Evangelical Library Annual Lecture 2026 Brian Edwards on Tyndale

It was great to be one of over twenty gathered at the Evangelical Library in London on Monday to hear Brian Edwards speak on William Tyndale and 500 years of Bible translation in this anniversary year of the first appearance of Tyndale's New Testament. It was an excellent lecture taking us all te way from Luther to the AV and delivered in good style. The lecture will be on our YouTUbe site soon. Btina has a book on the subject available here - Day One

Banner of Truth Conference 2026 Day Three Morning

Another good couple of sessions. This morning we were more in the back of the engine, seeking a theology of revival with Brian Edwards' help and noting the connection between Calvary and Pentecost with David Vaughn. Brian Edwards made an interesting point towards the end, that Christian maturity is more important than revival.

He gave us a very interesting Spurgeon quotation as he closed.

It is a sorrowful fact that many who are spiritually alive greatly need reviving. It is sorrowful because it is a proof of the existence of much spiritual evil. A man in sound health with every part of his body in a vigorous condition does not need reviving. He requires daily sustenance, but reviving would be quite out of place. If he has not yet attained maturity growth will be most desirable, but a hale hearty young man wants no reviving, it would be thrown away upon him. Who thinks of reviving the noonday sun, the ocean at its flood, or the year at its prime? The tree planted by the rivers of water loaded with fruit needs not excite our anxiety for its revival, for its fruitfulness and beauty charm every one. Such should be the constant condition of the sons of God. Feeding and lying down in green pastures and led by the still waters they ought not always to be crying, "my leanness, my leanness, woe unto me." Sustained by gracious promises and enriched out of the fullness which God has treasured up in his dear Son, their souls should prosper and be in health, and their piety ought to need no reviving. They should aspire to a higher blessing, a richer mercy, than a mere revival. They have the nether springs already; they should earnestly cover the upper springs. They should be asking for growth in grace, for increase of strength, for greater success; they should have out-climbed and out-soared the period in which they need to be constantly crying, "Wilt thou not revive us again?"

See here.

Banner of Truth Conference 2026 Day Two Morning

A good morning here in Yarnfield Park. We began with a short prayer meeting and then heard two papers on past revivals and theirblessons. First, American missionary to France, David Vaughn, spoke on the East African Revival and then, secondly, Brian Edwards spoke on Primitive Methodists. Both very interesting and rather forgotten. Between those we heard from, John Rawlinson gave a farewell speech, reminiscing and urging us not to build a legacy but to be faithful to the Lord. I was interested to hear that he was at a Banner Youth Conference in 1980 in Clovelly Hall, a conference which I believe I was also at.

Early Christianity in Britain

When I was in Aber last my prospective sympathetic Mike Iliff (our kids get married in June) recommended a book to me - Early Christianity. The backbone of this work which takes you from the first century to Wycliffe and Tyndale grows out of PhD work by Peter Green. Some published PhD theses are hard to read but in this case Brian Edwards has edited the manuscipt and that has made for an easy read of 17 chapters. Much of the material was familiar to me (Patrick, Aidan, David, etc) but much was not. Some of it is very interesting indeed. It refutes the Augustine of Canterbury thesis that was promoted in school and argues for a church that had existed for 500 years before then and also denies that England ever had much to do with Rome, much less the other home nations. This is well worth getting hold of. Some of it will surprise you.

Aber Conference '12 Evening 5 Brian Edwards

As Brian Edwards himself observed, it might have been better if the conference had ended with Conrad Mbewe's address. Brian did his best, however, taking us to Revelation 22 but the message was somehow dissipated in a long and interesting but somewhat difficult introduction looking at God's light coming into the world. The decision to choose two hymns that the congregation did not know for the final ones was probably not wise either, as good as both were (one by Chris Idle, one by Charles Wesley). One feature this year is that we have sung nearly all 20th or 21st century hymns, apart from the Charles Wesley ones.

So another year over. Not a vintage one perhaps with numbers down and the preaching variable but full of plenty of good things. Evangelistic appeal was rather at a premium, sad to say. The conference is always more than the preaching.

Next year it's Alistair Begg and in the evenings Iain D Campbell, Vaughan Roberts, Ian Parry and Bernard Lewis.

As ithers see us

We didn't keep Burns night the other week here (we didn't even keep Dydd Santes Dwynwen if truth be told) but I am aware of the final verse of Burns poem "To a louse". Burns wrote it apparently on seeing a louse crawl across the fine bonnet of a lady in the pew in front. My recollection was prompted by a remark over on Refomation21 by Carl Trueman following the Affinity conference.

O wad some Power the giftie gie us

To see oursels as ithers see us!

It wad frae mony a blunder free us,

An' foolish notion:

What airs in dress an' gait wad lea'e us,

An' ev'n devotion!

("Then, there was Gary Brady, famous opponent of jeans*, surprisingly sporting smart trousers and a pair of moth eaten gym shoes, apparently in an unsuccessful attempt to fuse Reformed Baptist theology, Welsh mysticism, and an emergent ..."

[*I once remarked, obviously in Carl's presence, that jeans are a sign of teenage rebellion and so inappropriate for certain situations. I did notice that Brian Edwards wore jeans throughout so may be I have a point!])

An evening with John Newton

Getting on for 200 were in attendance last night for an evening with John Newton, organised by The Banner of Truth. It was held in St Mary Woolnoth in the City of London where Newton latterly ministered. Mark Johnston chaired and Brian Edwards spoke first in his usually succinct style giving an overview of Newton's life and saying a little about his slavery and anti-slavery connections. He closed with two fair questions about slavery and worker exploitation and about abortion today.

After a 10 minute break Anglican George Curry spoke on Newton's Anglicanism and ministry. I don't tend to think of Newton as an Anglican although he clearly was. Mr Curry pointed to the various factors that led him to this position (admiration for Whitefield and the influence of various other Anglicans, pressure from his wife's family) and his own poor pragmatic arguments (gospel more important than church order, all churches mixed, liturgy okay and the main one - a good boat to fish from). It is a pity that he became an Anglican but having become one he did not simply abandon his nonconformist connections as some do but worked hard to keep them up. If only more (like Mr Curry) were more willing to do that today. As for ministry we were given many challenges as we looked at his devotional life, his Calvinism, his catholicity, his care for God's people, etc. This excellent message would be well worth getting hold of.