DISCIPLES OF CHRIST.

BY THE REV. R. RICHARDSON,

OF VIRGINIA.

THEIR RISE, PROGRESS, FAITH, AND PRACTICE.

THE religious society, whose members prefer to be known by the primitive and unsectarian appellation of "Disciples of Christ," or by that of "Christians," the title first given to the followers of our Lord at Antioch, A. D. 41, but who are variously designated in different sections, as "Baptists," "Reformed Baptists," "Reformers," or "Campbellites," had its origin in an effort made, a few years since, to effect a union of the pious of all parties, by the ties of a common Christianity.

Thomas Campbell, who had been long a minister of high standing in the "secession" branch of the Presbyterian Church, in the north of Ireland, his native country, and who had been at all times characterized by his love for the Bible, and for godly men of all parties, without respect to sectarian differences, having visited the United States, as well for the recovery of his health, which had become much impaired, as with a view to a permanent location, was, after a lapse of nearly three years, followed by his family, under the charge of his eldest son Alexander, then a young man, and took up his abode in Washington county, Pennsylvania, where his time had been chiefly spent, since the period of his arrival, in supplying with ministerial labour the destitute congregations of the seceder connexion.

Continually deploring, however, the divided and distracted condition of the religious community at large, and deeply convinced that its divisions were unnecessary, unscriptural, and most injurious to the interests of religion and of society: he at length formed the resolution to make a public effort for the restoration of the original unity of the church. Being joined in this resolution by his son Alexander, whose

views of religion had been much liberalized and extended by an intimacy with Greville Ewing and the Independents of Glasgow, in Scotland, during his studies, which he had just completed at the university in that city; and whose talents, learning, and energy have, since this period, so widely disseminated the principles of union then adopted: an attempt was made, in the first instance, to obtain the cooperation of the people and ministers with whom he stood associated.

The great fundamental point urged at this juncture was, that in order to Christian union, and the full influence of the gospel, it was absolutely necessary that the Bible alone should be taken as the authorized bond of union, and the infallible rule of faith and practice; in other words, that the revelations of God should be made to displace from their position all human creeds, confessions of faith, and formularies of doctrine and church government, as being not only unnecessary, but really a means of perpetuating division. Containing, indeed, much truth, and embracing, for the most part, the great leading facts and doctrines of Christianity, each one, it was argued, superadded unfortunately its own peculiar theory of religion, and blended with the Christianity common to all, speculative opinions respecting matters not revealed, which, nevertheless, were, in these theological systems, exalted to an equal authority with the undoubted facts of the gospel. These conflicting opinions, uncertain for want of clear scriptural evidence, were, whether true or false, unimportant in themselves, as contrasted with the great and plainly revealed truths of Holy Writ; and, as derived from human reason, and being the offspring of human weakness, were regarded as constituting essentially human religions, and as being therefore wholly devoid of any regenerating or saving efficacy. It was conceived to have been a small matter that the Lutheran Reformation should have freed the church from the religion of the priest, if she persisted in substituting for it the religion of men, rather than the religion of God, as God himself had given it. For, while it was admitted that the various formularies of religion contained the great and leading points of Christianity, and the pleasing reflection could be indulged that almost all parties were agreed in those, as, for instance, briefly summed up in the Nicene, or Apostles' Creed: it was urged, that the various systems of human opinions, commingled with these truths, had so diluted, weakened, and even perverted them, as to have deprived them in a great measure of their power in the salvation of the world; so that the gospel, in the hands of Protestantism, had become a vague, contradictory, incomprehensible religion, quite unable to effect the conversion of the world, or accomplish the grand, extensive, and blessed results, for the attainment of which,

the religion of Christ, in its concentrated purity, was so admirably fitted. It was therefore proposed, that all human creeds, as being incomplete if they contained any thing less than the Bible-unworthy of credit, if they contained any thing more upon the subject of religion, and in either case, as highly injurious for the reasons above given, should be indiscriminately repudiated by the churches, and that the Bible itself, and more especially the New Testament, as containing the clear developement of the religion of Christ, should be, as was undeniably the case in primitive ages, the creed, the confession, and the guide of all.

The plea that human creeds and discipline were necessary to preserve purity of doctrine and government in the church, was totally rejected, as disproved by the well known fact that they had failed to do this, and also as an imputation upon the divine goodness and wisdom, implying that God was unwilling to give a sufficient revelation, and left something for men to supply; or that men could express the truths revealed, in better words, and in expressions less liable to misconstruction, than those selected by the Holy Spirit. On the other hand, it was insisted, that the Scriptures, interpreted in conformity with the fixed laws of language, could convey but the same ideas to all unbiassed minds respecting every thing necessary to salvation; and that if, perchance, difference of sentiment should arise, respecting minor and incidental matters, these inferences or opinions were to be distinguished from faith, and were neither to be made a term of communion, nor imposed by one Christian upon another. Or, to express the whole in the language employed by Thos. Campbell, Nothing was to be received as a matter of faith or duty, for which there could not be produced a Thus saith the Lord, either, in express terms, or by approved scripture precedent."

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This overture for a religious reformation being rejected by the seceders as a body, but embraced by some members: an application was made to the pious of all the parties in the vicinity, and a "declaration and address" drawn up and printed, in which all were invited to form a union upon the principles above stated. A considerable number of individuals responded to this appeal, and a congregation was immediately organized upon Brush Run, in Washington county, on the 7th of September, 1810,* where a house of worship was erected, and where ministerial duties were performed conjointly by T. Campbell and his son Alexander, who had been duly ordained pastors of the church.

* See Supplement to this article.

It is proper to remark here, that the members of this congregation were not associated together in a loose and informal manner, at its formation. On the contrary, it was deemed absolutely necessary that every one, in being admitted, should give some proof that he understood the nature of the relation he assumed, and the true scriptural ground of salvation. Each applicant, therefore, was required to give a satisfactory answer to the question: "What is the meritorious cause of the sinner's acceptance with God?" Upon expressing an entire reliance upon the merits of Christ alone for justification, and evincing a conduct becoming the Christian profession, he was received into fellowship.* Such was the humble origin of a reformation, now widely extended, which did not, as is often the case, proceed from the fire of enthusiasm, but was the offspring of calm and long continued deliberation, frequent consultation, and patient, laborious, and prayerful investigation of the Holy Scriptures; and which had never for its object to add a new sect to those already existing, but was designed, from its very inception, to put an end to all partisan controversies, and, far from narrowing the basis of Christian fellowship, to furnish abundant room for all believers upon the broad ground of the Bible, and a common reliance upon the merits of Christ.

Much devotion and interest was manifested by the church of Brush Run, and the utmost peace and harmony prevailed amongst its members for a number of months. Most of them being poor, they were unable to finish the interior of the frame meeting house which they had erected, and were accordingly wont to assemble in it, without fire, during the inclemency even of winter. They were also in the habit of visiting often at each other's houses, and spending whole nights in social prayer; searching the scriptures, asking and answering questions, and singing hymns. Their affections seemed to be elevated above the love of party, by the love of Christ; and the deeply implanted prejudice of a sectarian education and training appeared to have died away beneath the overshadowing influence of divine truth.

A circumstance occurred, however, after some time, which showed that these prejudices had power to revive; and that, like noxious weeds, they were more hardy and enduring than the things that are salutary to men. This circumstance was the presentation, by a member, of the subject of infant baptism, which at once necessarily brought up the question so often debated between Baptists and Pedo

* For want of these proofs, two persons were rejected at the first meeting.

baptists: whether or not this ordinance could be scripturally administered to infants? Mr. Campbell, sen., entered upon the discussion of the subject, with his impressions in favour of the affirmative; but he examined the question with so much impartiality in a series of discourses, that a number of his hearers became convinced thereby, on the contrary, that the practice of infant baptism could not be sustained by adequate scripture evidence; and the mind of his son Alexander especially, was, after a full examination of the subject, led to the conclusion, not only that the baptism of infants was without scriptural authority, but that immersion in water, upon a true profession of faith in Christ, alone constituted Christian baptism. Upon stating to his oldest sister, his conclusions, and his intention to comply with what he conceived to be the requisitions of the gospel, she informed him that her convictions and intentions had for some time been the same; and, upon stating the matter to their father, he proposed that they should send for a Baptist preacher, and attend upon the ministration of the ordinance in the immediate region of their labours. Before the appointed time, Thomas Campbell himself, together with several other members of the Brush Run congregation, became so forcibly impressed with the same convictions, that they were prepared to accompany them, and all were immersed, upon the simple profession of faith made by the Ethiopian eunuch, (Acts viii. 37,) by Elder Luse of the Baptist community, on the 12th June, 1812. This was an important occurrence in the history of this little band of reformers; for it not only revived the educational prejudices of all those who were unfavourable to immersion, or attached to infant baptism, and induced them immediately to withdraw themselves from the church; but it was the means of bringing the remainder, who now constituted a congregation of immersed believers, into immediate connexion with the Baptists. For, although disinclined to a combination with any religious party, known as such, they deemed the principles of the Baptists favourable to reformation and religious freedom, and believed that as they had it in their power to preserve their own independence as a church, and the integrity of the principles of their first organization, a connexion with the Baptists would afford them a more extended field of usefulness. Accordingly, in the fall of 1813, they were received into the Redstone Baptist Association, carefully and expressly stipulating at the same time, in writing, that "No terms of union or communion other than the holy scriptures should be required."

The novelty of those simple views of Christianity which Alexander Campbell, as messenger of the church of Brush Run, urged with