The Life and Letters of James Henley Thornwell by B. M. Palmer. Banner of Truth Trust. 1974. cc. xxxvi. 614 pages. £2.75.
The appearance of this handsome volume of Dr Thornwell’s Life and Letters may go a long way to repair the past century’s neglect of the great theologians and leaders of the Southern Presbyterian Church of America who are largely unknown on this side of the Atlantic. The period covered by the volume embraces the troubled years leading up to the American Civil War which broke out in 1860 over the Emancipation of the Slaves working on the large cotton plantations of the South. On the outbreak of war the Presbyterian Church in the South moved towards independence of the North thereby bringing into full public life the Church’s natural leaders. At the first meeting of the Southern Assembly in the city of Augusta, Georgia in December, 1861, Dr Thornwell, who had played such a leading part in the great debates in the meetings of the General Assemblies of previous years, notably on the questions of Church Boards and holding of Slaves in the Southern States when his chief adversary was Dr Chas. Hodge, now guided the counsels of the first Southern General Assembly. It was his pen that prepared the Message delivered to the Nation by the Assembly. The two great Theological centres which served the Southern Presbyterian Church at Columbia Seminary, South Carolina and Union Seminary, Virginia will always be associated with Dr Thornwell who presided over the former and his younger contemporary, Dr Dabney who occupied the Theological Chair at the latter. Dr Dabney’s theological and religious articles have recently been reprinted in two substantial volumes by the Banner of Truth Trust, and the Trust have with the present volume given the Life of Dr Thornwell in a reprint of the 1874 American Edition which now for the first time makes its appearance in this country.
James Henley Thornwell was born of English and Welsh parentage in the Marlborough district of South Carolina in December 1812 and but for two brief visits to Europe spent his whole life in his native State. From early childhood he showed remarkable powers of intellect and an unquenchable thirst for knowledge which burned with intense passion in his frail frame. He lost his father when 8 years old and thereafter, three influences can be traced in his life which shaped the future course of the young lad who was early to attain eminence. To his mother, a woman of vigorous intellect and stern in the discipline which she exercised over her wilful son, he owed a sound training in the Calvinistic Faith. Again, at a critical state in his education, two noble members of the old wealthy American families of the South undertook to pay all the expenses of his education, so impressed were they with his unusual abilities, thereby relieving him of all financial worries and opening to him the moulding influences of the refined society and the courtly manners of the old stately homes of South America. One pleasing aspect of the book is the series of letters which passed between these two noble gentlemen and their young charge which extended over the rest of his life.
A further event occurred in the last year of his college course which profoundly affected him — the discovery in a book store of a second hand copy of the Westminster Confession of Faith which he carried home and did not lay down till he had read it entire through the night. The book made him a Calvinist and a Presbyterian and thereafter was carried in his bag in his trips at home and abroad. He trained for the ministry in the Theological Seminary at Columbia and on completing his Trials, the wide extent of his attainments, so remarkable in a young man of 22, drew from Rev. Dr Goulding, then Professor of Theology in the Seminary, the affectionate tribute: “Brethren, I feel like sitting at this young man’s feet as a learner.” The following years were to see the ample fulfilment of this early promise. For all his youth, he was a trusted leader of the Church’s General Assembly which conferred upon him at the unheard-of, early age of 35 years, the greatest honour in her power when he was called to fill the Moderator’s chair in 1847.
Thornwell’s massive learning and towering gifts were early recognised. He became first Professor, then President of Caroline College, and finally, in 1856, he was called to Columbia Seminary as Professor of Systematic Theology. Four years later, at the early age of 50, he was called from the Church below to his rest at the height of his powers and in the midst of his labours. Dr Breckinridge wrote these prophetic words to him some years earlier: “My dear brother, you must do great things, or you must give a great account; and you must do it soon, for the blade is too sharp for the scabbard; and men like you rarely live to be old.” Valuable as his writings are, the incomplete state in which they were left will always be regarded as a great loss to the Church. It is good to know, however, that the Banner of Truth Trust are preparing an edition of Thornwell’s complete works which should take their place as companion volumes to the present Life where all his articles and writings are set in their proper context.
This is a noble volume which does full justice to the genius of a humble Presbyterian minister of Christ of a by-gone age, who like Abraham of old walked like a prince among men. Dr Thornwell is fortunate in his biographer, a close friend who succeeded him first as pastor of the First Church of Columbia and then as Professor of Theology at Columbia; in full sympathy with Dr Thornwell on the great Church questions of the day and theology, he would have ranked with Thornwell and Dabney as a theologian but for his love of pastoral work to which he devoted his life. A valuable part of the book is the general critical review of Thornwell’s character, views and experience and work given towards the end. As a preacher, Dr Thornwell had the unique power of combining appeals to the intellect with overpowering application to the conscience. Dr Palmer says: “When the truth had won its way, and the mind was brought into a state of complete submission, the argument was gathered up in its weight and practical conclusions and hurled upon the conscience, compelling either confession of guilt upon the one hand or complete satisfaction of reason on the other.”
In domestic life he was called to drink the cup of sorrow, the loss of a promising daughter in her teens, of a son who fell in action with the Confederate Army in the South and on the death of a boy of 9 years, he found consolation in the doctrine of Covenantal Baptism: “I believe,” he says, “the covenant that God has made with His people, and which is sealed to their faith in the baptism of their offspring, to be a real and precious thing; and where Christian parents have, in faith, laid hold upon this covenant, and have pleaded its promises on behalf of their seed, they may when dying in these early years of childish immaturity be laid, without a particle of apprehension or distrust upon the bosom of that promise: “I will be a God to thee, and to thy seed,” consoling balm to grieving Christian parents.
The age in which Dr Thornwell lived is inevitably reflected in the book, especially in the three Appendices which are given against the background of the Confederate Cause of the South. There appears to be an error in the numbering of these Appendices on pages 487 and 513 of the volume. Dr Palmer concludes the Life of his friend with the words: “This generation will never look upon his like again; a single century cannot afford to produce his equal,” — sufficient commendation to Presbyterian ministers to lose no time in adding this handsome volume to their library shelves. The book, however, should appeal to a wider public who, if they are familiar with the “Princeton School” of divines of Northern America, have now the opportunity of acquainting themselves with one of the great Church Leaders and Theologians of the South.
A.F.M.
Reformation Translation Fellowship
P.O. Box 17-154
Taipei, Taiwan, 104
Republic of China
January 1975
Dear Christian Friends,
In the middle of the energy crisis we have been through the year of 1974. There are a lot of things we should give thanks to God for. For the most part we wish to thank God for His providential care over us in granting ample opportunities to serve Him in this favourable atmosphere and that the gospel of salvation has been proclaimed through the printed page.
The year of 1974 marks the 25th anniversary of the founding of the work of the Reformation Translation Fellowship in South China in 1949, under the leadership of Dr Samuel E. Boyle who has shown great sacrifice for God’s kingdom. My conscience prohibits me from failing to mention our mutual friends, Dr Johannes G. Vos and Dr Lester E. Kilpatrick, whose role played a very crucial part in the primary stages of the work of the RTF. The RTF would not have today’s accomplishment, humanly speaking, without their labours of love. On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the work of the RTF I wish to express my personal indebtedness to them all.
In celebrating this significant event the RTF has issued an expanded bi-lingual edition of the Chinese magazine, The Reformed Faith and Life (No. 100), at the end of the year, to be distributed among the readers in the different countries all over the world. Articles by Christian leaders of the Chinese churches and western Calvinist churches were solicited. Dr Boyle serves as English editor and I am responsible for the Chinese portion of this special issue of our magazine.
I am gratified to report to our friends that Prof. Louis Berkhof’s THE MANUAL OF CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE has been translated and published in the Chinese language with the financial assistance of the British RTF. It is our sincere prayer that this volume will strengthen the faith of His people in this corner of God’s vineyard. Our British brethren have shown great sacrifice in providing the needs for printing RTF books and magazine, especially this anniversary number (No. 100) in the past year during the energy crisis. We wish also to thank our American and Chinese friends who remember us and the work in their prayers. Nothing could be done without their support of the work. By the grace of God, let us go forward in the years ahead though we may meet difficulties and trials on our way, “for a wide door for effective work has been opened to us but there are many adversaries.” Your remembrance before the throne of God for the RTF work is earnestly requested. No human shrewdness can accomplish anything in the spiritual task of God’s kingdom (Zech. 4:6).
My wife and I returned to the States in the latter part of June. I flew to the East, not very long after our arrival at Los Angeles, to attend our Church Synod which was held at Geneva College, Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania. We had an enjoyable family reunion at Hartford, Connecticut, in the middle of July on the occasion of Grace’s wedding. Grace, our third daughter, got married to Mr Philip C. Rydingsward on July 13, 1974. I was particularly asked to officiate at the ceremony with the assistance of Phil’s pastor at Calvary Temple, Hartford, Connecticut. We praise the Lord for the wedding. Both Grace and Phil were graduated from Wheaton College in 1972. Grace is temporarily working in an insurance company at Hartford and Phil is seeking seminary enrolment in the field of Christian counselling. May God guide this newly wedded couple to glorify His name in their Christian family life! Our other children are scattered all over the United States and Europe.
The work here keeps me very busy. Praise God for all His mercies during the past year. We wish God’s blessing with you and may the Lord our God favour us and give us success in the year of 1975!
The Charles H. Chao family.