The movement about the beginning of this century was not to establish a new church, or a new religion, but to return to the Lord, find the old religion and the old church; receive, believe and practice what the old religion, as set forth in Scripture, requires, and nothing else. No movement can go back of this, nor rise above it, if it does what it claims. What remains for us, is to stand to it, maintain it and carry it out practically and faithfully.
[A. CAMPBELL’S SUCCESSORS AND CRITICS.]
SOME fifteen years ago a few of our more advanced men gradually commenced opening up to our benighted minds, the fact, that A. Campbell was not the great man we had thought he was; that he was not the scholar we had thought; that some of his chief ideas were erroneous, and that we should have much trouble in undoing what he had done wrong. We were growing up many young men, and being illiterate and unlearned, we knew not but we had over estimated A. Campbell, and that some mighty men were rising among us, that would throw him in the shade. But we had one comfort all the time, and that was that we were not alone in the opinion that A. Campbell was a man of superior learning and parts. We noticed that he attracted the fire of the great guns of the infidels, the Universalists, the Roman Catholics, the Methodists, the Presbyterians, and sectarians in general. He attracted the attention of the great men of Christendom, distinguished the hills of Bethany, and gave them a name that will extend down to the end of the ages. No man on this continent called forth anything like the same amount of attention he did, for the space of forty years. It was not a mere fortuity that gave him notoriety, but sound learning, correct and abundant information, persistent and determined work, with a fixed and settled purpose, to which he addressed the energies of his life. He was a mighty man in the highest sense, and to this the impression he made on the people of this great country, will testify till the Lord shall come.
We have been amused with two classes of men among us. Those of one class were adjusting themselves for the mantle of A. Campbell to fall on them when he would depart. Had that mantle fallen on one of them, he would have appeared like a boy with his father’s great coat on—it would have fit nowhere. The other class are finding his errors and going beyond him. But it is remarkable, that in almost every instance, these advanced men prove to be wrong themselves. Instead of their discovering some new truth, they resurrect some old error. We do not think it is advancing very far ahead of A. Campbell to resuscitate the Romish and Restorationist idea of an obscure Scripture. We frequently think of the man’s invention, that claimed that he could grow sheep without wool—it is more curious than profitable.
It is not inventive genius we need in the Church, nor explorers to invent something new, or to make discoveries; but we need humble and honest men, who know and love the truth, and will press it on the world. We know humble men, of but limited talent and information, who are building up churches, reforming men and women, and bringing them to God. We know also men of considerable learning and talent, who do not turn a bare dozen to the Lord in a year, and who build up no churches nor anything else, but who are starting subtleties, speculations and questions to no profit, but only tend to subvert the hearer. Why can men not be content with the plain truth, the precious truth that makes men wise to salvation, through faith in Christ? It is easily learned, easily preached and readily believed and obeyed to the salvation of the soul. It is for the people, the whole people, and adapted to them. The kind of greatness we need, is that which manifests itself in preaching great truth in plain and easy terms, and bringing it to the comprehension of the people. The command is, and will be till the Lord comes, “Preach the word.”