CHRISTIAN CHURCH, The, a body of believers who adopt this simple Biblical name and accept the Bible as their rule of faith and practice, in devotion to the principle of unity and as a testimony against sectarianism. An other body, commonly known as the Disciples of Christ, are also called Christians in some sections, and in consequence the two denomina tions, which are in no way ecclesiastically con nected, are confused in the popular mind, and one is taken for the other. The Christians, for the sake of distinction, have been called the Christian Connection, but the denomination itself objects to it. In rejecting sectarian names it does not arrogate to itself the idea of exclusive right to the use of the name, nor deny that those using distinctive denominational titles are Christian. They recognize all be lievers in Christ as God's children, and as such welcome them to their fellowship, holding, how ever, that those who assume the name Chris tian, a family name, should also welcome all followers of Christ into their fellowship. They believe that other names are divisive, but that this name is unifying.
The Christian Church dates back in its earliest beginning to 1794. Three separate di visions united to constitute it. One of these arose in Virginia, led by Rev. James O'Kelly, who left the Methodist Church, with a number of followers, on account of dissatisfaction with the discipline and methods of that Church. They chose for the new organization, formed in 1794, the name Christian. The second branch was formed in Vermont in 1801 by Elias Smith and Abner Jones, Baptists who dissented from the Calvinistic doctrines and the polity of the Baptist churches. Other Baptists came to their standard, which affirmed the Bible as their creed and the name Christian as their sufficient desig nation. Many churches were organized in con nection with this movement. The third strand was Presbyterian in origin. In Kentucky dif ferences arose in 1800-01, among Presbyterians in the Crane Ridge revival, and. Barton W. Stone led those who withdrew and formed a new organization with the same name and similar principles as the Virginia and Vermont bodies. Each of these movements was un
known to the others until later on when they came together, agreed to principles and polity and united in the organization known as the Christian Church. In 1832 a joint meeting be tween Barton W. Stone, representing, with others, the Christians, and Messrs. Smith and Johnson, the Disciples of Christ, took place, the outcome of which was an agreement to unite under the name Christian. The agree ment was not fully carried out, but many Christians followed Stone in uniting with the Disciples of Christ,. whose name in that section was afterward Christian. The Christian Church holds to the following principles: 1. The Lord Jesus Christ is the only head of the Church.
2. The name Christian is the only appella tion needed by the Church.
3. The Holy Bible, or the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, are a sufficient, and should be the only, rule of faith and practice.
4. Christian character, or vital piety, is a just, and should be the only, test of member ship, or fellowship in the Church of Christ 5. The right of private and the liberty of conscience are a right and a privilege that should be accorded to and exercised by all.
Under these principles the Christian Church contends for the oneness of the people of God and the blessings of truth in a wholesome evangelical toleration, in all matters which rest for solution on mere human opinions. Thus the Presbyterians went into the water without becoming Baptists; the Baptists continued bap tism without exclusiveness, and the Methodists fellowshipped both without becoming Calvin ists,* conflicting elements were harmonized in the spirit of brotherly love, the body was one in Christ and each one held to the truth as he it.
Deprecating the divisive character and the evils of human creeds and party shibboleths, they determined to take the Bible as their only confession of faith, with Christian character under the new birth (John iii, 1-7) as the only test of church membership and Christian fel lowship, leaving each individual in full posses sion of the right of individual interpretation in all matters of opinon on theological ques tions.