Abilene Christian University Digital Commons @ ACU Stone-Campbell Books Stone-Campbell Resources 1936 The Disciples of Christ Edward Scribner Ames Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.acu.edu/crs_books Part of the Biblical Studies Commons, Christian Denominations and Sects Commons, Christianity Commons, History of Christianity Commons, History of Religions of Western Origin Commons, and the Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons Recommended Citation Ames, Edward Scribner, "The Disciples of Christ" (1936). Stone-Campbell Books. Book 56. http://digitalcommons.acu.edu/crs_books/56 This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the Stone-Campbell Resources at Digital Commons @ ACU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Stone-Campbell Books by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ ACU. For more information, please contact dc@acu.edu. THE DISCIPLES OF CHRIST Edward Scribner Ames Minister, University Church of Disciples of Christ Dean, Disciples Divinity House of the University of Chicago 1156 East Fifty-seventh Street Chicago The Disciplesof Christ Who are the Disciples of Christ? What is their history? What do they believe? What is their re­ lation to other religious bodies? How do they stand with reference to modern religious thought? Are The Disciples of Christ they growing or waning? Have they virility and First printing . 1924 adaptability to meet the demands of the new social Second printing ... 1924 order? These are searching questions which may Third printing .... 1927 properly be asked of any religious movement both Fourth printing ... 1932 ,by its members and by those to whom its claims Fifth printing .... 1936 are presented. They are also questions which should be asked again and again as history unfolds, and Total, 10,000 copies they are certain to be answered with varying em­ phasis and perspective. The answers here given are ,by a life-long adherent of this faith, who with many Books By The Author opportunities to know intimately its history, and The Psychology of Religious Experience the perversions and accidents of its development, Religion continues sympathetic with its deeper spirit and its present constructive tendencies. The New Orthodoxy Letters to God and the devil A Century of Growth In a hundred and fifteen years the Disciples of Christ have become numerically the fifth protestant Pamphlets body in America. They constitute the largest de­ nomination born on this continent. Scores of older Theory and Practice (Autobiographical) bodies have been outstripped by them. The gather­ Religion as the Enrichment of Life ing of more than a million communicants into ten Three Great Words of Religion thousand churches is a sociological fact, at least The Disciples of Christ Today sufficient to arrest attention. This latest great flow­ ering of the protestant spirit carries with it all the agencies of a powerful religious enterprise, colleges, publication societies, missionary organizations, and massive conventions. With its greatest strength spreaaing west and southwest from the eastern 1 boundary of Ohio its membership has been of the [3] typical American, middle-class stock. President baptism was not required, but carried him to the James A. Garfield was a Disciple minister of the conviction that adult believers should be immersed. Western Reserve. The adoption of that view and practice alienated some who had cooperated in the movement, and led Sought Christian Union those who remained into closer affiliation with Thomas Campbell, and his son, Alexander, edu­ Baptist churches. cated at the University of Glasgow, Presbyterians by inheritance, having come to this country to en­ Separation from Baptists joy a freer religious atmosphere, published in 1809, an appeal to men of all religious beliefs to give up It was not long, however, until it became appar­ sectarian creeds and parties, and to find a basis of ent that the Disciples were not entirely acceptable union upon the New Testament alone. There was to orthodox Baptists. Alexander Campbell preached a sermon on "The Law," in which he made it clear an immediate response and those who came to­ that he and his associates did not accept the author­ gether undertook to guide themselves by the Scrip­ ity of the Mosaic Law as binding upon Christians. tures without subscribing to any creed or submit­ Not in the Old Testament but in the New Testa­ ting to any ecclesiasticism. The two great uncon­ ment is to be found the ideals and directions for the troverted principles of their association were faith Christian life. The Campbells rejected the Calvin­ in the teaching of Jesus and the effort to conform istic theology which formed the historic background their lives to that teaching. That faith they under­ of the Baptist Churches, and they were convinced stood in a very practical and personal sense. They that the Christian Sunday should not be identified renounced all speculative, theological dogmas as with the Old Testament "Sabbath." The Disciples tests of fellowship, while allowing the individual have never favored a blue-law Sabbath, but have the freest range of "opinion." The only confession held much freer and more practical conceptions of required of new converts was that of faith in the the proper observance of the day. character and teaching of Jesus. The test question for those seeking admission to the church was this: Within twenty-five years of its beginning, then, Do you believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God? this effort toward the union of differing religious That is, in effect, do you believe in Jesus and in his sects found itself rapidly becoming a distinct body, way of life, and do you earnestly desire to follow and in reality adding another party to Protestant­ him? Acceptance of this faith carried with it by ism instead of diminishing divisions. But while this implication the serious effort to live consistently in turn of events was disappointing, it was regarded the light of it. as a temporary condition. With increasing numbers and more agencies for proclaiming their ideal of a The Practice of Baptism united church the hope grew that their testimony would gain a wider acceptance and their non-sec­ If it had not been for the birth of a child to Alex­ tarian spirit be amply vindicated. ander Campbell, this movement for Christian Union might have developed upon these two principles of Philosophical Background faith and repentance. But when his first child was born, Mr. Campbell was confronted with the prob­ There were good reasons why the leaders felt lem of infant baptism. His study of the New Testa­ great confidence in their enterprise. One was that ment not only led him to the conclusion that infant they were supported by the most widely known and [4] [5] influential religious philosophy of that day, the phil­ Laym_en as Ministers osophy of the great Englishman, John Locke. His Any member of the church might administer the Essay on the Human Understanding and his Rea­ ordinances and preside over services of worship. sonableness of Christianity were almost as familiar Women had the same privileges as men. It was as the Bible itself to the Campbells and to their not necessary to have ordained officers although fellow ministers. This common sense philosophy this was not uncommon. The Disciples have there­ made a wide and impressive appeal. It was the fore been extremely democratic and have held or­ philosophy most generally taught in American ganizations and officials lightly. They have sought colleges and most widely read by thoughtful men. to allow no influence to intervene between the indi­ It was a vital protest against all scholastic and vidual believer and Christ. speculative systems of theology and philosophy. Locke believed in the "dry light of reason" and was The Uses of Many Names wary of emotionalism. He was the exponent of It was deemed appropriate that the church should tolerance and an advocate of practical religion and employ any of the several names found in the Scrip­ morality. He held that the truths of revelation tures. Hence congregations have been known as must justify themselves to reason and experience, Churches of Christ, Christian Churches, and and that external authority and dogmatism are in­ Churches of God. Individual Christians have been defensible. The new Testament is the proper guide designated as Disciples of Christ, Christians, Breth­ fpr Christians and the "essentials" of its teaching ren, Saints and Believers. The Campbells preferred are few and simple. The one truth of central im­ the name Disciples of Christ and this ·is the name portance is the Messiahship of Jesus and the suffi­ under which the annual Year-Book is now pub­ cient evidence of a saving faith is assent to this lished, and by which the denomination is known in proposition. the religious census and in joint associations with other bodies. It was held to be particularly unscrip­ The Model of the Church tural and divisive to use the name of any human leader. Therefore the name "Campbellite" has It was assumed by the Disciples that the New been avoided and condemned. Testament furnished directions and a model for the organization and conduct of the church in all ·ages. Bondage to the Letter The church was primarily a company of Christians In the effort to fol1ow the protestant motto : meeting together for counsel and comfort and to "Where the Scriptures speak, we speak; and where witness their faith to the world. Each congrega­ the Scriptures are silent, we are silent," some ex­ tion was independent and not subject to any eccle­ treme developments arose. The New Testament siastical authority. They might associate them­ does not record ·the use of musical instruments in selves together in the performance of charity or the religious services. Therefore some felt that none support of missionaries and they would exercise should ever be used.