From Separate Identity, vol 1 [ https://www.amazon.com/Separate-Identity-Organizational-Readers-1870-1887/dp/1304969401 ]
Christadelphian
Connections
A
number of writers postulate a Christadelphian connection. Among more modern
writers one finds repeated references to Benjamin Wilson as a Christadelphian.
Russell, they say, got his ideas from Wilson’s Emphatic Diaglott, and Wilson was a Christadelphian. This is a fable. Wilson, son
of an Oxford professor of Greek and an immigrant to North America, was associated first with the Campbellites. He was
attracted to John Thomas’ teachings but he and Thomas quickly parted company.
Thomas was bitter and vituperative. Newell Bond addressed the issue in a letter
to Thomas dated October 29, 1866, pointing to Thomas’ “sarcasm and [the] sport made of
others who have believed and obeyed the same Gospel.” Such “go not very far
with candid, thinking men as arguments in defense of the truth,” Bond wrote.
Thomas’ reply was that Wilson was “of that class I am commanded to avoid.” He
called Wilson a “rabid politician” and one of “the world’s own.” “I
repudiate in toto the idea of such having like precious faith with the
Apostles.” Thomas did not see Wilson as a Christadelphian. Wilson repudiated the association. Not at all ashamed of his
repeated ad hominem attacks, Thomas published the letters for all to
read.[1]
Because
One Faith believers and Christadelphians draw from the same Literalist roots,
Christadelphians speculated about a connection with Russell. Without confirming
it, Christadelphian writers asserted that Russell was once “connected with the
truth.”[2]
When “The Photo Drama of Creation” was released, The Christadelphian
described it as a “piece of apostasy from the truth from which we understand
Pastor Russell was in some way connected many years ago.”[3]
The editors of The Berean Christadelphain went further:
About 50 years ago a man named Russell attended
meetings of Christadelphians in Glasgow. He picked up part of the Truth and then went to America. There he started a new sect, which he called The
International Bible Students' Association. Popularly its members were soon
known as “Russellites” and he himself as “Pastor Russell.” We heard him on two
occasions expound his ideas of religion.[4]
These
claims constitute a self-serving myth. Still, Russell was acquainted with
Christadelphian theology. He used their descriptors, calling Watch Tower congregations Ecclesias and traveling evangelists
Pilgrims. His topic during a speaking tour in late June 1880 was “Things
Pertaining to the Kingdom of God,”
a characteristically Christadelphian topic and phrasing.[5] We
shouldn’t read too much into that. The topic is derived from Acts 1:3 and was
used by many who were not Christadelphians. As we shall see in the next
chapter, his theology was not derived from that source. It came from the
Age-to-Come movement centered on The Restitution. Because the doctrines
are somewhat similar and Christadelphians saw the One Faith movement as “vile,”
they preferred to see themselves as the source. “He was once in touch with
Christadelphains, and is much indebted to their writings for what good his system
may contain,” one editor wrote.[6]
We
cannot date with any assurance Russell’s first encounter with
Christadelphianism. An “old brother Cattelle” claimed to have known him “many
years ago” in Allegheny or Pittsburgh.
We cannot date this, nor can we identify which Cattelle this was. That leaves
us with an interesting claim but no way to evaluate it. It is probable that
Russell’s introduction to Christadelphian teaching came early. Adherents were
often isolated and attended meetings sponsored by others with similar faith,
trying to persuade them to Christadelphian belief. A. E. Williamson, a Watch Tower evangelist, recalled an example of this. He reported
that he had to contend with “a Christadelphian, who seemed much incensed
because the discourse was so lengthy that he could not have a good opportunity
to express himself.”[7]
John H. Thomas, a physician,
moved to Pittsburgh toward the end of 1879.[8] The
Christadelphian noted him as a subscriber resident in Canada in 1867. By his advent in Pittsburgh he was straddling the line between One Faith and
Christadelphianism. Letters and articles from him appear in The Restitution,
one of which Russell reprinted in abridged form.[9]
Some of Thomas’ lectures were reissued in tract form and sold through The
Restitution.
If Russell and Thomas
associated on any sort of friendly basis, that ended in 1882 with the
publication of Food for Thinking Christians. A brief notice found in The
Christadelphian of 1882 says that “Dr. Thomas lectured twice at Berwick, Pa., and once at Bloomsburg, Pa., at which places he did much to neutralize the
influence of that subtle enemy of God’s truth, called Russellism, which is a
mottled mixture of truth and Universalism.”[10]
He was tarring Watch Tower belief in a fair chance for all with the brush of
Universalism. There is no Universalism in “Russellism.” To The Restitution
he wrote: “I am sorry to say that the believers here are tinctured a little
with Russellism, which is subversive of the truth as it is in Jesus.”[11]
It is interesting to note that Berwick, Pennsylvania, believers were on Russell’s speaking itinerary in
June 1880.
Thomas drew the small remnant
of the original Church of God
(Age-to-Come) congregation to himself, acting as its pastor. A letter from a Restitution
reader noted that a “body of believers has been called out in Pittsburgh, and that they meet regularly every week” in Thomas’
home.[12]
The congregation continued to have mixed views, and Thomas was willing to
tolerate these. This caused controversy among his Christadelphian associates. A
“brother Gunn” wrote to the editor of The Christadelphian complaining
about Thomas. The main complaint seems to have been about his less than pure
associates: “I had hoped that some of the brethren in the United States would
have cautioned you long ago against Dr J. H. Thomas, who certainly is not sound
in doctrine, and is striving to hold a position in which he can do great damage
to the truth – passing as a Christadelphian and fraternizing with the vile Restitution.”
A letter to the editor of The Christadelphian appearing in the April
1883 issue suggested that he seemed “to hold the truth himself, but is
unprepared to exact it in every particular as the basis for fellowship with
others.” R. K. Bowles, a fairly prominent One Faith adherent and contributor to
The Restitution, commented on this, writing: “I think his remarks are
uncharitable and I read them with regret. I do not know that I have seen all
that Dr. T. has written, but what I have seen I highly commend, and hope he may
prove himself worthy as a good soldier ever to the end.”[13]
Thomas left Pittsburgh for Rochester, New York, about 1883 and the small congregation dwindled. He
circulated a broadside announcing his removal to Rochester. “Read and be Wise,” it said. “Dr. J. H. Thomas &
Wife (late of Pittsburg, Pa.) at the Earnest Solicitation of Friends Have Removed
to this City ... They Have Established
for Themselves a Widespread Reputation in the Treatment of Chronic Diseases of
Every Description by Electricity.” Thomas continued to lecture on
Christadelpian topics and to promote quack medicines.[14]
He was as positive about his unfailing cures as he was about his religion.
Lucius C. Thomas, John’s
brother, left Pittsburgh sometime in 1882, returning in 1888 for his son’s
funeral. He does not seem to have been a Christadelphian or even sympathetic to
them. He was an American-born Electro-Medical Physician but a resident of Canada in 1870. The 1871 Census lists their church
affiliation as “Church of God,”
which would mark them as Age-to-Come (One Faith). His repeated contacts with The
Restitution verify this. When his son Irving died in September 1888, G. D. Clowes preached the
funeral sermon and The Restitution printed his obituary as written by
his father:
He had been an obedient and constant believer of “the
gospel of Christ …” for many years. … Elder Cloughs [sic] of Allegheny City …
talked to the people about ‘the hope and resurrection of the dead,’ very
appropriately and ably; showing that while Atheism, Infidelity, Skepticism,
Philosophy and Science can afford no comfort in the time of such bereavements
and heart-rending grief, the Scriptures present us with ‘a strong consolation’
– a ‘blessed hope.’”[15]
We do
not know what connection Lucius had with Clowes or Russell. It is interesting,
however, that he sought out Clowes instead of any of the Christadelphian
adherents.
The Pittsburgh Age-to-Come congregation shifted to
Christadelphianism by 1893. Henry Cornman wrote to The Christadelphian in
late 1893 describing a series of lectures held in Pittsburgh. They added two to their number, he explained, but
numbers remained small. What interest there was in Christadelphianism was
undercut by Watch Tower evangelism. Cornman wrote that, “being myself
acquainted with many who have been drawn to the Russell Party, of Zion Watch Tower fame, our giving up the hall at this time would be
very much deplored.” He saw the loss in numbers and worried.[16] Similar
complaints continued up to Russell’s death. In 1916 The Christadelphian described
“Russellism” as “the system … that has beguiled some among us.”
One must remember that both groups were very
small, and though they saw their teachings as of major consequence, they were
only marginally influential as religious movements. A continuing
Christadelphian complaint was that The Watch Tower drew away “the
faithful.” Louis B. Welch, most often called ‘Dr. Welch,’ a dentist in Shire
Oaks, Pennsylvania, bemoaned this: “There are many of the faithful who
read Russell’s works, and some have allowed their minds to be bewitched by his
spiritual sorceries. He is very plausible to those who do not look deeply into
the truth.” The difference between Welch and Russell was Christadelphian
willingness to find types and symbolisms where Russell saw only the Bible’s
plain statements.[17]
Welch wrote
to Russell, trying to convert him to Christadelphian belief. He didn’t like the result:
I know the man. I have corresponded with him. I know
he is immovably fixed in his beliefs. I cannot therefore be “charitable” to his
work, a work so deadly to the truth. He is the bitter, relentless enemy of the
truth, though professing friendship for it. He must be treated as an enemy of
the truth, and his teaching must be antagonised with all the power of truth at
one’s command, regardless of how it may hurt his feelings or wound his vanity,
or how it may affect those who, in any way, sympathise with his teachings.[18]
Welch
presented Russell’s teaching, which he called Watch-Towerism, as denying “the
very foundation of future life and being to us” and as a deadly insult to God
and His truth.” Watch-Towerism was worse than Catholicism, worse than
Adventism. Welch was disturbed at the significant sympathy for Russell he found
among Christadelphian believers, writing:
And you, a brother, a Christadelphian,
ask me to be charitable towards such teaching “because of the great work done”
by the chief apostle of “Watch-Towerism!” Ah, brother, brother, do you know
what you are asking at my hands and at the hands of others who know the length
and breadth and depth of “Watch-Towerism?” God forbid that I or you or others
should ever subject His truth to such a kiss of charity.
Sympathetic voices continued to be raised among
Christadelphian adherents up to Russell’s death. In 1915 The Christadelphian
released two “cheap” pamphlets to counter sympathies for “Russellism, some of
the tenants of which have found favour here and there in the brotherhood.” The
magazine “commended” them to “those who may be inclined to be smitten with
‘charitableness’ of this plausible ‘heresy.’” Russellism was, the editor said, “a
greatly perverted” system.[19]
Russell was unquestionably familiar with Christadelphian
belief. He rejected major portions of it, especially their “narrow” view of
salvation. None of his doctrine is traceable to that source. Instead it comes
from the One Faith movement with its similar, sometimes overlapping doctrine.
[1] N.
Bond and J. Thomas: Important Correspondence Between a Member of the
Self-Styled “Church of God,” Cleveland, Ohio, and John Thomas, M. D.,
Christadelphian Association, Detroit, Michigan, 1867. Wilson repudiated Christadelphian connections in an
interview with J. Bohnet published in the April 4, 1916, issue of The Saint Paul, Minnesota, Enterprise.
[2] The
Christadelphian,
Digital Edition, 1913, 50:359.
[3] The
Christadelphian, Digital Edition, 1915, 52:324.
[4] C. G. Denny and B. J. Dowling: “Turned Unto Fables,” The
Berean Christadelphian, December 1940, page 417.
[5] C. T. Russell: The Editor’s Eastern Trip, Zion’s Watch
Tower, June 1880, page 8.
[6] The
Christadelphian, Digital Edition, 1918, 55:450-455.
[7] Williamson in 1907 Convention Report, part 2.
[8] Because there is no date associated with J. H. Thomas’
article as it appeared in Zion’s Watch Tower, some have confused him
with the similarly named founder of the Christadelphians who died in 1871.
[9] J. H. Thomas: The Creditability of Scripture – Extracts
from an Address by Dr. J. H. Thomas before the “Liberal League” (an Infidel
Society) of this City, Zion’s Watch Tower, June 1881, page 3. The full lecture
appears in the May 18, 1881,
issue of The Restitution. See the June
1, 1881, issue for an advertisement for the lecture in pamphlet
form. We could not locate a copy of the pamphlet,
[10] The Christadelphian¸ Digital Edition, 1882 19:192-193.
[11] J. H. Thomas to Editor of The Restitution in the February 22, 1882, issue.
[12] Samuel Wilson to Editor of The Restitution in the November 8, 1882, issue. S.
Wilson attributed the information to L. C. Thomas, a Pittsburgh
physician and John H. Thomas’ brother.
[13] Gunn’s complaint is found in the January 1882 issue of The
Christadelphian. Bowles’ letter is found in the May 23, 1883, issue of The Restitution.
[14] The only copy of the broadside known to us is in the medical
library of the University of Rochester, New York. Thomas claimed to be able to
unfailingly cure asthma with a formula of Nitrite of Amyl, lobelia, skunk cabbage
and blood root. [Claims to Cure Asthma, The Medical World, June 1906,
page 219.] Sermon notices appear in various New York
state newspapers.
[15] L. C. Thomas: Death of Irving O. Thomas, The Restitution¸
September 19, 1888.
[16] The Christadelphian, Digital Edition, 1894, 31:208.
[17] The Christadelphian, Digital Edition, 1891,
28:130-131. Welch wrote at least one pamphlet, The Recovered Truth in the
Latter Days. He patented several inventions, including a carriage break. He
was an explorer of sorts and a fossil find was named after him. Before moving
to Pennsylvania, he lived in Wilmington,
Ohio, where he and his son had a dental
practice. – Dr. Chas. Welch, The Dental Cosmos, November 1900. page
1236.
[18] The
Christadelphian,
Digital Edition, 1894, 31:428-431.
[19] The
Christadelphian, Digital Edition, 1915, 52:324.
