FREE! ONLINE BAPTIST BOOKS and Resources compiled by Jim Curran updated 01/09/2020
Jim Curran shared a post Admin · 01/09/2020 https://www.facebook.com/groups/baptistchurchhistory/announcements/
FREE! ONLINE BAPTIST BOOKS and Resources compiled by Jim Curran updated 01/09/2020
TO OUR FRIENDS AROUND THE WORLD. Some great resources for you. I know we have a lot of requests on where to find books and I know the need really is great around the world for pastors to have good materials. Often those are unobtainable or unaffordable. We are blessed in America to have a lot of bookstores but being honest the average Christian bookstore here is a minefield filled with false doctrine. Many of the good books are older. If you look under announcements there is an extensive list of FREE books that you can get online. https://www.facebook.com/groups/baptistchurchhistory/permalink/1107485922779889/ In addition there are other posts there that list resources for finding and ordering books. I thought I would also mention a couple of other resources for getting Free commentaries (I would suggest Matthew Henry’s commentaries, Barnes Notes, Spurgeon’s Treasury of David for the Psalms and the Pulpit Commentary) www.archive.org has all of these for free online. Just search by title or author. Another resource is www.onlinebible.net (You might need to go to www.onlinebible.org as net is labeled North America) They have an electronic Bible available for free for download on PC Android or Apple. The starter pack comes with KJV and some other resources. (I like the fact that they don’t give you a lot of the junk new translations with the download like a lot of other electronic versions do) Barnes and Matthew Henry and other resources are also available for free and you can download Bibles in different languages (they do have a lot of Textus Receptus based Bibles) I hope these are a blessing.
Jim Curran
FREE!! ONLINE BAPTIST BOOKS
Acquiring Baptist History books can be a difficult proposition. Many have been long out of print, and when available often can be expensive (even reprints). This is especially true for the many preachers in different countries. I wanted to make this list available of free books that you can download or read online. Most are taken from www.archive.org as well as Google Books. Most all of these are older works that are out of copyright. (So this list misses newer works such as America in Crimson Red or the Faithful Baptist Witness) You can read them online or download them in various forms. You can also download a free kindle reader at Amazon- (however of note sometimes the kindle scans may be a bit garbled at places. (Older books from the 1700’s that have the larger “s” will often convert these to an “f” in the Kindle format as well.) I would also encourage everyone to visit Baptist History Homepage- http://baptisthistoryhomepage.com/ They have a tremendous amount of information there and additional links. There are some additional online resources near the end of the page.
STARTER WORKS
• THE TRAIL OF BLOOD-JM CARROL- This is a brief booklet that traces Baptist perpetuity through the ages. https://archive.org/details/TheTrailOfBlood
• OLD LANDMARKISM-WHAT IS IT- JR GRAVES – Good brief work on Baptist perpetuity https://archive.org/detai…/oldlandmarkismw00gravgoog/page/n7
GENERAL WORKS- these are larger works that are more comprehensive. In their scope they trace the general flow of Baptist history.
• A CONSISE HISTORY OF BAPTISTS- C.H. ORCHARD 1855 This work because of its size could also be put into the starter work category however I find it more comprehensive in scope than that. https://archive.org/details/concisehistoryof00orch/page/n4
• BAPTIST SUCCESION- D.B. RAY- In its intent it is similar to the Trail of Blood but it is more comprehensive. https://archive.org/details/baptistsuccessi00rayd/page/n6
• A HISTORY OF THE BAPTISTS- JOHN T CHRISTIAN 1922 Generally in a two volume set- Very good and comprehensive view of Baptist History. Christian wrote able defenses (He would also write- Did they Dip- https://archive.org/details/didtheydiporexa00chri/page/5 that completely demolishes William Whitsitt’s attempt to undermine Baptist historical roots) https://archive.org/details/historyofbaptist00chri/page/n4
• The Compendium of Baptist History- JA Shackelford- Good well written book https://archive.org/details/compendiumofbapt00shac/page/n16
• HISTORY OF THE BAPTISTS- THOMAS ARMITAGE 1887 – Armitage is not as strong on perpetuity but this two volume history has a tremendous scope https://archive.org/details/HistoryOfTheBaptists
• A HISTORY OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH FROM THE BIRTH OF CHRIST TO THE XVIII CENTURY- WILLIAM JONES 1812 This book is a little funny to describe-It shows perpetuity but is kind of a general church history too. Its material on the Waldensians is excellent. The book is a heavy read but comprehensive.
Volume one https://archive.org/…/WilliamJonesTheHistoryOfTheChristianC…
Volume two https://archive.org/…/WilliamJonesTheHistoryOfTheChristianC…
• THE STORY OF THE BAPTISTS IN ALL AGES AND COUNTRIES- Richard B Cook- good general overview. Holds more of the spiritual kinship theory https://archive.org/details/storyofbaptist00cookuoft/page/n4
• A GENERAL HISTORY OF THE BAPTIST DENOMINATION- David Benedict (Note largely US)
Volume one- https://archive.org/details/generalhistoryof00bene/page/n6
Volume two- https://archive.org/details/generalhistoryof02bene/page/n4
• BAPTIST HISTORY- JM Cramp- https://archive.org/deta…/baptisthistoryt00cramgoog/page/n11
REFERENCE WORKS
• THE BAPTIST ENCYCLOPEDIA- William Cathcart- This is not intended as a history but rather a reference source. There are many hundreds of Baptist Biographies here.
Volume one- https://archive.org/deta…/baptistencyclope01cathuoft/page/n7
Volume two- https://archive.org/details/03060726.2.emory.edu/page/n1
• Haynes’ Baptist Cyclopaedia or Dictionary Thomas Haynes- Just found this and it looks like a good reference work to find further information https://archive.org/deta…/haynesbaptistcy00hayngoog/page/n12
• Baptist Biopgraphy- Another one that I found going through- many shorter biographies Volume one https://archive.org/detai…/baptistbiograph01unkngoog/page/n6 Volume two- https://archive.org/deta…/baptistbiograph00unkngoog/page/n11
• As a note archive and the other resources have a tremendous amount of Biographies available. These books are a starting point to give you some names you might become interested in. Not everybody has a book written about them, but many have shorter biographies here and on Baptist History Homepage.
AMERICAN BAPTIST CHURCH HISTORIES- I will put up individual states in a separate post- these are general works covering the US (NOTE several of the general histories notably Armitage have large sections on the US)
• HISTORY OF THE BAPTISTS- Isaac Backus (Proper title- A History of New England with Particular Reference to the Denomination of Christians called Baptists)
Volume one https://archive.org/details/historyofnewengl01back_0/page/n6
Volume two https://archive.org/details/historyofnewengl02back/page/n6
Volume three https://archive.org/details/historyofnewengl03back
Church History of New England- https://archive.org/deta…/churchhistoryofn00backrich/page/n4
• ANNALS OF THE AMERICAN PULPIT- VOLUME 6 (The Baptists) This series of books was a series of Biographical sketches in various denominations. Volume 6 is the one that deals with the Baptists. Good sketches of various preacher’s lives. https://archive.org/deta…/annalsamericanp00unkngoog/page/n10
• A HISTORY OF THE BAPTIST CHURCHES IN THE UNITED STATES- Albert Newman https://archive.org/details/historyofbaptist1894newm/page/n8 (Note I don’t think I can really recommend Newman’s A manual of church history- It is a history of all denominations and is wishy washy on Medieval history.)
BRITISH AND EUROPEAN BAPTIST CHURCH HISTORIES
• HISTORY OF THE WELSH BAPTISTS- J Davis https://archive.org/details/historyofwelshba01davi/page/n8
• BYE PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY- j Jackson Goadaby- traces Baptists in England https://archive.org/detai…/byepathsinbapti00goadgoog/page/n7
• HISTORY OF THE WALDENSES- JA Wylie Well written easier to read than Jones account above- https://archive.org/details/cu31924099176046/page/n12
• History of the English Baptists- Thomas Crosby. This is one that I still have to read- massive work of four volumes
Volume One- https://archive.org/details/historyofenglish173801cros
Volume two- https://archive.org/deta…/historyofenglish173802cros/page/n8
Volume three- https://archive.org/deta…/historyofenglish173803cros/page/n6
Volume four- https://archive.org/deta…/historyofenglish173803cros/page/n6
• The Baptist Movement in the Continent of Europe JH Rushmore Covers the efforts throughout Europe in the 1800’s https://archive.org/deta…/thebaptistmoveme00rushuoft/page/n8
• A History of the English Baptists- Joseph Ivimey- I have not had a chance to review this yet but it looks good-
Volume one- https://archive.org/details/historyofenglish01ivim/page/n8
Volume two- https://archive.org/details/historyofenglish02ivim/page/n8
Volume three https://archive.org/details/historyofenglish03ivim/page/n4
Volume four- https://archive.org/details/historyofenglish04ivim/page/n4
MARTYROLOGIES- These books are primarily descriptions of those who paid the ultimate price for their faith in Christ.
• FOXE’S CHRISTIAN MARTYRS OF THE WORLD-JOHN FOXE although this is not only a Baptist history book per se, it does contain accounts of the persecution of the Baptists. Foxe himself was an Anglican and did leave out many accounts of Anabaptists. https://archive.org/details/JohnFoxeBookOfMartyrs
• MEMORIALS OF BAPTIST MARTYRS- This covers what Foxe missed- those brave Baptists that gave their lives for the faith. https://archive.org/detai…/memorialsbaptis00browgoog/page/n5
• CROSS AND CROWN- This is not exclusively a Baptist history as others such as the Huguenots are covered. It is about the struggle between the state churches and those that stood for the Scripture.- https://archive.org/…/CrossAndCrownByJamesDabneyMcC…/page/n8
• MARTYR’S MIRROR Thielman VanBragt- This is an intimidating book- nearly 1200 pages and is the most comprehensive Martyrology for the period- it goes by year. It will move you to tears reading it. There are over 4,000 here that gave their lives. https://archive.org/details/MartyrsMirror
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES ONLINE
There are many other works on www.archive.org and Google Books including Baptist biographies and church association histories. (State histories will be in the next post) The previously mentioned Baptist History Homepage http://baptisthistoryhomepage.com/ has a tremendous amount of resources. The Digital Public Library of the USA https://dp.la/ could also be an excellent source in finding texts and even photos of old church buildings. Another resource that I found recently that may hold great promise for British and European histories and Biographies is https://www.europeana.eu/portal/en Further Online resources that I had noted earlier can be found at https://www.facebook.com/groups/baptistchurchhistory/permalink/943191685875981/
NOTE Works not included-
Until about 1880 when William Whitsett advocated the theory that we had arisen from English Separatists almost all Baptist history advocated our decent from the Anabaptists in one form or another. Some held direct descent and others spiritual kinship.
Whitsitt’s view held that the Baptists only started immersion in 1640. JT Christian and others thoroughly rebutted this view and Whitsitt’s faulty evidence but much damage was done. Today a great many Baptists hold this view (and probably most modern Baptist historians). There are tidbits of history that may be found in these books but I caution their origin theory. (I will note that I do have some of these in my library) Authors who hold this view include Vedder (Short History of the Baptists) Torbet, (history of the Baptists) Leon McBeth- (various histories) as well as Whitsitt himself.
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FREE INDIVIDUAL STATE HISTORIES OF BAPTISTS
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