The Religious Life of LondonRitchie, J. Ewing (James Ewing)
Religion
The Religious Life of London
Ritchie, J. Ewing (James Ewing)
London (England) -- Religion; Religious thought -- England -- London
Who are the Campbellites? I will endeavour to answer the question.
Their creed, as they tell us, is simply the Messiahship. According to
them, the Christian creed thus presents for individual and immediate
acceptance the one living, personal, loving, Divine, all-wise and
omnipotent Saviour from ignorance, sin, and rebellion. Humanly devised
and written creeds demand faith in abstract metaphysical, theological,
ecclesiastical, and political propositions, and have so effectually
supplanted the good confession, that though admitted as a doctrine, few
churches or professors of the present day would consider themselves safe
in depending solely on its saving faith or belief in God’s testimony as
contained in His Word, as delivered by apostles and prophets, and as
corroborated by signs and wonders, and divers miracles and gifts of the
Holy Spirit. Campbellism distinguishes the Gospel not only from the
words of men, but from Scripture generally—that Jesus is its subject. It
apprehends him not only as Jesus of Nazareth, but as God manifest in the
flesh—the Son and Christ of the Father consecrated to the high offices of
Prophet, Priest, and King. It recognises the applicability and reference
of the Saviour’s mission and work to the individual himself as clearly as
if he were the only sinner for whom Christ has died; nor is it a mere
intellectual assent, but a willing, heartfelt reception of the truth and
surrender of the whole man, body, soul, and spirit. Now, as I imagine
most orthodox Christians would say as much, and would state their belief
in similar terms, with the exception of the Presbyterians and
Episcopalians, who have the advantage or disadvantage, whatever it may
be, of having to repeat a creed of more scholastic character, the
question still remains, why cannot the Campbellites worship with other
Christians? I must frankly confess there is in their services nothing
more fitted to make an impression upon the world than there is in the
services of other denominations; neither at Chelsea nor in Camden Town do
you get from their preachers an idea that they are men of greater power,
higher spiritual life, deeper experience, or more usefulness than are
others. Clearly this definition of Christian belief is no warrant for
another schism, even though the aim be Christian unity, and the putting a
stop to the endless differences which are the grief of the Christian and
the laugh of the worldling. Their form of worship is eminently simple
and dissenting—a revival, it may be, of that of apostolic times—that I
cannot say as, according to some, there are remains of a liturgy in the
Pauline epistles. It is not clear how the ancients worshipped, but it is
clear the Campbellites simply sing and pray, and read the Scriptures and
deliver an address. They are Baptists, and they believe that Baptism is
essential to salvation. Baptist churches are numerous in London. No
Baptist need hire room, or chapel, or barn, or hall, and meet there to
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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