The Reformation of Christianity was gradual and faced considerable challenges, but many new churches were established on the basis of the true gospel, as believers covenanted together to gather for service to Christ and the preaching of God's word. By the time one or two centuries had passed, Reformed Christianity was mature but less prominent; it had more challenges to face than merely Catholicism and the less reformed among the Anglicans. As liberalism and non-Reformed Protestantism prospered, there were yet many preachers, scholars, and missionaries who sought to preserve the principles of the reformers.
This page includes figures who were born after 1600 and died before 1900. The writings of many of these historic figures may be found at Wheaton's on-line library of classic Christian literature.
Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress may be the most widely read Christian work aside from the Bible. Jonathan Edwards is excellent as a model for evangelistic preaching and attention to a holy life. He is also the finest defender of Reformed theology. Also highly recommended are John Gill and Richard Baxter.
Archibald Alexander (1772-1851) - Reformed Presbyterian preacher and first professor at Princeton Theological Seminary. He opposed the rise of revivalism and the theology of Charles Finney. Alexander believed true revival was a surprising, free act of God that could not be coerced. Titles: Catechetical Instruction; Christ's Gracious Invitation; Evidences of the Authenticity, Inspiration, and Canonical Authority of the Holy Scriptures; The Log College: Biographical Sketches of William Tennent and His Students; Outlines of Moral Science; A Practical View of Regeneration; Thoughts on Religious Experience.
Richard Baxter (1615-1691) - Puritan evangelist of Kidderminster who oversaw the transformation of his town through catechisms, preaching, church discipline, and small-group ministry. Baxter believed a Reformed pastor should be not only Calvinistic, but also characterized by vigor, zeal, and purpose. He was criticized by Baptists for allowing non-Christians to take the Lord's Supper. Titles: The Advantages of Pleasing God; Directions for Young Christians; Hindrances to a Heavenly Life on Earth; How to Spend the Day with God; Ministers of Love; The Reformed Pastor; The Saints' Everlasting Rest.
James P. Boyce (1827-1888) - Reformed evangelical founder of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Boyce sought to safeguard his school from doctrinal error by requiring faculty members to teach according to an Abstract of Principles summarizing Baptist consensus on theology. He has seen renewed interest among Southern Baptists seeking their heritage in light of recent controversies. Titles: Abstract of Systematic Theology; A Brief Catechism; To Train the Minister Whom God Has Called; and numerous collections of his writings and sermons. Not to be confused with James Montgomery Boice.
Thomas Brooks (1608-1680) - Puritan, later Congregationalist, preacher who served as a chaplain in England's civil war and worked in London during the plague and fire that hit later that century. He is remembered for his devotional books. Titles: Heaven on Earth; Precious Remedies Against Satan's Devices, Seven Characteristics of False Teachers.
John Bunyan (1628-1688) - Reformed evangelical, originally Puritan but later one of the first major Baptist figures in England. Bunyan was the first to argue for religious liberty for all citizens. He did much of his writing from prison due to persecution. His most famous work is the allegory Pilgrim's Progress. Other titles: Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners; Holy War.
Alexander Campbell (1788-1866) - founder of the Christian Churches and Disciples of Christ. Campbell broke from the Baptist in opposition to Calvinism, mission societies and the Baptist understanding of the Holy Spirit, and in favor of baptismal regeneration. He sought to do away with denominational labels and establish a church based on nothing other than a strictly literal interpretation of the Bible. The Campbellite churches saw much success during the revivals of the mid-nineteenth century. They have since split into three camps–one extremely conservative, another broadly evangelical, and the other moderately liberal.
Thomas Chalmers (1780-1847) - Reformed preacher and professor of theology at the University of Edinburgh. He was the chief founder of the Free Church of Scotland and saw Christianity as a worldview encompassing every aspect of life. Chalmers is remembered for his theological depth, gentle style, and zeal on behalf of the poor. Chalmers advocated the cautious use of catechisms. Titles: Daily Scripture Readings; Discourses on the Application of Christianity to the Commercial and Ordinary Affairs of Life; Natural Theology; Sabbath Scripture Readings. Not to be confused with Oswald Chambers.
Stephen Charnock (1628-1680) - Reformed Puritan described as a "grave and impressive preacher and a man of fervent piety." Charnock placed great stress on the Holy Spirit's work in the salvation of the individual. His Discourses on the Existence and Attributes of God is considered one of the greatest expositions of the Protestant doctrine of God ever written. Other titles: The Doctrine of Regeneration; Knowledge of God; Why Salvation Must Be Supernatural.
William Cunningham (1805-1861) - Reformed historical theologian and one of the founders of the Free Church of Scotland. Cunningham is remembered primarily as a defender of Calvinism and the doctrine of the Trinity. He is one of the greatest sources on the history of the Reformation. Titles: Historical Theology; The Principal Doctrinal Discussions in the Christian Church Since the Apostolic Age; The Reformers and the Theology of the Reformation.
R. L. Dabney (1820-1898) - Old-School Presbyterian scholar in the American South. He served as a personal aide to Stonewall Jackson during the Civil War, and opposed the excesses of both the anti-missions and revivalist movements. Dabney was perhaps best known for advocating homeschooling against the push for universal public education. He was also strict on observing Sunday as the Christian Sabbath and opposed the use of instruments in worship, and as a Southerner he supported slavery and racial segregation. He end-times views were postmillennial. Titles: The Arminian Theory of Redemption; Christ Our Penal Substitute; A Defense of Virginia and the South; Evangelical Eloquence; The Five Points of Calvinism; God's Indiscriminate Proposals of Mercy; The Life and Campaigns of Lt. Gen. Thomas J. Jackson; Our Comfort in Dying; The Practical Philosophy; Systematic Theology.
John L. Dagg (1794-1884) - Reformed scholar, largely self-taught, remembered as the first writing Southern Baptist theologian. A magnificent preacher who boldly taught biblical inerrancy and defended Christianity from the attacks of skeptics. Titles: Autobiography; The Evidences of Christianity; Manual of Theology; The Origin and Authority of the Bible.
Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) - Reformed evangelical remembered as the greatest American theologian and one of America's best preachers. As a pastor of Presbyterian and Congregationalist churches, his sermons influenced the First Great Awakening. Longer titles: An Account of the Revival of Religion; The Distinguishing Marks of a Work of the Spirit of God; Freedom of the Will; A Narrative of Surprising Conversions; The Nature of True Virtue; Religious Affections; Some Thoughts Concerning the Present Revival. Sermons: A Divine and Supernatural Light; The Excellency of Christ; Pressing into the Kingdom; Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God; True Faith Distinguished from the Faith of Devils; True Saints Absent from the Body Are Present with the Lord. He was an extremely voluminous writer, and much of his work has yet to be published.
John Gill (1697-1771) - Reformed Baptist theologian who systematized the Baptist understanding of God, the Bible, and salvation. Both an effective evangelistic preacher and a committed scholar, he sought precision on controversial matters. While he is often accused of hyper-Calvinism, he was a vocal opponent of hyper-Calvinists' errors. Titles: A Body of Divinity; The Cause of God and Truth; The Doctrine of Predestination Stated and Set in Scripture-Light in Opposition to Mr. Wesley's Predestination Calmly Considered.William Gurnall (1617-1679) - Anglican minister known for his extensive sermons on the last chapter of Ephesians, which were collected into one of the most famous expositions of the classic model of spiritual warfare. Though attacked as a "covenant-renouncer and desperate apostate" for his Puritan doctrine, he was consistent in his loyalty to the Church of England. His writing has a fervent, devotional style. Title: The Christian in Complete Armor (originally published in three volumes).
Matthew Henry (1662-1714) - Reformed Presbyterian pastor whose comments for church Scripture readings were collected as his Commentary on the Whole Bible. This book is the best known work of its kind, strongly commended by Charles Spurgeon and George Whitefield. Whereas the Puritan Matthew Poole wrote a similar work for critical study, Henry's has a more devotional focus. He also wrote The Quest for Meekness and Quietness of Spirit.
A. A. Hodge (1823-1886) - son of Charles Hodge, named after Archibald Alexander. A Reformed Princeton theologian who defended inerrancy and covenant theology and opposed evolution. Hodge urged his students to shun pride and traditionalism, and not to insist on doctrines beyond their biblical warrant. Titles: Assurance and Humility; Justification; The Life of Charles Hodge; Outlines of Theology; Sola Scriptura.
Charles Hodge (1797-1878) - Reformed theologian at Princeton for 56 years and the leading Presbyterian of his time. A powerful preacher and forerunner of American fundamentalism, he upheld biblical inerrancy and the doctrines of the major Reformed confessions. Hodge was also on the American New Testament Company of Revisers for the Revised Version, which was published shortly after his death. Titles: The Atonement; Systematic Theology. Not to be confused with his son A. A. Hodge.Brother Lawrence (1608-1691) - Catholic monk and follower of mysticism. Brother Lawrence focused on the presence of God as a sense of inner peace. He believed there was a strong tie between faith and the intellect, and that we commune with God by thinking about Him. His book The Practice of the Presence of God is prized today by Catholics, Quakers, and some evangelicals, as well as by New Age groups outside Christianity. Lawrence's real name was Nicholas Herman, not to be confused with Anglican bishop Nicolas Ridley.John Lightfoot (1601-1675) - Anglican (later Presbyterian) Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge who helped draft the Westminster Confession, considered the defining document of Reformed theology. However, he is best remembered for stating confidently that the universe was created at 9 a.m. on October 23, 4004 B.C. His view of biblical prophecy was very similar to that of modern partial preterists. Titles: Commentary on the New Testament from the Talmud and Hebraica; Hebrew and Talmudical Exercitations. Not to be confused with 19th-century Bible scholar J. B. Lightfoot.
Basil Manly, Jr. (1838-1892) - Reformed evangelical; one of the four original professors at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and the author of its statement of faith, the Abstract of Principles. Manly's sermons on divine sovereignty and human responsibility have been collected and are widely available, but he is best known for The Bible Doctrine of Inspiration, an early Baptist argument for inerrancy. Broadman Publishers is named for him and fellow Southern Seminary professor John Broadus.
Cotton Mather (1663-1729) - popular Puritan preacher with a zeal for God's righteousness and holiness. Mather's warmth and humility were characteristic of Puritan pastors and belie the modern stereotype. He was the son of Harvard president Increase Mather and was named for his maternal grandfather, John Cotton. His writings include An Ecclesiastical History of New England and Magnalia Christi Americana.
John Milton (1608-1674) - English intellectual poet who helped develop the modern view of God as rational and predictable. While a Puritan, he was unconventional in his theology, as can be seen in his answer to the problem of moral evil, Paradise Lost. Milton became blind in 1651 but continued writing. His works also include a metrical rendition of the Psalms. Other titles: Areopagitica; The Doctrine and Discipline of Divorce; History of Britain; Lycidas; Paradise Regained; The Reason of Church Government.
George Müller (1805-1898) - evangelical Lutheran evangelist and philanthropist. He devoted his life to prayer and knowledge of the Scriptures, and established an orphanage without asking financial support in order to prove that God provides. The miraculous way God brought support for the orphanage is now famous. In addition to his autobiography, he wrote Answers to Prayer and Release the Power of Prayer. Sometimes spelled George Mueller.
John Owen (1616-1683) - Reformed evangelical, a theological and linguistic prodigy who was studying at Oxford by age 12. Owen influenced the development of Puritan and Baptist theology, and he gave great comfort and encouragement to Protestants during the English Civil War. Many of his commentaries have been preserved in the Geneva series. Other titles: Christians Are Forever; Communion with God; The Death of Death in the Death of Christ; Sin and Temptation.
William Paley (1743-1805) - Reformed English theologian and apologist famous for his "Divine Watchmaker" analogy to prove the existence of God from evidence for design in nature. While some of his logical flaws have been picked apart over the centuries, many of his insights remain solid. Titles: Moral Philosophy; Natural History; Reasons for Contentment; A View of the Evidences of Christianity.
Blaise Pascal (1623-1662) - French child prodigy famous as a mathematician, scientist, and theologian. While Catholic by affiliation, he was a Jansenists and opposed the activities of the Jesuits. He is famous for "Pascal's wager," that it is safer to believe in God if He does not exist than to disbelieve in God if He does exist. His Christian works include his Pensees and Provincial Letters.
Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892) - Reformed evangelical pastor of New Park Street Baptist Church. Spurgeon withdrew from the Baptist Union in protest of encroaching liberalism. Known for his aggressive evangelism and unapologetic Calvinism when both were unpopular in England. Many of his acts of generosity and compassion were withheld from public knowledge until his death. He spent fifty years compiling the material for his Treasury of David commentary on the Psalms. Other titles: All of Grace; Lectures to My Students; Morning and Evening. Hundreds of his sermons have also been collected in various formats. 
Barton W. Stone (1772-1844) - Arminian restorationist and revivalist. Major preacher at the Great Western Revival that peaked at a meeting at Cane Ridge in 1801. Stone was expelled from Presbyterianism for endorsing the wild and ecstatic responses associated with the revivals. Similar to Alexander Campbell in his later theology, his preaching helped lead to the forming of the Christian and Disciples of Christ denominations. Titles: An Address to the Christian Churches in Kentucky; The Biography of Elder Barton Warren Stone, Written by Himself; The Last Will and Testament of the Springfield Presbytery; and numerous letters that are published in his collected works.
Isaac Watts (1674-1748) - Reformed Separatist preacher, author, theologian, and hymn writer. Watts promoted the use of catechisms and hymns for religious education. His special focus was the glory and sovereignty of God. Book titles: Hymns and Spiritual Songs; The Improvement of the Mind; Remnants of Time; Speculations on the Human Nature of the Logos; The World to Come. Hymn titles: Alas, and Did My Savior Bleed; I Sing the Mighty Power of God; Joy to the World! The Lord Is Come; O God, Our Help in Ages Past; We're Marching to Zion; When I Survey the Wondrous Cross.
John Wesley (1703-1791) - evangelical revival preacher during America's first Great Awakening, and brother of hymn writer Charles Wesley. After breaking from the Anglican Church, he and George Whitefield founded the Methodist denomination and helped popularize an Arminian understanding of salvation. Wesley also believed one could reach complete sanctification and be completely free from sin in this life–a phenomenon later known as the "second blessing." Titles: The Character of a Methodist; A Plain Account of Christian Perfection; The Question, "What Is an Arminian?"; Thoughts Upon Slavery; and a seven-volume collection of his works.
George Whitefield (1714-1770) - Reformed evangelical friend of John Wesley, despite their widely divergent opinions about Calvinism. An ascetic before his conversion, Whitefield became one of the most effective evangelistic preachers in both America and England, figured heavily in the First Great Awakening, and helped found the Methodist denomination. His collected writings and sermons are widely available. His name is pronounced as if spelled Whitfield.
Roger Williams (1603?-1683) - English Separatist and irresistably likeable but prideful purist. A tragic figure for all his unused potential, his extreme view of "libery of conscience," refusal to let any debate subside, and dissatisfaction with any imperfection led him to leave or be exiled from England, Boston, Plymouth, and Salem. He eventually founded the Providence colony, which became a haven for other nonconformists. He eventually became a Baptist but left that church after only a few months. Late in life he was an effective missionary to the Indians. His writings are collected in seven volumes.
For a statement of my beliefs, see my Declaration of Faith.
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