in Scotland, John Welch and Robert Bruce:
After writing several times to him, to suppress the profanation of the Lord’s day at his house, which he slighted, not loving to be called a puritan, Welch came one day to his gate, and, calling him out, told him that he had a message from God to show him; because he had slighted the advice given him from the Lord, and would not restrain the profanation of the Lord’s day committed in his bounds, therefore the Lord would cast him out of his house, and none of his posterity should enjoy it. This accordingly came to pass; for although he was in a good external situation at this time, yet henceforth all things went against him, until he was obliged to sell his estate; and when giving the purchaser possession thereof, he told his wife and children that he had found Welch a true prophet.26
[Welch] told her [his wife] that he had been wrestling with the Lord for Scotland, and found there was a sad time at hand, but that the Lord would be gracious to a remnant. This was about the time when bishops first overspread the land, and corrupted the Church.27
One day two travelling merchants, each with a pack of cloth upon a horse, came to the town desiring entrance, that they might sell their goods, producing a pass from the magistrates of the town from whence they came, which was at that time sound and free [from plague]. Notwithstanding all this, the sentinels stopped them till the magistrates were called, and when they came they would do nothing without their minister’s advice; so John Welch was called, and his opinion asked. He demurred, and putting off his hat, with his eyes towards heaven for a pretty space, though he uttered no audible words, yet he continued in a praying posture, and after a little space told the magistrates that they would do well to discharge these travellers their town, affirming, with great asseveration, that the plague was in these packs. So the magistrates commanded them to be gone, and they went to Cumnock, a town about twenty miles distant, and there sold their goods, which kindled such an infection in that place, that the living were hardly able to bury their dead. This made the people begin to think of Mr Welch as an oracle.28
He [Welch] told them [two citizens of Edinburgh] that they had in their town two great ministers, who were no great friends to Christ’s cause presently in controversy, but, it should be seen, the world should never hear of their repentance. The two men were Mr Patrick Galloway and Mr John Hall, and, accordingly, it came to pass; for Patrick Galloway died suddenly, and John Hall, being at that time in Leith, and his servant woman having left him alone in his house while she went to market, he was found dead at her return.29
One night sitting at supper with Lord Ochiltree, he [Welch] entertained the company with godly and edifying discourse, as his manner was, which was well received by them all, except a debauched Popish young gentleman, who sometimes laughed, and sometimes mocked and made wry faces. Thereupon Mr Welch brake out into a sad abrupt charge upon all the company to be silent, and observe the work of the Lord upon that mocker, which they should presently behold; upon which the profane wretch sunk down and died beneath the table, to the great astonishment of all the company.30
The first time that Welch saw his [Lord Ochiltree’s] face after his return from Court, he asked him what he had done with his petition. His Lordship said that he had presented it to the King, but that the King was in so great a rage against the ministers at that time, he believed it had been forgotten, for he had got no answer. “Nay,” said Welch to him, “my Lord, you should not lie to God, and to me; for I know you never delivered it, though I warned you to take heed not to undertake it except you would perform it; but because you have dealt so unfaithfully, remember God shall take from you both estate and honours, and give them to your neighbour in your own time.” This accordingly came to pass, for both his estate and honours were in his own time translated to James Stuart, son of Captain James, who was indeed a cadet, but not the lineal heir of the family.31
[Welch told his wife to go a different way to his house near Ayr, for] “before you come thither, you shall find the plague broken out in Ayr,” which accordingly came to pass.32
Mr Bruce, preaching upon the 51st Psalm, said, “The removal of your ministers is at hand; our lives shall be bitterly sought after; but ye shall see with your eyes, that God shall guard us, and be our buckler and defence.” The day following, this was in part accomplished; …33
Catherine Marshall writes this account concerning her husband Peter Marshall:
Walking back from a nearby village to Bamburgh one dark, starless night, Peter struck out across the moors, thinking he would take a short cut. He knew that there was a deep deserted limestone quarry close by the Glororum Road, but he thought he could avoid that danger spot. The night was inky black, eerie. There was only the sound of the wind through the heather-stained moorland, the noisy clamor of wild muir fowl as his footsteps disturbed them, the occasional far-off bleating of a sheep.
Suddenly he heard someone call, “Peter! …” There was great urgency in the voice.
He stopped. “Yes, who is it?” What do you want?”
For a second he listened, but there was no response, only the sound of the wind. The moor seemed completely deserted.
Thinking he must have been mistaken, he walked on a few paces. Then he heard it again, even more urgently:
“Peter! …”
He stopped dead still, trying to peer into that impenetrable darkness, but suddenly stumbled and fell to his knees. Putting out his hand to catch himself, he found nothing there. As he cautiously investigated, feeling around in a semicircle, he found himself to be on the very brink of an abandoned stone quarry. Just one step more would have send him plummeting into space to certain death.34
Cotton Mather includes the following reflections:
But then [in addition to the general faith of believers], there is a Particular Faith, which is not so much the Duty, as the Comfort of them that have it; and which is Granted, but here and there, but now and then, unto those whom a Sovereign GOD shall Please to Favour with it. The Devout Believer cannot cause himself to Believe What and When he will; but under the Energy of some Superiour Cause … there is a Strong Impression made upon his mind, which Dissolves him in a Flood of Tears, and Assures him, Thou shalt have the Petition which thou Desirest of thy GOD. The Impression is born in upon his mind, with as clear a Light, and as full a Force, as if it were from Heaven Angelically, and even Articulately declared unto him; The Lord has given thee, thy Petition which thou hast asked of Him…. But you may have some Illustration of it in what our Martyrology has related concerning that Blessed Martyr, Mr. Holland. “After Sentence was Read against him, he said,—And now I tell you, that GOD hath heard the Prayer of His Servants, which hath been Poured forth with Tears, for His Afflicted Saints, which you daily Persecute. This I dare be bold in GOD to Speak; and I am by His Spirit moved to say it: That GOD will shorten your Hand of Cruelty: For after this Day in this place, there shall be no more put unto the Trial of Fire and ******.” Which accordingly came to pass; He was the last that was Burnt in Smithfield. You may see it a little further Illustrated in the Strange Afflations, which have Enabled and Impelled many Confessors of Christ in the Renoumed [renowned] Church of Scotland, sometimes to break forth into Passages that might be Expected from none but such as have Illapses of the Prophetic Spirit upon them.35
… about the Time, when the Impression [an instance of particular faith in Increase Mather] was in its Liveliest Operation (October 1694) there was among some in his Neighbourhood, a strange Descent of Shining Spirits, that had upon them great marks of their being such Angels as they Declared themselves to be. (What they were, GOD knows!) And from these there was that Message (and, no more!) directed unto him; He is much Exercised in his Mind about his going for England; but he need not and should not be so; For GOD will bring to pass That which will be most for His Glory and Service; And the Angels of GOD will attend him, wheresoever His Providence may dispose of him.36
In the Year, 1676, he had a strange Impressision [sic] on his mind, that caused him, on Nov. 19, to Preach a Sermon on those Words, Zeph. III. 7 … and Conclude the Sermon, with a Strange Praediction, That a Fire was a coming, which would make a Deplorable Desolation…. On the next Lords-Day, he Preached … that when the Lord Jesus is about to bring any heavy Judgment upon His People, He is wont to stir up the Heart of some Servant of His, to give Warning of it; which Warning should be Remembred, that so People may be ready to entertain what must come upon them…. The very Night following, a Desolating Fire broke forth in his Neighbourhood.37
He [Increase Mather] did no less than three Times as the Year, 1678, was coming on, very Publickly Declare, That he was verily Perswaded, a very Mortal Disease would shortly break in upon the place; and the Slain of the Lord would be many. Some of his Friends were troubled at him, for it. But when the Year 1678. was come on, we saw the Mortal Disease. The Small-Pox broke in, …. The famous Dr. Henry More, who is not Ordinarily numbred among Fanaticks, has a Passage that may a little Solve some of these Appearances. “Though the Spirit of Prophecy in some sense be ceased, yet GOD hath not hereby Precluded His own Power, nor yet that of His Ministring Spirits from Visiting and Assisting of His Servants as He Pleaseth. And there are some Pious Persons to whom it must not be Denied, that very Unusual Things of one sort or another, have sometimes happened.”38
On the SIXTH Day of FEBRUARY … “… I [Increase Mather] was very much Moved and Melted before the Lord, so that for some time, I was not able to speak a Word. But then, I could not but say, GOD will deliver New-England! GOD will deliver New-England! … So I rose from my knees, with much Comfort and Assurance, that GOD had heard me. These things, I hope, were from the Spirit of GOD….” … And on the Fourteenth of April following, there arrived Tidings [from England], that on THAT VERY DAY [viz. Feb. 6], there fell out [in England] THAT, which happily diverted and entirely defeated, the coming of Kirk with his Commission for the Government of New-England, …39
Mr. Mather went on with his Preparations for his Voyage; and had his Mind more and more Irradiated with a Strong Perswasion, That GOD would give him to find Things in England, in such a State, as that he should have an Opportunity to do Special Service for His People here. Yea, he went so far in it, as to Write these Marvellous Words upon it;—I know, it will be so; For Thou, O Lord GOD, hast told me, that it will be so!. And the Truth is, If he had not had some such Faith as this, to have Inspired him with an uncommon Courage, a Person of his Prudence would never have Exposed himself, as he did on a Thousand Accounts in his present Undertaking.40
One may also cite the “prophetical” phenomena among the Camisards.41 But the happenings among the Camisards included disorders and false prophecies. The severe persecutions and the paucity of trained leaders left the people without the will or skill to exercise critical discernment. At a later point, beginning in 1715, the problems were addressed:
Antoine Court, in spite of his youth, was the guide and soul of these assemblies [church synods], and the adhesion of the preachers proves that they were at heart free from unbelief and pride, and had erred involuntarily, or from lack of instruction. They only wanted to be better counselled and directed.
… The Scriptures were to be held as the only rule of faith, and special revelations were to be rejected, as anti-Biblical and dangerous, (synod of 1715.)42
The mixed character of the phenomena among the Camisards confirms the cautions that Mather, Rutherford, and others have enjoined. It is compatible with the distinctions that I make between the infallibility of the apostles and the fallibility of later nondiscursive processes.
Modern readers may still entertain doubts whether, in every case, the above reports accurately describe what happened. Have they been “embellished” through a process of transmission? But at the very least the reports indicate what the reporters thought God could do. With few exceptions, the reporters stand in the same Reformed theological tradition in which the events supposedly occurred. Hence the reports reveal something of the flexibility of Reformed thinking concerning extraordinary providential actions of God.
All of these extraordinary phenomena can be subsumed under the description given in the Westminster Confession of Faith, 5.3: “God, in his ordinary providence, maketh use of means, yet is free to work without, above, and against them, at his pleasure.” God’s work, so described, surely encompasses all nondiscursive processes. Many of these nondiscursive processes doubtless “make use of means.” But because of its strong commitment to the sovereignty of God and the mystery of his plan, the Confession acknowledges explicitly that there may also be operations that are not attached to means in any ordinary way. The ultimate determining factor in every case is “his pleasure.”
Modern Spiritual Gifts as Analogous to Apostolic Gifts:
Affirming Extraordinary Works of the Spirit within Cessationist Theology
Vern Sheridan Poythress
[Published in The Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 39/1 (1996): 71-101. Used with permission.]
I just excerpted a small part of this long article which is by a WTS Prof. I think both sides of the debate would enjoy reading it. It is almost all biblical theology except for this list of real life stories I am posting here. I call myself a continuist and Vern calls himself a cessationist, but when you hammer out what our walk with God can be like we end up in pretty much the same place, as did many who have gone before us. John Paton comes to my mind as well ( devout Presbyterian missionary, mid 1800's). The sufficiency of scripture is never questioned, but neither is God's pleasure or His sovereignty in what means he uses.
****************
First, the words of Samuel Rutherford are of special interest, because he was one of the people involved in drawing up the Westminster Standards.
Samuel Rutherford says:
There is a 3 revelation [a third kind of revelation, in addition to canonical revelation and to the internal testimony of the Spirit giving assurance] of some particular men, who have forefold [sic; foretold] things to come even since the ceasing of the Canon of the word, as Iohn Husse, Wickeliefe, Luther, have foretold things to come, and they certainely fell out, and in our nation of Scotland, M. George Wishart foretold that Cardinall Beaton should not come out alive at the Gates of the Castle of St. Andrewes, but that he should dye a shamefull death, and he was hanged over the window that he did look out at, when he saw the man of God burnt, M. Knox prophecied of the hanging of the Lord of Grange, M. Ioh, Davidson uttered prophecies, knowne to many of the kingdome, diverse Holy and mortified preachers in England have done the like: no Familists, or Antinomians, no David George, nor H. Nicholas, no man ever of that Gang, Randel or Wheelwright, or Den, or any other, that ever I heard of, being once ingaged in the Familisticall way, ever did utter any but the fourth sort [satanic prophecies] of lying and false inspirations: Mrs Hutchison, said she should be delivered from the Court of Boston miraculously as Daniel from the Lyons, which proved false, Becold prophecied of the deliverance of the Towne of Munster which was delivered to their enemies, and he and his Prophet were tortured and hanged, David George prophecied of the raising [p. 43] of himselfe from the dead, which was never fulfilled, now the differences between the third and fourth [satanic] revelations, I place in these. 1 These worthy reformers did tye no man to beleeve their prophecies as scriptures, we are to give faith, to the predictions of Prophets and Apostles, foretelling facts to come, as to the very word of God, they never gave themselves out as organs immediately inspired by the Holy Ghost, as the Prophets doe, and as Paul did Rom. 11. prophecying of the calling of the Jewes, and Ioh. Revel. 1.10. and through the whole booke; yea they never denounced Iudgement against those that beleeve not their predictions, of these particular events and facts as they are such particular events & facts, as the Prophets and Apostles did. But Mrs. Hutchison said Rise, Reigne, pag. 61 art. 27. That her particular revelations about future events, Were as infallible as any scripture, and that shee is bound as much to beleeve them as the Scripture, for the same Holy Ghost is author of both, ….
[p. 44] 2 The events revealed to Godly and sound witnesses of Christ are not contrary to the word: But Becold, Iohn Mathie, and Ioh. Schykerus (who kild his brother for no fault) and other Enthysiasts of that murthering Spirit Sathan who killed innocent men, expresly against the fixt command. Thou shalt not Kill, and taught the Boures of Germany to rise and kill all lawfull Magistrates, because they were no Magistrates; upon the pretence of the Impulsions and Inspirations of the Holy Ghost, were acted by inspirations against the word of God; All that the Godly reformers foretold of the tragicall ends of the proclaimed enemies of the Gospell, they were not actors themselves in murthering these enemies of God, nor would M Wishart command or approve that Norman and Ioh. Leslyes should kill the Cardinall Beaton, as they did.
2 [sic; should be 3] They had a generall rule going along that Evill shall hunt the wicked man: onely a secret harmelesse, but an extraordinary strong impulsion, of a Scripture-spirit leading them, carried them to apply a generall rule of divine justice, in their predictions, to particular Godlesse men, they themselves onely being foretellers not copartners of the act.24
1. In the life of John Flavel appears the following account:
The night before he [Flavel] embarked … , he had the following premonition by a dream; he thought he was on board the ship, and that a storm arose which exceedingly terrified the passengers, during their consternation there sat writing at the table a person of admirable sagacity and gravity, who had a child in a cradle by him that was very froward; he thought he saw the father take up a little whip, and give the child a lash, saying, Child, be quiet, I will discipline, but not hurt thee. Upon this Mr. Flavel awaked, and musing on his dream, he concluded, that he should meet with some trouble in his passage: his friends being at dinner with him, assured him of a pleasant passage, because the wind and weather were very fair; Mr. Flavel replied, That he was not of their mind, but expected much trouble because of his dream, adding, that when he had such representations made to him in his sleep, they seldom or never failed.
Accordingly, when they were advanced within five leagues of Portland in their voyage, they were overtaken by a dreadful tempest, ….25
John Howie cites a number of instances from the Covenanters in Scotland, John Welch and Robert Bruce:
After writing several times to him, to suppress the profanation of the Lord’s day at his house, which he slighted, not loving to be called a puritan, Welch came one day to his gate, and, calling him out, told him that he had a message from God to show him; because he had slighted the advice given him from the Lord, and would not restrain the profanation of the Lord’s day committed in his bounds, therefore the Lord would cast him out of his house, and none of his posterity should enjoy it. This accordingly came to pass; for although he was in a good external situation at this time, yet henceforth all things went against him, until he was obliged to sell his estate; and when giving the purchaser possession thereof, he told his wife and children that he had found Welch a true prophet.26
[Welch] told her [his wife] that he had been wrestling with the Lord for Scotland, and found there was a sad time at hand, but that the Lord would be gracious to a remnant. This was about the time when bishops first overspread the land, and corrupted the Church.27
One day two travelling merchants, each with a pack of cloth upon a horse, came to the town desiring entrance, that they might sell their goods, producing a pass from the magistrates of the town from whence they came, which was at that time sound and free [from plague]. Notwithstanding all this, the sentinels stopped them till the magistrates were called, and when they came they would do nothing without their minister’s advice; so John Welch was called, and his opinion asked. He demurred, and putting off his hat, with his eyes towards heaven for a pretty space, though he uttered no audible words, yet he continued in a praying posture, and after a little space told the magistrates that they would do well to discharge these travellers their town, affirming, with great asseveration, that the plague was in these packs. So the magistrates commanded them to be gone, and they went to Cumnock, a town about twenty miles distant, and there sold their goods, which kindled such an infection in that place, that the living were hardly able to bury their dead. This made the people begin to think of Mr Welch as an oracle.28
He [Welch] told them [two citizens of Edinburgh] that they had in their town two great ministers, who were no great friends to Christ’s cause presently in controversy, but, it should be seen, the world should never hear of their repentance. The two men were Mr Patrick Galloway and Mr John Hall, and, accordingly, it came to pass; for Patrick Galloway died suddenly, and John Hall, being at that time in Leith, and his servant woman having left him alone in his house while she went to market, he was found dead at her return.29
One night sitting at supper with Lord Ochiltree, he [Welch] entertained the company with godly and edifying discourse, as his manner was, which was well received by them all, except a debauched Popish young gentleman, who sometimes laughed, and sometimes mocked and made wry faces. Thereupon Mr Welch brake out into a sad abrupt charge upon all the company to be silent, and observe the work of the Lord upon that mocker, which they should presently behold; upon which the profane wretch sunk down and died beneath the table, to the great astonishment of all the company.30
The first time that Welch saw his [Lord Ochiltree’s] face after his return from Court, he asked him what he had done with his petition. His Lordship said that he had presented it to the King, but that the King was in so great a rage against the ministers at that time, he believed it had been forgotten, for he had got no answer. “Nay,” said Welch to him, “my Lord, you should not lie to God, and to me; for I know you never delivered it, though I warned you to take heed not to undertake it except you would perform it; but because you have dealt so unfaithfully, remember God shall take from you both estate and honours, and give them to your neighbour in your own time.” This accordingly came to pass, for both his estate and honours were in his own time translated to James Stuart, son of Captain James, who was indeed a cadet, but not the lineal heir of the family.31
[Welch told his wife to go a different way to his house near Ayr, for] “before you come thither, you shall find the plague broken out in Ayr,” which accordingly came to pass.32
Mr Bruce, preaching upon the 51st Psalm, said, “The removal of your ministers is at hand; our lives shall be bitterly sought after; but ye shall see with your eyes, that God shall guard us, and be our buckler and defence.” The day following, this was in part accomplished; …33
Catherine Marshall writes this account concerning her husband Peter Marshall:
Walking back from a nearby village to Bamburgh one dark, starless night, Peter struck out across the moors, thinking he would take a short cut. He knew that there was a deep deserted limestone quarry close by the Glororum Road, but he thought he could avoid that danger spot. The night was inky black, eerie. There was only the sound of the wind through the heather-stained moorland, the noisy clamor of wild muir fowl as his footsteps disturbed them, the occasional far-off bleating of a sheep.
Suddenly he heard someone call, “Peter! …” There was great urgency in the voice.
He stopped. “Yes, who is it?” What do you want?”
For a second he listened, but there was no response, only the sound of the wind. The moor seemed completely deserted.
Thinking he must have been mistaken, he walked on a few paces. Then he heard it again, even more urgently:
“Peter! …”
He stopped dead still, trying to peer into that impenetrable darkness, but suddenly stumbled and fell to his knees. Putting out his hand to catch himself, he found nothing there. As he cautiously investigated, feeling around in a semicircle, he found himself to be on the very brink of an abandoned stone quarry. Just one step more would have send him plummeting into space to certain death.34
Cotton Mather includes the following reflections:
But then [in addition to the general faith of believers], there is a Particular Faith, which is not so much the Duty, as the Comfort of them that have it; and which is Granted, but here and there, but now and then, unto those whom a Sovereign GOD shall Please to Favour with it. The Devout Believer cannot cause himself to Believe What and When he will; but under the Energy of some Superiour Cause … there is a Strong Impression made upon his mind, which Dissolves him in a Flood of Tears, and Assures him, Thou shalt have the Petition which thou Desirest of thy GOD. The Impression is born in upon his mind, with as clear a Light, and as full a Force, as if it were from Heaven Angelically, and even Articulately declared unto him; The Lord has given thee, thy Petition which thou hast asked of Him…. But you may have some Illustration of it in what our Martyrology has related concerning that Blessed Martyr, Mr. Holland. “After Sentence was Read against him, he said,—And now I tell you, that GOD hath heard the Prayer of His Servants, which hath been Poured forth with Tears, for His Afflicted Saints, which you daily Persecute. This I dare be bold in GOD to Speak; and I am by His Spirit moved to say it: That GOD will shorten your Hand of Cruelty: For after this Day in this place, there shall be no more put unto the Trial of Fire and ******.” Which accordingly came to pass; He was the last that was Burnt in Smithfield. You may see it a little further Illustrated in the Strange Afflations, which have Enabled and Impelled many Confessors of Christ in the Renoumed [renowned] Church of Scotland, sometimes to break forth into Passages that might be Expected from none but such as have Illapses of the Prophetic Spirit upon them.35
… about the Time, when the Impression [an instance of particular faith in Increase Mather] was in its Liveliest Operation (October 1694) there was among some in his Neighbourhood, a strange Descent of Shining Spirits, that had upon them great marks of their being such Angels as they Declared themselves to be. (What they were, GOD knows!) And from these there was that Message (and, no more!) directed unto him; He is much Exercised in his Mind about his going for England; but he need not and should not be so; For GOD will bring to pass That which will be most for His Glory and Service; And the Angels of GOD will attend him, wheresoever His Providence may dispose of him.36
In the Year, 1676, he had a strange Impressision [sic] on his mind, that caused him, on Nov. 19, to Preach a Sermon on those Words, Zeph. III. 7 … and Conclude the Sermon, with a Strange Praediction, That a Fire was a coming, which would make a Deplorable Desolation…. On the next Lords-Day, he Preached … that when the Lord Jesus is about to bring any heavy Judgment upon His People, He is wont to stir up the Heart of some Servant of His, to give Warning of it; which Warning should be Remembred, that so People may be ready to entertain what must come upon them…. The very Night following, a Desolating Fire broke forth in his Neighbourhood.37
He [Increase Mather] did no less than three Times as the Year, 1678, was coming on, very Publickly Declare, That he was verily Perswaded, a very Mortal Disease would shortly break in upon the place; and the Slain of the Lord would be many. Some of his Friends were troubled at him, for it. But when the Year 1678. was come on, we saw the Mortal Disease. The Small-Pox broke in, …. The famous Dr. Henry More, who is not Ordinarily numbred among Fanaticks, has a Passage that may a little Solve some of these Appearances. “Though the Spirit of Prophecy in some sense be ceased, yet GOD hath not hereby Precluded His own Power, nor yet that of His Ministring Spirits from Visiting and Assisting of His Servants as He Pleaseth. And there are some Pious Persons to whom it must not be Denied, that very Unusual Things of one sort or another, have sometimes happened.”38
On the SIXTH Day of FEBRUARY … “… I [Increase Mather] was very much Moved and Melted before the Lord, so that for some time, I was not able to speak a Word. But then, I could not but say, GOD will deliver New-England! GOD will deliver New-England! … So I rose from my knees, with much Comfort and Assurance, that GOD had heard me. These things, I hope, were from the Spirit of GOD….” … And on the Fourteenth of April following, there arrived Tidings [from England], that on THAT VERY DAY [viz. Feb. 6], there fell out [in England] THAT, which happily diverted and entirely defeated, the coming of Kirk with his Commission for the Government of New-England, …39
Mr. Mather went on with his Preparations for his Voyage; and had his Mind more and more Irradiated with a Strong Perswasion, That GOD would give him to find Things in England, in such a State, as that he should have an Opportunity to do Special Service for His People here. Yea, he went so far in it, as to Write these Marvellous Words upon it;—I know, it will be so; For Thou, O Lord GOD, hast told me, that it will be so!. And the Truth is, If he had not had some such Faith as this, to have Inspired him with an uncommon Courage, a Person of his Prudence would never have Exposed himself, as he did on a Thousand Accounts in his present Undertaking.40
One may also cite the “prophetical” phenomena among the Camisards.41 But the happenings among the Camisards included disorders and false prophecies. The severe persecutions and the paucity of trained leaders left the people without the will or skill to exercise critical discernment. At a later point, beginning in 1715, the problems were addressed:
Antoine Court, in spite of his youth, was the guide and soul of these assemblies [church synods], and the adhesion of the preachers proves that they were at heart free from unbelief and pride, and had erred involuntarily, or from lack of instruction. They only wanted to be better counselled and directed.
… The Scriptures were to be held as the only rule of faith, and special revelations were to be rejected, as anti-Biblical and dangerous, (synod of 1715.)42
The mixed character of the phenomena among the Camisards confirms the cautions that Mather, Rutherford, and others have enjoined. It is compatible with the distinctions that I make between the infallibility of the apostles and the fallibility of later nondiscursive processes.
Modern readers may still entertain doubts whether, in every case, the above reports accurately describe what happened. Have they been “embellished” through a process of transmission? But at the very least the reports indicate what the reporters thought God could do. With few exceptions, the reporters stand in the same Reformed theological tradition in which the events supposedly occurred. Hence the reports reveal something of the flexibility of Reformed thinking concerning extraordinary providential actions of God.
All of these extraordinary phenomena can be subsumed under the description given in the Westminster Confession of Faith, 5.3: “God, in his ordinary providence, maketh use of means, yet is free to work without, above, and against them, at his pleasure.” God’s work, so described, surely encompasses all nondiscursive processes. Many of these nondiscursive processes doubtless “make use of means.” But because of its strong commitment to the sovereignty of God and the mystery of his plan, the Confession acknowledges explicitly that there may also be operations that are not attached to means in any ordinary way. The ultimate determining factor in every case is “his pleasure.”
PastorSBC
Puritan Board Freshman
Mark Hettler
Puritan Board Freshman
This is a little tongue-in-cheek piece I wrote more than 30 years ago, intended to illustrate the cessationist argument carried to its extreme. It is, I repeat, tongue-in-cheek; please keep that in mind if you feel motivated to critique the content.
The Argument That Love Ceased at the End of the Apostolic Age
1. Love was a sign of the apostles. Jesus told the twelve, “By this shall all men know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” Love was a sign authenticating their ministry and passed away when they did.
2. Love is revelation. God is love, and during the open-canon situation God employed love to reveal Himself. But with the completion of the canon these other forms of revelation are no longer needed.
3. Then there is the historical evidence: love did indeed cease at the end of the apostolic age, and throughout church history has been completely absent except for occasional appearances among heretical sects and cults.
Objection answered, that commendations of love and exhortations to love in the New Testament epistles would militate against such a conclusion:
1. Such commendations and exhortations must be seen as addressed specifically to the church of that time, when love was still operating in the life of the church. That love was already in the process of passing away is apparent from the relative infrequency of such commendations and exhortations in the pastoral epistles and Revelation.
2. 1 Corinthians 13 must be seen as referring to love in its function as an organ of revelation. The attributes applied to love in that chapter are attributes of God Himself, and love exhibits these things because God is revealing Himself. With the completion of the canon what is said of love in that chapter must now be seen as applying to the canonical scriptures.
The Argument That Love Ceased at the End of the Apostolic Age
1. Love was a sign of the apostles. Jesus told the twelve, “By this shall all men know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” Love was a sign authenticating their ministry and passed away when they did.
2. Love is revelation. God is love, and during the open-canon situation God employed love to reveal Himself. But with the completion of the canon these other forms of revelation are no longer needed.
3. Then there is the historical evidence: love did indeed cease at the end of the apostolic age, and throughout church history has been completely absent except for occasional appearances among heretical sects and cults.
Objection answered, that commendations of love and exhortations to love in the New Testament epistles would militate against such a conclusion:
1. Such commendations and exhortations must be seen as addressed specifically to the church of that time, when love was still operating in the life of the church. That love was already in the process of passing away is apparent from the relative infrequency of such commendations and exhortations in the pastoral epistles and Revelation.
2. 1 Corinthians 13 must be seen as referring to love in its function as an organ of revelation. The attributes applied to love in that chapter are attributes of God Himself, and love exhibits these things because God is revealing Himself. With the completion of the canon what is said of love in that chapter must now be seen as applying to the canonical scriptures.
What is moderate cessationism? Is that what they call a "California Roll" where you slow a bit before a stop sign but don't come to a complete stop?
If words have no meaning we might as well just jettison them. Without getting into the propriety of the view, at least be honest enough to call it continuationism or something else beside moderate cessationism as the latter is an insult to thinking people.
The topic of whether the gifts have ceased is not taboo but this board isn't meant to be a place where we proselytize for non-confessional views nor should we try to use deceptive language when presenting them.
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