|
 Proponents
of "official" church doctrines (creeds) and
"authority of the church" to determine doctrines, have
long contended that in the absence of such, churches will be
fractured into numerous ineffective cells. This is not an
observation to be ignored; for history has repeatedly
demonstrated this possibility.
Note
the following from A. W. Fortune's history of The Disciples in
Kentucky, pp. 53.
"Their
search for new truth and the fact that they had no creed to
guide them made the Christians an easy prey to strange
doctrines. Three Shaker missionaries from New York wrought havoc
in their ranks. Three of the preachers who were associated with
Mr. Stone -- Matthew Houston, Richard McNemar, and John Dunlavy
-- put away their wives, acknowledged marriage as a sin, and
joined the Shakers. This caused much confusion in the ranks of
Stone's followers, and many went to the other communions.
Because
of the havoc wrought by the Shakers, and because of the
controversy over baptism, Robert Marshall and John Thompson were
convinced that the "Bible was too latitudinarian"
("tolerant of variations" or admitting of various
interpretations.rt) and urged the formulation of a simple,
doctrinal statement of a few fundamental truths. A meeting was
called at Mount Tabor, near Lexington, to consider their
proposition. It was decided to abide by the principle that the
Bible should be their guide in religion and trust in God for the
consequences."
Today,
as then, there are those who havemore faith in man than in God.
They
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seem to think men can improve upon God's effort to
set forth clearly a rule of faith and practice; that men may
devise a charter for unity where God has failed. This writer has
no such delusion.
Neither
a newly formulated "creed" nor the "status
quo" long-standing faith and practice
of an "established party" can
take the place of "the rule which God hath distributed to
us, a measure to reach even unto you." We are unwilling to
trust either those men who met in Arlington (and I was one of
them) or those who ignorantly surmise, assume, and suppose
concerning that meeting. Our faith remains in Jesus Christ and
His word.
Fear
of confrontation, with open Bible -- if such fear exists --
smacks of unwillingness to measure ourselves by God's Rule (2
Cor.10: 12-f) or a very sectarian conception of
"church." How could anyone "represent" or
"misrepresent" or "compromise" a party that
does not exist?? Answer that!!
"When
the Christians refused to adopt a simple doctrinal statement to
hold them together and keep them steady" (ibid.,pp.54)
Marshall and Thompson retired to the shelter of the Presbyterian
confession of Faith. Here councils and synods could decide what
they were to believe, and they were protected from the strange
doctrines that prey upon those who study and think for
themselves.
God's
blessings await those who "trust in God for the
consequence."
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