Books: To Infidelity and Back
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Henry F. Lutz >> To Infidelity and Back
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_The Restoration of the New Testament Creed._
In the evolution of the movement for Christian union, it was soon
discovered that human creeds, as standards of church or ministerial
fellowship, are divisive in their nature and prevent the reunion of
God's people. All claim to get their creed from the Bible; but since
creeds contradict each other in doctrine, they cannot all be right,
although they may all be wrong. Human creeds are responsible for most
of the heresy trials and have armed most of the infidelic attacks
upon the church. The only way to permanently solve the creed problem
is to restore the divine creed given by the Holy Spirit to the primitive
church. This is the only true Apostles' Creed and the only one that
will never need any revision. This is none other than the _divinity of
Christ_, the central truth of revelation and of Christianity. Jesus said,
in answer to Peter's confession, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the
living God," "Upon this rock I will build my church" (Matt. 16: 16,
18). John declared of his Gospel, "These are written, that ye might
believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing
ye might have life through his name" (John 20:31). Paul commanded,
"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved" (Acts 16:31),
and said, "Other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which
is Jesus Christ" (1 Cor. 3:11). This is what the Apostles preached
everywhere, and required as a condition for baptism and church
membership; and it is the only creed they ever required. The church
is not founded upon a system of speculative theology that even the
learned cannot understand, but upon the loving, divine personality
of Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God. Get Jesus in the heart,
and belief in his word and a Christ-like life will inevitably follow.
This is the only creed that can reunite divided Christendom.
Christians cannot unite on human leaders and their finite opinions,
but they can all unite on Christ.
_The Restoration of Bible Names._
It was further discovered that human names for God's people were
divisive in nature and a barrier to Christian union. There is nothing
in a name until it becomes authoritatively attached to a person or
thing, but after it becomes so attached, there is as much in the name
as in the person or thing. Since the name Andrew Carnegie became
attached to him, it is worth as much in money and influence as Mr.
Carnegie himself is worth. Thus it is that there is salvation in the
name of Christ. "For there is none other name under heaven given
among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).
The Bible names given to the church and to the followers of Christ,
express true ideas and relationships; while the human names since
added express false and unscriptural ideas and relationships. The
church and its members should be named after Christ because they
belong to him; for the same reason it is wrong to call them after any
other person or thing.
Paul writes, "Every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos;
and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. Is Christ divided? was Paul
crucified for you? or were you baptized in the name of Paul?" "For
while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye
not carnal?" (I Cor. 1:12, 13; 3:4). "I pray you," said Luther,
"leave my name alone, and do not call yourselves Lutherans, but
Christians. Who is Luther? My doctrine is not mine. I was not
crucified for any one. Paul would not that any should call themselves
of Paul, nor of Peter, but of Christ. How, then, does it fit me, a
miserable bag of dust and ashes, to give my name to the children of
Christ! Cease to cling to these party names and distinctions! Away
with them all and let us call ourselves Christians, after him from
whom our doctrine comes!" Those engaged in this restoration movement
heed the admonitions of Paul and Luther and call themselves
"Christians," or "disciples of Christ," while they call the churches,
"churches of Christ" or "churches of God." They do not use these
names in a sectarian, but in a Scriptural, sense. They do not claim
to be the "only Christians," but aim to be "Christians only." We read
in Acts II:26, "The disciples were called Christians first at
Antioch." "If any man suffer as a Christian," says Peter, "let him
not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this name" (I Pet. 4: 16).
Any name used to designate a part of the followers of Christ and to
separate them from the rest, is wrong, because it expresses a wrong
and unscriptural idea. "Would to God," said Wesley, "that all
sectarian names were forgotten, and that we, as humble, loving
disciples, might sit down at the Master's feet, read his holy word,
imbibe his spirit, and transcribe his life into our own!" John says,
"We shall see his face and his name shall be in our foreheads" (Rev.
22:4).
_The Ordinances Restored._
In addition to the restoration of the New Testament creed and names,
it was found that there can be no organic Christian union, after the
primitive type, without a restoration of the ordinances as
administered by the Apostles. Protestants all accept two ordinances,
baptism and the Lord's Supper, but they differ greatly in the manner
of observing them. Some have open and others close communion. Some
observe the Lord's Supper monthly, others quarterly and still others
annually. In looking for apostolic precepts and examples, it was
found that the early Christians met on every first day of the week to
break bread; and that each Christian was commanded by Christ to
partake of the Lord's Supper, after examining himself to see that his
heart was prepared for this spiritual feast. We have neither the
authority to decide the frequency of the service, nor who shall
partake of the Supper.
The greatest hindrance to a practical working union of the followers
of Christ is the babel of teaching and practice as to baptism. Some
hold that the mere baptism of infants will save them, while others
belittle baptism or ignore it altogether. Some baptize infants,
others only adults. Some sprinkle, some pour, and others immerse for
baptism. Some sprinkle, pour or immerse, just as the candidate wishes
it. Does the New Testament teach this babel of confusion or has it
come from human inventions and additions? It has already been pointed
out that only those who had previously been born of the Spirit, or
undergone a change of heart through faith and repentance, were
baptized by the Apostles. We are told that Jesus never baptized any
one (John 4:2), therefore he never baptized any infants. If we
examine carefully the cases of household baptism recorded in the New
Testament, we will find that in each case infants are necessarily
excluded; as those baptized "heard" (Acts 10:33), "believed" (Acts
16:34), "were comforted" (Acts 16:40), "addicted themselves to the
ministry" (1 Cor. 16:16), etc. These acts all refer to people who had
reached the age of intelligence and accountability and, therefore,
cannot refer to infants. Infant baptism is based on two errors that
crept into the church--the doctrines of infant damnation and
baptismal regeneration. Infants are saved without baptism, for Jesus
said "of such is the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 19:14), and baptism is
of value only because of its relation to Christ and the faith of the
sinner (Mark 16:16). The greatest emphasis we can put on baptism is
to say that Christ commanded it and made it a condition of salvation
to those that hear the gospel and have the opportunity to obey it. To
refuse to obey this or any other commandment of Christ, reveals a
rebellious heart that cannot be saved.
Of the action of baptism we speak in a previous chapter, therefore we
need not treat of it here only to say that all churches agree that
the immersion of a penitent believer in water is Scriptural baptism,
and this is the only practice on which all can unite. Thousands of
those that are contented to be Christians only have given up
sprinkling and been immersed after studying the Bible on the subject.
_The Bible Restored._
Christian union on the primitive gospel necessitates the restoration
of the Bible to its proper place and authority. Sectarianism has
largely displaced it with creeds and other human standards. Recently
I read the following in an introduction to a catechism: "This
catechism has well been called a Bible for the laity." When we
remember how contradictory, and, therefore, erroneous, these human
deductions as to Bible teaching are, we can see the need of putting
them aside and restoring the Bible as the Christian's all-sufficient
and only sufficient guide.
The Bible has also been thrust aside and kept from the people by
false theories of conversion and the consequent erroneous practices
in evangelistic work. People have been taught that they are totally
depraved and can do nothing towards their conversion, that faith is a
direct gift of God, that the Holy Spirit converts sinners by
immediate miraculous power, that the evidence of pardon is in dreams,
visions or feelings, and that sinners have to wait until God by
entreaties is reconciled to save them. All these theories are
erroneous and logically set aside the entire gospel plan of
salvation. The Holy Spirit, through the Apostles, used the truths of
the Word or gospel to convict sinners, and taught penitents, out of
the New Testament, on what conditions they could inherit the
salvation Christ purchased on the cross. The sinners that wanted to
be saved accepted this salvation by complying with Christ's
conditions of pardon, and went on their way rejoicing, because they
had the infallible Word of God for it that they were saved. In other
words, the Apostles preached the gospel, and penitent sinners were
immediately saved by believing it (Mark 16:16), repenting of their
sins (Acts 2:38) and openly committing themselves to Christ in
baptism (Acts 22:16).
Finally, the Bible has become a meaningless riddle and uninteresting
to most people because it is not rightly divided. It is assumed that
all parts of the Bible are addressed to everybody. This is far from
the truth. While we must recognize the unity and interdependence of
the entire Bible and that each part teaches great spiritual truths
for all, we must also remember that its different parts contain
specific precepts addressed to different classes of people and only
applicable to them. Thus the Mosaic law was for the Jews only, and
was superseded by the gospel (Gal. 3:24, 25). Turning to the New
Testament, we find that the four Gospels were written to make
believers (John 20:31), the Acts of the Apostles, "Book of
Conversions," to tell and show people how to be saved or become
Christians (see chapters 2, 8, 16, etc.), while the rest of the New
Testament is addressed to Christians or church-members as their rule
of faith and practice. The churches in this Restoration movement aim
to restore the Bible to its primitive place in producing penitents,
guiding them unto salvation and in giving all instructions to the
churches needed for their edification and guidance.
_Restoration of the New Testament Church Government._
We have learned that all sectarian divisions have resulted from
exalting human leaders and their opinions. Ambitious ecclesiastics
have exalted themselves with the help of misguided people; and,
usurping authority, have lorded it over God's heritage. How wide the
difference between the simplicity of the primitive gospel and the
pompous ecclesiastical organizations and titles of modern times! It
is self-evident that Christian union cannot be restored until this
ecclesiastical machinery be put aside and the administration of
Christ's kingdom be again entrusted to the local churches and their
officers as in New Testament times.
It will be noticed that this modern movement for Christian union does
not seek to introduce new doctrines into the religious world. It
seeks rather the restoration of the old Jerusalem gospel with its
doctrines, ordinances and fruits. Its promoters thoroughly believe in
all the truths accepted by evangelical bodies and simply strive to
remove the sectarian growths that have fastened themselves to the old
ship Zion during its course through the centuries. Among its favorite
mottoes are these:
No Book but the Bible.
No Creed but the Christ.
No Plea but the Gospel.
No Name but the Divine.
In Christ--Unity.
In Opinions--Liberty.
In all Things--Charity.
_Is One Church as Good as Another?_
The mere hint that there might be something in the doctrines of
different churches that is erroneous and needs to be dropped or
modified, is usually met with a frown of disfavor, by the
supersensitive sectarian world. The sectarian sore is grown over with
the agreement to disagree, and woe unto the doctor that insists on
probing the wound to effect a cure. The effort at probing is usually
met with the declaration, "One church is just as good as another,
they are all aiming for the same place." Let us try to discover what
truth or error is wrapped up in this statement, and what are the
religious conditions that inspire such declarations. In the first
place, it shows a disposition to apologize for sectarian doctrines
rather than to defend them. This is a hopeful sign. All the large
denominations in America originated in European countries under the
bitter religious controversies and cruel political strife that
followed the Dark Ages. It was these stormy and abnormal conditions
that gave birth to these sects and largely moulded their peculiar
doctrines. One extreme begot another, and while each of these
denominations emphasized some neglected religious truth, it
emphasized it so strongly as to often twist it into an untruth or out
of proper relationship to other truths. The people in free America
are not interested in the polemical controversies that resulted from
religious and political conditions in the old countries. Thus it has
come to pass that scarcely any denomination seriously and
persistently urges the ideas that gave it birth, and their creeds
have to be revised continually to hold their preachers and church-
members. The result is that the great mass of the members of the
sectarian churches neither know nor care what the creeds of their
churches teach. I say that this is a hopeful sign, but there is also
a great danger involved in it. Learning that the doctrines of their
own and other denominations are not of saving or vital importance,
people are likely to jump to the conclusion that no religious
doctrines are of vital importance, and so lose their interest in
Christianity. No one can deny that thousands have reached this
condition, and are either members of no church or merely nominal,
indifferent members. Since all sectarian doctrines are of human
origin and of no vital, saving importance, we can endorse the
statement that, from a sectarian standpoint, one church is just as
good as another.
We will also grant, for the sake of the argument, that from the
standpoint of piety, talent, learning and consecration, one church,
on an average, is just as good as another. But does this go to the
bottom of the subject? The doctor who, through ignorance of medical
science, gives your child medicine that cripples it for life or kills
it, may be just as good morally and intellectually as other doctors
who know their business. His blunder of ignorance may not destroy his
hope of heaven; but is that a reason why you would just as soon have
him treat your child as another doctor? So sectaries who teach
erroneous doctrines may be just as honest, consecrated and learned as
those who teach the gospel truth; but does it make no difference to
the cause of Christ and the salvation of souls, whether they teach
sectarian vagaries that divide and desolate the church, or exalt the
Christ and his Word so as to unite all his followers in the conquest
of the world? But, you ask, how can good and learned people differ so
in their beliefs? We may not understand how it is, but we know it is
and ever has been so. Our minds are so constituted that we must see
all truths alike, logically, mathematically and in every other way,
if we see them at all. The trouble is that our vision is so warped
through prejudice and limited ideas and information that we fail to
see the simplest truths, and find in the Bible and elsewhere what we
bring with us through heredity and environment. The Bible recognizes
this truth. Jesus prayed, "Father, forgive them, for they know not
what they do" (Luke 23:34). Paul says, "I obtained mercy, because I
did it ignorantly in unbelief" (1 Tim. 1:13), and again, "The times
of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men
everywhere to repent" (Acts 17:30). It may seem paradoxical, but it
is nevertheless true, that the greatest hindrance to the spread of
the truth of God has come from pious, consecrated and God-fearing
souls who were misled by their hereditary prejudices. The majority of
those converted under the preaching of the Apostles, as recorded in
the New Testament, were devout saints who needed to be delivered from
their hereditary Jewish prejudices and enlisted in the re-alignment
of religious forces for the conquest of the world for Christ and his
kingdom. The Pentecostians were "devout men," the eunuch was a devout
worshiper, Saul of Tarsus was a conscientious man, Cornelius was
devout and a philanthropist. A large per cent of the Jews were honest
and devout people, but were fighting against Christ because they were
blinded by hereditary religious ideas. Peter, even after Pentecost,
was subject to these influences, for it took ten years, with special
miraculous manifestations, before he could see that Gentiles were
creatures to whom the gospel was to be preached as well as to the
Jews. While sectarian divisions are largely due to selfish and wicked
men, most of them are due to devout Christians who are misled by
inherited prejudices or simply drift with the tide.
If these things are true, we should tremble lest we are upholding
error and opposing the truth unintentionally through hereditary bias.
We should make a prayerful and diligent search for the truth as it is
in Christ Jesus. Although we have discovered that none of the
sectarian doctrines are of vital importance, let us remember that it
is different with "the faith [system of teaching] which was once for
all delivered unto the saints" (Jude 3) by the Apostles and for which
we are duty bound to "earnestly contend." Since so many devout and
learned preachers are teaching so many contradictory doctrines, which
cannot all be true, let us not accept their statements unchallenged,
but let us test them (I John 4:1-6) by searching the Scriptures daily
to see if these things are so (Acts 17:11). After that we are assured
that we have found the truth ourselves, let us "be gentle unto all
men, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those that oppose
themselves: if God peradventure will give them repentance to the
acknowledging of the truth; and that they may recover themselves out
of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will"
(2 Tim. 2:24-26). In view of the fact that at least the great
majority of the members of denominational churches must be in error,
it should be a crowning glory to change one's religious affiliations
through an investigation of the truth. The hope of the cause of
Christ lies with those who, hearing the voice of God's truth in their
conscience, are ready to obey it, even if it results in breaking the
dearest human ties and leads to ostracism and persecution. Almost all
the promoters of this union movement have themselves found their way
out of sectarianism after heart-rending efforts to rid themselves
from their hereditary prejudices and errors. They are simply
entreating others to do what they themselves have done,
for the sake of Christ's cause, and help to establish local churches
of Christ after the Apostolic model. That they have fundamentally
reoccupied the primitive ground is admitted by all who have fairly
investigated the subject. If they are yet in error on any points,
they are in a position and ready to correct these as fast as they
discover them through a further study of God's Word.
_The Church Triumphant._
Christ declares that the evangelization of the world is dependent
upon Christian union. Therefore, the ultimate triumph of his church
necessitates the triumph of Christian union. We praise God for every
movement that looks toward a closer union of Christians; but we are
sure that nothing short of the removal of every vestige of
denominationalism and the complete restoration of the one body or
church of New Testament times will satisfy the demands of God's Word.
A number of forces such as the Sunday-school, C.E., Y.M.C.A.,
Evangelical Alliance and Church Federation are destroying the
sectarian spirit and the field is getting ripe unto the harvest for
the restoration of the unity of the early church with its converting
power. The success of this movement for Christian union on the
primitive gospel has been phenomenal. In eighty years its adherents
have increased from ten thousand to about one and a third millions.
The per cent of gain in membership, from 1890 to 1905, in the six
American religious bodies that number a million each was as follows:
Christians or disciples of Christ, 94 per cent.; Roman Catholics, 73
per cent.; Lutherans, 51 per cent.; Methodists, 40 per cent.;
Baptists, 38 per cent., and Presbyterians, 35 per cent. Barring out
the Catholics and Lutherans, who get most of their gain by
immigration, the Christians or churches of Christ show more than
double the gain of the other three bodies. We glory in this growth
only as the glory of Christ is involved in it. It is an earnest of
what Christian union will do even through very imperfect instruments.
What will the harvest be, when the prayer of Jesus is answered and
all his followers are united in one "glorious church, holy and without
blemish, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing" (Eph. 5:27),
going forth to the evangelization of the world "fair as the moon, clear
as the sun, terrible as an army with banners," "looking forth as the
morning" (S. of Sol. 6: 10)! May the prayer of Jesus for the union of
his followers be our prayer, and may we do all in our power to bring
a speedy answer! Amen.
The following is a splendid statement of the aim of the Restoration
movement. I do not know its author:
OUR AIM.
1. The restoration of primitive Christianity and consequent union of
all the followers of Christ in one body.
2. To build a church of Christ, without a denominational name, creed
or other barrier to Christian unity, whose terms of fellowship shall
be as broad as the conditions of salvation and identical with them.
3. To lead sinners to Christ in the clear light of the New Testament
teaching and example.
I have summarized the situation as I see it as follows:
ARE THESE THINGS TRUE?
SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES AND SEE. ACTS 17:11.
1. Christ wants all of his followers to be united in one church as
they were the first three centuries (John 17:20, 21; 1 Cor. 1:10-13;
Eph. 4:1-6; Rom. 15:5-7).
2. Sects and divisions among Christians are wasteful, carnal and
sinful and result from exalting human leaders and their opinions
above Christ and his opinions revealed through his Apostles (1 Cor.
3:1-4; Rom. 16:17, 18; Gal. 5:20).
3. As soon as we drop human names, creeds and customs and build
churches after the divine model, by teaching and practising as the
Apostles did, the unity of the primitive church will be restored
(Heb. 8:5; 1 Cor. 11:16; Jude 3).
4. Churches on an average are about the same in piety and
consecration, but so long as they teach contradictory doctrines they
cannot all be right, but may be wrong. _Therefore you should examine
for yourself and be sure you are guided by God's Word rather than by
inherited traditions which perpetuate sects_ (Mark 7:6-13).
The following _guide to salvation,_ which I take from one of my
circulars used in gospel work, has the merit of being taken entirely
from the Word of God, except the word "warning" and the few words in
parentheses. If it is in harmony with the context, and we sincerely
believe it is, then it is an infallible guide, and those who follow
it cannot be mistaken.
"These men are the servants of the most high God which show unto us
THE WAY OF SALVATION"
(Acts 16:17).
"WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED?" (Acts 16:30; 2:37; 9:6).
"_Believe_ (unbeliever) on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be
saved" (Acts 16:31). (See also Acts 8: 12, 37; Mark 16:16; Rom. 10:9-
11, 17; John 3:18; 20:31; 1 John 5:1.)
WARNING.--"He that believeth not shall be damned" (Mark 16:16).
"_Repent_ (believers) and be baptized for the remission of sins and
ye shall receive _the gift of the Holy Ghost_" (Acts 2:38). (See also
Acts 8:22; 26: 20; Luke 24:47; 2 Cor. 7:9, 10.)
WARNING.--"Except ye repent, ye shall all perish" (Luke 13:5).
"_Confess_ (penitent believer) with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and
thou shalt be saved" (Rom. 10:9, 10). (See also Matt. 10:32; 16:16;
26:63; 1 Tim. 6:13; 1 John 4:15.)
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