2/18/03
WHY PURITAN NEWS WEEKLY?
By J. Parnell McCarter
Below is what I submitted on the Covenanters internet list
as the reason why I started and continue Puritan News Weekly:
It is good for us to consider how we as Christians will be instruments
of God to bring down the Beast and the False Prophet, who I believe are
the Black Pope and Pope. (see my book "Let My People Go")
Let me first submit how we should **not** do it. Here is what I wrote
in my book review of "War Against the Idols" at:
http://www.puritans.net/bookreviewwaragainstidols.htm-
"This is precisely what happened in the American Revolution. The
revolutionaries, inspired by Romanists via freemasonry,
argued that they were carrying out a tradition of revolution consistent
with Calvin, Knox, and the Westminster divines. And this
is what Eire argues as well: “Though far from democratic, these [JPM-
Calvinistic] theories influenced revolutions that would
later usher in democracy in other places. Ironically enough, those
later revolutions would also usher in religious toleration, and
thus render useless the concept of ‘idolatry.’” The revolutionaries
then duped many genuine Protestant Christians at the time
towards revolution under their leadership, having persuaded them that it
was consistent with historic Protestantism. As we
read at http://www.natreformassn.org/statesman/01/poltheo.html, many
Presbyterian “Covenanter” dissenters fell into this trap
in the past:
“At the time of the War for Independence, Covenanters mingled their
blood with that of Christians of various descriptions so that the yoke
of tyranny might be thrown off. In 1787, with the establishment of a
new, and innovating, written Constitution, the Covenanters found that
they had been miserably betrayed.”
But it should be wondered whether “Covenanter” dissenters have yet
repented of their error. And Eire’s book is certainly
dangerous medicine for that ailment.
In reality, the revolutionaries advocated a theory and a course quite
contrary to the historic reformation. The reformers like
Calvin and the Westminster divines advocated working with the civil
authority insofar as it did not result in sin; and they in no
wise advocated popular revolt. The reformed ministers did not advocate
that the people rebel against the king and parliament, but rather
beseeched the king and parliament to obey Christ. What came out of the
American Revolution in America was something far less reformed and
Protestant than what had been in place before the political revolution."
But how shall we as Christians now be proper instruments? Ephesians
5:11-13 is crucial to this. It teaches how Christians should make
manifest the wicked and reprove them for it. One of the goals of
Puritan News Weekly (http://www.puritans.net/news/ ) is to do precisely
that.
Another reason for what I have written is because we are told to flee
the mysterious Babylon of Rev 17-18 to escape its judgment. As you
know, I believe there is compelling evidence that it is Washington, DC
(and the nation it represents). So I recommend people think twice about
being there.
There are other reasons, but that is enough for now.