Marion McNaught, a niece of Viscount Kenmure, married William
Fullerton, Provost of Kirkcudbright. She was a close and lifelong
friend of Rutherford. The manner in which he discusses with her the
most profound questions of Christian doctrine and personal religion, as
well as the tangled affairs of Church and State, are sufficient
evidence of her outstanding gifts and graces. Forty-five letters to her
have survived. Letters VI and XXXIX below are also to her.
LOVING AND DEAR SISTER, -- If ever you would pleasure me, entreat the
Lord for me, now when I am so comfortless, and so full of heaviness,
that I am not able to stand under the burthen any longer. The Almighty
hath doubled His stripes upon me, for my wife is so sore tormented
night and day, that I have wondered why the Lord tarrieth so long. My
life is bitter unto me, and I fear the Lord be my contrair party. It is
(as I now know by experience) hard to keep sight of God in a storm,
especially when He hides Himself, for the trial of His children. If He
would be pleased to remove His hand, I have a purpose to seek Him more
than I have done. Happy are they that can win away with their soul. I
am afraid of His judgments. I bless my God that there is a death, and a
heaven. I would weary to begin again to be a Christian, so bitter is it
to drink of the cup that Christ drank of, if I knew not that there is
no poison in it. Pray that God would not lead my wife into temptation.
Woe is my heart, that I have done so little against the kingdom of
Satan in my calling; for he would fain attempt to make me blaspheme God
in His face. I believe, I believe, in the strength of Him who hath put
me in His work, he shall fail in that which he seeks. I have comfort in
this, that my Captain, Christ, hath said, I must fight and overcome the
world, and with a weak, spoiled, weaponless devil, 'the prince of this
world cometh, and hath nothing in me'. Desire Mr Robert to remember me,
if he love me. Grace, grace be with you, and all yours.
Remember Zion. Hold fast that which you have, that no man take the
crown from you. The Lord Jesus be with your spirit.
ANWOTH, Nov. 17, 1629
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Rutherford was also known for his spiritual and devotional works, such as Christ Dying and drawing Sinners to Himself and his Letters. Concerning his Letters, Charles Spurgeon wrote: "When we are dead and gone let the world know that Spurgeon held Rutherford's Letters to be the nearest thing to inspiration which can be found in all the writings of mere men". Published versions of the Letters contain 365 letters and fit well with reading one per day.
Rutherford was a strong supporter of the divine right of Presbytery, the principle that the Bible calls for Presbyterian church government. Among his polemical works are Due Right of Presbyteries (1644), Lex, Rex (1644), and Free Disputation against Pretended Liberty of Conscience.
Samuel Rutherford was a Scottish Presbyterian theologian and author. He was one of the Scottish Commissioners to the Westminster Assembly.
Born in the village of Nisbet, Roxburghshire, Rutherford was educated at Edinburgh University, where he became in 1623 Regent of Humanity (Professor of Latin). In 1627 he was settled as minister of Anwoth in Galloway, from where he was banished to Aberdeen for nonconformity. His patron in Galloway was John Gordon, 1st Viscount of Kenmure. On the re-establishment of Presbytery in 1638 he was made Professor of Divinity at St. Andrews, and in 1651 Rector of St. Mary's College there. At the Restoration he was deprived of all his offices.
Rutherford's political book Lex, Rex (meaning "the law [and] the king" or "the law [is] king") presented a theory of limited government and constitutionalism. It was an explicit refutation of the doctrine of "Rex Lex" or "the king is the law." Rutherford was also known for his spiritual and devotional works, such as Christ Dying and drawing Sinners to Himself and his Letters.