The Complete Works of Stephen Charnock (5 vols.)

by Stephen Charnock

Publishers:

G. Herbert; James Nichol; J. Nisbet & Co.; W. Robertson

, 1864–1866

Overview

Stephen Charnock was an influential Puritan minister, whose writings and sermons combined theological acumen, a thorough understanding of Scripture, and a clear grasp of philosophy. He ministered in the context of theological controversy and political upheaval, and contributed to the establishment of Reformed orthodoxy in seventeenth century England and Ireland.

The Complete Works of Stephen Charnock contains 64 theological discourses—2,804 pages of rich Puritan writing on biblical and theological topics. This collection also contains Charnock’s seminal work, The Existence and Attributes of God, found in the first two volumes. This work has become a classic text on the doctrine of God, and examines in detail God’s foreknowledge and sovereignty, and discusses the possibility of free will and natural law. No Reformed theologian prior to Charnock treated God’s existence and attributes with such clarity and depth—in fact, his was one of the first works solely devoted to the subject to appear in the Reformed theological tradition, and has become a standard work on the subject. His positions have been echoed and refined by generations of theologians, and most recently have contributed to contemporary debates over free will, foreknowledge, and the openness of God.

Stephen Charnock’s Works will interest Reformed theologians, Puritan scholars, historians of the English Reformation, and anyone interested in the open theism debate.

Key Features

• Lengthy introduction to Stephen Charnock, by James McCosh, including biographical material
• Contains The Existence and Attributes of God, the work for which Charnock is best known
• 64 theological discourses and sermons in all
• Volume 5 contains detailed indexes for the entire collections
• All Scripture references are linked to the Bibles in your library

Top Highlights

“It is necessary to excite men to daily and actual considerations of God and his nature, which would be a bar to much of that wickedness which overflows in the lives of men.” (Volume 1, Page 129)

“We must first believe that he is, and that he is what he declares himself to be, before we can seek him, adore him, and devote our affections to him, Heb. 11:6. We cannot pay God a due and regular homage unless we understand him in his perfections, what he is; and we can pay him no homage at all, unless we believe that he is.” (Volume 1, Page 129)

“‘Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods?’ &c. Interrogations are in Scripture the strongest affirmations or negations. It is here a strong affirmation of the incomparableness of God, and a strong denial of the worthiness of all creatures to be partners with him in the degrees of his excellency. It is a preference of God before all creatures in holiness, to which the purity of creatures is but a shadow; in desert of reverence and veneration, he being ‘fearful in praises.’ The angels cover their faces when they adore him in his particular perfections.” (Volume 2, Page 189)

“Doct. Holiness is a glorious perfection belonging to the nature of God, hence he is in Scripture styled often the Holy One, the Holy One of Jacob, the Holy One of Israel, and oftener entitled Holy than Almighty, and set forth by this part of his dignity more than by any other. This is more affixed as an epithet to his name than any other; you never find it expressed, his mighty name or his wise name, but his great name, and most of all his holy name. This is his greatest title of honour; in this doth the majesty and venerableness of his name appear.” (Volume 2, Page 190)

Praise for the Print Edition

The place of Stephen Charnock among theologians has long been definite and distinguished. . . . Massive, substantial, and thorough, [Charnock’s works] well represent the religious thinking and character of the man.

—The Evangelical Witness and Presbyterian Review, 1865

Product Details

• Title: The Complete Works of Stephen Charnock (5 vols.)
• Author: Stephen Charnock
• Publisher: James Nichol
• Volumes: 5
• Pages: 2,804

Individual Overviews

Volume 1

• Author: Stephen Charnock
• Publisher: James Nichol
• Publication Date: 1864
• Pages: 536

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

Introduction to Charnock’s Works by James McCosh

• Biography of Stephen Charnock
• Puritan Preaching
• Philosophical Principles of Puritan Theology

A Treatise of Divine Providence

• Discourse on the Existence and Attributes of God
  • Discourse upon the Existence of God
  • Practical Atheism
  • A Discourse upon God’s Being a Spirit
  • A Discourse upon Spiritual Worship
  • A Discourse upon the Eternity of God
  • A Discourse upon the Immutability of God
  • A Discourse upon God’s Omnipresence
  • A Discourse upon God’s Knowledge

Volume 2

• Author: Stephen Charnock
• Publisher: James Nichol
• Publication Date: 1864
• Pages: 544

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

Discourse on the Existence and Attributes of God, continued

• A Discourse upon the Wisdom of God
• A Discourse upon the Power of God
• A Discourse upon the Holiness of God
• A Discourse upon the Goodness of God
• A Discourse upon God’s Dominion
• A Discourse upon God’s Patience

Volume 3

• Author: Stephen Charnock
• Publisher: James Nichol
• Publication Date: 1865
• Pages: 534

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

• The Necessity of Regeneration
• A Discourse on the Nature of Regeneration
• A Discourse on the Efficient of Regeneration
• A Discourse of the Word, the Instrument of Regeneration
• A Discourse of God’s Being the Author of Reconciliation
• A Discourse of the Cleansing Virtue of Christ’s Blood

Volume 4

• Author: Stephen Charnock
• Publisher: James Nichol
• Publication Date: 1865
• Pages: 598

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

• A Discourse of the Knowledge of God
• A Discourse of the Knowledge of God in Christ
• A Discourse of Conviction of Sin
• A Discourse of Unbelief, Proving It Is the Greatest Sin
• A Discourse of the Misery of Unbelievers
• A Discourse Shewing Who Are Unbelievers
• A Discourse of the End of the Lord’s Supper
• A Discourse of the Subjects of the Lord’s Supper
• A Discourse of the Unworthy Receiving of the Lord’s Supper
• A Discourse of Self-Examination
• A Discourse of the Knowledge of Christ Crucified
• A Discourse of Christ Our Passover
• A Discourse of the Voluntariness of Christ’s Death
• A Discourse of the Acceptableness of Christ’s Death
• A Discourse of Obedience

Volume 5

• Author: Stephen Charnock
• Publisher: James Nichol
• Publication Date: 1866
• Pages: 592

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

• A Discourse of the Necessity of Christ’s Death
• A Discourse of the Necessity of Christ’s Exaltation
• A Discourse of Christ’s Intercession
• A Discourse of the Object of Faith
• A Discourse of Afflictions
• A Discourse of the Removal of the Gospel
• A Discourse of Mercy Received
• A Discourse of Mortification
• A Discourse Proving Weak Grace Victorious
• A Discourse of the Sinfulness and Cure of Thoughts
• A Discourse of the Church’s Stability
• A Discourse upon the Fifth of November
• A Discourse of Delight in Prayer
• A Discourse of Mourning for Other Men’s Sins
• A Discourse for the Comfort of Child-Bearing Women
• A Discourse of the Sins of the Regenerate
• A Discourse of the Pardon of Sin
• Man’s Enmity to God
• The Chief Sinners Objects of the Choicest Mercy
• Indexes

About Stephen Charnock

Stephen Charnock (1628-1680), was a Puritan theologian and author, perhaps best known for his work The Existence and Attributes of God, which was first published posthumously by Richard Adams and Edward Veal in 1682.

(From Theopedia.com. Freely redistributable under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license.)