Freedom from the Law

William Gadsby (1773-1844) was a Particular Baptist preacher and hymn writer, for many years the beloved pastor of Rochdale Road Baptist chapel, Manchester. His vigorous gospel ministry brought him into inevitable conflict, especially his maintaining that as the gospel proclaims forgiveness of sins through Christ, and deliverance from the condemnation of the holy Law of God, believers are 'dead to the law' (Galatians 2:19). This, Gadsby stated, means that they are "in no sense whatever under it." Such a statement was seized on by his protagonists, already stirred up by his strong emphasis on the sovereign grace of God. To the charge of hyper-calvinist they now added the opprobrious term of antinomian - lawless. Andrew Fuller weighed in against him, and others including John Stevens, who otherwise was in sympathy with his theology.

Until now Gadsby's defence of his position has been locked up in the collated two volume 'Works of William Gadsby', printed by his son John Gadsby in 1851. This was never reprinted in full and is now scarce on the secondhand book market. CBO Publications have therefore rendered a valuable service in drawing together Gadsby's writings on the Law, which filled most of Volume One of his Works. This has been published as a 576 pp paperback 'Freedom from the Law', retailing for a modest £9.95. The editor has rearranged the articles - including 'The Perfect Law of Liberty' and 'The Gospel the Believer's Rule of Conduct' - into a more logical order, and included appendices containing the publications of his opponents which are referred to. It is worthy of note that Gadsby's articles are reprinted from their latest unedited editions published during his lifetime, thus avoiding John Gadsby's editorial pen. It accounts for cross-referenced page numbers being different from those found in Volume One of his Works. This however is a minor difficulty and overall the new format is welcome.

The subject of the Christian's relationship to the Law is still a live and hotly debated one in Reformed and Evangelical circles today. The Apostle Paul said 'we establish the law' (Romans 3:31) - but the question is, how and in what way? Is it by reassigning it to a role in governing Christian obedience, or in reaffirming it as the perfectly holy standard which exposes sin? The one view asserts its continuity in sanctification, the other its completion at justification. Gadsby is very clear as to where he stood on this vexed question and he strongly urged the point that the Law has been fulfilled by Christ on behalf of his people, so delivering them from its piercing claims. Justified by faith, believers are freed - not into a moral vacuum, but in fact to begin to 'live unto God' (Galatians 2:19). With spiritual wisdom, and a pastoral heart, Gadsby keeps to the main points, avoiding the many pitfalls that dot this doctrinal battleground. It was no mere intellectual contest for him; he wrote of what he had experienced for himself of Romans 8:2, and he knew that tender consciences in his congregations needed assurance and not disturbance with a revived Law. He is as equally Christ exalting in his aim in these writings on the Law as in his hymn compositions - the most well known today being 'Immortal Honours'.

This is not a book for philosophers; not every detail is pinned down, but it is a notable contribution to the subject, and more importantly, a spiritually profitable read.
Jeremy

Freedom from the Law by William Gadsby, CBO Publications, £9.95

William Gadsby - Bitesize Biography

William Gadsby represents all that is best in the 'Gospel Standard' wing of High Calvinist Baptists.
In this book historian Dr Ian Shaw outlines the basics of Gadsby's life, but clearly draws upon his fuller study of Gadsby and Manchester to concentrate more on the character of the man and his pastorate in the context of the period of the industrial revolution.  It is a great pity that that previous study of his contained in 'High Calvinists in Action: Calvinism and the City, Manchester and London 1810-1860,' first published by OUP in 2002, now costs a scandalous price new or secondhand.  But at least some of the material is reworked in this bitesize offering. It is recommended reading. As fair an assessment is given of Gadsby as can be expected from an author not of the same theological persuasion.  Many anecdotes are borrowed from B. A. Ramsbottom's major biography, and so we meet and cannot but like Gadsby for his generosity and respect him as a pastor fighting for his people.  He did not set out to be an activist, but when the welfare of his church was at stake he was willing to speak out and engage with the issues of the day.
Notably little is mentioned of Gadsby's writings, which filled two volumes - not bad for a man who could scarcely read his Bible when converted as a young man!  These writings reflect how fiercely he was assaulted by the adopters of Andrew Fuller's duty faith doctrine, and by 'antinomian-sniffers'.  Hopefully his Works will be reprinted in full in due course, but in the meantime CBO Publications have made some important portions available via our bookshop, and Gospel Standard Publications have produced a book of his sermons plus his very useful catechism.  I have blogged on this before.
At the very least this book gives a balance to much of the anti-Gadsby propaganda that has been put out over the years, and a new generation can benefit from an account of this godly man and perhaps come to appreciate his sovereign grace message - still preached today.
Jeremy

William Gadsby by Ian J Shaw is published by EP Books in their 'Bitesize Biography' series.  Cost £6.99. From us £6.

The Perfect Law of Liberty - William Gadsby

Ok, so it's taken me three weeks to get to the book at the top of the pile that I mentioned in my last post The Perfect Law of Liberty' by William Gadsby (I got diverted by The New Calvinism Considered - Jeremy Walker, but that's another blog post!). Without giving a full review, I wanted to highlight some excellent passages...

This blessed gospel is a divine chest which contains all the Christian’s treasure, and its riches are durable riches and glory. “Where the treasure is there will the heart be also.” As ye prize your liberty and privileges, may you continue to look into the perfect law of liberty, and be earnest with God, at a throne of grace, that he would grant you fresh discoveries of the real excellences of the truth; for, just in proportion as your mind is drawn aside from the gospel, and you are left to look elsewhere, so you will be brought into bondage and distress; and despite all that men or devils say, just in proportion as the Holy Ghost enables you to look into the perfect law of liberty, so you will find a holy joy in believing, and a solid rest to your mind. Therefore, continue steadfast in the faith, looking to Jesus, the author and finisher of your faith, and ye shall be neither barren nor unfruitful. As heirs of God, anticipate your inheritance, and daily examine the contents of your Father’s will. God grant that it may be our happiness to be much in the gospel and to daily enjoy its contents.

Show me a man who is looking into the perfect law of liberty, and, by faith, living on its divine contents, and I will show you a man who is living in the fear of God, abhorring sin, and giving proof that the truth of God does not lead to licentiousness, but to holiness and godliness; for to this are the heirs of promise called. To such a man, the precepts which Christ has taught his church, the ordinances he has instituted, and the means of grace he has appointed, will be attended to with pleasure and delight; nor does he ever find himself at home when this is not the case.

God's beauty and glory are the saints eternal delight; and, fired with a feeling sense of this, they are concerned to walk in all well-pleasing before God, and unblameably among men.

That God may enable us to walk worthy of the vocation wherewith we are called, in all things showing ourselves a pattern of good works; that we may live in the blessed enjoyment of the true liberty of the gospel; that we may be able to comprehend with all saints, what is the breath, and length, and depth, and height, and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge, and be filled with all the fulness of God; and that we may live not unto ourselves, but unto the Lord; may the Lord grant it, for the Redeemer’s sake. Amen and Amen.

This little treatise is well worth reading, very relevant and not at all difficult to get through especially considering it was written in the 1800's!
Lorna

Too Much Grace?

Earlier this year I read 'Christ in the Chaos' by Kimm Crandall and loved it.  A few months later I read 'Glimpses of Grace: Treasuring the Gospel in your Home' by Gloria Furman and really enjoyed that too. I still stand by these reviews and consider these to have both been helpful books but I now have another 3 or 4 books sitting on my bedside table all dealing with the struggles women can face in the home and the need to rely on grace.  I have scanned only one of them and have started to feel uneasy.  As I commented recently to a friend, there are so many of these books being published now it starts to feel a little like grace is becoming an excuse for licentiousness (i.e. don't worry about shouting at your kids/having a messy house/arguing with your husband, grace covers all your failings, just hear how bad I am...).
Interestingly I have now come across a blogger who has written about many of the same concerns that I have felt but been unable to clearly express.  These concerns are expressed as part of a book review (a book I have not heard of or read) and although I don't agree with all his points a lot of what he writes is helpful. Have a read...
http://theweeflea.wordpress.com/2013/10/30/boring-grace-a-review-of-one-way-love-inexhaustible-grace-for-an-exhausted-world/
(some of the comments on the post are also interesting)

Grace is not a new (or dare I say American) invention.  Grace is infinite.  Everyone knows Newton's famous hymn 'Amazing Grace! (how sweet the sound!), That saved a wretch like me...'.  In my (ancient) hymnbook, Newton shares a page with 3 other hymnwriters and each has something precious to say about grace:

(click on the picture and it will enlarge big enough to read)

I'm not wanting to suggest that all books on this topic should be banned(!)  But perhaps we need to be careful that we do not, by over-using the term grace, begin to think too lightly of it.

Lorna
By the way, the book that has jumped to the top of my pile has just been recommended by Jeremy 'The Perfect Law of Liberty' by William Gadsby.

A Catechism for Today

In the 'open minded' evangelical churches of today catechisms have become all but extinct.  For many they conjure up images of children forced into repeating questions and answers parrot fashion without understanding a word.  But does it have to be like this?  Catechisms are carefully developed expressions of 'the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.'  They are helpful guides, going well beyond the instruction of children to the building up of believers, who are often receiving very little solid doctrinal teaching at church.  For this reason I recommend Gadsby's Catechism, and we are now halfway through its 109 questions with our children.  We don't drive it too hard, and take time to look up the Bible references, and endeavour to simply explain it to them.  So we all benefit.

William Gadsby built on previous Baptist catechisms when devising this one for his thriving congregation and Sunday School in Manchester, but he gave particular emphasis to points on which it differs from the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith.  This is not stated as such, for it is a very positive expression of the Faith.  But for instance, it is good on the different meanings of sanctification in the Bible, and also on the Gospel.  This latter Gadsby defines in the answer to Q.75 as "Glad tidings of great joy, or a free proclamation of rich mercy, without money and without price, to poor, sin-burdened sinners; with the glorious invitations, doctrines and promises of God's everlasting love, and the blessings these truths contain."  He then gets on to its connection with the church - an institution unknown in the Old Testament:

Q. 76 What is meant by the gospel in a more extensive sense?

A. 76 The above things [in the answer to Q. 75], together with the precepts and ordinances enjoined on the church by Christ and His apostles, and the things connected therewith.

Thus a rule for distinctly Christian living is laid down, and this is built upon in the 6 questions that follow.  Though Gadsby died in 1844 these truths are new to every succeeding generation.  For me, this is a living catechism - and it is still printed by Gospel Standard Trust Publications for £1.50, available from us, although not yet as an eBook I'm afraid!

Jeremy (see also my blog on 15/07/2010)

Articles of Faith

At the outset it must be acknowledged that this book may well not circulate widely outside of those of a particular Particular Baptist persuasion(!)  But a fresh treatment of the doctrinal position of the denomination called Gospel Standard (GS) Baptists is welcome to me.  And this is the first of what promises to be an excellent new series on the GS 35 Articles of Faith, reinvigorating the Gospel Standard Trust's publication list.  Ken Matrunola has a clear, easy to read style.  This is remarkable in view of the fact that his contribution to the book was originally given as a lecture in the late 1980's, and has been transcribed without being edited.  He addresses the subject of the need for Confessions of Faith initially, before going on to an examination of Article 1, regarding the Bible.  In a brief reference to the history of Particular Baptist Statements of Faith, and of the rise of the GS Articles, he notes that further research was desirable as to precisely how the latter came to be constituted in their present form.  This has been amply supplied in an Appendix which is longer than the lecture!  Here Timothy Abbott brings documentary evidence from an extensive enquiry into this matter.  Much is referred to, but more important matter has been reproduced, thus bulking out the Appendix.  This is good for those who desire to dig into it deeply - but it needs to be read selectively (at least at first go!) in order for the thread not to be lost.  A tip here is to focus on the italicized portions.  The clear stamp of William Gadsby's theology placed upon John Gill's initial contribution is conclusively shown to be fundamental to a correct understanding of the GS Articles.  This has considerable implications for the denomination as a whole, particularly in drawing a clear line of demarcation based upon doctrine rather than upon tradition.  It should cause major heart-searching for both young and old in GS churches, but probably won't.  Anyway the quote from William Gadsby at the end really is worth the modest price of the book alone!

'Articles of Faith. Why and where from?' by Ken Matrunola and Timothy Abbott. Gospel Standard Trust Publications. £5.50.  Just out now - they haven't yet got it showing on their website (as of today).

Jeremy

New Focus Conference 2011

It is a real pleasure to take good books where they are really appreciated.  This has always been the case at the New Focus Conference.  After doing a local bookstall at the Pennine Bible Witness last Friday evening, we went down to Gornal, near Dudley, West Midlands, for the day on Saturday. It was a tough schedule, but the Lord blessed us.  The driving conditions were ideal, the children were commendable, the books were mopped up by avid readers, and there was some good fellowship, ministry, and conversations.  Not to mention the excellent hospitality!  Where else in this country could you take books and easily sell edifying old authors like Robert Hawker and William Gadsby?  If you can tell me, I'd love to know!  Given half a chance, we would move heaven and earth to go, and count it a real privilege to do so.
Jeremy

William Gadsby

William Gadsby is still alive and well today. Reports of his death have been much exaggerated (apologies to Mark Twain). His hymns, full of gospel doctrine, are used today in hymnbooks outside of his own selection. Gospel Mission Books also maintain his 'Select Works' in print. Cost £6.95. This is a reprint of Volume 2 of his full Works, not easy to get hold of secondhand, and includes miscellaneous material. There are some trenchant pieces, eg. 'An Everlasting Task for Arminians,' and 'The Nature and Design of the Marriage Union.' Very gracious sermons, eg. 'The Glory of God's Grace,' and 'The Publican's Prayer.' But also there is 'A Few Thoughts on Sunday Schools,' which although 170 years old, is still relevant. His references to general education are now (thankfully) obsolete, in the UK anyway. But he is good on the basic purpose of them and the principles by which the teachers should be led. In connection with this he produced his Catechism, intended for children, but which is also helpful for adults. Indeed today many might think it too hard to use! However it gives real doctrinal backbone, particularly to the gospel through which we are to be saved, and by which we are to live. We have found it useful for teaching our own children. It can be had separately as a booklet for as little as 75p, or £1.50 if you prefer a much smarter Gospel Standard publication.

Jeremy