200th Anniversary of Thomas Campbell’s Declaration and Address

While I’ve often said that I don’t believe unity can be manufactured by unity meetings, organizations, and resolutions (because unity is a point of view, i.e., something that exists in the hearts of believers), there is something to be said for the ability of unity meetings to assist in changing hearts and minds. Diane and I attended our first “unity meeting” last night in celebration of the 200th anniversary of Thomas Campbell’s “Declaration and Address,” an event long forgotten in many churches in the Stone/Campbell movement.

At least three congregations from three different parts of what is commonly called the Restoration Movement met in Boise, Idaho for a joint celebration of the Lord’s Supper and to worship together in song as one body. At least one church of Christ, Christian Church, and Disciples of Christ congregation were represented, and each participated in the song leading – some with instruments, some without. It was a beautiful thing! As one who can appreciate heartfelt worship, praise, and hymn music in any form, it was awesome to hear brothers and sisters in Christ lifting up their voices together.

Not sure what Thomas Campbell’s Declaration and Address was all about? You can read the full text, but it might get a little tedious. It was an important document and speech, but in keeping with the tradition of the era, not particularly brief. Following is an abridged version of the Declaration, originally drafted by Alexander Campbell’s father in 1809.

A Restating of Thomas Campbell’s 13 Propositions

1. That the church of Christ on 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 …
2. That although the church of Christ upon earth must necessarily exist in particular and distinct societies, locally separate from one another; yet there ought to be no schisms, no uncharitable divisions among them …
3. That in order to this, nothing ought to be inculcated upon Christians as articles of faith; nor required of them as terms of communion; but what is expressly taught, and enjoined upon them, in the Word of God …
4. That although the scriptures of the Old and the New Testament are inseparably connected … the New Testament is as perfect a constitution for the worship, discipline and government of the New Testament church … as the Old Testament was for … the Old Testament church, and the particular duties of its members.
5. That with respect to the commands and ordinances of our Lord Jesus Christ, where the scriptures are silent … no human authority has power to interfere … by making laws for the church … but only that they do so observe those commands and ordinances …
6. That although inferences and deductions from scripture premises … may be truly called the doctrine of God’s holy word; yet they are not formally binding upon the consciences of Christians … for their faith must not stand in the wisdom of men; but in the power and veracity of God …
7. That although doctrinal exhibitions of the great system of divine truths …  be highly expedient … yet … they ought not  be made terms of Christian communion … the church from the beginning did, and ever will, consist of little children and young men, as well as fathers.
8. That as it is not necessary that persons should have a particular knowledge … of all divinely revealed truths in order to entitle them a place in the church … but that their having a due measure of scriptural self-knowledge respecting their … condition … and of the way of salvation thro’ Jesus Christ, accompanied with a profession of their faith in, and obedience to Him … is all that is necessary to qualify them for admission to His church.
9. That all that are enabled, thro’ grace, to make such a profession … should consider each other as the precious saints of God …
10. That division among Christians is a horrid evil, fraught with many evils. It is anti-Christian … it is anti-scriptural … it is anti-natural …
11. That a partial neglect of the expressly revealed will of God; and an assumed authority for … human traditions … are, and have been the … causes of all the corruptions and divisions that have ever taken place in the church of God.
12. That all that is necessary to the highest state of perfection and purity in the church is, first, that none be received as members, but … do profess their faith in Christ … nor 2ndly, that any be retained in her communion longer than they continue to manifest the reality of their profession … 3dly, that their ministers … inculcate none other things than those very articles of faith … expressly revealed and enjoined in the Word of God … Lastly … that they keep close (as) exhibited in the New Testament without any additions whatsoever of human opinions or inventions of men.
13. Lastly … (if scripture does not specifically dictate details for church work and worship, they) should be adopted under the title of human expedients, without any pretense to a more sacred origin … so that any alteration or difference in the observance of these things might produce no contention nor division in the church.

I should add that these aren’t perfect propositions. The drafting of them in itself can be seen an attempt to formalize human opinions about what is important and what is not in the scripture. Nevertheless, they are historically important, given the context of the divisive era in which Thomas Campbell lived, and I think point us in the right direction.