So often when speaking about the work of the Holy Spirit which infused the churches with new life in the 18th century, mention is made of Anglican stalwarts such as Whitefield, Hervey, Toplady and Romaine. The works of these men through God’s sovereign grace cannot be praised enough but the fact that recent biographers have highlighted their activities has tended to give the impression that other denominations, such as the …
Posts Tagged Justification: Defending the Heart of God
To Honour God
Aug 17
To Honour God: The Spirituality of Oliver Cromwell (134 pages)
Classics of Reformed Spirituality Series Edited and introduced by Michael A. G. Haykin.
The pimples and warts of the Protector
The editor opens up this fine little book by explaining that Cromwell (1599-1658) liked to have his portrait painted with all his “roughness, pimples, warts and everything.” History has taken …
Part II: The Mission Prospers
The mission at Serampore prospered and spread. Carey was given the most prominent building in the city for the church in which he preached for the next thirty-four years. The town of Serampore, too, prospered as it proved an asylum of peace for fugitives from the Americo-Franco-British wars and it persuaded many wealthy investors to settle there. More missionaries were …
My reason for publishing this account of William Carey and his Indian mission on my website.
On 18-21 February, 2010 a conference will be held at Muscle Shoals, Alabama under the theme ‘The Quagmire of Hyper-Calvinism’. The key speaker will be Dr. Michael Haykin who will lecture on Andrew Fuller as a missionary pioneer. The myth that Andrew Fuller pioneered a missionary movement is superstitiously believed by Dr. Haykin and …
On ‘Youing’ God
Aug 21
Dear Sir:
Re Canon Pulford’s timely letter concerning ‘youing’ God. Having being brought up to pray Biblically and as one trained in linguistics, I look upon the modern arbitrary trend in English-speaking countries with great disdain. My past employment brought me into contact with some dozen languages other than English, none of which show such lack of taste in addressing God.
Words usually become redundant according to three processes. The …
The Gospel of Deceit
Aug 17
… Our Lord tells us to be balanced in our teaching, not giving that which is holy to the dogs, nor giving stones where bread is needed. This balance has been broken severely by the modern pseudo-Free-Offer movement.
Spurgeon summed Calvinism up as ‘salvation by grace alone’, but views of Calvinists in relation to saving grace have drastically changed. Besides, Calvin would be appalled to learn that the saving Gospel which emanates from God but which is open to such …
The Synod of Dort
Aug 17
The Synod of Dort (1618-9): Milestone of the Reformation
The background
The Dutch town of Dortrecht (Engl. Dort), may be unfamiliar to many an English-speaking Christian but it was the place where the churches of Holland, Britain, Germany and Switzerland held a great ecumenical conference which resulted in their unanimous agreement concerning the doctrines of grace reflected in …
Part One: The Ejection of the ‘Scandalous Ministers’
The problem outlined
Having spent all my life in Free Church circles, I learnt very early of the severe persecutions meted out in England during the 17th century to Dissenters, Non-Conformists and Non-Jurors who wished to preach, teach and witness in Anglican parishes. Two books which became of special influence in forming my …
Most readers are familiar with the Calvinist-Arminian controversy of the 18th century in which free-grace, championed by Whitefield, Toplady and Romaine was set against free-will, maintained by Fletcher, Sellon and Wesley. The controversy dealt with whether salvation was made possible by Christ, depending on man’s acceptance of it, or whether Christ secured His Church’s salvation by His atoning death. At the same time, a …
