To The "Minister" of Newton St. "Church"
A reader writes: "You seem to be well versed in the Bible, I wonder why you have failed to mention some things about your teaching. You seem so intent on teaching each week. Let's see "some" of those things First you have no Church History before Thomas Campbell who was expelled from a Baptist Church If this is incorrect explain in your articles."
"Before Thomas Campbell ever came to America in 1807, there was already a growing dissatisfaction with human creeds and denominational divisions. Barton W. Stone and others issued 'The Last Will and Testament of the Springfield Presbytery' in 1804, in which they separated themselves from Presbyterianism. They declared: 'We will, that this body die, be dissolved, and sink into union with the body of Christ at large; for there is but one body, and one Spirit, even as we are called in one hope of our calling.' Campbell was a Presbyterian minister, but he found himself at odds with the denomination and disassociated himself from them, but he continued to address various groups on religious themes. He pleaded for people to unite upon the basis of the Bible and the Bible alone.
In September 1809, Thomas Campbell's son, Alexander, arrived in the United States, and he concurred in the principles which his father had propounded. Together, they began to advocate these principles. They never sought to establish a denomination, or to begin a new church, or to found a movement. The aim of their work was simply to return to first century Christianity, to obey the same gospel, and to become precisely what people became in the New Testament period. They often spoke of this as 'the search for the ancient order.' Weary of denominational divisions, human creeds, and sectarian names, they were committed to 'speak' where the Bible speaks and to be 'silent' where the Bible is silent. Because of their devotion to this ideal, these pioneer saints abandoned 'infant baptism' and rejected the use of instrumental music in worship, which Campbell compared to 'a cow bell in a concert.'" ( Alan E Highers: "The Restoration: Winds of Change")
History proves the writer wrong about Thomas Campbell being a Baptist, but writes more: "In several of your articles you teach unles (sic) one Joins your I don't have a church and have never taught that anyone could join the Lord's church. We read in Acts 2:47 that the Lord adds the "saved" to the church. Sure, the Campbells are in history and they and others were instrumental in restoring the New testament church. But there never was a Campbellite, but there are those who opposed the truth so, that they were willing to be unchristian-like to the point that they made derogatory statements and false accusations. The reader states: "you resent being called a Campbelite." The reason for that is I am not a Campbellite. The reader doesn't "mind being called a Baptist," however, he/she did not sign the letter.
An unsigned letter does not warrant an answer, but there is so much Bible error involved, I will continue in the next article in order to refute some of that error.
"If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God"(I Pet. 4:11).
Don H. Noblin
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