CHRISTIAN CONNEXION, or CHRISTIANS, sometimes erroneously pronounced Christ-ians.⁽¹⁾ This is a religious denomination of recent origin in the United States of America, and among the last that has arisen, which, from its numbers and character, has attained much consideration and influence. Its beginning may be dated about the year 1800; and the circumstances attending its rise and progress are somewhat peculiar. This sect recognises [recognizes] no individual as its leader or founder. They have no Calvin, or Luther, or Wesley to whom they refer as an authority for articles of faith and rules of practice. The denomination seems to have sprung up almost simultaneously in different and remote parts of the country, without any preliminary interchange of sentiments or concerted plan of action. Their leading purposes, at first, appear to have been, not so much to establish any peculiar and distinctive doctrines, as to assert, for individuals and churches, more liberty and independence in relation to matters of faith and practice, to shake off the authority of human creeds and the shackles of prescribed modes and forms, to make the Bible their only guide, claiming the right for every man the right to be his own expositor of it, to judge, for himself, what are its doctrines and requirements, and in practice, to follow more strictly the simplicity of the apostles and primitive Christians.

      This, then, more than any other, appears to be the distinctive principle of the Christian denomination. Holding the belief to be indispensable, that the Scriptures were given by inspiration, that they are of divine authority, and that they are the only sufficient rule for the moral government and direction of man, they maintain that every man has the right to be his own interpreter of them, and that diversity of sentiment is not a bar to church fellowship, while the very basis of other, or most sects, and their condition of communion, seems to be an agreement to a particular interpretation of the Bible, a concurrence of sentiment in relation to its doctrines. With these views, the Christian connexion profess to deprecate what they consider an undue influence of a mere sectarian spirit, a tenacious adherence to particular dogmas, as an infringement of Christian liberty, as adverse to the genius of the gospel and the practical influence of true religion. They maintain that this spirit enters too much into the principles and regulations by which religious bodies are generally governed.

      In New England, where the Christian denomination seems to have attracted attention by any public demonstration or organization as a distinct sect, it was composed, principally, of individuals who separated from the Calvinistic Baptists. Soon after the formation of their first churches, several large churches of the Calvinistic Baptists declared themselves independent of the Baptist /363/ association and united with them. The Free-will and Six-principle Baptists opened their doors to their ministers, and it was expected that they would ultimately amalgamate; they, however, still, (1833,) continue distinct sects with very amicable relations subsisting between them. In the southern states, the first associations of this sect consisted, mostly, of seceders from the Methodists, and, in the western states, from the Presbyterians. Prompted by the leading motives which have been stated to the formation of an independent organization or sect, the individuals who composed it still held many of the doctrines and cherished a prejudice in favor of some of the usages and practices of the sects from which they had respectively withdrawn. Hence we can scarcely affirm, with justice, that any doctrine was, at first, held by them in common, or as a body; their distinguishing characteristic being universal toleration. At first, they were generally Trinitarians; subsequently they have, almost unanimously, rejected the Trinitarian doctrine as unscriptural.

      But though toleration is still their predominant principle, and it would be wide of the truth to say that any doctrine is universally held by the connexion, or is considered indispensable to membership, still it may be asserted, with confidence, that discussion in their periodicals and personal intercourse and conference, have produced a manifest approximation to unanimity of sentiment, and that the following are very generally regarded as Scripture doctrines:-- That there is one living and true God, the Father almighty, who is unoriginated, independent, and eternal, the Creator and Supporter of all worlds; and that this God is one spiritual intelligence, one infinite mind, ever the same, never varying: That this God is the moral Governor of the world, the absolute source of all the blessings of nature, providence and grace, in whose infinite wisdom, goodness, mercy, benevolence and love have originated all his moral dispensations to man: That all men sin and come short of the glory of God, consequently fall under the curse of the law: That Christ is the Son of God, the promised Messiah and Savior of the world, the Mediator between God and man, by whom God has revealed his will to mankind; by whose sufferings, death and resurrection a way has been provided by which sinners may obtain salvation, may lay hold on eternal life; that he is appointed of God to raise the dead and judge the world at the last day: That the Holy Spirit is the power and energy of God, that holy influence of God by whose agency, in the use of means, the wicked are regenerated, converted and recovered to a virtuous and holy life, sanctified and made meet for the inheritance of the saints in light; and that, by the same Spirit, the saints, in the use of means, are comforted, strengthened and led in the path of duty: The free forgiveness of sins, flowing from the rich mercy of God, through the labors, sufferings and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ: The necessity of repentance towards God and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ: The absolute necessity of holiness of heart and rectitude of life to enjoy the favor and approbation of God: The doctrine of a future state of immortality: The doctrine of a righteous retribution, in which God will render to every man according to the deeds done in the body: The baptism of believers by immersion: And the open communion at the Lord's table of Christians of every denomination having a good standing in their respective churches.

      The principles upon which their churches were at first constituted, and upon which they still stand, are the following: The Scriptures are taken to be the only rule of faith and practice, each individual being at liberty to determine, for himself, in relation to these matters, what they enjoin: No member is subject to the loss of church fellowship on account of his sincere and conscientious belief, so long as he manifestly lives a pious and devout life: No member is subject to discipline and church censure but for disorderly and immoral conduct: The name Christian to be adopted, to the exclusion of all sectarian names, as the most appropriate designation of the body and its members: The only condition or test of admission as a member of a church is a personal profession of the Christian religion, accompanied with satisfactory evidence of sincerity and piety, and a determination to live according to the divine rule or the gospel of Christ. Each church is considered an independent body, possessing exclusive authority to regulate and govern its own affairs.

      For the purpose of promoting the general interest and prosperity of the connexion by mutual efforts and joint counsels, associations were formed, denominated Conferences. Ministers and churches, represented by delegates, formed themselves, in each state, into one or more conferences called State Conferences, and delegates from these conferences formed the United States General Christian Conference. This general conference has been given up. The local or state conferences are still continued, possessing, however, no authority or control over the independence of the churches. In twenty of the United States, there are now, (1833,) thirty-two conferences, one in Upper Canada, and one in the province of New Brunswick. The number of their ministers is estimated at about 700, of churches 1000, of communicants, from 75,000 to 100,000, and from 250 to 300,000 who entertain their views and attend upon their ministry.

      Several periodicals have been published under the patronage of the connexion; the principal of which are, the Christian Herald at Portsmouth, New Hampshire, the Gospel Luminary at New York, the Christian Messenger at Georgetown, Kentucky, and the Christian Palladium at Rochester, New York.

      A convention of ministers and private brethren, from various parts of the country, was holden at Milan, Dutchess county, New York, in October last, by which it was proposed to the connexion to form an association, to be called "the Christian Union Book Association," to be composed of one delegate from each conference in the connexion. The object of this association is the general supervision, charge and direction of such matters as concern the connexion at large -- such as the publication of books, periodicals, &c., and the disposition of such surplus funds as may accrue from the publication and sale of books, or otherwise, as they may think most conducive to the common interest and prosperity of the connexion. It was also recommended by the convention, that the several periodicals then published under the patronage of the connexion, should be merged as soon as practicable in one to be published and called the Gospel Palladium. In pursuance of this recommendation, the Gospel Luminary and its patronage have already been transferred to the Gospel Palladium, published at Broadalbin, Montgomery county, N.Y.

      A charter was obtained, in 1832, from the legislature of Indiana, for a Christian college, to be located in New Albany.

      The education of many of the ministers of the connexion, who universally preach extempore, is defective. Their maxim has been, "Let him who understands the gospel teach it." They have considered the preparation of the heart more important than the embellishment of the mind. They have, notwithstanding, many preachers who appear as scribes well instructed, who have acquitted themselves with credit as writers, and the sentiment is fast gaining ground among them, that literature and science are very useful auxiliaries in the illustration and enforcement of divine truth.

      The text of Joshua V. Himes' entry "Christian Connexion" has been reprinted from The Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge, ed. J. Newton Brown (Brattleboro', VT: Brattleboro' Typographic Company, 1838), pp. 363-364. Thanks to Shaun Casey for providing a copy of this article and to Ms. Heather Russell for transcribing it.

--HANS ROLLMANN.      
8 September 1997.