The Nature of the Church
May 28, 2026 · 59:32 · with Camden Bucey, Matthew Vogan
We welcome Matthew Vogan to discuss The Nature of the Church by John Brown of Wamphray, a concise seventeenth-century work on Presbyterian ecclesiology republished by Grange Press. Brown, a Scottish Covenanter exiled to the Netherlands, wrote with deep conviction about Christ’s headship over the church, the visible and invisible church, church government, discipline, unity, and the distinction between church and state.
This conversation explores why Brown’s work remains timely for pastors, elders, seminarians, and church members today. Rather than treating church government as a secondary or merely practical matter, Brown presents the church as a visible spiritual society established by Christ, governed by his Word, and ordered for the edification of his people.
Chapters
- 0:00 Introduction
- 1:15 The Nature of the Church by John Brown of Wamphray
- 4:30 John Brown’s life, ministry, exile, and Covenanter context
- 8:40 Matthew Vogan’s introduction to John Brown
- 9:36 Brown’s 32 theses and the Westminster Confession
- 10:54 A majestic view of Christ’s church
- 12:33 The scope of Brown’s ecclesiology
- 15:12 The church as a visible spiritual society
- 21:43 Church and state under Christ’s authority
- 27:08 Scripture and Presbyterian church government
- 30:53 Brown’s polemics against Erastianism, prelacy, and independency
- 35:00 Ministerial authority and edification
- 39:17 The church’s spiritual government
- 42:14 The spirituality of the church
- 44:59 Key insights from Brown’s work
- 46:06 Communion within the visible catholic church
- 52:21 Further reading: Durham, Gillespie, Rutherford, and Bannerman
- 53:55 Final thoughts on The Nature of the Church
- 55:00 Scottish football and closing conversation
- 56:57 Reformed Forum resources and conclusion
Resources mentioned
- Grange Press
- The Nature of the Church by John Brown of Wamphray
- Trinitarian Bible Society
- Christ the Center 682: David Dickson’s Sermons on Lamentations
Participants: Camden Bucey, Matthew Vogan