CHRIS'TADEL'PHIANS (from Gk. Xpioni dE2.1)0e, chrktgdeinhos, having brotherhood with Christ, tram Xpon6c, Christos, Christ +Me2s56e, adelphos, brother), or BROTHERS OF CHRIST. A religions sect in the United States, Canada, and Great Britain, organized by John Thomas. Al. P., an Englishman. who came hither in 1844 and at first belonged to the Disciples. But being "convinced by a study of the Bible that the car dinal doctrines of the existing ehurehes corre spond with those of the apostate Church predicted in Scripture." lie spread his views. Making con verts, he formed them into societies, which. till the outbreak of the Civil War, had no distinctive name, but the one now held was selected when their members craimed exemption from military ditty on the ground of conscientious opposition to war. The principles of the sect are thus stated: The Old and New Testaments are equally important : God will restore to immort:11 life all mho love him in this life, hut those who have not accepted this immortal principle cease to exist at death; there is no personal devil; Christ is the son of God. deriving from the Deity moral
perfection, but from Ills mother a human nature; Ile has the threefold character of prophet, priest, and king: the first office lie fulfilled by His life and death on earth, and now as priest lle me diates before the Deity: as king lle will return to earth and reign over all the world from the throne of David in the Holy Land. In 1895 the Christadelphians had in the United States 63 organizations and some 1300 members. They reject the doctrine of the Trinity, practice im inersion, and have no ordained ministry. Con sult II. K. Carroll, The Religious forces of the nared States (New York, 1896), pp. 89-90, 454.