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The author’s narrative recounts the reformation of the church in 1834, when Hendrik de Cock witnessed against the false doctrines and unspiritual character of the state Reformed church of the Netherlands. After having been unceremoniously suspended and deposed from office, he led his congregation to return to the biblical worship of God in Christ Jesus as set forth in the Reformed creeds, which represents the faith of God’s saints throughout the ages. His witness has inspired the witness of hundreds of thousands of people throughout the world until this day.
This book therefore recounts one man’s struggle against the perversions of scripture by the vast majority of ordained pastors in the state Reformed church with its million or more spiritually sleeping members. Contra mundum was the character of this struggle for the truth. De Cock’s witness therefore was a trumpet blast in the night of spiritual darkness that awakened God’s people at the morn of a new day, while at the same time it angered and galvanized the unfaithful ecclesiastical administrators in opposition. De Cock gave witness to the sole authority of sacred scripture and to the binding authority of the Reformed creeds, which for Reformed believers is derived from the binding authority of the Bible.
What others are saying about the book:
"Reformed Christians today can, and must, judge among the churches claiming to be the spiritual heirs of 1834 by ascertaining which of them love, readily confess, preach, and defend the Canons of Dordt...1834 is a bombshell on the vast choir of Reformed churches sweetly singing the 'gentle, lovely spirit of Christianity.' With the publication of the book, the RFPA continues firmly to establish itself as a unique, necessary Reformed publisher. It produces books addressing issues, current developments, and history that are critical for the maintenance, recovery, and promotion of historic, creedal, doctrinal, Reformed Christianity in our time. The real issues, the significant developments, and the vital history! Strange and discordant pieces of music in an age when many nominally Reformed publishers devote themselves to contributing scores for the wider, louder singing of the 'gentle, lovely spirit of Christianity'!" - David J. Engelsma (the Standard Bearer)
Read reviews by Dr. Wes Bredenhof, David Engelsma, Dr. Eugene Heideman, E. T. Kirkland, Cornelius Pronk, Clayton Spronk, Pieter VanderMeyden, and Charles Terpstra (The Three R's blog). Read reviews on Goodreads.com here. Find more reviews at the Covenant Protestant Reformed Church (NI) bookstore page here.
Marvin Kamps (1940-2014) was a minister of the word in the Protestant Reformed Churches from 1976-1993. He served congregations in Iowa, Washington, and West Michigan.
- 512 pages
- hardcover
- ISBN 978-1-936054-32-9
- Release date: March 21, 2014
eBook version available