ENDORSEMENT

    "I endorse a universal brotherhood of all of God's children but I do not endorse fully any brother who is in it, nor do I demand that any fully endorse my views and opinions. I am bound to all of them by love and not by conformity.'1

   "Remember that tolerance is not endorsing things that are wrong but enduring those who think they are right. "2

   "Fellowship is brotherhood and brotherhood is established by mutual parenthood. One is not my brother because he uses an instrument or because he opposes its use. If one who used an instrument ceased to do so it would not make him my brother; if one who opposed the instrument began to use it he would not cease to be my brother. I think that we must solve our problems inside of a recognized framework of brotherhood. This requires the exercise of a considerable degree of tolerance, which is not the endorsing of things that are wrong but the enduring of those who think they are right."3

   "Fair treatment of those who differ with us, a recognition of brotherhood in Jesus of all immersed penitent believers - these do not mean endorsement of error, compromise with false concepts, nor acceptance of interpretations that we believe to be wrong. They rather constitute only the foundation upon which we may explore our major problems, and from such contacts as are established build a better and brighter prospect for tomorrow."4

   "It is not our intention to have any person compromise or weaken his conviction on any point, but while holding to that point, to regard those who differ as brethren beloved in the Lord."5

   "We believe that differences should be recognized, brought into the open, and discussed freely, but the discussions should be carried on as becomes brethren in the Lord.'6

   "No greater injury can be done to the cause of our Lord than to confuse God's children with idolatrous pagans. The purpose of the command to 'come out from among them and to be separate' was to unite God's sons and daughters into a single unbroken family to bring the full impact of the holy witness upon the dissolute forces of Belial . . . To apply the scripture (II Cor. 6:14-18) in such a way as to create, condone or continue division in the ranks of the saints or holy ones is to wrest it from its meaning and purpose and do despite to the Spirit of Grace."7

   "The restoration for which I plead has nothing to do with tolerating false beliefs and error. We are not told to forbear opinions, but one another. We will never get to the place where we all think alike. God has made us with varied mental capacities and degrees of perception. We can no more all think alike than we can all look alike. Our salvation in the Christ is not based upon such a contingency."8

   "We need to quit shaking fists at each other and shake hands as we go to our respective spheres of labor. It is better to be known as brethren of the open hand, than to be regarded as brethren of the clenched fist."9

   "It is true that love will not whitewash error' but it will embrace all who have washed their garments and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."10

   "Tolerance is not the endorsement of anything that is wrong but the endurance of one who thinks that it is right."11

   "How can you start a new party if everyone stays where he is and loves all the rest? What all of us need to do is not to start a loyal church' but quit our sectarian attitude toward our brothers and be loyal to Christ Jesus. I am not interested in an anti-party party or an anti-faction faction!"12

   "I do not intend to be wooed into the 'Christian Church fold' and by the same token, I do not intend to woo anyone into the 'Church of Christ fold'. I would not know which 'Christian Church fold' to enter if I succumbed to the solicitation, nor would I know which 'Church of Christ fold' to woo them into."13

   "I do advocate 'tolerance, fellowship and brotherhood', but I do not advocate 'compromise, amalgamation and finally a loose federation with Christians of all denominations'. Instead, I advocate the destruction and abolition of all sectarian and denominational tendencies as being inimical to the eternal purpose of God. I simply plead for a recognition that there are Christians in the sects . . If we can sit down and discuss our problems as brethren, rather than as enemies; if we can cease to debate each other as aliens, perhaps we can accomplish through love what we have never been able to achieve by partisan strife."14

   "I have no desire or intention to try and unite 'The Christian Church' and 'The Church of Christ'. I doubt that it could be done and I am not sure it would avail anything if it could. If it were accomplished it would probably create another narrowly exclusive sect in Christendom and we have a fair share of those already."15


Endorsement

1 July 1962, p. 7
2 Nov. 1962, p. 10
3 Feb. 1963, p. 29
4Sept. 1957, p. 3
5May. 1961, p. 4
6May. 1961, p. 5
7June 1963, p. 89
8Oct 1958, p. 4
9Mar. 1963, p. 43
10Dec 1963, p.188
11Sept., 1967, p. 139
12Nov., 1963, p. 171
13Feb., 1963, p. 27
14May, 1963, p. 74
15Feb., 1963, pp. 26, 27

CONTENTS

FELLOWSHIP