Biographies

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“There are three biographies of which I never tire: Augustine’s, Bunyan’s and Halyburton’s.  The first is by far the deepest, the second the richest and the most genial, and with Halyburton I feel great intellectual congruity.”

John ‘Rabbi’ Duncan

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Agnew, Andrew, of Lochnaw, Bart1850, 479 pages, by Thomas M’Crie the younger

Alexander, Archibald,  Buy  1854, 700 pages, by his son James W. Alexander

Bavinck, Herman – Biographical Note1922, 9. 214, four pages, by Rev. Johannes J. Jansen, D.D., De Bilt, Holland 

Blaikie, William Garden, an Autobiography: Recollections of a Busy Life1901, 344 pages, edited and with a 9 page introduction by Norman Walker,  

Blair, Robert, The Life of Mr. Robert Blair, minister of St. Andrews, containing his autobiography, from 1593-1636: with supplement of his life and continuation of the history of the times, to 16801848, 662 pages, edited by Thomas M’Crie

Buchanan, Robert, D.D., an Ecclesiastical Biography, 1877, 597 pages, by Norman Walker

John Calvin 

Calvin, John: the Early Years, 1509-1536, 1880, 218 pages, by Thomas M’Crie the younger

Calvin and Servetus, 1825, by William Cunningham, with a four page introduction by editor James Gracie 

The best article on the issue of the Genevan civil courts putting the anti-trinitarian blasphemer and fugitive Michael Servetus to death

Chalmers, Thomas: his Life and its Lessons, 1880, 194 pages

Cunningham, William, Life of,  Buy POD  1871, 540 pages, by Robert Rainy, D.D., and the late Rev. James Mackenzie

Dabney, Robert

The Life and Letters of Robert Lewis Dabney,  Buy  1903, 575 pages, by Thomas C. Johnson

Robert Lewis Dabney, 1820-1898, HTML, 1998, by Michael Kimmitt, a Banner of Truth article

Sketch of the Dabneys of Virginia: With Some of Their Family Records,  Buy  1888, 197 pages, by William H. Dabney

Edwards, Jonathan, no date, 251 pages, written for the American Biography series, by Samuel Miller

Ewing, John, 1759-1802, 1859, by Samuel Miller, a four page biographical reflection in William B. Sprague’s Annals of the American Pulpit, p. 216

Gaussen, Louis

Pulpit Eloquence of the Nineteenth Century1857, 813 pages, by Henry C. Fish.  There is a two page biography of Gaussen on p. 139

The Pulpit Orators of France and Switzerland: Sketches of their Character1848, 341 pages, by Robert Turnbull, There is a four page biography of Gaussen on p. 324

Girardeau, John

The Life Work of John L. Girardeau,  Buy  1916, 428 pages, by George Blackburn

The standard history of Girardeau’s life and character.  A collection of 14 essays by various authors from Girardeau’s time

A Memorial for Rev. John L. Girardeau2012, by W. T. Thompson, 13 paragraphs 

“Presbyterians in the South and the Slave: A Study in Benevolence,” in The Confessional Presbyterian, vol. 3, 2007  Buy  by Nick Willborn

An excellent historical article chronicling Girardeau’s efforts to minister to the black slaves.  Written by one who did his dissertation on Girardeau and is, Lord willing, coming out with the first full length biography of Girardeau.

Jackson, Thomas (Stonewall Jackson)

Dabney, Robert – Thomas J. Jackson (Stonewall Jackson): the Life and Campaigns of,  Buy  1866, 742 pages

A classic biography of a Southern general of the Confederate States of America who was remarkable for his devout godliness, unswerving character and Calvinistic convictions.  Stonewall said, “My religious belief teaches me to feel as safe in battle as in bed.”  

Dabney, Robert – True Courage: a Discourse Commemorative of Lieut. General Thomas J. Jackson, Lk. 12:4,51863, 36 pages, with a Sketch of the Life of Lieut. Gen. T.J. Jackson as an Appendix, 6 pages

Henderson, Alexander, Life of Alexander Henderson1846, 66 pages, p. 3, by Thomas M’Crie

Hodge, Charles

A Discourse Commemorative of the Late Dr. Charles Hodge1878, 24 pages, by Lyman Atwater

Discourses Commemorative of the Life and Work of Charles Hodge, D.D., LL.D.1879, 75 pages, by William Paxton, Charles Aiken, Henry Boardman,

The Life of Charles Hodge, D.D., LL.D.,  Buy  1880, 616 pages, by his son A.A. Hodge

Proceedings Connected with the Semi-Centennial Commemoration of the Professorship of the Rev. Charles Hodge, 1872, 142 pages, by Various, including Charles Hodge’s address of response, p. 49, 5 pages

Leland, Eliza:  Obiturary of, Consort of Rev. A.W. Leland, D.D., Professor of Theology in the Seminary at Columbia, S.C., and Epitaphs from the Burial Place1857, 18 pages

Lincoln, Abraham1865, 44 pages, by Charles Hodge

Lyle, John: Remarks on a Paragraph in the Rev. Doctor Davidson’s History of the Presbyterian Church in Kentucky in Reference to the Character of the Late Mr. John Lyle1848, 14 pages, by Archibald Alexander

Kennedy, John

Dr. John KennedyHTML,  Buy  no date, 8 paragraphs, an excerpt from John MacLeod’sScottish Theology in Relation to Church History

MacLeod was a leading authority on Scottish history and theology.  His work is a classic; dense but colorful.  Read this first for a short sketch of Kennedy.

John Kennedy, HTML,  Buy  1886, 19 paragraphs, from Disruption Worthies of the Highlands

Life of John Kennedy, D.D.,   Buy  261 pages, by Alexander Auld

Memoir of Rev John Kennedy, D.D., of DingwallHTML, 1893, 21 paragraphs, from the Inverness Courier

A Prince Among Preachers, An Introduction2007by Neil Ross, scroll down the page a little for the bio

The Prince of Highland Preachers: a Sketch of Dr. John Kennedy of DingwallHTML, no date, 17 paragraphs, by anonymous

Website

John Kennedy of Dingwall

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Memorial of John Kennedy and the Dingwall Free Church

Knox, John  Buy  1840, 550 pages, by Thomas M’Crie

MacLagan, David, F.R.S.E., 1884, 211 pages, by Norman Walker

M’Crie, Thomas, (the Elder)

Introduction to Lectures upon the Book of Esther, no date, four paragraphs, by Rev. Sherman Isbell

The Life of Thomas M’Crie,  Buy  1842, 448 pages by his son Thomas M’Crie (the younger)

Memoir of Dr. M’Crie, 1840, p. ix, 52 pages, by Andrew Crichton, LL.D.

Notice of M’Crie’s Death with a Brief Biographical Sketch, 1838, p. 75, one paragraph

M’Donald, John: the Apostle of the North,  Buy  1866, 346 pages, by John Kennedy of Dingwall

Here is spiritual encouragement for a long ministry of labor and service to others.  M’Donald was an influential minister in the Highlands (northern Scotland) of the early 1800′s, the generation before Kennedy when evangelical lights were few and far in-between.  Kennedy records these records so that they will not be forgotten.

Melville, Andrew, vol. 1, vol. 2  Buy  1824, 532 & 570 pages, by Thomas M’Crie

Miller, Samuel

A Discourse Commemorative of the Character and Life of the Late Rev. Samuel Miller,1850, by the Rev. Henry A. Boardman, 40 pages

The life of Samuel Miller, D.D., LL.D., vol.1 vol. 2  Buy  1869, 373 & 577 pages, by his son Samuel Miller

The Intellectual Life of Samuel Miller: The Opening Address of the Session of 1905-1906 at Princeton Theological Seminary1906, by John De Witt, a professor at Princeton Seminary, 22 pages

Samuel Miller, 1791-1850,  Buy  1858, thirteen pages of biographical reflection on Miller from William Sprague, James Carnahan, and Nicholas Murray including a bibliography, in William B. Sprague’s Annals of the American Pulpit, vol. 3, p. 600

Nisbet, Charles, 1785-1804, by Samuel Miller, a five page biographical reflection in William B. Sprague’s Annals of the American Pulpit, 1858, p. 455

Nisbet, Charles: Late President of Dickinson College, Carlisle,1840, 357 pages, by Charles Hodge

Pascal, Blaise, The Provincial Letters of Blaise Pascal1850, 409 pages, translated by Thomas M’Crie, with a 55 page Historical Introduction and Notes by M’Crie.  Here is an edition without the Introduction on HTML

Rice, John: First Professor of Christian Theology in Union Theological Seminary, Virginia1835, 412 pages, by William Maxwell.

John Holt Rice was an important southern presbyterian.  Here is a window into the correspondence of leading figures in the early 1800′s church.

Rodgers, John: late pastor of the Wall-street and Brick churches in the city of New-York, 1813, 449 pages, by Charles Hodge 

Sampson, Francis1855, 122 pages, by Robert Dabney

Thornton, John, A Memorial of Lieut. Colonel John T. Thornton, of the Third Virginian Cavalry, C.S.A.1864, 28 pages, by Robert Dabney

Turner, James, Review of the Memoirs of Sir James Turner1823, p. 88, 31 pages, Thomas M’Crie

Various

The Days of the Fathers in Ross-shire,  Buy  1895, 260 pages, by John Kennedy

This is Kennedy’s most well known work, which preserves a glimpse into the deep (somewhat unique) evangelical spirituality of the Highlands from the days before Kennedy.  “Ross-shire” is a county (“shire” is a division of land, think Lord of the Rings) in Northern Scotland that is the local area around Dingwall.  “Fathers” refers to the revered fathers of the faith of the older generation before Kennedy.  

The Log College,  Buy  1851, 298 pages, by Archibald Alexander

A rich history of early presbyterian ministers in 1700′s America and the revivals that occurred in their time.  The “Log College” was the predecessor school to what would culminate in the opening of the first presbyterian seminary in America at Princeton in 1812.  

Wilson, Wilson, D.D., 1754-17901859, by Samuel Miller, a three page biographical reflection in William B. Sprague’s Annals of the American Pulpit, vol. 3, p. 17

Wodrow, Robert, The Correspondence of the Rev. Robert Wodrow, vol. 1vol. 2 vol. 31842/3, 682, 726 & 559 pages, edited by Thomas M’Crie

Zinzendorf, Nicolaus, 1700-1760, 1883, p. 247, 40 pages, in The Evangelical succession: a course of lectures delivered in St. George’s Free Church, by William Binnie