Thomas Campbell
1763-1854

A Biographical Sketch On The Life Of Thomas Campbell

    Carlyle said: "A true delineation of the smallest man is capable of interesting the greatest man." Again, he said: " Great men, taken up in any way, are profitable company. We cannot look upon a great man without gaining something from him" No one can study the elements of greatness in men without being profited thereby.

    Truly a study of the lives of great men not only remind us that " we can make our lives sublime," but such a study also inspires us to greater achievements and instructs us in the way of true greatness. The study of great men reveals to us great lessons. Any man who lives nobly and serves faithfully is a great man. Many of earth's greatest characters have lived and died without their names being enrolled on the pages of history. They were great because they filled their mission on earth and glorified God. The world's standard of greatness and God's standard so often differ widely.

    Our Lord set the true standard of greatness while here upon earth. He said: "Whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister." (Mark 10: 43.) The standard of greatness is determined by the service that one renders to his fellows The world knows nothing of its greatest men, because its standard of greatness does not include the elements of service. The faithful minister of the gospel who sets the example of Christian living and teaches the children of men to follow the Lord Jesus Christ is a great man. Thomas Campbell may be put in this class.

    He was born in the county of Down, in Northern Ireland, on February 1, 1763. His parents were devout and taught him to reverence God. His father was first a Catholic and then became a member of the Church of England. He was accustomed to saying that he " served God according to Act of Parliament" His son, Thomas, did not choose to serve God in such a way. He entered. the Church of the Secession which we now know as the Presbyterian Church. The Secession Church was composed of those who had rebelled against the Established Church of England. His education was begun early in his life and was thorough He first entered the University of Glasgow and after graduating from this university he entered the Divinity School at Whitburn for theological training. His father was anxious that he enter the ministry of the Church of England but his son chose rather to serve God " as it is written" than to serve him " according to Act of Parliament." This greatly displeased his father.

    After finishing his training at the Divinity School young Campbell gave himself to teaching and preaching for some years. He was married, in June, 1787, to Jane Corneigle. His first son, Alexander Campbell, was born while Thomas Campbell was teaching and preaching in the county of Armagh, not far from the town of Newry. Thomas Campbell found in his wife a very encouraging helpmeet, for she was a diligent student of the Bible, and they had regular worship in their home. His salary as teacher and preacher was very small, averaging about two hundred and fifty dollars a year. He saw that he could not support his family on such a small income. When his son, Alexander, was seventeen years old, he associated him with himself and opened a school of his own near Rich Hill. After several years of hard work as teacher, and at the same time discharging the duties of a Presbyterian minister, his health became impaired. His physicians advised him to change his work and seek for another climate.

    Thomas Campbell left his school in charge of Alexander Campbell and planned to make a trip to America. He left his native land on April 1, 1807, and after sailing for thirty-five days he came to Philadelphia The Synod of North America was in session at Philadelphia when he arrived there. He was cordially received by the synod and was commended to preach in Washington County, Pa. The spirit of sectarianism was very bitter at that time in that region. Even different branches of the Presbyterian faith would have no fellowship with each other. Thomas Campbell deplored such a state of affairs and sought to bring about peace between the discordant branches of the Presbyterian faith. He encouraged members of different churches to come together and eat the Lord's Supper with the members of his church. This displeased his church, and he was brought before the presbytery for trial. He acknowledged what he had done and pleaded with the presbytery for Christian liberty and fraternity but his efforts were in vain. The presbytery severely rebuked him. He then appealed to the synod, which acquitted him; however, it rebuked him for his course. Feeling in his own church ran high toward him, and he finally withdrew from the synod This left him as an independent preacher, with no denominational ties or obligations.

    He continued to preach, but was excluded from the church houses. He preached in groves and private houses. He always pleaded openly and boldly for Christian liberty and union upon the principle taught in the Bible. People thronged to hear him. He soon found many intelligent and pious people who were dissatisfied with religious parties and the intolerance of sectarianism which prevailed at that time He called a special meeting at the house of Abraham Altars, and at this meeting he declared his conviction that the word of God as revealed in the Bible was all-sufficient as a basis of union and cooperation for Christians. This condemned all creeds. He then stoutly urged all to abandon everything in religion for which there could not be produced the word of the Lord. He announced the famous statement: " Where the Scriptures speak, we speak; and where the Scriptures are silent, we are silent" This became the slogan for all who gave up creeds and took the Bible alone as their rule of faith and worship in the service of God. His health was greatly improved and he decided to make America his home. He sent for his family to come to him Alexander Campbell, with his mother and the other children, arrived in America in 1808. His son fully endorsed the stand which his father had taken. On August 17, 1809, "The Christian Association of Washington" was formed. On September 8, 1809, Thomas Campbell issued his memorable " Declaration and Address." This marked the beginning of the great movement known as " The Restoration Movement" It was not long before a church was organized on the basis of the principles expressed in the "Declaration and Address," and at Brush Run, in 1811, a congregation of independent immersed believers was organized. This church continued to meet and worship for several months without any affiliation with any denomination. However Thomas Campbell and his son, Alexander, were not entirely free from denominational conception of things. They as yet did not see the full liberty that a church patterned after the New Testament order could enjoy. This church united with " The Redstone Baptist Association." It was not in full sympathy with Baptist doctrine, but the association accepted this church into its fellowship. It continued as a member of this association for some time.

    In 1813, Thomas Campbell moved to Cambridge, Ohio, and opened a school there. He continued to preach and taught school there for two years, and then moved to Pittsburgh, Pa. He next moved to Newport, Ky., and taught for some time in the academy at Burlington. He returned to Washington County, Pa., in 1819. Very little progress had been made in the work of reform during these six years of his absence. When he returned, he encouraged his son, Alexander, to take up the fight between sectarianism and union as revealed in the Bible Alexander soon became the leader of the movement, and Thomas Campbell, in the public eye, played a less important part. Alexander Campbell began publishing the Christian Baptist. This was circulated largely among the Baptists, and the principles which Thomas Campbell had announced in his " Declaration and Address " grew in favor with the people and the movement made great strides. Thomas Campbell had corrected his views in regard to baptism and had encouraged all others to do the same.

     Although Thomas Campbell was overshadowed in the leadership of his son, Alexander, yet his gifted son never failed to seek his father's advice and counsel. Thomas Campbell stands at the head of the list of great men who took part in the " Restoration Movement." He made frequent tours preaching in Western Pennsylvania and the Western Reserve of Ohio. He was untiring in his labors and his success was wonderful. While he was not the greatest factor in the "Restoration Movement," he was a very potent factor in it. He was the first to begin the work of calling upon all who loved the Lord to unite upon the Bible and throw away all creeds and disciplines.

    Thomas Campbell continued his work of preaching the gospel regularly until he was eighty-three years of age. He continued to travel among the churches after he was unable to do much preaching, and did a fine work in encouraging the churches. His last sermon was preached in his eighty-ninth year, just a few weeks before his death. His long and useful life came to an end peacefully on January 4, 1854, at Bethany Va. (now Bethany, W. Va.) His body is mingled with the dust of Bethany, while the great principles which he espoused and taught move on to the glory of God. His son, Alexander Campbell, wrote of him: "I never knew a man, in all my acquaintance of men, of whom it could be said with more assurance that he , 'walked with God.' "

From Biographical Sketches Of Gospel Preachers
H. Leo Boles, Gospel Advocate Company
Nashville, Tennessee, 1932, pages 13-18

Chronology On The Life Of Thomas Campbell Year Date Event 1763 Feb. 1 Birth, near Newry, County Down, Ireland 1783-1786   University of Glasgow. Influenced by Scottish "common sense" philosophy of Thomas Reid 1787   Entered theological seminary of Anti-Burgher Seceder Presbyterian Ch. Conducted by Archibald Bruce at Whitburn, midway between Edinburgh and Glasgow Attended 8-week session for 5 years (1787-1791). 1787   Married Jane Corneigle, who was descended from a French Hugenot family. First child, Alexander, born Sept. 12, 1788 1798-1807   Pastor at Rich Hill, Ireland (35 mi. northeast of Belfast) 1805   Led effort to reunite Burghers and Anti-Burghers. Reunited in 1820 1807   To America. Motives: (1) ill health, (2) greater opportunities for family. Found Associate Synod, (Seceder) in session Washington, Pa. in Philadelphia. Assigned to Chartiers Presbytery 1807   Charges brought against Campbell in Presbytery. Points at issue: (1) nature of faith; (2) authority of confessions of faith. 1808   Trial conducted in Chartiers Presbytery. Campbell appealed his case to Synod. Synod found him guilty and Campbell was "rebuked and admonished." Given preaching appointments in Philadelphia. Reassigned to Chartiers Presbytery. But Campbell found he was not welcome and severed his ties with Presbytery. 1809   Christian Association of Washington. Declaration and Address written and adopted by Assoc. Family arrived from Ireland. Shipwreck in 1808 had caused them to spend nearly a year in Glasgow. 1810   Applied for recognition as minister in regular Presbyterian Church. Application was refused. 1811   Christian Association of Washington became Brush Run church. 1812   Immersion of Thomas and Alexander Campbell by Matthias Luce. 1813   Brush Run church admitted to Redstone Association (Baptist). 1814   Move to Cambridge, Ohio. Preached and operated school. 1815   Move to Pittsburg, Pa. Est. school with help of Nathaniel Richardson. Organized church in Pittsburg, but was refused membership in Redstone Association (1816). 1817   Moved to Newport, Ky. (opposite Cincinnati). Forbidden to teach negroes. 1819   Moved to Bethany to assist in Buffalo Seminary 1828   Assisted Walter Scott in evangelism on Western Reserve. 1829   Edited Christian Baptist while AC was at Va. Constitutional Convention 1830   Trip through Ky. Attended association meetings when division came. 1831-1832   Tour of churches in Virginia. 1833   Written discussion of atonement with Barton Stone in Millennial Harbinger and Christian Messenger. 1833-1834   Tour of North Carolina. 1830's   Often edited MH when AC was away on extended trips. 1839-1840   Discussion of names “Disciple" and “Christian.” Differed with AC. 1843-1854   Retirement at Bethany. Views on slavery published in MH in 1845, “No Christian can either approve or practice it.” Blind after 1848. “Farewell” sermon at Bethany church in 1851. 1854 Jan. 4 He dies at Bethany, just a month before 91st birthday. —Bill J. Humble, Readings In The Restoration Movement, page 10

Directions To The Grave Of Thomas Campbell

Thomas Campbell is buried in Campbell Family Cemetery called, God's Acre. It lies up the hill from the old family mansion in little town of Bethany, West Virginia. There are a number of ways to get to Bethany. If you are traveling on I-?? in West Virginia take the ?? Exit in Wheeling. Travel North about 10 miles to the town of Bethany. Travel through Bethany, noting as you travel through that at one time Alexander Campbell owned most all the land you are traveling through. When getting to the other side of the college proceed toward the mansion on the outskirts of town. At the visitors center you will turn to the right going up a hill toward the cemetery. There are two cemeteries up the hill. One is a community cemetery to the right. The other is on the left, set off by itself. There is a large rock wall surrounding the cemetery. You will have to climb the rock stair over the wall to enter the cemetery. Once inside there are numerous graves of gospel preacher and their wives and families that were either related to the Campbells or to Bethany College. 

Born in County Down, Ireland, Feb. 1, 1763, And Died At The Residence Of His Son Alexander, January 4, 1854. Aged 91 years, 11 months, 5 days. Many Years, The Minister Of The Secession Presbyterian Church In Ireland And Scotland. In The United States, Upon The Arrival Of His Family In America in 1809, Who Withdrew From The Presbyterian Community. And Advocated  A Platform Of Primitive Christianity In Conjunction With His Son, Alexander. He Labored In This With Much Success. More Than 40 Years Of Christian Learning And Piety, He Had Few Equals As A Christian Minister, Husband, Father, Few Superiors. Strong In Faith And Hope, He Triumphed Over Death And Reposes In Jesus Without A Sorrow Or Fear.
Happy Are The Dead Who Die In The Lord. For They Rest From Their Labors And Their Works Do Follow Them.

A number of years ago, the headstone of Thomas Campbell went missing. A replacement was produced and put in its place {shown above}. A boy playing in a field found the old stone in Wheeling, WV, some miles away. It was returned to the care of the original owners and is now on display in the Genealogy Room upstairs in the Campbell Mansion.

History Home       History Index Page