, 1881-12-04

j. L -N~A4ANlAo0 -
could never be held down by the aog1nas OF ar
-; creed or body OF faith MS marked out BY any r
gr.asped great Fundamental truths. end left I'll
% deiy ife t : 80 % naind t. Of less comprchesiye seor
than his can fully state his position on this SUI
: The body of Christian people known
Disciples Of Christ, with whom no W. Wa
! always identified. while narrow in Ger
tain things are in others e1Geeangy fy4,on noe1
| being identified with them rs with any people Il
j the world. This denomination hns NO write
ereed Or discipline Theg prefss5 to ., t9Se ase tn
! practice" They hold that in TINT book, m
especially tho New Testament Of Our Lord an
binding communication Of God to man. The.
hold that The Bible is its own best interpreter
! They insist that certain tundamentai truths ar
! firmly aud fully marked out and llia down. aI1s
that there eau ba 10 doubt in rcgnrd to thel
| order or binding force; and that, outside Q
1es & n fsorn M i ni 3haa rres
! difference nf opinion exists among the lnity ant
preachers Of the denomination III regard to Ger.
rnn points that in other denominations nrt
4 clearly marked out fu the creed or discipline.
i Alexander Cumpbell. the first preacher and
practically the founder Of the dissemination
although it is claimed BY them that Christ w:
the founder, was Il Scotch preacher, who. witt
his father, Thomas Campbe'l. and anoshe.
scorchman, the Rev. Walter Scott. i1;,a thought
| the conclusion that many things that were
| Taught by the Christlan world haft no folndA-
ton IN te teachsnsS OF onrl5t na the
! When the Campbelas and Scott fi.st began to
| prcach their new or advanced doctrines they
probably never expected to form new denoni-
| mutton but simply to reform tho old ones. but
! such Is not the tendency Of such great depart
| ures .ls theirs; and the new Church grew fast
! under their npassioned preaching. The secch-
ers were called nil manner OF names w tho old
churcnes. The, were not considered or1hodox,
and proGanly are not yet in many parts ,, OF the
| und the denomination continued to grow. Their
| principal ncceSSOn5 came from tue }aptlsts. III
/ some places whole congregations, With their
! old renluined. Que Of the cardinal points which
| tho Disciples hold in common with the lsnptssts
is that immersion Is the only Scrpturaf form OF
buptls1n. This is stoutly insisted on: but there
is no objection nla'ic t, cou1n1,lng with people
who huve never been Immersed as it IS held that
| every one should be bis "wn judge Of this :nat-
ter : us he who partakes unworthtly Of tho SAC
rau,ent eats and drinks dasnnation to his own
! SOUL
from nearly every other orthodox denomination
l. They discarded any md all written confcs-
sions Of faith onts;de OF the l2be.
=. They did not believe i'll miraculous CONVEX
sion.
=. They asked only one question Of those who
desired to join the Church OF Christ, aud that
was: :. Do you believe with nll your heart
at 'hs ;yas S5s oS qaFs b a1ds4e the S9a or Of
membership answered this oncs,ion in the affirm
ntive. he w.ls Immersed in,ncdiately, aud taken
into full membership in tho Church.
l. They partuoIS of tho i4,r.Ts Supper OIL every
Sunday. or Lortis- Day,ls they cAttctl it-gettlng
authority for this from the statement tslns The
plsep!es 1 SamS i"Se.ner log i er q" me me d "f tho
s. They discarded, us speciul!y os,aained and
holy. priesthood or clergy: and held shAt nny
provided be Ici1 ilpcltc;i do so, and possessed
the ability to do So. They held That 1t was tho
duty Of every member to tell his fellows Of the
it;yc of JESUS. and of tho doctrine which He
preached. The few fundamental doctrines Ut
the Church being easily comprehenuel by almost
any one eaF @ " every nGM i,s, convsrt 1eca,nn
The learned clergy OF the older denominations
often spoke sli.b;tngly ol the growing denomi-
takcs which SONG OF the lay preachers fell into.
This unly helped al1ns the new doctrines. For
the Disciples game back ut rhc clergy by snying
that the Lord 'hud chosen the foolish to con-
found the wise" 1t WIS astonishing how closely
the general membership studied ther Bibles.
They were always found in their places tn tho
House of the l.tr.l with their libes ope!, 10 the
pl;ice The PREACHER WAS reading frOsn and often
were really IL Disagree wi;h s,'1Ee tavor41 doc
i. The Cnmpbrlis insisted that the following
were the fundamental principles Of tho Chris
ti;n religion. and that tile order mentioned was
tho logical and only one that was safe to
follow: TAI Faith: III Responsiveness; tc} Baptism;
ii; Remission OF sins, They held thnt unless Il
man first had faith he could not be muhe by any
must believe i'll Jesus as ,ho SuvIor Of the world,
and then he would see thar man was lost With |
out Him. After he bad fal}h in this he could !
nor help beil1. sorry for his Sins. Tint sorrow
constituted repentance. which in reality is sor-
row for the past added to determination to do J
6etter 10 the tn1nrs m ad n;d sad qe% M fe rhese
or washing away Of sins With atl !
these steps taken tho person has complied with
tan Church according TO The belicf ana preach
ing Of the Carnpbel!s.
These thoughts were SO simple and SO easily
grasped. even by dull and common mind. that
the preaching was in reality revelation. 1t
~as called by Its adherents the New
fore it. but 4 time Of reaction very natnraiiy
2ame. 1t was impossible that it should be other
wise under the CIRCUMSTANCES. Every member
preacher. every member allowed to make his
)wl Interpretation of Scripture; no person in
iho visible organization Of Inor.: authority thln
lny other on any subject Of discipline or doc
outcome WAS Of necessity dlsas- |
rous- So long as tho older denon,iun tions
tught tue new one, ui the members Of the new
for!nc.: solid pha!nns against
,uiside attack. But, left ,n themselves, they
urncd their spears and swords Of argument
,pon each other; and slew one another Tho re-
tlat sone more solid aud permanent organiza-
ion must he farmed.- that some bond
aros % iuividua! @ cauteh
rhich were so thoroughly congregational
n their Character. After. tho distinctive !
octrines Of the denomination l'ccu.nc thur | :
ughly understood by everybody, especially by |
10 members of the organization themselves, it |
'As found necessary 10 have ministry that I
on!d build up bs pastoral care tile CHURCHES
tat h:l been 81 rapidly formed, and hail GROWN
nth srch mushroom swi:tneSs. else their lto
ro!nised to be cpheiner;ll In its character. The
h1rch Is now III the s'nge Of development just
cscribc,l. S1li1e and Nation vi home missionary
'cjeties bei,le nrs,lnze:i. and tie ministers
re organizing themselves inlo societies. Col
:SeS nave sprung up and tie ministry Is be-
ming more :ssht more educated and ACCOM- / !,
fiss,et.. III the early digs regular clergy WIS !
ut encouraged. and was almost never paid. |
ow nii churches ut any size and importance in /
le denomination have settled pastors. Many | :
the ministers now filling tho puIpits of the ] .
tnoniuatfon are really learned md talented
'eu. -
Alexander Campbell possessed II truly great
nd comprehensive mind. He was Il peculiarly |
,rscientous MIN, and not afr.u to nd- | !.
lnce his opinions without regard ta cuuse- | !
leilccS. Haul he keen horn under other cir | J
lns1ances and trained in another direction. lie |
onll have anNtle II rreat General; his organ ! {
ing abilities und psiglstc Tendencies being al |
st the tNatt REQUESTS for such work Is the !
eiicr:sl mtist do. The bearings OF bis jntelec, !
ere derived from IL cnrcful study 'nf; John | |
uckt. himself ScotchmAp. 1t was the i.itft1- +
nec of I-OeHts metaphysical works OIL Camp | !
1T mind that led hinl to his views OH literal i
terprctat1on OF tue Scriptures. -aatly have Il
e%e that had the first rrclt preacher of this :.