Disciples of Christ,
A religious body founded in
Washington, Pa., 1811, by
Thomas Campbell, a minister who had left the Presbyterian Church in
Ireland and came to the
United States in 1807.
He deplored the divided state of the
Church and the evils which arose therefrom.
He held that the only remedy for this was a complete restoration of primitive apostolic Christianity.
This view met with some approval, a new sect was formed, and the first church was organized on May 4, 1811.
In addition to the fundamental truths which the Disciples of
Christ hold in common with all Christian bodies the following may be cited as some of their more particular principles: 1.
The Church of Christ is intentionally and constitutionally one; and all divisions which obstruct this unity are contrary to the will of God, and should be ended.
2. As schisms sprang from a departure from the
New Testament Christianity, the remedy for them is to be found in the restoration of the Gospel in its purity.
3. In order to accomplish this restoration all human formulation of doctrine as authoritative bases for church membership must be surrendered, and the
Bible received alone as the basis of all faith and practice; the exchange of all party names for scriptural names, and the restoration of the ordinances as they were originally.
The polity of the Disciples is congregational; the local churches have elders and deacons.
They have no general body for legislative purposes, but combine in district and national organizations for missionary work.
In 1900 they reported 6,528 ministers, 10,528 churches, and 1,149,982 communicants.
[
122]
