offerings of the brethren.  And when we sought an arrangement by which all should give—­each man, according to his ability—­we were alarmed with fearful prognostications of evil:  “Beware! beware!” These brethren said, “You are making a veritable Popish bull, and he will gore you to death.  Beware of missionary societies!” And when we turned to these men and besought them, “Tell us, dear brethren, how we shall obtain, without offense, the means to send help to those perishing churches?” they were silent.  This was not their function.  Their vocation was to warn the people against Popish bulls and human missionary societies, for which there can not be found a thus saith the Lord, in express terms or by an approved precedent.

Meantime the churches in the older States had contributed one hundred thousand Disciples—­this has sometimes been the estimated number—­as emigrants to the great West, and these were scattered over its wide extended Territories, and it was to be shown how far this contribution, more precious than gold or silver or costliest gems, should be as water spilled on the ground, or as treasure cast into the bottom of the sea, or how far it should be as precious seed bearing fruit, some thirty fold, some sixty, and some one hundred fold.

When our first churches were organized in Kansas, Alexander Campbell had become old and well-stricken in years.  I have already written of the missionary society that was created in 1864, and of the great convention held in Leavenworth City in 1865, in which we sought to perfect the workings of that society.  Within the following year Mr. Campbell died, and the always welcome Millennial Harbinger ceased its monthly visits.  The voice of Mr. C. had been a bugle blast calling men to heroic deeds, and his overshadowing influence had restrained from that tendency to division, for opinion’s sake, which is our inheritance from our common Protestantism.  But now a great emigration had come into Kansas from every part of the United States, and among these were many who looked with no favor on any innovation on the traditions of the fathers.

Mr. C. had said in his notable debate with the Rev. N. L. Rice, at Lexington, Ky.:  “Men formerly of all persuasions, and of all denominations and prejudices, have been baptized on this good confession, and have united in one community.  Among them are found those who had been Romanists, Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Methodists, Baptists, Restorationists, Quakers, Arians, Unitarians, etc., etc.  We have one Lord, one faith, one baptism, but various opinions.  All these persons, of so many and contradictory opinions, weekly meet around our Lord’s table in hundreds of churches all over the land.  Our bond of union is faith in the slain Messiah, in his death for our sins and his resurrection for our justification.”