Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1856-12-03

Trustees of the congregation OF Nashville and
Spring Hill" Two other papers relating 81 Mr.
CraigheAd are enclosed in No. s. e,
In the excitement and division which took xiasp
shout the middle of the last century in the Pfssby-
teTisn church, Mr.. Crsghead's father svnpath;zsd
with the New Side; aud 80 when the oonnotion
existed, the beginning of the present century,
Thomas B Orsighead deemed himself called upon
to take bis position, s8d uuder circumstances not
very dissimIar. The preaching of the Tenants,
Whitfield, Blair and others, at the period had
produced not only enthusiasm aud extrsvsgance,
but alarm and opposition 50 at the latter date We
lind combination of ;he sublime and the ridieu-
lous, of pnrenzy in hepresching of the word, and
tanEtlcsm in the singing OF psalms; the eoquence
of McGready overpowering and eonvul.ng the as.
sembIed thousands aud the bigotry Of Rankin and
! Rouse whining about Psalinody.* The contest
BECAME heated and extravsgant alterations and d.
| visions resulted, even among chief friends and
kindred contentious, feuds and alterations were Of
ten to be amented, even when limited to q few
| individuals and short period of time, but when
tney enlarge their circle, and are perpetusted, we
are more apt to say that "the Lord only can arrest
| the evil and make the wrath of man to praise
| Him.. He alone can commingle elements in the
| storm which shall make the air more pure and the
| heavens more cheerful and bright when the clouds
have passed away; but the truth u.s. He is as veri.
taby present in the gentle zephyr as in the desola
ting tornado.
Proceeding with our narrative, we remark, that
in the Presbyterian congregation in Sumner coun-
| ty, thirty miles from Nashville schsm occurred,
causing much unhsppinesa. (Tne track of a hur-
ricane may be traced many years after the mighty
oaks which were oVerthrown have rotted and dis.
| appeared) Mr.. Orsighead received a call from
:" the orderly part OF Shiloh congregation, as
they were called, or denomnated themselves; but.
such was the order and doctrines of this division
of the Church, or of Mr.. Craigheads sentiments
and preaching thst he found or left not this sit
uation of harmony and quiet: They did not agree
so as to walk together: He was charged with
Pelsgian views. He failed not to re,ort upon them
the same and kindred opinions and excsptionable
practices.
In December, 1906, the Commission appointed
by the Synod of Lexington met, it is said, 4" at
Gaspsrs river and examined Mr. Craighead up
on thrty-one' articles or questions,-such IS
predestination, foreknowledge, good works. peIse-
verance, spiritual influence, and the liketo which
his answers were deemed satisfactory,
that some of bis language was considered obscure
| and perhaps TO cover, ID some instances another
| meaning.
Near the close of this year the anti revival, anti.
measures portion of Shiloh church in Sumner
county invited him to become their pastor: (Hav-
ing never seen the records of that Church, we
cannot give dates-nor venture more upon that
4
Ata Synodcal meeting held at Lexington, Ky.
in October, 1906, he preached sermon that pro.
duced smazement and excitement. We will not
attempt to enumerate its points, to approve or to
condemn its sentiments
Immediate measures were taken for his trial;
and the very next day the matter was brought
before the Committee of Bills and Oyertures-
Zone Of the most responsible and digui6ed com
mttees in ecclesiastical courts,-aud of which. it
is well to mention, that Mr.. Craighead himself was
the Chairman, having been appointed such before
he delivered his serm0n.) THIS resulted in an ex-
| PLANTATION on his part, entered on the minutes and
resolution that the Moderator give him an earn
est entreaty to be more cautious in future as to
the matter and language of his discourses.
Here we may pause for nearly three years
Alas, no, the material and the mental world have
no rest; Time and tide wait for no man Some
men may sink to the bottom but better men will
ride upon the tide Of time, and ponder well the
times Of the tide, accomplish their work and be
ready to cast their anchor safely when time and
tides shall b. no more.
In 1909, DIR. Craghesd, who had not been silent
or idle, published sermon, on Regeneration,
with an exceptjonsble address to the Synod: (And
we would pay well for copy ofi'.)
| Some of bis views in this discourse tailed with
New Light sentiments and teachings then be.
coming rife throughout Kentucky and Tennessee
Letters and publications. OF marked ability and
temper, and OF great variety es to taste and logic
soon followed and from one address to Mr.. Craig.
head by Rev. John p. Campbell, we take the fol-
lowing extract as worthy of notice:
You are no Locke, you are no Edwards you
are no Butter, but you are capable Of being what
l should count thousand times more, Massilon
or Bridainc. No, Sir, you have too much fire.
too much velocity, too much impstieace for meta
physics You manage a metaphor infinitely
better than d syliogism; you can shape flight on
ancy's FURNISHED wing with more ease than scale
the proud heights of speculative philosophy. II
is the sunshine cf-eloqueHce, and not the elevation
of metaphysical theology, to which you ought to
aspire.
"Ohl what might you not be uudsr such circum-
stances as I could wishl" ..
There is a beauty ard psthos in this language,
seldom equaIlei: It tells most eloqueuty for both
Campbell aud Craighead as Christians aud men OF
eminent talents.
Ia these controversies each party charged the
other with producing or encouraging iShakerisnl
and other heresies and ultraisms Kentucky and
Tennessee became g hot-bed; scme of its strsnge
and forced plants live and are nurtured to this day
We believe that Mr. Craighead was more and
| consistently opposed to measures which contribu.
ted to shakeTisln and the Cumberland division than
even the great champion for order and orthodoxy
"Father Rice; for, had not the latter reporte
s7orably after the examination ia private and the
candidates for irregular licensure, the Cumberland
schism would st least not have that much of coun.
tsnance and encouragement from this Corypheus
And in Dr.. Dawson's history it is recorded that
''Mr. Crsighesd, though man of brilliant talents
and staunch champion for discipline and order,
made no pretensions to rigid orthodoxy, aud his
Pelsgisn sentiments were no secret.
And yet, alas, who can tel how much he was
made to suffer for these very sentiments!
In 1910 Mr.. CFaiohend cited IN ha-
fore the Presbytery OF Transylvanis; but proving
contumacious it was resolved that he deserved to
be suspended; and the matter was referred to the
next Synod, by which he was suspended from the
gospel ministry.
It has been said that like his father be centn-
ued to preach when under suspension, and so did
Thomas B. Oraghesd feel ard act under the
"Woe is me, if preach not the gospell'
He certainly did continue to visit many of those
persons who bad sat with pleasure and profit IN
Ger bis preaching and presen! in private the teach
ipgs and consultations of tbs gospel. He was re-
luctant TO keep up the excitement in the church
aud country
In 1911 he appealed to the General Assembly
but did not prosecute his appeal, though urged by
| devoted friends so to do.
In 1915 he sent up an appeal. In 1922 he ad.
dressed letter and a pamphlet to the Assembly,
which induced that body to rescind the Judgment
in regular order.
But 1t was not until 1924, that he was wholly
relieved from Church csnsure and renstated in the
ministry.