East Tytherton

Maud Heath's causeway, Wilts

E Tytherton Moravian Church

Maud Heath Monument

Maud Heath Monument on the causeway

We were in Wiltshire last weekend and so on the Saturday I took opportunity to visit East Tytherton near Chippenham. I knew about the place through my studies of John Cennick. He put the headquarters of the Moravian church there. The current buildings are 18th century ut later than Cennick's time. The other thing in the area is a causeway financed in Mediaeval times by one Maud Heath. We saw the causeway itself and two monuments to her.

On the smaller monument from 16 it says

"To the memory of the worthy Maud Heath of Langly Burrell Widow who in the year of Grace 1474 for the good of travellers did in Charity bestow in Lands and houses about Eight pounds a year for ever to be laid out on the Highways and Causey leading from Wick Hill to Chippenham Clift. This piller was set up by the feoffees in 1698. Injure me not."

On the larger monument from 1838, which overlooks the Chippenham flats, it says

'Thou who dost pause on this aerial height

Where Maud Heath's Pathway winds in shade and light

Christian wayfarer in a world of strife

Be still and consider the Path of Life.

It is sundial and there other inscriptions on three sides. On the side of the dia, facing the rising sun, the passenger is called on, generally, to remember the fleetness of the passing moment - Tempus volat (time flies). On the side fronting the meridian sun is the inscription to remind us Dum tempus habemus, Operemur bonum (while we have the time let us do good). The inscription fronting the setting sun, addressed to the evening traveller, is redibo tu nunquam (you will never return).

As Latn declined English words were added thus on the three sides

Haste, traveller, the sun is sinking now - He shall return again - but never thou.

Life steals away. This hour. oh man, is lent to thee. Patient to work the work of him who sent thee.

Oh early passenger, look up - be wise. And think how, night and day, time onward flies.

In the other direction one can see a white horse in the hillside (Cherhill?).

John Cennick

John Wesley’s House & The Museum of Methodism

This is a post-dated blog post. In the business of things I omitted just to mention that on Monday lunch time I was at the Evangelical Library lecturing on John Cennick. We had a decent turn out and several were happy to hear more about a rather forgotten hero from Church history.

I simply gave the life story as I understand it. I concluded with these closing observations

Cennick left some 40 sermons and 750 hymns of varying quality. The main lessons to learn from his life are perhaps in the areas of how hard Christian unity is, holiness and evangelistic zeal.

1. How hard Christian unity is. Cennick was driven out by the Wesleyans and there was not much he could have done to prevent it. When he left for the Moravians, however, no-one forced him and the Moravians did little to encourage him to join them. He was obviously convinced that it was the right thing to do, however. It did nothing to increase unity.

2. Holiness. In his biography of Wesley, Luke Tyerman wrote

Cennick had his weaknesses; but, in deadness to the world, communion with God, Christian courage and cheerful patience, he had few superiors.

J E Hutton wrote that

Of all the great preachers of the eighteenth century, not one was superior to him in beauty of character. He was inferior to John Wesley in organising skill, and inferior to Whitefield in dramatic power; but in devotion, in simplicity, and in command over his audience he was equal to either.

3. Evangelistic zeal. Cennick probably preached some eight or nine thousand times between 1739 and 1755, often to huge crowds. He was often persecuted and yet his zeal knew no respite. Here is a brief passage from a late sermon preached in Ireland. It is quite Moravian in style but shows the passion with which he preached

Behold him behold the Lamb of God! Those open arms are extended to embrace you; that pained breast was made bare, that you might lean there and be comforted; that cross of his was raised up to screen and shelter you, like a great tree, from the burning heat of the wrath of Almighty God; those wounds are the cities of refuge, set open that you might turn in and be safe; that reverend head was bowed down to listen to your complaint and sighs, and those dear lips stooped to kiss you, the blood which runs down from all parts, from head to foot, hastened to make a river of life, that you might drink and live for ever, that you might wash and be clean. O go to him, venture near him, spread your hands and hearts towards this temple, make your prayers towards this gate of heaven, and apply fearless and with trust, to him who was lifted up and slain, and you shall find help.

How we need such preaching today.

Westminster 09 2c

The final paper was from Bruce Jenkins from Caversham, Reading - a fascinating look at the Moravians and their amazing missionary work. The Moravians are sometimes typified as having heat without light and so Bruce looked first at how much light they had then considered what we can learn from their "heat". The Moravians trace their roots to Hus. The Independent Episcopal Church began in the 15th century long before the Reformation. In 1721 a remnant set up in Herrnhut at the invitation of Count Zinzendorf. In 1727 the Moravian Pentecost brought revival. A neglected part of studies of the great awakening is the role of these people. They are certainly outside the main stream but had an important influence. In 1732 Zinzendorf was banished from Saxony. Moravian Societies were formed in various places such as Fetter Lane in London. In England they were able to get recognition as part of the established church. In the 1740s they experienced what they call the sifting time. By the end of that period they were mired in debt and in 1755 Zinzendorf returned to Germany in shame. The Moravians practiced strict segregation of the sexes, other divisions, women in ministry, ecumenism, use of the lot, voluntary socialism, children removed from parents while still young, etc. They were a great mixture. They focused on Christ but gave expression to this in ways that disgusted most people. It was very much a personality cult around Zinzendorf. Though accused of antinomianism they were very legalistic. They were very frugal but got into financial trouble through mismanagement and over indulgence. Having had the background there were then three points on their
1. Provocative piety - Evaluating Moravian doctrine and practice
They can be spoken of as Non-confessional Lutheran Pietists. They were essentially people of the heart. What mattered to them was not orthodoxy but authentic spiritual experience. Zinzendorf referred to the Holy Spirit as Mother. This is not a doctrinal point but an attempt to express things experientially. It was the same impetus that led to Zinzendorf's blood and wounds theology. They saw the wounds as a mark of Christ's humanity and spoke graphically of the need to hide in the wounds and to delight in them. Cf The Litany of the wounds. It was only a step to eroticising the relationship between Christ and his church. The notorious Appendix 12 to their hymnal was overtly sexual. Their worship then went in a very vivid, spectacular even sensual direction. These practices became a scandal. Today Moravians say the sifting period 1743-1750 was the limit of this temporary aberration. However, the phenomenon was longer and less unusual than they claim. They were not popular when they were most controversial. Wesley was converted through the Moravians but slowly became disillusioned and wrote against them (1745) as antinomians. He was not bitter against them. Whitefield reluctantly distanced himself from them. He wrote a letter to Zinzendorf admonishing him. The Moravians defended themselves but lost the support of the evangelicals. Zinzendorf himself was a curious mixture. The author of such mad novelties also wrote Jesu Thy blood and righteousness and showed many marks of evangelical understanding. He was quite self-contradictory and an autodidact who refused to speak precisely. The explanation of all this is the lack of a confession of faith, the predominance of a youth culture at the height if their influence. The core explanation is a wholly inadequate view of and use of Scripture. Zinzendorf did not believe in verbal inspiration. He actually said that "The fact that the Bible has so many errors (scarcely a book today would be published with so many) is, for me at least, the an unassailable proof for its divinity". Even today Moravians use Bible texts deliberately removed from their context.
2. Missionary practice - Describing the principles
Zinzendorf believed that the nations would not be converted until the Jews were. He believed the Jews would not be converted until they saw Christ's wounds. This idea was subsequently rejected and mission flourished to an astounding degree. It was voluntary. They sent out artisans. The emphasis was on enthusiasm rather than education. Study was done in medicine, geography and languages. Missionaries were given the money to get to the port of departure then worked their passage. Whether a missionary would marry or not was decided by lot. Their message - they rejected the established method and started with Christ rather than God, creation, fall, law, etc. People know there is a God, it was felt, but not about Christ - that is what they need to know. They used a picturesque narrative method in line with their theology. Spannenburg, Zinzendorf's successor, however, was quite orthodox.
3. Exemplary passion - learning from Moravian missionary zeal This what made their contemporaries admire them even if they could not work with them. They gave long, long years of service and many died on the field. What maintained that zeal? Seven things were suggested
1. Readiness to make the world their home (part of their history) 2. Profound experience of God 3. Inspiring leadership 4. Whole church mission involvement 5. Prayer 6. Constant exposure to mission 7. Commitment to mission

Stapleford, etc

On Monday we were meeting again at the Evangelical Library near Baker Street where we are still inching towards a sale of the property. Further developments look to be in the right direction. Watch this space!
Then I was out all day Tuesday. Bright and early Eleri took me to the London Gateway Services near the bottom of the M1 (did you know that the M1 has no Junction 3?) where I met up with Jeremy Walker (Maidenbower Baptist) to travel to Stapleford, just off the M1 between Derby and Nottingham. In a chapel there I was at my first full committee organising upcoming Westminster Conferences. It was good to be amongst august company. One of the EP directors was able to give me a first glimpse of my book on regeneration, which Jeremy told me he also had a copy of. I'm still yet to have one of my own.
The next Westminster Conference (2008) is all set. I have listed the subjects here. Speakers are to be Iain Murray (Lessons from the Puritans), John J Murray (Recovering the Reformed vision), Paul Brown (Kevan and law), American Professor Robert Godfrey (Tradition good and bad), Jonathan Watson of Banner (Thomas Brooks) and Faith Cook (Grimshaw).
The conference is becoming a little nomadic. Having begun in Westminster Chapel and been in the Friends House near Euston for a short while, this year's conference (December 9, 10) will be at the American Church in Tottenham Court Road.
As for 2009 (December 8, 9) things are shaping up well. We are hoping to have papers on Calvin (two of these), one on the 1859 Revival, one concerning Darwin and Darwinism, one on the Elizabethan settlement of 1559 and, to round off, one on the Moravians. It is shaping up to be a very good conference. Do come along.
The church kindly made us hot drinks and given us a light lunch. One of the ladies said that they had had a baptism last Sunday of the husband of a church member, a man they had been praying for, for some 32 years! Praise the Lord!

After the committee those who wished were kindly invited to have a meal at the nearby home of a former committee member now retired. We had a lovely time chatting and enjoying hospitality there, sharing news and anecdotes, etc. This man has preached some 700 sermons since he retired 10 years ago, which shows that life is hardly over just because you retire.
We then headed home. I was back by 9 pm but Jeremy took another 2 hours to get through London. It was my suggestion to head through the city I hope that wasn't what made him so late.