Walter Cradock
Walter Cradock: Llangwm, Monmouthshire
Walter Cradock was a mighty influence in the early years of Welsh Puritanism. Walter Cradock, Vavasor Powell and Morgan Llwyd are known as 'the Welsh Saints'. Their combined labours in the gospel had an impact on Wales that can hardly be over-estimated.
Cradock was born at Trefela, near Llangwm, Monmouthshire, and was possibly educated at the University of Oxford. His first position was as a curate, at Peterston-super-Ely, Glamorgan.
In 1633, together with others ministers, Cradock was reported to the high church Archbishop, William Laud, and turned out of his curacy for 'unorthodox preaching'. The charge was that Cradock refused to read the so-called 'Book of Sports'; a book that permitted games and playing sport on Sunday afternoons, a book the Puritans had always despised.
From late in 1634 Cradock spent almost a year in Wrexham, himself preaching and helping develop the preaching gifts of Morgan Llwyd. Cradock soon needed to move from Wrexham and so he arrived in Herefordshire. Here it was and at this time that Cradock met Vavasor Powell.
Also around this time, Cradock stayed in Shrewsbury. While in Shrewsbury he was introduced in 1639 to Sir Robert Harley, of Brampton Bryan; Sir Robert became a patron and friend, who took Cradock into his home and offered his support. The Harley family were supportive of the Puritan movement and gave great encouragement to these ministers of the gospel, in hard and difficult times. Cradock moved to nearby Llanfair Waterdine, as minister to a small independent congregation.
On the outbreak of the English Civil War, Walter Cradock took himself off to Bristol; here he found an independent church at Broadmead. Forced to move again, he arrived in London and preached for a time at All-Hallows-the-Great.
In 1641 Cradock, with a group of preachers, was authorized by the Long Parliament to minister the gospel and organise churches in Wales. Parliament renewed similar authority in 1645 and 1646.
Cradock, unlike Vavasor Powell, was a supporter of Oliver Cromwell and condemned Vavasor Powell's rebellious pamphlet 'The Word of God'. The majority of the Welsh Puritans sided with Cradock; not that that dissuaded Powell from his more radical position.
Cradock was a mighty Welsh Puritan preacher; fervent in conviction, consistent in dedication and making a huge contribution to the spread of the gospel and Puritanism in Wales during the 17th century.
Sermons of Walter Cradock have survived as a testimony to a rich and encouraging ministry of grace. These sermons are characterised by their emphasis on personal faith, repentance and a deep reliance on Scripture.
Walter Cradock also left a number of theological works; writings that witness to his deep commitment to Scripture, Puritan theology and his passionate devotion to the gospel of God's grace.
Here is an extract from one of his sermons. Even these short pieces reveal a remarkable similarity to the sermons, a century later, that William Gadsby would preach – both sharing the same 'riskiness' that appears in the Apostle Paul's exposition of the gospel of grace!
If God draw the curtain, there is nothing but hell in the soul, and dost thou not think, saith God, that thou art an hypocrite? And that I shall damn thee for this? No, saith, the soul, I know I have nothing in me but of thy Grace, and if thou draw the curtain, all is hell; and seeing that I am weaker than I was, I have the more need to betake me to thy lap, and into thy arms, and so he grows more fond of God by sin it self.
I have seen poore women in the mountains of Wales, they have been so poor that when they have come to a house to beg a little whey or butter-milke, they have been fain to beg a loane of a pot, or a dish to put it in. So we cannot carry one graine of grace home, unless God give us the spiritual buckets. God may say, thou wantest grace, but where is thy bucket? Saith the humble soul, Lord I have none, thou must give the water and lend the bucket to carry it home. God will have us trust him ere he will trust us; we must take God upon his word. I have but one soul, and if I had a thousand, I would venture them all upon his word and say there my soul lyes, sink or swim, or go to heaven, or hell, here is the word, that Christ came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chiefe. (Walter Cradock, G.F.Nuttall, The Welsh Saints, 33-34)