Ethics
Articles on Morality and the Law of GodEthics Articles and Links
Ethics is the branch of Christian theology that deals with moral principles. These moral principles concern the Law of God and the commands of Christ. “Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.” (Deut. 4:2). And, “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46).
Along with Gospel Worship, this is the best work Burroughs ever penned. It is one of the best puritan works you will ever read on coming to Christ.
Thankfulness to God is not just about saying โThank you for who You are and what You have done in Christ.โ Itโs about obeying Godโs commandments. Did you know that?
How do you reconcile the Law of God (what Godโs commands are for the Christian church) and the Gospel (the free grace found in Christ)? Antinomians (those against the Law of God) have attempted for centuries to annul the Lawโฆ
God placed the 4th commandment right in the middle of the Law of God. Like God, His law never changes. Cleaver shows how to uphold the 4th commandment, and demonstrates the abiding nature of the Lordโs Day, or Christian Sabbath.
This is one of Edmund Calamyโs most powerful works on delighting in the Law of God no matter what afflictions may come. Here we find Christ is our ALL. This is Puritan Preaching at its best.
Jonathan Edwards on the Nature of True Virtue
Christ or the Lodge? by Orthodox Presbyterian Church
A paper outlining the results of a study conducted by the OPC of secret organizations and especially Masonry and its related organizations. The committee concludes that “Masonry is a religious institution and as such is definitely anti-Christian”.
Moses’ Law for Modern Government: The Intellectual and Sociological Origins of the Christian Reconstructionist Movement by J. Ligon Duncan III
This paper was written by Ligon Duncan, a professor at Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson, MS. Though from a more sociological perspective, it is a critique/overview of Theonomy, a particular view of ethics.
Wholesome Severity Reconciled with Christian Liberty by George Gillespie
Should the civil magistrate enforce both tables of the law of God? G. Gillespie states in a Wholesome Severity, “I have endeavored in the following discourse to vindicate the lawful, yea necessary use of the coercive power of the Christian Magistrate in suppressing and punishing heretics and sectaries, according as the degree of their offense and of the Church’s danger shall require.”
To the Protector Somerset by John Calvin
Duties Imposed on the Protector by the High Office which He Holds โ Plan of A Complete Reformation in England โ Preaching of the Pure Word of God โ Rooting out of Abuses โ Correction of Vices and Scandalous Offenses
Human Beings and Abortion by C. Matthew McMahon
Situational Ethics and WWJD? by C. Matthew McMahon
The Barren Womb and IVF Part 1 by C. Matthew McMahon
The Barren Womb and IVF Part 2 by C. Matthew McMahon
The Teleological Suspension of the Ethical by C. Matthew McMahon
For Whom Was God’s Law Intended? by Dr. Greg L. Bahnsen
A Biblical Perspective on Abortion by Ed Walsh
A Letter To Paul Hill by Gary North
Speech Against Abortion by Alan Keyes
Behind the Scenes of an Abortion Clinic: Ex-Director Speaks by Carol Everett
An Abstract of the Laws of New England by John Cotton (1641)
An eye-opening glimpse into the early Puritan theocracy.
Some Thoughts on Theonomy by G. I. Williamson
The author offers his views on the issue of “Theonomy”, a hotly debated topic in Christian ethics. CRTA feels that his article offers a good perspective on this difficult topic.
The Law and the Saint by Arthur W. Pink (PDF)
The Christian and the Theatre by Samuel Miller (Sermon on Theatre Attendance) (1812).
Thomas Brainerd’s Sermon on the Influence of Theatres (1840).
Detecting Some of the Errors Concerning God’s Ordinance of Civil Magistracy by James Douglas (1779-1857)
A Reformed Response to Daniel Helminiak’s Gay Theology by Derrick K. Olliff and Dewey H. Hodges
A Further Look at Pro-Homosexual Theology by Derrick K. Olliff and Dewey H. Hodges
God and the Gay Christian by Al Mohler (PDF)
A response to Matthew Vine’s homosexual viewpoint (Vines teaches that the bible does not teach God’s condemnation against the sin of homosexuality and sodomy).
The Biblical Offense of Racism by Douglas M. Jones III
Population Growth as Blessing or Blight? by E. Calvin Beisner
The Other Shoe: Copyright and the Reasonable Use of Technology by John M. Frame
This paper, published in Antithesis magazine, examines the nature of copyright law and suggests improvements that would allow for a more “reasonable” use of photocopy technologies for copyrighted materials. This issue is indeed ethical — Romans 13 binds the conscience of Christians to follow copyright laws.
The Lord’s Day, Christian Sabbath and Fourth Commandment (See the Full Lord’s Day Page Here)
The Christian Sabbath: Its Nature, Design and Proper Observance by R. L. Dabney
From, Discussions of Robert L. Dabney, Volume I, pages 496-550.
The Fourth Commandment by Charles Hodge
From his Systematic Theology, In Three Volumes. – Vol. III, pp. 321-348
The Fourth Commandment by James Durham
The Westminster Assembly’s Position on the Lord’s Day
Check out these books on the Lordโs Day at Puritan Publications. And these books:
The True Doctrine of the Sabbath, by Nicholas Bound
Moral Law and the Covenants, by Anthony Burgess
The Christian Sabbath Vindicated by Daniel Cawdrey and Herbert Palmer
The Commandments of God, by Edward Elton
Godโs Holy Mind, by Edward Elton
An Exposition of the 10 Commandments, by Ezekiel Hopkins
An Abstract of the Duties Commanded and the Sins Forbidden in the Law of God, George Downame
The Law Unsealed, James Durham
The Sermons of John Calvin on the 10 Commandments, by John Calvin
The Commandments, John Dod
Sunday a Sabbath, John Ley
A Defense of the Christian Sabbath, John Wallis
The Moral Law Expounded, Lancelot Andrews
A Brief Exposition of the Ten Commandments, Patrick Simon
The Lordโs Day, Thomas Young
The Sabbathโs Sanctification, William Gouge
The Christian Sabbath Defended, William Twisse
A Profitable Discourse on the Sabbath Day, Zachary Ursinus
Sin, The Law and the Glory of the Gospel, by Joseph Bellamy
The Lordโs Day, by Joseph Pipa
The Ten Commandments, by Thomas Watson
Theses Sabbaticae, by Thomas Shepherd
A Treatise on the Law and the Gospel, by John Calqhoun
Call the Sabbath a Delight, by Walter Chantry
Celebrating the Sabbath, by Bruce Ray
The Lordโs Day, by Daniel Wilson
The Grace of Law, by Ernest Kevan
The Law of God, by William Plumer
The Worship of the English Puritans, by Horton Davies
The Worship of the American Puritans, by Horton Davies
Calvin and the Sabbath, by Richard Gaffin
Hebrews, Volume 2, The Name, Original, Nature, Use, and Continuance of a Day of Sacred Rest, [Pages 265-460], By John Owen
Discussions, Volume 1, [Pages 496-550], by R. L. Dabney
Systematic Theology, by [Pages 351-357; 366-397], by R. L. Dabney
The Works of Jonathan Edwards Volume 2, 3 Sermons on the Perpetuity and Change of the Sabbath, [Pages 93-103] by Jonathan Edwards
The Marrow of Theology, [Pages 112, 283-284, 291-295, 298] by William Ames
The Collected Writings of John Murray, Volume 1 [Pages 205-225] and Volume 3, [Pages 34-35; 43, 49, 72-73, 75-76, 101, 108], by John Murray
Institutes of Elenctic Theology, Volume 2, [Pages 1-37; 77-100] by Francis Turretin
Institutes of the Christian Religion, Volume 2, [Book 2.8.29ff], by John Calvin
Systematic Theology Volume 3, [Pages 257-275; 321-340], by Charles Hodge
The Works of Richard Baxter, Volume 3, [879-926], by Richard Baxter
The Works of Ezekiel Hopkins, Volume 3 [Pages 236-267; 364-387], by Ezekiel Hopkins
Paul, An Outline of His Theology, [Pages 99-100; 106-107; 130-158; by Herman Ridderbos
The Sabbath Defended, James Milligan
Greg Bahnsen Articles on Ethics
Greg L. Bahnsen (September 17, 1948 โ December 11, 1995) was an American Calvinist philosopher, apologist, and debater. He was a minister in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church and a full-time Scholar in Residence for the Southern California Center for Christian Studies (SCCCS).
PE029-“The Sin of Usury”, Presbyterian Guardian 46:2(February, 1977)
PE033-“No Interest from a Brother”, Presbyterian Guardian 46:8 (September, 1977)
PE035-Letter: “About Law”, Presbyterian Guardian 47:3 (March, 1978)
PE036-Letter: “Comment on Chantry’s Review of Rushdoony”, The Banner of Truth issue 178 (July, 1978)
PE040-“The Authority of God’s Law”, Presbyterian Journal 37:2 (December 6, 1978)
PE046-Letter: Response to R. Lefevre on abortion, The Register (Santa Anna) (June 14, 1981)
PE050-“Chantry on Law and Reconstruction”, 1981 [Reply to Chantry’s God’s Righteous Kingdom]
PE054-“The Theonomic Antithesis to Other Law-Attitudes”, (1982)
PE058-“Theses on Divorce and Spousal Abuse”, [written for Special Committee of Presbytery] 1984
PE059-Letter: “Puritans Were Theonomists”, New Horizons VI:1 (Jan., 1985)
PE071-“A Moral Checkup for Your Mouth”, (Irvine, CA: Covenant Community Church November, 1987)
PE076-“What Kind of Morality Should We Legislate?”, The Biblical Worldview 4:10 (October, 1988)
PE086-“Helping the Poor Without Feeding the Beast,”; Antithesis I:2 (Mar/Apr, 1990)
PE092-“Obscenity and Absurdity”, Antithesis I:3 (May/Jun, 1990)
PE097-“Henry Miller: The Life and Literature of Obscenity”, Antithesis I:6 (Nov/Dec, 1990)
PE113-“War and Peace”, Penpoint II:1 (March 1991)
PE116-“Modern Sexuality and Religious Sanity”, Penpoint II:3 (June, 1991)
PE120-“Bigger Government, Yet Bigger Crime”, Penpoint Vol. II:5 (September, 1991)
PE134-“Oppressive Religious Liberty”, Penpoint Vol. III:1 (February 1992)
PE144-“The Theonomic Thesis in Confessional and Historical Perspective”, 1980
PE154-“Praying for a Russian Revolution”, Penpoint Vol. IV:1 (January 1993)
PE157-“Rock-and-Roll Politics”, Penpoint Vol. IV:3 (April 1993)
PE164-“A Fraternal Reply to Nelson Kloosterman”, Christian Renewal Vol. XI:7 (June 14, 1993)
PE174-“The Wacko in Waco”, Penpoint Vol. IV:3 (April, 1993)
PE177-“The Corpse of Communism”, Penpoint Vol. IV:8 (December, 1993)
PE179-“An Interview with Greg L. Bahnsen”, Calvinism Today Vol. IV:1 (January 1994)
PE180-“What is Theonomy?”, New Horizons, (April 1994)
PE187-“Recent Theonomic Discussion”, Penpoint Vol. V:4 (May 1994)
PE188-“Review of Stephen Perks’ Christianity and Law”, Penpoint V:5 (June 1994)
PE190-“Reconstructionist Voices from the Past”, Penpoint Vol. V:6 (Aug. 1994)
PE194-Letter: “Theonomy”, New Horizons, Vol. 15:10 (November 1994)
PE201-“The Ethical Issue of Trans-sexuality”, Penpoint VI:6 (June, 1995)
PE203-“Religious Pluralism and Social Anarchy”, Penpoint VI:8 (August, 1995)
PE209-Evaluation and Comparison”, Penpoint VII:6 (July 1996)