The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1906-08-02
A "Freak Religion"

"Freak Religion"
This is what the teachings of the
Christian church is sometimes called,
where it is little known and not UNDER
stood. G. r. Neel is at present evan
gelizing in Princeton (Farnham's
hall. under the auspices of this
church. It has been asked whether
they were Christian Science and also
whether these we're "some of DOWie's
men" AS a matter of fact the
Christian church accepts the entire
bible and nothing else as the inspired
word of God, and the only infallible
guide for man in faith and practice.
It therefore accepts the bible teaching
that Christ is "head over all things
to the church," and acknowledges no
other head of the church either in
heaven or on earth, neither any
church government nor authority
than His. 1t accepts Him as the lone
mediator between God and man" and
that therefore there are no other medi-
atOrs. It believes that this exaltation
of Christ to His supreme and rightful
place will lift the church out of it's
present weakness to it's ancient power,
will heal all error and envy, conflict
and division. It teaches that when
entire loyalty to Him becomes fact,
all men will cease to emphasize and
insist upon man-made opinions as
tests of fellowship, which are now the
cause of endless division, and will
surrender them to the simple, life-giv-
ing word of Jesus.
It believes that then the terms of
entrance into the kingdom ("keys of
the kingdom") will be nothing more
nor less than those which Peter de-
clared on the day of Pentecost (Acts
2:3s) by direction of the Lord himself
Matt. 1919.
1t teaches that the simple imitation
of Jesus and the early disciples will
set US at once and entirely right in the
observance of the two great land
only ordinances that the Lord Jesus
has set in his church, namely baptism
and the Lords supper.
It teaches that the instruction of
Jesus and His apostles is absolutely
complete in itself, and all-suffcient for
mans spiritual guidance e Tim. 3:l6)
and is only weakened and made in
effective by party dogma and secta-
rian bias (Matt. 15:9.)
1t teaches that the bride (which is
the church) should wear the name of
her own husband (Christ) and not
that of another (such as the name of
man, method, form of church
government etc. and that when her
love for Him has outgrown every
other love, she will insist in being
called by His name.
It believes that when the church
universal comes to exalt Jesus only,
and to insist upon no other qualifca-
ton than loyalty to Him, that
Christian union for which he prayed
John. ~ will come to pass fully,
grandly and joyfully. That then
there will be ''unity of spirit" and
"bond of peace, {" zone body" Ito the
church, lone spirit" lone hope,"
lone Lord, one faith, one baptism, )"
lone God and father of all who is
above all and through all and in you
ALL" (Eph. 4:6).
It has no withheld gospel, no
second book of authority, no "freak"
teachings. Its adherents consider
themselves Christians only, but by
no means the only Christians. On
the other hand they desire the fellow
ship of every man who by sincere
profession and obedience seeks to
honor his Lord and wishes to join
heart and hand with all such in the
effort to bring all men to a saving
knowledge of the truth.