Faith of Our Fathers”

“FAITH OF OUR FATHERS” A COMPENDIUM OF SCRIPTURE TEACHING ON PROPHECY AND UNITY EXTRACTS, CLEAR AND RARE, FROM THE “ FATHERS” AND THE REFORMERS PRECIOUS REPRINTS FROM THE MEN OF THE “RESTORATION MOVEMENT” WITH SPECIAL ARTICLES BY THE EDITOR AND OTHERS ON THE FELLOWSHIP PROBLEMS OF OUR DAY . till we all attain unto the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God" EDITED BY E. L. JORGENSON Order from THE WORD AND WORK, PUBLISHERS 2518 Portland Avenue Louisville 12, Kentucky (Please send 50c per copy to cover handling, packing and postage) FAITH OF OUR FATHERS Faith of our fathers! living still In spite of dungeon, fire and sword; O how our hearts beat high with joy Whene’er we hear that glorious word! Faith of our fathers, holy faith, We will be true to thee till death. Our fathers, chained in prisons dark, Were still in heart and conscience free; How sweet would be their children’s fate If they, like them, could die for thee! Faith of our fathers! we will love Both friend and foe in all our strife; And preach thee too, as love knows how, By kindly words and virtuous life. PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA PREFATORY These “ precious reprints” appeared first serially, month by month, in Word and Work from 1945 through 1952. At each year- end they were re-edited and reissued in pamphlet form; and. by means of funds (now expended) out of the personal, inherited estate of our friend and brother, Don Carlos Janes, many thousands of the yearly pamphlets were distributed—far and wide and free of charge. Now, at long last, these eight yearly pamphlets have been gath ered and fully indexed, to form this book. The nominal figure of 50c has been fixed—not to represent the value of the volume, but to cover handling, packing and postage, and to prevent indiscriminate and wasteful ordering. It was, of course, not possible to re-edit the pamphlets for the book, as the number needed for that purpose had been printed each year and laid aside for final binding. But, for the sake of greater accuracy and utter fairness, there appears herein, on page 354, a page of last-minute notes and “ errata,” which the reader should examine before proceeding into the volume itself. The complete indexes will be found on pages 349 to 353. It goes without saying that any book compiled as this book was compiled (month by month, and year by year) will lack something in the way of order, sequence, unity, and editorial perfection—even of uniformity of paper stock available through these eight years. (For tunately, by reprinting portions, we have been able to attain uniform ity of the main type-faces used.) Also, there is bound to be no little repetition—of argument, if not of actual words—in the essays from many different writers on similar themes. But the materials are here as they were printed; and may the good Lord bless them to many a heart through many a year, as they have already brought help and blessing, and a better understanding, to the thousands who have seen them in the monthly or yearly form. It gives me profound pleasure to preserve and to present herein —to all, but especially to the young ministers of Christ—some of the highest, truest, noblest religious literature of all time, and much of I he most beautiful as well. All praise to God that I have been per mitted life, health, and means to pursue the research and to finish the work. -E . L. J. PREFATORY These “ precious reprints” appeared first serially, month by month, in Word and Work from 1945 through 1952. At each year- end they were re-edited and reissued in pamphlet form; and, by means of funds (now expended) out of the personal, inherited estate of our friend and brother, Don Carlos Janes, many thousands of the yearly pamphlets were distributed—far and wide and free of charge. Now, at long last, these eight yearly pamphlets have been gath ered and fully indexed, to form this book. The nominal figure of 50c has been fixed—not to represent the value of the volume, but to cover handling, packing and postage, and to prevent indiscriminate and wasteful ordering. It was, of course, not possible to re-edit the pamphlets for the book, as the number needed for that purpose had been printed each year and laid aside for final binding. But, for the sake of greater accuracy and utter fairness, there appears herein, on page 354, a page of last-minute notes and “ errata,” which the reader should examine before proceeding into the volume itself. The complete indexes will be found on pages 349 to 353. It goes without saying that any book compiled as this book was compiled (month by month, and year by year) will lack something in the way of order, sequence, unity, and editorial perfection—even of uniformity of paper stock available through these eight years. (For tunately, by reprinting portions, we have been able to attain uniform ity of the main type-faces used.) Also, there is bound to be no little repetition—of argument, if not of actual words—in the essays from many different writers on similar themes. But the materials are here as they were printed; and may the good Lord bless them to many a heart through many a year, as they have already brought help and blessing, and a better understanding, to the thousands who have seen them in the monthly or yearly form. It gives me profound pleasure to preserve and to present herein —to all, but especially to the young ministers of Christ—some of the highest, truest, noblest religious literature of all time, and much of the most beautiful as well. All praise to God that I have been per mitted life, health, and means to pursue the research and to finish the work. -E . L. J. INTRODUCTORY This volume, aptly titled “ Faith of Our Fathers,” is a wonderful and exceedingly valuable collection of writings of the “ fathers” of the Restoration Movement, from Alexander Campbell down to more recent times (including much material also from earlier reformers), dealing with two great themes: the great theme of Prophecy, and another great theme, scarce second in importance, namely the Prin ciples of Christian Unity. A number of years back Cardinal Gib bons wrote a book of Roman Catholic propaganda, which he named “The Faith of Our Fathers.” Promptly there appeared a volume in reply, entitled “The Faith of Our Forefathers,” which by more ancient testimony effectively exposed the false claims of Romanism. Now, in this compendium of ancient and modern writings, the faith of our forefathers is seen to be as clear and strong for the true and simple teaching on prophecy as is the “ faith of our fathers” on other lines^-^' In connection with these excerpts, the reader is constantly’ reminded that none of these human views and teachings are presented to prove any point of doctrine concerning prophecy. Only by the word of God can any spiritual truth be known and Christian doctrine be established^ (See paragraph 2, page 3, an d paragraph 3, page 5.) T o be sure, the faithful utterances of great and able men tend to confirm and clarify our faith in the truths we have learned from the scriptures, and to point out things in the word of God which we might not have seen for ourselves. In this respect also these reprints and q uotations will be found very helpful. B u t back of it all lies another lesson and purpose. This whole treatise calls atten tion to the freedom which simple Christians have always prized and enjoyed—to search the scriptures for themselves, and to hold their convictions without fear. This freedom is a precious heritage of the children of God, never to be surrendered. Even the apostles themselves, after they had delivered their inspired message, did not undertake to interfere with the faith of their converts. (2 Cor. 1:24, “ Not that we have lordship over your faith, but are helpers of your joy.”) And with this freedom necessarily goes toleration. For if I am free under God, so is my brother. If I differ with him on any point I may expect him to bear with me; and if he differs from me I must respect him and bear with him in love. Yea, we will be helpful to each other—each pointing out to the other the point of difference and its correction; thus building up each other in love, and, hold ing the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, approaching more and more to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God—not only in matters of prophecy, but on all questions of truth. (Eph. 4:3, 13.) The “ lathers” before us had, it seems, a clearer vision of the fundamental principles of non-sectarian New Testament Christianity, and the true unity of God’s people than has been manifest in later years. See for example the brief articles, “ Campbell on Forbearance,” and "Campbell on Opinions” on pages 5, 6, 36, 206, and numerous examples of his gracious and respectful attitude toward brethren who differed with him on various questions; as also his long forbearance with Dr. Thomas in his factious spirit and wild distortions of gospel- truth. See also on pages 210-212 the excellent article by Robert Richardson on “Opinions,” taken from the Millennial Harbinger.

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