From Whitefield to Ragsdale
Apr 29th, 2009 // By mike // Category: Church HistoryThe Anglican Descent into Disgrace
It was said by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones that George Whitefield (1714-1770) was “the greatest preacher that England has ever produced.” Yes, as a matter of fact, he was an Anglican preacher and evangelist. However, if soul sleep were a biblical teaching then Whitefield just might have woken up in his grave to the damning heresies that continue to pick up speed in the very church that ordained him![1]
Anglican Roots
Many of us have forgotten how the Anglican Church once was an admirable tree rooted in sola fide. This tree once bore plentiful fruit and its branches spread across continents. As it approaches 500 years of existence (It was between the years of 1529 and 1536 when the Acts of Parliament marked the beginning of the Church, so there is still another 20 years until their birthday), the beacon of light which the Anglican Church once was has been dimmed dramatically by the pressures of postmodernism.
For the most part, Evangelicals are unaware of the mighty preachers, theologians, and godly people who have come out of this Reformational strand of Evangelicalism. During the reign of King Edward VI, Thomas Cranmer (1489-1556), the first Archbishop of Canterbury, was a leader in the English Reformation. Cranmer was pivotal in turning the Church of England away from Rome and to the teachings of the Reformers. The Anglican Puritans were in fact, the first Puritans. Men like Nicholas Ridley, Hugh Latimer, James Ussher, John Newton the hymn writer (Amazing Grace), Charles Simeon, and J.C Ryle were Anglican clergymen and Evangelical preachers who stood firm on the doctrines of grace. Even more so, The Westminster Confession of Faith, one of the greatest documents ever written, was written specifically for the Church of England. Quite possibly, the most well known of all these godly Anglican preachers was George Whitefield. Whitefield in many ways was the product of these Evangelical Anglicans who preceded him.
George Whitefield
The “Great Itinerant” was born in Gloucester in 1714 and was ordained in the Church of England one year after his conversion in 1736. Two years later he would make his first of seven visits to America. It has been said that he became so popular that he was compared to George Washington. He was an American culture hero and his powerful preaching, which he was notorious for, rubbed pulpits the wrong way back in the Motherland which resulted in his banning. This led to his open air preaching ministry which at times had crowds of twenty to thirty thousand people in attendance!
His emphasis in preaching was none other than the saving sovereign grace of God and the experience of the new birth. Like the Reformers before him, he was conscious of original sin and the devastating consequences of our fall in Adam. Moreover, Whitefield rejoiced in the substitutionary atonement of Jesus Christ for the elect of God. He was a man who had a high view of the sovereignty of God and a great devotion for holiness. Though he downplayed denominational distinctives to win people to Christ he was nonetheless a staunch Calvinist, even stating, “I embrace the Calvinistic scheme, not because Calvin, but Jesus Christ, has taught it to me.”[2]
Whitefield, unlike many faith teachers and mega-church pastors, never shied away from speaking about sin and never compromised the Gospel of grace. He was truly concerned for lost sinners who were in danger of everlasting damnation in hell. The Congregationalist minister Cornelius Winter, who traveled with Whitefield said, “He seldom if ever got through a sermon without tears.” Whitefield, who preached approximately 18,000 sermons before he died, was truly one of the most passionate evangelists of the Great Awakening. And there is no doubt that these sermons rested upon the foundation of Scripture alone.
Ragsdale
We fast forward three hundred years from Whitefield. Enter one Reverend Katherine Ragsdale who was recently appointed the Episcopal Divinity School’s sixth president and dean. Though she has no direct relation to Simon Episcopius, when one looks at her theology and ethics, there is evidence of the Episcopian Curse (See The Episcopian Curse).
Don’t send that hate mail yet feminists; No, I am not bashing a woman president of a seminary. Nor am I criticizing the seminary, which is an easy target, considering that in September 2006 they offered a blasphemous class on Love and Wisdom - Buddhist Meditations to Illumine Christian Understanding.
I am not even speaking against the fact that she is an avowed lesbian (which is absolutely contrary to Scripture) who conveniently hid her lesbianism all throughout seminary.[3] She expected “the church to have superior moral ethics” and since they didn’t (from her perception) she demonstrated her ethics by lying to get ordained. By the way, is that biblical?
No, I am not even trying to bring up the fact that she was ordained in the early 1990’s by another Anglican, Bishop John Shelby Spong. Spong is supposed to be a Christian yet he challenges the virgin birth, the resurrection and deity of Jesus, and biblical inerrancy. To top that off he believes that humans emerged from the evolutionary soup and that Christianity is not about rescuing the fallen but empowering people to become more human. When in Church history has that ever been considered Christianity?
Finally, I am not even going to divulge into her position on abortion. What good will it due to harp on the fact that she is committed to transporting young girls for abortions even it were illegal. She boasted about one such occasion where she did this for a 15 year-old when testifying on behalf of NARAL Pro-Choice America and the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice.[4] Her words and deeds do line up when considering the content of her 2007 sermon where she repeatedly stated that “abortion is a blessing and our work is not done.” From her flawed unchristian worldview she argued that if a woman does not wish to bear a child “there is not a tragedy in sight - only blessing.”[5]
Final Words
I simply am writing to declare the obvious. The magnitude of this descent is appalling. The policies and practices of the liberals in Anglicanism - ordaining homosexual bishops, performing same-sex marriages, championing abortion and denying historic Christianity - are driving away many godly people away from the church and embarrassing Christianity. The renowned J.I. Packer, one of the greatest theologians of modern times, left the Anglican Church of Canada just last year because of these abominations.[6] By no means am I declaring the Anglican Communion beyond repair. Though it might appear that it is a rapidly sinking ship into the dismal waters of disgrace, God still has a remnant of his elect who will not compromise the historic Christian faith as John Shelby Spong, Katherine Ragsdale, and much of the Anglican Communion has.
The immensity of this decline from the days of the Anglican Puritans until now is enormous. Anglican Evangelicals of old held firm to the doctrines of grace and were not afraid to call sin exactly what it is. They did not compromise with the culture nor change historic Christian teachings for relevancy. Yes, Cranmer recanted a few times, but he chose death than ultimate denial of Scripture. So did Ridley, Latimer, and many others. We must earnestly pray that Anglicans, as well as those sitting in Christian churches everywhere, would be convinced of their sins; that they would be awakened from their slumber and that they would seek after the holiness of God in repentance.
As George Whitefield did, so may the people of God, the palingenesis, herald the truth of Scripture preaching to awake the souls of men and praying passionately that God would pour out his Spirit and bring revival! May God use us to bring about an overwhelming sense of his glory and power.
Soli Deo Gloria
Mike Sarkissian
[1] Technically, the difference between the Episcopal and Anglican church is that the Episcopal Church is outside of England and took on the term ‘Episcopal’ during the Revolutionary War. Other than that, they are essentially the same and in communion with one another. For all intensive purposes the Episcopal Church is the US branch of Anglicanism.
[2] Arnold Dallimore, George Whitefield (Crossway Books, 1990) 69.
[3]Bishop's Crusade: Rev. Spong's Support Of Homosexual Priests Divides Episcopalians (Wall Street Journal., Dow Jones & Co. Inc February 20, 1991).
<http://aidsinfobbs.org/articles/wallstj/91/42.txt>
Last accessed April 19, 2009
[4]Pro-Abortion Groups Seek to Defeat Bill to Protect Girls (6/04)
<http://www.physiciansforlife.org/content/view/425/26
Last accessed April 20, 2009
[5] Remarks of the Rev. Katherine Hancock Ragsdale, Birmingham, AL
<http://www.prochoicetexas.org/news/headlines/200708172.shtml>
Last accessed April 20, 2009
[6] Lillian Kwon, “Theologian Packer quits Anglican Church of Canada.” Christianity Today, April 28, 2008
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/theologian.packer.quits.anglican.church.of.canada/18418.htm
Last accessed April 24, 2009
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Apr 30th, 2009 at 7:29 am
Wow, first off, thank you for filling in a lot of gaps in my Whitefield knowledge - truly one of the giants in church history and I don’t know nearly enough about him.
I never cease to be amazed at how far the professing church has fallen. From what I have read here, it makes me wonder: if Ragsdale, Spong & their ilk are right… then why do we need Christianity at all? Why not close the doors of the church, tell Spong & Co to go get a different job and let the dynamic duo of Oprah & Chopra lead us to oblivion? Because if they are right (which, of course, they aren’t) - then the Bible is no different then any other book, and actually seems to make a lot of people really uncomfortable so maybe we should just get rid of it - I mean, everyone goes to heaven anyway, right?
Wrong! We need to “man-up,” label these people heretics and publicly call them (and ALL sinners) to repentance. We have too many weirdo’s running around saying they are Christian and we just put up with it, because we don’t want to offend. So we end up with the “Piggy Anointing” (don’t ask!) and we get people “Purposely” watering down the gospel and the whole world is basically laughing at us while we make a mockery of the holiness of God.
I think the Ragsdale & Spong (…and the rest of us) would do well to remember this:
Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it and laid incense on it and offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, which he had not commanded them. And fire came out from before the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD. Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the LORD has said, ‘Among those who are near me I will be sanctified, and before all the people I will be glorified.’” And Aaron held his peace.
(Leviticus 10:1-3)
…oh and some Whitefield trivia for ya: When Benjamin Franklin sailed to England to argue against the Stamp Act, he had a traveling companion - George Whitefield! It’s actually not really a stretch to include Whitefield among this nations Founding Fathers!
Take care,
Rob
Apr 30th, 2009 at 9:24 am
Mike does a great job uncovering the sad truth about where liberal theology is ending up today, and I agree Whitefield would roll over in his grave. Moreso, it hurts the heart of God.
And yet for those of us who love the truth, there is a very real challenge how to affirm God’s truth with grace and love for those who struggle with homosexuality and/or have had an abortion. Somehow there needs to be a balance between grace and truth as was found in Jesus not the Anglican church.
Apr 30th, 2009 at 10:33 am
“Kissy pooh” theology leads to ordaining “kissy preachers.” May the LORD have mercy on these groups. And may we stay rooted in Sola Scriptura.
Apr 30th, 2009 at 12:09 pm
Wow, while I know I can’t fathom His righteous anger, this gives me a better understand of Jesus’ reaction in the temple with the money changers. I mean isn’t that all we are doing now? Using the house of our Lord as a den of theives? Thank you for this information. Though if not for His grace, I would be there, and worse.
Apr 30th, 2009 at 8:36 pm
Thanks for the history lesson Mike.
May 1st, 2009 at 6:55 am
This was an excellent overview. I hope that one day we will all be able to say this period of selfishness and disobedience is behind us.
May 1st, 2009 at 7:51 am
“I embrace the Calvinistic scheme, not because Calvin, but Jesus Christ, has taught it to me.” There it is right there.Praise God for our reformed forefathers like Mr.George Whitefield.Good job on this one Mike.
May 1st, 2009 at 9:02 am
It seems the “Mainstream” churches have all fallen to liberal Theology and are setting up the Evangelical Church for what Tony Fazio has coined a “Neo Reformation.”
May 1st, 2009 at 9:32 am
Unbelievable. It saddens me how a denominational institution can go from Whitefield to SpWRONG. What a history lesson. Thank you for that Mike. Without a reflection and education in church history one may wrongly stereotype the foundational fathers of a particular denomination. Whitfield, as you so vividly stated, would have “woken in his grave,” and shouted from the rooftops against the hertical teaching of this day.
This article has spurred me to embrace the importance of a deep and thourough study of God’s WORD. How dangerous it is to rely on a chruch, leader, system, or traditions for the answers and guidance of the CLEAR and refreshing words of Christ. The watered down, touchy feely, you as god, Oprah, emergent church movement of the day is a testimony to the inevitable consequence of the misguided, unbiblical notion that we are the “gods” of our own salvation. Although saddened, I am also encouraged by the sovereignty of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. As you stated, God will call His elect out to Himself.
Keep Bringing it. I love your bold stance!! All the Glory to Him!!!!!!
Lou
May 1st, 2009 at 12:33 pm
Mike,
Thanks for another helpful post. You’ve touched on the inevitable consequences of “Christian” worldviews that do not have Scripture as their epistemological foundation. Although the preceding sentence contains technical language perhaps unfamiliar to some, basically what it means is - whenever a supposed Christian idea is advanced that is not expressly revealed in Scripture or logically deduced from a proposition in Scripture it fails to be Christian…
Had Spong and Ragsdale been committed to the Lord Jesus and under submission to his Lordship, they would have revered his Word and taken stray thoughts captive to obey him. Like the Apostle Peter they would have thought, “to whom would we turn? Only He has the words of life!” But since they are not Christians in the biblical sense of the term they think, “to whom - else - can we turn?” And therefore miss out on the only Fountain of living waters and in search for thirst-quenching sources reach the inevitable consequence of the very same religious rebellion the ancient Greeks reached, the ancient Eastern Mystics faced, and what we the remnant of Biblicists warn against.
May the Lord Jesus be glorified as we point all men everywhere to the Scriptures which are able to make men wise unto salvation!
May 2nd, 2009 at 7:33 am
The more that is known about ourselves and others, just shows how absolutely we must put our trust ONLY in the holy and all powerful Creator God and NOT in any one, any rituals, or any orginization. He alone is righteous.
May 3rd, 2009 at 8:15 pm
Mike’s article was enlightening and very educational. It’s a shame and alarming that the Anglican church has strayed drastically from its roots and the essence of the Bible. Mike’s articles help me to continue my continuing Christian growth.
May 5th, 2009 at 5:58 pm
I agree we need to straight up not worry about offending the liers of God’s word. I’m tired of those who lead people away from the truth of our GOD!!! Let’s offend and make straight The WAY. Amen!!!
May 7th, 2009 at 1:12 pm
As I was reading, it was shocking to discover how far from truth that denomination has fallen. I wondered, when did the turn first start? What unbiblical doctrine was first accepted, maybe with indifference or maybe with the thought: it’s not a major issue? Maybe it was like a snowball that gradually gets bigger and more destructive. I thought of the words of Paul, “Don’t you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough? Get rid of the old yeast (malice and wickedness) that you may be a new batch without yeast-as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed,” (1 Cor. 5:6-7).
How easily our lives can turn as well when we allow sin to take up residence in our lives.
May 25th, 2009 at 5:00 pm
Nice article! We need to pray that those in the Anglican Church who are truly regenerate would stand up for the truth of the Gospel.
May 25th, 2009 at 6:46 pm
Great article Mike.
Many people don’t realize the richness of the history of the reformation in this period in history and the level of players in the religious events. This article brings to mind the depravity of the Angelican Church during the years of the Tudor’s and Henry the VIII. Thomas Cromwell an ardent reformer was a known friend of Cranmer. While Henry VII was never a reformist he was subject to Cranmer and Cromwell’s efforts to institude reformist agenda and working extremely hard against the papists (which most of Henry’s Lords were secret papist) while proclaiming alligence to Henry has Head and Soveriegn of the Church of England. Shortly after Cromwell’s arrest, incriminating letters to Lutherans were found in Cromwell’s home, placed there by agents of the duke of Norfolk; they were so inflammatory that the king was outraged. Cromwell’s name, Henry swore, would be abolished forever. Cromwell wrote two desperate letters from the Tower. He assured his monarch that he was a good, loyal servant and a faithful Christian. But Henry, surrounded by Cromwell’s enemies and - more significantly - newly infatuated with Norfolk’s niece, Catherine Howard, would hear nothing. Furthermore, Norfolk was shrewd enough to create a Lutheran conspiracy; three popular reformers, Robert Barnes, Thomas Garret, and William Jerome, were executed just days after Cromwell. None of the men were allowed an open trial. That would allow the public opportunity for them to dispute the false charges. Instead, they were condemned by Act of Attainder, a parliamentary tool which dispensed with justice in favor of speed.
The executed men were also neighbors of Cromwell, which was their only link to the earl. And they were as innocent as Cromwell of the charges against them - as evidenced by the confusion of contemporary chroniclers. Edward Hall, one of the great chroniclers of Tudor England, could find no real evidence against them although he ’searched to know the truth’.
So Cromwell was executed privately on Tower Green on 28 July 1540, still protesting his innocence. He died with dignity - but the whole sordid affair of his deatth would not rest. For the volatile Henry VIII was soon despairing of his loss, just a few months after he allowed the execution. He raged at his council, accusing them of lying and deliberately destroying his ‘most faithful servant’. Cromwell’s destruction had been engineered on ‘light pretexts’ and against the king’s wishes. In truth, Henry was a victim as well - of a determined group of nobles and clerics, led by Norfolk, who hated Cromwell and carried the king along on their path of destruction. Events were rapid and deliberately confused. By the time Henry realized what had happened, it was too late. He could only bemoan his loss, while never understanding exactly why it happened. The court of Henry the VIII filled with secret papist while outwardly protraying reformists were most henious in their work of bringing down one of God’s reformers….while at the same time Henry was attempting to murder Cardinale Pole by Sir Bryan Francis because Pole would not agree to Henry’s annualment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon.
Thanks Mik…..it is always great to have an understanding of history to that we don’t repeat it.
Bob
May 26th, 2009 at 5:39 pm
Thanks for the history lesson comment. LMHO
May 26th, 2009 at 9:30 pm
Thanks Mike:
Some might think this is to confrontational but was not our Lord confrontational? Rather then compromise the gospel of grace we must uphold the truth that we may bring glory to God. Now saints listen to what the Holy Spirit says to your heart as you seek to hear from him…. let us passionately proclaim the sovereignty of God in the gospel of grace and pray for those who compromise.
May 26th, 2009 at 10:36 pm
Hey brother, great post. Nice layout and very informative. Very shocking indeed! It always boggles my mind how much people want to add to scripture instead of seeing it as completely sufficient. And on the flip, that people think that by cutting something out, they are somehow free from the requirements. This is crazy to me. How is it that we can be so utterly arrogant to dictate what we think the Word of God should be. They would be better off taking their hats off to the devil himself than leading God’s sheep to strange pastures.
May 27th, 2009 at 11:58 am
Reformer005 said:
May 26th, 2009 at 5:39 pm
Thanks for the history lesson comment. LMHO
Sorry Reformer 005…..I just get too wrapped up in history and the deviousness and evil that happened to the reformed movement. But to HIS Glory…..HE was and is in control.
Bob
May 31st, 2009 at 9:45 pm
Mike,
I think that this is a powerful and very timely article; It needed to be stated, and you stated it very effectively. I just hope and pray that our mother Reformed churches, many of which have gradually become increasingly liberal (such as the PCUSA, RCA & the CRC) take heed to what you wrote and don’t follow the same silppery slope to their destruction. May our sovereign God visit us with a might y spiritual awakening and reverse the tide of Liberalism, which is a blatant demonic deviation from Christianity.
Liberalism is not Christianity at all, but a religion which is so entirely different from Christianity as to be long in a distinct category.
– J. Gresham Machen
Jul 18th, 2009 at 11:40 pm
Great Job Mike,
Recently I relocated to the area here in SoCal from Moab, Ut. The reason that I mention Moab is that it is a real liberal and immoral place. Anyhow, while living there, I got couple of used books from the library hat happened to be written by John Sprong, prior to that I had neveer heard of the guy. Until approximately a week ago, those books just sat on my shelf, then I decided to read one of them. After reading about a page, I realized this was artifiitial Christianity, portraying itself as the real thinng, yet far from it. I flipped through it annd read his stance on homosexuality and abortion and decided to file those books where they belong, in the dumpster!
Having read a lot of Whitefield’s sermons and currently reading his journals, it is a crying shame that the Anglican Church coould go from having a Whitefield, to having a SpWRONG. Here is a quote of Whitefield in his sermon “Marks of True Conversion” “if we may judge by people’s lives, and our Lord says, “that by their fruits we may know them,” I am afraid it
will be found, that thousands, and ten thousands, who hope to go to this blessed place after death, are not now
in the way to it while they live. Though we call ourselves Christians, and would consider it as an affront put
upon us, for any one to doubt whether we were Christians or not; yet there are a great many, who bear the name
of Christ, that yet do not so much as know what real Christianity is.” The problem today is that many in the Church today are ass Whitefield says there, bear Christ in name, yet they do not even have a clue what real Christianity is, sadly, Many of them are in pulpits around the world, preaching their ( Not God’s) ear tickeling messages. Previously I thought it was just the Church in America, boy was I wrong, look how Todd Bentley and his circus show captivated the church world-wide. It is time to stand up and proclaim the Unadulterated Word of God! Caarman sang a song years back, “We Need God in America Again”. No! We need GOD in the Church AGAIN!!!! Whitefield and others of his time were about building the Kingdom of God, whereas many ministers today are about building the kingdom of “self”.
The Lord bless you.
Richard
P.S. email me
Jul 25th, 2009 at 12:31 pm
Mike, very well written and insightful. Thanks brother! Trish
Sep 10th, 2009 at 8:47 pm
Good article, in 1st footnote, correction needs to be made. “All intensive purposes” should be “All intents and purposes”. Otherwise, very good Mike!