FROM

THE

MILLENNIAL HARBINGER.

Number V.-----Volume VI.

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A. CAMPBELL, EDITOR.

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Bethany, Va. May, 1835.

JAMESTOWN, Ohio, March 9, 1835.      

Beloved brother Campbell,

      THERE prevails a notion among the disciples here, and, I expect, elsewhere also, that when they take offence at one another, upon any trifling cause, they have the right to separate themselves from communion with the church. What I mean by communion with the church, is the eating of the Lord's supper. They suppose that they have the right to absent themselves from the Lord's table, because some brother or sister has done something that has displeased them. This, to me, looks like claiming the privilege to disobey God, because some brother or sister has, done something wrong, in the judgment of the absentee. Jesus commanded his disciples to eat the bread, and drink the wine, in memory of him; but some suppose they have the right to dispense with this command, every time they take offence at a brother or sister in the church. And what is still more astonishing, they claim the authority of the scripture for this practice, as though the scripture contradicted itself. Because Paul commanded the church at Corinth to put disorderly persons from among them, and not to eat with any such persons, some have made an individual application of this text, and claim the right to separate themselves when they please, not only from the person whom they suppose to have broken the law of Christ, but from all the other members of the church also.

      Now, brother Campbell, all such persons have mistaken the law of Christ, or else I honestly acknowledge that I have mistaken it. I cannot find an if to any command in the Book of God. He did not say, 'Do this in remembrance of me, unless some brother or sister should do wrong;' or, 'If all the members of the church do right, then do this in remembrance of me."

M. WINANS.      

      THE subject of the above communication is a grievous evil, and ought to be scripturally and speedily redressed. It proceeds upon mistaken views of our responsibilities respecting the faults of our brethren--as if we were chargeable with, or accountable for, their delinquencies, because we partake with them in the social duties and privileges of our religious profession. This, however, cannot be the case, if we faithfully discharge our relative duties with respect to our offending brethren, according to the scriptures; which, upon this important affair, are as plain and practicable as we could desire. All our duties of this class are reduced to two items, viz--tresspasses and sins. The former, respecting private or personal offences committed against one another, individually considered; the latter, respecting [218] public transgressions of the divine law, committed against the moral government of God. With respect to the former, see Matth. xviii. 15--19.; for the latter, see 1 Tim. v. 20. These two rules of procedure respecting delinquents, duly and faithfully observed, under the influence of the universal maxim, 1 Cor. xvi. 14. "Let all things be done with love," would keep peace and purity in christian societies. Let our brethren, then, be duly warned and admonished to yield a most punctual and conscientious obedience to those divine precepts, as they value their own spiritual comfort, and the honor, peace, and purity of the church of God. When any private personal offence is committed, let the offended proceed without delay according to Matth. xviii. 15--19. And when any public violation of the law of Christ is committed, let the transgressor, without delay, be dealt with according to 1 Tim. v. 20. And let the proceedings, in both cases, be conducted in love, according to 1 Cor. xvi. 14; and the church will shine in the beauties of holiness. But says one, 'What shall I do with an offending brother in case of a private personal offence or tresspass, until I can get the matter legally settled?' Why, act according to the dictates of love, which "thinks no evil--hopes all things;"--puts the best construction possible upon every thing--hopes all things for the best; and, proceeding thus, you will find no difficulty in keeping your place with him at the Lord's table, until the event of the pending process determine his character, and then all difficulty will be removed. But, in the mean time, influenced by that love that hopes all things--that thinks no evil, you will make the just and necessary distinction between weakness and wickedness, and will charitably ascribe the pending offence to the former, till the issue declare otherwise, if such should unhappily be the case; and then, if it should, you will yet rid of the obstinate offender. Another may yet inquire, 'How shall I act in case of an offence, whether of a private or public nature, when it is so circumstanced that the offender has not been, or cannot be, notified or brought to trial?' For instance A sees B act out of character on Saturday; but from the circumstances of the case, has not an opportunity to reprove him. The next day (Sunday) they both meet in the congregation, yet so circumstanced as to prevent a private interview. B takes his place as usual at the Lord's table. What shall A do in the case? Why, in the exercise of that charity "that thinks no evil"--"that hopes all things" favorable, let him, in the mean time, indulge the pleasing hope, that B has repented, confessed, and so has obtained mercy; and let him afterwards take the first favorable opportunity to expostulate with him upon the alleged impropriety of behaviour, both for his brother's benefit and his own exoneration; and then act towards him according to the above cited rules, as the case may require. If, however, the supposed misdemeanor were of such a nature and character, as to inflict public disgrace upon the congregation for having such a delinquent in its fellowship; then, instead of the above course of christian forbearance, A should immediately inform the church, by its proper officers, and thus prevent its future defamation. These things duly attended to, in the [219] benign, spirit of true christian sympathy and faithfulness, the scandalous and unhappy evils complained of in the above communication, would be for ever obviated.

T.C.      

[The Millennial Harbinger (May 1835): 218-220.]

      Thomas Campbell's "Offences" was first published in The Millennial Harbinger, Vol. 6, No. 5, May 1835. The electronic version of the essay has been produced from the College Press reprint (1976) of The Millennial Harbinger, ed. Alexander Campbell (Bethany, VA: A. Campbell, 1835), pp. 218-220.

      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 in the author's (or editor's) use of italics, capitalization, punctuation, and spelling in the essay. Emendations are as follows:

            Printed Text [ Electronic Text
 -----------------------------------------------------------------------
 p. 219:    act accoring [ act according
 

      Addenda and corrigenda are earnestly solicited.

Ernie Stefanik
Derry, PA

Created 9 December 1997.
Updated 9 July 2003.