Decalogue

To answer Phil's question, I am speaking on the Decalogue in the thought of John Owen.  A tricky topic, as it can be approached in a number of ways and I have not yet settled in my own mind how to deal with it.   The major religious/political/social flashpoints in Owen's era in terms of the Decalogue were the Second Commandment (re. regulative principle) and the Fourth Commandment (re. sabbatarianism).  Both tie in to opposition to Stuart ecclesiastical policy, and thus touch on the problem of Erastianism, and the need for a unified religious settlement for England, Scotland, and Ireland; the latter (I would argue) also connects to the transformation of the economy of England in the sixteenth century, the rise of production.trade over agriculture, and the development of regular work practices. Thus, there is a hard-headed materialist approach which appeals to me.  But then there are the typical theological questions about covenant, OT-NT etc which may connect more to attendees at a theological conference.    If I can pull off a synthesis of both approaches, I will.