DISCIPLES OF CHRIST, or CmtutsrtAxs. This religious body, sometimes called, without its consent, 'Campbellites.' represents a movement in the Church in the interest of union by a return in faith and life to the Christianity of the New Testament. They are distinctly American in their origin. Simultaneously in ditTerent see lions of the country a rose teachers among time re ligious denominations who pleaded for the Bible alone without addition in the form of creed, or formulas of faith, and for the union of Chris tians of every name upon the basis of the Apos tles' teaching. •his movement assumed most notable proportions in western Virginia and Pennsylvania, and in icentneky. Thomas C:1 nip• and his son Alexander (q.v.), Ilf Bethany. Vat., roomineed time Presbyterian systl'111 and were il.1 mnersed in 1S1 2. and with the congregations they had formed united with the Nedstone Association. and. ten years later. with the lat. honing Assoeintion. ln IS2:1 Alexander CallIp• bell began to set forth with great vigor allil learning in a periodical entitled The Christian Baptist a plea for the simple gospel order of things, as under the .\postles. It was not a ref ormation he 'urged, Ina 'a restoration': not the organization of a new• sect, or the reformation of all old one, lint a return to the re.
lieW;11 of the ancient landmark, of the Christian religion, the restoration of .\po,tolle ity, its doctrines, ordinances, and fruits. Ills protest against Mittman creed, as bonds of union. and plea for time all-sullicieney of the sacred •;eriptores, aroused opposition, and advocated were in many quarters denounced as heterodox. (:reat number,, however. accepted them, and under time preaching of Campbell and Waller Scott, all 1 he many new churches were formed, until the Baptists began to declare 11011-fellow ship with these brethren, and they were forced to form themselves into distinct communities.
Barton W. Stone, a Presbyterian minister in Kentucky. began a similar movement to that of the Campbells in 1S0t. A Church wars organized at Cane Ridge. 'Bourbon County, accepting the Bible alone as possessing authority in the relig ions life. and the name 'Christian' as a sufficient desiotation of all who believe on Christ. Corre
spondence between Stone and Campbell led finally to the union of the two movements in 1831.
In January. 1530, Mr. Campbell began the publication of the ililknnial Harbinger, which he edited until his death in Hfifi. In his periodi cals, by his preaching. and debates, his views were widely circulated. Since his death the Disciples of Christ have made great advance in numbers and along all lines of religious activity, until their statistics for 1901 show 10.6S9 churches with 1,177,541 communicants. They report also S002 Sunday schools with an enroll ment of 774.450 children, and 5277 Christian Endeavor societies. They raised during the year $611,220 for missions, home and foreign. Their strength lies chiefly in the West and Southwest, Missouri, Indiana. Illinois, Kentucky. and Ohio having the largest bodies.
In agreement with what are termed Evangel ical Christians, the Disciples accept the divine inspiration of the Holy Scriptures: the revela tion of God in the tri-personality of Father. Son, and Holy Spirit: the all-sufficiency and alone sufficiency of the Bible as a revelation of God's will, and a rule of faith and practice to His creatures; the divine excellency of Jesus Christ as the Son of God, His incarnation. doctrine, miracles, death as a sin offering, resurrection, ascension, and investment with supreme author ity: the personal mission of the Holy Spirit to convince the world of sin. righteousness. and judgment, and to comfort. and sanctify Chris tians; the alienation of man from God and his dependence upon the divine mercy in Christ : the necessity of faith and repentance to salvation; the importance of baptism and the Lord's Supper as divine ordinances; the duty of observing the Lord's Day in memory of the resurrection of Jesus Christ : the necessity of righteousness.holi and benevolence in Christians: the divine appointment of the Church of Christ. composed of all who by faith and obedience confess His name. with its ministries and services for the edification of Christians and conversion of the world; the fullness of the Gospel to all who will accept it on the New Testament conditions: the final judgment with the reward of the righteous and punishment of the wicked.