The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-03-06

i i"
tians, thatis not as old as .theSew
Testament. Nor ought apythingo he
nadnlittedi as of Divine 0bligatiQ in
"the church constitution or mango
tslment, save what is enjoined b.,the
authority of our Lord Jesus Qrist
land his Apostles upon the NeWTesr
:" lament church, either in express erms
J /" or by approved precedent. ,'i9i i-iti,i
II On the foregoing declaration Mr..
Campbell took his stand, and tn con-
sequence was that after having ben ar.
4 raigned as the isetter forth of STANCE
doctrines" and the would be fonder
of new sect, (which accusations q re-
!, ,Epelled by saying that '.there is nqhing
J new in ChriStianity',i he isepCated
'front.' the Presbyterianc communioI and
began to appear in public in defese of
his views and in vindicatton of hS en-
tire orthodoxy We have not spec in
a briefjmemoir like this to foll0J Mir.
Campbell's career as ayFeligiouscQtro-
versalist, both in print ana in thlpul-
pit. Neither would il, be proper Br us
TO attempt anything beyond SUD an
! outline us BELTS u secular paper and
affords an intelligent glance at
the views of a man famous atihe
time of his death Throughout he
Christian world. His debates, in tie
regularlopder OF their occurrence, Wee
as follows:-With the Rev. John Wall
Ter, a minister of the Presby-
lterian church in the State of Ohio, held
ut Mt. Pleasant in the year 1920. This
debate .created a great local Interest
throughout all this section of country
and was attended by a vast concourse
Iofpeople.5 Next followed his debate
with the Rev. William McCalla on
"Christian Baptism" held in Washing
ton, kentucky, in the year 1925 next
his debate with Robert Owen, at Gin
cinnati, in the year 1928, on the truth OF
| Christianity; next his debate in the
same city in the year 1895 with Arch
| bishop Purcell, on the Lnfallibility OF
the Church Of Rome; and, finally, in
the year lS43, his debate with the Rev.
DIR. N. l.. Rice, held in the city, of Lex
ington, Kentucky, the specific points
| of which were .Estiie action, subject, de-
Lsign and administration of Christian
baptisn2' also the "eharacter of Spirit
ual influence in conversion and sane
tendency of 'ecclesihsticail4 creetls as
terms of union and communion" This
debate ewith Dr. Rice, embraced period
Of eighteen days, and was conducted
before a large eandinterested assembly,
Henry Clay presiding as Moderator,
assisted by some of the first men of
Kentucky: LCA likekinterestt had been
shown in the Owen and Purcell debates
ut Cincinnati, which were thronged by
eminent theologiaps, from all parts of
In the year 1923 Mr.. Campbcll's ca
reer as a journalist began, mt which
period he Established ut his house i'll
Bethany, the Christian Baptist. This
publication soon became TO the relig-
ious world what the I" Spectator had
been to the social -world7in the days of
Joseph Addison. Questions were
here freely propounded and dis
cussed between friends and opponents,
believers and unbelievers; correspond
ents were answered, accusations refu-
Inented upon with all the, freshness and
vigor which Mr.. Campbeli's active and
original mind infused into everything
that claimed his attention. Those who
would understand the full bearings of
his position to the religious world of
that period, and who would know how
ably and fearlessly 1ei sustained him
selffiui every variety of intelleet eetuafgen
counter, must go back to the bound
volumes of that publication. The.
/" "CgiriStidn BdpttStii- was, after many
years, succeeded by the Milleninl Har-
binger, ofwhich journal Mr.. Campbell
was proprietor at the time of his death.
" e have not space to notice hero, even
in cursory review, the written discus
sions which were Carried on in the Har-
binger with representative meniof the
various religious denominations. One.
of the most noted was probably a de-
bate on Universalism with the Rev. MIR.
Skinner of NewS ork. ,rliI
.Inlthe year 1910 Mr.. Campbell, in
pursuanceldf long cherished design.
founded Bethany College,, an institu-
ton which ever since has been the pride
of his life and around which his warm
esenffeetions seemed to 'twine. Toward
its founding and subsequent endow-
ment he gave his best energies. He
made the tour of the West and South
moreitha once in its behalf. His ap-
peals brought liberal responses from
the proverbially generous people OF
those sections, many of whom were so
devoted to him that they travelled tifty,
miles to hear him speak. Even Whit
field. In, the zenith Of his popularity,
never drew together crowds more COM
pletely under his influence, No re-
.iigious reforner ever was more
completely enshrined in the hearts
of his followers .thanm. WAS Alex
ander Campbell at the time of these
celebrated tours during the last twenty,
five wears. Hehad then begun to grow
old. and his head was whitening, his
views had spread far and wide among
the people, his name was penetated,
and thousands of men, women and
children regarded him with the fond
ness of tilidl atfection, And no wonder,
as any one would say, who during those
dnys coulG have seenIhim standing like.
Saul among the people. HIS whole
presence was commanding-hts enun-
citation was sonorous and magnetizinG,
his pronunciation was accurate and
scholarly in the eifirstidegree-the ont.
ward evidences of the highest mental
and moral discipline, combined with
original greatness, were unmistakable,
while his augmentation. was as lumi-
mons. and MS grand and all sweeping in
its cotnprehensivenes the sun light
itself. Men of all creeds heard him en-
raptured, and the tributes that were
paid him by the journals of the day
wherever he went were perhaps never
accorded to any luere theologian in this
country
Ever since founding Bethany College
he has been its President. Those who
have attended That institution do not
need to be told of its most interesting
feature. Mr.. Campbelps morning leo
lures, reported as many of them were
during late years for. publishers, viii
always be read and remembered. Al
chapter was read in the Bible ~ some
student selected in, alphabe etical order,
and then commented upon by the PIes-
ident. During these lectures he always
sat in his chair, and his remarks were
Of1the .easiess and most stconversntional
character. Frequently the whole hour
would be consumed ON the philology
generic terms, Mr.. Campbell always
Sonfended, had been the Ioundation of
untold errors in, Biblical science. In
an his debates and in all llconversations,
not less than in these lectures, he,
therefore, stated q proposition. strip
ped of every vestIge of amol-
guilty. by compelling a definition
81 Terms. These terms hesiwould
trace down to their. roots in the dead
Ianeuaaes. 1t was a custom with many