Truth’s Victory Over Error

This book is not merely of historical interest; it is also of considerable value now because many of the errors refuted within its pages have surfaced again in the 21st century church under new guises. Christians today can learn a great deal from the faithful witness of former generations who experienced ‘truth’s victory over error’. Truth’s Victory Over Error contains David Dickson’s lectures on the Westminster Confession of Faith, delivered to the divinity students of Edinburgh University in the early 1650s. Here then is a commentary written just a few brief years after the Westminster Divines drew up their famous Confession of 1647 by one of their senior contemporaries. Dickson’s comments reveal the burning issues of the day and supply fascinating insights into the robust theology of the Scottish Puritans.

Publisher: Banner of Truth
Type: Hardback
ISBN: 9780851519494

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David Dickson (1583-1663) was the son of a wealthy merchant in Glasgow. His early aspirations to enter the family business were diverted through an illness and a subsequently lengthy period of convalescence. The result was that he entered the University of Glasgow (then under Principal Robert Boyd) and prepared for the Christian ministry. Deprived of his ministry in 1622 by the Bishop of Glasgow for his opposition to the Five Articles, he was banished for a year to Turriff in Aberdeenshire, but on his return was the instrument in the hand of God of numerous conversions. It was out of his pastoral experience that his famous manual of spiritual counsel, Therapeutica Sacra, was written. In 1640 he became Professor of Divinity in Glasgow, transferring to Edinburgh ten years later. During that period he played a considerable part in establishing vital, orthodox Christianity throughout the land. He helped to draw up the Directory for Public Worship, and with James Durham compiled The Sum of Saving Knowledge (a work instrumental in later years in the conversion of Robert Murray M’Cheyne). Restoration troubles after the return of King Charles II in 1660 hastened his death. As the end drew near, he spoke the memorable words: ‘I have taken all my good deeds, and all my bad, and cast them in a heap before the Lord, and fled from both, and betaken myself to the Lord Jesus Christ, and in him I have sweet peace.’

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‘The Scottish minister, David Dickson (1583-1663), who was a contemporary of Westminster divines. The following is from the book: This book is not merely of historical interest; it is also of considerable value now because many of the errors refuted within its pages have surfaced again in the 21st century church under new guises. Christians today can learn a great deal from the faithful witness of former generations who experienced `truth's victory over error'. David Dickson is dealing with the biblical truth in a simple and clear way, refuting errors of his day. All his arguments are based upon Scripture. By using a format of question and answer, he is leading his reader from ignorance to biblical thinking. Although each chapter follows the order of the Confession, this book does not expound directly from the words of the Confession just as other commentaries do. It shows the author's robust understanding of the Confession. Without doubt, this is one of MUST-HAVE commentaries on Westminster Confession of Faith.’ Kang