Name.--This religious people, sometimes called "Campbellites," or "Campbellite Baptists," in accordance with their cherished principles of union and apostolic simplicity, wish to be known only by the names applied to followers of Christ in the inspired Word. They reason from 1 Cor. iii. 4, and kindred passages, that sectarian names are unscriptural, and causes of division; and in harmony with Acts xi. 26, xxvi. 28; 1 Pet. iv. 16; and Rev. xxi. 9, as individuals and as a people, call themselves simply "Disciples of Christ," or "Christians," and their churches, "Churches of Christ," or, using the adjective, "Christian Churches." Under this title they plead for the union of all lovers of Christ.

      History.--As a distinct body of believers they date from the early part of the present century. Simultaneously, in different parts of the United States, arose teachers among the religious denominations, who pleaded for the Bible alone, without any human addition in form of creeds or formulas of faith, and the union of Christians of every name upon the basis of the apostles' teaching. This movement assumed most notable proportions in Virginia, Ohio, and Kentucky. In 1823 Alexander Campbell (see title) of Bethany, Va., began to set forth with great vigor and learning, in a periodical entitled The Christian Baptist, the plea for a restoration of the original gospel and primitive order of things, as under the apostles. It was not a reformation that was sought, but a restoration, a renewal of the ancient landmarks of the Christian religion. But, as long before as 1811, he had publicly advocated the principles already stated, and had organized the first regular organization at Brush Run, Penn., May 4, 1811, with thirty members. The Campbells, father and son, having been convinced of the Scripture necessity of immersion, were themselves immersed, and impressed the doctrine and practice upon their followers. From that hour Thomas Campbell gave place to his son Alexander, who was afterwards the soul of the movement. In 1813 the Brush Run Church united with the Redstone Baptist Association, and ten years later with the Mahoning Association in the Western Reserve of Ohio. In 1827 the Baptist churches withdrew fellowship from those who contended for the Bible alone, and the followers of Campbell organized themselves anew. Since the death of Alexander Campbell (1866), the religious people known as "Christians," or "Disciples of Christ," have made their mightiest strides. They number now in the United States six hundred thousand communicants, fifty-one hundred churches, and thirty-eight hundred ministers, besides having many churches in England and Australia, and missions in France, Denmark, Turkey, and Jamaica. Their strength in this country lies chiefly in the West and South-west; Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky having the largest bodies.

      Educational Enterprises.--They are active in the work of education, supporting two universities (the North-Western Christian University, Indianapolis, Ind., and Kentucky University, Lexington, Ky.) and thirty-two colleges and seminaries of high grade, the best known of which are Bethany College in West Virginia, founded in 1840 by Alexander Campbell, and presided over by him until his death; and Hiram College, Hiram, O., of which James A. Garfield was for a time president. They publish forty religious periodicals.

      The most prominent man among them was the late President, James A. Garfield, who was an active member of this body, and, by his elevation to the chief magistracy of the United States, did much to bring the principles of the disciples into notice. He was baptized by Elder William A. Lillie, March 4, 1850. For five years, while a teacher at Hiram College, he preached the doctrines of the church with great eloquence and success, until 1856, when his political career began. During all his subsequent life, until his death, Sept. 19, 1881, he was devoted to the church of his choice, a trustee of Hiram and Bethany Colleges, and actively interested in the local churches at Washington and Mentor, and the general missionary enterprises of his brethren.

      Doctrine and Practice.--The Disciples endeavor to follow closely New-Testament models. In agreement with what are termed Evangelical Christians, they accept the divine inspiration of the Holy Scriptures; the revelation of God in the tri-personality of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; the all-sufficiency and alone-sufficiency of the Bible as the revelation of God's will and a rule of faith and practice to his creatures; the divine excellency of Jesus as the Christ the Son of God,--his incarnation, doctrines, miracles, death as a sin-offering, resurrection, ascension, and investment with supreme authority; the personal mission of the Holy Spirit to convict the world of sin, and to comfort and sanctify Christians; the alienation of man from God, and his dependence upon the divine mercy in, Christ; the necessity of faith and repentance to salvation; the importance of baptism and the Lord's Supper as divine ordinances; the duty of observing the Lord's Day in memory of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ; the necessity of righteousness, holiness, and benevolence in Christians; the divine appointment of the Church of Christ, composed of all who by faith and obedience confess his name, with its ministry and services for the edification of the church and conversion of the world; the fulness and freeness of the gospel to all who will accept it on the New-Testament conditions; the final judgment, with the reward of the righteous, and the punishment of the ungodly.

      The Disciples hold, that, while both Old and New Testaments are equally inspired, both are not equally binding upon Christians. The Old Testament was God's will with reference to the Jews; the New, God's with reference to us, God having spoken unto us by a Son. Accepting fully the Scripture statements concerning the Godhead, they repudiate all philosophical speculations, both of Trinitarians and Unitarians. They do not use the theological terms common to the schools, but insist on "the form of sound words" given in the Scriptures. Accepting the Bible as the [644] all-sufficient revelation of the divine will, they repudiate all authoritative creeds and human bases of fellowship. Receiving Jesus in all his divinity and Christhood, they accept the truth that he is the Christ, as the one article of faith, the creed of the church, the fundamental fact of the Christian religion and belief; faith in that, with all the heart, being all they ask in order to baptism and church-membership. Recognizing the agency of the Holy Spirit in conversion, they repudiate all theories of special spiritual operations outside of the Word, but demand that the sinner shall hear, believe, repent, and obey the gospel, trusting God to do the rest. Admitting the necessity of faith and repentance, they submit no other tests, no human formula of belief; but on a confession of Christ, and assurance of heartfelt desire to abandon sin, and work righteousness, men are baptized, and received into the church. Accepting baptism as a divine ordinance, they insist that "he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." They bid men "Repent, and be baptized for the remission of sins," and claim that the evidence of pardon and of the gift of the Spirit is not in dreams or visions, but in the sinner's knowledge of his heartfelt acceptance of the terms of pardon, and his assurance of the faithfulness of God. Claiming the Lord's Supper a divine ordinance, they consider it not as a sacrifice, but a memorial feast, and keep it on every first day of the week, meeting as the Lord's people, and recognizing neither open nor close communion. The Lord's Day they regard not as the sabbath, but a New-Testament appointment in memory of the resurrection. The Church of Christ with them is not a sect, but a divine institution. Sects are not branches of the church, but are unscriptural: God's people are to be gathered from them, and united in the "one body," of which Christ is the Head.

      In regard to the action of baptism, the Disciples are in accord with the Baptists. Immersion with them is the only baptism that is scriptural, and that could be universally accepted. As to the subjects of baptism, they receive to that ordinance only believers in Christ. With respect to the design of baptism, they accord more with Pedo-baptists. They baptize "for the remission of sins," and claim that the sinner, in obeying this ordinance, appropriates God's promise of pardon, relying on the divine testimony, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved," i. e., pardoned. The Disciples date the beginning of the Christian institution from Pentecost, not from Abraham, Moses, nor John the Baptist. The Jewish institution, they claim, passed away when Christ exclaimed, "It is finished." All things then became new; and the New Testament contains the' history, constitution, and laws of the Church of Christ. In church government they have no distinction of clergy and laity. Their government is congregational, with evangelists, bishops or elders, and deacons. The Bible is their only book of doctrine and discipline.

      The special plea of the Disciples is the restoration of original apostolic Christianity, and the union of all Christians. They insist, that as, in the beginning, there was one spiritual brotherhood,--one body with one Lord, one faith, and one baptism,--there should be but one to-day; that all party names, creeds, and organizations should be abandoned, and the church have no creed but the Bible, no law but the Lord's, no name but the Master's; and that, as the basis of that primitive union was the common teaching of Christ and the apostles, nothing is now essential to the union of Christians but the apostles' teaching, and nothing is essential to the conversion of the world but the union and co-operation of Christians with the apostles' teaching or testimony.

      Those desiring further acquaintance with "the Disciples of Christ" can secure all information, from Central Book Concern, 180 Elm St., Cincinnati, O.

[DOCOC 644-645.]

      Frederick D. Power's "Disciples of Christ, or Christians" was first published in A Religious Encyclopædia, ed. Philip Schaff. 3rd ed. Vol. 1. (New York: Funk & Wagnalls Company, 1894), pp. 644-645, from which the electronic text has been produced.

      Pagination in the electronic version has been represented by placing the page number in brackets following the last complete word on the printed page.

      Addenda and corrigenda are earnestly solicited.

Ernie Stefanik
373 Wilson Street
Derry, PA 15627-9770
stefanik@westol.com

Created 14 November 1998.