That second quote will preach, won't it? (the first one packs a punch too...and echoes Gamaliel in the book of Acts). There are reasons why many on the extreme right of our fellowship are so ahistorical. Our early leaders would challenge much of our practice.
AE

I was named Thomas Campbell, but as my mother now says, He and Alexander were close but they will not make it. Really, she says that.

I feel like I have lived that second quote

I just want to say that I am really enjoying this blog. I was raised in a small, rural Tennessee congregation that could probably best be described as being more of a 19th century CoC than a 20th century CoC if one were using Richard T. Hughes terminology. Disciples' Fellowship was the first non CoC community I fellowshiped with (hence, I know Tyler the Priest). Since moving to Columbus, my wife and I are part of no particular "church." Rather our church is made up of the friends and community we surround ourselves with. At the age of 15, I preached my first sermon in front of our little congregation. I spoke about the key flaws of various denominational doctrines and why those who believed in these doctrines would surely not be saved since they were dead wrong. And that it was good that those of us in that auditorium believed the "truth", for we would surely be saved. And such a pity that all those other people in those denominations would not listen to the "truth", for they had been deceived by Satan. As I look back, it seems as though a different person spoke those words. What would that 15 year old boy had told this 28 year old man who doesn't even "go to church" on Sunday mornings?

I think Campbell is astonished to see what he "descendants" have done to his work of calling for unity not uniformity. At age 21 Alexander Campbell walked away from the Old Light Anti-burgher Seceder Presbyterian Church. He droped the communion token that he had obtained by knowing all the "right answers" and simply walked away from that terribly sectarian group (did you notice the divisions in their name?). Many current churches of Christ need to apoligize to those good old light, anti-burgher, seceder Presbyterians - for we have more fights going on that they ever dreamed. For all those who are confused about it - when Paul said to fight the good fight of faith he was not talking about opening fire in the mess hall of Christiainty - he was talking about the fight against Satan and the evil he engenders in the world. If we were serious about fighting Satan we would welcome all fellow soldiers - preferring to have their help than to judge their commitment to the general. Maybe we have so much time to fight because we are too scared to get in the world and tangle with Satan?