Morning Coffee with Gomarus

John Kennedy (1819-1884) of Dingwall, was a Scottish preacher and theologian. He was also a staunch defender of the Reformed Faith who was, as his friend Charles Spurgeon described him, true as steel and firm as a rock.

He was educated in the parish school of Killearnan, and in 1836 went to Aberdeen University. He graduated M.A. at King’s College in 1840, and in the same year entered the theological hall of the established church in Scotland. Kennedy was licensed by the established church in September 1843, but joined the free church and was inducted into a free church newly formed at Dingwall, Rosshire, February 1844. He was pastor of Dingwall Free Church from 1844 until his death in 1884 at the age of 65.

Kennedy was a stalwart opponent of the drift in Scottish Presbyterianism away from the Westminster Confession.  I found two significant works of Kennedy available online:  The first is Hyper-Evangelism: Another Gospel Part 1, with links to parts 2 thru 5.  This was published in 1874 in the wake of, and in response to, an evangelistic campaign by Dwight L. Moody.  The features of modern American revivalism brought to Scotland by Moody, and in Kennedy’s mind offensive to the biblical gospel, are traceable to the evangelistic practice of Charles G. Finney (1792-1875).

The second work I would mention is Man’s Relations to God, (at Google Books) published 1869.  Within the broader context implied by the title, this treatise includes an impressive effort to resist erosion of the doctrine of the particular design in Christ’s atoning work.  Specifically, Kennedy takes on what he terms the “double reference” view of the atonement, which he sees as thoroughly defective.  This view may be traced to John Davenant (1576-1641), found in James Ussher (1581-1656), and continuing today in what might be called Low or Moderate Calvinism.  Some see it as middle ground between the French Hypothetical Universalism of Moise Amyraut (1596-1644) and the High Calvinist limited atonement views of John Owen and Francis Turretin.  Kennedy sees it as incompatible with the WCF and unbiblical at its core.

Other information on Kennedy and his writings may be found HERE.

Geerhardus Vos (1862-1949), a Reformed theologian and one of the most distinguished representatives of the Princeton Theology, he is sometimes called the father of Reformed Biblical Theology.

Born in the Netherlands, he came to the United States in 1881 when his father accepted the pastorate of a Christian Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Geerhardus graduated the Theological School (now Calvin College) in 1883. He did post-graduate work at Princeton Seminary, then studied for one year at the University of Berlin, followed by two years at the University of Strasburg, where he earned his doctorate.

In 1892, Vos accepted appointment as professor of the newly created chair of Biblical Theology at Princeton Seminary, where he taught until he retired in 1932. Among his students were such eminent men as J. Gresham Machen, John Murray, and Cornelius Van Til. During his 39 years at Princeton, Dr. Vos laid the groundwork for his best-known books: Biblical Theology: Old and New Testaments and The Pauline Eschatology.

Biblicaltheology.org has an extensive bibliography and many articles by Vos. Its goal is to make available all of the uncollected works of Geerhardus Vos that are written in English.

John L. Girardeau (1825-1898), a southern presbyterian theologian and Professor of Didactic and Polemic Theology at Columbia Seminary.  Girardeau, who studied under James Henley Thornwell, was a strong Calvinist in the Westminsterian tradition.  Perhaps his most notable work is the book Calvinism and Evangelical Arminianism: Compared as to election, reprobation, justification, and related doctrines.   

My copy of this book is the 1984 Sprinkle Publication of 550+ pages.  It is a masterful rebuttal of the arguments and passages used in support of Arminianism.  Girardeau steadfastly adheres to the sovereign grace of God throughout the book as he shows the confusions, misinterpretations, and inconsistencies of evangelical Arminianism.

You should be pleased to know that Lance Marshall has just added an online version of Girardeau’s book to his growing collection of theology resources.  Thanks, Lance!  I have not seen this online anywhere else.

Peter Van Mastricht (1630-1706) was a German-Dutch theologian who studied at Utrecht under Gisbert Voetius.  He held pastorates in Germany and Denmark before accepting a position as professor of Hebrew and practical theology at Frankfurt, and later at his alma mater. Van Mastricht is probably best known for his Theologia Theoretico-Practica (1682-87), a comprehensive and infuential work that was translated into Dutch and won much acclaim. Van Mastricht deeply shaped the experiential piety of the “Nadere Reformation” in the Netherlands, as well as larger currents of Reformed theology, even within English-speaking divinity from the late 17th century onward.

Jonathan Edwards wrote to young Joseph Bellamy in 1747 that this work of Van Mastricht was “. . . much better than Turretin, or any other book in the world, except the Bible, in my opinion.” Edwards incorporated many of Van Mastricht’s ideas in his famous book, The Freedom of the Will.

A section from his Theologia Theoretico-Practica on the topic of regeneration was translated and first published in English in 1770. Thankfully, it was re-issued in 2002 as A Treatise on Regeneration (SDG Press), edited by Brandon Withrow.  Van Mastricht’s treatment of regeneration is, in many respects, typical of the late 17th century and many aspects would be readily recognized, particularly the explanation of regeneration as an instantaneous introduction of a new principle of life into the heart by the Spirit, logically prior to faith.

This book is not currently available at Amazon, but may be found at Monergism Books.

Since he is not widely recognized, I will first introduce you to Dagg and then follow with his discussion of Particular Redemption. 

John Leadley Dagg (1794–1884) was one of the most respected men in American Baptist life and remains one of the most profound thinkers produced by his denomination.  As a pastor, educator and theologian, Dagg was a convinced Calvinist best known for his work in Georgia between 1844 and 1870. From 1844 to 1856 he was on the faculty of Mercer University as professor of theology and later president of the college.

His greatest contribution to Baptist life came after his retirement in 1856. He prepared A Manual of Theology (1857), the first systematic theology by a Baptist in America, A Treatise on Church Order (1858), The Elements of Moral Science (1859), and The Evidences of Christianity (1869). His reputation as a theologian and ethicist rests on these four works. The first two are still in print. 

The following article on Particuar Redemption is taken from his Manual of Theology (Book 7, chapter 4, section 2).  Of particular note is his argument against universal redemption and the idea that the universal call of the gospel implies a universal provision in the atonement.

John L. Dagg on Particular Redemption

The Scriptures teach that the Son of God, in coming into the world and laying down his life, had the salvation of a peculiar people in view: “Thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). “The good Shepherd giveth his life for the sheep” (John 10:11). “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the Church, and gave himself for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church” (Eph. 5:25-27). The Scriptures also teach that the expectation of the Redeemer will be fully realized, and that not one of all whom the Father gave him will fail to be saved: “He shall see his seed. He shall see of the travail of his soul and be satisfied” (Isa. 53:10, 11). “All that the Father giveth me, shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” “And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day” (John 6:37, 39). “Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am” (John 17:24).

And finally, when all shall be congregated, he will say, “Behold, I, and the children which God has given me” (Heb. 2:13). In presenting to the Father all who had been given to him, in the covenant of grace, to be redeemed out of every kindred, tongue, nation, and people, the Saviour will have the full reward of his obedience unto death. (more…)

John Wycliffe lived almost 200 years before the Reformation, but his beliefs and teachings closely match those of Luther, Calvin and other Reformers. As a man ahead of his time, historians have called Wycliffe the “Morning star of the Reformation.”

Born in the 1300s, Wycliffe criticized abuses and false teachings in the Church. In 1382 he translated an English Bible — the first European translation done in over 1,000 years. The Lollards, itinerant preachers he sent throughout England, inspired a spiritual revolution.

But the Lollard movement was short-lived. The Church expelled Wycliffe from his teaching position at Oxford, and 44 years after he died, the Pope ordered his bones exhumed and burned. Intense persecution stamped out his followers and teachings. It would be nearly two-hundred years before men like Martin Luther resurrected the reforms of which Wycliffe dreamed.

“Those Heretics who pretend that the laity do not need to know God’s law, and that the things which priests have told them is enough, do not deserve to be listened to. For the Bible is the faith of the Church, and the more widely it becomes known the better it will be. Therefore since the laity should know the faith, it should be taught in whatever language is most easily understood.” - John Wycliffe

For more, see The Morningstar of the Reformation: John Wycliffe by Christopher Lensch

S. Lewis Johnson Jr. (1915-2004), was a conservative evangelical pastor and theologian who was for many years a professor at Dallas Theological Seminary.  Dr. Johnson was a moderate dispensationalist and a died-in-the-wool Five-point Calvinist in his theology.  I had the priviledge of sitting under his preaching and teaching on many occasions.  In fact the Lord used his audio taped messages to bring me to faith many years ago.

The following biographical summary is adapted from an article I added at Theopedia some time back, presented in his memory.

Lewis Johnson was born in Birmingham, Alabama and grew up in Charleston, S.C., graduating from College of Charleston with an A. B. degree in 1937.  He was converted in Birmingham, while in the insurance business, through the teaching of Donald Grey Barnhouse. He left the insurance business in 1943 to enter Dallas Theological Seminary, from which he received a Th.M. (1946) and a Th.D. (1949). 

Upon graduation he became a professor at Dallas Theological Seminary, where he taught Greek, Hebrew, and systematic theology for 31 years. After retiring from Dallas Seminary, he was Professor of Biblical and Systematic Theology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois from 1980-1985.  From 1985-1993 he served as a visiting Professor of Systematic Theology at Tyndale Theological Seminary in Badhoevedorp, Amsterdam, Netherlands.

During his years of ministry he was a guest speaker at Bible conferences in Canada, Mexico, Guatemala, Australia, Jamaica, and Europe. Publications include, The Old Testament in the New (1980), as well as numerous periodical articles, especially in ”Bibliotheca Sacra” (published by Dallas Seminary). He was on the translation committee for the NIV and a contributor to Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (Crossway Books, 1991).

Dr. Johnson was also engaged in pastoral ministry for over forty years. He served as an elder and minister at Believers Chapel in Dallas from 1963-1993 where I came to know him.  Many of his sermons and lectures remain available in audio form at Believers Chapel.  Lewis Johnson went to be with the Lord on January 28, 2004. 

Although theologically I moved away from his dispensationalism to a more Reformed position years ago, Dr. Johnson was a great influence on me, as I know he was on many others.  He never waivered from proclaiming the sovereignty of God and the doctrines of grace.