Tag Archives: Jimmie Beller

Announcements, Books

A FREE Restoration Movement History Book

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We hope you haven’t gotten overwhelmed with all these new additions to the Jimmie Beller Memorial eLibrary the past couple weeks, but we’ve got a lot of books that have been sitting ready to go into the library, and we thought it’d be cruel to make you wait a week for each new one to be posted.  🙂

Tyler-HistoryOfDisciples

Today’s book was originally written as an entry to The American Church History Series, a multi-volume encyclopedia of all the different religious groups in America (this appeared in volume 12).  It was edited by Philip Schaff.

But though it was originally an encyclopedia entry, don’t think that it’s some short little thing.  B.B. Tyler (author of another book titled Concerning the Disciples of Christ) wrote a lengthy, 10-chapter book (our version is 143 pages) about the history of the Restoration Movement.

As always, we’ve gone through it and fixed any typos we ran across, and reformatted it to make it more pleasing on the eyes.

Click the link below to read it online or to download it for later enjoyment!

A history of the Disciples of Christ in America (B.B. Tyler)

-Bradley S. Cobb

Announcements, Books

Toils and Struggles of the Olden Times

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You’ve been a soldier in the war of 1812.  But now, you’ve found Jesus.  The only problem you’ve got is that the religious world is telling you all sorts of conflicting things.  Which one is right?  How can you tell?

This is the story of Elder Samuel Rogers, or as J.W. McGarvey called him, “Uncle Sammy.”

SamuelRogersCover

Samuel Rogers was a soldier and a preacher. His life was lived as a soldier for Christ. He planted many congregations throughout Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, and the surrounding areas. One estimate says that he personally baptized over 7,000 people.

Along the way he survives a wildfire, is confronted with kindness that crosses racial borders, and meets Alexander Campbell.

This new, revised edition has been completely reformatted, meticulously proofread for any typos, and updated with modern spelling–all to bring you, the reader, a more pleasant reading experience.

We’ve been publishing this book since 2013 (and you’re still welcome to buy a copy from us for just $9.99), but we’re now making available for FREE in eBook format in the Jimmie Beller Memorial eLibrary!

Just click the link below to download it or read it online!

Toils and Struggles of the Olden Times: The Autobiography of Elder Samuel Rogers

-Bradley S. Cobb

Announcements, Books, Restoration Movement

Alexander Campbell’s Commentary on Acts

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Back in the mid-1800s, Alexander Campbell received the ire of many religious bodies for having the audacity to produce a new translation of the New Testament (Because, they would say, God Himself inspired the translators of the King James’ Version).  In the first edition, he took most of the translation from various well-respected commentaries (George Campbell [no relation], MacKnight, and Doddridge) and edited it together in one volume.  In the second through fourth editions, he made several changes, seeking to have more uniform translating principles throughout.

It’s really interesting to note the background given above, because some years later, the Baptists organized a translation committee with some other religious groups (including the Disciples) called The American Bible Union.  And they recognized that Campbell was no slouch when it came to knowing the original language–so they chose him to translate Acts of Apostles.

As each book was translated for the A.B.U., it was published and distributed for comment, and it would then be revised prior to its inclusion into the finalized New Testament.

Alexander Campbell’s translation of Acts was published in a large size (8 1/2 x 11), with his commentary included–and was nearly 240 pages long.  This commentary is different from what you would expect.  It included the following features:

  • The King James’ Version text of Acts
  • The Greek original of Acts
  • His “Revised Version” of Acts
  • Translation notes on all three.

CampbellActsInside

Because of the sheer amount of Greek, and the amount of notes (see picture above), we have decided to add this book to the Jimmie Beller Memorial eLibrary as published, and not attempt (at this time) to do any updating to to it (as we have with all the other books in the library).  It would just be too overwhelming of a project for now, but we want to get this book out for as many people as possible to enjoy.

Now, pay attention here, because we’re giving you two options:

The higher quality scan, as seen in the image above, is too large for us to upload to our website (115 Meg), so you will have to download it from a special link (no worries).

The second option is black/white, and is 1/10 the size of the other one, and while it is easier to read, it has a LOT of underlining and notes in the margins (This was a scan we made from Jimmie’s personal copy).  Note the picture below is the same page as the picture above, from the other copy.

CampbellActsInside(1)

 

To download the higher quality version, click the link below:

Alexander Campbell’s Acts of Apostles (HQ)

To download the B/W version (easier to read, other than the underlining and notes), click this link below.

Campbell, Alexander – Acts of the Apostles

Books

An Address on the Importance of the Lord’s Supper

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Sometimes you stumble upon a book by accident, and it becomes a blessing, helping you to grow as a result.  I’ve opined before about how the Lord’s Supper, in some congregations, is given a diminished importance, when it should be the focal point of our Lord’s Day gathering (see that article here).  This was something that was a problem almost 200 years ago as well.

Today’s addition to the Jimmie Beller Memorial eLibrary is a short book (just 16 pages), but it is full of valuable observations about the importance of the Lord’s Supper in the life of a Christian.

AddressOnLordsSupper

Now, I’ll tell you ahead of time, I don’t know the religious background of the author, and I don’t agree with some of his interpretations of a couple passages.  But there are enough good points in this book that we thought it to be well worth sharing with you.  Here’s a couple short excerpts:

The institution itself is well adapted to commemorate this interesting event. The broken bread is a just and striking emblem of the body of Christ, which was wounded and crucified; and the cup of wine is an effectual memorial of his blood shed for the remission of sins; it also reminds us of the obligations and blessings of the new covenant which was sealed and ratified by his blood. And by partaking of these elements, the disciples of Jesus are naturally led to reflect upon the relations in which they stand, and the duties which they owe to their common Lord, and to each other.

and

We live in a state of frailty and imperfection; the objects of sense have too much influence upon our minds; and kind and amiable as the friend of sinners is, we are too apt to forget him. But Jesus well knew that a constant affectionate remembrance of him at his table, would inspire his followers with a penitential sorrow for sin, kindle in their bosoms an unfeigned ardent love to him, a lively gratitude for the blessings they derive from his gospel, animate them with heroic zeal and fortitude in his cause, unite them to each other in the bonds of undissembled affection, and that it would induce them to aspire to the highest attainments in universal excellence. The celebration of the Lord’s Supper tends to perpetuate the memory of his sufferings and death, not only in our own hearts, but also in the church and in the world. By frequenting his table, we openly profess our value and esteem for a crucified Redeemer; show that we are not ashamed of our Master, but glory in our relation to him; that we are not ashamed of his gospel, but obedient to its requisitions, and that we are not ashamed of his cross, but cheerfully enlist ourselves under its banner.

We’ve gone through this book, updating the spelling and punctuation, correcting any mistakes, and reformatting the entire booklet to give you the best possible reading experience (trust me…you should have seen what we had to work with to begin with…it was a MESS!)

To read or download this book, just click the link below!

Scott, James – Address on the Lords Supper (James Scott)

-Bradley S. Cobb

Books, Restoration Movement

The Man Behind “The Last Will and Testament of the Springfield Presbytery”

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Most Restoration Movement enthusiasts and experts rank the “Last Will and Testament of the Springfield Presbytery” as perhaps the most important document in the effort to restore New Testament Christianity (or at least the second-most important).  The man who was behind this document is rarely mentioned, though.  His name is Richard McNemar.

Today’s addition to the Jimmie Beller Memorial eLibrary (yes, I know this is Monday, but we’re feeling generous, and I’m behind on my apostles notes) is the rest of the story.

McNemar Cover

 

We first published this book back in 2014, and if you want it in print, we’ll be happy to sell you a copy (just $5.99), but now you can read it for FREE on your computer or electronic device.

I’m sure you want to know something about it, so here’s a bit of information:

From the Preface:

Richard McNemar is an enigma to many students of the Restoration Movement. He shows up as a co-worker with Barton W. Stone, and his name is on one of the most historically significant documents of the Restoration. Yet he is not much more than a footnote in the history books. This primarily stems from his conversion to Shakerism in 1805. However, for those students who want to know more about him, and want to know what happened to him after the Last Will and Testament of the Springfield Presbytery, this book is for you.

This is a sad tale of a preacher who had great potential, but who was caught up in false doctrines.

The author of the book (J.P. MacLean) was a historian of the Shakers (publishing several Shaker-related books), and a Universalist minister from Ohio. Since much of McNemar’s work as a Shaker was in Ohio, it caught MacLean’s attention and influenced him to put together this work, originally published in 1905.

This work on the life of Richard McNemar has undergone several editorial changes in spelling, punctuation, and formatting.  Additionally, several footnotes have been added to explain various words and phrases that aren’t familiar to most readers.   There is also a new section added to the end of the book which gives a very brief overview of the history and beliefs of the Shakers.

We do trust, however, that you will find this work, A Sketch of the Life and Labors of Richard McNemar to be interesting, and that it will help you know “the rest of the story.”

Contents:

Preface.
Chapter One: Early Life.
Chapter Two: Charges of Heresy.
Chapter Three: The Kentucky Revival
Chapter Four: Conversion and New Order
Chapter Five: An Account of Labors and Suffering.
Chapter Six: Travels and Special Missions.
Chapter Seven: Literary and Other Industries.
Chapter Eight: Persecution, Expulsion, Triumph, and Death
Bibliography.
Appendix: A Brief Overview of the Shakers

Published by Cobb Publishing, 2014.

To read this book or download it for your PDF collection, just click the link below!

Richard McNemar

-Bradley S. Cobb

 

Announcements, Books

As Touching Those Who Were Once Enlightened…

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Two men, once prominent in the Lord’s church, announced that they were leaving and joining a denomination.  On their way out, they tried to verbally attack the bride of Christ, throwing many accusations (with no evidence), and in effect condemning (and denying the intelligence and honesty of) the very people with whom they had labored for a quart of a century!

Not only did they say these things, they also put it in print for people all over the country to read.  This was in 1946.

Today’s addition to the Jimmie Beller Memorial eLibrary is a book that was written in answer to their accusations, insinuations, and outright misrepresentations.

The full title of this work is:

As Touching Those Who Were Once Enlightened

Being a Review of the Reasons Given by Two Former Friends and Co-Laborers When they “Went Back and Walked No More With Him.”

A brief history is given, including the full text of the letters written by the two men in question (brothers Reedy and Etter), and then Brewer answers their charges, and shows the flaws in their excuses so that other Christians wouldn’t be led astray by them.

This might not be every person’s cup of tea, but the book is still very relevant, for there are preachers in the Lord’s church who are making the same statements as Reedy and Etter made 70 years ago.

As usual, this book has been completely reformatted, corrected, and made pretty to give you a more pleasant reading experience.

Click the link below to download!

As Touching Those Who Were Once Enlightened (GC Brewer)

Announcements, Books

Keeble, DeHoff, Turner, Baird, Lightfoot, Gatewood and More!!!

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There is a wealth of material from great preachers of the past that sit on bookshelves — unused and unread.  Like many of the others, this one deserves your attention!

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The whole theme of this lectureship, back when it was still Harding College, was “The New Life in Christ.  And as you’ll see from the speakers and the topics, it was a good one!

We won’t say anything else about it, as we believe the contents speak for themselves.  The link to read it online or to download it to your electronic device of choice is at the bottom.

Special thanks to Ivy Cobb for her proofreading skills.

Contents

  1. THE MEANING OF THE NEW LIFE IN CHRIST
    (Cleon Lyles)
  2. GOD — THE SOURCE OF ALL LIFE
    (Pat Hardeman)
  3. CHRIST HAS MADE POSSIBLE THE NEW LIFE IN HIM
    (Joe Sanders)
  4. FAITH IN CHRIST
    (Royal H. Bowers)
  5. REPENTANCE FROM PAST SINS
    (Rex A. Turner)
  6. CONFESSING CHRIST
    (Wilburn C. Hill)
  7. BAPTIZED INTO CHRIST
    (Charles Hodge)
  8. PUTTING OFF THE OLD MAN
    (Stephen Eckstein)
  9. PUTTING ON THE NEW MAN
    (Gaston Cogdell)
  10. ALL THINGS BECOME NEW: Continual Growth in The New Life
    (J. Roy Vaughan)
  11. “THE BIBLE—THE PRESENTATION OF THE NEW LIFE IN CHRIST”
    (George W. Bailey)
  12. THE MIND OF CHRIST
    (James O. Baird)
  13. COMPLETE DEDICATION TO CHRIST
    (F. W. Mattox)
  14. “ADD TO YOUR FAITH VIRTUE”
    (Robert D. Bankes)
  15. “ADD TO YOUR VIRTUE KNOWLEDGE”
    (Morris M. Womack)
  16. TEMPERANCE
    (L.L Gieger)
  17. IN YOUR FAITH SUPPLY PATIENCE
    (R.B. Sweet)
  18. TO YOUR PATIENCE GODLINESS
    (Neil R. Lightfoot)
  19. TO YOUR BROTHERLY KINDNESS
    (Olan L. Hicks)
  20. TO YOUR BROTHERLY KINDNESS LOVE
    (James G. Moffett)
  21. THE CHURCH, THE CORPORATE EXPRESSION OF THE NEW LIFE IN CHRIST
    (Ruel Lemmons)
  22. EXPRESSION OF WORSHIP AS A MEANS OF SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT
    (Paul W. Rotenberry)
  23. FURTHER EXPRESSION OF WORSHIP OF THE NEW LIFE IN CHRIST—LORD’S SUPPER AND GIVING
    (Joseph W. White)
  24. SOME FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT: Joy and Peace
    (Gussie Lambert)
  25. LONGSUFFERING, GOODNESS, KINDNESS
    (Jimmy Allen)
  26. FAITHFULNESS, MEEKNESS, AND SELF-CONTROL
    (Emmett Smith)
  27. THE NEW LIFE IN CHRIST AND THE EVANGELIZATION OF THE WORLD
    (Otis Gatewood)
  28. POLAND AND RUSSIA
    (R. J. Smith, Jr.)
  29. OUR MISSION WORK IN NORTHERN RHODESIA
    (J. D. Merritt)
  30. OPPORTUNITIES IN NIGERIA
    (Wendell Broom)
  31. THE CAUSE OF CHRIST IN JAPAN
    (Colis Campbell)
  32. THE CHALLENGE OF CHRISTIAN EDUCATION
    (George W. DeHoff)
  33. THE HOPE OF THE NEW LIFE IN CHRIST
    (Marshall Keeble)

We hope you enjoy this great book!

Harding College Lectures (1957)

Articles, Books

A Debate on The Fruit of the Vine (two of them, actually)

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There exists within the churches of Christ some who believe that alcoholic wine is permissible to use during the Lord’s Supper.  But beyond that, there are those who teach that to use anything other than alcoholic wine in the Lord’s Supper is sinful!

Most of the ones who hold that position are among our brethren who use a single drinking vessel (i.e., one cup).  Obviously, just because some among them hold that view does not mean that all–or even most–of them do.

Recently, I came across two debates which dealt with this subject, and they are today’s additions to the Jimmie Beller Memorial eLibrary!

The Harper-Trail Discussion

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This written debate took place in 1933 and was published in H.C. Harper’s paper, The Truth (Later known as Old Paths Advocate).  Brother A.J. Trail takes the position that only alcoholic wine can be used in the Lord’s Supper, while brother Harper argues that only non-alcoholic grape juice is permitted.

Propositions:

  • It is Scriptural to use grape juice as the drink element in the communion.
  • It is Scriptural to use fermented grape wine as the drink element in the communion.

We have corrected several spelling and typographical mistakes (and a couple mistaken Scripture references) in preparing this debate for you.  We hope you will find it to be interesting!  Scroll down for the download link!

The Smith-Bledsoe Debate

Smith-Bledsoe-Debate

The Smith-Bledsoe debate is interesting in that it is only half of what it was meant to be.  M. Lynwood Smith affirmed that grape juice was the only thing allowed under the phrase “the fruit of the vine,” while Jack Bledsoe argued that both alcoholic and non-alcoholic grape juice (or wine) were equally acceptable–though he puts forth the idea that alcoholic would be more in keeping with the Bible.

For some reason, the second part of the debate, with Bledsoe in the affirmative, never took place.  One man claimed that Bledsoe quit because he couldn’t answer the arguments, but one look at his final rebuttal in this work shows that certainly wasn’t Bledoe’s belief or attitude.

We have corrected several typographical errors, spelling problems, and some Scripture references in preparing this work for you.

We hope that you will find these two short debates to be interesting and will help you to better understand the actions of our Lord in taking “the fruit of the vine” which He said was His blood.

Harper-Trail Debate on Alcohol in the Lord’s Supper

Smith-Bledsoe Debate on Wine in the Lords Supper

-Bradley S. Cobb

Announcements, Books

What Baptism is For (A Reply to a Baptist)

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One day, several years ago, a preacher by the name of Moses E. Lard received a letter, which said:

Mr. Lard:
DEAR SIR:—Will you have the courtesy to state explicitly whether the body of the people with whom you stand connected hold that baptism is for, that is, in order to remission of sins? I have no motive in putting this question but to collect Information.
Very respectfully yours,
A BAPTIST.

Lard

This question was answered in a series of eight letters, appearing over the span of a year or more.

Lard goes into more detail and more depth in answering this question than anything I’ve ever read before, often using textual arguments that (while close to 200 years old) were new to me.

If you want a deep study of baptism and what it is for, according to the Scriptures, take a look at this relatively short book (just 36 pages), which is today’s addition to the Jimmie Beller Memorial eLibrary!

To read it online, or to download it to your device for later viewing, just click the link below.  And as always, we’ve gone through it, fixing any typos we found, and reformatting the whole thing to make for a pleasant reading experience.

What Baptism is For (Moses E. Lard)

-Bradley S. Cobb