Preserving The Writings Of The Restoration Movement
The Who’s – The What’s – The Why’s – & The How’s
“The disciples don’t have popes, they have editors.” I can’t locate the exact quote but that is the gist of it. It understates the real, on-the-ground, situation among our forebears in the kingdom. Very often fellowship between groups of brethren would be withdrawn due to the “paper you took.” One good example of this was the dispute between the readers of the Gospel Advocate and those of the Firm Foundation. This dispute was over the subject of re-baptism; and was carried on in both journals . . . Well, I digress.
Religious journalism was of primary importance among those of the restoration movement. It began in 1809 when Elias Cobb presented the Herald of Gospel Liberty which was actually the very first recorded religious newspaper. From that fountainhead innumerable papers issued forth to be carried by the earliest brethren. Papers were issued for various reasons, supporting re-baptism, opposing various doctrines and practices like Universalism, schools, missionary societies, church music, etc. etc. If you held to some particular way or position there was likely a paper to support it.
Famous early papers such as The Christian Messenger (1826-1844) or Alexander Campbell’s Christian Baptist (1823-1829) were at the heart of this group. They dealt with various (false) doctrines and helped to hammer into shape doctrines to be held and actions to be done. Another early paper which I have always sought after was The Heretic Detector
which I am having the time of my life bringing back into circulation from near extinction.
I was able to locate copies in various historical societies across the mid-west; which was its original area of operation from 1837-1841.
If you had a message and were of some prominence, you most likely were an editor.
Men like the mighty Benjamin Franklin started small and grew while the paper, The American Christian Review waxed strong. The great teacher Tolbert Fanning, edited The Christian Review from 1844-1847.
Another very strong teacher who was an editor in the Midwest, was James M. Mathes; at the bow of The Christian Record from 1844 till mid-1850’s. He dealt with the Millerite scare of the 1840’s which would eventually take the form of the Seventh-Day Adventism.
It would have taken so many more souls with it if Mathes had not been there to check its mad rampage up to the prophetical failure in the 40’s. Many sold their homes and shops and climbed up into trees to be closer to the Lord when he was expected to return in
1844. Imagine their shock and horror when they realized that all was gone and they had to start all over again.
It was Mathes who reclaimed all those mistaken folks who began to return after the failure dates. What encouragement would they have needed! Would WE have been strong enough to help them? It all seems so easy and cut-and-dried now but back in those days the early saints had to be “studied out” of the denominations and then to taught to search the scriptures to find the right way to go. Again, could WE have done that? Those people (the editors of Restoration papers) were giants and we are standing on their shoulders!
Another mighty publication was Lard’s Quarterly which ran from 1864-1868 and was HUGE when dealing with error. Moses E. Lard, its editor, dealt with many of the trials and tribulations of the American (un)Civil War and the Reconstruction. Lard fled to Canada but started that great paper and brought it back with him when he returned. I am currently working on that paper as well and am learning so much from sitting at Lard’s feet.
Even today these old papers have tremendous value and can assist us in coming to the truth. The truth never changes, it is always there for us when we seek it with an open heart. “Seek and ye shall find. Knock and it shall be opened to you.” These are great principles to live by. That is why I have given my full time to recover and make available the works of those old warriors for brethren; especially brethren who are researchers in the restoration movement.
The resulting works are paginated (meaning the pages on the modern versions match those of the original-making it easier to find things). The original texts are blown up to 12-point font on 8.5 x 11 pages; so they are much easier to read and make notes on.
In an attempt to anticipate the needs of researchers; and to make them more-readily accessible; these works can also be obtained in electronic formats as .pdf; which are great for searching with a search engine.
To give you an idea on how a journal can be recovered if no existing copies are to be found in any of the school libraries. – – in doing The Heretic Detector we began by using www.worldcat.org to locate any copies of it. The Detector was in tiny pieces in different locations mostly in the Midwest. We contacted each place to see what they had and how much it would take to assemble a jigsaw puzzle of pieces (oh yes, it sure has its costs). We have received the pieces and are starting to assemble them.
It can be as easy as running it through a program which will read it and put it into a .docx (MS Word) file. In cases where the scanning software can’t do the job; I will use two alternate methods. One is simply to retype the section – – which is not for impatient folks.
The other method; which occurred to me one day; is to use speech-to-text software that will allow you read to the computer, which types the file – – a little unorthodox but it works.
Once you manage to create a word file of the entire manuscript, you create a proof which some resolute soul will have to read and correct. Once you have a perfected manuscript- you then upload them to Amazon/KDP publishing which will print a really professional copy. At that point we put them onto Amazon where they are today. To find an existing journal just run a search on Amazon and after a couple of clicks and spending some change you have your very own journal. They sell for between $13.99 and $19.99.
Now to give a list of what is where and when; papers now available are: i The American Christian Review i The Christian Messenger i The Christian Record i The Christian Review i Lard’s Quarterly i The Alabama Restoration Journal.
Papers still in process are: ! The Christian Baptist ! The Heretic Detector ! The Christian Pioneer ! The Western Evangelist ! The (original) Gospel Advocate ! Millennial Harbinger ! Religious Historian ! Gospel Guardian ! (and eventually,) Plain Truth.
That should be enough material to keep any historian fascinated for a long time.
If any reader has a paper that he would like us to explore, please do not hesitate to contact me. I greatly enjoy to do research and to recover those wonderful old soldiers!