In this thought-provoking book, Baptist Wriothesley Noel discusses the controversial topic of miraculous powers in the church. Drawing on historical and biblical evidence, he argues that the revival of these powers is both possible and desirable. This book will inspire readers to consider their own beliefs and attitudes towards the supernatural. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Timothy C. F. Stunt has gathered a range of his essays, both published and unpublished in a collection of largely biographical studies. His subjects range from discontented Quakers hesitating over their identity, to respectable Anglicans who were fascinated with the charismatic phenomena of tongue speaking and healing. Some of the characters with whom he is concerned can be described as "mavericks" on account of their strikingly individualist inclinations. Occasionally their unpredictability takes on a quasi-comic identity, which could even qualify them to be described as "loose cannons." On the other hand, some of them like Edward Irving, Norris Groves, and John Darby played a crucial part in the development of nineteenth-century evangelicalism. In their quest for the ideal church of their dreams, they were often disappointed but one cannot but admire the single-mindedness of their quest.

The nineteenth-century Scottish theologian Edward Irving has been the subject of a remarkable resurgence of interest in recentÊdecades, but many studies focus on specific aspects of his thought. This biographyÊportrays Irving's life and ministry as a whole, drawing on previously unused letters as well as his published writings to offer a readable and well-grounded narrative. Apart from the personal interest of this story, Irving's thought and practice as a preacher and pastoral theologian remains worthy of serious attention.