Let none imagine that the subjoined propositions are at all intended as an overture towards a new creed, or standard, for the church, or, as in any wise designed to be made a term of communion;--nothing can be farther from our intention. They are merely designed for opening up the way, that we may come fairly and firmly to original grounds upon clear and certain premises: and take up things just as the Apostles left them.--That thus disentangled from the accruing embarrassments of intervening ages, we may stand with evidence upon the same ground on which the church stood at the beginning--Having said so much to solicit attention and prevent mistake, we submit as follows:

      Prop. 1. THAT the church of Christ upon earth is essentially, intentionally, and constitutionally one; consisting of all those in every place that profess their faith in Christ and obedience to him in all things according to the scriptures, and that manifest the same by their tempers and conduct, and of none else, as none else can be truly and properly called Christians.

      2. That although the church of Christ upon earth must necessarily exist in particular and distinct societies, locally separate one from another; yet there ought to be no schisms, no uncharitable divisions among them. They ought to receive each other as Christ Jesus hath also received them to the glory of God. And for this purpose, they ought all to walk by the same rule, to mind and speak the same thing; and to be perfectly joined together in the same mind, and in the same judgment.

      ^* Declaration and Address, 1809.

[GPP 159]

      "A Statement on the Church" was first published in Thomas Campbell's Declaration and Address (Washington, PA: Washington Christian Association, 1809). The electronic version of Propositions 1 and 2 has been produced from Great Pioneer Papers (Rosemead, CA: Old Paths Book Club, ca. 1945), p. 159. Thanks to Beaumont Memorial Library, Harding University, for the loan of this book.

      Textual variants from the first edition of the Declaration and Address (1809) to publication of the excerpt in Great Pioneer Papers are as follows:

            Declaration and Address [ Great Pioneer Papers
 -----------------------------------------------------------------------
 p. 159:    ground: [ grounds
            as follows. [ as follows:
            PROP. 1. [ Prop. 1.
            of none else [ of none else,
            called christians. [ called Christians.
 

      Pagination has been represented by placing the page number in brackets following the last complete word on the printed page.

      Addenda and corrigenda are earnestly solicited.

Ernie Stefanik
Derry, PA

Created 12 December 1997.
Updated 8 July 2003.