The Covenanters: National Covenant, Solemn League and Covenant, and the Killing Times

1. Lectures Listen to the lectures in order. Those marked supplementary are optional.

   • The Covenants and Covenanters Rev. David Silversides 1 h 14 min 10 s Open source Doctrinal Loughbrickland Reformed Presbyterian Church (RPC of Ireland) / SermonAudio Intramural within the Scottish stream: both hold the 1647 text of WCF 23, but Reformed Presbyterians add political dissent from uncovenanted constitutions, which the Free Church tradition (Cunningham, Bannerman, Moncreiff, FP Magazine) rejects. Present both as confessional options under the 1647 text in the Headship...
   • Thanksgiving for the Covenanters' Testimony upon their Ejection in 1662 Rev. John J. Murray 49 min 32 s Open source Doctrinal Partick Free Church of Scotland (Continuing), West End Glasgow / SermonAudio; listed by the Scottish Reformation Society as 'The testimony of the Covenanters'
   • 350th Anniversary of the Covenanter Ministers' Ejection from their Ministry Rev. Gavin Beers 1 h 9 min 42 s Open source Doctrinal Partick Free Church of Scotland (Continuing), West End Glasgow / SermonAudio; listed by the Scottish Reformation Society as 'The Kingship of Christ' Intramural within the Scottish stream: both hold the 1647 text of WCF 23, but Reformed Presbyterians add political dissent from uncovenanted constitutions, which the Free Church tradition (Cunningham, Bannerman, Moncreiff, FP Magazine) rejects. Present both as confessional options under the 1647 text in the Headship...
   • John Knox, the Scottish Covenanters, and the Westminster Assembly, parts 1/3 and 2/3 (History Notes on Presbyterianism, Reformation and Theology) Dr. C. Gregg Singer Part 1: 51 min 55 s; Part 2: 46 min 9 s Open source Supplementary Still Waters Revival Books (Edmonton) / SermonAudio Broadcaster is a dissenting ('Steelite') Covenanter publisher; the speaker's own denominational standing was not verified online in this session. Keep as supplementary; confirm Singer's standing before publishing; add a host disclaimer.
   • History of the Reformation series: 'The Scottish Covenanters', parts 1-5 Joe Morecraft III 5 lectures: 1 h 9 min 27 s; 56 min 41 s; 52 min 31 s; 1 h 3 min 42 s; 1 h 2 min 23 s Open source Supplementary Heritage Presbyterian Church (RPCUS) / SermonAudio Westminster-subscribing (RPCUS) but teaches a theonomic reading of the civil magistrate and the judicial law, which goes beyond WCF 19.4 ('general equity') and the 1647 text of 23.3 as read by the Scottish churches. Keep as supplementary narrative history only (Knox, Covenanters, Westminster Divines units); do not...

   Total: 5.2 hours

2. Reading Read in the order given. Public-domain and free texts are linked; purchases are optional and never required.

   • The National Covenant (1638), text Church of Scotland (Henderson and Johnston of Wariston) Open source Primary text 1638. Free online
   • The Solemn League and Covenant (1643), text Church of Scotland / English Parliament Open source Primary text 1643. Free online
   • History of the Covenanters in Scotland, vols. 1-2 William Sime 364 + 368 scanned pages (archive.org imagecount) Open source Doctrinal Public domain
   • The Story of the Scottish Covenants in Outline David Hay Fleming 110 scanned pages (archive.org imagecount) Open source Doctrinal 1904. Public domain
   • A Vindication of the Scottish Covenanters Thomas M'Crie (the younger) 157 scanned pages (archive.org imagecount) Open source Doctrinal 1843. Public domain
   • The Principles of the Second Reformation Andrew Symington (Reformed Presbyterian) Open source Supplementary 1841. Free online
   • The Days of the Fathers in Ross-shire John Kennedy (Free Church) 300 scanned pages (archive.org imagecount) Open source Supplementary 1867 ed.. Public domain
   • The Scottish Covenanters J. G. Vos Supplementary No link: find it in a library or bookstore. Purchase (optional)

3. Assignment Write a research paper of 30 pages on a topic drawn from the lectures and readings of this course. Argue from Scripture, the Westminster Standards (1647 text) and the Three Forms of Unity, cite the primary sources you read, and state the points on which the sources differ.

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4. Paired unit: The Magistrate and the Church

5. Lectures Listen to the lectures in order. Those marked supplementary are optional.

   • 1843 Disruption 3: What the church achieved Dr John D. Nicolls 1:25:16 Open source History Free Church Legacy audio archive (Free Church of Scotland) Neither host page states ordination or church standing; both narrate the establishment principle and the Disruption in the Free Church line. Role history. The Side A doctrine is carried by Cunningham, Bannerman, Chalmers and Macleod (FP Church), so neither is the sole source.
   • 1843 Disruption 1: Why the church divided Dr John D. Nicolls 1:33:37 Open source History Free Church Legacy audio archive (Free Church of Scotland) Neither host page states ordination or church standing; both narrate the establishment principle and the Disruption in the Free Church line. Role history. The Side A doctrine is carried by Cunningham, Bannerman, Chalmers and Macleod (FP Church), so neither is the sole source.
   • The Life and Ministry of Thomas Chalmers (Christ the Center 728) Sandy Finlayson (director of library services and professor of theological bibliography, Westminster Theological Seminary, Glenside) at least 1:07:48 (last chapter marker; total not printed) Open source History Reformed Forum Neither host page states ordination or church standing; both narrate the establishment principle and the Disruption in the Free Church line. Role history. The Side A doctrine is carried by Cunningham, Bannerman, Chalmers and Macleod (FP Church), so neither is the sole source.
   • The Covenants and Covenanters Rev. David Silversides 1:14:10 Open source Doctrinal Loughbrickland Reformed Presbyterian Church (RPC of Ireland), SermonAudio
   • Westminster and Theonomy Rev. David Silversides 1:16:16 Open source Supplementary Loughbrickland Reformed Presbyterian Church (RPC of Ireland), SermonAudio
   • Minister's Ejection (350th anniversary of the Covenanter ministers' ejection, 1662; SRS label 'The Kingship of Christ') Rev. Gavin Beers 1:09:42 Open source Supplementary Partick Free Church of Scotland (Continuing), SermonAudio

   Total: 7.7 hours

6. Reading Read in the order given. Public-domain and free texts are linked; purchases are optional and never required.

   • Discussions on Church Principles: Popish, Erastian, and Presbyterian, ch. 7 'Relation between Church and State' and ch. 8 'The Westminster Confession on the Relation between Church and State' William Cunningham (Free Church of Scotland) pp. 196-234 Open source Primary text 1863. Public domain
   • The Church of Christ, vol. 1, Part 1 ch. 8 'The Church in its relation to the State', secs. 1-7 (incl. sec. 7 'Doctrine of the Westminster Confession on Church and State') James Bannerman (Free Church of Scotland) pp. 97-186 Open source Primary text 1868. Public domain
   • Lectures on the Establishment and Extension of National Churches (London, 1838) Thomas Chalmers Open source Primary text 1838. Public domain
   • The Establishment Principle, Part 3: A Historical Perspective 1638-2000 Rev. J. Macleod (Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland) Open source Doctrinal 2001. Free online
   • A Hind Let Loose, or an Historical Representation of the Testimonies of the Church of Scotland (Part 3: 'The Present Testimony stated and vindicated in its principal heads') Alexander Shields (Shiels) Open source Primary text 1687. Public domain
   • An Informatory Vindication of a Poor, Wasted, Misrepresented Remnant of the Suffering ... Presbyterian Church of Christ in Scotland (1687; by James Renwick and Alexander Shields) James Renwick and Alexander Shields Open source Primary text 1687. Public domain
   • Reformation Principles Exhibited: Declaration and Testimony of the RPCNA, ch. 29 'Of Civil Government' and ch. 30 'Of the Right of Dissent from a Constitution of Civil Government' Reformed Presbyterian Church in North America (General Synod) pp. 112-122 Open source Primary text 1871. Public domain
   • Testimony of the Reformed Presbyterian Church in Scotland: Historical and Doctrinal (1842) Reformed Presbyterian Church (Scotland) Open source Primary text 1842. Public domain Both sides are present by real advocates, but Side B is uneven: Clark argues for inspired canonical songs only (nearer Dort art. 69, which also excludes 'all other hymns'), the OPC majority report argues for songs not confined to Scripture's words but is American, and the only continental hymn-permitting text is the...
   • Lex, Rex: The Law and the Prince Samuel Rutherford Open source Primary text 1644. Public domain
   • A Cloud of Witnesses for the Royal Prerogatives of Jesus Christ (last speeches and testimonies of those who suffered 1680-88) Various martyrs; ed. 1842 Open source Primary text 1842. Public domain
   • Claim, Declaration and Protest (1842) and The Protest of the Free Church of Scotland (1843) General Assembly of the Church of Scotland / Free Church Open source Primary text 1842-1843. Public domain Both sides are present by real advocates, but Side B is uneven: Clark argues for inspired canonical songs only (nearer Dort art. 69, which also excludes 'all other hymns'), the OPC majority report argues for songs not confined to Scripture's words but is American, and the only continental hymn-permitting text is the...

   Total: 140 pages

7. Assignment Side A, the establishment principle (Cunningham, with Bannerman and the 1843 Free Church); side B, Covenanter dissent (Shields and Renwick, with the Reformed Presbyterian Testimony). Write two cases of 500 words, each in its advocate's own voice, then 200 words on the 1647 and 1788 texts of WCF 23.3.

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Every lecture and reading carries its role. "Under review" means the teacher's subscription to the Westminster Standards or the Three Forms of Unity is not yet established; "Read as comparison" means the material teaches the 1788 American text of WCF 20.4, 23 or 31 or of Larger Catechism Q.109, which the school reads beside the 1647 text. Nothing has been removed.