New Year's Wishes From Log College Press

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It is a solemn thing to live! A solemn thing to live with the thought before us that we must one day face our record, — one day answer at the bar of God. It is with this thought that we ought to enter upon the New Year, and should resolve to live every moment of it so as to meet the approbation of God, to win from him the plaudit. Well done, good and faithful servant. If we carry this thought with us, and allow ourselves to be influenced by it, at the same time depending upon Divine help, we need have no fear as to the result. It will be a record that will be creditable to us. An earnest purpose to do right, steadily adhered to, is half the battle. Failure can come only from our neglect to avail ourselves of the help that is offered to us. — Francis J. Grimké, The Works of Francis J. Grimke, Vol. 3 (1942), pp. 385-386

Therefore conclude, every one for himself, 'It is of little importance to me whether I die this year, or not; but the only important point is, that I may make a good use of my future time, whether it be longer or shorter.' This, my brethren, is the only way to secure a happy new year: a year of time, that will lead the way to a happy eternity. — Samuel Davies, A Sermon on the New Year (January 1, 1761)

As 2023 draws to a close, and we prepare to embark on a New Year, we at Log College Press wish to pause and reflect on blessings received in the year past. Log College Press was acquired this year by Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. It is a great privilege to be a part of the seminary’s vision for the ministry. In September, we announced a milestone — there are now over 20,000 works available to read for free on Log College Press. The resources which have made available for the edification of the church body are in good hands, and we hope to continue to grow and expand them, in both print and digital form, in the year(s) ahead.

A few things to note for our readers:

  • An article by David T. Crum on The Christian Courage and Bravery of Stonewall Jackson was added to the Log College Review (accessible through membership in the Dead Presbyterians Society) earlier this month;

  • A more thorough review in recent weeks of periodicals, such as The Central Presbyterian, The Southern Presbyterian Journal, The Independent, The New York Evangelist, The Bible Student and Teacher, The North American Review, and others, has led to articles, letters and poetry added to the Early Access and Recent Additions pages by authors such as T.D. Witherspoon, Robert L. Dabney, Henry C. Alexander, Benjamin M. Smith, Margaret J. Preston, William C. Robinson, Oswald T. Allis, and many more, and this review continues;

  • Many interesting volumes have been added to the Compilations page, including an extraordinary wealth of 19th century Presbyterian Psalters and Hymnals; and

  • Many quotes by some of our favorite authors have been added to the DPS Quote Blog.

There is much to browse, and download, and we are always working to refine and improve, as well as add to, what we already have. Thank you, as always, for your interest and support. Stay tuned for more good things to come. From our homes to yours, we wish each of you a very Happy and Blessed New Year!

The Centennial Birthday of Morton H. Smith

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It was 100 years ago on this day in history, December 11, 1923, that Morton Howison Smith was born in Roanoke, Virginia. His family had their membership in the Raleigh Court Presbyterian Church (his father was a ruling elder), and Smith was raised in a godly home. Later on, his family moved to Baltimore, Maryland, where Smith made a public profession of faith and joined the Mt. Washington Presbyterian Church at the age of eleven. James E. Moore was the pastor there at the time time, and he would have a tremendous influence on the course of Morton's life.

Morton graduated from the St. Paul's School for Boys in Baltimore in 1941, and went on to study at the University of Michigan. He met Lois Knopf there, and they got married in 1944. Morton served as a military flight instructor during World War II. He graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in botany in 1947. For a short while afterwards, he worked as an office manager in the Registrar's office.

But soon, after teaching and preaching at Lois' home church — Grace Bible Church — Morton realized he was called to the ministry. While considering which seminary to attend, he received a letter in 1948 from Pastor Moore, which offered counsel about the purpose of seminary, and direction on where to study. Moore encouraged Smith to consider studying under William C. Robinson at Columbia Theological Seminary, or else at Westminster Theological Seminary, where Cornelius Van Til and John Murray taught. And that is what Smith decided to do. He studied one year at CTS, and then the next year at WTS, before graduating from CTS in 1952. In this way, he experienced the best of two worlds. His commitment was to the Southern Presbyterian Church, though, and that guided both his seminary studies, and the course that his pastoral ministry took. 

In 1952, he ministered to an unaffiliated group of Christians in Valdosta, Georgia, which later joined the Orthodox Presbyterian Church (OPC). In 1954, he accepted a call to serve in the PCUS around Baltimore. But soon after, he was called to teach the Bible at Belhaven College in Jackson, Mississippi, a position which he held until 1963. During this time, the Smiths adopted two children. Having studied the Dutch language, and while on a Fulbright scholarship, Smith also received a Ph.D. in Philosophy at the Free University of Amsterdam, where he studied under G.C. Berkouwer. His doctoral dissertation was published under the title Studies in Southern Presbyterian Theology (1962). 

In 1964, the Smiths moved to French Camp, Mississippi, where he would serve as one of the original faculty members at Reformed Theological Seminary, where he taught until 1978. He would often travel around the United States to teach by flying his own Cessna 150. In 1973 — as conservative Presbyterians were preparing to withdraw from the PCUS to found a new denomination, which became known as the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) — he was tasked by the Steering Committee of the Continuing Presbyterian Church with documenting the decline of the PCUS. He published the results of his study as How is the Gold Become Dim (1973). At the founding of the PCA, he was called to serve as the stated clerk of the new denomination, a position which he held until 1988. In 1987, he helped to establish what became known as Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary in South Carolina, where he would teach as a professor of systematic and Biblical theology. In 2000, he was elected to serve as Moderator of the General Assembly of the PCA, a token of the respect and esteem which he had garnered over decades of faithful ministry from his colleagues. 

Included among his notable publications, besides those mentioned above, he wrote Reformed Evangelism (1974); Testimony: An Introduction to Christian Doctrine (1986); Harmony of the Westminster Confession and Catechisms (1990); The Case For Full Subscription to the Westminster Standards in the Presbyterian Church in America (1992); The Subscription Debate: Studies in Presbyterian Polity (1994); A Call For a Return to Sabbath Observance (1994); The Regulative Principle of Worship: Is It Biblical? (1994); Systematic Theology (1994, 2 vols.); Biblical Doctrine of Predestination: A Study of the Sovereignty of God as Reflected in the Five Points of Calvinism (1995); Commentary on the Book of Church Order (2001); and Holding Fast to the Faith: A Brief History of Subscription to Creeds and Confessions With Particular Reference to Presbyterian Churches (2003). In 2004, a festschrift was published in his honor: Confessing Our Hope: Essays Celebrating the Life and Ministry of Morton H. Smith. 

Smith entered into glory at the age of 93 on November 12, 2017 in Brevard, North Carolina. This writer never met Dr. Smith personally, but he has long admired him. Much of the biographical information about his life story in this article comes from a 2017 tribute to him written by Joseph Pipa, who quoted Ligon Duncan’s description of him as "one of the key figures in late twentieth-century North American Presbyterianism." For additional biographical resources, see also a 2017 article by Wayne Sparkman, and a more complete sketch of his life by Joseph Pipa in Confessing Our Hope. If one can get to know another person by studying his library, it can be said that on one level this writer has come to know him very well. Since his passing, about 200 of the books from his library have been acquired by this writer, including many which were authored by him, or inscribed to him by admirers, and many of which contain correspondence to and from Dr. Smith, as well as his handwritten notes. The various volumes thus examined reflect his interest in and concern for Biblical worship and church government, missions, and church history. Above all, as a writer, a teacher, a pastor, a mentor, a husband, a father, and more, Dr. Smith aimed at the glory of God and the good of others. Charles Spurgeon once wrote, “A good character is the best tombstone. Those who loved you and were helped by you will remember you when forget-me-nots have withered. Carve your name on hearts, not on marble.” There is abundant testimony that Dr. Smith’s name is carved on the hearts of many, and that truly is his great legacy.

The Day Old Princeton Died

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In evaluating the history of that great institution known as Princeton Theological Seminary, many would consider that “she” died in 1929 when the seminary was reorganized on modernist terms. But in a letter to his mother dated February 20, 1921, J.G. Machen wrote these sad words (quoted in Ned B. Stone, J. Gresham Machen: A Biographical Memoir (1954), p. 310):

Dr.Warfield's funeral took place yesterday afternoon at the First Church of Princeton . . . It seemed to me that the old Princeton — a great institution it was — died when Dr. Warfield was carried out.

B.B. Warfield, the great defender of historic Protestant orthodoxy, who carried that banner for Old Princeton, entered into glory on February 16, 1921.

Born near Lexington, Kentucky on November 5, 1851, Warfield completed his undergraduate studies at the College of New Jersey at Princeton, and then, after a tour of Europe, embarked on theological studies at the seminary in Princeton. He graduated from the seminary in 1876, and then, after a period of transition, he was ordained to the ministry in 1879, and in 1880, he was inaugurated as a professor at Western Theological Seminary in Allegheny, Pennsylvania (Pittsburgh). Eight years later, in 1888, he was inaugurated as Professor of Didactic and Polemic Theology at Princeton Theological Seminary, succeeding both Charles and A.A. Hodge, and he remained at Princeton for the next four decades of his life, contributing to the cause of Christ as an outstanding theologian, a remarkable teacher, and a prolific author.

He was stricken by a first heart attack on December 24, 1920 while walking in front of the home of Geerhardus Vos, which was witnessed by his son, J.G. Vos (this account came from J.G. Vos to R.C. Sproul and was repeated in the April 2005 issue of Tabletalk Magazine, although the account repeated there makes it seem as if the event was the fatal heart attack, which did not happen until February 16, 1921).

William Childs Robinson was a student in Warfield’s class on that day in February (his recollection too fudged a detail but it is worth repeating here [see his 1974 review of Warfield’s The Lord of Glory titled Warfield’s Witness to Christ]):

I was in the class he taught on Feb. 17, 1921, the day of his death. In an exposition of I John 3:16, he pointed out that for Christ to lay down His life was great, but the stupendous thing was that He — being all that He was and is, the Lord of glory — laid down His life for us, mere creatures of His hand, guilty rebels against our gracious Maker.

Up until his final hours, B.B. Warfield testified of Christ our Lord, and that, we may rightly conclude, was the true banner and testimony of Old Princeton. Warfield’s personal witness to Christ was so powerful and outstanding, and the dramatic spiritual downfall of the institution that he loved which followed soon after was so much the opposite of Warfield’s own testimony, that it seems Machen was right — when Warfield died and was laid to rest in the Princeton Cemetery, Old Princeton itself indeed died that day.

What's New at Log College Press? - January 10, 2023

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With the arrival of a New Year, we at Log College Press are continuing to expand the number of resources available to our readers. Last month, in December 2022, we added 524 new works to the site. We have close to 18,000 free works available at LCP.

This week we are highlighting some of the new free PDFs available as found on our Recent Additions and Early Access pages, two features provided to members of the Dead Presbyterians Society.

Some highlights at the Early Access page:

  • James Benjamin Green, A Harmony of the Westminster Presbyterian Standards (1951); and The Distinctive Teachings of Presbyterianism (1936, 1959);

  • John Murray (1742-1793), Jerubbaal, or Tyranny's Grove Destroyed, and the Altar of Liberty Finished: A Discourse on America's Duty and Danger, Delivered at the Presbyterian Church in Newbury-Port, December 11, 1783. On Occasion of the Public Thanksgiving for Peace (1784); and Grace and Glory: or, Heaven Given Only to Saints: a Sermon Preached at the Presbyterian Church in Newbury-Port, Jan 26, 1788, Occasioned by the Death of Mr. Ralph Cross on the 4th of that Month, Aetat 82 (1788);

  • Jonathan Parsons, Wisdom Justified of her Children: A Sermon Preached at the Publick Lecture in Boston, on Thursday, September 16, 1742 (1742); and Account of the Revival of Religion in the West Parish of Lyme in Connecticut (1744);

  • articles from The Presbyterian Standard concerning the debate between psalmody and hymnody by John Thomas Chalmers [Why the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church Adheres to the Exclusive Use of the Inspired Psalter in the Worship of God (1900)]; and Alexander Jeffrey McKelway [Dr. Chalmers’ Failure (1900)];

  • and more by Francis James Grimké, some of which were contributed by a helpful reader: Colored Men as Professors in Colored Institutions (1885); Mr. Moody and the Color Question in the South (1886); The Defects of Our Ministry, and the Remedy (1886); The Secret of Power in the Pulpit (1887); The Pulpit in Relation to Race Elevation (1887); The Negro Will Never Acquiesce as Long as He Lives (1898); The Roosevelt-Washington Episode; or, Race Prejudice (1901); and The Second Marriage of Frederick Douglass (1934).

Some highlights at the Recent Addtiions page:

Also, be sure also to check out the quotes we have been adding at our blog for DPS members: Though Dead They Still Speak, including William M. Blackburn on a Sixth Point of Calvinism; A.A. Hodge on the Change of the Sabbath Day; John B. Adger on the Limits of Church Authority; Philip Lindsley on the Key to Improvement of Time; J.R. Miller on Consecration of Will; Thomas De Witt Talmage on the Christian Way of Measuring Life; Francis J. Grimké on How to Approach the New Year; William H. McGuffey, who argues that the Christian Religion is America's Religion; and T.V. Moore on The Oldest Seminary is the Family Fireside.

We appreciate hearing from our readers if they find matters needing correction, or if they have questions about authors or works on the site, or if they have suggestions for additions to the site. Your feedback helps the experience of other readers as well.

Meanwhile, please feel free to browse the many resources available to our readers in print and in digital format. The New Year is a great time to explore the many Presbyterian voices from the past. Thank you, as always, for your interest and support, dear friends, and we wish you all the very best in 2023!

Historian of the Alabama Presbyterian Church: James W. Marshall

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The monumental labors of Rev. James Williams Marshall (1882-1964) to document the history of the Presbyterian Church in Alabama are legendary. His 8,000 page typewritten manuscript is held by the Presbyterian Historical Society, along with many other materials collected and donated by him. But it was largely through the determined quest of his wife, Marion (who passed away in 1983), and the editorial labors of others, that led to the posthumous publication of his history.

Rev. Marshall had a vision to do for the Presbyterian Church in Alabama what George Howe had done for the history of the Presbyterian Church in South Carolina. In the preface to Marshall’s history he wrote:

I like to think that the work may prove a link in the chain which began to be forged by our forefathers. Dr. Charles Hodge issued his Constitutional History of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America from his home in Princeton, New Jersey, in 1840, which brought the story down to 1788. Dr. George Howe by order of the Synod of South Carolina almost completed his History of the Presbyterian Church in South Carolina before he died in Columbia, 1883, ending the story at 1850. Dr. James Stacy almost completed his History of the Presbyterian Church in Georgia before he died in Newnan, 1912. Next in the line geographically and chronologically stands Alabama.

Yet Rev. Marshall entered into his rest in 1964 leaving a request to his life-long companion, Marion, to see the work of getting his history published through to completion. Below is a letter which shines a light on the challenges involved in that process. Rev. C.G. Partridge of Troy, Alabama wrote to Rev. William C. Robinson in 1965 on behalf of Marion Marshall to consult about how to accomplish the goal of publishing a condensed version of that 8,000 page manuscript. Rev. Partridge alludes to his discussions with Dr. Thomas H. Spence of the Historical Foundation at Montreat, North Carolina about it. (Rev. Marshall’s preface makes reference to the contributions of Dr. Thomas H. Spence, Dr. Samuel M. Tenney, and Dr. Guy S. Klett in his work.) We share this letter which was found in a copy of the 2-volume History of the Presbyterian Church in South Carolina by George Howe owned by the writer which comes from the library of Rev. Marshall and contains his handwritten notes.

November 4, 1965 Letter from Rev. C.G. Partridge to Rev. William C. Robinson (photo credit: R. Andrew Myers).

Ultimately, a dozen years later, the Presbyterian Historical Society of Alabama, with Robert Strong as editor, published The Presbyterian Church in Alabama (1977). Another edition was published in 1985 under the title Presbyterian Churches in Alabama, 1811-1936, with Kenneth J. Foreman as editor. These volumes comprise a rich store of church history. John W. Kuykendall, in a 1981 review of the 1977 volume, says as much, while also critiquing its readability. His point is certainly valid, and the 1985 volume includes among the introductory matter a piece titled “Marshall’s History and How to Get the Most Out of It,” which addresses the different sorts of interests that would lead one to pick up the book, and how each sort of reader can benefit best from the work. But be assured the benefits are many. These works are not available on Log College Press, but the student of church will enrich themselves greatly by searching out their own copies to read and study.

Quoting George Howe, Rev. Marshall writes of the Church of God that “History is her memory.” We cherish the labors of such men who have spent their time and energy to bring to remembrance the works of God in the lives of men, women and children who went before us in service to Christ’s kingdom.

A Bibliography by William Childs Robinson

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One particular enjoyable aspect of perusing old books is noting their provenance — that is, the history of where the book came from. Or, who owned this book and from whose library? Many of the books found in the Log College Press digital library were scanned at the Princeton Theological Seminary library (to name but one) and arrived there by way of someone who bequeathed the book to Princeton. Many books were once owned, for instance, by B.B. Warfield, Louis F. Benson, Samuel Miller or William H. Green (which often bear their handwritten names or personalized book plate labels). These markings help to tell a story that is bigger than the book itself.

Recently, this writer acquired some books with especially interesting provenances. One such book is Thornwell’s Life and Writings (1875) by Benjamin M. Palmer. This copy comes from the library of William Childs Robinson, bears his name and handwritten notes, and includes an undated typewritten bibliography of the works of B.M. Palmer produced by Robinson himself. The list also notes which volumes were owned by Robinson.

One can picture Robinson — who says of himself that “I have lived in the shadow of Columbia Theological Seminary” (In Response to Recognition by the Alumni (1967)), where he studied and taught church history — sitting in front of his typewriter, working to develop this list and carefully recording with an asterisk those Palmer works which he owned in his library.

Bibliography of B.M. Palmer by William C. Robinson (undated, photo credit: R. Andrew Myers).

An inscription in this copy of Palmer’s biography of Thornwell informs us that it was given to him by his father, David, on October 18, 1919. Clearly, it was read with care. Thornwell’s Life and Letters by Palmer is referenced many times in Robinson’s 1931 study of Columbia Theological Seminary and the Southern Presbyterian Church.

Paul Settle, a student Robinson, drew a line from Thornwell to Palmer to Robinson in a “heartfelt tribute to his teacher.”

He was one of the last in a line of Southern Presbyterian worthies, extending from Thornwell, Dabney, Palmer, Girardeau, and others, to the present, who proclaimed and lived the whole counsel of God (quoted in David B. Calhoun, Pleading For a Reformation Vision: The Life and Selected Writings of William Childs Robinson (1897-1982) [2013], p. 125).

Another line can be drawn from Palmer’s biography of Thornwell to Robinson’s The Reformation: A Rediscovery of Grace (1962). Among the notations and underlining found in Robinson’s copy is this from p. 81: “…the doctrines of the Reformation, which are only the doctrines of grace…” And on p. 8 of Robinson’s The Reformation, we read: “On account of its rediscovery of the doctrines of grace, the Reformation has been hailed as a revival of Augustinianism.” Certainly, the concept that the Reformation was largely about the doctrines of grace is not unique to these authors, but it was crucially important in their understanding of the history and theology of their spiritual forefathers. And so it is to us. There are lines that connect truth between generations, and that is what today’s story is about.

A Reformation Day Remembrance

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To commemorate what is arguably the greatest event in church history since Pentecost, Log College Press wishes to highlight select works by early American Presbyterians which relate to the 504th anniversary of the Reformation:

  • Archibald Alexander (1772-1851) — The Doctrine of Original Sin as Held by the Church, Both Before and After the Reformation (1830) and Martin Luther at the Diet of Worms (1836) — These articles speak to important issues and moments related to the Protestant Reformation.

  • James Waddel Alexander (1804-1859) — Martin Luther Incognito (1836) and The Reformation in Hungary and Transylvania (1837) — The second article covers an important but less well-known aspect of the Reformation; the first is a translation from Philip Konrad Marheineke’s History of the German Reformation dealing with the period between Luther’s appearance at the Diet of Worms and his return to the Castle Wartburg.

  • Henry Martyn Baird (1832-1906) — Theodore Beza: The Counsellor of the French Reformation, 1519-1605 (1899) – The classic biography of the French Reformer Theodore Beza, who became Geneva’s spiritual leader after the death of John Calvin.

  • William Maxwell Blackburn (1828-1898) — Aonio Paleario and His Friends, With a Revised Edition of "The Benefits of Christ's Death" (1866) — This is an interesting work which contains both a biography of the Italian Reformer, Paleario, and an edited version of the great Italian spiritual classic that was long attributed to him (modern scholarship now attributes authorship of “The Benefit of Christ” to Benedetto Fontanini, also known as Benedetto da Mantova (1495-1556)). — William Farel, and the Story of the Swiss Reform (1867) — A fascinating look at the life of the Swiss Reformer, William Farel, who with his friend John Calvin, so influenced Geneva and the world. —Ulrich Zwingli (1868) — The life of another great Swiss Reformer, Ulrich Zwingli.

  • Ezra Hall Gillett (1823-1875) —The Life and Times of John Huss (1864) — This is a good introduction to the Bohemian (Czech) proto-Reformer, John Huss.

  • Joel Tyler Headley (1813-1897) — Luther and Cromwell (1850) — Two famous Reformers and the parallels in their stories.

  • Thomas Cary Johnson (1859-1936) — John Calvin and the Genevan Reformation (1900) — An important biography of the great French Reformer and spiritual leader of Geneva, John Calvin. — Martin Luther: Who Was He, That the World Should Remember Him From Time to Time With Praise to God? (1909-1910) - A valuable sketch of the great Reformer.

  • Frederick William Loetscher, Sr. (1875-1966) — Luther and the Problem of Authority in Religion Parts 1-2 (1917) — Loetscher addresses (on the 400th anniversary of the Reformation) a fundamental issue with which the Reformers wrestled.

  • William Carlos Martyn (1841-1917) — The Life and Times of Martin Luther (1866) — A great 19th century biography of the German Reformer. —The Dutch Reformation (1868) – A good overview of the Reformation in the Netherlands.

  • John William Mears (1825-1881) — The Beggars of Holland and the Grandees of Spain: A History of the Reformation in the Netherlands, From A.D. 1200 to 1578 (1867) — This is another comprehensive look at the Dutch Reformation, and in particular, what lead up to it.

  • Samuel Miller (1769-1850) — Introductory Essay to Charles de Viller's An Essay on the Spirit and Influence of the Reformation (1833) — As Miller writes, “The Reformation from Popery is a theme which can never grow old.”

  • Thomas Ephraim Peck (1822-1893) — Martin Luther (1895) — This biographical lecture about the great Reformer was originally delivered in 1872, and is here found in Vol. 1 of Peck’s Miscellanies.

  • Richard Clark Reed (1851-1925) — Calvin’s Contribution to the Reformation (1909) — This was Reed’s part in the Southern Presbyterian Church’s celebration of the 400th anniversary of John Calvin’s birth.

  • William Childs Robinson (1897-1982) — The Reformation: A Rediscovery of Grace (1962) — Valuable alumni lectures delivered at Columbia Theological Seminary on various aspects of the Reformation.

  • Robert Fleming Sample (1829-1905) — Beacon-Lights of the Reformation; or, Romanism and the Reformers (1889) — The story of the long combat against Romanism.

  • David Schley Schaff (1852-1941) — Martin Luther and John Calvin, Church Reformers (1917) — Written for the 400th anniversary of the Reformation, the younger Schaff highlights the two great Reformers.

  • Philip Schaff (1819-1893) — Calvin’s Life and Labors (1875) — The elder Schaff looks at the life and legacy of the French Reformer. — History of the Christian Church, Vol. 6 (1888, 1904) and History of the Christian Church, Vol. 7 (1892) — These volumes cover the history of the German and Swiss Reformation.

  • Thomas Smyth (1808-1873) - Calvin and His Enemies: A Memoir of the Life, Character, and Principles of Calvin (1856) — An important memoir of one the greatest Reformers, which covers challenging aspects of his life and career, including the case of Servetus.

  • Joseph Ross Stevenson (1866-1939) — The Reformation: A Revival of Religion (1917) — A reminder of what reformation means.

  • Cornelius Van Til (1895-1987) — Review of Martin Luther, The Bondage of the Will (1931) — A fresh look at a classic of Christian literature.

  • B.B. Warfield (1851-1921) — John Calvin: The Man and His Work (1909) — Warfield’s homage to the French Reformer on the occasion of the 400th anniversary of Calvin’s birth. — The Ninety-Five Theses in Their Theological Significance  (1917) — Originally published in The Princeton Theological Review in honor of the 400th anniversary of the Reformation, this is a fascinating study of the document by Martin Luther that launched the Reformation on October 31, 1517. — The Theology of the Reformation (1917) — Warfield looks at the key doctrines that figured in the thinking of Martin Luther. — Review of four works by D. Hay Fleming: The Story of the Scottish Covenants (1905); The Scottish Reformation (1905); The Reformation in Scotland (1910); and The Last Days of John Knox (1914) — An appreciation of the writings of a great Reformation scholar.

  • Robert Alexander Webb (1856-1919) — The Reformation and the Lord’s Supper (1917) — Webb looks at a crucial aspect of worship that was important to the Reformation.

  • Julia McNair Wright (1840-1903) — Her series of biographies for young people published in 1870 includes sketches of George Wishart, John Knox, Martin Luther, Queen Margaret, John Calvin, Renée, William Tyndale, Richard Baxter, John Huss and Gaspard de Coligni.

We have much reason to be thankful for the men and women both of the 16th centuries and those more recent who all contributed to the cause of Reformation in their own ways. From Log College Press, we wish you a Happy Reformation Day, and happy reading!

Note: This blog post was originally published on October 31, 2017, and has been edited and expanded.

Sprunt Lectures at Log College Press

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THE JAMES SPRUNT LECTURES

In 1911 Mr. James Sprunt of Wilmington, North Carolina, gave to The Trustees of Union Theological Seminary in Virginia the sum of thirty thousand dollars, since increased by his generosity to fifty thousand dollars, for the purpose of establishing a perpetual lectureship , which would enable the institution to secure from time to time the services of distinguished ministers and authoritative scholars, outside the regular Faculty, as special lecturers on subjects connected with various departments of Christian thought and Christian work. The lecturers are chosen by the Faculty of the Seminary and a committee of the Board of Trustees, and the lectures are published after their delivery in accordance with a contract between the lecturer and these representatives of the institution. — W.W. Moore, in Francis L. Patton, Fundamental Christianity (1926, 1928)

An endowment that began 110 years ago, and continues today, for a lectureship at Union Seminary in Richmond, Virginia, has included — from a roster that is worldwide — some notable American Presbyterians. The early years encompass some authors found at Log College Press, as noted below.

These lectures contain rich material on a variety of topics. Machen’s lectures are particularly well-known even today, but all of these contributions to the church from a century ago are worthy of study by the current generation. (Interestingly, Kyle also delivered the 1919 Stone Lectures at Princeton.) Sprunt’s legacy consists not only in his own writings, which are fascinating — especially for those interested in eastern North Carolina history — but in the lectureship he established which lives on.