The Yale expositor., 1905-04-07
WHAT THE DISCIPLES OF CHRIST TEACH
AND PRACTICE.


/. That the present religious move
ments should be toward a restoration
rather than reformation. In prefer
ence to revising human creeds to meet
present conditions we adopt and adhere
to the original Protestant principle,
"The Bible the whole Bible and moth
ing but the Bible" That we cease
building upon human foundations and
build upon the foundation of the apos-
ties and prophets, Christ Jesus himself
being the chief corner stone" (Eph. 2:20)
2. That in restoring primitive christ
ianity we accept the inspiration of the
| Holy Scriptures of both old and new
testaments and regard them as Gods
revealed will concerning man, vital to
his salvation and their all-sufliciency
as his only rule of faith and practice.
3. That denominationalism in any
form is contrary to the letter and spirit
of new testament christianity, condu-
Give to the further separation of Gods
people, and thus hindering the fulfill
ment of Our Lords prayer in the seven
teenth chapter of John.
| 4. That we eXalt the Messiah in the
terms of Peters confession: "Thou art
the Christ, the Son of the Living God"
| That we recognize this statement as
the fundamental fact of Holy Scripture
as the central truth of the christian
system, as the essential creed of christ
ianity, as the one article of faith in or
der to baptism and church membership
as the rock truth upon which the church
is founded, and the ultimate creed of
the universal church.
5. That we recognize the several and
proper divisions of Gods word q Tim.
2:15) That both the old and new tesla
ments are not of equally binding au-
thority upon christians. We are not
under the old covenant but the new;
not under the law but under the Gospel;
not under Moses but under Christ.
6. That we use new testament names
for the church and followers of Christ
The church is the body of Christ there
| fore it should take the name of its head
AS the bride of Christ it should wear
the name of the bridegroom. The dis
ciples were called christians first at An
tiOch. We do not claim to be the only
christians as some have falsely charged,
nor the only Churches of Christ, but we
desire to be Christians only, and the
individual congregations only churches
of Christ. On this point what is not
scrlpturally right cannot be religiously
right.
Z. That we designate the first day of
the week as the Lords Day and not the
Sabbath Day. The seventh day cores
| ponding to our Saturday is the Sabbath
day, but the first day of the week God
has designated the Lords Day. Hence
it is not Sabbath school but the Bible
school,; not Sabbath day but Lords day.
We say Lords table, Lords house,
| Lords people, etc. The name of the
| first day of the week is just as sacred
as the name of the table house, or peo-
| pie.
S. That we observe the Lords Supper
on every Lords Day and eXalt this in
| StitutiOn, not as sacrament but as
memorial FEAST an act of worship in
which all christians may unite without
discrimination. This we do in keeping
with the apostles example. (Acts 20:7)
9. That we observe new testament
ordinances, as observed in new tesla
ment times. Immersion for remission
of sins, being divine ordinance, and
observed by Christ and the apostles as
it should be observed today. Sprinkling
and pouring are without scriptural
foundation. All admit immersion is
baptism but nothing else is admitted
by all. The Greek church has always
practiced immersion. The Western or
Roman Catholic church admits the
original practice, and does not base its
practice today on scriptural warrant
but on the authority of the Pope. Lu-
Their, Calvin, and Wesley all admitted
immersion to be apostolic practice.
Calvin justified sprinkling on the ground
that the church had authority to change
the form, retaining the substance.
IN That hanficpn hrinnc into ha
enjoyment of Gods promised blessings,
namely: the remission of sins and all
spiritual blessings. That apart from
obedience to God in this ordinance we
have no Divine assurance of forgive
ness, or any evidence of acceptance with
God. Hence the apostles taught peni-
tent believers to secure peace of mind
through obedience to Gods command
ments and not through the "mourner's
bench, sensations, feelings, visions, or
ecialrevelations. Baptism only makes
us citizens of Christ's kingdom and ul-
timation salvation is conditioned upon
living the christian life.
IL. That the Holy Spirit only convicts
the world of sin, righteousness and
judgment, through its message, first
delivered by the apostles on the Day
of Pentacost and since recorded in the
new testament. This message must
first be brought in contact with the
human mind before it can work.
~. That all of Gods people should
be united in cooperative effort to
dethrone Satan and enthrone the Mes
siah, "King of Kings and Lord of
Lords.
These and kindred tenets shall be
faithfully, fully and freely advocated
and explained in the series of special
meetings to begin next Lords Day
morning at the Church of Christ, Me
chanic street. Services begin at HOO
a. m. The meetings continue every
night next week. Services at 7:45 p. IN.
A n 20 H. -