INTERVIEW: Rev. Dr. Wayne Pearce (Church of Scotland) & Rev. Donald Veitch (WCF-BCP-TFU)
AN ORTHODOX, CALVINISTIC, REFORMED, SCOTS EPISCOPALIAN EMBRACING THE 1560 SCOTS CONFESSION. OH NO! VIVA LA REFORMA!
Rev. Dr. Wayne Pearce (Church of Scotland) and I chatted. Refreshing in the communion of saints with Christ PRESENT (not ABSENT as New Oxfordians allege). Before we start, a side note: Dr. Pearce was born in Peebles, Scotland whence a certain Robert Veitch came from—a direct descendent of this Robert Veitch (CoS then CoE in Canada, Robert Veitch (1808-1891)). Back on point. Dr. Pearce discussed his undergraduate and doctoral work, Ph.D., on the Archbishop of St. Andrews, a Church of Scotland Episcopalian, John Spottiswood (1565-1639), buried in Westminster Abbey. The Archbishop’s father, another John Spottiswoode, was one of the six Johns who crafted the Scots Confession of 1560, itself, a close cousin to the French Huguenots’ Confession crafted by Calvin. Dr. Pearce reminded us all that all these men—Episcopalians included—were “orthodox Calvinists.” The Scots Confession of 1560 ruled the day as Confessing Churchmen. For the old RECers, this is helpful. Old RECers were Dordtrechian until they weren’t (generation 5, 1990s-2023). One new REC Bishop told a Professor of Theology to stop teaching Dordt and TULIP. For the new RECers, it is unfortunate and inconvenient news. For ACNERs, “that was back then and not for today…besides, that would gum up the works of ecclesiastical pluriformity…we’re protecting the charismatics and New Oxfordians and we want Bread-Worshipping and necromancy.” TECers—“What’s orthodox Calvinism?” It must be added that Reformed Theology is NOT just about soteriology—it’s ABOUT, CHIEFLY AND PRINCIPALLY, the orthodox doctrine of the Holy Trinity. (H/t to Prof. Hoeksema and the Rev. Dr. Andy Underhile for underlining this essential point. Dr. Pearce and I briefly started discussing Jacobean and Caroline politics and Archbishop Spottiswood’s role in it. The Archbishop’s father, a “Superintendent” ( = Bishop) in the Presbyterian church, crowned the infant, James VI/I. Of all things, an OTHODOX, REFORMED, CALVINISTIC, SCOTS EPISCOPALIAN WITH THE 1560 SCOTS CONFESSION! An old school Reformed Episcopalian! The old kind!. VIVA LA REFORMA!
God willing, more to come, especially on how these matters may be re-appropriated in 2023.
