At present the Center’s collection of Puritan writings is one of the best in the world, and the seminary intends to make it even better through the generous donations of friends who believe that Puritan writings have much to say to Christians today, and deserve careful study. One projected goal is to digitize the article file and make it available online as an aid to research.
The Center’s special treasure is a collection of hundreds of antiquarian volumes, many of them rare items with only a few copies known to exist in the world. Other volumes are special collector’s items due to their former ownership or condition. For example, the Center is home to The Works of William Perkins, a 3-volume set once owned by Charles Spurgeon, bearing his Pastor’s College seal, and later acquired by Arthur W. Pink, whose penciled notations appear throughout. Another volume worthy of mention is a pristine copy of Francis Roberts’s 1750-page magnum opus on the covenants (The Mystery and Marrow of the Bible: viz. God’s Covenants with Man, 1657).
The seminary plans to advertise the Resource Center widely to foster study of the Puritans by ministers, seminary professors, and theological students throughout the world. Those engaged in doctoral studies or on sabbatical leave are also welcome to study in the Resource Center. We plan to offer grants to resident scholars, as enabled, for study purposes. An office and several carrels are available for the use of visiting scholars.
Calvin College’s Henry Meeter Center, which houses a collection of works by and about John Calvin and historic Calvinism, is a five-minute drive from the Puritan Resource Center. Those studying Calvin and the Puritans will find that Grand Rapids is an ideal destination! For further details, please contact the librarian, Dr. Fred Sweet (616-977-0599, ext. 129; fred.sweet@puritanseminary.org), or the registrar, Henk Kleyn (616-977-0599, ext. 120; henk.kleyn@puritanseminary.org).
