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Christian Church & Disciples of Christ (Restoration History) I)
Restoration Principles A)
The Universal church 1.
Established by Jesus as He is the head, the founder, and purchased the church
with His blood. 2.
Began on the Day of Pentecost at
a. Means on entrance into the body of Christ is given in Acts
2.38
b. All the saved are a part of Christ’s body, His church 3.
Organization
a. The Universal church as no earthly organization
b. Christians gathered together in local congregations 4.
Doctrine was that revealed by the Holy Spirit through the Apostles; the Gospel
of Christ (Romans 1.16); the Apostles
doctrine (Acts 2.42); the doctrine of
Christ (2 John 9), the faith (Jude
3); the Law of Spirit and Life (Romans
8.2) 5.
Called Christians, saints, disciples of Christ, etc. 6.
Authority based upon God’s word. 1
Peter 4.11
a. Direct command
b. Approved apostolic example
c. Necessary implication B)
Required people to leave behind 1.
Catholic Church 2.
Protestantism -- different founders,
different time of origin, different, doctrines, different organization,
different names and fellowship C)
Experienced great growth 1.
“By 1836 D.S. Burnet remarked that the disciples numbered over one hundred
thousand and ranked as the fourth largest body of religious people in the
nation” In Search for the Ancient Order, volume 1, page 129. 2.
“By 1850 a writer n the Ecclesiastical
Review reports the total number of disciples to be over two hundred
thousand, but others put the number as high as three hundred thousand.” In
Search for the Ancient Order, volume 1, page 129. II)
Warnings of an apostasy A)
By 1845 some preachers and editors started warning of apostasy among the
brethren. 1.
Emphasis on the first principles and little else 2.
Nothing taught on the nature of the church, or, How the church was to be
organized? B)
Some started to form organizations 1.
They left organization such as the Mahoning Association which dissolved in 1831
but started “cooperative meetings” 2.
Their purpose stated in Searching for the Ancient Order, volume 1, page
154.
a. They are intended to ascertain the true condition of the various
congregations cooperating, and show the state of the cause in any given section.
b. They are designed to secure the training and organization of those
brethren who are scattered throughout the country,…
c. They are intended to bring the small means of individual congregations
together, and to accomplish with these united means what no one congregation
could effect. 3.
Advocates of these meetings said the individual congregations were left free and
independent; resolutions were only recommendations and not laws and legislation.
4.
Some were opposed to such organizations. 5.
Alexander Campbell wrote, “A church can do what an individual disciple cannot
do; and so can a district of churches do what a single congregation cannot do”
ibid, page 156. III)
Formation of the American Christian Missionary Society A)
October 23, 1849 a convention convened in 1.
156 delegates from various congregations met. 2.
After 4 days they selected Alexander Campbell as their first President. B)
Chief arguments 1.
Local congregations could not preach the Gospel to the whole world. 2.
By forming a society congregations could do a better job of supporting men in
various countries. 3.
The scriptures did not condemn such an organization. 4.
They thought in terms of a “churchhood” instead of a “brotherhood” John 15. C)
Problems with this point of view 1.
The Universal church is made up of individual Christians and not congregations. 2.
Local congregations had their own elders (Acts
14.23; 1 Peter 5.2); own money (Acts
4.35); own work to perform. 3.
How can a congregation give part of its work to another organization? 4.
Only organization larger than an individual Christian is the local congregation.
5.
New Testament congregations and Christians preached the Gospel through out the
world, Colossians 1.23. IV)
Instrumental Music in Worship A)
During this time some brethren started advocating the use of instrumental music
in worship services. 1.
J. B. Henshall, associate editor of the Ecclesiastical
Reformer, received the following letter: Brother Henshall 00 What say you of instrumental music in our churches?
Should not the Christian Church have organs or Bass Viols that the great object
of Psalmody might be consummated? Would not such instruments add greatly to the
solemnity of worship, and casue the hearts of the saints to be raised to a
higher state of devotion while the deep toned organ would swell its notes of
“awful sound”? 2.
L.L. Pinkerton was the preacher at Midway,
a. The first documented case of a
b. Pinkerton wrote that the singing was so bad it even scared the rats.
c. They started meeting on Saturday evening to practice their singing.
Then someone suggested by use the melodeon to help with the tune.
Afterward they started singing with the instrument.
Finally, they started using it in worship services on Sunday. B)
Most advocating the instrument admitted to having no apostolic authority for it 1.
Tried to justify it as an expediency 2.
Silence of the scriptures 3.
Old Testament Scriptures 4.
Some even suggested that the organ could be allowed as long as it was a small
organ. C)
Critics pointed out 1.
An expediency can only expedite that which is lawful
a. “If it were anywhere said in the New Testament that Christians
should use instruments, then it would become a question of expediency what kind
of instruments was to be used whether an organ or melodeon, the ”loud-sounding
cymbals,” or the “light guitar”; whether it should cost $50 or $500 or
$1000, and what circumstances should regulate the performance.” In Search
for The Ancient Order, Volume 2, page 90-91. 2.
The silence of the scriptures does not give us authority to do whatever we want.
3.
Instruments were used in the Old Testament; what about temple worship, animal
sacrifices, circumcision? Galatians 5.3 4.
The Old Testament was nailed to the cross, Colossians
2.14 5.
We have authority to sing, not to play in Ephesians
5.19; Colossians 3.16-17. D)
Many adopted the instrument 1.
Some churches would use the instrument but put it out of the assembly if the
preacher objected. 2.
Eventually the instrument was used regardless of preacher 3.
1870 Christian Chapel in 4.
On page 142 in Searching For the Ancient Order¸ volume 2 there is an
advertisement in the local newspaper by the Christian Church.
a. GRAND ORGAN CONCERT at
Central Christian Church
b. Program 1 list solo and chorus with organ arrangement. Conclusion:
Eventually a split occurred among those of the Restoration Period. This split
resulted in what is often called the non-instrumental churches of Christ; the
Christian Church or instrumental churches of Christ and Disciples of Christ.
Once they could justify missionary societies and instrumental music they would
justify just about any else they wanted. The
only way to have unity is to abide in the Doctrine of Christ.
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