Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1874-12-10
Ministerial AIliance.


Upon Monday, Dec. Z, according to
number Of the minis
tiers Of Knox willie. met at the study Of
the Rev. III. F. Wallace. In Knox Vile,
and formed 3 Ministerial Evangelical
Alliance upon the following basis, 1t
being the same basis as that upon
which the Worlds Evangelical ALI
ance was held in New York, A. ID.
1873.
BASIS OF UNION OF THE KNOXVILLE
EVANGELICAL ALLIANCE.
WHEREAS, we, as ministers of the
gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, desire
in all laudable ways to advance his
kingdom, and,
WHEREAS, the hosts Of sin are unit
ed In the work Of destruction, and
we, recognizing the might and power
of united evangelical effort in resist
ing these attacks, and thus furthering
the spiritual Kingdom, we therefore
form ourselves into an Evangelical
Alliance, to be called the Knoxville
Evangelical Alliance, and whilst we
offer no new creed, neither do we wish
to organize any new sect, but yet recog-
nizing certain fundamental truths to
be taught In Gods Holy Word, we
therefore make the following state.
ment of principles, and subscribe oui
names thereunto, our only purpose be.
ing to draw ourselves as individual
Christians into closer relationship, anC
cooperation, upon the basis Of the
spiritual union which already exists
in the vital relation of Christ to the
members of his body, in all ages and
countries; therefore,
Taking broad, historical, and evan
gelical catholic grounds, we solemn
ly re-affirm, and profess our faith In al
the doctrines of the inspired Word o
God, and In the consensus of doc
trines, as held by all true christians
from the beginning: and we do more
especially affirm our belief in the Di
vine Human Person, and atoninl
work of our Lord and Saviour Jesus
Christ, as the only and suflicien
source Of salvation, as the heart anC
soul Of christianity, and rs the centre
Of all true christian fellowship.
That with this explanation, and in
the true spirit Of christian liberality
in regard to minor differences of the.
illogical schools, and religious denomi
nations, we also adopt as o summary
Of the consensus Of the various evan
gelical confessions of faith, the follow
ing articles, adopted by the evangel
ical Alliance of the United States a.
it's formation
/. The divine inspiration. authority
and sufficiency of the Holy Scrip
lures.
2. The right, and duty of private
judgment, in the Interpretation Of the
Holy Scriptures.
8. The unity of the God-head, ant
the trinity of persons therein.
4. The utter depravity OF human
nature i'm consequence Of the fall.
S. The incarnation of the Son O
God, his work of atonement for the
sins Of mankind, and his mediatoria
intercession and reign.
6. The justification Of the sinner by
faith alone.
Z. The work Of the Holy Spirit, In
the conversion and specification o.
the sinner.
8. The immortality OF the soul, the
resurrection Of the body, the judg
ment Of the world by our Lord Jesus
Christ, with the eternal punishment o
the wicked.
8. The divine institution of the
Christian Ministry; and the obliga
ton, and perpituity, of the Ordinan
ces Of Baptism and the Lords Supper
1t being however distinctly declar.
ed that this brief summary Is not to bt
regarded in any formal or ecclesiastic
al sense as creed or confession. No
the adoption of it as involving any as
sumption Of the right authoritatively
to define the limits Of Christian
brotherhood. but simply as an indica
ton of the class of persons whom it II
desirable to embrace within this Ali
ance.
Extracts from the Constitution
adopted:
ART. 3. Any minister in good and
regular standing may become mem
Der of this organization on bis own APP
plication, by signing the Constitution
and asserting To the principles of thu
basis, and the objects of this organiza
.4
ton.
ART. 5. The business Of this Asso
citation shall be:
SEC. /. TO counsel regarding thu
best method of carrying forward Thu
great work Of our Master, the Lord Je
aus Christ, in bringing the world t.
Himself, and into the great Spiritua
Kingdom which He has established il
the earth.
SEC. 2. For the furtherance of sec
ton one it shall be the duty of differ
emit members, according to appoint
ment, to present essays, plans o
sermons. etc, for kindly criticism anc
mental Improvement.
The election Of officers is to be hels
at the first meetings i'm January anc
July. The next meeting will be helt
at Rev. Frackleton's study, Monday
afternoon ut 2 p. M, Dee. 2s, 1874, a
which time the question of 1.-THE, hes
method of observing the week o
prayer" will be discussed. Rev. A
Robbins opening the subject. Al
ministers in good and regular stand
ipr IN aiphout tha counfy a va anrd n I