Particular Pilgrims

William Allen and John Vernon appear in history as two believing men “of one heart and soul”.
They were the closest of friends in religion, family, the Army, and politics.

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John Vernon and his wife Anne had five known children. There names are uncertain but probably were John, Deborah, Caleb, Anne (or as she was called, Nancy), and Mary. Caleb has special interest to us because his father wrote a spiritual biography of him that is the only book I am aware from the 1600s that gives an account of the conversion, baptism, and partaking in the Lord’s Supper by someone under the age of 16. This account was entitled, “The Compleat Scholler or a relation of the life, and the latter-end especially, of Caleb Vernon who died in the Lord on the 29 th of the 9 th month, 1665, aged 12 years and 6 months”.

"Vernon frequently preached against Cromwell’s Protectorate. William Kiffen and others wrote him urging to support it, but his understanding of the relationship between Christ and the English government wouldn’t allow it."

As Samuel Richardson wrote, “there is no form of civil government in Christ’s testament”. We are reminded that it’s often easy to give ourselves to a human kingdom than Christ’s without even noticing.

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Some of the earliest members of the Loughwood Baptist church were colorful characters, a few of which we’ll look at next episode. Others were quite unexpected. Who would guess that several prominent families in the early years of the church were Huguenots, French protestants escaping persecution?

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In some ways, John Ash is reminiscent of Thomas Llewelyn, our previous pilgrim. Both men lived during the same years, were educated at Bristol, became moderately well off, and exercised academic gifts and pastoral heart. But the differences brought into their lives by providence, help us understand the variety of life in the Particular Baptist churches of mid-18th century England.
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Today’s story of another little-known Particular Pilgrim concerns Thomas Llewelyn and the use of his academic-oriented gifts. Thomas’ last name “Llewelyn” begins with two “Ls” and gives away his Welsh origins.

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The 50th Anniversary celebration of the Baptist Missionary Service was held on May 31st and June 1st, and 2nd, 1842, in Kettering. So large were the expected crowds that two meetinghouses were used – one the Baptist and the other the Congregational. On the first day in the evening, Andrew Leslie was asked to preach. His text was Acts 14:27, “and when they had arrived and gathered the church together, they declared all that God had done with them, and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles”. Leslie imitated Paul’s actions from the text, and gave a sermon “replete with interesting and important details respecting the East India mission, and the absurd, impure superstitions of the people among whom it is planted”.
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"Andrew Leslie’s grief over the death of the one he called “his dear Eliza” hindered him for some years. In the months following his “great affliction” he stopped writing letters and doing most work. But after an initial period of grieving, he began to reengage in his various missionary pursuits. And in a letter written to R. B. Sherring six months after Eliza’s death, he includes some news of a spiritual nature. He tells of 7 baptisms in the previous months."
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"Any missionary heading to India had to wrestle with the reality that they could die shortly after arrival. Surely, none of them expected to return to England. Moving to a hot, wet climate without immunities or medical remedies against exotic diseases, was part of the cost of reaching the lost. And Eliza Leslie had considered this."
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