Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1873-02-18
Another Reply to DR.. Taylor.

DEAR SIR-Some unknown but
considerate friend having sent me your issue OF
the 2lst ult., in which you publish ga Dis
course of the Rev. George B. Taylor, D. D., "
containing some Injurious structures upon the
religious community Of which [ am member
-stigmatized by him as the "Campbellite
Schism," though well aware Of our just claim
to be regarded as the Christian church, res
pectfully appeal to your sense of fairness for
space in your columns to set ourselves rectus IN
curad ecclesiastical.
The passage to which I more especially refer
is couched in the following terms:
1.-THE Campbellite controversy and schism,
| "l830-40, very painful at the time, made no
''appreciable arrest of the progress Of our peo-
| ''ple. In fact good, on the whole was the re-
| 'sut. Certain abuses in our own den0mlna-
''tion were abated, and discordant element
was removed; and at this day the Disciples
''having receded from most of the extreme
views proclaimed by Mr. Campbell, are ap-
| 'proximating to the Baptists, and will ulti-
''mately return to them"
| Now be it known that we utterly deny the
| ''soft impeachment" And how one so we'll
versed in the ecclesiastical history and sectarian
| polemic5 of modern times could have fallen In
to such papable error, is passing strange!
| 'Optics keen hath he / ween,
Who sees what is not to be seenp'
| This learned Rabbi of Baptism is evidently
out at sea, somewhat nauseated; and being not
a.little intoxicated in quafing so deeply the
chalice of denominational glorifcation, imag-
ines, on approaching the shore, that the land
is approaching him.
20 wad some power the giftie gle US
To see ourselves as others see US
1t wad fra many blunder free us
, And silly notion
That the Baptists and Disciples of Christ
are nearer in accord than they formerly were,
rejoice to know; but that this assimilation is
caused by our recession from any ''extreme
views INDUCED at frst'' is certainly erroneous !;
for we never INDUCED any ectrene views what
ever except it be this-that we were, In the
incipiency of the reformation. "close commu-
nionists." True we were at first wary when
spoken against" like the primitive saints; and
Savior-the personality Of the Holy Spirit
and host of abominabIe heresies; but surely
his inuendo is not designed to point to charges
like these, Of which he knows full well that we
are as innocent as any denomination IL Chris
tendon. Ii proof of such entire freedom from
extreme views" zoe have no occasion to go
back, as my respected but mistaken friend has
done, in his Grgunlentuna dd h0nslaena, and
grOpe through tones of musty political folios
and nom Medo- Persian MS; but refer you at
once to indubitable testimony accessible to all.
And that the over-zealous, but well-meanlng
brother is entirely mistaken, | am confident,
and that he will be fully convinced upon con.
sulting Dr. Richardson's admirable Memoir of
Mr. Campbell, published by Lippincott, year
or two ago, in which will be found complete
history Of the controversy alluded to, and the
principles maintained by each party, Let Dr.
T. compare the anlmus and theology Of this
work with the memorable anti-reformatl0n Do
yer DEGREES" of his church-so very like the
decretals and bulls of which he justly complains
as having been Illuminated against the Baptists
10 days of yore-not as far back, however, as
the Munsterian era and [ am sure he will feel
constrained to make the retrdGit and dnaende
honorable. 'If the mountain won't come to
MahOmmed, Mahommed must needs go to the
mountain.
The true cause of the present hopeful ap
Proclamation Of the Baptists and the Christian
church is found in the fact at which be so ten
derly hints in the following language: Certain
abuses Of our own denomination were abated.
Good Now if my good brother is not opposed
TO letting the readers of the Spectator know
the nature of these ''abuses," against which
we have been SO long protesting, | will under
take, with your permission, Mr.. Editor, to IT,
form them correctly; for have enjoyed the
honor and pleasure of personally knowing near
II every one Of those eminent personages men
toned by him, that was on the stage of action
thirty or forty years ago-having been favored
with somewhat ''pertect understanding of all
things from the very first, o most excellent
TheophiIus.
Whether or not the painful schism" to
which my good friend alludes, has made any
appreciable arrest of the progress of the Bap-
fists" is a question that | shall not now dis
cuss but certain it is that whereas we were,
at the date of our ostracism, but "a mere hand
full" we now number upwards of $1,000 mem
bers-a large portion of whom are from the
Baptist ranks. Nothing is hazarded in assert
ing that where one Disciple leaves our ranks
and unites with the Baptists, more than twen-
ty Baptists come oyer to US Certainly this
does not look much like returning to them
And if in less than half century we have at
tanned to such numbers, without the aid OF col
leges, or we'll sustained ministry, and the other
accessories, adjuvants and appliances so indus
triously put in reQuisition by the Baptists, what
will our membership be ffy years hence-pos-
sessing, as we now do, SO many frst-class col
leges, scattered throughout the land entire
control over the Universities of Kentucky, Mis-
souri,, and Indiana; numerous ministry and
SO many ably conducted journals?
Sorry am [, Mr.. Editor, to file such bill in
the chancery Office of your sanctum. Such was
not my Intention, however, till just nov for
although the eXceptionable discourse was re-
ceived several days ago, had no idea Of noti-
cling it till urged to do SO, and admonished that
some such notice Of it is due alike to myself
and the most sacred Of al! causes.
ATETuErA