The San Francisco call., 1897-07-24
CHRISTIANS Of
simple MOLD
Brethren Without a Priest
hood and Preachers
Without Salaries.
They Claim to Worship as Did
the Early Followers of
the Lord.
Belief That the Messiah Will Make
Jerusalem the Metropolis Of
the World.

San Francisco has had for some time a
body OF earnest men and women whose
lives are devoted to the restoration OF the
original simplicity of the early Christian
life and worship.
They are sometimes known as Brethren,
but they disclaim any den ominational
name. They point TO the text, Wherever
two or three are gathered together in my
name there will l be in the midst of
them"
1t is very like that essentially demo-
cratic and communistic body of Christians
OF whom Iolstoi writes with so much
power and sweetness Of description. No
collections are taken up, except among
those in fellowship, and there is no priest
hood or hierarchy. There may be dozen
pastors in the same congregation-bre
rem who visit the sick and perform other
Christian Offices, but they have neither
salary nor authority. Any one who feels
the impulse of the Spirit may preach and
perform other evangelical or instructive
work. There are no seminaries for the
education of any of the members in the
ology, for he brethren believe in the in
diyduaI Interpretation OF the Bible, which
for the purposes of divine worship and
regar rd as inspired ana tine only book.
Some among them, following the exam
pies OF the apostles and other holy men
OF old, have voluntarily EN- braced life of
poverty, literally leaving all the worlds
GOODS behind and following in the foot
steps of the Divine Master. Such evan
gelists are provided for by the brethren
whom they visit. They receive no salary
and take nothing from the uncovered,
but their necessities are supplied by the
brethren. This fact of itself speaks VOL
umes for their sincerity.
Their religious services are very simple.
On Sunday mornings the assembly of the
faithful sit around long table and par
take of bread and wine in memory of
sacraments. Members are baptized as
confession of faith; but the rite of bap-
tism can be performed by any member.
Sad member last night:
1--WE believe in the second coming OF
Christ, although we are not Seyenth-day
Adventists and that he will come 10 set
up the Jews in power in the city Of Jeru-
salem, which Will then be the metropolis
of the world, as prophesied. But that
will be only material. the Jews being God s
chosen people of the earth, for the true
Christians will be taken up to heaven with
the Messiah. We believe that there are
true g ristians in all the churches-the
Roman Catholic and the Protestant
churches-but those churches have de-
parted from the teaching of Christ and
have a clergy and laity-the clergy being
q privileged C. ass and assuming to be me-
diators and as being endowed with powers
denied to the lalty. This is contrary TO
the spirit OF true Christianity. Again,
the Catholic church recognizes the Pope
rs the head, and the Pr te5 ant church
recognizes the reigning monarch of Eng
land as the head, while the Czar Is the ac-
knowledged head OF the Greek church.
Now We have nead-a real head OF the
Christian church, Lord Jesus Christ. We
have neither presbytery nor council, nor
any other authority save the Lord"
The assem- bly, Dom of this undenomina-
tional denomination is at S32 Howard
street and is known as Gospel Hall.
Since June Il course of lectures on the
LoId's coming and kindred prophetic sub
jects has been in progress, delivered by
Evangelist w. J. Mcclure of Belfast, Ire
land, meetings being held every evening
except Wednesday and Saturday. On
Sundays there will be meetings at P. NJ.
and 7:45 p NJ.
His subject for last evening was THE
Martyr Age of the Church" That was.
in the opinion of the speaker, before Satan
succeeded in Judaizng the church OF
Christ by inducing the establishment of
the privileged priestly class.
The remainder of the subjects in Mr..
McClure's course OF lectures are as fol-
lows:
III Pc gamos-The Marriage OF the Church
and the World, or the Days of Constantine; !;
" Thyatira-Romanism; V Sardis-Protest-
antism; VI Philadelphia Revival OF the
Principles VII Laodicea - The Protesting
Church at the Coming of the Lord.