Richard Cameron Reformed Presbyterian Martyr

"...[H]e [Richard Cameron-GB] went over to Holland in the year of 1678, not knowing what work the Lord had for him there; where he conversed with Mr. M'Ward [Robert McWard-GB] and others of the banished Worthies. In his private conversation and exercise in families, but especially by his public sermon in the Scots Kirk at Rotterdam, he was most refreshing unto many souls. He dwelt mostly upon conversion work, from that text, Matt. 11:28: 'Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest;' which was most satisfying and agreeable to Mr. M'Ward and Mr. Brown [John Brown of Wamphray-GB], and others who had been informed by the Indulged, and those of their persuasion, that he could preach nothing but babble against the Indulgence, cess paying, etc. Here he touched upon none of these things, except in prayer when lamenting over the deplorable case of Scotland by means of defection and tyranny.

About this time Mr. M'Ward said to him, 'Richard the public standard has now fallen in Scotland; and, if I know anything of the mind of the Lord, ye are called to undergo your trials [ordination exam-GB] before us, to go home, and lift the fallen standard, and display it publicly before the whole world. But before you put your hand to it, ye shall go to as many field ministers as ye can find, and give them your hearty invitation to go with you; and if they will not go, go alone, and the Lord will go with you.'

Accordingly he was ordained by Mr. M'Ward, Mr. Brown, and Roleman, a famous Dutch divine. When their hands were lifted up from his [Richard Cameron's-GB] head, Mr. M'Ward continued this still and cried out, 'Behold all ye beholders, here is the head of a faithful minister and servant of Jesus Christ, who shall lose the same for his master's interest, and it shall be set up before sun and moon, in the view of the world.' (John Howie, The Scots Worthies, 1781, p. 423).

On July 22, 1680, faithful Richard Cameron was martyred in Airsmoss. His head and hands cut off and taken to Edinburgh, just as Robert M'Ward had spoken.

Before his murderers committed the barbarous act of publicly displaying his head and hands upon the Netherbow Port, they first had one further act of antichristian cruelty to enact. His father being in prison for the same cause, they carried them [Cameron's head and hands-GB] to him, to add grief unto his former sorrow, and inquired at him if he knew them. Taking his son's head and hands which were very fair - being a man of fair complexion like himself- - he kissed them, and said, 'I know- - I know them; they are my son's - my own dear son's. It is the Lord - good is the will of the Lord, who cannot wrong me nor mine, but hath made goodness and mercy to follow us all our days.' After which, by order of the Council, his head was fixed upon the Netherbow Port, and his hands beside it with the fingers upward. (John Howie, The Scots Worthies, 1781, pp. 428-429). - As cited in The Covenanted Reformation Defended by Greg Barrow, available free online at http://www.reformedpresbytery.org/books/index.html or at http://www.swrb.com/newslett/actualNLs/covrefgb.htm - as well as among the free resources included on the Puritan Hard Drive. The Covenanted Reformation Defended by Greg Barrow is the best book ever written, in contemporary, easy-to-read language, defending the classic Covenanter or Reformed Presbyterian (Paleopresbyterian or Protester) position. Greg Barrow's book, The Covenanted Reformation Defended, also includes a myriad of quotations from Reformed Presbyterian source documents (including many rare books from the Second Reformation) with extensive application to our day. If you are interested in the views of the most faithful Reformers and the most biblical Reformed churches (i.e., the very best of classic Reformed theology) The Covenanted Reformation Defended is probably the most useful book you could read.

Resolutioners and Protesters (Covenanted Presbyterians)

"The Resolutioners and Protesters were two parties formed in the Church of Scotland in consequence of certain resolutions agreed upon by the Commission of the General Assembly, and afterwards approved of by the Assembly itself, with respect to the admission into places of power and trust in the Army and State of such as had by various Acts of Parliament been excluded on account of their malignancy or opposition to the covenant and liberties of the nation, provided they gave satisfaction to the Church. Those who approved of these resolutions were called 'Resolutioners;' those who were opposed to them were called 'Anti-Resolutioners,' or 'Protesters,' from their having given in or adhered to a protestation against the lawfulness of the Assembly held July 1651, at St. Andrews, and adjourned to Dundee, by which these resolutions were ratified. The protestation was given in by the famous Samuel Rutherford, and signed by twenty-two members. Future events showed the impolicy of these resolutions. The men who were admitted by them into places of power and trust in the Army and State became, as the Protesters always predicted, the persecutors of the Church. Had the counsels of the Protesters prevailed, the twenty-eight years' persecution might not have existed." - James Anderson in the Martyrs of the Bass, in "The Bass Rock," p. 181.

"It is our goal to unite the Church of Christ in every land by means of promoting a truly covenanted reformation in accordance with the prayer of our Lord, "That they may be one, even as we are one (John 17:22)... We do not consider the Reformed Presbytery In North America (RPNA-ed.) to be an entirely new entity, but rather a continuation of the one moral person with other covenanted judicatories of the past, and with those faithful witnesses of the Covenanted Reformation known as Protesters and Society People (1650-1742 inclusive). Accordingly, when we refer above to our 'Constitution,' we include within it all the judicial documents comprehended and engaged unto in our 'Six Terms Of Ecclesiastical Communion' - specifically, only those documents which are agreeable to the Word of God, and consistent with our covenanted attainments, as they were formally received and approved by the following covenanted judicatories between the following inclusive dates:

1. The Church Of Scotland (1560-1602, 1638-1649).

2. The Reformed Presbytery In Scotland (1743-1808), and the Synod Of The Reformed Presbyterian Church In Scotland (1809-1821).

3. The Reformed Presbytery In Ireland (1763-1779, 1782-1810), and the Synod Of The Reformed Presbyterian Church In Ireland (1811-1839).

4. The Reformed Presbytery In America (1774 -1778, 1798 -1805, 1840 -1845, 1854 -1887)."

- Reformed Presbytery In North America, (RPNA) Deed Of Constitution.

The Six Points of the "Terms of Ministerial and Christian Communion in the Reformed Presbyterian Church" as listed at the end of The Act, Declaration, and Testimony for the Whole of Our Covenanted Reformation by the Reformed Presbytery, 1761, 1876, (1995, SWRB)

In order both to define our boundaries of fellowship and to make clear the conditions upon which we will unite with others, we desire to be explicit and forthright about our beliefs. These beliefs, otherwise known as our "terms of communion," are as follows:

1. An acknowledgement of the Old and New Testament to be the Word of God, and the alone infallible rule of faith and practice.

2. That the whole doctrine of the Westminster Confession of Faith, and the Catechisms, Larger and Shorter, are agreeable unto, and founded upon the Scriptures.

3. That Presbyterial Church Government and manner of worship are alone of divine right and unalterable; and that the most perfect model of these as yet attained, is exhibited in the Form of Government and Directory for Worship, adopted by the Church of Scotland in the Second Reformation.

4. That public, social covenanting is an ordinance of God, obligatory on churches and nations under the New Testament; that the National Covenant and the Solemn League are an exemplification of this divine institution; and that these Deeds are of continued obligation upon the moral person; and in consistency with this, that the Renovation of these Covenants at Auchensaugh, Scotland, 1712 was agreeable to the word of God.

5. An approbation of the faithful contendings of the martyrs of Jesus, especially in Scotland, against Paganism, Popery, Prelacy, Malignancy and Sectarianism; immoral civil governments; Erastian tolerations and persecutions which flow from them; and of the Judicial Testimony emitted by the Reformed Presbytery in North Britain, 1761 with supplements from the Reformed Presbyterian Church; as containing a noble example to be followed, in contending for all divine truth, and in testifying against all corruptions embodied in the constitutions of either churches or states.

6. Practically adorning the doctrine of God our Savior by walking in all His commandments and ordinances blamelessly.

On March 22, 1996, the session of Puritan Reformed Church of Edmonton adopted the terms of communion above. Subsequently the Reformed Presbytery in North America (RPNA) was formed on August 5, 2000, and the RPNA Deed of Constitution can be viewed at http://www.swrb.com/Puritan/reformed-presbytery-rpna.htm. These terms of communion are also available in Spanish, French, Dutch, Russian and Ukrainian at http://www.reformedpresbytery.org/toc.html. More of Greg Price's Reformed Presbyterian writings are free online at http://www.reformedpresbytery.org/books/index.html and hundreds of his Covenanter MP3 sermons are available at no charge, compliments of Still Waters Revival Books, at http://www.sermonaudio.com/go/13220 - as well as among the free resources included on the Puritan Hard Drive.