Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1881-09-14
dethroned ? God grant that all men
shall come to a realization of their
duty in this matter.
WASHING TON COUNTY, PENN
SYLVANIA.
The Religious History ofhe Peopl,

The Religious History ofhe People
The religious history of Washington
county, Pa, is one of the most interest
ing features brought out by the recent
centennial celebration of the erection
of that county. We copy from the
proceedings as follows: 1.-The Pres
byterians from the north of Ireland
being the earliest immigrants were the
first to obtain footEold. Rev. John
Mcmillan, d d was the first pioneer
minister, and has been styled the faith
er of fPresbyterianism in Western Penn
sylvania He began his mission in
1775 at Pigeon Creek, and the centen-
nial anniversaries of the Cross Creek
and Upper Buffalo and the Pigeon
Greek Presbyteries, celebrated respec-
lively in 1877 and 1879, attracting
general attention throughout the Pres
byterian world. Other Protestant de-
nominations followed in the course of
time, but it was not until 1874 that q
Catholic church existed within the
confines of Washington county. This
was built in the town of Washington,
is still standing, and owes its existence
mainly to the zeal of Rev Father Gal
lagher and Ephriam L.. Blaine, ESQ.,,
father of James G. Blaine, who was a
consistent Catholic. Washington coun-
ty was the birthplace of three religious
sects, two of which have a national
fame-one lately having recognized
Brigham Young as its head and the
other to-day counting President Gar
field among Its Communicates. These
are the Mormons, the Disciples or
Campbellites and the Rhodianites
The institution of Mormonism is sup
posed to have come about in this way:
solomon Spaulding, a graduate of
Dartmouth College, and sort of anti
quarian, in his early life minister of
the Gospel, and afterwards tavern
keeper at Amity, Pa, to occupy his
leisure hours about the year 1912,
wrote romance called "The Manu-
script Found" based on discoveries in
the Indian mounds, and inferences
drawn therefrom as to the origin of
the aborigines. The manuscript of
this work of fiction afterwards fell into
the hands OF printer named Sidney
Rigdon, employed by Mr.. Patterson,
at Pittsburgh, who copied it and re-
turned it to it's author. The copy
taken by Rigdon is supposed to be the
"Book of Mormon" or Mormon Bible,
afterwards claimed to have been found
by Joseph Smith, Jr (the founder of
the Mormon sect) while digging for
gold and promulgated as the inspired
word of God. The almost inoon-
trovertible evidence of many witnesses
exist as to the indentity of the "Manu-
script Found" and the Book of Nor.
mon, Spaulding died in Amity Amwell
township, Washington county, in 1916,
and was there buried A rude stone
slab or "headstone," marks his grave
to this day, bearing the following in
scription
| In memory of
| Solomon Spaulding,
who departed this life
| October goth, A. d. 1916,
aged So years.
Kind cherubs guard the sleeping clay,
Until the great decision day,
And saints complete in glory rise
To share the triumph of the skies.
This simple memento has from time
to time been defaced by the relic-hun-
tiers and it has been proposed, by per-
sons who appreciate talent, to erect a
more imposing and enduring monument
over the grave of one who unwittingly
gave rise to one of the most notorious
heresies of modern times.
The Protestant denomination known
as the disciples of Christ, or the Camp
bellites, had its origin in Washington
county in the beginning of the present
century Alexander Campbell has gen.
erallv obtained the credit of founding
this branch of the Christian church, in
addition to being the ablest exponent
of it's doctrine, but the light of history
seems to show that his father, Thomas
Campbell, who came to the United
States from Scotland in 1907 and was
received by the Presbytery of Charters,
laid the foundation for the present or
ganization and outlined its profession
of faith. The Campbells held the Holy
Scriptures were the embodiment of
Christian doctrine and denounced all
creeds, confessions and catechisms in
use among Christian denominations.
The cardinal doctrine of the new sect
was baptism by immersion and the ad-
ministration of the holy communion to
the brethren every Lords day. This
belief formally promulgated in 1911
was religiously expounded by the
Campbells, and from two small congre-
cations in Washington county it has
spread until it numbers half million
followers, embracing inhabitants in
every State of the Union. The younger
Campbell vas widely recognized as
man of exceptionable force and theolog-
ical learning.
About the time Campbellism obtain
ed its foothold in Washington county,
Rhoda Fordice, an old lady living in
Finley township. conceived the idea of
starting a religious sect to be called
the Rhodianites. This woman had
previously been follower of one Ser
geant who professed to have revela-
tion from heaven, taught the doctrine
that there was no hell and tried to or
ganize society under the name of the
Halcyon Union. Upon the wreck of
Sergeant's project Rhcda tried to or
ganize new society While ignoring
hell, she believed in heaven, and held
that it was possible for her followers
to live on parched corn, sassafras buds,
herbs and such light diet for time
and then be translated bodily to heav-
en-. Among her credulous dupes was
man named Parker, who starved to
death upon this kind of food while