Peter Bringe

@tombuiter94 @james_d_baird At least A.A. Hodge knew that it was read by the freshmen of Yale College in Greek.

@james_d_baird It was also available to them in Greek. @BringePeter

Princeton students memorized the Shorter Catechism in Latin

I’ve known Michael for many years. I don’t recall when we first met in person, but we became friends over three years ago. For much of that time, he lived near me. We’ve been to each other's houses. Our families have had dinner together, and our kids have played together. On a few occasions, he volunteered to help me with projects on the property: building a deck, moving felled trees, and other things. His wife is kind. He has good kids. Michael was repeatedly kind to me. I’ve spent more time with him than 99% of his critics, though I haven’t seen him much in the last year or so. I once said that Michael is a “friend” and “a good man”—-something used against me for nearly a year now. No critic has asked what I meant by it, and my default response is to ignore such people. I was referring to his kindness and generosity to me, and to his concern for my spiritual well-being, which surpassed that of many people in my life. Mindful of this history, and out of loyalty to a friend, I did not denounce or openly distance myself from Michael as he began to embrace positions that I reject. This came at great personal cost, not only for me but especially for my family. Online agitators and tale-bearers, most of whom are incapable of argument, insinuated that Michael and I are “fellow Nazis,” despite my numerous articles, videos, and books contradicting that claim. I do not expect any session or presbytery to correct these sinful accusations (WLC 144), despite several coming from those vowed to maintain the “peace of the church.” Michael knows the cost of being associated with him. He knows that anything he says places burdens upon others. I chose to endure them. An elderly man at my previous church—known and well respected in both the OPC and the PCA—encouraged me to remain friends with Michael for his sake, and I did. But the post below is a turning point for me. It represents a complete disregard for those who bear the costs of any degree of association. When consideration of others goes repeatedly unreciprocated, there comes a breaking point. It begins to look like exploitation. Obviously, “Christian prince” is a term I retrieved from the Protestant tradition, and it immediately recalls my work. Michael had to know that I, yet again, would be dragged into accusations of Naziism, even from those of decent will. He chose words (when there are alternatives) that instantly recall “Stephen Wolfe.” It is an act of betrayal. He has not considered how his actions affect others. He could have easily added, “I know that Stephen Wolfe does not agree with me.” But he did not. As I’ve said for years now, I have no interest in retrieving Naziism, nor do I want a “Protestant Hitler.” Michael knows this, as I’ve said to him (among others) that revising 1930s German history is unnecessary to critique the “post-war consensus”. I am right-wing, but I am an American. By today’s standards, American history is right-wing, and it contains all the resources for recovering a manly, moral liberty and a Christian society. Anglo-Protestantism, despite its faults, is still the core tradition of America. Our fight is to recover it. I have a high tolerance for differing opinions. I do not shy away from references to Marx, Nietzsche, Hegel, Heidegger, or “critical theory.” Viewing everything with the good/evil binary, or relying on a set of scary words to categorize intellectual history and various individuals, is unserious. I even use Marx in my MA philosophy thesis. But I would not say that we need a “Protestant Marx” or a “Protestant Heidegger”. We need a George Washington. Given Michael’s behavior—his disregard for my position and the effects of his actions—I can no longer consider him a friend. But I will not take on a mission to destroy him. I will not toss epithets at him or make quips for spectacle. I simply cannot continue in what I consider an exploitive relationship. I pray that Michael and his lovely family would live well in godliness.

Sunday reading…

The next presbytery meeting included ruling elders as well as ministers. From that point forward, it would be expected that all ministers were to attend and that each church was to send a ruling elder. A decade later in 1716, four presbyteries under one synod were formed.

mentain Such a Correspondence as may conduce to the improvement of our Ministeriall ability by prescribing Texts to be preached on by two of our number at every meeting, which performance is Subjected to the censure of our Brethren…”

Present at that first presbytery meeting were Francis Makemie, John Hampton, George McNish, John Wilson, Samuel Davis, Nathaniel Taylor, and Jedediah Andrews. Most of them were Scottish or Scots-Irish, but Andrews was from MA, a graduate of Harvard under Increase Mather.

@JonMcK1647 My first book was Colossians. If I had to start again, I still would start with one of the epistles like Colossians, Philippians, or 1 John. I am also glad that I preached through Daniel and Matthew early on, but Daniel might not be best for everyone to start with.

Pastors, what was the first book you preached through? Why did you choose it? If you had to start again, what would you choose?

@ScottC1517 @james_d_baird @AmericanPresby x.com/bringepeter/st…

@james_d_baird @AmericanPresby I just need volume 1

everyone go buy the works of Witherspoon $3 per volume and I’m told RHB has hundreds of each volume in stock

@james_d_baird Volume one is not there, but the content of volume one has been republished by Westminster Seminary Press it is available here: wtsbooks.com/products/justi…

@hulsey95 @RHB_Books x.com/bringepeter/st…

Hey @RHB_Books! Will the 1st Volume be available again soon?

@hulsey95 @RHB_Books Actually, it looks like vol. 1 contained Witherspoon’s essays on justification and regeneration, which has been republished by Westminster Seminary Press, “Justification and Regeneration: Practical Writings on Saving Faith.”

@hulsey95 @RHB_Books I do think keeping it all in print would be great.

The talk I gave at the Foundations Conference, “Christianity and Civil Government” (46 min.), is now available on Apple Podcasts here: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/chr…

Only one more lesson in this series to go: 1. Christian Education 2. History 3. Science 4. Math 5. Language Arts 6. Music 7. Physical Education 8. Visual Art 9. Civics

Vattel: “where is it asserted in the New Testament that a Christian prince has nothing to do with religious affairs?” me:

Even at the age of 80, he was active during the War of 1812 in leading a Philadelphia citizens group to prepare for a potential British invasion. He died in 1817. --- The image is a 1787 portrait by Charles Willson Peale of Governor Thomas McKean and his son, Thomas McKean Jr.

He served in the Delaware House of Assembly and drafted Delaware's 1776 Constitution. He was the chief justice of Pennsylvania from 1777 to 1799, a member of Pennsylvania’s convention who voted to ratify the US Constitution, and the governor of Pennsylvania from 1800 to 1808.

On this day, March 19, in 1734, Thomas McKean was born. This remarkable Founding Father was a Scots-Irish Presbyterian, born in Pennsylvania to parents born in Ireland, and was educated by Rev. Francis Alison (an Old-Side Presbyterian minister) and at UPenn. 🧵