The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-03-17
A Sketch Of the Life and Public Career OF
Alexander Campbell.


nished to the public a brief "sketch of the life
and public career of the late ALEXANDER CAMP
BELL" from which most Of the statements
which follow were taken:
Alexander Campbell was born i'm the county
Of Antrim, Ireland, in the year 1879, and was
educated, as was his father before him, at the
University of Glasgow, Scotland-both OF
them as Presbyterian ciSrgymen. Thomas
campbell. the poet, was relative and class
mate of his father. On the one side his ances-
rry was of Scotch origin, and on the other
Uuguenot French. He immigratcd TO this
country in the year 1909, two years after his
father. bringing with him his mother and
Younger brothers and sisters, and settled at
fY>, in Washington county, Pennsylvania,
rcar the spot bethany in this State TO
which he soon afterward removed and on
which hc lived continuously for more than
haf century Ii was in this romantic and
remote spot in the world TO which
he had come, amid peaceful agricultural
pursuits, and in the prosecution OF those
studies beflttmg his calling rs minister
of the Gospel, that Alexander Campbell $
long and eNrlttul public career began
He began Is Martin Luther and John Wesley
hegan. not as would be reyolutonist, but as
4 rrlormer Of his own Immediate " household
Of faith" He looked forward To no new de-
nomination, but simply TO the correction OF
what he regarded as vital errors and nnoya-
;iOns that had been fastened upon the primi-
tive gospel as preached III the pulpits of that
day. He startled those with whom he was In
communion by the declaration that "Cnrls-
tian Union can result from nothing short of
the destruction of creeds and confessions of
faith, inasmuch as human creeds and confes-
>ions have destroyed Christian Union" That
whenever the setting aside of creeds and
confessions shall be attempted, Chris tians will
give TO the world, and TO angels, and to
themselves. proof that they do believe the
word of God This was Mr.. Campbells first
great distinctive enuuciation or dogma. He
hell following
truths, viz: THAT nothing ought to be
ceived into the faith or worship of the church,
or be made Il term of communion among
Christians, that is not Is old as the New Testa-
ment. Nor ought anything to be admitted as
of Divine obligation i'll the Church constitu-
ton or management save what IS enJolned by
The authority of our Lord Jesus Christ and
his Apostles upon the New Testament Church.
either i'll express terms or by approved prece
dent
ON the foregoing declarations, Mr.. Camp
bell took his stand, and the consequence was,
that after having been arraigned as the - set
ter forth of strange doctrines" he separated
from the Presbyterian communion, and began
10 appear in public in defence of his views
For some years, perhaps ten, he was then
nomnally Baptist indeed, preached rs Il
Baptist and WAS connected with the ''Asso-
ciatious" as such. Rev. DR.. JETER, of this
city, who became acquainted with him at the
Dover Association, held in the county Of Es-
sen Virginia in the year 1925, says rs TO his
standing in the Baptist Church:
He then, for the first time, made his appear
auce in Eastern Virginia, his recently pub
nshpd debate with Rev. William l.. McCaila
having prepared the minds of the brethren 10
give him a cordial greeting, and to rally around
him rs able champion of their peculiar
views He was then esteemed prodigy OF
learning"
As TO the man, DR.. JETER says:
Both in the pulpit and in private inter
course there was an ATTRACTIVE freshness aho
yvacity in his remarks. His intellect seemed
10 be remarkable for its qnickness, feruhty,
and readiness 10 adapt itself to changing CIR
cumstances On any subject that might he
bIoached, his resources in conversation seemed
10 be literally exhaustiess.'
The debate" alluded to by DR.. JETER was
the second public one in which Mr.. CAMPBELL
had engaged. 1t was had in 1928 in Mount
Washington, Ky He and Mr.. McCALLA dis
cussed the subject of "Christian Baptism.
Three years before he had debated with the
Rev. JoHx WALKER, a minister of the Seces-
sion Presbyterian Church of Ohio, ut Mount
Pleasant, and had been listened TO by immense
crowds.
Followed next his debate with Robert Owen
at Cincinnati in the year lS2S, on the truth OF
Christianity next his debate in the same city
in the year 1886, with Archbishop Purcell, on
the Infallbilty of the Church of Rome and,
finally, in the year 1913, his debate with the
Rev. DR.. N l.. Rice, held in the city OF Lex
iugton, Ky, the specific points OF which were
"the action, subject, design, and admins stration
OF Christian baptism; also, the character
OF spiritual influence in conversion ana sancu-
hcaton,' and the expediency ana tendency
of ecclesiastical creeds us terms OF union ana
communion" This debate with Dr. Rice en-
braced period of eighteen days, and was con-
Quoted before large and interesting assembly,
Henry Clay presiding us moderator, assisted
by some of the first men of Kentucky. a ike
interest had been shown in the owens ahu
Purcell debates at Cincinnati, which were
thronged by eminent theolosians from all
parts of the country.
In the year 1928, Mr.. CAAPBELL's career as
Journalist began, at which period he estab-
lished, al his home in Bethany, the Rrtsttan
BnpttSt, which was, after many years, sue
ceeded by the nillcastai Iarbinger, of which
journal Mr.. CAMPBELL was proprietor at the
time of his death.
In 1929 80, Mr.. CAMPBELL was member Vi
the Virginia Convention to reform the consul
tuition; but his reputation was not increased
by his speeches or propositions in that body.
lie was out of his element. Indeed, In body
which numbered among its members JOHN
RANDOLPH, Chief Justice MARSHALL, BENJAMIN
WATKINS LEIGH, CHAPMAN JOHNSON, Ex-Pre-
sdent MONROE, p. +. BARBECUE, PHILLIP Dop-
bridge, and other great constitutional law
yers ii was not strange that clergyman
should fail 10 dis tinguish himself.
1t was about the year 1882 we think, when
Mr Campbell separated from the communion
vi The Baptist Church. He became the recog-
hiLed head Of a new religious sect. as IL was
generally esteemed, called Familiarity the
Campbelte Baptist denomination-butc called
by himself aud the membershipof the Church
the disciples. This denomination TOOK It's orr
Sin IRON the teachings OF hImseH ana Ms
ia'her more than half a century ago, and now
numbers, II is said, weli-n half million OF
aaberents, who are especially numerous IN the
states OF Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, missouri
kentucky, and Tennessee. Their peculiarities
Us people are, that they discard all human
creeds and confessions of faith, and take the
Bible alone as a perfect and ali-sucient RUE
OF faith and practice, esteeming all command
inents and traditions OF men ms necessarily
iaiiibie, supererogatory, and in derogation OF
the hii-sufciency, as well as the express IN
functions, OF the Word Of God. Another pc
cniiarity Is. that they partake of the Sacrament
OF the Lords Supper every Sunday, or First
Day of the Week They believe, also, that
Christian Baptism can only be performed by
immersion--and that there In no warrant,
either In the example Of Christ himself, or In
the teachings and practice Of Hts Apostles. for