Wilmer Russell Walker

“ He who believes that any organization with such power will function without being meddlesome and oppressive has been a poor student of history. It is absurd to believe that authority can be yielded, and still retained.
To me it is passing strange that certain men connected with the movement to restore the New Testament church could have participated in the formation of so pretentious a scheme. It is another illustration of the ease with which some can be diverted from the main issue. ”

“ This does not mean that we should assume an "I am holier than thou" attitude toward the Christian world. It does demand that we issue a clarion call to all who honestly desire to see denominationalism die, to unite with us in our program of restoring the lost unity of the church by restoring New Testament Christianity. We are worse than wasting time in flirting with denominations, as such. Naturally, leadership in any party will go into the hands of those who most ardently love it and work for it. ”

“ The restoration of the New Testament church, as a means of uniting Christians, was the ideal of the great thinkers who challenged denominationalism in the beginning of the past century, not the preservation of sectism. Despite the superior wisdom of our sages, there is one thing they can not do—destroy a thing and save it at the same time. ”

“ Of late, however, such things as secretarial interference in local churches, attempted dictation concerning the employment of preachers, and unchristian intolerance on the part of some of its overzealous friends have led me to question the wisdom of my former convictions.
My heart bleeds that a condition has arisen in our society work which renders it impossible for devout, generous, missionary brethren to support it except under protest, or not at all. ”

“ The unity taught in Scripture is such a state as would obtain if churches were all loyal to apostolic teaching, no factions in the congregations, no parties in the church at the congregations, no parties in the church at large.
An organized Christian union will enslave and curse now, as it always has done.
This fact may as well be faced courageously and admitted. Denominationalism must pass before the unity of which Jesus prayed can come. It is the one thing above all others preventing such unity. ”

“ To what have we come, when free churches of Christ have notice marred upon them that they must support the society championed by a particular journal, or be called heretical! Are we ready to submit to such dictation without protest? Attempted coercion will only drive more away from the ranks of the organization demanding exclusive support. To charge well-informed, conscientious brethren with disloyalty to Christ, because they use their undoubted freedom in electing what organizations they will aid, is a serious matter. ”

“ A factious man was to be refused after a second admonition. Paul denounces church splitting as sin.
He devotes four chapters of 1 Corinthians to the threatened division, over men, in that congregation. The essence of denominationalism is division, or Scriptural heresy, originating among individuals or in congregations. Divisions, personal and congregational, can be avoided only by all "keeping the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."
I think it can be successfully maintained that the essentials of Christian unity in the early church have herein been set forth. ”

“ No organization has a right to claim to represent the whole church. At best, it can represent only those creating or those using it. No one society can have a monopoly, unless every worker in the field served by that society voluntarily chooses to use it. ”

“ WHILE there is much being said about Christian unity, and while there is an increasing general conviction that unity should be brought about, the chief concern of many seems to be to devise a human method instead of adopting the method given in the teachings of Christ and His apostles. ”

“ It has been developed through centuries of experience, embodying the united wisdom of myriads of religious statesmen who think in terms of organization. It is probable that human wisdom can evolve nothing superior to this, if a great united organization is accepted as the ideal for Christ's church. It is the logical destination for those who think the kingdom comes with observation.
Centuries ago Romanism was where Protestantism is to-day in the matter of organization, its bishoprics and patriarchates being the units corresponding to the denominations of Protestantism. ”

“ Jesus did not rebuke Pharisees for making proselytes, but for making them "twofold more children of hell" than they were themselves. Proselyting, per se, is not only permissible, but a positive duty. It is only by making proselytes that any reform may hone to succeed. ”

“ Those entering by primary obedience are received on their own terms. Such organizations, not daring to stress loyalty to Christ and the New Testament, must find an outlet for their religion in social service. Deeper than this they can not go. They cease to be churches of Christ, and, at best, are nothing but altruistic clubs.
We hear of one such church that has Jews, Mormons and Catholics in its membership. ”

“ Co-operation in the larger affairs of Christian work is essential to the highest success. But every individual and congregation must be left entirely free to use or not use any particular agency.
Missionary leaders and their apologists need to be reminded that intolerance and arrogance may be as disastrous to their cause as disloyalty. It is not heresy to employ a variety of agencies. ”

“ In recent years we have listened to some cheap flings to the effect that we preach Christian unity more, and practice it less, than any religious body in the country." This is the criticism of those who insist that we must all use the missionary society of their own choice or direction. The argument is that if we do not all use the same missionary, educational or benevolent machinery, we are a divided brotherhood. Statements like this show that the one making them is unable to think of the church as other than an organization. ”

“ Every existing organization, created to serve the churches, might disband, but that would not divide the church. Societies may be good servants of the churches, but they must not try to become masters. ”

“ The supervising body over the union merely asks to be entrusted with "advisory authority" in legislative matters, and executive authority in all common undertakings.
Those originating this benevolent plan are doubtless willing to "serve the churches" by generously constituting themselves the first "advisory body." If supervision in the "larger field" is granted, how can there be either congregational or personal liberty?
Every activity of both individual and congregation must be subordinated to the greater program of the united body. ”

“ In the past, every department of our organized work has received the earnest support of all who believe in co-operative effort, and only those who are betraying the cause they pledged to advance are responsible for the present disaffection. ”

“ It is thus clear that, under the ministry of inspired men, souls were brought into Christ by believing through hearing, repeating and being baptized into the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Their obedience made them Christians. ”

“ It is a truth so self-evident as to be almost axiomatic, that it is impossible to unite individual disciples, the units for which Jesus prayed, by uniting denominations, units that were condemned by Paul in 1 Corinthians. Union of unscriptual units can not make a Scriptural whole. ”

“ Conscioust or unconsciously, the dogma that the organization is the church rules their thought and directs the procedure for attaining the desired goal. It seems almost impossible, under present conditions, for people to think of Christianity in other than denominational terms. ”

“ Even certain groups in the ranks of those to whom has descended the honor of propagating the principles of the nineteenth-century Restoration movement are ignoring Scripture, boldly asserting that it has no solution for the problem. ”

“ Its aim is to provide for the co-operation of all denominations, leaving each free to manage its own denominational affairs in its own way, retaining any polity, employing any form of worship, teaching any doctrine it may desire. Each cooperating body would choose representatives to sit with similar delegates from other bodies in directing or managing the so-called larger interests of all. ”