The question is sometimes asked, “Who are the important or significant early American Presbyterians that I should know historically?” Another question that is often posed to Log College Press is “Where should someone unfamiliar with this time period start?” These are difficult question to answer because the period of which we are speaking — primarily the 18th and 19th centuries — was so diverse and there are so many representative authors, and each author typically has several representative works. But in an attempt to respond helpfully, as well as to introduce readers of Log College Press to some of the pre-eminent authors and titles on our site, we have developed a list - or actually a set of lists. Lists are both subject to scrutiny and often have a subjective element, and this one can certainly be modified or adjusted as needed. But lists provide a starting point for discussion. Consider the following as our contribution in response to some excellent questions that challenge with their simplicity.
This page is a work in progress…visit again soon!
17th Century American Presbyterian Worthies
1. Francis Makemie (1658-1708) - Although Makemie was not the first Presbyterian minister to serve in the American colonies, because of his pioneering labors along the Eastern Seaboard, particularly in the establishment of the first Presbytery in America, he is often credited as “the Father of American Presbyterianism.”
18th Century American Presbyterian Worthies
1. David Brainerd (1718-1747) - A pioneer Presbyterian missionary who died young, his diary was reprinted by Jonathan Edwards and remains a spiritual classic.
2. Samuel Davies (1723-1761) - Davies accomplished much in a short life, contributing significantly to the Great Awakening as a pioneer minister in Virginia and as President of the College of New Jersey (Princeton).
3. Jonathan Dickinson (1688-1747) - Dickinson was the first President of the College of New Jersey and an important voice in American colonial Presbyterianism.
4. John Mitchell Mason (1770-1829) - Mason was a leading figure in the Associate Reformed Church.
5. David Rice (1733-1816) - An early Presbyterian opponent of slavery, “Father Rice” helped to build the Presbyterian Church in Virginia and Kentucky.
6. John Rodgers (1727-1811) - An early colleague of Samuel Davies, Rodgers went on to play a very influential role in the establishment of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America.
7. Archibald Stobo (c. 1670-1741) - Stobo helped to found the first Presbytery in the New World (Panama) and the first Presbytery in the Southern United States (South Carolina).
8. Gilbert Tennent (1703-1764) - The son of the founder of the original Log College, Gilbert Tennent was also known as the “Son of Thunder.” A New-Side adherent, he was involved in both the 1741 split of the Presbyterian church and the 1758 reunion.
9. William Tennent, Sr. (1673-1746) - The Founder of the original Log College seminary was a major force in the early American Presbyterian Church who left a legacy of well-educated ministers and many academies and schools which trace their roots to his labors.
10. John Thomson (1690-1753) - The architect of the Adopting Act of 1729, which influenced the course of the American Presbyterian Church tremendously, Thomson was an Old Side minister who served different pastorates throughout the Mid-Atlantic region.
11. John Witherspoon (1723-1794) - President of the College of New Jersey (Princeton), Witherspoon was also the only clergyman to sign the Declaration of Independence, and he signed the Articles of Confederation as well.
19th century American Presbyterian Worthies
1. John Bailey Adger (1810-1899) - Adger served the church as a widely-respected and influential pastor, missionary, seminary professor and author.
2. Archibald Alexander (1772-1851) - Pastor, author and first professor of the Princeton Theological Seminary, Alexander was a major force in American Presbyterianism in the first half of the 19th century. He also served as President of Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia for 9 years.
Inaugural Discourse at Princeton Theological Seminary (1812)
Thoughts on Religious Experience. To Which is Added an Appendix, Containing "Letters to the Aged," &c. &c. (1841, 1850) - see here for the Log College Press edition of Alexander’s Letters to the Aged, titled Aging in Grace: Letters to Those in the Autumn of Life.
Biographical Sketches of the Founder, and Principal Alumni of the Log College (1845)
3. James Waddel Alexander, Sr. (1804-1859) - Son of Archibald Alexander, J.W. was, like his father, an eminent pastor, professor and author.
4. Daniel Baker (1791-1857) - The founder of Austin College was a pioneer missionary and noted preacher who did much to bring Presbyterianism to the Western United States.
5. Robert Lewis Dabney (1820-1898) - A leading voice of Southern Presbyterianism, Dabney was a noted preacher, seminary professor, author and architect. His 5 volumes of Discussions remain in print today.
6. John Lafayette Girardeau (1825-1898) - A pastor with a heart for ministering to former slaves, as well as author and seminary professor, Girardeau became one of America’s greatest theologians.
The Federal Theology: Its Import and Its Regulative Influence (1884)
Instrumental Music in the Public Worship of the Church (1888)
7. Ashbel Green (1762-1848) - President of the College of New Jersey, Green authored lectures on the Westminster Shorter Catechism and was an influential voice within the Presbyterian Church in the first half of the 19th century.
Christ Crucified, the Characteristick of Apostolick Preaching: A Sermon (1825)
Lectures on the Shorter Catechism, Vol. 1 (1829) and Vol. 2 (1841)
8. Francis James Grimké (1850-1937) - A former slave of French Huguenot descent, Grimké was a leading African-American Presbyterian during his lengthy ministry, mostly based in Washington, D.C.
The Works of Francis J. Grimke, Vol. 3 (1942) - see also his Meditations on Preaching, extracted from this volume, and republished by Log College Press here.
9. Archibald Alexander Hodge (1823-1886) - Son of Charles Hodge, A.A. Hodge was the author of a well-respected commentary on the Westminister Confession of Faith, and followed in his father’s footsteps as a leader at Princeton.
10. Charles Hodge (1797-1878) - One of the most important leaders of the Presbyterian Church in the 19th century, Hodge authored a 3-volume Systematic Theology, served as principal of Princeton Theological Seminary, and wrote numerous articles as editor various theological journals.
The Constitutional History of the Presbyterian Church, Part 1 (1839) and Part 2 (1840)
Systematic Theology, Vol. 1 (1872) and Vol. 2 (1872) and Vol. 3 (1873)
11. Moses Drury Hoge (1818-1899) - Hoge served as a minister of the Second Presbyterian Church of Richmond, Virginia for almost 54 years, during which time he was a widely-respected leader throughout the Presbyterian Church.
12. Jacob Jones Janeway (1774-1858) - Janeway served the Second Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from 1799 to 1828, and also authored sermons, articles and other works for the advancement of missions, both foreign and domestic.
13. Alexander McLeod (1774-1833) - McLeod was an important leader both in the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America, influencing its institutional opposition to slavery, and within the broader Presbyterian Church, by means of his evangelistic efforts and concerns for the welfare of society.
Messiah, Governor of the Nations of the Earth (1803, 1804) - also republished by Log College Press here.
14. Samuel Miller (1769-1850) - The second professor at Princeton Theological Seminary, Miller was a prolific writer, and diligent minster of the gospel, who was widely recognized as a leader in 19th century American Presbyterianism. Many of his works remain in print today.
Presbyterianism the Truly Primitive and Apostolical Constitution of the Church of Christ (1835, 1836) - also republished by Log College Press here.
Introductory Essay to the Articles of the Synod of Dort (1841) - also republished by Log College Press here, under the title A Place Like Heaven: An Introduction to the Synod of Dort.
15. Benjamin Morgan Palmer (1818-1902) - Palmer was a leader in the Southern Presbyterian Church because of his pastoral ministry, and his role as a seminary professor and author.
16. Thomas Ephraim Peck (1822-1893) - Peck was an important Southern Presbyterian minister, author and seminary professor whose 3 volumes of Miscellanies remain in print today.
17. William Swan Plumer (1802-1880) - Plumer was an Old School minister, seminary professor and prolific writer with a heart for teaching God’s Word to as many as possible, young and old.
Vital Godliness: A Treatise on Experimental and Practical Piety (1864)
The Right Temper for a Student of God's Word - Inaugural Address at Columbia Theological Seminary (1868) - see here for the Log College Press edition, published under the title Christ All in All: The Right Temper for a Theologian.
The Person and Sinless Character of Our Lord Jesus (1876) - see here for the Log College Press edition, published under the title Impeccable: The Person and Sinless Character of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
18. John Holt Rice (1777-1831) - Rice did much to preach the gospel and promote education in the South as a minister, seminary professor and editor. His 1808 A Sermon on the Duties of a Minister of the Gospel has been republished by Log College Press as The Duties of a Gospel Minister.
19. Stuart Robinson (1814-1881) - Robinson’s advocacy of the spiritual independence of the church during a time of civil conflict made him a controversial but respected figure in the Presbyterian Church.
20. Thomas Smyth (1808-1873) - Minister, scholar, seminary professor, author - Smyth’s 10 volumes of Works reveal his prolific output and influential voice within the 19th century Presbyterian Church. His The Duty of Interesting Children in the Missionary Cause has been republished by Log College Press as The Mission of Parenting: Raising Children Who Love the Mission of God.
An Ecclesiastical Catechism of the Presbyterian Church (1843)
The History, Character, and Results, of the Westminster Assembly of Divines (1844)
Calvin and His Enemies: A Memoir of the Life, Character, and Principles of Calvin (1856)
21. William Buell Sprague (1795-1876) - A prolific preacher and author, Sprague is also known as the “Patriarch of American Collectors,” for his collection of autographs, including those of every signer of the Declaration of Independence, pamphlets and other materials. He authored the Annals of the American Pulpit, an important collection of biographical sketches.
22. James Henley Thornwell (1812-1862) - Thornwell wrote and accomplished much in a short lifetime, helping to found The Southern Presbyterian Review, and representing the Southern Presbyterian perspective on matters of ecclesiology in debates with Charles Hodge.
23. Cortlandt Van Rensselaer, Sr. (1808-1860) - Van Rensselaer served the church as a pastor, missionary, editor and as the first President of the Presbyterian Historical Society.
24. Moses Waddel (1770-1840) - Founder of the “American Eton,” Waddel pioneered education in the South.
25. Benjamin Breckinridge Warfield (1851-1921) - An eminent Biblical scholar and seminary professor, Warfield was a prolific author. His Works were collected into 10 volumes.
26. James Renwick Willson (1780-1853) - A leader in the Reformed Presbyterian Church, Willson was known as an opponent of slavery, and for his call to reform the United States Constitution.
27. John Leighton Wilson (1809-1886) - Wilson was a pioneer Southern Presbyterian missionary to West Africa, and the first to bring a skeleton of a gorilla back to the United States.
Early 20th century American Presbyterian Worthies
1. John Gresham Machen (1881-1937) - A conservative minister and Princeton professor, Machen led a split from the increasingly liberal mainline Presbyterian Church to help form what became known as the Orthodox Presbyterian Church.
2. John McNaugher (1857-1847) - "Mister United Presbyterian," McNaugher served the United Presbyterian Church of North America as a pastor, professor of New Testament literature, seminary president and as a writer and teacher.
3. Geerhardus Vos (1862-1949) - A Dutch-American minister and seminary professor, Vos is known as a pioneer of Biblical Theology, and as an eminent expositor of Scripture. He was also a poet.