FROM

"THE BIBLE, I SAY THE BIBLE, ONLY, IS THE RELIGION OF PROTESTANTS."--CHILLINGWORTH.
VOL. I.	PITTSBURGH, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 1844.	NO. 1.

      In the latter part of August, and the commencement of the present month, in company with brother Walter Scott, the senior editor, I took a tour through the North-Eastern portion of the state of Ohio, attending in our route four of the YEARLY MEETING of the Disciples in that region.

      The first of these meetings was held at Fairfield, in Columbiana county, being the Annual Meeting for that county. It continued during four days, commencing on Friday, August 16th. It was attended by a large number of Disciples, and citizens from the surrounding country; on the Lord's day, it was supposed there were not less than four thousand persons assembled. There were many Evangelists and Elders of churches present, who participated in the exercises of the meeting: so numerous, indeed, were they at all these meetings, that we have not space to give their names. Thirty persons were immersed.

      The second meeting, was that for Trumbull county, held in the town of Niles. It was somewhat larger than any of the others; we cannot with accuracy estimate the numbers present on Lord's day. As at Fairfield a large number of Teaching Brethren were in attendance. It continued four days, commencing on Friday, August 23d, during which period thirty-two confessed the Lord. Here we had the pleasure of sitting under the shelter of the GREAT TENT, constructed and owned by the Disciples of the Western Reserve. This is a large oblong canopy, made of canvass, capable of sheltering from the sun and rain about 2500 persons. It was resolved at this meeting, to enlarge the tent, so that it will shelter 5000 persons, and to alter its shape to a circular form, the expenses to be paid by contributions from the various churches.

      The third meeting was that for Cuyahoga county, held at Doane's Corner, near Cleveland. It commenced on Friday, August 30th, and continued four days, nine being immersed before the close of the meeting. The attendance here was also very large; thirty-seven Teaching Brethren were present.

      The fourth and last meeting we had the pleasure of attending, was, that for Summit and Portage counties, held at Stowe's Corners, near Akron, commencing on Friday, September 6th, and continuing four days. Although the Disciples in this region are not so numerous as in those sections where the former meetings were held, the meeting was yet very larger, the space under the TENT being crowded on Lord's day. Having left before the close of the meeting, we cannot state the whole number of additions: three had been immersed while we were there.

      All of these meetings were joyful re-unions of the Disciples of the Lord. Thousands of them came together to these, their Pentecostal festivals, to exchange the greetings of christian affection, to mingle their prayers and thanksgiving to the Father of all, to strengthen each other in faith and hope and duty, and unite their efforts to illuminate, convert and save their fellow citizens. It was heart cheering, to behold the zeal, the cordial and brotherly kindness and hospitality, which prevailed at these meetings. They exert an important and salutary influence upon the neighborhoods in which they are held, not only by the opportunities which they afford of disseminating widely the knowledge of the truth, but also by the exhibition of the beauty and excellence of Primitive Christianity, which they present in the unity, the love and hospitality of the Brotherhood.

      We found in this section of Ohio which we visited, a large and increasing body of Disciples, generally, we are pleased to add, growing in [2] knowledge, in christian practice and order, and universally impressed with the conviction of the importance and necessity of progressive reformation.

      At the meetings at Doane's Corners, and at Stowe's Corners, we had the happiness to meet and hear address the people, brother Pikans, of Akron, formerly a distinguished Presbyterian preacher, who, with a large portion of his congregation, was the last winter immersed for the remission of sins, and now advocates the Primitive Gospel. Brother P. and his congregation, have been among those styled Second Advent Brethren, but by whatever they have been called, united with us on the broad foundation of the Bible alone,--in the faith and hope and practice of Primitive Christianity,--they are our brethren. We have no sect nor sectarian organization to invite them to enter; nor have they any to invite us to enter, but by the necessary assimilation of Truth, we are one in the great Fraternity of Heaven.

EDITOR JUNIOR.      

["Editors' Tour." The Protestant Unionist, 1 (September 25, 1844): 2-3.]

      Robert H. Forrester's "Editors' Tour" was first published in The Protestant Unionist, Vol. 1, No. 1, September 25, 1844. The electronic version of the essay has been produced from microfilm of the newspaper.

      Pagination in the electronic version has been represented by placing the page number in brackets following the last complete word on the printed page. Inconsistencies in spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and typography have been retained.

      Addenda and corrigenda are earnestly solicited.

Ernie Stefanik
Derry, PA

Created 29 January 2002.
Updated 2 July 2003.