, 1880-12-19

tracts anu 0D}ectS thnt Anthony tOmStOck t
tries to suppress and make them into re-
ligion, you would have the religion OF India" |
TEE CHRISTIAN CHURCH.
GEN. GARFIELD's RELIGIOUS FAITH. |
Nesp York 1Eor4l. |
A dispatch to the New York World from !
Cleveland, O., recently referred to the inpe- !
tus which had been given to what is popu- !
larly known rs thesE' Campbellite faith" By |
the election Of its disciple, Gen. Garfield, to !
the Presidency. The Rev. Joseph Bradford |
Cleayer, pastor OF the Church OF the Disci- |
pies of Christ, on Twenty-eighth street, near
Broadway, said to a 1F0rld reporter: "Such t
an event will naturally lead people to in
quire about our faith. Gen. Garfield is pre-
eminent as thoughtful, logical man, and in
the case Of every man of that mold the
world is interested in knowing his religion
and the reasons he had for adopting it.''
what were his reasons%'
1.-THE same as those which converted Alex
ander Campbell from Presbyterianism to
Christianity. Gen. Garfield, like Alexander
Campbell and like the founders of this
Church of which am pastor and which
antedates Alexander CampbelPs conversion
by tweEty-0ne years, could not, US a man Of
reason, rest satisfied with anything short
Of pure Christianity, nntrammeletl by any
man-made creeds, OF dignities, or dcnomina-
tions. Christianity is better and older than
Bishops, or Presbyters, or any other human
agencies that have been forced into religions
as part Of the faith. Perhaps I should
state case: L man wants to become
Christian, and he goes to q Baptist minister,
who tells him what he must do under the
the creed of that Church; then he goes to
Methodist exh0Iter, who tells him something
e}se-that he must come and state his 'eXpe-
ri ence,' perhaps; then the Episcopal clergy
man tells him through what process he may
Join that Church; then the Catholic priest
informs him that no hereto can be saved. A
logical man after this experience will Ger
tainly wonder that all these churches are
right, and yet that no two agree in anything
save this-that he must be Christian. To
be Christian without the other require
ments is, we claim, to be a member Of our
Church. In answer to this Presbyterians,
CongTegationalists, Daptists, and the rest
will say thar they do not claim that to be
saved it is necessary to be a Presbyterian, or
through the list excepting the Catholics;
but is it not then logical answe! to say that
it the creeds and rules of those churches are
not necessary to the Christian they are super
to the worlds. conversion, to Christ and it is
sinful. Jesus Christ IN His wonderful
prayer on the eve of crucitixion prayed that
all His followers might be, not divided into
sects, parties, or denominations, 1ut at that
believe Alexander Campbell. who was
educated in the sturdy Scotch Presbyterian
Church, went right to the cross for his re-
ligion, and it is not the doctrine, OF Alex
ander Campbell, but of Christ. We are not
:Campbellites,' but Christians. President
Garfield went to the same source for his re-
ligion, and I left the Baptist Church, Of
which was minister, under the influence OF
aWas not Gen. Garfield at one time
preacher Of your faith p
j" Yes, but no more preacher then than
now; no more preacher now than any 9th
er member of the Church who has the ability
to preach. We do not draw line Of demar-
cation between the pulpit and the pew: All
Christians who can say aught in aid Of Chris
tianity are welcome to enter the pulpit Each
Christian stands under the Bible and tile peer
Of every other and undistlnguished from the
rest Eacl. is unit, and all constitute one
q You said your Church was established
long before Alexander Campbell left the
Presbyterian Church. Is it q part OF the
Church that is sometimes called Campbell
:; Yes. the Church of the Disciples of Christ
is in fellowship with all who deny the au-
thorlty 81 human cfeed5 anu !eiy J' ,!n.,, ps1,
sonal faith III personal en:15t' anu Epse;,n !;
their lives py tne teacMngs o. LIS aR1stieS
Does me simpnel.y " 3%li ~ ca'rat. ln,n 3,
orEaM'za1lon1 IN tne "orh u nie Snu4e ~ ,,,rsa
40. ne 1ane cgnieLenes ~ ht',e ,Od ri fornio,,
missionary socletIes ~! noins .1s su or j.,
work, colieges, nnixeistes' pa..93, fla % had ID
many otnet WAYS ut1uze tue p1nea ~. ~ W ~ 0s -
from combination. inese LILIES ,,, ~ fre III. -,
part OF our lengion, pgt ~ nie1e's to'n'' 'n
which we work 1oT r'.GI. GnIlS. +,,a ~.-onooe+ 81,
Mhe1e Is squI, Inafc1 I,i;!.s ino ant,,crv
In Ohio, lnnlana, nlilue' -, 1..I;a,,5n,
Missouri, ana WeSt ., t1,ora !. .a,'
there are over ~ cnnIcnes, a .,.e ctot,s 20 ~
average OF about oo IN each OF LIE olales
have named"
Is ihe Churcn gro"lnE ,,, ...,, c,,l..
ION, yes, very rapioly: Ing 1ecoaas as stow tEos,
that our pro rata OF CROWN Is l1lgvl .nesn ,nar
that OF any de1lolillnationai cnutth ~ A4Gt g.
lea, except POSSIBLY me baptf ;t cnn nus M, ~
not hope that Cirlstlan1ty VIII oecqne 1 .1 ul11-
versal II WILL never oe populal. Lne Eem-
tlenen who doctorea ulvlMIy =. 1elmsa.va a I.s,ar
slew the Founder Of Chrlslahl!y' Atlu exei
since society," ana 5rs
religious orthoqoAles pave opposeMt J.. 3l Ilss !;
Himself styled LIS 1oll1wers Ltsie ~ alVsn, tSn,.
and when they asSen nliI, a.ul1' aaG s,o1';1e
few that be saVed?' lie answered. Aeoh1ze
to enter ln,m .:,, ~. ueoo+ <oo;,,,r ,+ zy,eh-
Nk1ffY