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Fast Day Sermons: Or, The Pulpit on the State of the Country

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Thornwell’s 1860 Fast Day sermon calls the nation to penitence, urging recognition of God’s sovereignty over civil government. He indicts national sin amid the slavery and union crisis.
Archive ⬩ Church-State Relations, Sin, Slavery
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James Henley Thornwell (November 27, 1812 – December 1, 1862) was an American Presbyterian theologian, minister, and professor whose rigorous Reformed teaching at South Carolina College and Columbia Theological Seminary deeply shaped Southern Presbyterian doctrine in the mid-19th century. A prolific writer and church leader, he defended confessional Calvinism and articulated a theological vision that emphasized church unity and doctrinal fidelity.

Benjamin Morgan Palmer was an American Presbyterian minister and theologian who led First Presbyterian Church in New Orleans for nearly half a century and served as the first Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in the Confederate States when it formed in 1861. Recognized as one of the most powerful and eloquent preachers of his generation, Palmer’s pulpit ministry drew wide attention throughout the South.

Robert Lewis Dabney (1820–1898) was a Southern Presbyterian minister, theologian, and educator best known for his influential teaching and writing within nineteenth-century Reformed theology. He served for many years as a professor at Union Theological Seminary in Virginia, where he shaped generations of Presbyterian ministers through his lectures in systematic and pastoral theology. Dabney was also a prolific author whose theological works and essays continue to be published and read for their rigor, clarity, and strong confessional commitments.

William Adams (January 25, 1807 – August 31, 1880), son of John Watson Adams, was an influential American Presbyterian minister born in Colchester, Connecticut. Educated at Yale College and Andover Theological Seminary, he served effectual pastorates in Brighton and New York City—most notably at Madison Square Presbyterian Church—and later became President of Union Theological Seminary. Adams also served as Moderator of the General Assembly in 1852. Adams was beloved as a pastor and known for his skilled, powerful preaching, extensive writings, and leadership in the church. The University of the city of New York gave him the degree of D.D. in 1842, and Princeton College that of LL.D. in 1869.

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