[1814 Lexington KY imprint] M'Chord. The Body of Christ

M'Chord, James. The Body of Christ: A Series of Essays on the Scriptural Doctrine of Federal Representation; Corrected, Enlarged and Concluded, from the Evangelical Record and Western Review. Edited by James M'Chord. Lexington: KY: Thomas T. Skillman, 1814. First Edition.[7461]

Full calf, binding tight, worn at the edges, with surface cuts, dark red spine title label, blind rules to spine, 4 x 6 3/4 inches. Lacks the first free end paper at front, second present. 264 pp., text complete. Several lower page corner tips chipped, old light stains; there is a little underlining/marginalia in brown ink, more extensive pencil underlining/marginalia with notes on written on the rfep critical of the work. Good. Full calf.

James M'Chord (1785-1820), b. Baltimore, MD; d. Paris, KY. The son of a Scotch-Irish mechanic, when James was five years old his family moved to Lexington, KY. Although from modest means, James was something of a prodigy, and rapidly learned the classics in literature, as well as Latin, Geography, Arithmetic, and History. In 1801 he entered the Transylvania University and after about two years began to study law under Henry Clay. In 1803 a change of mind resulted in application to the Kentucky Presbytery of the Associate Church as a ministerial candidate. In 1805 he was in New York City as a student of the Theological Seminary of Dr. Mason, where he studied for four years. In 1809 he was licensed to preach by the Kentucky Presbytery of his denomination and was soon a "highly acceptable" preacher."but he was soon brought into collision with the Presbytery, and he rendered himself to some extent unpopular, by taking strong ground against preachers having double and triple charges, and against the prevailing disposition to turn them off with a very inadequate support."

After his ordination in 1811 he was again involved in controversy over "intercommunion with other churches," and he prosecuted for his alleged errors in 1814, but escaped without censure.

In 1814 the publication of his book "The Body of Christ" plunged him into new difficulties including suspension from the ministry. In his book Rev. M'Chord attempted to offer a new solution to the problem inherent in Federal theology, one in which Christ is said to offer salvation to all as a representative head of the Elect. M'Chord asserts that Christ does not represent persons individually, but only insofar as they are members of the Church. He thought that this solution eliminated the requirement of double payment for sins on one hand (that Christ paid the sinner's debt but the sinner still pays in hell if he is not saved), and did not fall into universalism, on the other. His appeals were not granted and he was accepted into the Presbytery of West Lexington the following year, that body regarding his views as substantially correct. His ministry as pastor of a Presbyterian church in Lexington had begun in 1813, and his acceptance by the West Lexington Presbytery, connected with the General Assembly, brought his congregation into that fold.

Always a somewhat frail man, Rev. M'Chord became ill and in part due to his severe habits and confinement, he died at a young age, in 1820. see Sprague, Vol 4, pp. 470-52.