| Thomas Campbell | To the Religious Public (1829) |
NO. I.--VOL. VII. BETHANY, BROOKE CO. VA., AUGUST 3, 1829.
| Style no man on earth your Father; for he alone is your Father who is in heaven: and all ye are brethren. Assume not the title of Rabbi; for ye have only One Teacher; neither assume the title of Leader; for ye have only One Leader--the Messiah. |
| Messiah. |
To the Religious Public.
The following Queries, for the purpose of promoting a genuine scriptural reformation amongst the sincere professors of christianity, are respectfully submitted to their consideration.
1. Is not the christian community in a sectarian condition, existing in separate communities, alienated from each other?
2. Is not such a condition the native and necessary result of corruption; that is, of the introduction of human opinions into the constitution, faith, or worship of christian societies?
3. Is not such a state of corruption and division anti-natural, anti-rational, anti-christian?
4. Is it not the common duty and interest of all concerned, especially of the teachers, to put an end to this destructive anti-scriptural condition?
5. Can this be accomplished by continuing to proceed as hitherto; that is, by maintaining and defending each his favorite system of opinion and practice?
6. If not, how is it to be attempted and accomplished, but by returning to the original standard and platform of christianity, expressly exhibited on the sacred page of New Testament scripture?
7. Would not a strict and faithful adherence to this, by preaching and teaching precisely what the Apostles preached and taught, for the faith and obedience of the primitive disciples, be absolutely, and to all intents and purposes, sufficient for producing all the benign and blissful intentions of the christian institution?
8. Do not all these intentions terminate in producing the faith and obedience, that justifies and sanctities the believing and obedient subject?
9. Is not every thing necessary for the justification and sanctification of the believing and obedient, expressly taught and enjoined by the Apostles in the execution of their commission for the conversion and salvation of the nations; and fully recorded in the New Testament?
10. If so, what more is necessary, but that we expressly teach, believe, and obey what we find expressly recorded for these purposes? And would not our so doing happily terminate our unhappy, scandalous, and destructive divisions?
N. B. The two following queries are subjoined for the sake of a clear definition of the leading and comprehensive terms, viz. faith and obedience--which comprehend the whole of the christian religion:--
11. Are not law and obedience, testimony and faith, relative terms, so that neither of the latter can exist without the former; that is, where there is no law, there can be no obedience; where there is no testimony, there can be no faith?
12. Again, is not testimony necessarily confined to facts, and law to authority, so that without the latter the former cannot be? that is, where there are no facts, there can be no testimony--no authority--no law. Wherefore, in every case, faith must necessarily consist in the belief of facts; and obedience in a practical compliance with the expressed will or dictate of authority.
N. B. By facts is here meant some things said or done.
Conclusion.
Upon the whole, these things being so, it necessarily follows, that christianity, being entirely a divine institution, there can be nothing human in it; consequently it has nothing to do with the doctrines and commandments of men: but simply and solely with the belief and obedience of the expressly recorded testimony and will of God, contained in the Holy Scriptures--and enjoined by the authority of the christian community.
Reflections.
The affirmative of each of the above propositions being, as we presume, evidently true, they most certainly demand the prompt and immediate attention of all the serious professors of christianity, of every name. The awful denunciations and providential indications of the divine displeasure against the present anti-christian state of christendom loudly call for reformation,--the personal and social happiness of all concerned, and the conversion of the unbelieving part of mankind equally demand it. Nevertheless, we are not authorized to expect, that any party, as such, will be induced by the above considerations, or by any other that can possibly be suggested, spontaneously and heartily to engage in the work of self-reformation. The sincere and upright in heart, however, ought not to be discouraged at the inattention and obstinacy of their brethren; for had this been the case in times past, no reformation had ever been effected. It becomes, therefore, the immediate duty and privilege of all that perceive and feel the necessity of the proposed reformation, to exert themselves by every scriptural means to promote it.--Seeing the pernicious nature, and anti-scriptural effects of the present corruptions of christianity, both upon professors and non-professors, in producing alienations amongst the former, in direct opposition to the law of Christ; and in casting almost insuperable obstacles in the way of the conversion of the latter;--the serious and upright, of all parties, must feel conscientiously [573] bound to endeavor, to the utmost of their power to effect a genuine and radical reformation; which, we presume, can only be effected by a sincere conformity to the original exhibition of our holy religion,--the divinely authorized rule and standard of faith and practice.--To such, therefore, we appeal; and for the consideration of such alone, we have respectfully submitted the above queries.
"Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment."--Paul, 1 Cor. i. 10.
"Jesus lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, I pray for them who shall believe on me through the word of my Apostles: that they may all be one; as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that you have sent me; that the world may know that you have sent me; and have loved them as you have loved me."--John xvii.
"In vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men."--Christ.
"From the days of your fathers you are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts."--Mal. iii. 7.
"Come out of her, my people, that you be not partakers of her sins, and that you receive not of her plagues."--Rev. xviii. 4.
"He that testifies these things says, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so come, Lord Jesus."
THOMAS CAMPBELL.
[The Christian Baptist, August 3, 1829, pp. 573-574.]
ABOUT THE ELECTRONIC EDITION
According to Thomas Campbell, his essay "To the Religious Public" was first "published in Cincinnati, May 1829." The facts of publication for this first appearance of the essay have not been determined. The essay was published also in The Christian Messenger, Vol. III, No. 9, July 1829, and in The Christian Baptist, Vol. VII, No. 1, August 3, 1829. In the former, the essay is unsigned, with authorship designated as "From the Pen of an Old Baptist Preacher"; in the latter, it is signed "Thomas Campbell." Its first appearance in a separate publication was in Thomas Campbell's On Religious Reformation (n.p., ca. 1832), pp. 11-12. The electronic version of the essay has been produced from the College Press (1983) reprint of The Christian Baptist, ed. Alexander Campbell (Cincinnati: D. S. Burnet, 1835), pp. 573-574.
Pagination has been represented by placing the page number in brackets following the last complete word on the printed page. I have let stand variations and inconsistencies of the author's (or editor's) use of italics, capitalization, punctuation, and spelling in the essay.
The following apparatus details the variants of the text in the two periodical appearances of of "To the Religious Public":
CB / CM Christian Baptist [ Christian Messenger
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
p. 573: / p. 224: To the Religious Public. [ TO THE RELIGIOUS PUBLIC.
[ (FROM THE PEN OF AN OLD BAPTIST PREACHER.)
The following Queries, [ The following queries,
scriptural reformation [ Scriptural reformation
professors of [ professors of Christianity,
christianity,
to their consideration. [ for their consideration.
1. Is not [ 1st. Is not
christian community [ Christian community
2. Is not [ 2d. Is not
/ p. 225: christian societies? [ Christian societies?
3. Is not such [ Is not such
anti-christian? [ anti-Christian?
4. Is it not [ 4th. Is it not
destructive, [ destructive
5. Can this [ 5th. Can this
6. If not, [ 6th. If not,
original standard [ original standard,
platform of christianity, [ platform of Christianity,
New Testament scripture? [ New Testament-scripture?
7. Would not [ 7th. Would not
Apostles preached [ apostles preached
and taught, [ and taught
be absolutely, [ be absolutely
christian institution? [ Christian institution?
8. Do not [ 8th. Do not
faith and obedience, [ faith and obedience
9. Is not [ 9th. Is not
sanctification of [ sanctification to
by the Apostles [ by the apostles
commission [ commission,
of the nations; [ of the nations,
10. If so, [ 10th. If so,
scandalous, [ scandalous
N. B. The two [ N. B--The two
viz. [ viz:
faith and [ faith and
obedience--which [ obedience, which
whole of the christian [ whole of the Christian
religion:-- [ religion.
11. Are not [ 11th. Are not
no obedience; [ no obedience,
no testimony, [ no testimony
12. Again, [ 12th. Again:
no facts, [ no facts
law. Wherefore [ law--wherefore
in every case, [ in every case
of facts; [ of facts,
authority. ¶ N. B. [ authority.--N. B--
By facts [ By facts,
is here meant [ is here meant,
Conclusion. [ CONCLUSION.
necessarily follows, [ necessarily follows
that christianity, [ that Christianity,
/ p. 226: commandments of men: [ commandments of men,
authority of the Saviour and his holy apostles upon
authority of the [ the christian community.
christian community.
Reflections. [ REFLECTIONS.
reformation,--the [ reformation. The
demand it. [ demand it.--
Nevertheless, [ Nevertheless
to expect, [ to expect
or by any other [ or by any other,
exert themselves [ exert themselves,
scriptural means [ scriptural means,
opposition to the law of [ opposition to Christ;
Christ;
of the conversion [ of the conversation
of the latter;-- [ of the latter--
and upright, [ and upright
of all parties, [ of all parties
p. 574: / of their power [ of their power,
which, we presume, [ which we presume
holy religion,-- [ holy religion,
authorized rule [ authorized rule,
and practice.-- [ and practice.
we appeal; [ we appeal,
¶ "Now I beseech you, [ "Now I beseech you,
that you [ that ye
all speak [ all speak
divisions among you, [ divisions amongst you,
you be perfectly [ ye be perfectly
judgment."-- [ judgment."
Paul, 1 Cor. i. 10. [ 1 Cor. i. 10.
¶ "Jesus lifted [ "Jesus lifted
eyes to heaven, [ eyes to heaven
through the word [ thro' the word
of my Apostles: [ of my apostles;
as you, Father, [ as thou Father
are in me, [ art in me
I in you, [ I in thee,
believe that you [ believe that thou
have sent me; [ hast sent me;
know that you [ know that thou
have sent me; [ hast sent me,
have loved them [ hast loved them
as you have [ as thou hast
loved me."-- [ loved me."
of men."-- [ of men."
Christ. [ Christ.
¶ "From the days [ "From the days
you are gone [ ye are gone
kept them. [ kept them;
Return to me, [ return unto me,
/ p. 227: return to you, [ return unto you,
Lord of hosts."-- [ Lord of Hosts."
¶ "Come out of her, [ "Come out of her
you be not partakers [ ye be not partakers
you receive not [ ye receive not
plagues."-- [ plagues."
¶ "He that [ "He that
testifies [ testifieth
these things [ these things,
says, [ saith,
Surely I come [ surely I come
quickly. [ quickly;
Amen. [ Amen--
THOMAS CAMPBELL. [
Addenda and corrigenda are earnestly solicited.
Ernie Stefanik
Derry, PA
Created 1 January 1998.
Updated 7 July 2003.
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