Cincinnati Bible Seminary - Nautilus Yearbook (Cincinnati, OH)

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MII IIA AAA AAV III IVI VV VINNIE IAIN VILLI aededeeae ieee ected echoed : : One of the most important and burning ques- tions before religious leaders today is the question of a free ministry. On the solution of this problem hangs the future well-being of the movement which set out to restore the original pattern of free and powerful New Testament Christianity, This our people must clearly comprehend now, or else, be prepared to witness the spectacle of a dying church, already being choked by an ugly ecclesiasticism. Since the phrase “An Independent Ministry”’ is pretty well fixed in most minds we shall simply assume that no further definition is needed. ‘There- fore, we shall devote the remainder of our space to (1) conditions making for ecclesiasticism: (2) its cure. To clearly indicate the source of ecclesiasticism is not an easy matter. However, it seems to me, that underlying all differences, as to casual agencies, is something which has been over-looked. After all we! may find ecclesiasticism to stem from a single root. If so, that which is above ground, is of the nature of part causes. Let us look first of all at ignorance as a possible source of ecclesiasticism. No doubt many believe this to be the correct answer. And, believing such, further believe that knowledge is the only force, which can stop ecclesiasticism in its forward march. To me such a view is untenable. I cannot believe that the loss of freedom is due, essentially, to a condition of ignorance, nor that freedom can be regained by a purely intellectual conditioning of the mind. In short, I doubt that the mere fact of knowing better will cause us to do better. To be sure, knowledge is a prime requisite, but we shall not win the victory by knowledge alone. ‘To think thus is to lean on a broken reed. While admitting that present conditions, may result in part from a lack of comprehension, I, nevertheless, still believe, that there is something more fundamental, something deeper, something — ppttaa he se which constitutes the main root of ecclesiasticism. Not finding it in the intellect, as such, we turn to the will. And here, brethren, in my opinion is the trouble. Could we change the quality of the will we would change the quantity of ecclesiasticism. Could we but alter the element of will the flood waters of ecclesiasticism would become no more than a mere stream. Could we remove the ecclesias- ticism inhering in the will, then the rest (in the intellect) we could control. What remained after this could be gotten rid of, to a considerable ex- tent, by increasing, or causing to increase, a know- ledge of God’s Word. Having located the tap-root of ecclesiasticism in the will what then can be done to correct the situation? Is there a cure? To the latter the answer is yes, provided we can do something to the will, but otherwise, no. Of one thing we may rest assured, namely that a greater emphasis on scientific fact-finding will not materially change the state or disposition of the will. The will will not be swayed by such, thus causing it to cast off the satanic forces which are crippling the church, through having robbed it of its freedom. Further, I doubt that reason as such, can change the picture. This, of course, is not to deny that reason has its proper place, and that its place, is a most important one. But can reason break a stubborn and rebellious will? The answer is un- mistakingly no. Something more is needed. ‘To what then must we turn? The answer is very simple. Namely, to, a fuller realization and appre- ciation of Divine love as portrayed through the Son of God. Love for Christ will produce a willingness to follow Christ. The right kind of love toward Him will melt the most hardened and stubborn will. And thus will it be that the human will, will refuse to give its consent to any plan or program which stifles a free ministry,

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LVI IIA IIASA LSI VISAS SIS SS Free Churches of Christ Tasha SERA ARAR BARA AP ALABAAAAAPABRABAAB HAS The last word of this topic is all-important. Without this last word, the topic would float away on the breeze and vanish into thin air. So would the churches. “Free Churches of would be like a derelict storm-tossed, drifting help- lessly with wind and tide. It might still have the appearance of a ship, but it would be a ghost-ship. It would be free. No hawsers or chains would bind it to a dock. Not even an anchor would fetter its free movement. But without master, direction, or power, it would be helpless and useless, bound for destruction on the rocks or in the storm. Christ established the church. He is its sole foundation. He is the Head of the church, the only source of authority and saving power. He is the Author and Perfecter of our faith. Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God, the historic Christ of the New Testament Scriptures (not the pseudo- christ conjured up in the perverted imagination of unbelievers,) is also the Source of our freedom. Having been set free from the bondage of sin and from weak and beggarly elements of the world which would enslave us, we are repeatedly urged by Christ and the apostles, to treasure and preserve our freedom. An ancient courthouse of our land carries this inscription over the entrance: “The highest liberty ” And the true freedom is is obedience to law. found only in bringing ourselves into complete subjection to the Son of God. Loyalty and liberty are inseparable. Churches who forget their solemn vow of fealty to the Christ soon find themselves enslaved to man-made creeds and organizations. History is strewn with the wreckage of churches who abandoned their divine Pilot and compass to attach themselves to some human organization. Expressing a profound truth with his usual droll simplicity, Abraham Lincoln once said that the two most important things with which man has to do are death and freedom; that since death is inevitable and there is nothing we can do about it, freedom is the more important. In the spiritual sense life and freedom are inseparable. ‘The church which embraces slavery to a human hierarchy, in- vites death. Its epitaph has already been written: “Thou hast a name that thou livest, but thou art dead.” From the Garden of Eden man, in a suc- cession of incredible follies, has repeatedly sold his divine birthright for a mess of pottage. Israel re- deemed from bondage in Egypt quickly forgot and turned to the bondage of pagan worship. The church with the glories of Pentecost and the first centuries scarcely diminishing to an echo, began to erect and to grovel before the Roman Catholic pap- acy. The courageous protests of Luther, Calvin, and Wesley soon became mixed with compromise and resumption of human names, doctrines, and prac- tices. The leaders of the restoration movement called Christians everywhere back to the New Tes- tament and to unqualified loyalty to Christ. But a secret political organization of infidels crept in stealthily to seize control of our missionary, educa- tional, and benevolent organizations. Colleges that had been established to train faithful preachers of the Word came into the hands of those who sought to destroy the Gospel or boasted that the college was no longer interested in other than secular learn- ing. The great missionary monopoly arrogated to itself all authority and proceeded to promulgate modernism so that churches are closed, mission sta- tions abandoned, missionary passion wanes, the blessed fellowship of a generation ago is riven asunder by false teachers and their infidel propa- ganda, Although no larger than a man’s hand against the western sky, a school has arisen which begins to cover the sky of our brotherhood with promise of the abundance of evangelistic zeal and knowledge of the Word of God which will bring the divine harvest according to God’s promise. ‘The Cincin- nati Bible Seminary exalts the church as the divine institution. Any human organization can only by humble loyalty to Christ and effective obedience to His will claim the interest and support of churches of Christ. Any such organization must be, not the master, but the servant of the churches. ‘The Seminary seeks to train preachers who hold no loyalty in their hearts comparable to their de- votion to Christ, His Word, His Church. Such preachers who understand and are not afraid to proclaim the Gospel will help the churches to resist the tital wave of pagan devotion to hierarchies, human organizations, modernistic creeds. “Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.” “Know the truth and the truth shail make you free.” “Sanctify them in the truth; thy word is truth.”

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LIVIA VIIA Personal Liberty in Christ PIII SSS hosed tt You are now ready to step forth and serve in the most dangerous and opportune of all ages in which men have lived. Another generation or two will likely record the survival or sacrifice of the personal liberty of mankind. Today, in an effort to save the masses, the individual man is being subjected to severe and dangerous experiments. This is being done in a world laboratory with personal liberty in a test tube under the microscope of men who scrutinize through eyes of materialism, rationalism, modern- ee ism, atheism, and socialism — men “. . . having no hope and without God in the world” (Eph. 2:12). They forget that the very soul of character, of cul- ture, of survival at all lies in the personal liberty of the individual. They gamble, trifle, and traffic with the most precious possession man has in this world — personal liberty, the gateway to heaven. Its roots reach to God Himself when “. .. in the likeness of God). 2. He made us. Surely this “likeness” does not include salvation by regimentation nor a sacrifice of the lost lamb in deference to the protected flock. The whole story of creation, revelation, and salvation is given in the interest of the individual and concern for his personal liberty as a being with an eternal soul. As men drift and depart from God they rely more and more upon things of this world and the power of men, and just in this proportion do they sacrifice the individual and his personal liberty. ce Yours, however, is a personal liberty “in Christ.” ‘The greatest liberty on earth is found among the devout followers of Christ. As Christi- anity becomes shackled by denominational organi- zation and hierarchical regimentation, liberty in Christ disappears. Today these powers of men are thrusting tentacles to the ends of the earth in an effort to enslave mankind and to place him in a machine where there is neither personality, power, life, nor salvation. On the other hand, as Christ lives and works in the lives of his true followers as individuals there is liberty. ‘Now the Lord is the Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty” (II Cor. 3:17). “For freedom did Christ set us free: stand fast therefore, and be not entangled again in a yoke of bondage” (Gal. 5:1). You, as free men in Christ, stand as the hub and heart of all the hopes of humanity. Upon you rests the responsibility of clearly presenting the liberty of the true New Testament church. You face a hostile world — foes within and without: a world thinking in terms of powers of men rather than the power of God; a world trying to join hands and circumscribe the hub of civilization rather than cleanse the heart of the individual; a world confused, weak, and weary with the sins of men; a world willing to grasp for straws blown by every wind of doctrine; a world leadership of men who deny God and largely despise spiritual and eternal things. You stand at the cross-roads of civilizations. ‘The potentialities reach to heaven; the perils point to hell. If you go forth with a clear understanding of the Restoration Plea, if you have zeal with knowledge of the Word, if you have faith to die for freedom in Christ, then go forth and battle for the faith of our fathers! God give us men. The time demands Strong minds, great hearts, true faith And willing hands; Men who possess opinions and a will; Men who have honor; men who will not lie; Tall men, sun-crowned, who live above the fog In public duty and in private thinking! For while the rabble with their thumb-worn creeds, Their large professions and their little deeds Mingle in selfish strife; lo! Freedom weeps! Wrong rules the land, and waiting justice sleeps! —J. G. Holland