Historia ecclesiastica
The Weblog of Dr. Michael A. G. Haykin

Last night a fascinating exchange occurred on, of all places, Twitter.  I believe it exemplified the kind of frank and humble dialogue that needs to take place between those Baptists who might identify more with either the Reformed or the Anabaptist traditions.  Both Dr. Haykin and Dr. Yarnell demonstrated the ability to recognize the flaws and strengths of the historical groups with whom they may identify more or less strongly.  Take note at the end of the dialogue for a special announcement.

Dr. Haykin:

@myarnell: last few days have been thinking much about Calvin’s legacy: so much theol brilliance…but:

@myarnell: those who embrace his soteriological legacy must ask forgiveness from Anabaptist brothers. And why?

@myarnell. Because of his advocacy of the sword as a curb on heresy, esp Anabaptism in both its heretical and orthodox forms.

@myarnell: reading Eamon Duffy’s recent revisionist history of Bloody Mary’s reign has convinced me that some Protestant forebears erred.

@myarnell: they erred by being willing to use the sword to repress error. Like our 18th c forbears who were slave owners, they are flawed.

@myarnell: flawed models. But in so far as they followed Christ soteriologically they are safe guides. But their views of church & state:

@myarnell: the bottom line is still this: I am sorry that some of my Calv. forbears ever used the sword against Anab. brothers.

Dr. Yarnell:

@MAGHaykin Some brilliant thoughts here. Thank you for sharing them.

@MAGHaykin Shall we conclude that some of our Calvinist brothers have acceptable (though not necessarily always correct) soteriology?

@MAGHaykin And that our Anabaptist brothers perceived the doctrines of the church & the ordinances more clearly than our Calvinist brothers?

@MAGHaykin And, finally, that Calvin and the Calvinists were absolutely wrong when it came to the doctrine of religious persecution/liberty?

Dr. Haykin:

@myarnell: I think so: I am a Calvinist soteriologically but the ortho. Anab. saw more accurately NT church life.

@myarnell: And they were spot on re persecution. Calvin failed to reform the horrific legacy of relig persec from the Middle Ages.

Dr. Yarnell:

@MAGHaykin Don’t tell anybody but I actually find much in Calvin that is brilliant too!

Steve Weaver:

Wow, great dialogue between @myarnell and @MAGHaykin! May I suggest an open late night discussion re these matters at the AFCBS conference?

Dr. Yarnell:

@steveweaver Some of the best theology is formed in dialogue, as 1 Cor 14 implies: Anabaptists called it Sittzenrecht or Lex Sedentium.

Dr. Haykin:

If Malcolm is up for it during the Fuller conference in August it would be great to do something re Calvin and the Anabaptists on state-ch.

Problem: is when to do it, we have full schedule. Maybe Wed morning if Malcolm can stay over.

@myarnell and @steveweaver: let me see if we can arrange a mid-morn event. Give me early next week. It would focus on Calvin & the Anabap.

Dr. Yarnell:

@MAGHaykin I have not made my flight plans yet so let me know if you want me through Wed morning.

Since this dialogue ended last night, both Dr. Haykin and Dr. Yarnell have agreed to a late night dialogue along these lines after Dr. Yarnell’s presentation on Tuesday night at this year’s AFCBS conference on Baptist Spirituality.  This dialogue will be open to the Southern Seminary community and the general public and will hopefully model the way two people with differing perspectives on some matters can yet recognize the strengths and weaknesses of one another’s positions.

When: Tuesday, August 25th at 9:00 pm

Where: TBD on the campus of Southern Seminary (probably Heritage Hall or the Legacy Center)

What: An open dialogue with Drs. Yarnell and Haykin on the relative strengths and weaknesses of the Reformed and Anabaptist traditions.

This event will be open and free of charge, but you can register for the conference on which this dialogue will piggy-back here.  There is a great line-up of speakers, a Monday evening banquet meat and there will be several free books given away to those who register for the conference.

Posted by Steve Weaver, Research and Administrative Assistant to the Director of the Andrew Fuller Center for Baptist Studies, Dr. Michael A.G. Haykin.

Over the last few days I have been thinking much about Calvin’s legacy: so much theological brilliance and so much to thank God for…but we who embrace his soteriological legacy also must ask forgiveness from our Anabaptist brothers.

And why? Simply because of his advocacy of the sword as a curb on heresy, esp. his support of the repression of Anabaptism in both its heretical and orthodox forms. Reading Eamon Duffy’s recent revisionist history of the reign of Bloody Mary (Fires of Faith)—which I bought in Cork, S. Ireland when there a few weeks ago—has convinced me that some of my Protestant and Calvinist forebears erred greatly when they were willing to use the sword to repress error. Like our 18th c. forebears who were slave owners, they are flawed models. In so far as they followed Christ soteriologically they are safe guides. But with regard to the use of the state to repress error, we need to understand their views of church & state as an outcropping of the medieval Constantinian model.

The bottom line is still this: I am sorry that some of my Calvinist forebears ever used the sword against their—and my—Anabaptist brothers.

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Posted by Steve Weaver, Research and Administrative Assistant to the Director of the Andrew Fuller Center for Baptist Studies, Dr. Michael A.G. Haykin.

Dr. Michael A.G. Haykin was recently interviewed by Paul Butler on Moody Radio’s Prime Time America about the “Calvin for the 21st Century Conference” sponsored by the Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids, MI, August 27th – 29th.  The part with Dr. Haykin begins at about the 1:50 mark.

Posted by Steve Weaver, Research and Administrative Assistant to the Director of the Andrew Fuller Center for Baptist Studies, Dr. Michael A.G. Haykin.

My son Nigel graduated this evening from Highland High School in Dundas, Ontario. What a privilege to have such a son. What changes he has gone through in the past couple of years. I praise the Lord for giving me such a son.

Pray for him: he is a Christian and will be studying history and classics next year at McMaster University, following in the same academic pathway that his sister Victoria has trod.

Though he told me a year ago that the history of the eighteenth century was quite boring—he preferred Roman history at the time—he is currently fascinated with British imperialism, especially the American Revolution, Banastre Tarleton and James Cook.

One of the most poignant historical reflections that I have ever heard came from a dear friend named Bob Shaker, literary enthusiast extraordinaire and a one-time deacon of Jarvis Street Baptist Church. Bob happened to visit his pastor, T.T. Shields—who, though married twice, never had any physical children—in 1949, when many of those whom Shields had mentored and taught—great future Canadian Baptist leaders like Jack Scott, Hal MacBain, Arnold Dallimore, and Tom Carson (D.A. Carson’s father)—took a different ecclesiological position than Shields and a cleavage occurred between Shields and them. Without a doubt Shields contributed to the resulting division between these brothers in Christ, but he told Shaker sadly, “All of my children are leaving me.” How utterly sad!

On the flip side, though, there are those words of the aged Apostle John in 3 John 4: “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” It was with these Johannine words ringing in my ears that I read the following post by Baptist pastor John Bell, whom I have had the incredible privilege of teaching at Toronto Baptist Seminary (though I would never presume to think of Pastor Bell as a son in Christ–but I was so encouraged to read this): “Sharing the Gospel in the Gay Village” on Tim Challies’ blog.

I was recently asked by a dear Irish brother for a plan of reading when it came to the works of Andrew Fuller. The following is what I suggested.

Without being self-serving, I hope, begin with the Armies of the Lamb. There is nothing like getting into a figure by reading his letters.

Then I would suggest his circular letters, those written for the Northants Association, in chronological order. These give you some idea of Fuller the churchman in the midst of connectional links and associational network of friends and fellow pastors.

Then read some of his sermons, esp. the ones on the ministry, justification, and soteriological issues.

His Gospel Worthy of All Acceptation is his most important controversial work. After it, read his Letters on Sandemanianism.

Finally, read his Memoirs of Pearce. What he includes in that work says so much about his piety.

There are a few blogs I read regularly: most of them are listed on my old site of Historia ecclesiastica. One of them is Kirk Wellum’s Redeeming the Time. In part, I read Redeeming the Time because Kirk is a dear friend. But it is also because he has a sharp theological mind that I deeply appreciate. I said a hearty amen, for instance, to this recent post on “Preaching and Beyond” (June 16, 2009).

Dr. Haykin serves as co-editor, along with Joel Beeke, of the Reformation Heritage Book series “Profiles in Reformed Spirituality”.  The newest volume in the series is by Thabiti Anyabwile and focuses on the piety of Lemuel Haynes.  To promote this volume and the series of which it is a part, Reformation Heritage Books is randomly giving away five free sets today to those who sign up at Challies.com.

This is a great set.  The volumes are multifunctional. That is, they are the perfect, non-intimidating introductions to people, doctrine, and practice of the reformed tradition. They make excellent short readings for stimulating thought and devotion. They are also good for class texts for giving students an affordable entry point into a given person and time period both primary and secondary treatments in one small book.

If you don’t win the set, You can order the complete set or individual volumes at Reformation Heritage Books.

Posted by Steve Weaver, Research and Administrative Assistant to the Director of the Andrew Fuller Center for Baptist Studies, Dr. Michael A.G. Haykin.

Dr. Michael Haykin has reviewed the new book Heroes by Iain Murray.

In this new book from a veteran Reformed biographer and historian, Murray looks at the faith, lives, and thought of a number of well-known figures like Jonathan Edwards and Charles H. Spurgeon, as well as some lesser-known persons like Robert Kalley and William Hewitson (both of whom had a tremendous ministry on the island of Madeira among Portuguese Roman Catholics).

Posted by Steve Weaver, Research and Administrative Assistant to the Director of the Andrew Fuller Center for Baptist Studies, Dr. Michael A.G. Haykin.