Postscript

THE publication of the foregoing address has been delayed much longer than was at first expected, through an unforeseen difficulty of obtaining paper of the quality intended. This difficulty and detention has also interfered with the publication of the discourse delivered at the first general meeting of the society, held in Washington, November 2nd, in pursuance of the 7th resolution; (see page 4th) which discourse the committee has requested Mr. Campbell to have published, as soon as conveniency may serve for that purpose. At the first monthly meeting of the committee, December 14, (see resolution 6th, page 4,) the following considerations and proposals for the better carrying into effect the highly interesting and comprehensive object of the foregoing address, were submitted and received with approbation, viz. That considering the very extensive and important design for which we have associated, as specified in the foregoing pages; wherein we propose and urge the necessity of a thorough reformation in all things civil and religious according to the word of God, as a duty of indispensable obligation upon all the highly favored subjects of the gospel; and especially in this country, where the Lord has been graciously pleased to favor his professing people with such ample opportunities, for the prosecution and accomplishment of those blessed and desirable purposes; it behoves us, in so doing, to exert our utmost energies, in every possible direction that may conduce to render successful, this arduous and important undertaking.

Besides what has been already agreed upon, and recommended in the foregoing pages, there yet remains two things of apparently great importance for promoting the grand object of our association; which this committee would do well to consider, as they seem to fall within the prescribed limits of its operation; and also as it appears to be within the compass of its power to take effectual steps for ascertaining the advantages, which the things intended, if duly executed, would appear obviously calculated to produce. The first of these is a catechetical exhibition of the fullness and precision of the holy scriptures upon the entire subject of Christianity, an exhibition of that complete system of faith and duty expressly contained in the sacred oracles; respecting the doctrine, worship, discipline, and government of the Christian church. The second thing intended is a periodical publication, for the express purpose of detecting and exposing the various anti-christian enormities, innovations and corruptions, which infect the christian church; which counteract and oppose the benign and gracious tendency of the gospel, the promotion and establishment of the Redeemer’s kingdom upon earth; by means of which an infinitely good and gracious God has designed to bless the nations, to ameliorate as much as possible the present wretched and suffering state of mankind; upon the success and establishment of which depends the spiritual and temporal welfare of every individual of the human family. Whatever therefore has a tendency to undermine, or in anywise to counteract and oppose the interest of this benign and gracious institution of infinite goodness and mercy, becomes an evil of no small magnitude, how trifling soever it might otherwise appear. “Take us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil our vines; for our vines have tender grapes.” Song 2:15. Such a publication from the nature and design of it, might with propriety be denominated The Christian Monitor.

The former of these, namely, a catechetical exhibition of the fulness and precision of the sacred scriptures upon the entire subject of faith and duty would, if duly executed, demonstrably evince their perfect sufficiency independent of human inference, of the dictates of private judgment; and would, at the same time, inevitably lead the professing subject to learn every thing, respecting his faith and duty, at the mouth of God, without any reference to human authority, to the judgment or opinions of men. This would, at once, free the great majority of professing christians from that perplexing uncertainty and implicit faith to which so many of them are unhappily subjected, by the interposition of human definitions and opinions between them and the Bible; many of which are erroneous; and also many of which they are unable to understand, so as to determine certainly, whether they be just and scriptural, or not. By such an exhibition, therefore, would professed christians be delivered, not only from these perplexing and dangerous evils (“their faith,” by this means, “no longer standing in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God; not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth,”) but they would also become better acquainted with the scriptures of truth, with that all-important word which shall judge them in the last day: and at the same time, would come to possess a much more ample and enlarged view of the alone sufficiency and perfection of the scriptures themselves; advantages these of no small moment to the interest of christianity. A performance of this nature might with apparent propriety, be called the Christian Catechism.

In consequence of these considerations it is proposed and intended, with the approbation and under the patronage of the Christian Association of Washington, to forward as fast as possible the publication of the works above described, viz, To publish in numbers monthly by subscription, commencing with the year 1810, a work entitled the Christian Monitor, each number to consist of 24 pages, stitched in blue, price 12½ cents, type and paper as in the foregoing address. The numbers to be delivered to the subscribers at the respective places appointed for distribution. The execution of this work to commence as soon as 500 annual subscribers can be obtained. It is to be understood, that a number for each month will be duly delivered; though it is probable that the first two or three numbers may come together, as it is not likely, that the number of subscribers above specified can be obtained in time to commence the publication in the month of January, now so near at hand.

Also to prepare for the press and proceed to publish as soon as a competent number of subscribers can be obtained, a work entitled the Christian Catechism, to consist of upwards of one hundred pages, type and paper as above, price 50 cents. There will be prefixed to this work a dissertation upon the perfection and sufficiency of the holy scriptures; in which care will be taken to detect and expose, that unhappy ingenuity, which has been so frequently exerted to prevent and wrest them, from the obvious purpose for which they were graciously designed.