The Puritans: Their Origins and Successors Hardcover – August 22, 2014

The Doctor ranges widely over the history of Reformed Christianity from the Reformation to the nineteenth century, drawing lessons from major figures like Calvin and Knox, Bunyan and Owen, Edwards and Whitefield, and from lesser known men such as Henry Jacob, John Glas and Robert Sandeman.I've been a serious disciple of Lloyd-Jones' teaching for several years now, listening to his sermons daily which have been recorded for posterity sake on mljtrust.org. He has been called the last of the Puritan preachers for good reason. Not only is his grasp of doctrine sound and convincing, you can hear in his voice what Whitefield called 'the thunder, the lightning and the rainbow' of Spirit inspired prophesying, something that is sorely lacking in the modern church of feel good pluralism and liberalism that all but denies the Doctrine of Sin. And if Christ came not to save humanity from its sin and condemnation through the self sacrificial atonement of the cross, what then? So after reading several of his books, one which I reviewed here, it only seems logical that a very late bloomer like me should come to this book, The Puritans, with a desperate need for a solid starting point from which to survey Protestant church history because studying and reading doctrine exclusively only leaves you lopsided or walking around in circles like a man with one foot tied to the floor.Now I have to tell you right away that if you're one of those crazed fad junkies that is only looking for the latest and greatest book on doctrine or theology (or worse yet, some 'self help' guide), I can point you to many contemporaries who all have been used by God in some fashion such as John Piper, John McArthur, Rick Warren, James White, Steve Dawson, Francis Chan and others from the Protestant bench, but if you want classic teaching that survives the grave and points solidly back to New Testament times without the pop psychology that has permeated so many pulpits today, give Lloyd-Jones a try and use him, like I did, as a stepping stone and guide back into the remarkable writings and pastoral teachings of the Puritans. For me, and as I hope for you, it will be a journey into church history sublime. And I'm sure Dr. Lloyd-Jones would agree that it's our Christian duty, all of ours, to examine ourselves and the growth of the Bride of Christ throughout the running centuries. How dare we neglect so great a salvation?But back to the book...I venture to say that, perhaps, many of us are only superficially familiar with the Puritans, either through a brief course in seminary or by way of an American history class in school. They are forever demonized in the story of the Salem Witch trials and, maybe to a certain degree, rightly so. Because of our sin nature, every outpouring of the Spirit that manifests itself in revival always leads to excess in one way or another and the Puritans and Reformers were not immune. Lloyd-Jones does an excellent job of balancing their spirituality with their flawed humanity. The gift of time offers a perspective that is invaluable to someone like The Doctor who has a keen grasp of events and lives because of his highly trained analytical mind. Just like the surgeon he was before he became a preacher, he is able to dissect to the core of the issue and isolate the work of God in the lives of these mighty men who shaped the Protestant church for centuries to come.For example, I'm currently reading the massive and definitive work on the Holy Spirit by the Puritan preacher and theologian, John Owen, arguably the greatest Doctor of Divinity the Reformed church has ever known. Lloyd-Jones addresses this man's legacy in the chapter, "John Owen on Schism" --a topic that fires the damned soul of Satan because nothing pleases the Evil One more than to create chaos and unity between God's chosen people.

A great book about the origins of the Puritans in England and the U.S. and those who succeeded them. This is a series of yearly lectures, Dr. Martyn Lloyd Jones gave from 1959-1978. It well worth reading for any Christian.

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This 400 page book is a collection of transcribed addresses given at the annual Puritan Conferences in England from 1959 to 1978. Dr. Lloyd-Jones is quick to stress that the study of the Puritans must not be a merely academic exercise; otherwise we are in danger of lapsing into a barren intellectualism that is of no use at all. Instead, in each address he is concerned to show how the subject matter is relevant to the issues facing them in their day: issues of church-state relationship, unity in the church, and revival. He argues that Puritanism was not simply a concern about doctrine, but a "desire to carry the reform, which had already happened in the matter of doctrine, further into the nature and life and polity of the Christian church."One example, drawn from his last address, on John Bunyan, illustrates how a study of the Puritans can be very relevant to our present day concerns. In his own day (the late 17th century) the nature of the church was a hotly disputed issue, even among the Puritans, who were certainly not of one mind here. Bunyan himself was a Separatist, meaning that he considered that the church consisted of visible saints. In this regard he stood opposed to the Roman Catholics, the Anglicans, and the Presbyterians. He also considered himself an Anabaptist, believing in baptism by immersion. However for him this issue was one of secondary importance. He argued that a believer already has that which baptism signifies, that being his participation in the death and resurrection of Christ. The sign, therefore, though important, should not be something that disrupts communion between Christians. For it is the thing that water baptism signifies that is important. Bunyan wrote these things and was strongly attacked in writing by some of his strict Baptist brothers. He held his ground but hated the controversy which he was convinced was over non-essentials, and so after responding to his critics he never mentioned the subject again. A reader of his "Pilgrim's Progress" would have no idea what his denominational affiliation was. A further testimony to the liberty which he believed in can be seen in the fact that though he himself was a believer in adult baptism by immersion, he had three of his children baptized in infancy.Lloyd Jones' chapter on John Bunyan has certainly given me, who has struggled much over the question of baptism, much to think about. His discussions of John Knox, Jonathan Edwards, and others truly bring these distant Puritans to life and show how they are relevant to the issues we face in today's church.

This is another excellent book by the great 20th century Welsh preacher, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones. It contains many messages from the yearly Puritan conferences that Dr. Lloyd-Jones was the feature speaker. This book covers many issues and pivotal figures in Puritan history such as Jonathan Edwards, John Bunyan, John Owen , and George Whitefield. Lloyd-Jones covers some great information on the Calvinistic Methodists (which sounds like an oxymoron but it isn't!). He says that their is a tendency in Calvinism to intellectualism, while Wesleyan Methodism had the tendency to over emphasising experience, but Calvinistic Methodism combined the best of both. I found this book to be refreshing, because the Puritans have been caricatured in the church and secular culture, but their godly influence has been vast. Lloyd-Jones does a masterful job of pointing out the great strengths of the Puritans, as well as learning from their shortcomings. One area Lloyd-Jones was critical , was the Puritan mingling of church and state, which was famously seen in Oliver Cromwell (though he had great admiration of Cromwell as a godly man). Also, they were often guilty of applying things for Israel, to England and the United States government. They were products of their age, instead of going back to the pure teaching of the New Testament. This is a very informative book and spiritually edifying. Highly recommended.