Crumbs from the Table

This post was inspired by a talk given by James Mollitt at a recent pastors' fraternal in Bolton. It is also based on the book "Assist me to proclaim" by John Tyson.  Charles Wesley was an Anglican Christian pastor who lived in the 1700s. He is best known as a hymn-writer, and as the brother of John Wesley. Both brothers were leading figures in what is known as the Methodist Revival, a revival of Protestant faith in Britain which began around the time of Charles' and John's conversion in 1738.  Charles was born in 1707, the son of Christian parents, Samuel and Susannah Wesley, who had become High Church Anglicans from a non-Anglican background. Samuel Wesley was the Christian minister of the parish of Epworth. It was a large family and they lived in the rectory (pastor's residence). One day the rectory caught fire and all the children had to be rescued.  Having studied well at school, Charles won a scholarship (paid place) at Oxford University. At university C

In 311 Emperor Galerius brought an end to a seven-year period of intense persecution of Christians (known as "the Great Tribulation"), issuing his Edict of Toleration . This was followed, in 313, by Emperor Constantine's Edict of Milan, declaring freedom of religion and, among other things, granting the return of church property. Over the next few decades Christianity went from being a minority faith representing maybe 10% of the population, to the religion of 90%. Some speak of the church being changed from "corpus Christi" (the body of Christ) to "corpus Christianorum" (a body of Christians), i.e. from an organic community of believers to a state-sponsored institution. In 380 Emperor Theodosius declared mainstream Christianity the religion of the Empire, banning pagan religions and heretical Christian communities.  The challenge facing the church during the short fourth century (311-381) was to "win the peace". Having withstood the fires of