CHRISTADELPHIANS. The small sect known as the Christadelphians arose during the American civil war. The founder was John Thomas, who was at one time one of the Disciples of Christ (q.v.). The Christadel phians (" Brethren of Christ ") adopted this name be cause they claimed that being in Christ they were his brethren, and that they were the true representatives of the faith and practice of Apostolic times. Their con gregations they called " ecclesias " to distinguish them from other churches which they regarded as " churches of the apostasy." Christadelphians (10 not accept the Trinity. " They believe in one supreme God. who dwells in unapproachable light: in Jesus Christ, in whom was manifest the eternal spirit of God, and who died for the offences of sinners. and rose for the justification of believing men and women: in one baptism only,—im mersion, the burial with Christ in water into death to sin.' which is essential to salvation; in immortality only in Christ; in eternal punishment of the wicked, but not in eternal torment; in hell, not as a place of torment, but as the grave: in the resurrection of the just and unjust; in the utter annihilation of the wicked, and in the non-resurrection of those who have never heard the gospel, lack in intelligence (as infants), or are sunk in ignorance or brutality; in a second coming of Christ to establish his kingdom on earth, which is to be fitted for the everlasting abode of the saints; in the proximity of this second coming; in Satan as a scriptural personification of sin; in the millennial reign of Christ on earth over the nations, during which sin and death will continue in a milder degree, and after which Christ will surrender his position of supremacy, and God will reveal himself, and become Father and Governor of a complete family; in salvation only for those who can understand the faith as taught by the Christadelphians, and become obedient to it " (Schaff Herzog). They profess in their Services to proclaim the
Truth as set forth by Moses and the Prophets, Christ and the Apostles, in contradiction to " the writings and teachings of the Clergy of the Church of Rome and her Harlot Daughters the Church of England and Protestant Dissenters." See Schaff-Herzog; Chainbers's Encyci.; J. H. Blunt.