10 Biographies of Puritans

1. Henry Smith: England's Silver-tongued Preacher by Ronald B. Jenkins
2. Richard Sibbes by Mark E Dever
3. The life and times of Arthur Hildersham by Leslie A Rowe
4. A life of Gospel Peace: A Biography of Jeremiah Burroughs by Philip Simson
5. John Owen: Prince of Puritans by Andrew Thomson
6. Glimpses of glory: John Bunyan and English Dissent by Richard Greaves
7. Thomas Manton A Guided Tour of the Life and Thought of a Puritan Pastor by Derek Cooper
8. The life and times of the Rev Philip Henry by Matthew Henry
9. Life and death of the Rev Joseph Alleine by Alexander Duff
10. Samuel Rutherford by Andrew Thomson

Westminster Conference 2012 02

I chaired the second session and once again we were looking at 1662, this time with my old LTS church history teacher Andrew Davies, whose brief was to give us some biographies of ejectees. Being a Welshman, he plumped for Philip Henry, who ministered in North Wales and the lesser known Samuel Jones, who ministered in South Wales. We also had a snippet on Thomas Gouge which will appear in the published paper. It was an excellent paper. The discusiion wasn't too bad although we weren't very good at sticking to the subject of what authority we are obliged to submit to and on what issues. All the messages are being recorded and will be available on CD. The published papers usually appear in six months time.

Speaking on 1662 in Wrexham

It was gratifying to see fifty or sixty last Saturday night, gathered at Borras Park Evangelical Church in Wrexham, many of the faces more or less familiar to me. I was speaking again on 1662 and tried once more to tailor it to the audience by looking not only at Joseph Allein but also Philip Henry and mentioning two or three other locals including Judge Jeffreys (as the church is in Jeffreys Road). We had a good question session and sold a few more books (the book now has a second impression, which is good). I also got to spend a short while with my good frienc Chris Buckingham (to whom the book is dedicated). The journey there had been a little traumatic in that I left later than intended as our car broke down the night before and could not be fixed so I had to hire a car. Coming back was a breeze as I had an extra hour to play with.

Bald ministers

My attention was drawn recently to this about Philip Henry. As one who is very much Calvus et Calvinus (bald and a Calvinist) I found it of interest.

With regard to Mr. Henry's bodily presence, he was of a middle stature, his complexion not approaching to any extreme, of a very pleasant aspect, and an unusual mixture of gravity and sweetness in the air of his countenance, which was the true index of the mind. In the latter part of his life he had but very little hair, and had, like Elisha, a bald head; notwithstanding he could not be persuaded to wear a wig, against which he had an insuperable objection. This lack was however supplied by his usually wearing a neat close cap or turban on the upper part of his head, made of black silk. When some of his friends solicited him to have his picture drawn, he put them off with this remark, that the best picture of a minister is in the hearts of his people.

Philip Henry and Baptism

Here's an interesting quote from the father of Matthew Henry, Philip Henry. Henry was a noncomformist but not keen on separatism. He says

"If I were an Independent, I must be an Anabaptist, for if Baptism be the door into the Christian-church & I am no church-Member till I embody in that way, then I must come in by that door."

(Diaries and Letters, 277)

Spot on, Phil.