Introducing the Century Club at Log College Press

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Among the nearly 2,000 authors found at Log College Press there are at least three centenarians (Arthur Judson Brown [1856-1963, 106]; William Rankin III [1810-1912, 102]; and George Summey [1853-1954, 101]), as well as at least three authors who were 99 years old when they entered into their eternal rest (Littleton Purnell Bowen, David Caldwell, and Maria Fearing). But the Log College Press Century Club which we are introducing today has to do with something a little different.

To be a member of this club, there must be at least 100 works by (and sometimes about) the author on their particular pages. At this point in time, there are 27 such individuals in the LCP Century Club, as follows:

There are some other prolific writers who we anticipate may join this club at some point in the future, such as Isabella Macdonald Alden, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Finley Milligan Foster, Robert Jefferson Breckinridge and Cleland Boyd McAfee, to name a few. As the Lord gives us strength and ability, we continue to add works by these and many other writers. We still have our work cut out for us, especially, for example, with respect to T.L. Cuyler, who penned over 4,000 separate published articles. Meanwhile, if viewed as a snapshot of our most prolific authors, the LCP Century Club invites readers to explore a representative cross-section of early American Presbyterianism. We hope you will take this opportunity to see what’s available among these prolific writers’ pages (as well as those not-so-prolific), and to enjoy a visit to the past, which we trust will be a blessing to you in the present.

Princeton vs. The New Divinity

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Twenty years ago, a handy little volume was published by Banner of Truth titled Princeton Versus The New Divinity. It is a collection of a handful of articles written by 19th century Princeton divines in response to the movement known by various names, including New England Theology, Edwardsean, and The New Divinity, among other nomenclatures. In general, it was a movement that heavily emphasized evangelism and revival at the expense of Biblical theology on such matters as sin, total depravity, and grace.

Princeton divines were greatly concerned that this new movement needed to be countered by sound theology. A number of articles were written in The Biblical Repertory and Theological Review, The Biblical Repertory and Princeton Review and in other titles to respond to the movement by way of direct discussion and historical overview. Today we are thankful for the digitizing labors of those at the Library of the Princeton Theological Seminary who have made these articles, and others, so much more accessible.

As mentioned in the Banner of Truth volume, David Calhoun’s outline of the issues and authors involved, which appears in Princeton Seminary, Vol. 1, is highly recommended.

There were seven chapters/articles included in the 2001 Banner of Truth volume:

  • Charles Hodge, Review of Cox’s Sermon on Regeneration, and the Manner of Its Occurrence (1830) — titled “Regeneration” in the BoT volume;

  • Archibald Alexander, The Early History of Pelagianism (1830);

  • Archibald Alexander, The Doctrine of Original Sin as Held by the Church, Both Before and After the Reformation (1830) — titled “Original Sin” in the BoT volume;

  • Archibald Alexander, An Inquiry Into that Inability Under Which the Sinner Labours, and Whether it Furnishes Any Excuse for His Neglect of Duty (1831) — titled “The Inability of Sinners” in the BoT volume;

  • Charles Hodge, The New Divinity Tried (1832);

  • Albert Baldwin Dod, Finney’s Sermons (1835) and Finney’s Lectures (1835) — combined and titled “On Revivals of Religion” in the BoT volume — “William G. McLoughlin comments that Dod’s ‘review of the Lectures on Revivals can and should be properly considered the official and definitive counterattack upon the theological revolution that [Charles] Finney led,” David Calhoun, Princeton Seminary, Vol. 1, p. 467;

  • John Woodbridge, Review of The Scriptural Doctrine of Sanctification Stated and Defended Against the Error of Perfectionism (1842) — titled “Sanctification” in the BoT volume; and

  • Thomas Cleland, Bodily Affections Produced by Religious Excitement (1834) — an 1846 reprint was titled “Bodily Effects of Religious Excitement” and included the BoT volume.

All of these articles are available to read online at the links above. In addition, some others on this overall topic are also available to read and recommended for further study. Also, take note of our earlier post relating to the 1837-1838 split of the Presbyterian Church on the Old School-New School Explained.

  • Archibald Alexander, January 25, 1802 Letter to Nathan Strong (1802);

  • Lyman Hotchkiss Atwater, Dr. Woodbridge on Revivals: Influence of the New Divinity on Religion (1842);

  • Lyman Hotchkiss Atwater, Old Orthodoxy, New Divinity and Unitarianism (1857);

  • Lyman Hotchkiss Atwater, Jonathan Edwards and the Successive Forms of The New Divinity (1858);

  • Lyman Hotchkiss Atwater, Revivals of the Century (1876);

  • George Addison Baxter, January 1, 1802 Letter on the Kentucky Revival (1802);

  • Charles Hodge, Finney’s Lectures on Theology (1847);

  • William Buell Sprague, Lectures on Revivals of Religion (1832);

  • David Alexander Wallace, The Theology of New England (1856); and

There is even more to read at Log College Press on this topic. But this may serve for starters. If you have an interest in the theological innovations that disrupted in the Presbyterian Church in the early 19th century, and how Princeton divines responded, dive in to these materials prayerfully, and with a Bible at hand, to better understand what was at issue, and how God’s Word and the history of the church sheds light on these matters. The editor of the Banner of Truth volume had to say about the importance of the subject:

Why these articles should be reprinted at a date so far removed from the controversy which occasioned them warrants introductory comment. Some controversies represent no more than a passing disturbance in the church. It was not to be so with the New Divinity. Both contending parties in the controversy saw this clearly. Those who introduced the new ideas were insistent that they would have revolutionary and long-term benefits for the advance of the gospel. Especially would this be so, they claimed, with respect to effective evangelism and the promotion of revival. The Princeton men, and those who supported them, were equally convinced that, should the new teaching succeed, it would mean a change of direction exceedingly adverse to the spiritual interests of later generations. Where the ‘New School’ were certain of the practical benefits resulting from the changes for which they were working, the ‘Old’ saw disaster.

Recent Additions to Log College Press -- January 28, 2021

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As we approach 10,000 separate works available to read for free online at Log College Press, we wish to keep our readers apprised of some recently-added highlights.

  • Caleb Cook Baldwin (1820-1911) and his wife Harriet Fairchild Baldwin (1826-1896) were American Presbyterian missionaries to China. Together they served Chinese Christians for almost five decades, and translated much of the Bible into the Fuzhou (Foochow) dialect. Mrs. Baldwin’s poems were published posthumously, and her pencil sketches are a joy to behold.

  • John Armor Bingham (1815-1900) was a friend of Titus Basfield (whose correspondence was destroyed sadly in the 1990s). He is known to history as a lawyer who participated in the trial of the conspirators involved in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, a prosecutor in the impeachment trial of Andrew Johnson, and as the primary author of the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

  • Alexander Latimer Blackford (1829-1890) was an American Presbyterian missionary and the first moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Brazil.

  • Amos Dresser (1812-1904) was a Presbyterian minister, abolitionist and pacifist. He was once publicly beaten in Tennessee for carrying abolitionist literature and advocating their contents, a story recounted in his famous Narrative.

  • Edward Payson Durant (1831-1892) was a ruling elder to whom A.A. Hodge gives credit for inspiring Hodge to write his commentary on the Westminster Confession of Faith.

  • Mary Augusta McConnell Palmer (1822-1888) was the wife of Benjamin Morgan Palmer.

  • Elizabeth Lee Allen Smith (1817-1898) was the wife and biographer of Henry Boynton Smith. She is also known for her hymn translations, including that of I Greet Thee Who My Sure Redeemer Art, attributed sometimes to John Calvin (this attribution is disputed).

  • Lewis French Stearns (1847-1892) was the son of Jonathan French Stearns. Lewis served as a professor at Bangor Theological Seminary in Maine, and was greatly mourned when he died in his early 50s.

  • Hermann Warszawiak (1865-1921) was a born a Polish Jew, but after his conversion to Christ, his heart was set on missions to the Jews who lived in New York City.

  • Loyal Young (1806-1890) and Watson Johnston Young (1838-1919) were father and son Presbyterian ministers. Samuel Hall Young, the famous missionary to Alaska, was another son of Loyal Young. Loyal’s commentary on Ecclesiastes was a noteworthy contribution to Biblical exegesis. Both Loyal and Watson were poets as well.

  • Many additional writings by Lyman Hotchkiss Atwater, Albert Barnes, Francis Landey Patton, Henry Boynton Smith, and others have been added in recent weeks as well.

As always, we are grateful for the suggestions of our readers for people and works to add to the site. And as Log College Press continues to grow, keep checking back to see what’s new. Tolle lege!

The Princeton Book

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When Charles Hodge entered into glory in 1878, it seemed that one chapter in the history of Princeton had closed, and a new one was beginning. The following year, a memorial in honor of Hodge, Samuel Miller and the Alexanders was dedicated at Miller Chapel, and a book was published to commemorate the occasion, The Alexander Memorial (1879), of which we have written before. Today’s post concerns another volume published in 1879, The Princeton Book, “by officers and graduates of the college,” which is a remarkable and comprehensive look at the history and scope of Princeton’s legacy.

The Princeton Book Title Page smaller.jpg

The Princeton Book has recently been added to our Compilations page. It is a volume filled with information about the founding of Princeton, both the college and the seminary, its relationship to church and state, the courses of study and activities conducted at Princeton, including science and athletics, the layout of the campus, the cemetery, the surrounding town, and much more. Each section is written by those with experience and knowledge of the topic, and a love of the institutions represented. It is a valuable snapshot in time (complete with many photographs and maps), as well as a look backward in time to inform readers of a rich heritage that belongs to Princeton and its people. The table of contents below will help today’s reader to better understand what this remarkable volume is all about.

I. Historical
History of the College of New Jersey by William Henry Hornblower
College Presidents by William A. Packard
Princeton and the Church by Henry J. Van Dyke
Princeton and the State by Henry J. Van Dyke
Princeton and Science by S.B. Dod
Princeton and Literature by William M. Baker

II. Organization
Course of Study in the Academical Department by James McCosh
The Faculty by Addison Atwater
The Treasurer by William Harris
The Librarian by Frederic Vinton
Commencement Day by Henry Alfred Todd
The American Whig Society by H.C. Cameron
Cliosophic Society by Melancthon W. Jacobus
The Philadelphian Society by John Thomas Duffield
The Nassau Hall Bible Society by George Sheldon
The St. Paul’s Society by Arthur B. Turnure
Class Meetings and Alumni Associations by George W. Sheldon

III. Buildings
Nassau Hall by John P. Campbell
Dickinson Hall by Edward D. Lindsey
The College Chapel by Lyman Hotchkiss Atwater
The College Library by Frederic Vinton
The Halsted Observatory by Stephen Alexander
The Working Observatory by C.A. Young
The Museum of Geology and Archaeology by Arnold Henry Guyot
The Gymnasium by Allan Marquand
Witherspoon Hall by William Harris
Reunion Hall by William Harris
East and West Colleges by William Harris

IV. The School of Science
The John C. Green School of Science by Henry B. Cornwall

V. The Theological Seminary
The Theological Seminary by George T. Purves
Library of the Theological Seminary by Wm. H. Roberts

VI. The Town
The Battle of Princeton by James C. Moffat
The First Church by Lyman Hotchkiss Atwater
The Princeton Graveyard by William Brenton Greene, Jr.
Tusculum by William Brenton Greene, Jr.
Morven by Bayard Stockton
Prospect by Bayard Stockton
Trinity Church by Bayard Stockton
Ivy Hall by Bayard Stockton
The University Hotel by William Harris

VII. Miscellaneous
On the Campus by Henry J. Van Dyke, Jr.
College Oratory by Simon J. McPherson
The Princeton Journals by Henry F. Osborn
Glee and Instrumental Clubs by Alfred L. Dennis, Jr.
History of Base Ball by Wilton Merle Smith
Foot-Ball by David Stewart
Athletic Notes by Allan Marquand

VIII. Statistics by William B. Scott
I. Statistics of Professions of Graduates
II. List of Presidents and Professors

Those interested in the history of “the legitimate successor of the celebrated ‘Log College’ at Neshaminy, Pennsylvania, and of several other schools of the prophets” (Henry Van Dyke), will find much in this volume to reward their study. The Princeton Book is a valuable resource indeed and can be read here.

For the Children: Two Valuable Books that Parents Should Read

Log College Press has recently added two books to the site which will be of interest especially to parents. 

The first is The Children of the Church, and Sealing Ordinances by Lyman Hotchkiss Atwater (1813-1883). First published in the Jan. 1857 issue of The Biblical Repertory and Princeton Review, then reprinted in 1858, slightly expanded and revised, as a separate volume by the Presbyterian Board of Publication, this work examines the place of children in the church and their relationship to the two sacraments which Christ has instituted for church. This is an excellent little study for parents of children of the covenant.

"It is in Zion that the children of the Church are born to newness of life. Since He has promised to be their God, it is in training them as if they were his; as if it were alone congruous with their position to walk as his children in faith, love, hope, and all holy obedience, that we are to look for that inworking Spirit, and out-working holiness, commensurate with their years, which shall seal them as sons and daughters of the Lord Almighty. This is what we believe to be the blessed significance and intent of infant baptism. This is what we have at heart in writing these pages..."

The author is described by Paul C. Gutjahr thus: "Lyman Atwater enjoyed a long career at Princeton College, serving on its faculty from 1854 until his death in 1883. Although his students fondly lampooned his pear-like shape, they considered him an outstanding teacher in his courses on logic and moral philosophy. He co-edited the Repertory in its various forms from 1869 to 1878 and contributed more than 110 articles to its pages, making him one of the most prolific defenders of Old School Calvinism in the nineteenth century" (Charles Hodge: Guardian of American Orthodoxy, p. 348).

The next book contains an introduction by Atwater, but is primarily the work of William Scribner (1820-1884) (Scribner was the brother of Charles Scribner (1821-1871), who became head of the publishing firm eventually known as Charles Scribner's Sons). It is titled Pray For Your Children; or, An Appeal to Parents to Pray Continually for the Welfare and Salvation of Their Children (1873). Divided into two parts, eight reasons are given to motivate parents to desire and pray for the salvation of their children, and a further eight reasons are given to stir up parents to further pray for God's blessings upon their young ones. 

The first eight reasons are listed here to whet the appetite of parents who love the souls of their children. (Read the rest of this book here.)

  1. Pray for the salvation of your children, because their salvation is so great a prize that it is worth all the pains which your prayers to secure it for them may cost you.
  2. Pray for the salvation of your children, because few will pray for it if you do not.
  3. Pray for the salvation of your children, because none others can pray for it as you can.
  4. Pray for the salvation of your children, because your omitting to do so will be perilous to them and to you.
  5. Pray for the salvation of your children, because you will then find it easier to perform other parental duties on the performance of which God has conditioned their salvation.
  6. Pray for the renewing of the souls of your children, because prayer alone can call into exercise that divine power in their behalf which is absolutely necessary in order that the means which you may employ for their salvation may not be used in vain.
  7. Pray for the salvation of your children, because by their salvation, granted in answer to your prayers, the divine Saviour will be glorified.
  8. Pray for the salvation of your children because you have a strong encouragement and incentive to do so in the express promise of God that, if you are faithful to your trust, he will be their God, and will save them.