Re: Church of Christ
Posted: Sun Apr 05, 2009 12:08 am
Regarding the Church of Christ, the Campbells, and LDS I have posted a new thread in the LDS category.
You will have to inform me on this bit of history.I especially have never forgotten the story about the missionary to the Indians in upstate New York.
It must be 25 years or more since I read it. Not easy to forget.We conclude with an abstract from the Boston Anthology which gives us a classic example of the negative results that can come out of our divisions. This example also illustrates how the world watches us.
In 1805, a missionary from Massachusetts named Mr. Cram wanted to evangelize the Seneca Indians. He sent them his proposal for their approval. Here is what he said:
I am come brethren to enlighten your minds and to instruct you how to worship the Great Spirit agreeably to his will, and to preach to you the Gospel of his son Jesus Christ. There is one way to serve God, and if you do not embrace the right way, you cannot be happy hereafter.
The principal chiefs and warriors of the six nations met in council at Buffalo Creek in New York State to consider this proposal. Here is their reply to Missionary Cram:
Brother, we understand that your religion is written in a book. You say that there is but one way to worship and serve the Great Spirit. If there be but one religion, why do you white people differ so much about it? Why not all agree as you can all read the book? Brother, we do not understand these things. We are told your religion was given to your forefathers; we, also have a religion which was given to our forefathers; it teaches us to be thankful for all the favors we receive; to love one another, and to be united. We never quarrel about religion. We are told you have been preaching to the white people in this place. Those people are our neighbors, we are acquainted with them. We will wait a little to see what effect your preaching has upon them. If we find it does them good, makes them honest and less disposed to cheat Indians, we will then consider again what you have said.
Thanks for posting this story!Homer wrote:SamIam,
Here is the story from Knofel Staton's paraphrase of Thomas Campbell's Declaration and Address:
It must be 25 years or more since I read it. Not easy to forget.We conclude with an abstract from the Boston Anthology which gives us a classic example of the negative results that can come out of our divisions. This example also illustrates how the world watches us.
In 1805, a missionary from Massachusetts named Mr. Cram wanted to evangelize the Seneca Indians. He sent them his proposal for their approval. Here is what he said:
I am come brethren to enlighten your minds and to instruct you how to worship the Great Spirit agreeably to his will, and to preach to you the Gospel of his son Jesus Christ. There is one way to serve God, and if you do not embrace the right way, you cannot be happy hereafter.
The principal chiefs and warriors of the six nations met in council at Buffalo Creek in New York State to consider this proposal. Here is their reply to Missionary Cram:
Brother, we understand that your religion is written in a book. You say that there is but one way to worship and serve the Great Spirit. If there be but one religion, why do you white people differ so much about it? Why not all agree as you can all read the book? Brother, we do not understand these things. We are told your religion was given to your forefathers; we, also have a religion which was given to our forefathers; it teaches us to be thankful for all the favors we receive; to love one another, and to be united. We never quarrel about religion. We are told you have been preaching to the white people in this place. Those people are our neighbors, we are acquainted with them. We will wait a little to see what effect your preaching has upon them. If we find it does them good, makes them honest and less disposed to cheat Indians, we will then consider again what you have said.
God Bless, Homer
EUSEBIUS "Of old at the time those of the circumcision were worshipping with symbols and types it was not inappropriate to send up hymns to God with the psalterion and cithara and to do this on Sabbath days... We render our hymn with a living psalterion and a living cithara with spiritual songs. The unison voices of Christians would be more acceptable to God than any musical instrument. Accordingly in all the churches of God, united in soul and attitude, with one mind and in agreement of faith and piety we send up a unison melody in the words of the Psalms."
(commentary on Psalms 91:2-3)
CALVIN "Musical instruments in celebrating the praises of God would be no more suitable than the burning of incense, the lighting of lamps, and the restoration of the other shadows of the law. The Papists therefore, have foolishly borrowed, this, as well as many other things, from the Jews. Men who are fond of outward pomp may delight in that noise; but the simplicity which God recommends to us by the apostles is far more pleasing to him. Paul allows us to bless God in the public assembly of the saints, only in a known tongue (I Cor. 14:16) What shall we then say of chanting, which fills the ears with nothing but an empty sound?"
(John Calvin, Commentary on Psalms 33)
(Spurgeon preached to 20,000 people every Sunday for 20 years in the Metropolitan Baptist Tabernacle and never were mechanical instruments of music used in his services. When asked why, he quoted 1st Corinthians 14:15. "I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the understanding also; I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also." He then declared: "I would as soon pray to God with machinery as to sing to God with machinery."
(Charles H. Spurgeon, Baptist)
http://www.kc-cofc.org/Articles/QuotesMIMInWorship.pdf
. http://reformedpresbyterian.org/index.p ... &Itemid=32“In keeping with the New Testament Church’s directive for heart worship, we sing without the aid of musical instruments.”