Not to be confused with 4

SPACE did not allow us to mention last time John Davenport (1597-1670) and James Davenport (1716-1757). Both were from New England. The first was co-founder and first minister of the New Haven Colony. He was invited to attend the Westminster Assembly but declined. The latter was influenced by George Whitefield’s preaching but then fell into some wild excesses. He was eventually reclaimed.

Eusebius is a name shared by two men in early church history. The more well known of the two was Eusebius Pamphili or Eusebius of Caesarea (c263-c339). Educated in Caesarea and Antioch he left Palestine following the martyrdom of his friend Pamphilius about 310, but later returned and became Bishop of Caesarea. A friend of the Emperor Constantine, he tended to be sympathetic to Arianism much of the time but came out on the right side at Nicaea. He is remembered as ‘The Father of Church History’ as he wrote an ecclesiastical history covering the period up to 325 AD as well as other works. His contemporary Eusebius of Nicomedia was an Arian bishop. Though exiled at one point by Constantine he baptised the dying Emperor in 337 and was latterly Patriach of Constantinople.

When we come to Reformation history it is worth remembering that Luther was examined by two different men with the name John or Johann Eck. Johann Maier Eck of Ingolstadt in Bavaria was a professor of theology there. He famously debated with Carlstadt and Luther at Leipzig in 1519. He also later disputed with Zwingli, Melanchthon and Bucer. He translated the New Testament into German in 1537. It was before Johann Eck of Trier, at the Diet of Worms, however, that Luther made that famous statement ‘… my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. God help me. Amen.’ Also, ‘Here I stand. I can do no other.’

Two excellent men of more recent times worth distinguishing are Joseph Samuel Exell (1849-c 1909) and Edwin Othello Excell (1851-1921). The former was an Anglican minister in the west country who compiled The Biblical Illustrator covering nearly all the books of the Bible. He also worked with H D M Spence on The Pulpit Commentary, The Homiletic Library and (also with C Neil) the 6 volume Thirty Thousand Thoughts. Excell was an American Methodist, a musical director associated with gospel singer Samuel Porter Jones and, later, evangelist Gipsy Smith. He composed the tune to Count your blessings.

The name Eerdman is well known as the imprint of a large Christian printing house based in Grand Rapids. The name is that of the founder (in 1911), William B Eerdmans. Charles R Erdman (1866-1960), with just one ‘E’, was Professor of Practical Theology at Princeton from 1905 and authored several books.

It is perhaps worth noting too that the great Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) had a son with the same name who lived 1745-1801. The son was also a pastor and theologian and modified his father's theology to some extent.

No-one is likely to confuse Baptist John Fawcett (1740-1817) author of ‘Blest be the tie‘ and Anglican Andrew R Fausset (1821-1910), collaborator with Jamieson and Brown on a six volume Bible commentary. He authored volumes 3,  4 and 6. The late Arthur Fawcett wrote an account of The Cambuslang Revival published by Banner of Truth.

There are several in church history who have borne the name Fuller and that leaves room for confusion. The Royalist Thomas Fuller (1608-1661) is another church historian. Andrew Fuller (1745-1815) was a Baptist minister, first in Soham in Cambridgeshire and then in Kettering, Northamptonshire. He was one of those who ‘held the ropes’ for William Carey as he descended into the darkness of Indian paganism. Richard Fuller (1804-1876) was another Baptist, this time on the other side of the Atlantic. He defended slavery against Francis Wayland, president of Brown University. He first mooted what became Southern Baptist Seminary. Fuller Seminary, however, takes its name from the radio evangelist Charles E Fuller (1887-1968), who helped finance its establishment in 1947. His son Daniel Fuller was also involved in the seminary.

Two theologians who must have been bonny babies are Scotsmen Patrick Fairbairn (1805-1874) and Andrew Martin Fairbairn (1838-1912). Patrick was a founding member of the Free Church and became professor of divinity in Aberdeen. His works on typology and prophecy are still in print today. ‘A M’ was a Congregationalist who came south to teach in England and was a of a less conservative bent. His 1880 Studies in the life of Christ is still seen today.

This article (now slightly modified) appeared first in The Evangelical Library Bulletin

Not to be confused with 3

A SHORT while ago an evangelical publication, which should know better, referred to the current Archbishop of Canterbury as William Carey. Of course, his name is George Carey. If only he were more like the 18th century Baptist pioneer missionary!

It demonstrates how easily names that are alike get confused. Here are a few more tips on avoiding confusion.

We have all heard of the Cyrillic alphabet but which Cyril gave it its name? There were three famous Cyrils in church history. There was Cyril of Jerusalem (c 315-386). Bishop for 35 years (16 in exile) he was present at the Second Council of Constantinople in 381. Cyril of Alexandria (376-444) opposed not only the Novatians and the Nestorians but also, less encouragingly, John Chrysostom. He also violently opposed rebellious Jews in Alexandria. He was, however, orthodox on the Trinity. It is another Cyril Cyril of Thessalonica (c 826-869), however, who later became a missionary to the Slavs and gave them both the Bible in their own language and the alphabet known ever after as the “Cyrillic”.

Dionysius is a popular name in Church history. Dionysius the Great of Alexandria (c 190-264) was the successor of Origen. Dionysius of Corinth (died c 195) was Bishop of Corinth and a famous preacher in his day. Dionysius of Rome, who flourished in the third century, is considered a saint by the Church of Rome. Dionysius Exiguus (died c 527) is the man responsible for our celebrating the coming millennium about five years late. Because of his miscalculation, we now have to say that Christ was born about 5 BC. Dionysius-Telmaharensis (died 848) was Patriarch of the Syrian Jacobite Church. Dionysius the Carthusian (1402-1471) was a Dutch mystic. Dionysius the Areopagite is mentioned in Acts 17:34. In the Middle Ages a body of mystical writings, said to be by him, were highly esteemed. It is now accepted that these were the work of a man now referred to as Pseudo-Dionysius, who lived in Syria around AD 500.

Clement is another name from early church history. Some 14 popes and 2 anti-popes bore this popular name. It appears in Philippians 4:3 and it has been suggested that this man was Clement of Rome, who wrote a still extant letter to the Christians in Corinth. This seems unlikely. Other writings attributed to Clement of Rome are probably spurious. Clement of Alexandria (c 150 - c 215) sought to reconcile Christianity with other current belief systems. He was the first Christian writer to mention Buddha.

It has been known for people to confuse the Celtic missionaries Columba (c 521-597) and Columbanus (c 543-615). The former was the “Apostle of Caledonia” and his name is forever associated with the island of Iona, the headquarters for his extensive missionary labours. Also from Ireland the later Columbanus went further afield to the Germanic tribes of Central Europe.

Several other lesser Columbas existed, for example Columba of Rieti (1467-1501), a Dominican beatified mystic Columba of Sens (c. 257-273), saint and martyr Columba of Spain (died c 853), nun, saint and martyr Columba of Terryglass (died 553), saint and one of the Twelve Apostles of Ireland Columba the Virgin, sixth century saint and Columba Marmion (1858-1923), beatified Irish monk and third abbot of Maredsous Abbey.

Henry Drummond was a name shared by two Scotsmen in the last century. The first lived from 1786 to 1860 and was an “Apostle” and “Angel for Scotland” in the heretical Irvingite movement. The other Henry Drummond (1851-1897) was at first a helper of D L Moody but went on to write the pro-evolutionary Ascent of Man. There is also a fictional Henry Drummond in Inherit the wind a 1955 play about the Scopes monkey trial of 1925.

Two German theologians and preachers in this century shared, the same name. Martin Dibelius (1883-1947) was a pioneer of Form Criticism. F K Otto Dibelius (1880-1967) was a Lutheran bishop who opposed the Nazis and later settled the World Council of Churches. The two were cousins. There was also a German theologian Franz Dibelius (1847-1924) father of Martin adn uncle to F K Otto.

We should also distinguish Marcus Dods (1834-1909) and C H Dodd (1884-1973). Of the two theologians, the latter was the more liberal. Neither is to be confused with American C O Dodd (1899-1955) founder of Faith magazine and an Adventist.
This article (now slightly modified) appeared first in The Evangelical Library Bulletin

Not to be confused with 2

CHURCH history can be a bit of a maze and it certainly does not help when we confuse individuals who share a similar or, worse, the same name. Obviously with common names like Brown, Butler or even Bell and Bruce we need to tread carefully.*
Sometimes there can be a string of people of the same name. Think of Booth for example. William Booth (1829-1912), founder of the Salvation Army, has passed his surname to many of his descendants and successors, many of whom wrote hymns. The name Booth at the end of a stanza is not enough to identify the author.
A common family name is also a feature of New England Congregationalism in the last century too. Think of Lyman Beecher (1775-1863) for example. Three of his four daughters became known for their philanthropic and literary activities and all seven sons went into the ministry. One, Henry Ward Beecher (1813-1887) became the most popular preacher in America in his day, moving from his father’s mild liberalism to full acceptance of higher critical theories. There was also a younger more conservative Presbyterian Willis Judson Beecher (1838-1912) who taught Hebrew at Auburn Theological Seminary and wrote a number of books.
Another example from New England Congregationalism would be Hiram Bingham Sr and Jr (1789-1869 and 1831-1908). Father and son were pioneer missionaries in Polynesia. Another pioneer missionary with the name Bingham was Englishman Rowland Victor Bingham (1872-1942). He worked in Nigeria. Then there is Leonard Bacon Sr and Jr (1802-1881 and 1830-1907). The father wrote O God beneath thy guiding hand. A moderate Calvinist, he opposed slavery and was latterly professor at Yale. His minister son also authored books and hymns. These men, of course, are not to be confused with the modern artist, the late Francis Bacon, and his namesake the 16th and 17th century philosopher or the Mediaeval philosopher and theologian Roger Bacon (1214-1294).
It is perhaps worth re-iterating that it is Bernard of Clairvaux (c1090-1153) who wrote Jesus thou joy ..., Jesus the very thought ... and O sacred head ... and Bernard of Cluny (fl. c1140 or later) who gave us Jerusalem the Golden which comes from a long poem satirising contemporary abuses in the church. Very little is known of the latter Bernard while the former is well known as the founder of over 500 monasteries across Europe. There was also a Bernardino of Siena (1380-1444) a later Observant Franciscan preacher and reformer.
The name Benedict has been taken by a number of Popes, including one in the twentieth century (XV). Theophylact (IX) was Pope 1032-1045 and then twice deposed before bowing out in 1048. Pedro de Luna (XIII), was the last of the Avignon Popes, reigning 1394-1417. The Benedictine Order was founded by Benedict of Nursia (c480-c543).
There have also been a number of Bonifaces, all named after the missionary to the Germans Winfrid or Wilfrid Boniface (680-755).
Bauer, Bauer and Baur. All three were Germans, all three were biblical scholars, but which is which? F C Baur (1792-1860) was one of the first to apply Hegelian dialectic to the study of the New Testament and early church history. Ferdinand Christian Bauer was the founder of the famous ‘Tübingen school’ of theology which believed that most of the New Testament was not written until the 2nd Century and denied the supernatural events described therein. Bruno Bauer (1809-1882), based at Bonn, was even more extreme. He looked to Graeco-Roman philosophy for the origins of Christianity and argued that it was the brainchild of Seneca in the time of the Emperor Marcus Aurelius. Walter Bauer (1877-1960) was less extreme. He taught at Göttingen from 1916-1945 and is best remembered as the lexicographer on whose work Arndt and Gingrich based their standard lexicon of the New Testament.
One final note. Even when surnames are not the same, there can be confusion. Do distinguish between William Bridge the Puritan, author of A Lifting up for the Downcast and Charles Bridges (1794-1869) the evangelical Anglican author of The Christian Ministry and of commentaries on Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Psalm 119. Also between Thomas Bilney (1495-1531) the martyr who led Latimer to faith and 19th century Congregationalist preacher Thomas Binney (1798-1874).

*Eg Robert Bruce (1554–1631) and Robert Bruce (active 1870-1900), missionary who revised Henry Martyn's Persian version of the Bible.
Originally published in The Evangelical Library Bulletin

Not to be confused with 1

AS a young boy, growing up in the sixties I was, for a very short while, confused between Martin Luther King, the American civil rights leader and Martin Luther, the 16th century Reformer, for whom he was named.

Similar confusing mistakes could arise, I suppose, with George Washington and George Washington Carver or George Washington Truett or Thomas Charles and Thomas Charles Edwards or even Adoniram Judson and Adoniram Judson Gordon.

Much more common, however, are confusions between eminent men who share either the same name or a very similar one. It is not that uncommon, for instance to find people confusing the two Augustines, even though one died over 150 years after the other.

Aurelius Augustine of Hippo (354-430) is undoubtedly the more significant. After his conversion in his thirties from a worldly life as a teacher of rhetoric he became an eminent theologian and one of the greatest of the Church Fathers. His Confessions, City of God and other writings have rightly earned him a reputation as a great and holy man.

Augustine, first Archbishop of Canterbury (d c 604), also, understandably, has a special place in many an Englishman’s heart, especially if it is true that he thought the first Angles he saw looked like angels. The fact that he was the instrument that first brought the power of Rome to bear on these islands when Pope Gregory sent him here in 596 ought to restrain any Protestant enthusiasm for the man. Unlike Aurelius, this Augustine is not appreciated by both Protestants and Roman Catholics.

Another distinction to be remembered is that between Apollinaris, author of an Apology addressed to Marcus Aurelius in the second century (Apollinaris Claudius or Apollinaris of Hierapolis) and his contemporary Apollinaris of Ravenna martyr and first bishop of Ravenna. There was also, among others Apollinari(u)s of Laodicea (c 310- 390) who opposed Arianism but paved the way for Monophysitism and gives his own name to an ancient heresy, Apollinarianism. 

The name Alexander is a popular one. At least eight Popes have borne the name and in earlier times there was also an Alexander (d 328) who was patriarch of Alexandria. His more famous young arch-deacon and successor was one Athanasius. There was also an Alexander Bishop of Jerusalem (d 251) who studied alongside Clement and Origen in Alexandria at the catechetical school. He set up a Christian library in Jerusalem, the first of its kind and so deserves to be remembered by all friends of The Evangelical Library. Also Alexander of Constantinople (c 240-340), one of 16 saints recognised by the Roman Catholic church whose name was Alexander.

An Alexander of Hales flourished 1185-1245 and is a lesser known schoolman who, like Aquinas, tried to harmonise Christianity with Aristotelianism. In more modern times there has been Archibald Alexander (1812-1851) of old Princeton and his not to be confused sons (The Bulletin did it once) Joseph Addison Alexander (1809-1860) and James Waddell Alexander (1804-1854).

In the world of hymns it is useful to distinguish between C F Alexander (1823-1895) and C M Alexander (1867-1920) not least because, despite appearances, Cecil Frances was a woman, the wife of the Archbishop of Armagh. Although Charles McCallon Alexander sang for Moody, he is better remembered as R A Torrey’s associate. Unlike the author of There is a Green Hill, All Things Bright and Once in Royal David’s City Charles was not a hymn writer but it is his collection (Alexander’s Hymns) that is still sometimes seen today.

Many Lutherans remain unknown outside their own circles. If you come across the name Agricola or Arndt do be careful to distinguish, firstly, between Luther's fellow Reformer Stephan Agricola (1491-1547) and Luther’s eventually estranged colleague Johann Agricola (c 1494-1566) and the Wittenberg student Michael Agricola (1510-1557) who translated the New Testament into Finnish. There was also a preacher called Adam Christian Agricola (1593-1645) and an earlier St Agricola (d 304) and St Agricola of Avignon (630-700).
A precursor of the pietistic movement Johann Arndt (155-1621) was a mystic, though outwardly conforming to Lutheran doctrine. A later Missouri Synod Lutheran by the name of William Frederick Arndt (1880-1957) is best known as F W Gingrich’s partner in the translation of and adaptation of Bauer’s Lexicon of the Greek New Testament.

This frst appeared in the Evangelical Library Bulletin (I have added one or two extras)

Thomas Goodwin

IN THE porch of the City Temple in London is a plaque that reads:

The church assembling here was founded by the Reverend Thomas Goodwin, D.D.: Preacher of the Council of State; President of Magdalene College, Oxford; Member of the Westminster Assembly of Divines; and chaplain to Oliver Cromwell ... This tablet is erected by this church to perpetuate the Hallowed Memory of her venerable and illustrious founder

Who was Goodwin? It is now 400 years since his birth, on October 5th 1600, in the Norfolk village of Rollesby, near Yarmouth. Born prematurely he was rather a frail child.

In this Puritan enclave Goodwin’s godly parents, Richard and Catherine, endeavoured to raise him with an eye to the ministry by means of personal example and good education. As a boy he apparently had a tender conscience, experiencing as young as six something of the Spirit’s work leading both weeping and ‘flashes of joy’.

Cambridge

A year early for the time Goodwin entered Christ’s College, Cambridge, as a junior sophister in August, 1613. A centre of Puritanism, the young Goodwin would have found the memory of William Perkins (1558-1602) still very much alive and many delighting in the preaching of Richard Sibbes (1577-1635).

At 14, looking forward to his second communion, he was reading Ursinus on the Heidelberg Catechism and Calvin’s Institutes, much in prayer and attending Sibbes’s lectures. He believed that once he took this communion he could never fall again. When the day arrived, however, his tutor, William Power, would not let him partake, in light of his youth.

This humiliation led to something of a crisis for the teenager. He stopped going to hear Sibbes; stopped praying and reading the Bible; and decided to seek success as a popular preacher of the more worldly sort. Still a diligent student, he determined to endeavour to emulate the style of Richard Senhouse (d 1626) and other Arminian university preachers who put rhetoric before substance.

In 1619, he transferred to St Catherine’s Hall, probably because it was smaller. Among fellows there were John Arrowsmith (1602-1659) Andrew Perne (1559-1654), William Spurstowe (d 1666) and William Strong (d 1654), all future Westminster Assembly men.

These and other Puritan friends sought to turn him to better thoughts. He never left off hearing Sibbes completely or the catechetical sermons of John Preston (1587-1626) in the college chapel and although interest in Puritan spirituality remained intermittent for another year, intensifying when the Lord’s Supper came round, he slowly returned to where he had been.

Conversion

Still unconverted, despite experiences like his often recounted one when he heard John Rogers of Dedham (c 1570-1636) preach with such passion, he remained unconverted. God finally brought him into deep conviction and he was converted on October 2, 1620, just after he turned 20. He and friends had met to ‘make merry’ when theu decided, against Goodwin’s wishes, to go to hear a funeral sermon. The preacher was a Dr Thomas Bainbrigg (d 1646). On Luke 19:41, 42, it focused on repentance. God used this message to show Goodwin his desperate need of Christ. Some hours later God spoke to Goodwin's heart a ‘speedy word’ of deliverance from Ezekiel 16 saying ‘Yea, live’. 

From conversion, he was fully committed to the theological traditions of Perkins, Sibbes and Preston and resolved ‘to part with all for Christ and make the glory of God the measure of all time to come’. Consequently, he abandoned the polished style of preaching common among Anglican divines and adopted the Puritan plain style, which sought, above all else, to glorify to God. He became a fervent, pointed, experiential and pastoral preacher of the first order.

For seven years he struggled over assurance of faith. He was helped by a godly minister from King’s Lynn, a Mr Price (Goodwin called him the greatest man for experimental acquaintance with Christ that he had ever met). He was delivered from his doubts when he finally came to see the importance of looking only to Christ and not to self. His preaching inevitably became more Christ-centered. By this time he had become a Fellow and a Lecturer in his Hall and had began studying for his MA.

In 1625 he was licensed to preach by the University. The following year he was influential in bringing Sibbes from Trinity to St Catherine’s as Master. On the death of Preston in 1628 Goodwin was appointed lecturer at Trinity Church. He was only 27.

In 1630, he was awarded the BD degree and two years later was presented by the king to the vicarage of Trinity.

London and Holland

In 1634, however, unwilling to submit to Laud’s new articles of conformity, he resigned his offices and left Cambridge. Numerous people, including several who later became influential Puritan pastors, were converted under his preaching in Cambridge. During the 1630s, largely under the influence of John Cotton (1585-1652), with whom he spent time before the latter’s departure for New England, Goodwin had adopted independent principles of church government.

From 1634 to 1639 he was probably a Separatist preacher in London, leading various congregations. In 1638 he married Elizabeth Prescott. The following year persecution drove him to Holland. There, in Amsterdam, he met fellow Independents Philip Nye (1595-1672), Jeremiah Burroughs (1601?-1646), William Bridge (1601 or 02-1671) and Sidrach Simpson (1600-1655), with whom he would later work in the Westminster Assembly. They were known as the ‘Five Dissenting Brethren’.

He also had opportunity to exchange reflections with Dutch colleagues. He and Nye moved to Arnhem, obtained permission to hold regular worship and co-pastored a flock of about dozen English families. Goodwin was also instrumental in settling a disagreement in the English church at Rotterdam between William Bridge and Samuel Ward (1577-1640) during this time.

In 1641, with the impeachment of Laud and the calling of the Long Parliament, he responded to Parliament’s invitation to refugees for nonconformity to return. Some claim he gathered a church on Anchor Lane in the parish of St Dunstan’s, East London, near Thomas Street, later one of the most influential Independent churches. There is no conclusive evidence to substantiate this, though he did preach to an Independent church in St Michael’s, Crooked Lane, in 1646.

Westminster Assembly

In 1643 he was chosen to be one of the commissioners to the Westminster Assembly. There he is said to have been ‘the most decisive figure and the great disturber’ due to his continued promotion of independent church government. Records of the assembly covering 243 sessions, August 1643-December 1644, indicate that he gave more addresses than anyone else - 357! With the other ‘Dissenting Brethren’ he presented to the Westminster Assembly, in 1644 an Apologeticall Narration defending his views.

Despite prolonging the debate on church government, Goodwin retained the respect of the Presbyterian majority as a capable and irenic Puritan. He was chosen to pray in the solemn seven hour meeting at which the assembly prepared to enter on the debate concerning church discipline. He was also chosen to present to Parliament The Directory of Public Worship, at which time (as well as on several other occasions) he preached before Parliament.

Subsequently, the House of Lords gave Goodwin and Jeremiah Whitaker (1599-1654) the oversight and examination of the papers to be printed for the assembly. His notes, taken mostly in short-hand, fill 15 volumes! Having turned down an opportunity to sail to the New World at the last moment,  Goodwin was appointed, along with Edward Reynolds (1599-1676) and Joseph Caryl (1602-1673), to be lecturer at Oxford. This was in May 1649 and was at Cromwell’s request.

On June 7, 1649, Goodwin and John Owen (1616-1683) preached before the Commons on a special thanksgiving day. The next day the House put their names forward for promotion to the presidency of two Oxford colleges and so in January 1650, Goodwin became President of Magdalen College. He left his church in the capable hands of Thomas Harrison (1619-1682). Owen became dean of Christchurch.

The pair must have had considerable influence, since Cromwell yielded his power as Chancellor to a commission headed by Owen and Goodwin was made a close adviser to Cromwell and the Protector’s Oxford Commissioner. Goodwin’s influence shaped Magdalen College into an institution known for adherence to scriptural truth and Calvinistic, experimental doctrine. Demanding academic excellence and dealing plainly with the students regarding their spiritual state, he soon received the disapprobation of those unsympathetic to the Puritan emphasis on intelligent piety.

It was in these years, however, as Lord Clarendon confessed later, that ‘the University of Oxford yielded a harvest of extraordinary good and sound knowledge in all parts of leaming.’ His 10 years at Oxford were active and productive. During this time he and Owen shared a Sunday afternoon lecture for students and both were chaplains to Cromwell. Goodwin also formed an independent church and preached to a unique mixed multitude of town and gown, including Stephen Charnock (1628-1680) and Thankful Owen (1620-1681) and even the young John Howe (1630-1705), though a Presbyterian. 

In 1653, he was awarded a DD by the University. The following year Cromwell chose him to sit on the University Board of Visitors as well as to be one of the Triers on The Board for the Approbation of Public Preachers. He was also appointed to the Oxfordshire Commission for the Ejection of Scandalous Ministers. During this decade, Goodwin was probably closer to Cromwell than any other Independent divine. He attended the Lord Protector on his deathbed.

The Savoy declaration

Before Cromwell’s death (September 3, 1658), Goodwin secured his reluctant permission for a synod of Independents to draft a confession of faith. On September 9, 1658, Goodwin, Owen, Nye, Bridge, Caryl and William Greenhill (1591-1671) were appointed to draw up a confession to be used by some 120 Independent churches. Owen almost certainly wrote the long introduction, but Goodwin was probably most prominent in preparing the first draft. The Savoy Declaration of Faith and Order was adopted October 12, 1658, being unanimously approved and on October 14, Goodwin led a delegation to present it to Richard Cromwell.

At this time he also remarried, having been widowed two years before. Mary Hammond, only 17, was ‘of ancient and honourable Shropshire lineage’ and was to him a great blessing. They had two sons and two daughters. The daughters died in infancy. Richard died while still a young man but Thomas junior followed his father into the ministry. His first wife also bore him a daughter, Elizabeth.

The Restoration

With the Rump Parliament restored in 1659 the Presbyterian state church was restored as well, but a year later, with wide support, Charles II returned to reclaim the throne. Goodwin felt compelled to leave his work at Oxford for London, together with a substantial part of his congregation. They formed a church in 1660.

Contrary to many assurances from the new king, in 1662, 1,760 ministers and 150 dons and schoolmasters were ejected from their livings. In his Fetter Lane Independent Church, Goodwin continued to minister for the remainder of his life. He was eventually succeeded by his friend, Thankful Owen, and in turn, by his son. 

In 1665 the great plague of London broke out and over 68,000 died. King and court fled the city in June and did not return until the following February, but Goodwin laboured on. Before the plague had subsided the famous Great Fire came the following year. It started early on a Sunday morning, on September 2 in a baker’s shop. The city burned until late the next Wednesday under a wind and 13,200 homes burned down as well as 87 churches. Goodwin’s home was under threat of the raging blaze and concerned to save his priceless library, he had more than half his books moved to a friend’s house. However, a shift in the direction of the wind meant his own house was spared and his friend’s burned down. Mourning his great loss he wrote a book based upon James 1:1-5. It was published as ‘Patience and its Perfect Work, under Sudden and Sore Trials’.

Goodwin died on February 23, 1679 and was buried in Bunhill Fields. He was in his eightieth year and still having that sweet assurance he had gained more than 50 years before. His strong convictions stood him in good stead on his deathbed and he died fully confident in the Lord.

His published works

His works were published in five folio volumes between 1682 and 1704 and have often been reprinted. Andrew Bonar (1808-1889) said of them, ‘They are five invaluable volumes’. They were later split into 12 more manageable volumes and include devotional, expository, doctrinal and ecclesiastical studies.

Among them are his most popular work, A Child of Light Walking in Darkness. Joel Beeke has written

For intelligent piety at its Puritan best, Thomas Goodwin, stands on a par with John Owen, ‘the prince of Puritans’, as a theologian and an exegete, and often surpasses him in experimental depth. Slightly easier to read than Owen, Goodwin’s writings demand concentration for maximum benefit. Any lover of the biblical and experimental emphases of the Puritans will find Goodwin both readable and spiritually rewarding. He represents the cream of Puritanism, capturing the intellect, will and heart of his readers.

In his Thirteen Appreciations, Alexander Whyte declares Goodwin to be ‘A favourite author of mine’. He recalls with relish seeing an advertisement for Goodwin’s works as a student, and enthusiastically subscribing. He goes on, ‘His works have never been out of my hands down to this day’. Both as a student and as a young minister he carried a volume of Goodwin everywhere. ‘I carried his volumes about with me till they fell out of their original cloth binding, and till I got my book-binder to put them into his best morocco’ he reveals. ‘I have read no other author so much and so often. And I continue to read him till this day as if I had never read him before.’

Whyte goes on to describe and enthuse about all 12 volumes in the series.

1. Thirty six sermons on Ephesians 1. ‘I know nothing anywhere at all to compare with this splendid exposition’ He singles out ‘the wonderful sermon on ‘Christ dwelling in our hearts by faith’ … that superb sermon’.

2. This includes the sermon on James 1:1-5.

3. Whyte enthuses about his ‘Three select cases’ - ‘A Child of Light Walking in Darkness’; ‘The Return of Prayers’ and ‘The Trial of a Christian's Growth’.

4. ‘The Heart of Christ in Heaven towards Sinners on Earth’ is a gem of the purest water in Whyte’s judgement.

5. ‘Goodwin’s fifth volume is full of the purest and strongest and sweetest New Testament truth.’

And so he goes on. For him Goodwin is

one of a thousand. So much is this the case that he is still an interpreter even when he lays out and executes his most elaborate, most confessional and most dogmatical works … Full as Goodwin always is of the ripest scriptural and Reformation scholarship - full as he always is of the best theological and philosophical learning of his own day and of all foregoing days; full, also, as he always is of the deepest spiritual experience - all the same, he is always so simple, so clear, so direct, so untechnical, so personal and so pastoral.

(The above is based mainly on articles gleaned from the internet by Joel Beeke, Gordon Crompton, Guy Davies, Peter Toon and Alexander Whyte

Also see

Brian Freer, Thomas Goodwin, the Peaceable Puritan

Graham Harrison, Thomas Goodwm and Independency

Both in Diversities of Gifts, Westminster Conference Reports, 1980 (London: The Westminster Conference, 1981))

His Latin epitaph, in Bunhill Fields Cemetery has been translated thus

Here lies the body of Thomas Goodwin, D.D. He had a large acquaintance with ancient, and above all, with Ecclesiastical History. He was exceeded by no one in the knowledge of the Holy Scriptures. He was at once blessed with a rich invention and a solid and exact judgment. He carefully compared together the different parts of Holy Writ, and with a marvellous felicity discovered the latent sense of the divine Spirit who indited them. None ever entered deeper into the mysteries of the Gospel, or more clearly unfolded them for the benefit of others ... In knowledge, wisdom and eloquence he was a truly Christian pastor ... Till having finished his appointed course, both of services and of sufferings in the cause of his Divine Master, he gently fell asleep in Jesus. His writings that he has left behind him will diffuse his name in a more fragrant odour than that of the richest perfume. His name will flourish in far distant ages, when this marble inscribed with his just honour, shall have dropt into dust. He died February 23rd, 1679 in the eightieth year of his age. First published in The Evangelical Library Bulletin

Institutional racism

This article appeared in Grace Magazine in 1999

The Macpherson inquiry into the death of Stephen Lawrence uses the phrase ‘Institutional racism’. Since then not only the police but also the teaching profession and others have come under fire in some quarters for perceived ‘Institutional racism’.

Definitions

What is ‘Institutional racism’? Racism is belief in ‘the theory that all members of each race possess characteristics, abilities, qualities, etc, specific to that race’. In particular it is the view that one race is inferior or superior to another. More loosely, it refers to racial prejudice, discrimination or antagonism. The Macpherson inquiry defines ‘institutional racism’ as an organisation’s collective failure ‘to provide an appropriate and professional service to people because of their colour, culture or ethnic origin’. The Race Relations Institute labels it ‘that which, covertly or overtly, resides in the policies, procedures, operations and culture of public or private institutions - reinforcing individual prejudices and being reinforced by them in turn.’

The phrase seems to have been coined in America in the mid-sixties. In their influential 1967 book Black Power Carmichael and Hamilton wrote, 

‘Racism is both overt and covert. It takes two, closely related forms: individual whites acting against individual blacks, and acts by the total white community against the black community. We call these individual racism and institutional racism. The first consists of overt acts by individuals, which cause death, injury or the violent destruction of property … it can frequently be observed in the process of commission. The second type is less overt, far more subtle, less identifiable in terms of specific individuals committing the acts. But it is no less destructive of human life. The second type originates in the operation of established and respected forces in the society, and thus receives far less public condemnation.’

By way of example they cite white terrorists bombing a black church in Birmingham, Alabama (individual racism). Then they say that in that same city 500 black babies died each year through lack of proper food, clothing, shelter and medical facilities and ‘thousands more were destroyed or maimed physically, emotionally, and intellectually because of conditions of poverty and discrimination in the black community’ (institutional racism).

Response

We do not necessarily accept these definitions or the presuppositions behind them. Nevertheless surely we have to face the question not only whether we are racist as individuals but also whether the institutions with which we are involved, and that includes our churches, are racist.

A Methodist spokesman (Stephen Lawrence’s divorced parents are apparently Methodists) has called on ‘groups and institutions in our country, including all the churches, humbly to review their attitudes, procedures and institutional arrangements in the light of’ the inquiry’s definition. It would be arrogant to ignore such a call.

People often turn to science or religion to bolster their racism. The Bible really gives no encouragement. We all descend from Adam. We are all in God’s image and we are all sinners.

We are all affected by our culture and background but there is nothing inherently more sinful about one race over another, although some cultures may be more given to one particular sin than another. The Jews are specifically told, The LORD did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples … it was because the LORD loved you and kept the oath he swore to your forefathers that he … redeemed you …. Although the Law distinguished at certain points between aliens and Israelites the basic message is that The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt.

Similarly, while maintaining Salvation is of the Jews, Jesus actively discouraged the prejudice of Jews against Samaritans, Samaritans against Jews.

Paul is clear, too, in Christ there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all. When he quotes Epimenides’ assessment of his fellow Cretans as always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons he accepts it as true of unconverted Cretans not converted ones.

Questions

So is there any possibility that our local churches may be guilty of institutional racism? The question affects some more acutely than others. Small as we are in Childs Hill a typical congregation is made up of people from ten or more countries on four continents, although we are more homogeneous than that might suggest. We all need to consider, however, whether we are failing to treat people appropriately because of their colour, culture or ethnic origin and whether our policies, procedures, operations and church culture reinforce individual prejudices or are reinforced by them?

More specifically, we can ask,

• In evangelism, are we making efforts to reach out into every part of the community in which we find ourselves? In some cases this is difficult. Where religious, cultural and linguistic barriers exist it will be much easier to reach some than others. The Spirit sometimes makes one sort of people more receptive than another. We have New Testament examples of Paul turning from Jews to concentrate on Gentiles. However, this was not until he had first endeavoured to bring the gospel to the Jews.
• When people come to our meetings, do they receive an equally warm welcome wherever they hail from? This is not as easy as it may sound. People from Wales come to us and I ask where they are from, why they are in London and who they know. When others come it can be more difficult. It may take a few goes to pronounce their name correctly. They say where they are from but it does not mean much to me. Perhaps their accent is difficult or their English limited. Nevertheless, we must surely welcome all. James warns us against making a fuss of some people and not of others. In church life, are we guarding against undue favouritism? You remember the trouble in the church at Jerusalem over the daily provision for widows. The Greek speaking Jews felt they were being overlooked. Acts 6 give us a model of how to deal with such a situation and put it right.
• In the teaching ministry, is there unnecessary bias toward one culture in the examples and illustrations used? Can ministers not do some reading to inform ourselves of the gospel’s progress in other cultures and use this to illustrate the points we want to get across? Jesus certainly tailored his teaching materials to suit his audience.
• What about leadership in the churches? It is disappointing that in Reformed ministers conferences and similar gatherings there are so few present from the ethnic minorities. We are perhaps doing marginally better than the police but certainly not as well as the Premier League. There are historic and theological reasons why many West Indians, for example, formed their own churches but surely we can do something to overcome such problems. Certainly we must make sure that no-one in our churches with gifts of leadership is held back simply because of his cultural background.

This is a big issue and the questions above are not intended to suggest a few minor changes will solve every problem. We must get this right, however, as we progress to the day when those from every nation tribe, people and language, stand before the throne and in front of the Lamb … wearing white robes … holding palm branches in their hands.

Desert Island Books

The idea of a desert island as a stimulus to thought and conversation is no new one. The game is played in various guises. In this instance we propose removing a believer to a desert island for an unspecified length of time in order to learn something about the books they would most recommend others to read. The ground rules are simple. Certain books are already on the island - The Holy Scriptures (in the version or versions of your choice); John Bunyan's inimitable Pilgrim's Progress; Matthew Henry's superlative Commentary on the Whole Bible; and, finally, the works of John Calvin.

"What need of more books?" you may ask. But these works are so widely esteemed, or at least have been in the past, that we thought it only fair to place them on our island for all. What remains is for the castaway to take a tour of the Evangelical Library before departure, selecting just five further books for their sojourn. Our castaway this time is an extremely close friend of the editor, Darby Gray, from Kidsdon.

Narrowing down to just five books is no easy task. One is thankful to have the Bunyan, Henry and Calvin available. In thinking about this, a number of great favourites have had to be by-passed, such as Spiritual Disciplines by Don Whitney, a book I have very much enjoyed more than once.

Like many other castaways I am keen to take a biography with me. Reading the lives of others is both pleasant and instructive. The two volumes by lain Murray on Dr. Lloyd-Jones instantly spring to mind as does Roland Bainton's volume on Martin Luther. Dallimore's two volumes on Whitefield or even his single one on Spurgeon are attractive possibilities too. Dallimore and Murray are superb biographers. The latter's large work on Edwards and his smaller one on John Murray are also contenders.

However, I think I will plump for Ned B Stonehouse's wonderful Biographical Memoir of J. Gresham Machen. There is a slight degree of hagiography involved here no doubt and much of the attraction is the atmosphere the book breathes - leisurely, verbose, refined, from a bygone age. Machen's life was no easy one, however, as he struggled with the attractions of German liberalism, served in France in the Great War and defended the faith in the face of a vicious onslaught from modernism, being instrumental in founding Westminster Theological Seminary. His attitude to fundamentalism, temperance, Billy Sunday, Church relations, the Sabbath, etc, are interestingly revealed. It is hard to think of a more moving or a more challenging 20th century biography.

The "Princeton" atmosphere is so fine that I really would like more than just one smattering for my desert island reading. I did think of trying the trick that others have used and ask for a set of works, namely ten volumes of B B Warfield. However, some of that would involve hard work on my part and so I will instead take the easy option and go for the next best thing to biography, Church history, and order the two volumes by David B Calhoun on old Princeton Seminary, Faith and Learning 1812-1868 and The Majestic Testimony 1869-1929. Partly, it is the writing but chiefly it is the subject matter of these lovely descriptions of experiential Calvinism that hooks me. From log college to premier university, the story is a fascinating one on many fronts. The glimpses of the Alexanders, the Hodges, Machen, Warfield, as well as a host of lesser known men, is fascinating. The persistent re-emergence of vital godliness amid thoroughgoing and painstaking theology is no small part of the attraction that the books hold. The one snag with such a book would be the references to other books just out of reach. There is an interesting description, for instance, of J A Alexander beavering away in a New York hotel during the summer months on his commentaries on Psalms, Acts and Mark, lost deep in thought or getting frustrated and breaking for a half an hour of Dickens or a walk in the streets. "Well, this is the most delightful and exciting occupation I can conceive of," he said, "it is better than any novel that I ever read."

At the risk of wallowing, basking even, more in the glory of old Princeton and Westminster let me add a third less obvious choice. If I wanted another obvious one I would have gone for J W Alexander's Thoughts on Preaching. However, I want something doctrinal. I know little of the late Edwin H Palmer except that he was a Christian Reformed pastor, a lecturer at Westminster Theological Seminary and executive secretary of the committee that produced the NIV Bible. The same clarity he brought to that project is found in the two books he authored, one a study guide on The Five points of Calvinism and the other (my choice) on The Holy Spirit, His Person and Ministry. Here are 16 clear, well set-out, warm-hearted, simple studies that it would be a joy to re-read and to study again.

My final two choices would both be by Puritans. I notice too that like two out my last three choices these have both been published or republished (these two as Puritan paperbacks) by the Banner of Truth Trust. How thankful we ought to be to God for the Trust's continued commitment to the Reformed faith. First, I mention John Flavel's Mystery of Providence (as it is known). I will never forget reading it for the first time and being introduced to the whole idea of providence. It led to my seeing things and discovering things about God's goodness that I never would have seen otherwise. First published in 1678 there is not a book like it for opening up the subject of God's providence. What a joy it would be to contemplate, even if banished to a desert island, the goodness of God revealed in providence. The book is in three parts. Firstly, it deals with the evidence for Providence; then the duty, method and advantages of meditating on it; and finally the practical implications and problems and the advantages of keeping records.

My final choice was written just over 25 years earlier. Another Puritan work, Thomas Brooks' Precious Remedies Against Satan's Devices was first published in 1652. The very title teaches a lesson and the contents pages themselves contain more lessons than many books produced since, for all their boasts. I believe he lists some 41 devices and over 200 remedies. Obviously time has moved on and written today such a book would no doubt have different things to say, but as a manual for the daily fight with Satan (from which a desert island would offer no rest) nothing can beat it. Perhaps the section warning against false inferences from the cross actings of providence would come alive on a lone desert island. Books would help me to see that many things contrary to our desires are not contrary to our good and that God's hand against me does not mean his love and heart are not set on me. He would help me to see that such a cross providence would do me good (no doubt through reading these books) and help me on my way to heaven.

This article original appeared in The Evangelical Library Bulletin under the name of my alter ego Darby Gray.