The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1909-10-22

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Scriptures speak we speak, and where
they are silent we are silent" was
their motto, meaning that to each in
dividual was to be left everything but
those things which all Christians adj
mitted were essential to salvation.
First they started out as an associa-
ton pledged to work for the unifica-
ton of the churches of all denomina-
tons, but after having their efforts to
promote such an end set at naugbt by
those to whom they made overtures,
they concluded to establish a church.
This was at Brush Run, Pa, in 1910.
Il was not long after this until Alex
ander Campbell reached his famous
conclusion that a weeks debate was
worth a years preaching, a conclusion
that led TO many very noted contro-
versies in the form of religious de-
bate. 1t was during these debates that
Campbell learned the power of the
press, and he was always ready to
make use of it thereafter. His debate
with Price at Lexington, KY, in 1912,
at which Henry Clay was president of
the board of five moderators, was one
of the most remarkable religious dis
cussions in history.
The Brush Run congregation joined
the local association of Baptist
churches, and for many yearse the
followers of Campbell were subscrib-
rs to the Baptist faith. Later, how
ever, they broke away from Baptist
moorings,, and soon the church of the
Disciples of Christ became an institu-
ton Since then it has steadily ex-
tended its membership and it's influ-
ence until today it is one of the great
est forces in the religious world.
President Garfield was a member of
the denomination, and was at one
time president of one of its colleges.
Before he was elected president of the
United States the church in Washing
ton was a struggling body, sometimes
meeting in rented halls, sometimes in
private houses, and at one time in a
house on wheels. Then it became ne
cessary to get proper place to wor-
ship, and that resulted in the building
of the first church in the capital city.
Garfield took the deepest interest in
the program, and asked that it be an
understood rather than an diversified
edifice, and that it should be unadorn-
ed and as plain as possible. Before
Garfield came, Judge Jere Black of
Pennsylvania was one of the regular
attendants. One day his white-headed
negro coachman, jealous of the honor
of the family, and impressed with the
danger that threatened that honor by
the carriage of the family standing in
front of a little hall during divine SER
vices, reminded his master that it was
mighty Insignificant place for big
folks to go, and that he would like to
drive his team down among those of
the Presbyterians during the service.
The result was acceded to, and Uncle
Joe died thinking he had saved the
social and religious reputation of the
Black family.
Many were the overtures that the
disciples made toward other churches
looking to union. But they all ended
as did the one made by the Protestant
Episcopal church in 1886. That look
ed for unity, and the Disciples receiv-
ed the overtures. The representatives
of the two churches met after prelim-
mary proceedings. Each submitted
description of itself, and laid down
bases which they declared incapable
of compromise or surrender" Meth
er would be content with much less
than the absorption of the other.
Nothing came of it.
The people who constitute the
church of the Disciples of Christ are
strong believers in church literature,
and they support more denomination
al weekly papers than any other
church of its numbers. About thirty
periodicals. most of them weeklies,
are published by the church. Their
ablest writer's contribute to the most
of them. and one OF the secrets of the
wonderful growth of the church has
been its prolific current literature.
The Disciples also have a deep and
abiding interest in education. Start
ing with the founding of Bethany col
lege by Alexander Campbell, the
movement for the education of min
listers as well as of the laity has gone
forward by leaps and bounds until to-
day the Disciples have some schools
that compare with the best in the