The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1866-03-22
ALEXANDER CAMPBELL.
Sketch Of his Life and Public Career

The death Of Alexander Campbell ha
already been noticed in our columns. 1t
took place at Bethany, Brooke county,
Va, on Sunday evening, the 4th inst.
From q long account of his career con
tributed to the w heeling lntelligencer,
obviously by one who knew him well,
we condense the following interesting
details:
Alexander Campbell was born in the
county of Antrim, Ireland, in the year
1889, and was educated, As was his Ia
ther before him, at the University of
Glasgow, Scotland-both of them as
Presbyterian clergymen. Thomas Camp
bell, the poet, relative and class
mate of his father. On the one side his
ancestry was of Scotch origin, and on
the other Huguenot French. He immi-
grated to the country in the year 1909,
two years after his father, bringing with
him his mother and younger brothers
and sisters, and settled at first In Wash
ington county, Pennsylvania to which
he soon afterward removed and on which
he has lived continuously for more than
half century. That spot, now the viii
lage of Bethany, was then a wild and
secluded locality amid the hills. He
looked forward to no new denomination
but simply to the correction of what he
regarded as vital errors and Innovations
that had been fastened upon the prlml-
tive Gospel. His first great distinctive
enunciation or dogma was, that Chris
tian union can result from nothing short
of the destruction of creed and confes
sions of faith, inasmuch rs human
creeds and confessions have destroyed
Christian union" That Z" whenever the
setting aside of creeds and confessions
shall be attempted, Christians will give
to the world, and to angels, and to them
selves, proof that they do believe the
word of God
He held also the following to be self
evident truths. viz:
" That nothing ought to be received
into the faith or worship of the church,
or be made n term of communion among
Christians, that is not as old as the New
Testament. Nor ought anything to be
admitted rs of Divine obligation in the
church constitution or management,
save what is enjoined by the authority
of oGr Lord Jesus Christ and his Apos-
ties upon the New Testament church,
either in express terms or by approval
precedent"
On the foregoing declarations Mr..
Campbell took his stand, and the consc-
quence was, that after having been ar
raigned as the . setter forth of strange
DOCTRINES and the would be founder Of
new sect, which accusations he repeil-
ed by saying that = there is nothing new
in christianity" He separated from the
Presbyterian communion, and began to
appear in public in defense of his views
and in vindication of his orthodoxy
His debates, in the regular order of their
occurrence, were as follows: With the
Rev. John W Walker a minister of the Sc
cession Presbyterian Church, in the
State of Ohio, held at Mt. Pleasant in
the year 1920 This debate created n
great local interest throughout all this
section of the country. and was attend
ed by Il vast cor course of people. Next
followed his debate with the Rev. Will
liam McCalla, on "Christian Baptism,
held i'll w ashington, Ky. in the year
1925; next his debate with Robert Owen
of Cincinnati, in the year lS2s, on the
Truth of Christianity next his debate
in the same city, i'll the year 1886. with
Archbishop Purcell, on the infallibility
of the Church of Rome; and finally. in
the year lS43. his debate with the Rev.
DR.. n. l.. Rice, held in tie city Of Lex
ington, Ky, the specific points of which
were 1.-The action, subject. design and
administration of Christian baptism "
also the character OF spiritual influence
in conversation and sanctifcation, and
the =" expediency of ecclesiastical creeds
as terms of union and communion -
This debate with Dr. Rice, embraced
period Of eighteen days, aud was con-
Quoted before a large and interesting
4 r,
rator, assisted by some Of the first men
of Kentucky A like interest had been
shown IN the Owen and Purcell debates
at Cincinnati, which were thronged by
eminent theologians from ali parts of
the country.
In the year 1928 Mr. Campbell's ca
reer as a journalist began, at which pc
riod he established at his house in Beth
any. the Christian Baptist Questions
were here freely propounded and discus
sed between friends aud opponents, be
lievers and unbelievers, correspondents
were answered, accusations refuted
and doctrines and dogmas commented
upon with all the freshness and vigor
which Mr.. Campbells active and origin
al mind infused into everything that
claimed his attention. Those who would
understand the full bearings of his po-
sition to the religious world of that pc
Rod and who would know how ably and
fearlessly he sustained himself in every
variety of intellectual encounter, must
go back to the bound volumes of that
publication. The Christian Baptist was.
after many years, succeeded by the Nil
lenial Harhinger, of which journal Mr..
Campbell was proprietor at the time of
his death.
In the year 1S40, Mr. Campbell, in
pursuance of long cherished design
founded Bethany College, an institution
which ever since has been the pride of
I his life, and around which his warmest
affections seemed to twine. Toward its
founding and subsequent endowment, he
gave his best energies. He made the
! tour of the West and South more than
once in its behalf
| Ever since founding Bethany College
he has been its President Those who
! have attended that institution do not
hs al ,F