Commentary on The Separatist Papers
February, 2008
There may be
several reasons why I elected to post these essays to the
#1
- "A
Metaphysics for Christian Separatism" (1982)
In this essay, I follow Rushdoony's lead and identify
the ontological Trinity as the organizing principle of
true society. Civilization is measured by
its ability to create and enforce distinctions in society. Paganism results
in the extremes of static or anarchistic cultures. Trinitarianism results in a
balance between unity and diversity, since man always images the God he
worships. Separatism challenges the drift of society toward absorption into a
single institution. Separatism is predicated by Trinitarian theology.
R. J. Rushdoony became a prominent 20th
Century theologian because of his association with the Christian
Reconstructionist movement (CR). It was
instrumental in the development of the so-called, “Christian New Right” which
catapulted Ronald Reagan to the Presidency in 1980 and dominated American
politics for the next twenty years in the rhetoric of social conservatism.
Christian Reconstructionism is basically a
revival of the theocratic ideal of Calvin.
Calvinism thought to preserve medieval institutions by limiting its
reforms to replacing the Papacy with the presbytery. This has been addressed in the subsequent
issues of The Separatist Papers.
In this essay, the unique feature of
Christianity as a Trinitarian religion is emphasized. Pagan religions are either monistic (one god
or divine principle, e.g. Mohammedan), dualistic (two gods(esses) or divine
principles, e.g. Zoroastrianism) or polytheistic (many gods and goddesses, e.g.
animistic religions). By making Christianity
originate in the Triune God, it is different and separate from all the religions the world has ever known.
A number of skeptics have sought to link
Christianity with the numerous “mother-child” cults of ancient mythology. There can be no doubt that the ancient
religions anticipated the Gospel, so close are the parallels. But the Creeds of
the Church retained the integrity of the faith in its Trinitarian formula and
the doctrine of the Incarnation. In
arguing the co-equality of the three persons of the Trinity . . . and their
essential unity . . . the Church steered clear of pagan thought. And in arguing for the two natures of Christ,
“without mingling and without confusion,” Christianity offered the world a
“once for all time” Savior. Not the annual seasons of atonement required in
fertility religion.
Although not noted here (see The Holy Conspiracy), the Druids were
Trinitarian. In the doctrine of the
Trinity, we see the heavenly family and the foundations of a Christian social
order. This familism is anticipated in the biblical patriarchs and the
Messianic doctrine of later Grail theology.
#2 - "The Kingdom of
God" (1982)
This
is an expanded version of Rev. Gordon C. Olson's chart of "The Moral Government
of God". Separatism is concerned about marking boundaries between the various institutions of society
(church, state, school, etc.) That is best done by identifying their
distinct missions in society. This chart serves as a useful teaching tool for
that purpose.
Rev. Gordon C. Olson was a 20th Century
advocate of Pelagianism. Along with Dr.
Harry Conn, he was an early spiritual leader for various revivalistic movements
formed during the 1960s and 1970s such as Youth With A Mission (YWAM), Men for
Missions, and Arminian churches which favored the revival theology of Charles
Finney. Historians of American
Evangelicalism will recognize Finney and his
Pelagius was perhaps the first and greatest theologian
of the
Olson, like Pelagius and Finney, emphasized the
doctrine of free will and the notion of individual responsibility. Olson wrote several little books, the most
popular, perhaps, being The Moral
Government of God, in which is found a chart similar to the one represented
in this second essay.
Since most people think of the state first when using the
word “government,” it is a mistaken impression that Olson’s works have to do
with politics. He viewed the primary
form of government as “self government” – the self-controlled actions of the
individual. The “incipiency of the will”
or “free moral agency” was the foundation of his thinking, and developing that
doctrine theologically dominated most of his writings. The doctrine of free will is the foundation
of a free society.
The idea of viewing the institutions of society as
influences rather than causes seems to be the linchpin in this theological
system. Animals, for example, are not
usually thought of as sentient beings.
For them, their social structures operate according to instinct and
appear to be irresistible.
For humans, on the other hand, our social structures
are created through rational thought in conformance to perceived needs. Our institutions can change and can provide
motives for human behavior, but not causes, at least of the kind which create
moral character, and thus, moral accountability. The doctrine of predestination usually lies
at the foundation of totalitarian societies.
#3 - "The Divine
Mandate for Christian Separatism" (1983)
This
essay is primarily a topical study on the doctrine of sanctification, a
theological term which means, "separated." A discussion of the
biblical passages which recur frequently in Separatist literature is presented
here.
“Come out from among them, and be ye
separate, saith the LORD” is perhaps the most common text in separatistic,
Christian sects. It was one used by the
separatistic Pilgrims and one which has frequently created the urge for
geographical re-location for many persecuted religious groups.
In founding Separatism on a distinction in
ethics, this Christian view rejects the ceremonialism, racialism, and
dogma. Moral character becomes the basis
of personal holiness and the standard of social ethics. Humankind is not divided according to race, liturgical
practice, or status, but upon covenant-keeping or covenant-breaking.
Although this essay sounds harsh in its
defense of social conservativism, it is truly generous in its view that all can
become righteous and sanctified through a personal choice of commitment to
Jesus Christ.
Personal integrity becomes the source of
social renewal. People without integrity
are absorbed by the institutions of society and are shaped by them.
#4 - "An Eschatology
for Christian Separatism" page one (1983)
"An Eschatology
for Christian Separatism" page two
In
this essay I attempt to distinguish Separatism from Escapism. Separatism is
correctly identified with the historic and orthodox views of Bible prophecy, as
opposed to modern, dispensational ones. Separatism teaches an eschatology of
victory in history. A shorter essay on the Cultural Mandate is included with
it.
Predestination often takes form in various
views of prophecy, whether biblical, or otherwise. It has a fatalistic view of history and sees
no room for choice in human destiny. In
founding its beliefs upon free will, the Separatist believes that his decision
in favor of personal holiness will make a difference in terms of not only the
fate of the individual, but also the fate of society. Many times God changes His plans according to
the human response. A correct view of
prophecy will see it as a warning, not a sentence of doom.
The
Modern dispensationalism and Zionism
adhere to a view of Bible prophecy which is fatalistic. True Christian Separatism does not embrace
such a dark view of mankind’s future.
#5 - "Separatism and
the Biblical Family" page one (1983)
"Separatism
and the Biblical Family" page two
"At
one time, Separatists insisted on the separation of church and state as two separate
law-spheres. This was done to protect the integrity of both. Today, Separatists
demand the separation of family and state, to protect the family's integrity as
a law-sphere under God."
As explained in later essays, the
organizing principle of social order for the Pilgrims was
congregationalism. In this essay, the
foundation is laid to prove that the family should be that organizing
principle. “The true danger to the family
lies in the construction of social institutions which are not family centered
and family controlled.” What that means
is that a viable society which spans the generations must have an organic
unity. The family is the only
institution which can provide an organic connection in social
relationships. “Blood is thicker than
water”: meaning, kinship produces a stronger bond than baptism.
Is this a contradiction of separatism or
is it a consistent conclusion to its premise?
That question is answered later, but regardless, the family as a
separate law sphere in modern society has been undermined by state intrusion,
especially in education. Separatism calls for a distinction in the
roles of the various institutions of society. The blurring of these roles leads to tyranny.
#6 - "Economics and
Christian Separatism" page one (1983)
"Economics
and Christian Separatism" page two
This
essay presents a view of economics and private property which distinguishes
Separatism from Christian communism (Anabaptist). Separatism also calls for
family capitalism and opposes corporate capitalism.
Separatism argues for private property
because each individual must have the opportunity for righteous dominion. There must be some measure for covenantal
faithfulness. Communism and corporatism
separates management (dominion) from ownership (property) and blurs the lines
of accountability. The result is a
hireling who “careth not for the sheep.”
A hard currency separates one economic transaction from another. This separation provides the yardstick to
measure the true value of each economic exchange. With it comes immediate feedback as to
whether it was a profitable decision or not.
Various communal systems beyond the simple structure of the extended
family eliminate accountability and spread the consequences of bad decisions
among too many people. Poor economic
decisions are multiplied without detection until the entire group is in
jeopardy.
#7 - "Christian
Separatism: The Source of American Liberty” page one (1983)
“Christian
Separatism: The Source of American Liberty” page two
Faith
in God's providential grace enables one to separate from a wicked society and set up a godly order. Unbelief
creates dependence upon collective and institutional remedies to earthly
problems. A somewhat sentimental look at the Pilgrims is also presented.
A central theme in Moral Government
theology is the doctrine of design. This
is the belief that truth is found in the discovery of the Creator’s intent for
His creation. Nature, reason, and
science are all valid parts of this process.
The Separatist will recognize man’s limitations and biases in the
discovery of truth and will accept the Bible as an infallible source of truth
to test his ethical decisions. Yet on
the other hand, it is quite evident that the Bible itself has created a
cacophony of conflicting voices as to its interpretation. Biblical interpretation must also be
subjected to what is reasonable. An
accurate interpretation of the Bible will fit with nature, rational thought and
science. They all work together.
For example, the Bible was written in a
cultural setting. Archeology becomes a
source to help us interpret the Bible.
In terms of ethics, it is obvious that our sexuality exists primarily to
propagate the species. On this both
science and the Bible agree. Yet, there are people with sexual yearnings who
can never succeed at reproduction. In
the Bible, they were known as eunuchs.
Sometimes, eunuchs experienced role confusion.
This essay rightly condemns homosexual
behavior, but it is the kind condemned in the Bible: men with reproductive
capacity who use it in a non-reproductive way.
There are some people who have the “gay gene,” a propensity toward
effeminacy. They correspond to what
Jesus says of those “who are born eunuchs.”
We should accept the full counsel of God’s Word and not selective
passages to further a harsh political agenda.
The doctrine of design teaches us that
mankind was created to love liberty. It
is the adventure of life’s discoveries which makes it worth the while. To be under the rule or command of someone
else is not necessarily a status of slavery, if that ruler governs according to
God’s law. For God’s law provides the
path of liberty in every stage and station of life. The Pilgrims declared subjugation to their
King James who ruled “by the grace of God, etc.” meaning they understood his
rule was efficacious as long as he ruled as a Christian servant. The Pilgrims were in subjection to each other
and in so doing created the first free society on American soil.
The Grail quest, too, seeks the harmony of
man with the created order. The Druids
taught that it is accomplished when men enter into every “rhith” of existence:
the experiences which teach balance.
None of us can live so long, and Christians do not believe in
reincarnation which can provide a continuation of our moral development. Instead, we teach a covenant unity with Jesus
Christ who has entered every rhith and has become our wisdom. Our union with Christ brings harmony with
creation. It is the surrender of our
will to His as it is manifested in our covenant head in the Desposyni.
#8 - "The Separatism
of the Pilgrim Fathers" (1986)
A historical study into the Separatist theology of the
Pilgrims, and how it resulted in the two great systems
of American society: Congregationalism and localism.
It is important to understand that
In many ancient societies – indeed, in
most of human society – the group is emphasized over the individual. One’s identity is not based upon
self-consciousness, but rather on participation in group think and group
action. All totalitarian societies rely
upon the dominance of some form of collectivism.
Most of human history is marked by
societies created through conquest and coercion. They have not been free societies. The notion of a free society relies upon the
separate uniqueness and dignity of each individual and the requirement that
society must rely upon the choice of each individual who participates in it for
its continued existence. Free societies
are based upon the idea of covenant.
Now, at first blush, it may seem that
covenantalism is antithetical to separatism.
Separatism means breaking-apart, while covenantalism means bringing
together. However, this essay argues
that separatism is really simply Protestant covenantalism: mutual loyalty based
upon biblical mandates.
Many years ago, someone asked me if the
Bible requires Christians to covenant together.
At the time, I was a bit confused and I couldn’t offer much proof
because I thought it was one of those axiomatic truths, like “all men are
created equal” and “the sky is blue.” I
thought it was equivalent to asking whether the Bible requires us to form
societies or not – a rather absurd turn of thought. Marriage requires a social structure. So does commerce. Settling disputes in the various challenges
of life requires some mechanism for resolution, unless we want to resort to
murder and war to settle our differences.
I could argue the point that human
existence relies upon social organization at various levels to prove the necessity
of covenant. But the moral necessity to covenant is
predicated upon the prayer: “Thy kingdom come.”
The Holy Trinity is a society and manifests self-government with union
in a perfection and quality which is a testimony to its moral imperative. If it is our prayer for the kingdom of heaven
to make its presence known on earth, then covenantalism becomes an essential
Christian doctrine.
In feudal societies, fealty could be
created through reciprocating vows.
These were catholic societies which relied upon the established Church
to guide the moral discharge of these obligations. Wycliffe introduced the Bible as the supreme
commentary on social relationships. For
any vow to be binding, it was required to conform to the standards of God’s
Word first. This was Separatist doctrine
and remains evident today in the legal notions of “breach of contract” and the
nullification of unconstitutional laws.
#9 - "The Church
According to Separatist Doctrine" (1986)
Distinguishing
between the Church Universal and the church as an institution in society is
the first purpose of this essay.
Secondly, it describes the
institutional church as
it is organized
according to congregational principles. This
form of polity
became dominant in
American society through, of all
people, the Puritans, who converted to the
Even though the second essay on “The
Kingdom of God” asserts that the institutional church is presbyterian in form,
I meant it in terms of its internal
government, not in its relations to other churches. According to the congregational system, each
local church is autonomous.
Congregationalism historically has viewed hierarchical churches, like
the Anglican and Presbyterian, as antithetical, even apostate systems of church
government. The Congregationalists were
like the Anabaptists in terms of local autonomy, but they differed in internal
government. The Anabaptists tried to
practice a pure democracy, while the Congregationalists relied upon elders and
teachers.
Congregationalism became embedded in
American law. Hierarchical churches
could not enforce their will on local congregations; even if they were a part
of the respective denomination. That was
because local property rights were absolute.
It wasn’t until after the Civil War, when corporations were permitted
equal rights as “persons” under the law, that hierarchical denominations could
own the property of local congregations.
Prior to the Civil War, all churches were congregational, by operation
of American law, even if they were not so by name. Most people do not know this.
At the end of this essay, I reference the
compilations of Verna Hall and her “monumental collections” of early American
documents which explain, in their own words, the system established by the
first comers. These books are
encyclopedic in size, yet essential in arriving at a correct understanding of
our nation’s Christian foundations. The
reliance upon secondary sources has created a defective understanding of what
true Americanism is.
Few of our local churches today are truly
congregational. In fact, most Christians
believe a local church is a cult unless it is affiliated with a larger
denomination. Is it any wonder, then,
that Americans cannot stop the rise of totalitarian government? Their form of church government is
totalitarian. Jesus said, “Ye are the
light of the world.” If the church be a
place of bondage, so will be society.
#10 - "Separatism and
America's Christian Foundations" (1987)
This
essay is a closer study of the Anglo-American branch of the Protestant Reformation as headed by John Wycliffe. A
short account of Wycliffe's work and theology and its impact upon
Protestantism in
This essay was one of
consummative importance because it traced Separatistic doctrine straight back
to Wycliffe. It requires more than one reading
and some familiarity with “
What redeemed their
theology was an insistence on a genuine incipiency of the human will. Even with his predestinarianism, Wycliffe
still saw the human will as real and not collective. He saw each human being as individuals who
needed to hear the message of the Gospel and given an opportunity to respond to
it. This fundamental perspective carried
through his Lollard followers, then to the Separatists, and then to the
revivalistic denominations which emerged later in
Later, I would
discover that this view was inherent in the Celtic tradition and in
Druidism. The Romans taught a
collective, and the Latin Church followed suit.
The Celts taught the freedom of the human spirit and readily adapted
themselves to the Gospel which was a call to all men to repent. But at the time of this writing, I did not
yet see its apostolic origins.
#11 - "Separatism and
the American Nation" (1987)
The
final published essay. It is a historical study describing how Separatism transformed itself into the Americanism of the
19th century. The 20th century has been the setting of a contest for the
soul of the American people between Separatism (Americanism) and an
increasingly pagan imperialism. The essay ends on an uncertain note, mirroring
the uncertainty of
A misprint here has the Battle of Hastings
in 1076 AD; it was 1066 AD. The average
reader wouldn’t even notice, but unforgiving nitpickers use details like this
to discredit a thesis, any thesis, they don’t like. In this case, I am arguing for a parochial
perspective of
Elite can never be truly described as
“nationalistic.” All elites look upon
themselves as “world class” celebrities with no interest in the pettiness of
patriotism. This has been true of every
nation of every age. Elites own estates,
plantations, factories, and a host of other interests in many countries. They have no loyalty to any particular country.
Many American elite have duel
citizenship. They own corporations
around the globe. They invest in every
stock market. What is bad for Americans
one day is not bad for them. For if
stocks decline in
Did
Regardless, every decline of empire still
leaves the original root: the nation which started it all.
Let us hope that it is an
* * *
I might mention that several issues of The
Separatist Review were published:
"The Election
Year Blues" (RJ. Thiry)
(Excellent article)
:
"The Dying
Gasps of American Civilization" page two
(An evaluation of
the "Reagan recovery"; its
failure to reverse the decline
of family capital; growing statism, etc.)
The remaining issues were written by me.
“The Signposts of
National Reprobation, Pt. 1” page two
(A
point-by-point indictment of
American society based upon the covenantal lawsuit found in Ezekiel 22)
"The
Signposts of National Reprobation, Pt. 3" (the dangerous compromise of
churches with state charters)
All of these
Reviews could have been written yesterday, so prescient are they of our current
circumstances. My outlandish claim of a simian
origin to AIDS has been vindicated, as apes have been found to carry the virus.
“The Coming Great
Decession” may have been two decades ahead of its time. But it’s time now. We are in the final stages of an economic
implosion in the
- James Stivers, February, 2008