Church History
Church History
Church History
Archibald Alexander Life and ministry
The nineteenth century was a time of great change in the churches of Britain and the United States. This period witnessed an explosion of worldwide missions as William Carey, Adoniram Judson, Henry Martyn, Hudson Taylor, and many others led waves of Protestant missionaries to fields around the world. At the...
Church History
Twenty Benefits from the Lord’s Supper
Our Reformed and Puritan forebears were fond of calling the Lord’s Supper a feast. They viewed it as a feast given by the Lord of hosts, the faithful, covenant-keeping God, who, in Christ Jesus, is the author, founder, master, and divine host of this feast. He provides this feast “of...
Church History
Puritans on Marital Love
Edward Taylor (c. 1642–1729), a pastor, physician, and poet of Puritan New England, wrote, “A curious knot God made in Paradise…. It was the true-love knot, more sweet than spice.” The writings of the Puritans are sprinkled with declarations of the sweetness of marital love. They delighted in the love...
Church History
Calvin’s interpretation of the clarity of Scripture
In working out his interpretation of the clarity of Scripture, Calvin used several hermeneutical principles: The interpreter must be a believer, and must strive to grow in such qualities as humble wisdom, attentive listening, sound judgment, reverential piety, obedient teachableness, and mature perseverance. The interpreter must be theologically informed and...
Church History
The Worldview of the Puritans
The Puritans did not use the term worldview, for such terminology did not appear until the late eighteenth century in Germany and was popularized in the nineteenth century. But the Puritans still had a worldview, which was shaped by the written Word of God. With this divinely given worldview they...
Church History
Some of My Favorite Puritans
My favorite Puritan-minded theologian from the English tradition is Anthony Burgess; from the Dutch tradition, Wilhelmus á Brakel; and from the Scottish tradition, Samuel Rutherford. Let me explain why. Anthony Burgess (d. 1664) In my opinion, Anthony Burgess, vicar of Sutton Coldfield, Warwickshire from 1635 to 1662, is the most...
Church History
Absolute Predestination
The… reprinted classic Absolute Predestination brings together the thoughts of two men with very different backgrounds. One was Italian; the other, English. One lived in the sixteenth century; the other in the eighteenth century. One is best known today for his profound theology, and the other for his hymns of...
Church History
How to Profit from Reading the Puritans
Here are nine ways you can grow spiritually by reading Puritan literature today: 1. Puritan writings help shape life by Scripture. The Puritans loved, lived, and breathed Holy Scripture. They also relished the power of the Spirit that accompanied the Word. Rarely can you open a Puritan book and not...
Church History
Twelve Reasons Calvin is Important Today
Honoring John Calvin may seem a little peculiar to people today. Calvin did not do anything as dramatic as heal a man with his passing shadow or nail his Institutes of the Christian Religion to the door of a cathedral. His teaching, which may be summarized as “the knowledge of...
