Puritan of the Week: Nicholas Byfield (1579-1622)

Beeke writes:

Byfield was a moderate Puritan and “a nonconformist at heart who conformed for the sake of the gospel and for the sake of the church, disapproving of the contentious zeal of those who make needless rents in the church, and advising his parishioners to conform as long as the required ceremonies and customs were not in opposition to the word of God.”

I am not sure if being a moderate Puritan was right or wrong, but there are some important lessons to be learned from Byfield’s position.  Even great catalysts for change in the church like Martin Luther and John Gresham Machen had such deep respect and love for the church that they remained under bad authority and were forced out rather than jumping ship.  Leaving a church should not be over preference but for the sake of the gospel.   As Byfield taught, even if there are things you don’t like, do them unless they are in opposition to the word of God.  In this we show that we are not our own authority, but are under God’s, Christ’s, and the Church’s.