Like the American boxer Floyd Mayweather this latest offering from the pen of Dr Haykin is small but packs a hefty punch. Names such as Carey, Fuller, Gifford, Gill and Whitefield are familiar to many. On this occasion, however, they have only walk-on parts. At the centre of the dramatic action this time round is a previously obscure circle of 18th century Particular Baptist ministers that had Thomas Davis of Reading at its centre and that included the hymn writer Richard Burnham, the former lawyer Richard Lovegrove and others. Familiar themes such as antinomianism, credobaptism, high Calvinism and revival are revisited but in a way that sheds fresh light on the issues rather than muddying the waters further. This is a scholarly work written with warmth and clarity that will be of interest to anyone with a heart for the work of the Lord and a willingness to learn from the past. We are again indebted to Dr Haykin for his sterling diligence and wisdom.
No comments:
Post a Comment