IN the recent death of Rev. J. R. Collinsworth, who has spent the evening of his long life quietly at his home near Hartsville, Tenn., the Cumberland Presbyterian church lost one of the ablest defenders of the church's distinctive doctrines. In the vigor of his earlier manhood Mr. Collinsworth's fame as a logician and doctrinal debater was national. His overwhelming arguments in favor of effusion as the proper mode of Christian baptism made him a welcome occupant of paedobaptist pulpits everywhere. A fact, perhaps, not generally known is that Mr. Collinsworth's conversion from the Christian (Campbellite) church, in which he was a powerful and popular preacher, was due more to discussions had with W. W. Hendrix, D.D., of Franklin, Tenn., than to any other influence. After prolonged private debates with this now venerable, but still vigorous, Cumberland Presbyterian preacher, Mr. Collinsworth renounced the creed of the Christian church and was admitted to membership in the church at Lewisburg, Tenn., by Dr. Hendrix, then pastor there. Dr. Hendrix also conducted the examination when Mr. Collinsworth subsequently applied to the presbytery as a candidate for the ministry. Rev. J. W. Morrow, of Westport, Mo., who has in hand the publication of Mr. Collinsworth's lectures, announces that the volume will soon be ready for delivery. This will be good news, especially to the many older persons who witnessed the effect of the masterly delivery of these lectures.
[Source: The Cumberland Presbyterian, November 3, 1892, page 1]

[Source: Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1893, page 46]

In Blount county, Tenn., January 26, 1814, Mr. Collinsworth was born. He was baptized in infancy by a Methodist minister. His parents died when he was in his fifteenth year. His academic course of education was had at Fayetteville, Tenn., and LaGrange, Ala. Although baptized in infancy, he was at first a member of what was called the Campbellite Church, and for twelve or fifteen years was a minister in that body. His ability soon put him in the front rank. But, becoming skeptical of his position, he quit preaching for two or three years, and gave himself to an examination of his position. The result was a complete renunciation of his former position, and an advocacy of the Pedobaptist position. He joined the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in 1858, and was licensed and ordained in its ministry. He gave his time mostly to lecturing against the positions which he had formerly defended, and it was said by those who knew him best that his arguments were unanswerable. He died at Hartsville, Tenn., September 22, 1892. His lectures have been gathered and published in a volume, edited by Rev. J. W. Morrow.
[Source: The Cumberland Presbyterian, December 3, 1903, page 711]

When a new book makes its appearance, it is natural that we should desire to know something of the life and labors of its author, as well as the reasons leading to its publication.

We notice briefly the history of the late Rev. J. R. Collinsworth, of Hartsville, Tennessee, author of these Lectures. Both of his grandfathers were from England, and in an early day immigrated to the United States--settling in Eastern Tennessee. Mr. Collinsworth was born in Blount County, Tennessee, January 26, 1814. Soon after his birth he was baptized by Rev. James Ragan, a minister of the Methodist Church, whose name he bears. He requested that his name have a place in this book thus: "James Ragan Collinsworth." His parents both died when he was in his fifteenth year.

His academic course as taken at Fayetteville, Tennessee; his collegiate course, at La Grange, Alabama.

As to his methods of study in this department, or the time devoted to it, I know nothing. Be that as it may, however, he had few if any superiors in discerning and developing the true meaning of the Scriptures; especially along the line of the questions discussed in this volume.

He was first a member of the Reform or Campbellite Church and was for twelve or fifteen years a member of that communion. Though young, he soon became distinguished as a man of eminent ability in the pulpit, standing in the front rank among their strongest men. He finally, however, became skeptical as to the correctness of the system of doctrine he had been preaching. This state of mind continued to increase--finally causing him to desist from the ministry for two or three years, during which time he devoted himself to a critical examination of the evidences upon which the system he had advocated was founded, and he soon discovered that it contained many fundamental defects; as an honest man, he was constrained to renounce it. After examining the various systems of theology and church polity, he decided to unite with the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, and accordingly in September, 1858, he made formal application for membership in the Cumberland Presbyterian Congregation at Lewisburg, Tennessee, of which W. W. Hendrix, D.D., was then pastor. The Session being personally acquainted with him, he was unanimously received.

When asked, a few weeks since, as to the particular causes or agencies that led him to make this change, he replied as follows: "As to the change, I will say, in the name of God, nothing in all this wide world had anything to do in it but the ever-living WORD of the ever-living and eternal God. All things else were chaff. I can truly adopt the words of the apostle to the Gentiles: 'By the grace of God I am what I am.' God's blessed Word alone was 'the lamp to my feet and the light to my path.'"

In the month of October, 1858, he was received as a candidate for the ministry, under the care of the Elk Presbytery, and licensed to preach at the same meeting. Eighteen months later he was ordained to the whole work of the ministry in Shelbyville, Tennessee. In 1861 he was, by letter, received to membership in the Richland Presbytery. In 1862 he was admitted, by letter, to membership in the Lebanon Presbytery, where he remained until his death, which occurred at Hartsville, Tennessee, September 22, 1892.

The causes giving rise to these Lectures are well expressed by Dr. W. W. Hendrix, as follows: "Brother Collinsworth was frequently asked for his reasons for making this change, which caused him to arrange the lectures which he delivered in so many places, at the earnest, yea, pressing solicitation of Pedo-baptists of all denominations. These lectures were simply overwhelming. Knowing, as he did, all the arguments and proofs of immersionists, he boldly entered the field of their arguments, and, like an avalanche, came down upon them with tremendous, crushing force. He was simply invincible. I have never heard his arguments equalled."

Having devoted his life mainly to the study and development of the questions along the line of these Lectures, he might justly be styled a specialist in his understanding of these doctrines. There has been an urgent and pressing demand for the publication of his Lectures for many years.

It will be eminently helpful to Pedo-baptist ministers, especially those just entering upon the work. It contains a rich fund of argument and exposition of Scripture of rare value.

Our membership need to be impressed with the importance of a clearer understanding of our doctrinal peculiarities. This book is admirably adapted to supply this demand.

The most faithful and earnest workers in the church are those who know and believe its doctrines. In order to know, we must give them the means of instruction. An uninformed membership are an easy prey to the wily seductions of those who would lead them into error.

As an orator and logician. he stood on a level with the strongest men in this country, in either church or state. He spoke with great ease and fluency. His articulation was almost perfect--every word being distinctly heard all over the vast audiences that eagerly gathered to hear him. His reasoning was of the most forcible and convincing character. His opponents often said: "That it was difficult to listen to his arguments and not be convinced that they were true, and the only way to resist his reasoning was not to hear him at all."

He engaged in a number of public debates, when the circumstances required it, but his most extensive labors were devoted to the delivery of his Lectures.

The popular method, for a quarter of a century or more, in discussing the mode of baptism, has been to appeal to the classic meaning of words, and not to their Hellenistic or New Testament meaning. The author takes the ground that the Word of God alone is the standard of truth. Hence he appeals to the common English version of the Holy Scriptures to establish his views, rather than to the classic or heathen use of the Greek language.

While Mr. Collinsworth devoted his life largely to the study of these Lectures, which he delivered in answer to the pressing calls of the people in eight different States in this country, he also spent much time in the faithful preaching of the gospel, sometimes as pastor, sometimes as supply. I enjoyed a close and intimate personal acquaintance with the author for over twenty-two years. I always found him a warm-hearted and genial companion; a man of fine social make-up and a most interesting conversationalist. It caused me feelings of indescribable sadness to hear of his death. But he is no more! He has "fought a good fight, he has finished his course"--his work is done. May this book, which was the principal work of his life, be a great blessing to the Church and the world.
                                             J. W. Morrow, Editor.
      Westport, Mo., November 1, 1892.
[Source: Collinsworth, J. R. The Pseudo Church Doctrines of Anti-Pedo-Baptists Defined and Refuted: In a Series of Lectures on the Organization, Identity and Perpetuity of God's Visible Church: Also Showing Its Scriptural Membership and the Mode of Baptism. Kansas City, Mo.: Hudson-Kimberly Publishing Company, 1892, Introduction, pages 3-6]

A Triumphant Defense of Rev. J. R. Collinsworth, Against the Slanders of His Enemies. St. Louis, Mo.: Cumberland Presbyterian Printing House, 1873. [archives has 1 copy]

Collinsworth, J. R. The Pseudo Church Doctrines of Anti-Pedo-Baptists Defined and Refuted: In a Series of Lectures on the Organization, Identity and Perpetuity of God's Visible Church: Also Showing Its Scriptural Membership and the Mode of Baptism. Kansas City, Mo.: Hudson-Kimberly Publishing Company, 1892.

Collinsworth, Jas. R. The Pseudo Church Doctrines of Anti-Pedo-Baptists Defined and Refuted: In a Series of Lectures on the Organization, Identity and Perpetuity of God's Visible Church: Also Showing Its Scriptural Membership and the Mode of Baptism. Revised by Rev. W. T. Dale. Kansas City, Mo.: Franklin Hudson Publishing Company, 1909.

Collinsworth, J. R. Collinsworth's Lectures Condensed. Condensed by Rev. A. N. Eshman. Nashville, Tennessee: Cumberland Presbyterian Publishing House, 1939.