Makers of Puritan History, by Marcus Loane, published by the Banner of Truth Trust, hardback, 235 pages, £14.50.
It is interesting and somewhat ironic to read an account of four of the most prominent dissidents from seventeenth-century Anglicanism written by a former Archbishop of Sydney. Marcus Loane’s work, initially published in 1960 under the title Makers of Religious Freedom, is a good general introduction to the lives, testimonies and significance of Alexander Henderson, Samuel Rutherford, John Bunyan and Richard Baxter.
Those already familiar with the biographies of these eminent servants of Christ will find little original material here but, in writing this work, it was not Loane’s intention to provide that. Writing with evident admiration and support for the stand that these men all took in their varied positions and circumstances against absolutist tyranny in Church and state, Loane emphasises their unwavering bravery and steadfastness to their principles in the face of enormous trials and dangers both to themselves and to the Church of Christ. Such material is not only profitable to those particularly interested in seventeenth-century history but can be read to inspire and encourage more general readers who have a concern for the cause of truth in our own day.
As much as possible, Loane brings to light personal details and incidents related to each of his subjects in order to form an appreciation of each man’s character and contribution. This is much easier in the case of Baxter than in the case of Henderson, however, for much less is documented concerning the Scotsman’s life than that of the author of The Saints’ Everlasting Rest. While the discussion of Rutherford profitably highlights his personal godliness and intense spirituality, the present reviewer felt that the chapter on Bunyan was the most enjoyable of the four as it shed more light both on Bunyan’s own personality and on the wonderful grace and gifts given to him notwithstanding the severe obstacles he had to overcome.
The major drawback in the work is perhaps a lack of analytical discussion of the theological and political ideas which embroiled these men in so much controversy and persecution. The work is, of course, one of popular history and not intended as an academic and exhaustive study. Nevertheless some more comment on the ideology of the Covenant itself in Scotland, attitudes to toleration and the very important relations between resistance to tyranny in the Church and the development of civil liberty in the state would have been helpful. However, the author’s assumption and central thesis is one we would share, namely, that by standing against Stuart absolutism in their
1All the books reviewed here are obtainable from the Free Presbyterian Bookroom.
various ways, each of these four men materially contributed to the liberty established at the Revolution in 1688-89.
(Rev) A W MacColl
A Guide to Christian Living, by John Calvin, published by the Banner of Truth Trust, soft cover gift edition, 167 pages, £10.00.
John Calvin needs no recommendation; nor does his Institutes of the Christian Religion, from which this little book is taken. It is a new translation, by Robert White – from the final French edition of the Institutes – of the five chapters in Book 3 where Calvin deals with the Christian life. A previous translation was published in 1952 by Baker with the title, Golden Booklet of the True Christian Life.
This is not heavy theology; it is plain, practical, scriptural teaching for believers, from a man whose great desire was to live to the glory of God. “The object of God’s work of regeneration is”, Calvin begins, “that our lives may demonstrate to others a harmony and accord between God’s righteousness and our obedience, and that we might thus confirm that He has made us His children by adoption.” And it is Calvin’s object to describe the aspects of Christian living which demonstrate that harmony and accord.
He lays considerable emphasis on self-denial. Believers are “to offer their bodies to [God] as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to Him, for that is the lawful service we owe Him (Rom 12:1). Next, they are exhorted not to be conformed to the pattern of the present age, but to be transformed by the renewing of their mind, that they might seek and know God’s will.” Calvin closes with chapters on “The Glory of the Life to Come” and on “The Blessings of This Present Life”. In that last chapter, Calvin tells us: “All the good things we have were created for us so that we might acknowledge the one who is their author, and might celebrate His kindness with thanksgiving”.
Those who prayerfully absorb the material in this attractively-produced little book will be better prepared to live their lives to the glory of God.
Spurgeon’s Practical Wisdom, or Plain Advice for Plain People, by Charles H Spurgeon, published by the Banner of Truth Trust, hardback, 328 pages, £16.00.
In this book, Spurgeon adopts the character of John Ploughman, an old country farmworker, in order to teach moral and spiritual lessons in a homely and semi-humorous, plain style. The theme of these short chapters is generally suggested by a proverb, which is connected to other similar sayings and pithy anecdotes as he proceeds. In the course of his talks, Spurgeon covers many practical subjects such as anger, temptation, gossip, pride, cruelty, debt, thrift, marriage and child-rearing. He defended his approach by saying, “I have aimed my blows at the vices of the many, and tried to inculcate those
moral virtues without which men are degraded. Much that needs to be said to the toiling masses would not well suit the pulpit and the Sabbath.”
This book presents John Ploughman’s Talk and John Ploughman’s Pictures attractively, with all of the illustrations from the original two volumes. It is not difficult to see why the books were outstandingly popular in Victorian times. A wider contemporary audience might have been gained for them by the Banner of Truth reprinting them separately in paperback form. Though dated in their language and illustrations, these chapters retain an appeal and will be appreciated by readers of all ages. It is noticeable that moral as opposed to gospel applications are more frequent. Spurgeon defended this by saying that “it has led many to take the first steps by which men climb to better things”. One certainly goes away from reading them humbled rather than entertained.
Matthew Vogan
Protestant View
Protestants Returning to Roman Rituals
On February 17, many television viewers were curious about the strange mark on the forehead of Joe Biden, the United States vice-president (and first Roman Catholic in that post) when he was being interviewed on a news programme. It was, says a report in The News Herald (Ohio), the mark of the ash which a priest had smeared on his forehead that day, Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent.
This unscriptural ritual, which is connected with the similarly-unscriptural observance of Lent and Easter, is being adopted increasingly by nominally-Protestant Churches, says the same report. In Scotland, it died out at the time of the Reformation but, of course, it continued to be more or less observed in the Church of England, where the Reformation did not make as much headway as it did in Scotland and certain other countries.
In the ritual, the ash (mixed in an ointment) is applied to the forehead in the shape of a cross. The ash, say the ritualists, is to remind the recipient of mortality because Scripture says, “Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return” (Gen 3:19). The ash also symbolises the penitence of the recipient, they say, because Scripture says, “Wherefore I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes” (Job 42:6). However, such a plausible appeal to Scripture ignores the fact that these rituals and observances do not come within the bounds of what God prescribes for His worship; they are therefore to be condemned as “will worship” (Col 2:23).
Lent itself is symbolic of renewal, they say, because the word Lent comes
from a Germanic root meaning Spring. This fact itself indicates that it has its roots (like Easter) in Babylonian pagan religion. Even a Roman Catholic source, The New Question Box – Catholic Life for the Nineties, states, “The reasons for celebrating our major feasts when we do are many and varied. In general, however, it is true that many of them have at least an indirect connection with the pre-Christian [pagan] feasts celebrated about the same time of year – feasts centring around the harvest, the rebirth of the sun at the winter solstice (now December 21, but December 25 in the old Julian calendar), the renewal of nature in spring, and so on.” Another source, The Catholic Encyclopedia, says that Ash Wednesday was established as the first day of Lent by Pope Gregory the Great (590-604).
Little wonder that our noble Reformers cast it out, heeding the words of Christ: “Teaching them to observe whatsoever I have commanded you”. And shame on those who want to go back to the Egypt of Rome’s rites and rituals, from which we were mercifully delivered 450 years ago. NMR