THE BEGINNING CORNER: OR, THE CHURCH OF CHRIST IDENTIFIED (4)

The following is the continuation of an article written by J. R. Howard and originally published in the American Christian Review, edited then by elder Benjamin Franklin (not the statesman). I will present more of this article at a later time. Please review the previous posts to get the complete context.
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“On this rock,” said Jesus, “I will build my Church, and the gates of hades shall never prevail against it.” Nor have they ever done so, nor will they ever be able to do it. The powers of the unseen world; persecution, corruption and division, opposition of every kind and character, have been arrayed against it, and have all been unsuccessful in attempting to put down and destroy it. And though it was predicted concerning it that it should be…in a state of depression, and perhaps of corruption, or partial corruption, yet it has never become extinct. It has always continued to exist in some place, and in some state or condition.

Hence Satan attempted at first to destroy the Church by persecution, but “the blood of the martyrs became the seed of the Church,” and he failed. He then attempted to destroy it by corruption, and the long, dark night of the Roman Catholic apostasy came on. But Luther sounded the trumpet of reformation, the light of truth began to dawn upon the benighted world, and the true Church began gradually to emerge from the long, gloomy, dark night; but she did not get entirely out. Seeing her emerging, Satan then attempted to destroy her by division. And then “a thousand and one” sects arose, one after another, or really more than six hundred! But he is destined to be foiled and fail here, for the full blaze of Divine truth is now shining in all its pristine purity, by the influence of the current reformation in restoring the ancient Gospel; and the Church, again in her primitive apostolic purity, is destined to go forth in the strength and power and irresistible might of the Lord of Hosts.

Here, then, we have the first mark of the true Church of Christ—origin and perpetuity. The Church, now, which can establish a claim to these marks, is THE Church of Christ all things else being equal, or if not otherwise defective.

II.—NAME.
The Church of Christ is known and recognized in the New Testament, by such appellations as these: “Church of God” “Churches of Christ.” Jesus calls it, “My Church.” Hence, we may with propriety call it the …”Church of Christ.” In fact, we are not authorized by the Bible, or in the New Testament, to call it anything else than according to the Divine nomenclature. The New Testament recognizes no party or sectarian names whatever. The names, “Roman Catholic Church,” or “Episcopal Church,” or “Presbyterian Church,” or “Baptist Church,” or “Methodist Church,” and so on, are nowhere to be found there, and are not recognized by it; nor are the names Roman Catholics, Episcopalians, Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, etc.

All such names, as party appellatives and distinctions, or as distinctive appellations, are condemned by the Apostles in the most unreserved and unqualified terms, and ranked by them among the “works of the flesh.” Says Paul to the Corinthians, in reference to this: “Ye are carnal [fleshly]; for whereas there is among you envying and strife and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?” Will the Lord Jesus Christ, when He comes the second time, own as His Churches those wearing any other names than His–or than those names in the New Testament authorized by Him to be worn? Most assuredly not!

For illustration: Suppose a man was to leave his wife and family to make a visit to a distant foreign country, necessary to be made and to be necessarily absent for some long-stated or indefinite period of time, but at the same time with the promise and assurance of returning again, to receive her again, and live with her as his bride, and to be again united to his family; and suppose that during his absence, she was, with a perfect knowledge of all these things, to throw away his name and take some other name, and be found when he returned wearing that other name, think you that he would own and take her as his bride? By no means. He would most assuredly refuse and reject her. Now, the Church is called the bride, or wife, of the Lord Jesus Christ, and He is called her husband. “The bride, the Lamb’s wife.” “Prepared as a bride, adorned for her husband.” “I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.”

Now, the Lord Jesus Christ left the world about eighteen hundred years ago, ascended to heaven, was crowned Kings of kings, and took His seat on the throne of the universe “at the right hand of the Majesty on high,” and has left in His WORD the promise and assurance of His returning again to earth, to receive His bride, the Church…But what has taken place since He ascended? As we have shown, corruption, division and apostasy have done their evil work; and His Church, which His Apostles left pure, undivided and uncorrupted, wearing His name alone, and observing His ordinances, worship and commandments, has apostatized from Him, “left her first love,” and become an abominable sectarian organization…Hence, the Lord Jesus Christ, when He comes the second time, to be united to His bride, the Church, will disown every one of these corrupt, unauthorized religious organizations remaining–will reject every one of them, and will recognize but the one true Church, wearing His name, to the exclusion of all others. And fearful will be their destiny then!

Here, therefore, is the second mark or the true Church. The Church that wears the [name of Christ-ELP], to the exclusion of all party or sectarian names, and whose members do not wear any names but that of “Christian,”…as found in the New Testament, is the Church of Christ, all other things being equal, or having all the other necessary marks.

Eric L. Padgett