Reverend Louis F. DeBoer passed from this life into the everlasting arms of his God and Savior on November 23, 2007. Found on the funeral service program were these words, “What meant the most to Lolle (Louis in Dutch) was that the Gospel of Christ would be proclaimed and His Name magnified at this funeral service. Lolle had entrusted his soul to that ‘glorious gospel of Christ’ and the redemption purchased by our Lord’s death on the Cross. He is now ‘absent from the body, and present with the Lord,’ where there shall be ‘no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.’” This was typical of Rev. DeBoer. He always sought the glory of God first in his life.
Reverend DeBoer imbibed the spirit of Martin Luther, who proclaimed, “If I profess with the loudest voice and clearest exposition every part of the truth of God except precisely that little point which the world and the devil are at the moment attacking, then I am not confessing Christ, however boldly I may be professing Him. Where the battle rages, there the loyalty of the soldier is proved; and to be steady on all battlefields besides is merely flight and disgrace if he flinches at that point.” He “earnestly contended for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” and was always “set for the defence of the gospel.” His preaching was clear, not fearing the face of man. He taught constantly the supremacy and sufficiency of the Holy Scripture, that it is the only rule of our faith and practice, that Christ’s death upon the cross was the only satisfaction for man’s sin, and that Christ’s righteousness imputed to us is the only righteousness accepted by God for our justification.
As a result Reverend DeBoer wrote many polemic books, manuscripts, and articles. In the early 1970’s Reverend DeBoer published a monthly theological newsletter entitled, “The Pilgrim.” It was devoted to dealing with issues of the day from a Biblical and theological perspective. The series ran for two years and thus totaled 24 issues. Twelve of these dealt with miscellaneous issues facing American culture and society. The other twelve issues constituted the “Resistance Series,” which dealt with a complete theological, and historical overview of the question of Christian resistance to tyranny. Since they deal with the Scriptural principles that underlie all these issues, they are in that sense somewhat timeless and therefore, are being offered at this time in an electronic version. (Note: The writings of Robert Lewis Dabney and John R. Rushdoony provided both the model and the inspiration for these articles. The latter strongly endorsed them and ordered multiple copies of the bound volumes to distribute to his associates.) Concerning these, Reverend DeBoer stated, “I have to admit that I wrote these with all the zeal and enthusiasm of youth (I was in my late twenties) and therefore they will probably appear somewhat polemical and intemperate in the sentiments expressed. If you can charitably overlook any faults in that regard and concentrate on the truths expressed I pray that these articles can continue to be a blessing to many today as they have been in the past.”
This was just the beginning of Reverend DeBoer’s publishing accomplishments. He wrote and published:
The Fruit of the Vine A thorough scriptural defense of the principle of temperance, abstinence from alcoholic beverages.
Lord of the Conscience A scriptural defense of the principles of religious liberty.
The Divine Covenants A scriptural exposition of all the divine covenants in the Bible.
The New Phariseeism A scriptural refutation of the cult of British-Israelism.
Hymns, Heretics, and History This study documents the commitment of the early Christian Church to psalmody, the erosion of that commitment over the centuries, and the introduction of hymns in the church by early heretical cults such as the Gnostics and the Arians. It then traces the development of hymnody through to the present, documenting the continuing problems with any uninspired hymnody, and showing the ill effects of this in the churches.
God’s Way of Salvation A fresh approach to an old debate. A thorough, logical, and Biblical defense of Calvinist soteriology, of how God brings his people to a state of salvation. It exposes the unbiblical nature of Arminian errors and demonstrates the logical and bitter fruit these errors have borne in the churches.
For Such a Time as This A commentary on the Book of Esther, an unpublished manuscript, which will be published by late 2012.
Reverend DeBoer also republished several books, including:
The Constitutional History of the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. by Charles Hodge. This is a lengthy 2 volume work. There is an extensive section dealing with the Great Awakening and the Schism of 1741 between the “Old Side” and the “New Side.” The issues confronting the Presbyterian Church in this conflict have never really gone away and are critical to an understanding of more recent church history. The mythology that has taken over perceptions of the Great Awakening have obscured these issues. Hodge deals with them head on.
The Life of Melville by Thomas M’Crie. The exciting biography of a major, but neglected reformer and the true father of Scotch Presbyterianism.
The Hebrew Republic by E. C. Wines. A fascinating treatise in political science showing that the ideological origins of the American Republic lie in the ancient Hebrew Republic, in the institutions that God gave Moses at Mount Sinai.
Exclusive Psalmody: A Biblical Defense by Brian Schwertley. Along with his previous books Sola Scriptura (A defense of the Regulative Principle of Worship), and Musical Instruments in the Worship of God, it makes a complete exposition of the Biblical Doctrine of Worship and a thorough defense of our Presbyterian and Reformed heritage of worship. Letters On Baptism by Edmund B. Fairfield. A refutation of the doctrine of baptism by immersion.
Immersion And Immersionists by W. A. Mackay. A thorough scriptural defense of Christian baptism of believers and their children by sprinkling or pouring.