History of the English Calvinistic Baptists 1791-1892
ISBN: 9780851519203The aim of History of the English Calvinistic Baptist 1791-1892 is to trace the story of the English Calvinistic Baptists from the death of John Gill in 1771 to that of Charles Haddon Spurgeon in 1892. It deals not only with the well-known figures in this community's history- theological giants like John Gill, Andrew Fuller, William Gadsby, and Charles Spurgeon- but also with lesser-known lights-men like the hymn writer Benjamin Beddome, the eccentric John Collett Ryland, Abraham Booth, and John Stevens. Wide and deep reading in the writings of these men has given Dr. Robert Oliver an excellent grasp of their various theological perspectives.
No Christian community is without its controversies and the Calvinistic Baptists in the period covered by this book are no exception. Even-handedly and with one eye always on the Calvinistic Baptist roots in the seventeenth century- well summed up by The Second London Confession of Faith- the author details the controversies that at times wracked this community. Who may take the Lord's Supper? What is the role of the law in the Christian life? Is there biblical warrant for making free offers of the gospel to all and sundry? None of these issues are minor matters and should not be ignored by Christians today. The thinking of these Baptist worthies is therefore still of great value.
Unlike some contemporary historians, Robert Oliver is rightly convinced that the development of the Strict and Particular strand of this community in the nineteenth century is not a stagnant backwater that is best forgotten. Even though the churches of this persuasion were not as balanced as their seventeenth and eighteenth-century forebears, there was a spiritual vitality to this group that needs remembering and Oliver has given us a rich overview of the thought and activities of these English Calvinistic Baptists.
Contents:
PART I THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY INHERITANCE
1 The Legacy of John Gill
2 Blessing in the Cotswolds
3 Three Leaders
4 The Communion Controversy 1772 - 1781
5 The Gospel Worthy of All Acceptation
6 Antinomianism
7 William Huntington's Controversy with the Particular Baptists
PART II WHEN GOOD MEN DIFFER
8 Andrew Fuller and Abraham Booth
9 William Gadsby
10 John Stevens
PART III REALIGNMENT
11 Moves Towards Open Communion
12 The Beginning of the Strict Baptist Magazines
13 Joseph Charles Philpot
14 Organizations
15 Charles Haddon Spurgeon
Author:
Robert W. Oliver was born into a Christian home in Bethersden Kent, England in 1936. From infancy he was brought up to attend the local Particular Baptist Chapel with which his mother's family had been associated since the early nineteenth century. Converted through family and church teaching in childhood he was baptized in 1954 at the Bethersden Church. National service in the Royal Air Force from 1954 to 1956 took him away from his home district for the first time. This was followed by studies at University College, London where he graduated with BA Honours in History in 1959. This was followed by a year's study in the University of Nottingham leading to a Post Graduate Certificate in Education. He then began a teaching career in secondary education in Gloucestershire. He was by this time conscious of a call to the Christian ministry and entered upon a part time pastorate in Cheltenham 1964-1967. His thinking had been profoundly influenced by the teaching of Martyn Lloyd-Jones while a student in London and thus had moved from the original Hyper-Calvinism in which he had been reared. In 1971 he commenced a pastorate at the Old Baptist Chapel, Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire. This continued until retirement in 2006. During this pastorate he completed a research course leading to a PhD through the London Bible College. On completion he was asked to be lecturer in Church History and Historical Theology at the London Theological Seminary, a post he continues to hold. He is also responsible for teaching Church History in the John Owen Centre and in this connection is an adjunct Professor of Church History in Westminster Theological Seminary Philadelphia. He is also visiting Professor of Church History at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary, Grand Rapids, Michigan and a Fellow of the Institute of Reformed Baptist Studies, Escondido, California. Robert Oliver is married to Rachel and they have two children and five grandchildren. Dr Oliver is the author The History of the English Calvinistic Baptists, 1771-1892, published by the Trust in 2006.
Endorsements:
'A masterful book.'
--DR. MICHAEL A.G. HAYKIN
'…A fine piece of work, which I greatly enjoyed reading.'
--DAVID P. KINGDON
Additional Information:
| Cover: | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages: | 410 |
| Publisher: | Banner of Truth Trust |
| Publication Date: | 2024 |