Gleanings of quotes
from a reading of
Barton W. Johnson
in The Evangelist and The Christian-Evangelist
(with emphasis on theological material)
"The last Beecherism," The Evangelist, Dec. 9, 1870, 1
About Beecher's claim that he would baptize anyone at anytime, 50 times if asked to do so. "There is a so called charity in the world that is no charity, but simply indifference."
"The fact that we baptize those sprinkled in infancy, has nothing to do with the question [of rebaptism], as they have never enjoyed Christian baptism"
"A English Translation," The Evangelist, Dec. 23, 1870, 12
"What will come of this movement for a new translation it is too early to predict, but this much is sure; that it will destroy that unwise reverence for King James' version which is almost ready to pronounce it an inspired translation of the word of the Lord."
"The Christian Union on the Church of Christ," The Evangelist, Jan. 19, 1871, 4
In discussing the name for the Restoration movement peoples (Christians and Disciples), he states, "The people of God were then called Saints, Brethren, Disciples, as well as Christian, and those hwo have undertaken the restoreation of primitive Christianity object to no name that was accepted by the apostolic church."
"Who are the Owners," The Evangelist, Jan. 17, 1872, 20
Johnson wrote that his parents were both members of the Christian Church for over 40 years, and "All four of his grandparents abandoned the churches of their fathers, returned to primitive Christianity, and lived it nearly a half century."
"Lord, Increase Our Faith," The Evangelist, Jan. 31, 1872 , 36
(This editorial is Johnson's since because he was the sole editor, and references to Beecherism and baptism speak clearly of his vocabulary and his mind.) He writes concerning the methods of baptism that "it has been demonstrated beyond all cavel, that many of the forms of these days were wholly unkown to the apostles. Then there was only 'One baptism,' and that was a 'burial into Christ.' Then, rantism, popes, episcopates, presiding elders, disciplines, mourners' benches, anxious seats and Christian sects, were wholly unknown. there has been a wholesale departure from apostolic Christianity.'"
"The need of the day is faith."
"Beecherism," The Evangelist, Feb. 14, 1872 , 50
(Although the editorial is unsigned, it may be attributed to Johnson as he was the sole editor at the time, and the characteristic references to Beecherism and baptism leave little doubt.) He shows that too much dependence on experience as revelation without the temperance of tradition.
"Verily, the inspiration of the nineteenth centry is a Babel!"
"But we forbear, and will close with the statement that the time has, we believe, come for classing the Beechers with various erratic and anomalous leaders who have sloughed off from Christianity into hydra-headed apostasy."
"Training of Preachers Apostolic," The Evangelist, Sep. 25, 1872, 301
"An address by BWJ, at the opening of the Bible School of Oskaloosa College" Barton W. Johnson speaks on the integrity of educating ministers.
"Our Fathers felt that the great need of the age was the study of the word of God; that the great error was in suffering party creeds and Theological speculations to usurp the place of its plain and simple teaching. This explains their hostility to the Divinity schools. They were right."
"The Practice of sending forth men to preach the word of life who have not been fitted by education for the work is opposed to all the precedents of the apostolic age."
"Shall we not indulge in the holy vision of a heavenly day when untold myriads clothed in shining garments shall gather around the throne on high, whose chains have been broken, whose deliverance has been wrought, by the armies of the Lord which have continually marched forth from this training school?"
"The Solid South," The Christian-Evangelist, Mar 17, 1881, 162-3
In reflecting on the political views he saw after five weeks of his trip to the confederate states in early 1881, he states, "No observer who can see only one side of a subject is a safe teacher of others. He will mislead others, and is perhaps misled himself."
"The Ten Commands Nailed to the Cross," The Christian-Evangelist, Feb. 9, 1882, 84
He affirms the Campbelites' importance on the New Testament.
"Two testaments cannot be in force at the same time."
"The voice of History on Missions," The Christian-Evangelist, Oct 20, 1887, 658-9
(The clue to the authorship of this unsigned article is doubly supported, found first in the signed article "Mission Among Heathens," in which he admits writing the the article that "The Chinese Problem" is responding to, namely, the one on Oct. 20, 1887. Secondly, the signed article, "Apostolic Missions, " Sep. 15, 1887, 578-9 is alluded to in the text of this article.)
"The primitive missions, conducted under the immediate direction of the Holy Spirit, never lost sight of the important principle of sending those who were in immediate sympathy with each race to effect their conversion." "Indeed, we believe that history will teach the lesson that the conversion of a race must be effected, not by strangers and aliens, but by missionaries of their own blood and sympathies."
"Apostolic Missions," The Christian-Evangelist, Sep. 15, 1887, 578-9
"Every devout and intelligent Christian will agree that the church must be missionary if it has the spirit of Christ, and that the obligation is laid upon it to preach the gospel to all nations; that it is a debtor, or owes the gosel, to barbarian, Scythian, the wise and the unwise, the American, Asiatic and African, and that it must never be content until this has been offered to every creature to the ends of the earth. This cannot be said with too much emphasis. The body of Christians that takes a narrower view of its work and debt to the world is not imbued with the magnificent purposes that are essential to its own growth and vigorous life."
"Missions Among Heathens: At Home and Abroad," The Christian-Evangelist, April 19, 1888, 226
BWJ asserts that Jesus was not a foreign missionary, "he did not come to earth in his divine glory, but made himself one of us; was born of woman; of the seed of Abraham; a citizen of Nazareth; a workman at the bench of Joseph; of like passions with our race, and even humbling himself unto death! No angel from heaven, no flaming seraph, but one of their own nation, offered the gospel to the jewish race, and to the world."
Disagreeing with Williams' missionary priority, he says, "I believe him to be a good and true man, and even if I might think that he could have done a greater work for Christ among the godless of Cincinnati than of Nanking, I may be mistaken, and I have never doubted that he made his choice from a conviction of his duty to his Savior."
"At the Illinois Encampment," The Christian-Evangelist, Aug 15, 1889, 514-15
Reminiscing about hid days at the Walnut Grove Academy.
"A mischievous fellow student hid himself and sprang out of the brush with a yell just as I had reached the climax of a speech I was practicing."
"Christ and the Future Life," The Christian-Evangelist ran from Nov 27, 1890 to Dec 25, 1890, 819
"The paucity of details is due, I suppose, not to the unwillingness of our Heavenly Father to inform us, but to the limitations of our understanding."
"No place can be heaven to any being who does not take heaven to it in his soul."
"We gain some idea of the bliss of heaven by the eternal absence of the things that destress us here."
"When the day comes for the parting of the names of men, will it be found that your name, dear reader, is found in the book of life?"
"The Origin of the Disciples of Christ," The Christian-Evangelist, June 20, 1889, 401?
Discusses the large influence of Campbell.
"What means it that appeals for the union of Christendom are going forth from earnest men of almost every religious body? What means it that Protestant Christendom has been feeling the way to a complete union of their forces by united efforts in Young Men's Christian Associations, by joint S. S. action, evangelical alliances, by union meetings, and evangelists who claim to represent only Christianity, not any particular sect?"
"Lincoln's Religious Ideas," The Christian-Evangelist, May 25, 1893, 324
Johnson reports that Richard Latham, a prominent Disciple and long time friend of Abraham Lincoln, said that "Lincoln declared that his mind was somewhat bewildered by the conflicting theologies, that he expressed himself pleased with the simple plea of the Disciples of Christ, and intimated that if he ever became a church member he would simply believe upon and accept Christ, leaving the champions of the dogmas to fight out among themselves."
Articles about BWJ
E. T. Gadd, The Evangelist January 10, 1872
"The first fact is, that those faithful brethren having the charge of and performing the labor of editing and publishing the paper are doing their work without, shall I say, sufficient compensation? No, this will not express it, but without any compensation."
J. H. Garrison, "Into the Light," The Christian-Evangelist, May 31, 1894, 338
J. H. Garrison's anouncement that Barton W. Johnson died at 4 a.m on May 24 and "has passed from the shadows into the light."
"In every fiber of his soul he was loyal to Christ, and to the great plea for Religious Reformation which the Disciples of Christ are urging before the world."
Garrison, "Departure of a Christian Hero" The Christian-Evangelist, June 14, 1894, 1
The obituary printed in this memorial edition of the The Christian-Evangelist,.
"Early in his young manhood he not only sat at the feet of one of the great reformers of the age, but identified himself, heart and soul, with a cause that was at that time exceedingly unpopular."
"He believed it to be right. He believed it to be in harmony with the New Testament, and believing this, he stopped not to calculate the chance of its success or its popularity."
Johsnon, Sarah H. Allen, "A Card From sister Johnson" The Christian-Evangelist, July 5, 1894, 420
His wife's thankyou note sent to the journal.
"How often as we sat alone have I heard him say, 'I do not care to live on my own account, but I am praying to God for ten years more of life that I may us my voice and pen in defending his Holy Word, but God knows best.'"
(E-text furnished by Joe Weaks)
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