Reformed Churchmen

We are Confessional Calvinists and a Prayer Book Church-people. In 2012, we remembered the 350th anniversary of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer; also, we remembered the 450th anniversary of John Jewel's sober, scholarly, and Reformed "An Apology of the Church of England." In 2013, we remembered the publication of the "Heidelberg Catechism" and the influence of Reformed theologians in England, including Heinrich Bullinger's Decades. For 2014: Tyndale's NT translation. For 2015, John Roger, Rowland Taylor and Bishop John Hooper's martyrdom, burned at the stakes. Books of the month. December 2014: Alan Jacob's "Book of Common Prayer" at: http://www.amazon.com/Book-Common-Prayer-Biography-Religious/dp/0691154813/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417814005&sr=8-1&keywords=jacobs+book+of+common+prayer. January 2015: A.F. Pollard's "Thomas Cranmer and the English Reformation: 1489-1556" at: http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Cranmer-English-Reformation-1489-1556/dp/1592448658/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1420055574&sr=8-1&keywords=A.F.+Pollard+Cranmer. February 2015: Jaspar Ridley's "Thomas Cranmer" at: http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Cranmer-Jasper-Ridley/dp/0198212879/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422892154&sr=8-1&keywords=jasper+ridley+cranmer&pebp=1422892151110&peasin=198212879

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Alexander Haldane's "The Lives of Robert and James Haldane"

http://www.amazon.com/Lives-Robert-James-Haldane-Alexander/dp/0851515673/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1378842801&sr=8-1&keywords=lives+of+robert+and+james+Haldane

This is written by an "Evangelical Anglican."

Alexander Haldane writes of his father, James Haldane, and his famous uncle, Robert Haldane; the latter was responsible for the "planting and sowing" of the omnipotent seed of the Word of God amongst dead men at the Theological School of the University of Geneva in 1816. Little did Mr. Robert Haldane foresee the fruits from his faithful exposition of this perspicuous and regeneratively-powerful Scriptures.

Mr. Merle d'Aubigne attended Mr. Haldane's exposition of St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans and though a seminarian and dead in his sins and trespasses [Mr. d'Aubigne], was "made alive together with Christ" (Eph. 2.1-4ff.). The gracious and free gift of "righteousness from God" (Phil.3. 9-10) was set as a crown of life on Mr. d'Aubigne's head.

Mr. d'Aubigne's academic work would influence 1000s of English Protestant, Reformed, and Evangelical Anglicans (3.0 and 5.0 Anglicans, Edwardian and Elizabethan Anglicans) when the 2.0 Anglicans, the Tractarians, were making their fresh bids for power, influence, and dominion in England. Queen Victoria had Mr. d'Aubigne preach at the St. James Royal Chapel to the groans and vicious grumblings of the Non-Papal Roman Anglicans--ever-greedy from Roman dominionism, then, like now in the ACNA. As Mr. (Rev. Dr. Prof.) James Packer called the 2.0ers or Tractarians in 1977, they are "Roman Trojan Horses."

 Here is a quote from the webpage about Alexander Haldane's "Lives of Robert and James Haldane."


 "Written by one of the Anglican evangelical leaders of the last century, this volume tells the remarkable story of the author's father, James Haldane and uncle, Robert Haldane. Members of the Scottish aristocracy, James was a captain with the East India Company and Robert the owner of Gleneagles and other estates in Perthshire when they were converted in the last decade of the 18th century. Thereafter the two brothers became identified for the next fifty years with many of the foremost evangelical enterprises. After selling a major part of his lands in 1798, Robert Haldane was prevented by the East India Company from proceeding with his hope of a mission in Bengal. Instead he gave himself to the spread of the gospel in Scotland and in Europe. His remarkable visit to Geneva in 1816 led to a widespread awakening and, ultimately, to the publication of his Exposition of the Epistle to the Romans. A director of the British and Foreign Bible Society at the time when it was split by controversy, it was due to Robert Haldane 'more than to any man' )in the opinion of Principal John MacLeod) that the Apocrypha 'was ousted from our English Bible'. James Haldane, pre-eminently a preacher, was an itinerant evangelist and, through 52 years, an influential pastor in Edinburgh. Both men believed that the blessing of God on their labours 'was designed as an encouragement to those who should cast away wordly policy, and setting before them nothing but the glory of God, rest boldly on the blessing promised, both to the written and spoken word'. These pages open up a little-known but important era and introduce the reader to many of the foremost Christian leaders of the early 19th Century. it is not, however, wholly a story of success. The brothers secession from the Church of Scotland and their consequent struggle to recover a church life more faithful to the New Testament is frankly, and at times critically, told. Firm adherence to different views of church government brought some tensions and divisions. How these dangers were faced as both men grew in grace and wisdom is a valuable part of this inspiring book."

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