The Puritans: Their Origins and Successors by Martin Lloyd—Jones

Martin Lloyd-Jones is often referred to “the doctor” because of his medical career before entering the ministry. Lloyd-Jones was born and raised in Wales. In 1925, he received his medical degree from London University to retire from medicine only two years later to enter the ministry. After serving for a decade in Aberavon, in 1939 he went back to London. He was  appointed as associate pastor of Westminster Chapel, working alongside G. Campbell Morgan. The day before he was officially to be accepted into his new position, World War II broke out in Europe. In 1943 Morgan retired, leaving Lloyd-Jones as the sole Pastor of Westminster Chapel. 

Lloyd-Jones aside from his dozens of books, 1,600 sermons, and other ministries, also played a major roll in the founding of the Banner of Truth Trust in 1957. He believed in the importance of reading, and thought that reading specifically the old Reformed and Puritanical works were extremely important.  

Description of the book 

This book offers history of specific events in the lives of the Puritans and a few historical accounts of other events that followed the Puritans. It also offers insight into some of the doctrinal distinctions of the Puritans, making it an excellent introduction to the Puritans, if the reader is unfamiliar with them. The chapters are made up of lectures given at a conference every year devoted to the Puritans. These lectures span from 1959-1978. 

There are several chapters in particular that are extremely valuable for the modern time. Revival: An Historical and Theological Survey, which is the very first chapter in the book, offers us a look into what true revival looks like. Knowledge – False and True, challenges the reader to ensure that the knowledge that they have is true knowledge; an applied knowledge. Finally, Can We Learn From History?, is another great chapter which walks the reader through some of the schisms of the past and offers exhortation to not enter into schism again.  

This book is valuable to the modern reader, because it introduces the Puritans, offers an excellent history of the time, and challenges the reader to learn from the past.  

Three quotes from the book 

“But when you realise that all this knowledge, everything in the Bible, is  meant to bring us to know God, the Everlasting and the Eternal in the Glory and the Majesty and the Holiness of His Being, — how can a man be proud of his knowledge when he realises that that is the knowledge about which we are speaking?” - pp 36-37 

“Now it seems to me that if we are careful to learn the lessons of history, and to supplement our reading of theology by that, we shall already be prepared, and we shall avoid many of the pitfalls and the dangers into which we shall inevitably fall if we do not do this.” - p. 216 

“True knowledge invariably leads to humility, and also to holiness and godliness.” - p. 41 

Where the book is currently published 

This book is currently only published by Banner of Truth.