PREFACE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited and Published by Andrew Burr

81 Roxburgh Road London SE27 0LE UK

burr.andrewlinda@btinternet.com

ISBN 978-0-359-80799-4

2019

 

The object of this book is to bring together for the first time several collections of short pieces by Edward Dennett on foundational subjects. These represent only some of our brother’s published ministry. Many individual volumes are available as second-hand - or e-book - copies of the original books, but these have not been collected as they are here, and some recently published versions have been revised to a degree. The articles in this book - arranged in date order - are from the original texts, and the wording has not been changed at all. The reader should note that the author has used the King James Version for scripture references; that the footnotes (i-xvi) are his; and only the handful of end-notes (a-f) are mine.

Edward Dennett was born in Bembridge on the Isle of Wight in 1831. Although his family belonged to the Anglican Church, he became a Baptist minister in Lewisham. The first group of letters in this book are an account of how he came to give up that position in September 1875; and these and all the other articles in this book are from the ministry the Lord gave him subsequently. One of his occupations was as editor of a periodical, The Christian’s Friend, and some of what is included in this book comes from that magazine.

Edward married Ellen Bond, from Falmouth in Cornwall, in 1862 - just after he became a minister - and they had one daughter, also Ellen. As these articles record, he lived for a time in the Blackheath area; he later moved to Croydon, where he died after a short illness in 1914.

Some of the articles in this book trace the progress of our brother’s own learning; but he also had gift in teaching clearly on fundamental subjects, and was used to set out the truth in a way which addresses many questions that believers seeking to become established are still asking today - more than 130 years later. The Lord has given a great deal of ministry since these articles were written from which many have gained a greater understanding of divine things; but I do not think this alters the value of what had been given previously. I trust the Lord will use this work to help those who enquire into God’s revealed truth.

ANDREW BURR