The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1875-06-26
nm ma AIeTander Campben.


IFmul The =. Y. Tribune q 1hHnaayl
A general informal eonvocation Of the
leaders Of the large acct knOVp a. the
Campbellites or the Disciples Of Christ
took place last week in Bethany, West
Virginia, The motive being the unwilling
Of ! statue Of their founder, Alexander
Campbell, and discourse upon his lie
and work by Judge Jeremiah Black, Of
Pennsylvania. The selection OF the ora
Tor vas . wise one, Judge Black and
Bishop Campbell being alike prominent
types Of = class Of Western men which
unfortunately il fast dying out; men Of
exceptional Eize and endurance in both
body and mind; Of shreEd insight and
stern integrity; Who made bold grasPs At
truth and then forever after defended
their opinions With an obstinate, down
right force which belonged TO their
Scotch-Irish blood and Western train
ing.
Alexander Campbell had all the in
StinctI and qualities Of 4 military leader
fate made him 4 scholar and Polemical
scholar, and the result. may easily be
guessed. He became, Is many such men
become in the church, the founder OF a
new sect; and not satisfied with the ex.
ecutiye work and contests which this POI
sition entailed upon him, be necessarily
sought occasion 70 defend orthodox
Christianity, or ProteStantism, against all
comers. His public debates with Owen
and Bishop Purcell, and his fierce attacks
upon Communism and Catholicism, in.
terested the whole religious world forty
year, ago. His Scotch thoronghness made
him 4 profound scholar in his own
lines OF research; he was undoubtedly
one Of the best philologists the
country has produced, while the
same sincerity and antipathy 10 sham
forced him to lhrust aside all mere dog
mas and creeds and lead his followers TO
the broad basis Of simple belief in Christ
az u Savior. Immersion was, however,
urged as 4 necessary corollary to this,
Upon this foundation each believer was
permitted to erect what doctrines he pleas
ed. This liberal creed, and perhaps the
personal influence Of It's teacher, caused
the sect to increase with great rapidly
during his life, especially In the Southern
and south-Westefn States. At the time
Of bis death il numbered over 10000
members in this county, besides inauen-
cial churches in Great Britain and Aus
tralia. Probably there Is no other sect,
which in proportion to il size, can boas,
Of larger number Of colleges or Of
publications devoted to It's interests.
The Church Of the Disciples also bears
strongly the impress oithe peculiar mind
Of It's founder. Its members are apt TO be
logical, argumentative Christians; each
individual being driven to the Bible for
his doctrines, an exceptional familiarity
with Holy Writ Is the rule among them;
and az there Ia necessarily great diver.
sity in these doctrines, each man stands
ready to defend the peculiar faith that Is
10 him at the shortest notice. Religious
training Of this kind Is an education In
itself, which fact offers an explanation Of
the exceptionally small number Of Tilt.
crate members OF the sect.
No man Of his time, probably, eIerted
q more direct or widespread personal in.
iluence than Alexander Campbell; and
now that he Il silent forever II seems but
fl, even at this late day, that his disci pies
and friends should have assembled at his
old home 10 do him honor.