Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1905-06-04
BRIEF STATEMENT OF THE RELIGIOUS
POSITION OF THE DISCIPLES OF CHRIST

80 Viz otNhI Vi
there are nearly a million and ball
of people who occupy the unscclaria,
position that Is briefly set fo, TIL by DR..
J. j. Haley. of The Seventh Street Chris
tihn church. Richmond. Va, In The fol.
lowing article. these people are rcj,.
resented In this city by the Thrtict,l
Street Christian Church. and the Twcn.
ty-fonrth Street Church Of Christ
Historically and enthusiastically the
disciple movement, some times known
as the Christian church. is a union
movement. II began in the conviction
that sectarianism in The church, and
ulvisicn aulonG the people OF God. was
ahntrmal ana sinful and therefore in
palpahlc contradiction to the Savior's
great intcrccssary prayer for The unity
oil his followers. The time Of tEn he.
ginning of this movement for unIica.
iicn was the elimination of an age Of
STRIFE and bitterness amongst profcs.
sional christians. Warning sccts and
coht"ndlnS parties had hccn multiply
,rS SiErc the protestant reformation
49, '-'i '+INbtiy ul'til ~ StpIIiCtt lllItt
narrow pruscriptivc AMI rcaClionary
dcgnatism mad taken complete posses
siun Of the Held. Believing that the
condition of religious society. under
these circumstances, was rons ard
contrary to the will of Christ. Thos.
Campbell. minister Of The SccCdcr tic.
nrinillalion of Presbyicrians orrauiz"H
society in thu year 1905 in Western
pennsylvania. known MS The Christian
Association OF Washington rho o.
jet of This organization was the prs.
lnCtion 0f simple evangelical Christi.
anity, free from admiyuIrc with hu.
man opinions ard thu Inventions OF
mcn. as the only fcasihc basis Of tho
reunion uf Christrudom The cOnsti.
tuition Of this sociriy. written by it;
nrSnaihcr. was ;.ic historic and famous
Declaration and Address.
The chief contention of this able
document was hat the simple cvangcl-
itnl Christianity OF the New TcSta-
mrnt. free from dnncminaiiunal and
scctarIan peculiarities, was to coEsi-
tutr the iasis Of union among The poo.
pie Of God T hero was nc intcntiO
of organizing another church no dispo-
silion 10 add another denomination u
the list already too long The Chris.
'Itl pHN'NiulteH VI W NsUllSlDtl WdS
well within The limits Of existing
churches. composed for the NEST Dar,
of SpccdGr Anti Burghcr l'rcsb2tcrianS.
After strenuous opposition and pcrsc.
rntion from the "Strttlrrs, and their
own conyicticns derived from Il care.
full study IF tic word of God had slriv.
eli The Cnmpbrlls. farther and son. in.
to The fold Of the Baptist denomination.
They found the Baptist people Of that
lime no better prepared to tolerate
their plea for ratification than the Pres.
hytcrians hal DGcn There was never
any sufficient reason for, their Scl,ara.
tim from these churches. especially
the baptist church, and there WAS. no
Justification fCr ii except In the pccu
liar Theological and dosmatic temper
Of the tiMcs.
After the practical severance n(
these reforms from their Baptist brcth-
ron. they found themselves forced to
set M housekeeping Tor themselves. or
else TO abandon what seemed to then,
81 clearly the line Of duty. They hest
lated long and seriously tn separate
themselves from the churches. or To he
separated by the actions Of others. and
10 pcrp,:,iatc this separation by OF 9th
eTs. nnl to pt rpctuat1 this Scpara ion
ny the formation Df another church,
for this was to palpahly contradict
their own principles. IT. iIvnlvci or
appeared tn involve. the making os 4
creed. and they were opposed |" crrcdS
it involved the creation of a dG.nn,i;a-
tinIl and they were opposed To dc.
nominations. II seemed absurd 20
their conlt mp0rarici tn oppose flcnomi-
natiOnalism Ivy organizing. another tic
nomination. 10 fight Scciarianism by
creating n new sect: to dcmoliSh hH-
man creedS Ivy mean; Of a creed as
human as the rest.
They went on with their work as
they were compelled tp do uE'lcr the
circumstances. rcfuSin. to The last 20
give il an ccclcSiasiit'al Interpretation.
They did not establish u church he
cause The church was already Csta!-
listed. they did moi organize sect
ar denomination because there wcr"
already trG many Of these in existence
This is what they ,ii'i: They claimed
the right. under the great commi5S!on
20 make Christians as the Apostles;
made them. aud ia organize these
Christians into congregations ar local
churches cf Christ. according II The
New Testament pattern. without sec
tarIan connections. affiliations m Oil
ga;iCng as III Nc beginning. Tho III
,liviLuals composing .hcse congrerh-
lions Weic Christians and Christians
only The congregations them