As others see us, and as we are

Front matter

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Preface

TN this book the author makes no effort at a ''scholarly'' ■*- or literary production. The chapters of the book contain the substance of a series of Sunday-evening sermons delivered in Central Christian Church, Cincinnati. The one and sole purpose of the preparation of this work for the press, is, that those whose ideas of the church of Christ are erroneous and confused, may have a clearer understanding of the nature and purpose of the church, and thereby advance the cause of Christ's kingdom on earth.

To clearly set forth the true plea and position of the Christian Church, w r e have, so far as possible, endeavored to be simple, concise and clear; we have tried, so far as practicable, to avoid theological phraseology, and to use the plain language of the people.

If, in drawing the contrast between the disciples of Christ "As Others See Us, and As We Are," one soul may be made to see the truth more clearly as it is in Christ, the author shall be satisfied. However, he sends the book forth, earnestly praying that, with God's blessing upon it, many souls may, through its instrumentality, find "the Way, the Truth and the Life" — even Christ the Saviour.

Central Christian Church,

Cincinnati.

This, April 16, 1908, being the thirtysixth anniversary of my birth. John I*. Hiu,.

Introduction

J. M. GORDON

Aside from the clearness of presentation, the accuracy of its statements, and its strong and lucid style, ttee book before ua should have a special interest for the men and women of to-day.

In the first -place, the author has a right to 'his opinion. "Every man has a right to his own opinion," is one of the many popular adages which receive acceptance among men, because of their want of thought. No man has a right to an opinion on any subject, unless he has given that subject special thought and investigation, and so stands in a position to know. The truth of the above statement is shown by the fact that men never so stultify themselves as on the subject of religion. Ask a sensible man in one line of business to express an opinion as to an entirely different line, and he will promptly tell you that he knows nothing about that business, and therefore can not express an opinion; but ask the average man a question on politics or religion, the life here or hereafter, and he will answer you and give his opinion with a glibness exactly in proportion to his lack of knowledge of these great questions.

iMr. Hill has a right to tell us "how others see us," for as others see us, he once, in all good conscience, saw us himself.

Our author was born into a family most earnest and exemplary in the belief and practices of a great denominational church; he was reared amid such surroundings and influences, and finally educated in a theological seminary of the highest standing. He was ordained a minister of that church while he was hardly out of his teens, and by the time he reached the age of twenty-five years, was occupying a prominent pulpit of that denomination, and was prominent in its counsels and high in its esteem.

Then followed a period of great intellectual combat and unrest; he found himself slowly drifting aw^ay from the old moorings, into a sea of uncertainty and doubt; the foundations were being shaken — around him he* heard the crash of falling creeds, and he longed to plant his feet on a rock of immovable knowl edge, viii

INTRODUCTION ix

He turned away from the study of creeds and confessions, and the commandments of men, to study of the words of Him "who speafcs with authority," and there found the anchor of his soul, the rock which abides, in the facts, commands and promises of the New Testament. There he also found the new name by which God had promised to call his people*, and which he felt himself privileged to wear — the name ''Christian."

Sadly, but resolutely, he turned away from the church of his childhood, of his father and mother and friends, resigned his charge, and, utterly unsupported by any promises of the brotherhood into whose communion he was to enter, stepped out upon the promises of God, and declared himself a Christian only.

These are the facts of the author's life during the period when he saw us "as others see us."

The writer of this introduction has a right to make public these facts, as during this period he was the author's most intimate friend, and finally had the great privilege of burying him in baptism in obedience to the command of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Mr. Hill was at once given position and recognition among the Disciples of Christ, and rapidly advanced till he attained the prominent place which he now holds, being minister of the Central Christian Church of Cincinnati, one of the oldest and most historic pulpits among the Disciples. So, from the very facts of the case, he is peculiarly fitted to give the world that which he sees from his double viewpoint.

There is a second reason why the book before us should have a special interest for the men and women of our time; the book has a theme and is written for a great purpose.

Every age has what the Germans call its Zeitgeist, the spirit of its time. The essence of this sipirit can be expressed in one word. If the word does not exist, the age coins it. This has been done by our age, and the word is solidarity.

Man has girdled the earth with iron bands, flashed his voice under the waves of the ocean, counted the stars and weighed the sun in the heavens, made of space one great whispering gallery, surprised nature in her most secret processes, extracted the elemental secrets of earth, air and water, harnessed all the powers of nature to the car of his triumphal -progress; but still is unsatisfied with the conquest of matter. He now is girding himself for a fiercer combat, the knowledge and conquest of himself.

To-day there is a world life, and a world thought, and out of these is growing a world consciousness. Man is becoming self-conscious. As he turns his eye inward upon himself, he x INTRODUCTION

sees indelibly stamped upon every fiber of his being the same law it took him so many ages to read in nature — the law of solidarity. The universe of matter constitutes the universe of men.

There are no unrelated atoms, and no unrelated men. "No man liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself."

Our whole civilization is beginning to feel the workings of this great law. All things are working together, and society stands amazed at the wonderful power thus generated.

The 'power first showed itself in the mechanical world, and there demonstrated the tremendous energy generated by weak things working together, and thus producing solidarity. The power next showed itself in the business world, and to-day our civilization stands aghast at the power it has created, and is struggling to the death in the grasp of the forces it itself has evolved.

The last and greatest realm to feel the force of this mighty power of solidarity, of co-operation and union, is the religious world. Here, the power is to be purified, sanctified, and all things made to work "together for good!"

The aim of this book is to clear the ground for a great forward step along the pathway of human progress.

To-day, for the first time in the religious history of the world, men are desirous of Christian unity. No representative man or church now defends and advocates disunion.

So long as the church was regarded as a "Transfer Society" to land men on the heavenly shore, the more routes the better; but to-day the church is beginning to realize that her mission is not to take men to heaven, but to bring heaven to men, by overturning the kingdom of Satan and upbuilding the kingdom of God. To-day there is being recognized in the religion of Jesus the moral equivalent of war. Man is a fighter by nature. He must find the right enemy and then fight to the death.

Mien are beginning to realize that to enlist under the banner cf the great Captain of our salvation does not mean merely to keep step and mark time, to appear on dress parade, and to do garrison duty, but it means real warfare. The Christian soldier is called on to endure hardness, to lead a forlorn hope, to fill a perilous breach, to resolutely advance and plant the banner of the cross on every citadel of sin, till every knee has bowed and every tongue confessed Jesus Christ is Lord.

Long ago the church won the hearts of the women, recently the hands and feet of the children, but the strong arm of the men, how win that? By issuing the call to heroism; by calling upon men, not to come up and get saved, but to come up and

INTRODUCTION xi

get lost — lost to self and found to service. That call has been issued, and grandly the men are answering it; from north, south, east and west they are coming in companies, and rallying to the standard of the King.

Over against this army of the king stands the army of Satan, drilled and disciplined, leagued and banded together, standing heart to heart and shoulder to shoulder, presenting a solid front to all that is good, a tremendous example of the power of unity and solidarity.

What shall unite and solidify the hosts of the Christ? Two things alone unite men— a passion and a purpose. Men can never think alike, but they can love alike and hate alike. Satan's hosts are united by the passion of hate, and the purpose to build up the kingdom of Satan.

God's hosts must be united by the passion of love and the purpose to build up the kingdom of God!

The basis, then, of Christian unity is the basis of every union, a personality. Search the records of history, and you will find that every union of men rested on a personality. When the personality passed, the union perished and fell to pieces.

A lasting union must be based on a lasting personality — Jesus the same yesterday, to-day and forever.

The book before us is a plea for such a Christian union, based on the only bond of union, the personality of Jesus Christ. Loyalty and allegiance are the strongest passions in the hearts of men; men by nature are hero-worshipers. Jesus is the great hero of the race, and alone worthy of worship!

The passion to unite men is the passion of love, loyalty and allegiance to our King; the purpose is the establishment of the kingdom of God, which will have fully come, only, when God's will is done on earth as it is in heaven. When Jesus is thus lifted up, no more to a cross, but to a crown of unending dominion, the petty differences which now divide his followers will be forgotten in the ardor and enthusiasm of the great battle for the Christ and for the right.

The only question debatable will be, "What think you of Christ? Whose son is he?" Then, if a man give the answer, "I believe him to be the Christ, the Son of the living God," the one fact of the New Testament which comes to us on evidence, will have been accepted. There is no room for debate or argument; does the King command it, does the Christ promise it? — is the court of last appeal.

Divisions came from allegiance to many Christs. Some cleaved to the Christ of history, others to the Christ of tradition, still others to the Christ of creeds and confessions, or poetry xii INTRODUCTION

and art. Union will come from allegiance to the one Christ, the Christ of the four Gospels, who is the Christ of God!

The book before us is a plea for such unity, and though it may not effect it, it at least clears the ground of much prejudice and misconception, and points out the path down which the children of men may walk in unity and love — the path of glory, that leads not alone to the grave, but beyond it to life eternal.

Wilmington, O., Apr. 1, 1908.

JOHN L. HILL

Chapter I

"A DENOMINATION, FOUNDED BY A. CAMPBELL."

In religious parlance, there is no expression oftener used than the "different churches." That there have been and are many religions, all will agree. Man is naturally a religious being, and wherever he exists we find him bowing before some shrine, worshiping at some altar. He instinctively believes in some kind of a God, and has ever dreamed of a "future life." This characteristic is true both of the heathen and the worshipers of the true God.

The history of the worshipers of the true God is divided into two great dispensations, viz.: the Jewish and the Christian. With the former it is not our purpose here to deal, but to the latter let us give close attention and careful consideration.

As already stated, the prevailing opinion held by the masses is that the representatives of the Christian religion are divided into a great many different churches, and how often do we hear the statement, "It makes little difference what church we belong to, if we have been converted and are true Christians." The idea is that the churches are afterthoughts, and are institutions founded upon various interpretations of the Bible to suit the peculiar ideas and temperaments of different people. Without going into detail, it is sife to say that every religious sect known to the history of Protestant Christianity has come into existence in this way.

This idea of the "churches" is not confined to the masses, among the "laity," but the more learned representatives of the denominations recognize the propriety, right and authority of the "churches. " While no one sect will accept as true all the tenets of any other sect, and each believes the other to be teaching some untruths, they are regarded as necessary evils, because "all people can not see alike."

Inasmuch as great minds have not been able to see alike, they have deemed it wise to found "churches" holding forth to the world their own interpretation of the Scriptures concerning church doctrine and government. In this way Wesley and Williams, and many others, founded churches. In this same way many good people believe that at a certain time Alexander Campbell organized a church known as "Christians," or "Disciples of Christ," but often called "Campbellites" by the sectarian world. It is upon this point, first, we note the vast difference between the light in which others see us, and as we really are.

It is true that Mr. Campbell and others stood for some long-neglected principles of truth, and inaugurated a movement in the religious world that has proven a mighty force, its adherents now numbering more than one and a half millions of people; but the idea of organizing a "new church," or creating another sect, never entered his mind, for above all other things this he most vigorously opposed. Nothing appealed to him as being so hurtful to pure Christianity as the schismatic divisions of Christendom, and the entire energy of his great soul was set against division and discord, and for unity and harmony among Christ's followers. On renouncing Presbyterianism, so fearful was he of a following which the world might regard as another "church" or sect, he cast his lot with the Baptists, and remained with them so long as he could "speak where the Bible speaks," and be "silent where the Bible is silent." Later Mr. Campbell and his colaborers stood for the laying aside of all sectarian divisions, and the unity of all God's people with Christ as their creed and the Bible alone as their rule of faith and practice. Instead of organizing or creating anything new, they stood for dispensing with all that is of human origin and unnecessary to the "one body" among Christians, and for the restoration of the apostolic simplicity of the one and only church of Christ as it came fresh from the hands of the apostles in the first century. For this they argued, on the basis of eternal truth itself, upon which may stand in fraternal union all who love to do his will.

There is in existence no such thing as a "Campbellite Church," nor is there any such thing as a "Christian Church," or "Disciples of Christ," or people represented by any other name, "organized" or founded by A. Campbell and those who labored in accord with him, They were leaders in a restoration movement, and the taking up of the long-neglected principles of apostolic simplicity held forth by the people known as "Disciples of Christ" can be traced to no one man in particular. A. Campbell by no means embodied originally in his teaching all for which the disciples stand, or rather was not first to argue for the restoration of some neglected doctrines.

For the restoration of many of the great outstanding facts and teachings of the New Testament to the faith and practice of those who claim to be "Christians only," we are indebted to various individuals of different times and places. While we have no formulated creed or "Confession of Faith," save the Bible, yet as the rule and guide of our faith and practice the New Testament plainly sets forth many doctrines and duties not contained in sectarian creeds; and in many instances in the creeds human ideas that are directly opposed to the New Testament teaching have been substituted. The simple yet sublime truths of apostolic teaching have by different ones been restored to the church of Christ of to-day. Among them are such names as James and Robert Haldane, Ballentyne and Ewing of Scotland, B. W. Stone, Walter Scott, Thomas Campbell, Alexander Campbell, and others. They took the Bible as their only textbook, and their plea was its self-sufficiency. From it they promulgated no set of doctrines, formulated no creed. Under the guidance of the Spirit, they ever searched for the truth contained therein, and so each succeeding generation has done. Bound by no creed save that "Jesus is the Christ," which can never need revision, the learners of him, ever free to accept the truth as it may be revealed by the Spirit through the Word, in no way committed to the beliefs or teachings of any one save those who have upon them the stamp of divine inspiration, wearing no human name, espousing no human theories, submitting to no ecclesiastical authority instituted this side of the New Testament, tracing their origin to no one save Christ and his apostles, and by the truth as it is in him, made free to perform their part in bringing about the divine ideal in the mind of the Master when he prayed that they might all be one as he and the Father were one, in humility, yet in his strength they stand, inviting to join in this glorious movement all who love the Lord.

While many others may regard us as a sect, or one of the many churches, and may call us "Campbellites," thinking Mr. Campbell was the "founder" of the church, these are not the facts, as a careful and unprejudiced investigation of the subject proves.

Chapter II. The Name "christian"- Is It A Presumption?

"The disciples were called Christians first in Antioch" (Acts 11: 26). Many of our religious neighbors designated by different names given, and taken on by men at different times as circumstances have to their minds seemingly justified such procedure, think there is a large degree of presumption on the part of those people who call themselves "Christians," or the "Church of Christ." A great congregation in one of our large cities was once taken severely to task for styling itself "The First Christian Church" of — - — , implying, as the critics said, that this congregation was presuming to be the first church of Christ's true followers in that city. They said: "We are all Christians in that we are believers in and followers of Christ. Then, why should you presume to call yourselves the 'Christian Church' ?"

They asked: "Are not Methodists, Baptists, Presbyterians, Lutherans, and many other denominations, Christians also? What right have you to a monopoly of the name, as though you were the only Christians?"

It is argued, further, that there is but little in a name, the power of the church depending upon her inward life, and not upon any outward designation; that the various denominations are simply "divisions" or "companies" of the Lord's army, and are properly fulfilling their mission by wearing these different names.

As others see us still further, we are inconsistent with our plea for acting only upon divine authority, when we call ourselves the "Christian Church," claiming that this name was given to the disciples of Christ by their enemies at Antioch, and was a nickname flung at them in derision. Therefore we should not contend, even from our own viewpoint, for that which was not of divine origin, but be satisfied to be called "Campbellites," and take our place as one of the many "churches" in the denominational ranks of Christendom.

The foregoing, we believe, is a fair and impartial statement of the prevailing opinions regarding us, in the minds of a large majority of the preachers and laity of the denominations. And now, keeping constantly in mind the one great plea of the Christian Church, viz.: the restoration of primitive Christianity as the only possible basis for the unity of the Lord's people, let us note the contrast between this view "as others see us," and what we really are, as regards the name "Christian."

We choose to wear this name because it was divinely given. Upon this point the writer submits an argument taken from a sermon by James Vernon, minister of the Christian Church at Henderson, Ky., considering it the very strongest he has ever seen. Bro. Vernon says: "The word 'Christian' is, of course, derived from Christ — which means 'anointed'; and to be a Christian is simply one who belongs to Christ.

"That the name 'Christian' was given to the disciples at Antioch by their Jewish or heathen enemies in derision, or contempt, there is not an atom of proof, but is a pure assumption made in the face of very material proof to the contrary. Conybeare and Howson, and Canon Farrar, have disposed of the idea that it was given by the unbelieving Jews. They tell us that the word 'Christ' was one of the most sacred words in the Jewish language, and that not to have saved their own lives would they have applied it to those whom they regarded as disciples of a spurious Christ and a foul apostasy.

"We know that the Romans did not give them the name, because Farrar quotes Gregory, Gibbon and Renan, who say that the emperor Julian issued an edict forbidding the disciples to call themselves 'Christians' and commanding them to call themselves 'Galileans.'

"Meyer, the great German commentator, says: 'There is nothing to support the view that the name was given in derision.' A. J. Gordon, the justly celebrated Baptist preacher of Boston, said: 'If you study the Greek word for "called," you will conclude that they were divinely called Christians. God gave ttiem the name.' Bishop Baldwin, of the Episcopal Church, said: 'The word "called" here is deeply significant. It is not tlie ordinary word "call," but the word which denotes a heavenly vision. The disciples were called by a heavenly vision "Christians".' "

After quoting a number of others from among the world's greatest scholars, Bro. Vernon justly concludes:

"(1) The name was not given to them by their enemies. (2) That it was given from heaven. (3) That when it was given to them, the disciples at once accepted it and proclaimed their acceptance openly to the world."

After commenting at length upon the Greek tert, in which he clearly establishes the position herein maintained, Bro. Vernon gives us another most significant fact, when he says: "It has been customary in all ages to give new names to persons and places to mark important events or the passage of critical points in their history. The Lord changed Abram's name to Abraham;

Sarai's name to Sarah; Jacob's name to Israel. He changed Simon's name to Peter, and Saul's name to Paul.

"The time came in the history of the church, as has been pointed out by Bishop Baldwin, which called for the giving of a new name. The church was now outside of Palestine, it was free from Judaism; outside both the temple and synagogue, under a new leadership, with a new ideal and a new hope, and through Paul and Barnabas the Lord gave it a new name. 'The disciples were called Christians first in Antioch'."

The foregoing arguments that the name "Christian" was bestowed upon the followers of Christ by none other than divine authority, are unanswerable, and by this name they should ever be known. The church is the "bride of the Lamb." Christ b2- ing the bridegroom, the church surely should wear none other than his name.

Not only is the name "Christian" Scriptural, but many of the greatest and best men among the leaders in Christendom have advocated it. Dr. P. S. Henson, one of the greatest among Baptist preachers in America to-day, at the General Convention of Northern Baptists in Cleveland, O., on the 19th of May, 1904, said: "I sometimes feel sorry that the word 'Baptist,' which was flung at us by our enemies and stuck, should be our name, for often its accent of an act obscures to others our great mission to the world. Perhaps yet we will go back to the name 'Christian'." Dr. R. »S. 'MacArthur, of New York City, said: "The names of Presbyterian, Congregationalist, Methodist and Baptist, however much we love them, and however loyal we are to them now, will give place to that name which is above every other name. The day will come when the dashing waves of time and eternity shall strip off every name but one. Not our name, but the name of our Lord and Saviour, our Prophet, Priest and King, will abide, and amid the light of earth, and the increasing glory of eternity, that name shall alone be read, 'Jesus Christ'!"

Luther said: "I beg that my name be passed in silence, and that people call themselves, not Lutherans, but Christians. Who is Luther? The doctrine is not mine, I have not been crucified for any one. Why, then, should the children of Christ take the unhallowed name of a frail, vile mortal like me? Do it not. Let us put away party names, and bear the name of Christ, whose doctrine we hold."

We maintain that there is much in a name. In history, both sacred and profane, names have signified much. Perhaps the mightiest name among men of affairs in the nineteenth century was that of Napoleon. Victor Hugo said of him: "The frontiers of kingdoms oscillated on the map, the sound of a superhuman sword being drawn from its seabbard could be heard, and he was seen, standing erect on the horizon, with a gleam in his hand, and a splendor in his eyes, opening in thunder his two wings, the grand army and the Old Guard. He was the 'archangel of war.' " Compared with the divinely named "Prince of Peace," the human name "Archangel of War" fades into insignificance. Napoleon yielded to Christ the palm and the crown when, in the days of exile, he contrasted the waning glories of Caesar, Alexander, Charlemagne and himself, with that of the increasing splendor of the name of Christ. Should the believers in Christ bear his name? No worthy disciple can say A "no." Should a clear view and full appreciation of this name be obstructed or hindered by any other name? "Never," the unprejudiced and loving heart must answer. The name of Christ is the mightiest among men below, and the most glorious in heaven above.

The body of Christ's followers who call themselves Christians do not wish a monopoly of the name, and they humbly, but in the majesty and glory of the exalted honor, deny the charge of presumption on their part in wearing the name which God has ordained to distinguish the followers of his Son from the devotees of the other religions of the world. We do not claim to be the only Christians, but "Christians only."

In the early history of the church the disciples of Christ were known as Christians, and by this name were distinguished from the believers in any other religion, be it Jewish or heathen. This was so until the one body was divided by schismatic strife, and different parties took upon themselves names given by. men. That these names are dishonoring to Christ and a hindrance to the progress of his kingdom, all fair-minded people will sooner or later admit. As history affirms, many of the great religious reformers protested against their followers calling themselves after their own names, and no doubt to-day, redeemed and glorified, standing in the presence of the ascended great High Priest, who ever liveth to make intercession for us, those heroes of the cross, such as Calvin, Luther, Whitefield, Wesley, Williams and Campbell, could they speak back to us from on high, would in unison exclaim, "Worthy, worthy is the Lamb to receive all honor — and more than the sorts of men can bestow — we are sinners saved by grace — unworthy are our names to be compared with his — call not any part of the church militant after us; for when you, too, behold the King in his beauty, you will feel as we, that it was poor, weak, human, vain, earthly and temporal to take any other name than his."