Presbyterian and Consistorial Polity

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

   • Confession Chapter 25: Of the Church Camden Bucey Open source Doctrinal Reformed Forum (OPC) The lectures read or assume the 1788 OPC/PCA text; the 1647 text gives the magistrate power to call synods (31.2) and the original Belgic 36 charges the magistrate to remove idolatry. The new school holds the 1647 and original texts. Keep the lectures for chapters where the text is unchanged (21, 25 in substance,...
   • Confession Chapter 31: Of Synods and Councils Camden Bucey Open source Doctrinal Reformed Forum (OPC) The lectures read or assume the 1788 OPC/PCA text; the 1647 text gives the magistrate power to call synods (31.2) and the original Belgic 36 charges the magistrate to remove idolatry. The new school holds the 1647 and original texts. Keep the lectures for chapters where the text is unchanged (21, 25 in substance,...
   • The Westminster Standards (14-part audio series), lecture 13: Of Lawful Oaths and Vows, Of the Civil Magistrate, Of Marriage and Divorce, Of the Church, Of the Communion of the Saints Sinclair B. Ferguson 14 MP3s; durations not shown Open source Doctrinal Free Church of Scotland (St Peter's, Dundee) / Reformed Theological Seminary The lectures read or assume the 1788 OPC/PCA text; the 1647 text gives the magistrate power to call synods (31.2) and the original Belgic 36 charges the magistrate to remove idolatry. The new school holds the 1647 and original texts. Keep the lectures for chapters where the text is unchanged (21, 25 in substance,...
   • What Is the Church Order of Dort and how Does It Maintain Real Gospel? (lecture 4 of a series) Janssen Open source Doctrinal Canadian Reformed Theological Seminary (per the CRTS resources listing found in search; YouTube channel name not captured) Speaker's full name, channel and duration not captured; CRTS (Canadian Reformed) subscribes to the Three Forms, so doctrinal fit is expected but not verified for this talk. Verify the video details before assigning; keep provisionally because it is the only continental polity lecture found.
   • What Is a Presbyterian, and Why Does Presbyterian Government Matter? (Christ the Center 951) Matthew Adams, Ben Ratliff, Camden Bucey Open source Comparison Read as comparison Reformed Forum (PCA and OPC participants) The lectures read or assume the 1788 OPC/PCA text; the 1647 text gives the magistrate power to call synods (31.2) and the original Belgic 36 charges the magistrate to remove idolatry. The new school holds the 1647 and original texts. Keep the lectures for chapters where the text is unchanged (21, 25 in substance,...

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

   • The Form of Presbyterial Church-Government Westminster Assembly; approved by the General Assembly 1645 Open source Primary text 1645. Free online
   • The First Book of Discipline (1560) and The Second Book of Discipline (1578), 1621 edition with Calderwood's preface and Acts of Assembly 1562-1591 Church of Scotland Open source Primary text 1560/1578 (1621 printing). Public domain
   • The Church Order of Dort (1619) Synod of Dort 86 articles in four heads Open source Primary text 1619. Free online Art. 69 (text confirmed) admits beside the 150 Psalms the Ten Commandments, Lord's Prayer, Twelve Articles and the songs of Mary, Zacharias and Simeon; the Scottish line sings psalms only. Both are within the two confessional families. Keep both; teach exclusive psalmody as the Scottish position and Dort Art. 69 as...
   • Aaron's Rod Blossoming, or The Divine Ordinance of Church Government Vindicated George Gillespie 811 pages (Monergism PDF) Open source Doctrinal 1646. Public domain
   • A Defense of the Government of the Church of Scotland (chapter 20 of A Peaceable and Temperate Plea for Paul's Presbytery in Scotland) Samuel Rutherford 21 pages (Reformed Books Online edition) Open source Doctrinal 1642. Public domain
   • The Government and Order of the Church of Scotland Alexander Henderson 94 pages Open source Doctrinal 1641. Public domain
   • A Directory for Church-Government and Ordination of Ministers, to be examined against the next General Assembly Westminster Assembly 46 pages Open source Primary text 1647. Public domain
   • The Church Order Commentary Idzerd Van Dellen and Martin Monsma 378 pages Open source Doctrinal 1941 (archive.org metadata reads 1914). Free online
   • The Christian's Reasonable Service, vol. 2, chs. 27-29 (The Government of the Church; The Offices of Minister, Elder and Deacon; Ecclesiastical Authority and the Keys) Wilhelmus a Brakel (trans. Bartel Elshout) 4 volumes; PDF and EPUB per volume Open source Doctrinal 1700. Free online
   • Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book 4 (Of the Holy Catholic Church) John Calvin Open source Doctrinal 1559. Public domain
   • The Church and Its Polity Charles Hodge 532 pages Open source Comparison Read as comparison 1879. Public domain

   Total: 1,882 pages

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.

   Open the assignment

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.