FROM

THE

MILLENNIAL HARBINGER.

NEW SERIES.

VOLUME IV.-----NUMBER I.

B E T H A N Y, VA. JANUARY, 1840.

Jacksonville, Illinois, November 11, 1839.      

My dear brother Campbell--

      FROM you I have received no private communication for a long--long, time. For this I blame you not, seeing you have so many more interesting correspondents. Your Harbinger, kindly sent, and thankfully received, I have always read with much interest. To a few numbers, the last on OUR NAME, I have objections. Some of those objections I stated in a letter to brother Walter Scott. Whether he may make them public or not, I cannot tell, nor am I concerned. I met with your remarks in the October number, in Missouri, and in a hasty manner wrote mine. I am sorry, very sorry, that you have written as you did. I can anticipate no good results, but evil. It appears to be uncalled for. We were all living in peace and harmony, and the good cause prospering. You well knew the great attachment thousands of us had to the name Christian, and many believed from your writing that you had adopted it as the most appropriate name. You also knew that many could not conscientiously be called Disciples, as a family name. You knew your two warmest friends, J. T. Johnson and myself, rejected the title of our Hymn-Book, because it was called the Disciples' Hymn-Book. Brother Campbell, ought you not to have respected the feelings of so many, who united their energies with yours in promoting the common cause? The reasons given by you for rejecting the name Christian, because you were anticipated by a people in the East and in some parts of our country, who are Unitarians, and who do not baptize for the remission of sins, nor break the loaf every first, day, are the things so objectionable, and objected to by all, whom I have heard speak on the subject. They think you have rejected virtually all such from any claim of being disciples of Christ. Myself and thousands of others have been called Unitarians by our enemies, though I ever denied the name. How cordially did I agree with you in the Apostles' Creed. Were I to adopt any other besides the Bible, it would certainly be this ex-animo. Have you altered your views? Do inform me. If you really design to purge out all Unitarians from the Disciples, as is thought by some, do inform me your definition of a Unitarian. If none are to be reckoned Disciples of Christ, unless they baptize for remission, what do you think of those who never use the phrase, I baptize for remission, when they baptize a person? Of this number of immersers I am one, yet I as firmly believe the doctrine of baptism for remission as you do. With you I also believe that it would be improper in many cases to use these words in the act [21] of baptizing, seeing many have received remission prior to their baptism. You have admitted this, when you admit that there are Christians among the sects. If a Christian, he must have been justified or pardoned, and a partaker of the Spirit; for an unpardoned Christian, having not the Spirit, is an anomaly in Christianity. I do think with you, there are Christians among the sects, and therefore would think it improper to baptize them for remission. They had the spirit of obedience, but had been educated in Babylon, and had drunk of her wine too deeply, and by it were blinded to this duty.

      My dear brother, I write freely to you. The brethren in Missouri are grieved with myself at these things. I do hope they have misapprehended you--that you do not design to establish another sectarian party--that you do not design to co-operate with Trinitarians against Unitarians--that you do not design unchristianizing those who cordially embrace the Apostles' Creed; especially those who take the Bible alone for their rule of faith and practice--that you do not make the opinion of a pious believer, differing from your opinion, a bar to fellowship. Do, my brother, inform me.

      I am confident, brother Campbell, that the Christians in the East, and in some other sections of our country, have not been treated with that forbearance and love enjoined by the gospel. A few hot-headed, ill-informed leaders among them, labored to excite their hearers against the reformation. Had they been dealt with in the meekness of wisdom, glorious would have been the results; but harshness has driven them farther astray; and the doctrine (not of the reformation) that none have their sins remitted but by being baptized for remission has riveted their prejudices. Yet their case is not hopeless. I know, I am well persuaded, that I could influence them so far, that they would agree to meet us in convention, and adjust matters to mutual satisfaction. Quere--Shall we try? Again: Would it not be advisable that you soften the hard objectionable features of your numbers on OUR NAME? Without it, much mischief will be done.

      O! for the wisdom of the serpent arid harmlessness of the dove! I have just returned from a preaching tour in Missouri. There were, during my stay, sixty or seventy additions. I hear much said about obedience, and too many confine or almost restrict the term to baptism and the weekly supper: prayer is sadly neglected, especially family prayer, love to God and man--peace with all men--set your affections on things above, not on things on earth.

      I must close. May grace, mercy, and peace be with you! Farewell, my brother,

B. W. STONE.      

[The Millennial Harbinger (January 1840): 81-83.]

      Barton W. Stone's "Communication" was first published in The Millennial Harbinger, New Series, Vol. 4, No. 1, January 1840. The electronic version of the letter has been produced from the College Press reprint (1976) of The Millennial Harbinger, ed. Alexander Campbell (Bethany, VA: A. Campbell, 1840), pp. 21-22. For related documents, see Alexander Campbell's "Embryo Heresy," "Heretical Periodicals," "Definitions and Answers to Questions--No. I," and the exchange between Barton W. Stone and Alexander Campbell in the eleven-part series "Atonement," published in The Millennial Harbinger during 1840 and 1841.

      Pagination in the electronic version has been represented by placing the page number in brackets following the last complete word on the printed page. I have let stand inconsistencies in spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and typography; however, I have offered corrections for misspellings and other accidental corruptions. Emendations are as follows:

            Printed Text [ Electronic Text
 -----------------------------------------------------------------------
 p. 21:     aud many [ and many
            disciples of Christ [ disciples of Christ.
            beside the Bible, [ besides the Bible,
 p. 22:     write freefy [ write freely
            rivetted [ riveted
            I am well well [ I am well 
            pursuaded [ persuaded
 

      Addenda and corrigenda are earnestly solicited.

Ernie Stefanik
373 Wilson Street
Derry, PA 15627-9770
724.694.8602
stefanik@westol.com

Created 24 June 1998.