Declaration and Address - Centennial Edition

by Thomas Campbell

This is the Centennial Celebration Edition published in 1908. Thomas Campbell was born February 1, 1763 in Ireland, and migrated to the United States in 1807. A Presbyterian minister who grew tired of denominationalism, set forth in this publication the reasons why. He proclaimed that all the churches had gone astray and encouraged them to use the New Testament as their guide book. Barton W. Stone, as well as others came to the same conclusion, which started the Restoration Movement - to restore the churches to the New Testament. Today, their followers are known as Disciples of Christ, Christians and churches of Christ.

64 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1908

About the author

Thomas Campbell was a Scottish poet. He was a founder and the first President of the Clarence Club and a co-founder of the Literary Association of the Friends of Poland, he was also one of the initiators of a plan to found what became University College London. In 1799, he wrote The Pleasures of Hope, a traditional 18th-century didactic poem in heroic couplets. He also produced several stirring patriotic war songs—Ye Mariners of England, The Soldier's Dream, Hohenlinden and in 1801, The Battle of Mad and Strange Turkish Princes.

Reviews

[Brandon Current · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read and Keep

Much to say and think about in this work. Though the context is very different today, there was much that was logically flawed in the restoration movement from the beginning. It was a unity movement that got its start by being separatist. It claimed to be getting back to just the Bible and early church practice, without creeds and confessions, yet it had very particular, questionable, and not well argued theological beliefs. Much could be pulled out to present the inherent hypocrisy in the argument, but I will just note that after throwing out all confessions, creeds, and catechisms, the appendix has a list of things that need to be done next in the movement and one of the first items is to make a new catechism. The author had earlier defended the usefulness of these tools in instruction, but ultimately set them aside as doing more damage to christian unity than they were worth.

However, there is much to be wrestled with and praised in this work. The issue of schism within the body of Christ is as clear now as it was then. Too many things are made an issue of fellowship rather than charity. Serious effort must be made to view and affirm one another solidly as brothers and sisters in Christ. However, it remains that there are issues which believers must break with one another over. Also, different convictions in practice will make it necessary to have separate fellowship from even those whom we affirm as brothers and sisters in Christ (as in the case of baptism). Different practices and beliefs needn't be seen as divisive if there is charitable speech and a sense of cooperation in the gospel and a overall unity in the name of Christ.

I think the modern non-denominational movement has done a better job of achieving the goals of the restoration movement than the movement itself did. As historically can be seen by its high degree of schisms and cult spin offs.