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BY
PASTOR OF THE R.P. CONGREGATION, PHILADELPHIA.
“The labourer is worthy of his hire.”—Luke 10:7.
“I have coveted no man’s silver, or gold, or apparel.”—Acts 20:33.
PHILADELPHIA:
PRESS OF WILLIAM SYCKELMOORE, 1420 CHESTNUT STREET.
1883-David Steele.-An apology for writing this book with an explanation of the inseparability of history from biography.
1883-David Steele.-This section gives an account of his ancestry and early years growing up in a Covenanter family in Ireland.
1883-David Steele.-This section covers emigration to the United States from Ireland, in 1824, meeting some of his brothers who had emigrated earlier and discovering their abandonment of Covenanter principles, and his education in preparation for the ministry in the RP church.
1883-David Steele.-This section covers the beginning of Steele’s ministry, in 1830, his ordination, in 1831, his early attempts to reform the session and his early concern over voluntary associations.
1883-David Steele.-This section mentions Steele’s predecessor at Brush Creek, Ohio, the growing laxity regarding occasional hearing together with its contribution to the Old Light/New Light split, in 1833, and the case of Robert Lusk who had been deposed in 1825.
1883-David Steele.-This section concerns the issue of slavery, the RP Synod of 1834 and its failure to censure occasional hearing, and the growing toleration of voluntary associations.
1883-David Steele.-This section concerns the RP Synod of 1836 and the controversy over voluntary associations with respect to the issue of slavery, the meeting of the Western subordinate synod and the move to reinstate Robert Lusk to the ministry.
1883-David Steele.-This section concerns the RP Synod of 1838, petitioning for a restoration of the term “testimony” to its original and historic significance, agitation over lining of the Psalms, together with the Francis Gailey affair.
1883-David Steele.-This section contains the account of the controversy over voluntary associations and the formation of the Reformed Presbytery, in 1840.
1883-David Steele.-This section concerns the commencement of ministry under the jurisdiction of the Reformed Presbytery, erected in 1840 together with some trials at the hands of false brethren.
1883-David Steele.-This section concerns the two parties contending in the world (the seed of the serpent and the seed of the woman), the need for creeds and terms of communion and the decline that arises from abandoning ecclesiastical standards (1650-1863).
1883-David Steele.-This section concerns the toleration of occasional hearing, abandonment of the Auchensaugh Renovation as a term of communion and remodeling of the Testimony of the RP church, in Scotland, to exclude history as a term of communion (1796-1822).
1883-David Steele.-This section outlines the war against the doctrine of occasional hearing and the developing party spirit seeking compromise with the political world in the United States. These are the events and issues leading up to the Old Light/New Light split, in 1833.
1883-David Steele.-This section discusses the steps of defection from reformation principles (the first of which is always occasional hearing), the subjection of the church to worldly principles and the need for historical testimony in all proper testimony-bearing.
1883-David Steele.-In these concluding remarks, Mr. Steele expresses no regrets for remaining steadfast in the old paths and he understands all of the persecuting of him to be the result of his faithful contendings, as it always has been with the people of God. Those departing always persecute those who stand fast.
1883-David Steele.-In this Appendix, Mr. Steele defends his commitment to ministry and the support of the covenanted cause of Reformation even in the United States. He gives a sense of what it took to ride the circuit to scattered adherents in the 19th century Mid-west.
1883-David Steele.-This Appendix addresses charges and concerns about his finances. He defends his own labor, austerity and frugality as means to advance the end of maintain a ministry to those of his charge. This he contrasts with the case of ministers with settled charges who play the ecclesiastical politics.
1883-David Steele.-This Appendix addresses numerous charges leveled by his opponents in an exercise of self-defense together with a defense of undertaking self-defense against unjust charges. One of the most significant revelations he makes has to do with charges that he had personal animus toward James R. Willson.
1883-David Steele.-This Appendix discusses the difference between testimony and law both as a necessary understanding for distinguishing the Gospel from the Law as well as providing insight into why we need historical testimony if we would maintain our ecclesiastical identity as Covenanters.
