The
following Statement of Doctrine was issued, 1883, by a commission of the
National Council of the Congregational Churches of the U. S., appointed in St.
Louis, 1880. Among the members of the commission of twenty-five were President
Seelye of Amherst, Dr. Henry M. Dexter, and Professor George P. Fisher of Yale.
Its duty was defined to be the preparation 'in the form of a Creed or Catechism,
or both, of a simple, clear, and comprehensive exposition of the truths of the
Glorious Gospel of the Blessed God, for the instruction and edification of
our churches,' not to be adopted by the Council but to be sent out 'to the
churches and to the world through the public press, to carry such weight of
authority as the character of the Commission and the intrinsic merit of their
exposition of truth may command.' See Walker: Creeds and Platforms of
Congregationalism, 576–84.
Statement of Doctrine.
We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of
all things visible and invisible;
And
in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who is of one substance with the
Father; by whom all things were made;
And
in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of life, who is sent from the Father and
Son, and who together with the Father and Son is worshipped and glorified.
We believe that the Providence of God, by which He executes His eternal purposes
in the government
of the world, is in and over all events; yet so that the freedom and
responsibility of man are not impaired, and sin is the act of the creature
alone.
We believe that man
was made in the image of God, that he might know, love, and obey God, and enjoy Him forever; that our first parents by disobedience
fell under the
righteous condemnation of God; and that all men are so alienated from God that
there is no salvation from the guilt and power of sin except through God's
redeeming grace.
We believe that
God would have all men return to Him; that to this end He has made Himself
known, not only through the works of nature, the course of His providence, and
the consciences of men, but also through supernatural revelations made
especially to a chosen people, and above all, when the fulness of time was come,
through Jesus Christ His Son.
We believe that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the record of
God's revelation
of Himself in the work of redemption; that they were written by men under the
special guidance of the Holy Spirit; that they are able to make wise unto
salvation; and that they constitute the authoritative standard by which
religious teaching and human conduct are to be regulated and judged.
We believe that the love of God to sinful men has found its highest expression in the redemptive
work of His Son; who became man, uniting His divine nature with our human nature
in one person, who was tempted like other men, yet without sin; who, by His
humiliation, His holy obedience, His sufferings, His death on the cross, and His
resurrection, became a perfect Redeemer; whose sacrifice of Himself for the sins
of the world declares the righteousness of God, and is the sole and sufficient
ground of forgiveness and of reconciliation with Him.
We believe that Jesus
Christ, after He had risen from the dead, ascended into heaven, where, as the
one Mediator between God and man, He carries forward His work of saving men;
that He sends the Holy Spirit to convict them of sin, and to lead them to
repentance and faith; and that those who through renewing grace turn to
righteousness, and trust in Jesus Christ as their Redeemer, receive for His
sake the forgiveness of their sins, and are made the children of God.
We believe that those who are thus regenerated and justified grow in sanctified character
through fellowship with Christ, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and obedience
to the truth; that a holy life is the fruit and evidence of saving faith; and
that the believer's hope of continuance in such a life is in the preserving
grace of God.
We believe that Jesus Christ came to establish among men the kingdom of God, the
reign of truth and love, righteousness and peace; that to Jesus Christ, the Head
of this kingdom, Christians are directly responsible in faith and conduct; and that
to Him all have immediate access without mediatorial or priestly intervention.
We believe that the Church of Christ,
invisible and spiritual, comprises all true believers, whose duty it is to
associate themselves in churches, for the maintenance of worship, for the
promotion of spiritual growth and fellowship, and for the conversion of men;
that these churches, under the guidance of the Holy Scriptures and in fellowship
with one another, may determine—each
for itself—their organization, statements of belief, and forms of worship; may
appoint and set apart their own ministers; and should cooperate in the work which Christ has committed to them for the furtherance
of the gospel
throughout the world.
We believe in the observance of the Lord's day as a day of holy rest and
worship; in the ministry of the Word; and in the two sacraments, which Christ
has appointed for
His church: Baptism, to be administered to believers and their children, as the
sign of cleansing from sin, of union to Christ, and of the impartation of the
Holy Spirit; and the Lord's Supper as a symbol of His atoning death, a seal of
its efficacy, and a means whereby He confirms and strengthens the spiritual
union and communion of believers with Himself.
We believe in the
ultimate prevalence of the kingdom of Christ over all the earth; in the glorious
appearing of the great God and our
Saviour Jesus Christ; in the resurrection of the dead; and in a final judgment,
the issues of which are everlasting punishment and everlasting life.
The
following 'Statement of Faith' was adopted by the National Council of the
Congregational Churches of the U. S., in session at Kansas City, 1913, and is
sometimes called the Kansas City Creed. Of the six clauses, four are given, the
last two being concerned with the 'purpose' and 'membership' of the National
Council. See Barton: Congregational Creeds and Covenants, 1917, p. 203 sq.,
often reprinted in the Year Book of the Congregational Churches. According to
Dr. Barton, the Statement 'is not a series of creedal articles, but is an
inclusive statement of the essential things most surely believed by Christians.'
The
Congregational Churches of the United States, by delegates in National Council
assembled, reserving all the rights and cherished memories belonging to this
organization under its former constitution and declaring the steadfast
allegiance of the churches composing the Council to the faith which our fathers
confessed, which from age to age has found its expression in the historic creeds
of the Church universal and of this communion, and affirming our loyalty to the
basic principles of our representative democracy, hereby set forth the things
most surely believed among us concerning faith, polity, and fellowship.
Faith: We believe in God the Father, infinite in wisdom, goodness and love; and
in Jesus Christ, his Son, our Lord and Saviour, who, for us and our salvation,
lived and died, rose again, and liveth evermore; and in the Holy Spirit, who
taketh of the things of Christ and revealeth them to us, renewing, comforting
and inspiring the souls of men. We are united in striving to know the will of
God as taught in the Holy Scriptures, and in our purpose to walk in the ways of
the Lord, made known or to be made known to us. We hold it to be the mission of
the Church of Christ to proclaim the gospel to all mankind, exalting the
worship of the one true God, and laboring for the progress of knowledge, the
promotion of justice, the reign of peace, and the realization of human
brotherhood. Depending, as did our fathers, upon the continued guidance of the
Holy Spirit to lead us into all truth, we work and pray for the transformation of the world into the
kingdom of God; and we look with faith for the triumph of righteousness and the
life everlasting.
Polity: We believe in the freedom and responsibility of the individual soul and
the right of private judgment. We hold to the autonomy of the local church and
its independence of all ecclesiastical control. We cherish the fellowship of
the churches united in district, state, and national bodies for counsel and
co-operation in matters of common concern.
The Wider Fellowship: While affirming the liberty of our churches, and the validity
of our ministry, we hold to the unity and catholicity of the Church of Christ,
and will unite with all its branches in hearty co-operation; and will earnestly
seek, so far as in us lies, that the prayer of our Lord for His disciples may be
answered, that 'they all may be one.'
