The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1870-11-03
WRsT VIRGINIA.
Latter from Bstbany, the Home OTths
LATE A1GtabdeF Ca1aR hoiissgaEls
IEGll lSalrss % lie - 5l.hA lii
Vlet M IA

boaSt Of mogO thab EliHoo hundred PeFu1a-
penl inhabitants. JET theFs arc tens q
thOy 1udl a psOpls tbSt DOt only know
d Tie pIace, bot chsrsh lot Il feelinB
okis 70 20 ,aBostioasto .EegaEd, ThiSOn-
lal circumstances \ owing u ne laOt
that Il NJ loF mOJV than half . century
tbS home q tbS Late Alexander Campbell,
who died here ia 1858, and who VA, a
you know, The Feputed founder d re-
ilglogs dfnominatIol tnoW q Catipb1ll,
iles, d, y c1ilsd -pmoPg themselves,
Christians q DtniPl8 u chri1t adenom'
na.lon, b the way, that has had an q.
I0nIIhingly rapid growth, 9nd NOW npm.
hen upward ~ bali q million eOmmunl.
canta, Men % ths tpfeld 81 American
MotbodaH, IL progress y CBe Of tho re-
lillO,iS (eltnFeS OF our remarkable cen.
idIy. Perhaps some Ol your readers VIII
10 Interested II glADce q The origin Of
this peculiar people
T60mSf Campbell RaS eecedeF Of
United PEetbyteriaH clergyman, Ehoeml'
Eratad from, de North OF Ireland 70 The
town 81 WashIbgt1n, Pa, some twenty
miles from here, about Tie year 1907. Al.
exsndtF Campbell wGa his Oldest Aon, and
mad BEEN edueSted both IL ireland and
Scotland 10 The same faith and Tor The
came calling a. bis father. Soon ailer
t1slf aFIiuttn thls country, both father
and S0n began 70 express doubts - 70 The
entire ScripturAlncB Of thGtr faith. FOt
instance they eTifelsed doubts whether
tlfere W15 Any authority. sjoF enforcing 1
creed Of cont aiiOi 81 lafih Ia . Church a..
/ tCSt Of msnberShIp. They Rlso expires.
cd doubts about The question 81 baptism,
q 70 who WeFs proper subjects for thead
mlnIStFatiOn Of IhG ordinance whether
Lbs commandment WAs not 10 AbcliGvG''
and DO baptized, whether iDlAnt8 could.
thus bellsJe, and WHISTLER baptism BY
sprinkllng MA the mode pFHcticed In the
days Of tho apOStlCaf f,g ti E'tt
For the expression Ot their douhf8 on
these points, tho two tDund themselves cut
or from Tie SecddeF Church. II was no
uaEt Of thGir intention az expectation TO
organize new denomination 'Thsy de-
sired 10 PeGnin thuIr original cOnnGcllon,,
dnd carry nut their views within tho fell
lOWhhip pEtlie Seceder Church. But, Of
course that idea soon proved ilSBlf Ina
practicable, rs did AlAo their SnhSequent
attempt To affiliate with the regular Bap'
lists, a tho latter did not hold that bap.
liSm WIS for tho remission Ofslns, nor did
they discard crCels us unsCripliOnal. Tic
result, therefore, was that tho two would.
10 EeiOrmeFs were compelled To organize
anew, and thus followed the remarkable
religious movement known as Campbell
lam
Tho first church Of tic now movement
was built on tho WatGn Of Brush Run, q
few miles from hero, and about thirty per
sons belonged to Il, They were worry
primitive band of plain and obscure poo
ple, but, like tho PurltanS IN Holland, re-
solved upon radical reform In religious
wOship. Their popularity, as people,
was that they cut themselves loose from
all teachings and practices In church mat
tiers for which they could not find pFece1
dent or warrant In tho New Testament.
Their aim was to restore primitive Christ,
ihhlty, and 10 do away with all traditions
and commandments Ol men. They held
that To affirm the necessity for creed was
to admit that the revealed Word itself
was not sufficient, which was false con-
cessIon TO inidCltty. II the Word was In
SDired It was sufficient, and not TO be
amended and supplemented by creCdsa and
confessions Of faith. They, therefore, i'd
mittetl persons TO their membership upon,
simple profession o. their faith In Christ
a. tho Savior Of the world, and the sub.
mission Of themselves TO tho ordinance Of
immersion. This was tue Gxtept Of their
requirement and such Is their basis Of
admission TO this day.
Alexander Campbell married and sOl-
tied hero about tho year 1911, Il was
then rude, wild spot, shut IN by hills
and Buffalo crook. Il had no good rOadr
10 the river, seven miles distant; no
post Office, and no inducements Or
facilities Of any sort thor headQuAF-
tens Of great religious revolution. But
the man was here, and that was sufficient.
Tho spirit Of Calvin found here q new
Geneva, in the Switzerland Of America.
Herr WIS set up IN Old,lAshjoned hand
press; here was gathered some printing
materials, and herr was imported from
the world without two men, one a com.
position and the other Il pFesSman, who re-
manned during life Ii this secluded spot,
and bullded wiser thRn they know. Mr.,
Campbell was by nature conversational.
lat, aud his early writings weFo worry ag-
RrCRsIVe. lie InAdO war on BOCmrian
Christianity, on the cOrruptihmof church,
e, their departure from the faith once de.
livcrcd to the saints, and commended that
we must either go hack TO the faith or
surrender 10 in6delily. His positions, and
especially his marked ability " . writer,
attracted widespread attention. and
gradually his reputation extended over
the adjacent country places beyond. He
made frequent tours on horseback, then
tho only practicable way OF travelling, He
held n neighbOrhOod debate or two; he
preached in all sorts Of places, whenever
he could get y hearing, up and down the
Ohio river frontier, and thus prepared tho
way for those famous debates, In yourclty
and other places, between himself and
such men as Robert Owen, Bishop Pur.
cell aud Dr.. Rice III. II
"Campbellism" spread rapidly In the
Southwest, especially among the Bap.
IIsGs, with whom It was sort Of natural
relation, and finally became powerful in
such States rs Virginia, Kentucky, Ten.
neSsee, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio. The.
Western Reserve was one OF liz early
strongholds, and has continued SO 70 this
day, Notwithstanding the slavery Ques.
tiGn, and As, CampGcll's position thereon.
Thcyearly meetings underneath . mann
moth tent have long been 4 feature In
Tint part Of the country. Indeed, In Ohio
are 10 be found, perhaps, the most wide
awake body Of men In the denomination,
both as ministers and members. They
have two colleges In that State, two pa
pers, besides a quarterly. IL Cincinnati,
and number Of noted leading Spirits A