Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-02-25

instructive sermon on the subject OF
Alexander Campbell. This was the
last OF a series of special sermons on
the great reformer.
Luther aimed at the restoration of
the faith of the early church, Cohen
aimed at the restoration of the moral
life of the early church, John Wesley
aimed to restore the spirituality of the
early church, Alexander Campbell
aimed to restore all these things, but
soon saw that to restore all Gods peo-
pie must be united. Not under Luther,
nor Cohen, nor Wesley, nor eve
Campbell himself, but under Christ,
who is over all these.
alexander Campbell lived nearly
q century ahead of his time, for his
conception of those things needful to
the concession Of the void to Christ.
First Impulses.
"He was born in Antrim, Ireland,
1888. At the age of twenty he enter
ed the university Of Glasgow, Scotland.
He was of a social disposition, had
many warm personal friends among
the students, had a logical mind and
a poetic taste, although he was dis
tinguished as a prose writer. He was
a very deligent student. While a stu
dent in the university he recognized
the fact that the Bible, and the Bible
alone, should be the infallible guide
on all matters of religious faith and
practice. While a student he came in
contact with a Mr.. Ewing, who pub
lished a magazine, whose aim was to
revise the churches. This Mr.. Ew-
ing established weekly communion in
Glasgow. This association with Mr..
Ewing threw Campbell out of sympa-
thy with the seceder church to which
he and his father belonged.
"He also while in Glasgow formed
a friendship with the Haldanes, who
established a system of lay preaching
and mission work. These early i'm
pulses had much to do with the ca
reer of this great man, who was the
forerunner in the work of Christian
union and the restoration of primi-
tive Christianity.
Efforts to Bring Gods People To-
sether.
ssrh ,;cfion ,,n;Ap u,o1 fha uyafoh-
word of the nineteenth century and is
the ~watchword Of the twentieth cen
fury upon which we have just enter
ed. Alexander Campbell never found
ed a church, but simply organized con-
gregations after the plan of the coz
gregations of the New Testament
church. The people were aiming at
better things.
Thomas Campbell, Alexander's
father, and Alexander in Washington
county, Pa, preached to many congre-
cations of people on the subject OF
Christian union. Their preaching and
conference with many people led to
the declaration and address of Thomas
Campbell and they adopted as their
motto: Where the bible Speaks We
Will Speak, and Where the Bible is
Silent We Will Be Silent"
Governed by the Bible alone their
study of it led them to a failure to
find a scriptural precedent for infant
baptism, and led them to the belief
that immersion is the only baptism
taught in the New Testament. Their
position soon became popular and
many congregations were organized in
western Pennsylvania n Ohio, and
has led to the growth of the Christian
church till it now NUMBERS one and a
quarter millions in the United States.
The spirit of the teaching Of Alexan-
der Campbell, and that of those who
believed as he did vas I'm essential
unity; in non-essentials liberty; in all
things love-"
"They desired only to lead people as
Christ would have them, they allowed
the largest possible liberty in all the
possible non-essentials to salvation for
all things. they desired to be governed
by the motive of love. BY this shall
all men know that We are my disciples
If you have love one for another
leading Points in CampbeIrs Teacb-
Frst---Personal faith in Christ
rather than in doctrines. Jesus in
Matt. 16, asked his disciples saying:
Who say We that I, the son of man,
ann Peter answered saying: Thou
est the Christ, the son Of the living
God
Jesus then said that upon the truth
OF this confession he would build his
church. The confession of this faith
was essential to membership in the
early church and should be essential
in the church to-day.
"Second---A change of heart pro-
duced by repentance of sin. A man
needs to be saved from the base.
guilt and Dr9ctire of sin Hanoi b;s