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Monday, November 28, 2016

Book Application: The Story of the Puritans

The Story of the Puritans
-         Errol Husle
This booklet (article) was published by Reformation and Revival Journal, Volume 5, Number 2 ●Spring 1996. I read it in November 2016 as a part of the required reading for the class of Church History. Here are the Two Applications I deduced after reading it:
1.      The Importance of Reading Books (especially the Foxe Book of Martyrs)
Rev. Errol Husle, the author observed four formative influences in the making of the golden era of Christian Church History – the Puritans. He includes John Foxe’s Books, The Book of Martyrs in 2nd position (page 18.) After that, he demonstrated how the successive puritans were encouraged and followed the Martyrs such as John Bunyan (page 43.)
            The Puritans were not just preachers, they were writers. Their writings were not just theoretical for they had lived out and demonstrated their writings to their congregations. Those books were as the results of their studies and applications from their studies of the Bible. It did not come from the ivory tower. Here is a lesson for pastors and church leaders, to read their (Puritans) writings and also to reproduce the same for their own congregation (like Puritans) based on their reflection of the teaching of the Bible.
            There are scores of people who have gone ahead and have left their footprints on the page of history that will have eternal fruitfulness. Their lives were not an easy life. Their legacy lives and causes others to reproduce the same committed people like them through their death as a martyr. We do need to read this book, the Book of Martyr, both pastors and congregations to be faithful to the Caller of the church, Lord Jesus Christ.

2.      The Importance of Christian Family and Community.
On page 48-49, the author wrote about the creation of the Christian family in the English-speaking world and its influences on the whole part of the world. It is also about their Unity in the Community to live as Christians. They have “constancy in prayers” (John Bradford of page 23). They sanctified even a horse to God (p.48). They enjoyed Lord’s Day. What a blessed family and community theirs are!
            In this modern world, people demand that religion must be privatized. One is not supposed to discuss religion in the market and Public Square. One is allowed to talk about football stars, movie stars, politicians, intellectuals, but not about Christ. Religion is not even discussed in the family. It is personal and private things. Puritans were not. Christianity (the Gospel) penetrated the family, community, and all their lives. Christ of the Bible and His teachings became the foundation, sustainer, problem-solving, comforter, joy, and delight of their lives. We need to reflect on the lives of these people. Our society and families are torn. We need to follow them. If we want our children to be successful, we need to follow their example. If we don’t want our children to bring grief to our souls, we need to follow their lives. We are not to privatize religion (the Gospel). We are to live out. We are to proclaim it. We are to persuade others to believe the Gospel too. We are to swim against the current of the culture of “tolerance” and “political correctness.”