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.

Davidson's Desiderata

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Early on in its history, in May 1853, a discourse was delivered at the Presbyterian Historical Society in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania by Robert B. Davidson: Presbyterianism: Its True Place and Value in History (1854). After an overview of the history of Presbyterianism in Scotland and in early America, Davidson left his hearers with a list of things things desired or wanted in connection with the goal of preserving the history of Presbyterianism - a desiderata. This list was an inspired effort to steer the work of the Presbyterian Historical Society as it began to put into practice the vision of its founder, Cortlandt Van Rensselaer.

1. Collections of pamphlets, tractates, controversial and other essays, bearing on the history of the Presbyterian church in this country, especially touching the Schism of 1741. These should be bound in volumes, and arranged in chronological order, handy for reference. No time should be lost in this work, for pamphlets are very perishable commodities, and speedily vanish out of sight. A copy of Gilbert Tennent’s Remarks on the Protest cannot now be obtained. One was understood by Dr. Hodge, when he wrote his History, to be in the Antiquarian Library, in Worcester, Mass., but the work is reported by the librarian as missing. This shows us that we should hoard old pamphlets and papers with Mohammedan scrupulosity, especially when there are no duplicates.

2. Collections, like Gillies’, of accounts of Revivals, and other memoranda of the progress of vital religion. Such collections would be supplementary to Gillies’ great work, which does not embrace the wonderful events of the present century in America.

3. Collections of memoirs of particular congregations, of which quite a number have been at various times printed, and which ought to be brought together and preserved.

4. Collections of occasional Sermons, both of deceased and living divines. As old productions are of interest to us, so such as are of recent publication may interest posterity. Such collections would furnish good specimens of the Presbyterian pulpit, and might be either chronologically or alphabetically arranged.

5. Collections of discourses delivered about and after the era of the Revolution. They would exhibit in a striking and favorable light the patriotic sympathies of the clergy at that period, as also the popular sentiment on the independence of the States, and their subsequent union under the present constitution.

6. A similar collection of Discourses preached on the day of Thanksgiving in the year 1851, would be very interesting; exhibiting the various views held on the Higher Law, and the preservation of the Union, and also the value of the Pulpit in pouring oil on the strong passions of mankind.

7. Biographical sketches of leading Presbyterian divines and eminent laymen. It is understood that one of our most esteemed writers is engaged in the preparation of a work of this sort, embracing the different Christian denominations. Whatever emanates from his elegant pen will be sure to possess a standard value; but it is thought, from the very structure of his projected work, such a one as is now recommended will not interfere with it, nor its necessity be superseded. Mark the stirring catalogue that might be produced, names which, though they that bare them have been gathered to their fathers, still powerfully affect us by the recollection of what they once did, or said, or wrote, and by a multitude of interesting associations that rush into the memory: Makemie, the Tennents, Dickinson, Davies, Burr, Blair, the Finleys, Beattie, Brainerd, Witherspoon, Rodgers, Nisbet, Ewing, Sproat, the Caldwells, S. Stanhope Smith, John Blair Smith, McWhorter, Griffin, Green, Blythe, J.P. Campbell, Boudinot, J.P. Wilson, Joshua L. Wilson, Hoge, Speece, Graham, Mason, Alexander, Miller, John Holt Rice, John Breckinridge, Nevins, Wirt. Here is an array of names which we need not blush to see adorning a Biographia Presbyterianiana. And the materials for most of the sketches are prepared to our hand, and only require the touch of a skilful compiler.

8. Lives of the Moderators. There have been sixty-four Moderators of the General Assembly; and as it is usual to call to the Chair of that venerable body men who enjoy some consideration among their brethren, it is fair to infer that a neat volume might be produced. Many were men of mark; and where this was not the case, materials could be gathered from the times in which they lived, or the doings of the Assembly over which they presided.

9. A connected account or gazetteer of Presbyterian Missions, both Foreign and Domestic, with sketches of prominent missionaries, and topographical notices of the stations. Dr. Green prepared something of this sort, but it is meagre, and might be greatly enlarged and enriched.

10. Reprints of scarce and valuable works. It may be objected that we have already a Board of Publication, who have this duty in charge; but it is not intended to do anything that would look like interference with that useful organ. The Board are expected to publish works of general utility, and likely to be popular, and so reimburse the outlay; this society would only undertake what would not fall strictly within the Board’s appropriate province, or would interest not the public generally, but the clerical profession.

11. A continuation of the Constitutional History of the Presbyterian Church to the present time. The valuable work of Dr. Hodge is unfinished; and whether his engrossing professional duties will ever allow him sufficient leisure to complete it is, to say the least, doubtful.

12. Should that not be done, then it will be desirable to have prepared an authentic narrative of the late Schism of 1838; or materials should be collected to facilitate its preparation hereafter, when it can be done more impartially than at present. Dr. Robert J. Breckinridge did a good service in this way, by publishing a series of Memoirs to serve for a future history, in the Baltimore Religious and Literary Magazine.

13. It might be well to compile a cheap and portable manual for the use of the laity, containing a compact history of the Presbyterian Church in America.

Other proposals on Davidson’s list include a history of the rise and decline of English Presbyterianism; a history of the French Huguenots; and a history of the Reformation in Scotland as well as biographical sketches of Scottish divines.

It is a useful exercise for those who share Davidson’s interest in church history to pause and reflect on the extent to which the goals that he proposed have been met. The Presbyterian Historical Society itself — located in Philadelphia — has certainly done tremendous legwork in this regard as a repository of valuable historical materials which has allowed scholars the opportunity to study and learn from the past. We are extremely grateful for the efforts of the Presbyterian Historical Society. Samuel Mills Tenney’s similar vision led to the creation of the Historical Foundation of the Presbyterian and Reformed Churches in Montreat, North Carolina. The PCA Historical Center in St. Louis, Missouri is another such agency that has done great service to the church at large as a repository of Reformed literature and memorabilia.

We do have access today to Gilbert Tennent’s Remarks Upon a Protestation Presented to the Synod of Philadelphia, June 1, 1741. By 1861, we know that a copy was located and deposited, in fact, at Presbyterian Historical Society. Though not yet available in PDF form at Log College Press, it is available for all to read online in html through the Evans Early American Imprint Collection here.

The biographical sketches then in progress that Davidson referenced in point #7 were carried through to publication by William B. Sprague. His Annals of the American Pulpit remain to this day a tremendous resource for students of history, yet, as Davidson wisely noted, though many writers have followed in Sprague’s footsteps on a much more limited basis, there is always room for more to be done towards the creation of a Biographia Presbyterianiana.

Regarding the Lives of Moderators (point #8), we are grateful for the labors of Barry Waugh of Presbyterians of the Past to highlight the men that Davidson had in mind. The lists and biographical sketches that he has generated are a very useful starting point towards achieving the goal articulated by Davidson, and help to bring to mind the contributions of Moderators to the work of the church.

There are a number of organizations that have taken pains to reprint older Presbyterian works of interest. Too many to list here, the contributions of all those who share this vision to make literature from the past accessible to present-day readers is to be applauded, including the efforts of Internet Archive, Google Books and others who digitize such works. We at Log College Press also strive to do this both with respect to reprints and our library of primary sources. For us, the past is not dead, primary sources are not inaccessible, and the writings of 18th-19th century Presbyterians are not irrelevant. It is worth noting that there are topical pages with growing resources available on Log College Press that highlight material on biographies, church history, the 1837 Old School / New School division, sermons and much more.

Much more could be said in regards to the extent to which organizations, historians and others have carried forward the goals articulated by Davidson. But for now we leave it to our readers to consider Davidson’s Desiderata, articulated over 150 years ago, and its connection to our shared interest in preserving the history and literature of early American Presbyterianism.

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Cleland Boyd McAfee: The Man Who Coined the TULIP Acrostic

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Although many [1] credit Loraine Boettner (1901-1990) in The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination (1932) with originating the acrostic for the Five Points of Calvinism known as TULIP [2] it is believed that the true originator was instead Cleland Boyd McAfee (1866-1944), who did so in 1905. We are thankful to Wayne Sparkman of the PCA Historical Center for highlighting this important footnote to church history in the past.

William H. Vail wrote a 1913 article in The Outlook which describes McAfee’s TULIP lecture, delivered before the Presbyterian Union of Newark, New Jersey, in the context of others who have written about the Five Points of Calvinism. Here is McAfee’s version of TULIP according to Vail:

And here is Boettner’s 1932 version for comparison:

The Five Points may be more easily remembered if they are associated with the word T-U-L-I-P; T, Total Inability; U, Unconditional Election; L, Limited Atonement; I, Irresistable (Effacious) Grace; and P, Perseverance of the Saints (source: The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination (1932), p. 60).

We can see that Boettner modified McAfee’s list slightly as to the meaning of the U in TULIP, but otherwise retained McAfee’s usage.

McAfee would go on to serve as Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of the United States of America (PCUSA) in 1929. His legacy may be studied from various perspectives — including his authorship of a famous hymn: Near to the Heart of God — but his TULIP acrostic, which rightly (see Boettner [3]) or wrongly [4} has certainly left its mark on history.

Note: This is an updated edition of a post published previously in 2018.

1. See, for example, Roger Nicole, Foreword to David N. Steele, Curtis C. Thomas & S. Lance Quinn, The Five Points of Calvinism Defined, Defended, and Documented (1963, 2004), p. xiv.
2. An allusion to the 1619 Canons of Dort, formally titled The Decision of the Synod of Dort on the Five Main Points of Doctrine in Dispute in the Netherlands.
3. Boettner employs the acrostic with great effectiveness albeit with this caution: “Let the reader, then, guard against a too close identification of the Five Points and the Calvinistic system. While these are essential elements, the system really includes much more. As stated in the Introduction, the Westminster Confession is a balanced statement of the Reformed Faith or Calvinism, and its gives due prominence to the other Christian doctrines.”
4. See, for example, Richard A. Muller’s negative assessment of the TULIP acrostic in Calvin and the Reformed Tradition: On the Work of Christ and the Order of Salvation (2012), p. 58ff.

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The Service of a Faithful Sexton: Joshua Kinney

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Sexton: A sexton is an officer of a church, congregation, or synagogue charged with the maintenance of its buildings and/or the surrounding graveyard (Wikipedia definition).

There is a whole chapter in Wyndham B. Blanton, The Making of Downtown Church (1945) [not currently available at LCP], concerning the Second Presbyterian Church in Richmond, Virginia, about the role of the Sexton. And it is primarily about one special Sexton in particular: Joshua Kinney (1870-1953).

This writer once served as a sexton in his youth and has an appreciation for the labors and services of such an individual. They are often unrecognized, but happily, Joshua Kinney was very much appreciated and recognized by his church. There were congregational observances of the 25th, 35th, 40th, 45th and 50th anniversaries of his tenure, which began in 1886.

His autobiographical reflections were published in 1931 under the title My Years of Service. We have recently added this work to Log College Press at the suggestion of Wayne Sparkman.

Kinney wrote much about his first pastor, Moses D. Hoge, his second, Russel Cecil, and also his third, William E. Hill, who wrote the introduction. He recounts how there was a period of time when the pastor was named Moses, the pastor had a butler named Daniel, and the sexton was, of course, Joshua. He wrote of his deep appreciation and affection for Miss Katherine H. Hawes and her company of Covenanters. He shared about an experience when an intruder held a gun to face and threatened him. And he spoke of his occupation as a life of service to others.

Kinney’s concluding thoughts are worth highlighting:

First, let me say how happy I have been to have my home here at this church; and how many real true friends I have here. And again, how many I have seen carried out to the last resting place. Of the friends of today, what a joy they are to me, to meet and greet them on a Sunday morning, and to have a hand-shake and a little joke. Why, it is more than anything in this world to me.

So I am closing this little book of mine of this dear old church with the texts of two of its pastors and the closing words of the text of the first.

I. “Show me thy ways, O Lord, teach me thy paths.”
II. “Certainly I will be with thee.”
III. “I am going to lay my burden down when I have fought and won.”

I think that is all.

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A Samuel Miller Bibliography

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Two bibliographies of the writings of Samuel Miller have been most helpful to us as we assemble the works he wrote at Log College Press. One is by Wayne Sparkman, Director of the PCA Historical Center, which was published in The Confessional Presbyterian, Vol. 1 (2005). The other was published by Margaret Miller, daughter of John Miller, and granddaughter of Samuel Miller, in The Princeton Theological Review (Oct. 1911).

The latter is now available to read online at Margaret’s and Samuel’s pages. It is a valuable resource which we continue to consult, and those whose are interested in the writings of Samuel Miller may benefit from this as well.

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The Impact of John Flavel on American Presbyterians

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Robert Murray M’Cheyne once recounted a memorable story about the lasting impact of a sermon by John Flavel, the 17th century English Puritan (Serm. XXXVI, “God Let None of His Words Fall to the Ground,” in The Works of Rev. Robert Murray McCheyne: Complete in One Volume, 1874 ed., pp. 221-222):

The excellent John Flavel was minister of Dartmouth, in England. One day he preached from these words: “If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be anathema maranatha.” The discourse was unusually solemn — particularly the explanation of the curse. At the conclusion, when Mr. Flavel rose to pronounce the blessing, he paused, and said: “How shall I bless this whole assembly, when every person in it who loves not the Lord Jesus is anathema maranatha?” The solemnity of this address deeply affected the audience. In the congregation was a lad named Luke Short, about fifteen years old, a native of Dartmouth. Shortly after he went to sea, and sailed to America, where he passed the rest of his life. His life was lengthened far beyond the usual term. When a hundred years old, he was able to work on his farm, and his mind was not at all impaired. He had lived all this time in carelessness and sin; he was a sinner a hundred years old, and ready to die accursed. One day, as he sat in his field, he busied himself in reflecting on his past life. He thought of the days of his youth. His memory fixed on Mr. Flavel’s sermon, a considerable part of which he remembered. The earnestness of the minister — the truths spoken — the effect on the people — all came fresh to his mind. He felt that he had not loved the Lord Jesus; he feared the dreadful anathema; he was deeply convinced of sin — was brought to the blood of sprinkling. He lived to his one hundred and sixteenth year, giving every evidence of being born again. Ah! how faithful God is to his word. He did let none of his words fall to the ground.

Besides this remarkable example, the legacy of John Flavel’s ministry has deeply affected many around the world — such as John Brown of Haddington and Charles Spurgeon — including American Presbyterians. On this side of the pond, a number of Flavel’s works were republished in the 19th century by the American Tract Society and the Presbyterian Board of Publication, and also noted Philadelphia publisher William S. Young.

• Samuel Davies — When Davies wrote to Rev. Joseph Bellamy in 1751, a letter published as The State of Religion Among the Protestant Dissenters in Virginia, he listed the “experimental” divines whose methods of conversion he followed, and among them he included Flavel - who wrote The Method of Grace. See Joseph C. Harrod, Theology and Spirituality in the Works of Samuel Davies, pp. 88, 92-95 for more discussion of Flavel’s influence on Davies.

• Archibald Alexander — In The Life of Archibald Alexander, we read autobiographical accounts by Archibald, and the remarks of his son and biographer, James W. Alexander. Archibald wrote of the time he served as a tutor in Virginia at the Posey Plantation. Books by Flavel were placed in his hand by a Baptist lady named Mrs. Tyler. She loved Flavel and this exposure to his writings would lead Archibald to explore his Presbyterian beliefs and views on conversion. Archibald went on to say, “My services as a reader were frequently in requisition, not only to save the eyes of old Mrs. Tyler, but on Sundays for the benefit of the whole family. On one of these Sabbath evenings, I was requested to read out of Flavel. The part on which I had been regularly engaged was the 'Method of Grace;' but now, by some means, I was led to select one of the sermons on Revelation iii. 20, "Behold I stand at the door and knock," &c. The discourse was upon the patience, forbearance and kindness of the Lord Jesus Christ to impenitent and obstinate sinners. As I proceeded to read aloud, the truth took effect on my feelings, and every word I read seemed applicable to my own case. Before I finished the discourse, these emotions became too strong for restraint, and my voice began to falter. I laid down the book, rose hastily, and went out with a full heart, and hastened to my place of retirement. No sooner had I reached the spot than I dropped upon my knees, and attempted to pour out my feelings in prayer; but I had not continued many minutes in this exercise before I was overwhelmed with a flood of joy. It was transport such as I had never known before, and seldom since. I have no recollection of any distinct views of Christ; but I was filled with a sense of the goodness and mercy of God ; and this joy was accompanied with a full assurance that my state was happy, and that if I was then to die, I should go to heaven. This ecstacy was too high to be lasting, but as it subsided, my feelings were calm and happy. It soon occurred to me that possibly I had experienced the change called the new birth.” Archibald further stated that “I began to love the truth, and to seek after it, as for hid treasure. To John Flavel I certainly owe more than to any uninspired writer.”

• Samuel Miller — An 1847 letter to Chancellor James Kent, found in The Life of Samuel Miller, Vol. 2, p. 492 gives evidence of the high regard that Miller had for Flavel: “I take for granted that, in whatever degree your attention may have been heretofore directed to theological reading, that degree will be, hereafter, rather increased than diminished. Under this impression, permit me to say, that there are few writings that I have found more pleasant and edifying to myself, than the works of the late John Newton, of London, and of Thomas Scott, the commentator. I can also cordially recommend the two works by John Flavel, the old Puritan divine, of England, viz., his "Fountain of Life Opened," and his "Method of Grace;" both of which have been lately published, in an improved form, by the American Tract Society. Dr. Stone knows them all well, and will, I have no doubt, add his testimony to their value. True, you will not find in these volumes any thing new. They aim at exhibiting and recommending those great elementary truths of the Gospel with which you have been familiar from your earliest years; which your venerated parents and grandparents loved and rejoiced in; and which the truly pious of all Protestant denominations scarcely know how enough to value and circulate.”

• James W. Alexander — In Alexander’s posthumously-published Thoughts on Preaching, we may see how highly James, like his father, valued Flavel. There are a number of references to Flavel, but we particularly take note of this: “How could I have postponed to this place [pp. 129-130] dear JOHN FLAVEL? No one needs to be told how pious, how faithful, how tender, how rich, how full of unction, are his works. In no writer have the highest truths of religion been more remarkably brought down to the lowest capacity; yet with no sinking of the doctrine, and with a perpetual sparkle and zest, belonging to the most generous liquor. It has always been a wonder to me, how Flavel could maintain such simplicity and naïveté, and such childlike and almost frolicksome grace, amidst the multiform studies which he pursued. I can account for it only by his having been constantly among the people, in actual duty as a pastor. Opening one of his volumes, at random, I find quotations, often in Greek and Latin, and in the order here annexed, from Cicero, Pope Adrian, Plato, Chrysostom, Horace, Ovid, Luther, Bernard, Claudian, Menander, and Petronius. His residence at Dartmouth would afford a multitude of pastoral instances, if this were our present subject.”

• Jonathan Cross — In his autobiographical Five Years in the Alleghenies, the famous colporteur wrote that he read Flavel and Thomas Boston from the ages of ten to thirteen which brought him to a deep state of conviction over his sinfulness and his need for Christ.

• Thomas Murphy — Among the best books recommended for a minister’s library by Murphy in Pastoral Theology includes, in the area of practical piety, “Flavel’s Keeping the Heart,” and, among the “Great Puritan Writers,” “Flavel’s works — highly recommended.”

• Wayne Sparkman — The Director of the PCA Historical Center is a good friend to us at Log College Press. He, too, has been influenced by John Flavel. Barry Waugh quotes him in Westminster Lives: Eight Decades of Alumni in Ministry, 1929-2009, p. 56, regarding this influence: “Some years ago I read John Flavel’s work The Mystery of Providence. Flavel’s message has stuck with me and undergirds much of how I approach the work of the PCA Historical Center. Writing during a time of intense persecution, Flavel was eager to impress upon his congregation the realization that God is at work in the lives of His people, accomplishing His purposes and demonstrating His love. In that truth, that our lives have been truly changed by the reality of Christ our Savior, rests the basis of why the life of every Christian is important. Each life lived by faith is a testimony to the grace of God. Obviously, we cannot preserve the story of every saint, but it is important that we try to preserve something of the life-testimony of those who may have been used more strategically in the advance of God’s kingdom. Thus, the purpose of the PCA Historical Center is to preserve and promote the story of the Presbyterian Church in America and its predecessor denominations, as well as the people who make up those groups and related ministries. We preserve these things precisely because men and women were truly changed by a very real Savior. [We preserve these things because each in some way bears testimony to the reality of the gospel.]”

We take note of this great Puritan preacher because of the powerful impact he has had on so many. We prize Flavel for his heart for God, his remarkable ability to convey the Gospel in terms that all can understand, his tender compassion on both saints and sinners, and for his labors on behalf of the kingdom of God as well as the hardships he endured after being ejected from his pulpit for the gospel’s sake. The word that he preached gives powerful testimony to the fact that God’s Word goes forth to accomplish his will. It was Flavel who testified of the Word of God thus, “The Scriptures teach us the best way of living, the noblest way of suffering, and the most comfortable way of dying.” Consider these witnesses, and how a non-conformist English Puritan minister from the 17th century has left his mark on American Presbyterianism.

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Tenney's Souvenir of the General Assembly

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At the outset, it will be noted that the Souvenir of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church U.S. (1924), compiled by Samuel Mills Tenney, and pictured here, is not yet available to read at Log College Press. But this little volume has proven so useful in our research that we wish to highlight it today.

The book is simply a collection of biographical sketches of persons associated with the Southern Presbyterian Church. Beginning with Francis McFarland (who called to order the first General Assembly meeting on December 4, 1861 in Augusta, Georgia) and ending with Hallie Paxson Winsborough (superintendent of the Woman’s Auxiliary of the PCUS), almost 100 individuals are highlighted, providing an introduction to the leaders of the denomination — many of them General Assembly moderators, but also other officers, missionaries and other notables figures — with both illustrations and a record of their doings and published writings.

For many weeks we have been combing the pages of this little book and it has led us to names and places and books and articles of great interest. Now we can say that every individual highlighted in the book can be found at Log College Press, although the work of adding all of their published writings is still ongoing. The historical, biographical and literary rabbit trails have been most profitable, leading to dozens more individuals added to Log College Press than are listed in the book itself. Missionaries to Asia, Africa, Mexico and other parts of the world have been added. Family members of C.W. Grafton and other worthies have been added. Photographs have been added. Secondary sources have been added. After studying the pages of Tenney’s Souvenir, Log College Press has grown, expanded and profited by careful attention to the contents therein.

We are thankful for the labors of Samuel Mills Tenney, and others (such as Wayne Sparkman and Barry Waugh), who have done much to highlight the names and writings of Presbyterian worthies of the past. Their efforts have helped us shine a light on people worthy of remembrance.

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Get to know Nathaniel S. McFetridge

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Having benefited over the years from a little book titled Calvinism in History — Loraine Boettner spoke highly of it in his own classic The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination — by Nathaniel Smyth McFetridge, this writer had little information at first about the author and was curious for more. From a combination of sources, we have gleaned details about this fascinating Presbyterian minister who died quite young.

Wayne Sparkman at the PCA Historical Center wrote a biographical sketch, which provides very helpful information, including a partial bibliography. Other information has been assembled from ecclesiastical and genealogical records and publications from colleges with which he was associated. There is much more that we wish we had — for example, a photograph, and a few more of his known published writings. But we have discovered where he was laid to rest, among other details of interest. It is hoped that we will learn more over time, but below are some fresh brush strokes which will attempt to paint in some measure the picture of his life, and to supplement material that Dr. Sparkman has previously published.

McFetridge was born in Ardina, Dunboe Parish, County Derry, Northern Ireland on August 4, 1842. His family came to America when he was but a child, and they settled in Catasauqua, Pennsylvania. He studied at Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania, and retained ties to the school after he graduated in 1864. It was in that year that his prize-winning essay on the Prologue to Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales was published. He split the Fowler Prize with another student (who won $20, while he won $10) for his introductory study of the great classic. Recently, this writer obtained a copy and uploaded pictures of the text for readers who may wish to read young McFetridge’s insights into Chaucer.

Our author tells us in the preface to Calvinism in History that he benefited greatly in his later studies at Western Theological Seminary in Pittsburgh under A.A. Hodge, which he regarded as one of the greatest blessings of his life. McFetridge graduated from seminary in 1867 and was ordained into the ministry by the Presbytery of Erie (PCUSA) soon after, being installed the following year as pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Oil City, Pennsylvania. Married in 1868 to Jane Sutton, the McFetridges had four daughters and one son. He wrote to the Lafayette Monthly in March 1872 that he contemplated leaving the Oil City pastorate, but was persuaded to stay. In 1874, however, he transferred his credentials to the Presbytery of Philadelphia, North and became pastor of the Wakefield Presbyterian Church of Germantown, a neighborhood in northwestern Philadelphia. Dr. William C. Cattell, President of Lafayette College, gave the charge to the pastor on December 10, 1874.

Regarding his ties to Lafayette, it was reported in the July 1, 1871 Lafayette Monthly that Rev. McFetridge read a poem of his own composition titled “Peace” and offered the closing prayer at Alumni Society meeting held the day before commencement exercises. A hymn composed by McFetridge was published in January 1873 Lafayette Monthly titled “Jesus is Born.” The same periodical reported on January 1, 1879 that McFetridge presided over an alumni dinner, “with a quiet dignity and grace becoming the occasion, and introduced the speakers in a very happy manner,” with Dr. Cattell sitting at his right hand. In 1879, after the death of William Adamson, who served on the Lafayette Board of Trustees, Rev. McFetridge delivered a commemorative sermon. The February 1, 1880 Lafayette Journal informed its readers that McFetridge was recently elected to fill the vacant seat on the Board of Trustees, and also mentions that in 1878 he delivered the annual sermon before the Brainerd Society and the Christian Brotherhood.

In February 1881, McFetridge was seriously injured in a train accident, an event alluded to in the July 1, 1881 Lafayette Journal’s description of commencement exercises at which he was asked to speak but declined due to his injuries. He was spoken of as the man “whom steam engines can not crush.” He did pronounce the benediction at an oratorical contest as reported in the March 1, 1883 Lafayette Journal. The December 1883 Lafayette College Journal published a dispatch by McFetridge which reported on the departure from New York of Dr. Cattell and his family on board the steamship SS Servia bound for Liverpool, England. The warmth of his affection for Lafayette’s President is most apparent in his praise of the man. McFetridge’s Calvinism in History — which originated in lectures delivered at Wakefield Presbyterian Church in 1881 and which was published in 1882 — is dedicated to Cattell.

On the occasion of Martin Luther’s four hundredth birthday, in 1883, at the Presbyterian Church in Abington, Pennsylvania, Rev. McFetridge, along with Robert Ellis Thompson, gave an address in commemoration of “The Dear Man of God: Doctor Martin Luther of Blessed Memory.”

After eleven years at Wakefield, McFetridge resigned from his pastorate (due to his impaired health, we are told by Francis B. Reeves in his historical sketch of Wakefield Presbyterian Church) and was elected in early 1885 to fill the position of chair of Greek, Anglo-Saxon and Modern Languages at Macalester College in Minnesota, and had joined the faculty there by the autumn of that year.

An 1887 memorial tribute by Macalester College informed its readers that after a brief but much beloved tenure, Rev. McFetridge entered into glory on December 3, 1886 at the age of 44. It is thought that the injuries suffered from the train accident several years before they took their final toll on his body. Although he died in St. Paul, Minnesota, he was buried at the Shenango Valley Cemetery in Greenville, Pennsylvania, where his wife and at least two daughters were later laid to rest as well. A memorial window at Wakfield Presbyterian Church was given by his wife (where also artwork by a Japanese student who once lived with the McFetridges was presented). As described by his colleagues at Macalester, he was an inspiration as a teacher, minister of the gospel and friend:

As members of the Faculty, we were strangers when we met; but very soon our departed brother won the esteem and confidence of us all. No less did he win that of the students. As a professor, he was scholarly. careful and diligent in his work. He had the aptitude for teaching in a high degree. He exacted careful and diligent work from the students. Though a constant sufferer, he did not spare himself, and he had small patience with idleness and inattention on the part of any in his classes. When he led the college in morning prayers, his confessions of human frailty and sin, and his pleadings with our Heavenly Father for grace and strength to bear us through the duties of the day, were peculiarly touching.

As a member of the Faculty, he was prudent in counsel, firm in the maintenance of right, faithful to the best interests of the College, and courteous to his brethren.

As a preacher, he was remarkably clear in exposition and impressive in manner. He delighted especially in commending the love, the patience and the faithfulness of Christ, and was never happier than when so engaged.

He was a man of sprightly temperament, of genial and kindly disposition. His intellect was fine, his culture high, his views broad, and his spirit catholic. He was eminently patient in suffering and we who never saw him free from it, know how his brightness and hopefulness and faithfulness in the midst of it, enforced the lesson of Christian joy in submission to the Father's will, with "patient continuance in well-doing," upon all about him.

The writings of Nathaniel S. McFetridge that we have assembled thus far are available to read at his page here. His enduring Calvinism in History is there to read, along with a few other writings referenced above. We hope to add more eventually. From these and other materials we have gleaned that he was a well-respected, indeed beloved, pastor, teacher, friend and family man. Although details of his life are fewer than we would wish, we have sketched some aspects which reveal him to be a poet, a correspondent, a loyal college alumni, and a scholar. He was a man of humility too, and who looked to Christ in the midst of his personal physical suffering; and all of these qualities are evident in his writings and in the testimonials about him by others. He was a candle that burned brightly and briefly, yet the illumination of his life and legacy continues to shine.

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The Southern Presbyterian Review at Log College Press

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As our friends at the PCA Historical Center, who have done much to aid students of history by indexing a valuable theological journal, have noted about The Southern Presbyterian Journal:

Published from June of 1847 through October of 1885, the Southern Presbyterian Review remains a significant publication for the study of the history, doctrine and polity of the Presbyterian Church in the U.S., a denomination more commonly known as the Southern Presbyterian Church. As one of its authors, John B. Adger noted, "Running from 1847 to 1885, its thirty-six volumes cover a very interesting term of years. Political, educational, moral, ecclesiastical, theological discussions were rife in those times. The war was coming on, and the ideas that led to it stirred men's minds and hearts."

At Log College Press, we have recently add all 36 volumes to the site for your reading pleasure. This journal included writings by Southern Presbyterian giants such as John B. Adger, Samuel J. Baird, Robert J. Breckinridge, Robert L. Dabney, John L. Girardeau, George Howe, Benjamin M. Palmer, Thomas E. Peck, William S. Plumer, Stuart Robinson, Benjamin M. Smith, Thomas Smyth, James H. Thornwell, B.B. Warfield, John L. Wilson, and others. Some additional contributors found within these pages include the Irish Presbyterian Thomas Witherow, the Scottish Presbyterian William Garden Blaikie and the German-born, New Orleans-based Jewish Rabbi Isaac L. Leucht. There is a wealth of discussion, and sometimes a diversity of views, on matters such as the office of the diaconate, church-state relations, baptism, Roman Catholicism, dancing, missions, church history, musical instruments in worship, poetry, preaching, the Christian Sabbath, evolution, eschatology, and much more.

Begin your reading here, and remember that some individual articles are found on the author pages at LCP, and some are not (or not yet). Thanks to Dr. Wayne Sparkman, author and subject indices are available at the PCA Historical Center. There is a veritable treasure trove of material here to download, digest and reference at your leisure. Enjoy!

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Luther H. Wilson on the Charter of the Church

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Presbyterians love catechizing so much that besides the Westminster and Heidelberg catechisms, among others, they have developed ecclesiastical catechisms. These teach the principles of church government (worship and polity) that Presbyterians believe the Bible sets forth, as well as the history of Presbyterianism.

We have highlighted the ecclesiastical catechisms of Alexander McLeod and Thomas Smyth previously, as well as another by Mrs. M.W. Pratt. Today’s post concerns one by a Southern Presbyterian, Luther Halsey Wilson (1837-1914), titled The Pattern of the House: or, A Catechism upon the Constitution, Government, Discipline and Worship of the Presbyterian Church (1893). This work was added to Log College Press last year through the kind assistance of Wayne Sparkman, Director of the PCA Historical Center.

In pages 11-13, we find instruction concerning what Wilson calls “the charter of the church.” He is speaking of the church’s origin on earth to which Presbyterianism traces its beginning.

Q. 12. Has God always had a people upon earth from the first who were called by his name and were devoted to his service?
A. He has. [Gen. 4:26; Ps. 83:3; Is. 48:1]

Q. 13. When did this people, so far as we know, first receive its separate and distinct organization from the world?
A. In the days of Abraham.

Q. 14. When and where did Abraham live?
A. About two thousand years before the coming of Christ, and in the land of Canaan.

Q. 15. What transaction took place in Abraham’s day confirming and establishing this separation from the world?
A. God made a covenant with Abraham, bestowing certain rights and privileges upon him and his household, and upon certain conditions. [Gen. 17:1]

Q. 16. How is this covenant usually regarded by the church?
A. As the charter of the church.

Q. 17. What is a charter?
A. Any official writing or document, properly sealed and confirmed, which bestows certain rights and privileges.

Q. 18. By what other name is this covenant with Abraham sometimes known?
A. As “the household covenant.”

Q. 19. Why is it so called?
A. Because the promises and blessings of the covenant included the household as well as the believing parent.

Q. 20. Were these blessings there promised spiritual or temporal?
A. They were both spiritual and temporal.

Q. 21. How was this covenant with Abraham confirmed?
A. By the seal of circumcision.

Q. 22. What did circumcision denote?
A. The cutting off of the body of sin, and the renewing of the inward nature of man. [Deut. 10:16; Rom. 2:28-29]

Q. 23. Has this covenant ever been repealed or changed?
A. It has not.

Q. 24. Did God declare that it would ever be repealed, altered, or set aside?
A. On the contrary, he declared that it was to be an “everlasting” covenant. [Gen. 17:17; Gal. 3:17]

Q. 25. Was this covenant not repealed or changed at Mount Sinai?
A. It was not. [Gal. 3:7]

Q. 26. Nor at the coming of Christ?
A. Instead of this, it was “confirmed of God in Christ.” [Gal. 3:17]

Q. 27. Is that Abrahamic covenant, therefore, still in force, and the church now living under it?
A. Yes, it is still in force, and the church is now living under it.

Q. 28. Why, then, does not circumcision continue to be administered in the church now, as it was before the coming of Christ?
A. Because, while the same covenant is still in force, it is, nevertheless, a New Dispensation under which the church now lives, and is accompanied by a new seal.

The Abrahamic covenant of grace, of which Wilson speaks, is truly “the charter of the church,” the fundamental transaction between God and his people, which endures in the Christian era, and thus is “the Pattern of the House,” as it were.

This extract from Wilson’s catechism may whet the appetite for further reading. His treatment of where the Presbyterian church was in the pre-Reformation era is also particularly valuable, among other aspects of this fascinating work. Visit his page here and download his book to learn more.

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William H. Vail's Five Points of Calvinism Historically Considered

We have previously noted here on this blog that the first person known to have coined the TULIP acrostic is Cleland Boyd McAfee (1866-1944), who did so in 1905. Following up on earlier research by Wayne Sparkman of the PCA Historical Center, which cites a 1913 article in The New Outlook by William H. Vail as the source for this historical reference, we have recently added Vail and his June 21, 1913 article to Log College Press. The article is a brief, fascinating survey of TULIP’s origins and how other Presbyterian and Reformed theologians historically understood and made use of the Five Points of Calvinism (from the Synod of Dort to Jonathan Dickinson to contemporaries of Vail).

But also of interest to our readers is to know the answer to the question: Who was William Henry Vail? He lived a rather remarkable life. Born on August 4, 1845, in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, he first studied at Blair Academy (founded as a Presbyterian institution), and then went to Princeton (at that time known as the College of New Jersey), from which he graduated in 1865 (his senior oration topic was on William the Silent). He further studied at the College of Physicians & Surgeons, Columbia University, from which he received his M.D. in 1868. He practiced medicine from 1869 to 1886. Later in life he served as Secretary and Treasurer of Blair Academy; as a director of the Belvidere National Bank and of various railroads; as a member of the Board of Trustees of Lincoln University (Pennsylvania); and as a Presbyterian ruling elder and Sunday School Superintendent.

Founded in 1854, Lincoln University is regarded as the first degree-granting black college in America. In 1898, Dr. Vail, who had received a large inheritance, donated the funds to construct Vail Memorial Library (in 1972 the building was converted into an administrative office building and renamed Vail Memorial Hall), which is a lasting reminder of his legacy to that institution.

He maintained an active involvement in ecclesiastical and alumni affairs, participating in the 1912 Princeton Centennial Celebration. In 1915, at the age of 70, to celebrate his 50th reunion, he walked 50 miles from Newark to Princeton, New Jersey. A 1935 New York Times article highlighted the fact that Vail was the oldest living auto driver in New Jersey. The picture we have of him shows him walking in the 1937 Princeton P-rade. At the time of his death on December 31, 1943, he was at 98 the oldest living Princeton alumnus. He attributed his longevity to brown eggs, brown sugar, whole wheat bread, baked beans, and walking.

Such is a brief sketch of our author. To return to the article, which is both of historical significance in documenting TULIP’s origins, and important as an historical survey on the Five Points of Calvinism, it is now available for you to read for yourself. Be sure to check it out here.

The Man Who Coined the TULIP Acrostic: Cleland Boyd McAfee

Although many credit Loraine Boettner (1901-1990) in The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination (1932) with originating the acrostic for the Five Points of Calvinism known as TULIP, it is believed that the real originator was instead Cleland Boyd McAfee (1866-1944), who did so in 1905 (whose TULIP was a slightly different version than that of Boettner). More widely known for his study of the King James Version of the Bible, and other works, McAfee is a 19th century-born American Presbyterian worth getting to know. Visit here for more information on his life and works. 

Note: This blog post was originally published on January 24, 2018 and has been very slightly edited.