The Cleveland leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1865-1865, 1865-07-03

Congregational National Council st Boston
is ss follows
DECLARATION OF FAITH.
HStanding BY the rock where the Pill
grims set foot upon these shores, upon the
spot whore they worshipped God, and
among the graves of the early genera
tons. we, elders sndmessengers Of the Con-
gregationsl church Of the United States,
in national council aSembled-like them
acknowledging no rule of faith but the
word Of GOd-do now declare our adher-
ence TO the faith and order ofathe apostolic
and primitive churches held by our
fathers, and substantially as embodied In
the confessions and platforms which our
Synods of lS48 and 1860 set forth or reaf-
frmed. We declare that the experience
Of the nearly two and 3 half
eentu les which have elapsed fince
the memorable day when our sires founded
here q Christian common wealth, with
all the development of new forms Of error
since their times, has only deepened our
confidence In the faith and poIty of those
fathers. We bless God for the inheritance
Of these doctrines. We invoke the kelp of
the Divine Redeemer, that, through the
DIo1oACD "a ~ EAOliA1C4 OOulAUIB6Is Q6 VIII
enable Us to transmit them in purify TO
our children.
ain the times that are before US as a ma
ton, times at once of duty and of danger,
we rest all our hope in The. gospel of the
Son of God. 1t was the grand PECULIARLY
of our Puritan fathers that they held this
gospel, not merely as the ground of their
personal salvation, but as declaring the
worth OF q man by the incarnation and
sacrifice of the son Of God; and therefore
applied its principles to elevate society, TO
regulate education, to eiVilizs humanity, to
purify law, to reform the church and the
state, 10 assert and defend liberty; in short
70 mould and redeem by its ai~l-trsnsform- |
ing energy everything that belongs to man
in his individual and social relations.
ut was the faith of our fathers that gave
as this free land In which we dwell, It is
by this faith only that We can transmit TO
our children q free and happy, because a
Christian, commonwealth.
ave hold It 70 be q distinctive axcellencol
of our Congregational system that 1t exalts
that which is more above that which is
less important and by thesimplicity of its
organization facilitates in Communities
where the population is limited, the union
Of all true believers in one Christian
church; and that the division of such com-
munities into several wesk and Jealous So
cieties, holding the same common faith, is
3 sin sgsinst the unity of the body of
Christ, and st once the shame and scandal
Of Christendom.
We rejoice that, through the infuenoo
If our free system of apostolic order, we
AN hold fellowship with all who scknow-
Christ, and act efficiently in the
work of restoring unity to the divided
and of bringing back harmony
md peace among all who love our Lord
Jesus Christ in sincerity
"Thus ~reorgsnizing the unity of the
Church of Christ in all the world, and
moving that we are but one branch of
Christ people, while sdheriog TO our Pc
,uliar faith and order, we extend to sIl be.
the hand Of Christisn fellowship ,
lpon the basis of those great fundamental
in which sll Christians should agree.
With them we confess our faith in God, in .
Christ, the incsrnabe Word, who is +
xslted TO be our Redeemer snd King; and I
q the holy Comforter, who is present in
he Church 10 Tegsnerste and ssctify the y
oul. I
with the whole church, we confess the j
ommon s%infulness and ruin o. our race.
nd acknowledge thst it is only through 8
be work accomplished by the life and ex-
istory death of Christ that believers in
i'm are justified before God, receive the
emission of sins, and through the presence :
grace Of the Holy Comforter are do /
yered from the power Of sin and perfected
/ holiness. :
1--WE believe also in an organized and n
church, in the ministry of the word, :
the sscraments of baptism and the Lords
upper, in the resurrection of the body and Q
the final judgment, the issues of which \
re eternal life and everlasting judgment. {
We receive these truths on the testi- =
Iony Of God, given through prophets and 8
and in the life, the miracles, the P
sath, the resurrection Of his Son, orr =
vine Redeemer-s testimony preserved
r the church inthe Scriptures Of the Old Y
I'd New Testsments, which were COM
osed of holy men, as they were moved by z
70 Holy Ghost.
"AtirmIng nov our belief that those =
no thus hold 'one faith, one Lord, one q
together constitute the one Csth. y
&c Church, the several households of
hich, though called by different names,
. bno Ono DOuy Ol SnIlsIi anu mat theee
embers of his body are saeredly bound to
the unity Of the bond of peace,' we
that we will cooperate with all
no hold these truths. With these we will P
Try the gospel into, every part of this a.
nd, and with them we will 60 into all the T.
orld and preach the gospeEto every crea- hi
re- May He 70 whom 'all power is Civ p
in heaven and earth fulfill the promise IN
hich is all our hope, iLn4 1 am with you Al
even to the end of the world To 50
i'm be praise in the church forever. Ell
men,